A follow‐up study of psychogeriatric day hospital patients with dementia

One hundred and fifty‐five patients suffering from dementia who attended a psychogeriatric day hospital in 1985 were reviewed three years later. This review was performed to determine what proportion of discharges from the unit were unplanned or unforeseen and to look for any patterns in the care experienced by different groups of patients. The discharges were classified as planned or unplanned and by the living circumstances to which discharged. The outcome of patients surviving at follow‐up was also classified by living circumstances. Forty‐five per cent of discharges were unplanned. Significant differences were noted when comparing patients who had been living alone and those living with their spouses. The former, if institutionalized, were more likely to be admitted to a residential or nursing home whereas the latter were more likely to have been admitted to hospital. More of those living alone were alive at follow‐up. The findings of this study support the view that day hospital provision has little effect on the eventual need for long‐term care and that this need is related to the attitude and stamina of careers.