Question: In older adults with dementia, what is the effect of admission to nursing home care comparison to continued care at home, upon life expectancy?

Answer:

No definite clinical implications can be made from the available evidence. Some observational data does suggest that there are no significant differences in mortality rates forAlzheimer's patientswho stay at home compared to those who are placed in a nursing home. These results, however, need to be confirmed by additional high-quality studies.

One observational study conducted in patients withfronto-temporal lobar degenerationfound that mortality risk was significantly higher in patients admitted to a nursing home. In order to explain these differences, the authors suggested that future studies will have to evaluate reasons for nursing home admissions, taking into consideration behavioural disturbances and somatic illnesses, as well as the need for care. In addition, the circumstances leading to death in institutions should be compared with those in a domestic setting.