Placement of dementia sufferers in residential and nursing home care.
BACKGROUND
Few UK studies have examined the associations of residential or nursing home placement in dementia sufferers.


METHODS
124 patients with mild to moderate dementia (according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, third edition, revised) and in contact with clinical services were evaluated with a detailed standardized assessment and followed-up at monthly intervals for 1 year.


RESULTS
25 (21.6%) of the 116 patients living at home were admitted to residential or nursing home care during the follow-up year. Institutional placement was associated with greater severity of cognitive impairment, severity of parkinsonism and the failure of carers to adopt active coping strategies.


CONCLUSIONS
An intervention to improve coping skills in carers may decrease the rates of residential and nursing home placement.
Bannister
C
C
Department of Psychiatry, Central Hospital, Warwick, UK.
Ballard
C
C
Lana
M
M
Fairbairn
A
A
Wilcock
G
G
D000368:Aged; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000628:therapy; D003704:Dementia / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D016852:Housing for the Elderly / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D006113:United Kingdom