| Abstract: | ![]()
All 224 consecutive new patients who were admitted in 1982 through 1985 to the day care department of a skilled-care psychogeriatric nursing home were followed longitudinally until death. Dementia was diagnosed in 95.1% of the 133 women and 91 men. Their mean age at admission was 78.7 years (SD = 7.4). Every 12 months after their initial attendance the patients' status was recorded and coded as living in the community, institutionalized or dead. At one year after initial attendance 99 (44.2%) patients still resided in the community, 94 (42.0%) were admitted to a nursing home or (psychiatric) hospital and 31 (13.8%) had died. At five years only nine (4.0%) patients resided in the community, 65 (29.0%) were in long-term institutional care and 150 (67.0%) had died. Age, gender, socioeconomic status or living alone did not contribute to first-year outcome, but severity of cognitive impairment was associated with an increased risk of becoming institutionalized. Using logistic regression analysis, a model of three variables, living at home, needing help from caregiving children, and high ratings of dependency, assigned 61.4% of 176 subjects correctly as institutionalized versus residing in the community. |
