Intellectual and memory disorders

Neurocognitive and behavioural disorders can cause anxiety, stress, depression, distress, disability and difficulties in everyday life. It is therefore important to provide help and support to patients suffering from such disorders and to those close to them. To assist these individuals, the Memory Unit at Erasme Hospital works along several lines: medical expertise, the quality of explanations provided, a range of services — neuropsychology, psychology, occupational therapy and speech therapy — and administrative support.

Cognitive and behavioural disorders can cause anxiety, stress, depression, distress, disability and difficulties that may lead to a loss of independence, resulting in greater or lesser needs for help and support. Investigating these disorders requires active listening and an informed assessment of all remaining abilities and disabilities. In addition to the scientific rigour essential to all medical care, each approach is individualised and human-centred, enabling a systematic response to each person’s specific needs. Meeting the medical and paramedical teams, learning about the examinations required to establish a diagnosis, receiving the diagnosis and discussing therapeutic options are all stressful moments that can be difficult to manage and require dedicated time adapted to each individual. Thanks to our teamwork and close collaboration with the Geriatrics Department, such personalised and specific care pathways are possible.

Our areas of work

The Memory Unit at Erasme Hospital works along several lines:

1) Medical expertise:

As part of the diagnosis and support of dementia syndromes, psychoeducation is offered to patients’ relatives when useful (ASAPP Project). The department, its doctors and its teams provide individually tailored medical care based on systematically updated scientific data.

• Patients are assessed in all areas — physical, cognitive, behavioural and social — using modern and reliable tests;
• Treatment is chosen together with the patient after analysing the individual benefits and risks;
• A care plan is also systematically proposed, with the possibility of rapid consultations after the diagnosis has been disclosed, if necessary;
• Patients have access to modern communication tools (telephone, email, fax, etc.), enabling them to communicate easily and without delay with their medical team;
• Psychoeducation is offered to patients’ relatives when useful;
• This psychoeducation programme, unique in Belgium, is supported by specific funding under Protocol 3 (INAMI), enabling art therapy sessions to be added for patients, as well as a home-support plan provided by a specialised nurse;
• Clinical study protocols involving both new therapeutic approaches and more fundamental research approaches are regularly offered to patients and their relatives if they wish to participate. Patients and their relatives always remain entirely free to decline participation.

2) Explanations:

• In addition to dynamic listening during each consultation, our teams formally meet twice a week to discuss each patient in greater detail;
• Consultations after the diagnosis has been disclosed are organised within the Geriatric Day Hospital, with which we work in very close collaboration;
• Psychoeducation and art therapy sessions are organised at the residential care home “Les Jardins de la Mémoire”, adjacent to the institution (792, route de Lennik). (ASAPP Project)

3) Neuropsychology, psychology, occupational therapy and speech therapy:

• Patients and those around them are accompanied and supported throughout their difficulties. Individualised meetings, as well as joint meetings with other patients, are also offered.

4) Administration:

• Patients receive administrative support for each request submitted to their health insurance fund, for their activities, etc.

Training

With the aim of promoting communication across the care network and continuity of care from the hospital to the home (including residential and nursing care homes), we offer an adapted psychoeducation training programme for professionals working with people affected by dementia syndromes (we also travel to residential and nursing care homes, in particular).

In addition to providing explanations about dementia syndromes and their main symptoms, the overall objective is to encourage reflection on the best ways to care for and interact with people experiencing a loss of physical and psychological autonomy. This is therefore a theoretical but also interactive training programme: each participant is encouraged to bring the difficulties, questions and problems they encounter, so that we can reflect together on the best ways to respond to them (through discussions, exercises, role plays, etc.). The content of the training can be adapted, within certain limits, to meet participants’ needs.