SUPPORT FOR PERSONS WITH VARIED COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS: FORMAL AND INFORMAL TIES AND SUPPORT

摘要

Among persons with dementia at risk of nursing home admission and with various cognitive functions, structured interviews were conducted about functional capacities, amount of utilized formal and informal care and ties. Persons with dementia at risk of nursing home admission (n=177) were divided in two groups regarding cognitive function and compared across age, living circumstances and various levels of support need and mental status, as well as utilization of formal and informal support. Results showed that the group with more cognitive impairment was significantly younger, more often cohabitating, more dependent and had more neuropsychiatric symptoms. Regarding informal care and service, next of kin provided significantly more help and supervision regarding time and amount of days to the group more cognitive impaired. Improvements are desired to adapt formal care and service meeting increased needs in persons with dementia and reducing burden of next of kin