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Quality of Life for People With Dementia Living in Residential and Nursing Home Care: The Impact of Performance on Activities of Daily Living, Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms, Language Skills, and Psychotropic Drugs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 January 2005

Clive Ballard
Affiliation:
Institute for the Health of the Elderly, Wolfson Research Centre, Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, England, UK
John O'Brien
Affiliation:
Institute for the Health of the Elderly, Wolfson Research Centre, Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, England, UK
Ian James
Affiliation:
Institute for the Health of the Elderly, Wolfson Research Centre, Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, England, UK
Pat Mynt
Affiliation:
Institute for the Health of the Elderly, Wolfson Research Centre, Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, England, UK
Marisa Lana
Affiliation:
Institute for the Health of the Elderly, Wolfson Research Centre, Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, England, UK
Dawn Potkins
Affiliation:
Institute for the Health of the Elderly, Wolfson Research Centre, Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, England, UK
Katharina Reichelt
Affiliation:
Institute for the Health of the Elderly, Wolfson Research Centre, Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, England, UK
Lesley Lee
Affiliation:
Institute for the Health of the Elderly, Wolfson Research Centre, Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, England, UK
Alan Swann
Affiliation:
Institute for the Health of the Elderly, Wolfson Research Centre, Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, England, UK
Jane Fossey
Affiliation:
Fulbrook Centre, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, England, UK.

Abstract

Many people with dementia reside in care facilities. Little is known about how key parameters impact upon their quality of life (QOL). All 209 people with dementia in six facilities received a standardized assessment (Neuropsychiatric Inventory [NPI], Barthel Scale, psychotropic drugs). One hundred twelve residents were assessed using Dementia Care Mapping, an observational method for QOL indices. Lower performance on activities of daily living (reduced well-being [WB] r = +0.39, p < .0001; social withdrawal [SW] r = +0.42, p < .0001; engagement in activities [EA] r = +0.31, p = .001) and taking psychotropics (WB 2.5 vs. 3.2, t = .2.3, p = .02; SW 11.4% vs. 2.7%, t = 3.0, p = .004; EA 56.5% vs. 71.9%; t = 3.5, p = .001) were associated with reduced QOL, but symptoms from the NPI were not. More focused prescribing of psychotropics and better staff training are essential.

Type
Articles
Copyright
© 2001 International Psychogeriatric Association

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