Establishment and Impact of a Dementia Unit Within the Nursing Home

Thirty‐two demented, elderly residents of a nursing home were admitted to a specially designed dementia unit. Each patient was assessed three times: prior to admission, and at four and 12 months after admission to the unit. Patients were evaluated using a modified version of a previously published assessment scale as well as with a standardized New York State numerical rating system. There was an increased level of functioning in both mental and emotional status and basic functions of daily living at both four (P ≤ 0.001) and 12 months (P ≤ 0.005). The improvement in scores was maintained over a prolonged time period, despite the expectation of progression of the dementing process. There was no change noted on the New York State assessment. Our data suggest that a select group of demented elderly can benefit from being placed on a specialized dementia unit. 1987 The American Geriatrics Society