A comparison of cognitively impaired attenders and their coresident carers at day hospitals and day centres in Aberdeen

Day care services for the mentally ill in Aberdeen are described. Cognitively impaired attenders and their coresident carers at local day hospitals are compared with their counterparts at day centres. The similarities between the two groups are more striking than the differences. Day hospitals appeared to be no more efficacious than day centres in relieving stress and psychiatric morbidity among carers. Indeed, carers of day hospital attenders were more likely to be depressed. There appear to be significant sources of selection bias in determining which elderly subjects attend which type of day care. It is suggested that current service provision in the UK lacks coherence and rationality and that randomized prospective trials are required to determine appropriate organization of day care services.