Queen's University Belfast

Academic Institute

Bernadette McGuinness

E026

Over the Admissions and Dischargest decades, life expectancy is increasing in years. As a result, there is an increasing number of adults over 65 years old, and of older adults with age-related impairments on physical or cognitive levels, including dementia (Armstrong, Nugent, Moore, & Finlay, 2010). In 2015, the number of people with dementia (PwD) in Northern Ireland was nearly 20000. This number is expected to increase to 60000 by 2051 because of the rapidly ageing population in the country. In 2013, 60% of deaths for PwD occurred in nursing homes (Alzheimer’s Society & Marie Curie, 2015). This is not the case in other countries, where mortality rates are lower for PwD living in nursing homes than for those staying at home (Callahan et al., 2012). Research has shown that in the early stages of dementia, mortality rates decrease when care is provided by family members (Aneshensel, Pearlin, & Schuler, 2000). In the later stages of dementia, PwD present advanced cognitive and behavioural problems and thus, informal caregivers often decide to transition their care receiver to a nursing home (Banerjee et al., 2003; Verbeek et al., 2015). The present study aims to assess the mortality rates in residential settings in Northern Ireland, and to explore potential factors associated with the transition of PwD to these institutions.

The present study aims to assess the mortality rates in residential settings in Northern Ireland, and to explore potential factors associated with the transition of PwD to these institutions.

30/03/2018

TRE