Authors

Susana Miguel González1, Marta Farré Almacellas2, María del Carmen Alvira Balada3,Ester Risco Vilarasau4, Esther Cabrera Torres5, Adelaida Zabalegui Yarnoz6

Position

1Doctora en Ciencias de la Salud. Escuela de Enfermería Gimbernat i Tomàs Cerdà. Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona. Sant Cugat del Vallés (Barcelona)2Doctoranda en Ciencias de la Salud. Departamento de Enfermería. Hospital Clínic de Barcelona. Universidad de Barcelona. Villarroel (Barcelona)3Doctora en Ciencias de la Salud. Departamento de Enfermería. CAPSBE. CAP Comte Borrell (Barcelona)4Doctora en Ciencias de la Salud. Departamento de Enfermería. Hospital Clínic de Barcelona. Universidad de Barcelona. Villarroel (Barcelona)5Doctora en Ciencias de la Salud. Escuela Superior de Ciencias de la Salud TecnoCampus. Universidad Pompeu Fabra. Mataró (Barcelona)6Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing in New York University. Departamento de Enfermería. Hospital Clínic de Barcelona. Universidad de Barcelona. Villarroel (Barcelona)

Contact address

Adelaida Zabalegui Yarnoz. Hospital Clínic de Barcelona. C/ de Villarroel, 170-escalera 1, planta 7. 08036 Barcelona

Contact email: azabaleg@clinic.cat

Abstract

Objective: to describe the characteristics of patients with dementia and the quality of care (QoC) received by patients living at home and by those institutionalized, and to evaluate the differences between both settings.
Methods: an analytical cross-sectional study was conducted, including patients with dementia living at home or institutionalized. Sociodemographical and clinical data were collected, as well as data associated with dementia. QoC was analyzed through the CLINT questionnaire, and other variables of reference were identified. There was a comparison of the variables collected, based on the two living settings.
Results: the study included 287 patients with dementia: 39.4% were institutionalized and 60.6% lived at home. The subjects were 83.2-year-old (7.1) as mean age (standard deviation). The main type of dementia was Alzheimer, representing 71% of cases. Institutionalized patients presented worse cognitive (12.2 vs. 16.1; p= 0.001) and functional status (1.1 vs. 3.1; p= 0.001) than patients with dementia living in the family home. QoC was similar in both groups, but institutionalized subjects presented in general a higher proportion of ulcers and falls, more containment measures, and higher support by the healthcare system.
Conclusions: care for dementia is complex, and the quality of care for these patients is still low, both in the setting of general physical measures and regarding the support by the healthcare system for nurses and casual caregivers.

Keywords:

dementia; quality of care; long-stay centre

Versión en Español

Título:

Calidad de los cuidados en pacientes con demencia