Care for older adults with dementia: PACE day care or residential dementia care units?

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LiangYu Chen

Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan

: J Aging Geriatr Med

Abstract

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Persons with dementia (PwD) are at greater risk for various adverse health outcomes, and the best care model remains to be determined. We intiated a casecontrol study aiming to compare the physical and neurocognitive performance of PwD in the Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) (PC group) and residential dementia care units (RC group). Demographic characteristics, physical function, cognition, mood, and behavioral and psychotic symptoms of dementia (BPSDs) were assessed every 3-6 months in both groups, while frailty and Timed Up-and-Go Test (TUGT) were assessed every 6 months in the PC group only. Overall, 96 participants (mean age: 86.4 ± 6.8 years) were enrolled with the median follow-up period of 43.6 weeks. Lower incidence of hospital admissions was noted in the PC group (0.52 ± 1.12 vs 1.38 ± 2.49 admissions/1,000 person-days, p=0.023), even though the PC group had higher multimorbidity and more severe BPSDs. During the study period, the PC group showed a significant improvement in body mass index, less physical dependence, better cognitive performance and reduced depressive mood. In addition, the PC group showed improvement in frailty, leisure hour activities, and TUGT results. However, participants in the PC group were more likely to experience BPSD deterioration (β coeff.: 0.193, 95% CI: 0.121-0.265). In conclusion, the PACE services significantly reduced unexpected hospital admissions of PwD, facilitated the maintenance of physical independence, and improved cognitive performance and mood status. Further randomized controlled studies are needed to determine the most appropriate care model for PwD.

Biography

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LiangYu Chen graduated from the medical college of National YangMing University in 2003, and would complete his PhD degree of the Institute of Public Health at National YangMing ChaoTung University, Taiwan this year. He is a geriatricain of Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Taipei Veterans Hospital, had ever practiced as a general physicain at dementia care unit of Banqiao Veterans Home, and majors in internal medicine, infectious disease, geriatric medicine and dementia care. He had extensive reseasches and publications on institutional dementia care.