Institution type-dependent high prevalence of dementia in long-term care units
Journal
Neuroepidemiology
Journal Volume
28
Journal Issue
3
Pages
142-149
Date Issued
2007
Author(s)
Tang L.-Y.
Chiu Y.-H.
Chang S.-F.
Su C.-L.
Chen S.-J.
Lin C.-W.
Shih W.-Y.
Chen R.-C.
Abstract
Background/Aims: It is estimated that there are 90,000 patients with dementia in the 23 million habitants of Taiwan, with a few institutions specialized in dementia care. To assess the need of institutional care for dementia, we investigated the institution prevalence of dementia. Methods: We performed stratified randomized sampling of elder residents from different types of institutions in different regions of Taiwan. A 2-stage survey with screening and clinical confirmation was carried out in 2004. Results: In total, 1,525 residents aged 65 years and over in 60 institutions participated in the study in which 1,308 elders completed the 2-stage survey. Among these, 631 elders were diagnosed as having dementia. The dementia prevalence was 26.8% in the residential houses, 61.8% in the assisted living facilities and 64.5% in the nursing homes. Vascular dementia was the leading cause of dementia in the institutions. Old age, diabetes mellitus and family history of dementia increased risks for both Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. Conclusion: The investigation showed that the prevalence of dementia in the long-term care units of Taiwan was much higher than those from community studies and the high prevalence in the institutions depended on the type of the long-term care unit. Copyright ? 2007 S. Karger AG.
SDGs
Other Subjects
aged; Alzheimer disease; article; controlled study; dementia; diabetes mellitus; family history; female; health survey; human; institutional care; long term care; major clinical study; male; multiinfarct dementia; nursing home; prevalence; risk assessment; screening; senescence; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Data Collection; Dementia; Female; Homes for the Aged; Humans; Institutionalization; Long-Term Care; Male; Nursing Homes; Prevalence; Taiwan
Type
journal article