title: Adaptive competence impairment and cognitive deficits in acutely ill schizophrenia patients residing in nursing homes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The loss of long-term inpatient psychiatric hospital beds over the years has caused schizophrenia patients of all ages to be increasingly placed in nursing home environments that were traditionally reserved for elderly patients. Consequently, many nongeriatric patients with chronic schizophrenia are now residing in nursing home settings. The objective of this article is to determine whether many of these nongeriatric patients are placed in nursing homes because of chronicity of illness and severity of impairment, or because of the limited alternative viable housing options.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multiple and stepwise regressions examined predictors of cognitive ability, adaptive competence, social skills and inpatient social and adaptive functioning, and clinical symptomatology.
  
  
  METHODS
  Inpatient psychiatric unit in a general hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty acutely ill geriatric and nongeriatric patients with schizophrenia who reside in nursing homes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants' clinical symptoms, cognitive ability, adaptive functioning, social skills, and inpatient social and adaptive functioning were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Findings revealed that patients' cognitive impairment and age of admission to the nursing home, irrespective of patients' current age, were predictors of impaired adaptive competence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Examination of cognitive and adaptive deficits with assessment of symptom severity, independent of patients' current age, may aide in the determination of appropriate residential placements for individuals with schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York 11549, USA.
authors.forename: Margarita B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Adelsky
authors.forename: Christopher R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Bowie
authors.forename: Terry E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Goldberg
authors.forename: Mark R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Serper
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016743:Mental Competency / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009519:New York City; D009735:Nursing Homes; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012917:Social Adjustment