Context:

Dementia is associated with old age and can be defined as a progressive and slow disease characterized by changes in memory and loss of cognitive functions. The nurse must have the competence to carry out early screening of elderly people in primary care.

Objective:

To analyze the practice of nurses in care for dementia in the family health strategy.

Methodology:

This is a quantitative cross-sectional analytical study, applied in primary health care in municipalities in the center of Montes Claros, where the data collection instrument used was a questionnaire composed of open and closed questions, as a means of knowing the practice of nurses in the care of patients with dementia.

Results:

178 nurses participated in this study. In the last 12 months, 57.1% of the professionals attended approximately between 1 and 4 new cases of dementia in the nursing consultation. Among nurses, 80.3% reported difficulties in caring for patients with severe dementia, with 59.5% reporting a lack of specialized support.

Conclusion:

The study concluded that the practices of nurses with regard to dementia are insufficient, especially in the early diagnosis, thus requiring the development of educational practices with the aim of qualifying professionals with regard to the management of this disease.

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