Culturally Competent Assessment of Neurocognitive Functioning in Latinos with Complex Multimorbidity: A Case Study
Diomaris Safi,
Jesús Barreto Abrams,
Melissa Rios,
Elisenda Rodés,
Mirella Díaz-Santos,
Paola Suárez
Affiliations
Diomaris Safi
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCLA Hispanic Neuropsychiatric Center of Excellence, 760 Westwood Plaza, C8-238, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
Jesús Barreto Abrams
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCLA Hispanic Neuropsychiatric Center of Excellence, 760 Westwood Plaza, C8-238, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
Melissa Rios
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCLA Hispanic Neuropsychiatric Center of Excellence, 760 Westwood Plaza, C8-238, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
Elisenda Rodés
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCLA Hispanic Neuropsychiatric Center of Excellence, 760 Westwood Plaza, C8-238, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
Mirella Díaz-Santos
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCLA Hispanic Neuropsychiatric Center of Excellence, 760 Westwood Plaza, C8-238, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
Paola Suárez
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCLA Hispanic Neuropsychiatric Center of Excellence, 760 Westwood Plaza, C8-238, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
Multimorbidity—the coexistence of multiple chronic conditions within an individual—is the new normal in hospital settings. Individuals with higher levels of multimorbidity require a multidisciplinary and holistic approach to meet their needs, though the complexity of their neurocognitive profiles is still poorly researched. This study reported on the neurocognitive profile of a 69-year-old, left-handed, Latino cisgender male with 10 years of education. He was deemed to have a short-term mortality in 2018, yet is still enjoying a good quality of life in 2022. This case report illustrated (a) a rather common neurocognitive profile of a patient with complex multimorbidity, (b) the advantages of being served in a center of excellence with linguistically and culturally appropriate services that evaluate patients’ cognitive functioning and inform and provide continuity of care, and (c) the benefits of a holistic and multidisciplinary approach to the care of the multimorbidity population.
