Special care units for people with Alzheimer's and other dementias: consumer education, research, regulatory and reimbursement issues

Office of Technology Assessment
Record ID 31995000182
English
Authors' objectives:

To analyze the problems and opportunities created by the rapid proliferation of nursing home special care units for people with dementia and discuss ways in which government could respond to these problems and opportunities.

Authors' results and conclusions: A large number and proportion of nursing home residents in the U. S. have dementia. Special care units are proliferating in response to concerns about the quality and appropriateness of the care they receive in most nursing homes. Experts in dementia care agree about the principles of care, but there is considerable disagreement about how the principles should be implemented, and existing special care units vary greatly in every respect.
Authors' recommendations: Evaluative research is needed to determine the impact of special care units on residents, families, staff members, and nondemented nursing home residents. It is too soon for special regulations for special care units, but families and others need information about special care units to help them make decisions about placement of the person with dementia. Disclosure requirements are preferable to special regulations to protect patients and families from nursing homes that claim to provide special care but actually provide nothing special for their residents with dementia. Other output or dissemination activity: No special regulations for special care units have been established by states since the release of the report. Disclosure requirements have been established in three states.
Authors' methods: Review
Details
Project Status: Completed
Year Published: 1992
English language abstract: An English language summary is available
Publication Type: Not Assigned
Country: United States
MeSH Terms
  • Alzheimer Disease
  • Dementia
  • Health Services for the Aged
Contact
Organisation Name: U. S. Congress. Office of Technology Assessment
Copyright: Office of Technology Assessment
This is a bibliographic record of a published health technology assessment from a member of INAHTA or other HTA producer. No evaluation of the quality of this assessment has been made for the HTA database.