title: [Outpatient Care of People with Dementia within Residential Communities in Germany--Care Potential and Cost].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Since the 1980s dementia residential communities (DRC) have been established as part of the health-care landscape and as an alternative to inpatient long-term nursing care. Information about (a) the residents (b) the care potential and (c) the cost of DRCs are still lacking.
  
  
  METHODS
  A nation-wide postal questionnaire was sent to n=332 DRCs managed by n=151 organizations. The sample was based on an internet search with various combinations of search terms such as "outpatient" and "residential care communities". The questionnaire contained questions about the resident's social-demography, nursing care level and the utilization, financing and cost structures of DRCs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total 81 organizations with n=88 DRCs replied to the questionnaire. Overall n=794 persons were living in these communities, most of the residents were female (80%, n=522), and 67% of the residents were older than 80 years. The nursing care level was high, 27% of the DRC residents reached the highest stage. Only 5% of the DRCs capacity was vacant. 86% of the communities stated to be able to provide nursing care for the residents until the end of their life. Almost half (48%) of the residents received money from the social welfare. The total average amount of cost per place per month was 3,265.08€ (excluding costs of services related to health insurance).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DRCs are caring for residents with high nursing care levels. Costs of these communities vary to a large extent but are in addition comparable to inpatient long-term nursing care. Thus, interested persons should obtain information about cost, financing and care concepts. The low level of vacant capacity demonstrates the demand for DRCs in Germany. Studies with the objective to evaluate quality of care, care concepts and suitable clients for those communities are needed to develop this living concept.
authors.affiliation: Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), AG "Interventional Health Care Research", Standort Rostock/Greifswald, Greifswald.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wübbeler
authors.affiliation: Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), AG "Interventional Health Care Research", Standort Rostock/Greifswald, Greifswald.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Aßmann
authors.affiliation: Lehrstuhl für Allgemeine Betriebswirtschaftslehre und Gesundheitsmanagement, Rechts- und Staatswissenschaftliche Fakultät Universität Greifswald, Greifswald.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Blaut
authors.affiliation: Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), AG "Interventional Health Care Research", Standort Rostock/Greifswald, Greifswald.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lueke
authors.affiliation: Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), AG "Interventional Health Care Research", Standort Rostock/Greifswald, Greifswald.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.affiliation: Lehrstuhl für Allgemeine Betriebswirtschaftslehre und Gesundheitsmanagement, Rechts- und Staatswissenschaftliche Fakultät Universität Greifswald, Greifswald.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fleßa
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis / Q000191:economics; D003704:Dementia / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006707:Homes for the Aged / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017678:Sex Distribution; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome