New Study Shows that At-Home Care for Dementia Proves Challenging

Posted by Mandy Quinn on October 3rd, 2019

As any caregiver knows, providing in-home care for loved ones living with dementia can be very challenging. Despite the fact that more than 5.7 million older adults are living with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and other memory disorders, there is very little research on the social and health characteristics of those living at home.

A new study by a team from the University of California San Francisco found that those living with dementia who are cared for at home tend to have poorer health outcomes and be more socially complex than those who are cared for in nursing homes and memory care assisted living communities.

The research team examined medical characteristics for 728 older adults 65-years-old and olderlivingwith moderately-severe dementia in three different care settings: nursing homes; other residential care communities like retirement communities and assisted-living; and at home.

Nearly two-thirds of participants received care in their own homes, while the remaining one-third of participants were evenly split between nursing homes and other residential care settings. Researchers discovered that overall, the adults with moderately-severe dementia living at home had worse health outcomes, higher comorbidities and more regular issues with pain. Thirty-two percent of those living at home had five to 10 comorbidities, compared to 29 percent of those in nursing homes and 15 percent in residential memory care facilities.

“People living at home also have high rates of hospital stays in the prior year, depression, unintentional weight loss, and falls or fall concerns,” stated lead author of the study, Krista Harrison.

There has been an increase in care providers specializing in memory care over the past few years.  Memory care residencesare better equipped to serve those living with dementia and offer a better quality of life for your loved ones.

About Author

The Cottages have been operating in Texas since 1997 and are family-owned and operated by The Cottages Senior Living. The Cottages are state-of-the-art certified assisted living residences for people living with Alzheimer’s and other memory disorders.