Factors related to dementia patients' length of day‐care clinic attendance

AbstractBackgroundIn our previous study, we reported that patients using a day‐care clinic for less than 1 year were older than those who continued day‐care activities for more than 1 year. We found that dementia symptoms, as assessed by caregivers using the initial Assessment Scale for Symptoms of Dementia score, influenced the length of day‐care clinic attendance (LDC). However, these results were obtained by univariate analysis. In this study, we investigated the factors that influenced LDC using multivariate analysis.MethodsWe studied data from 457 patients with dementia who attended our day‐care clinic for dementia patients from 1 April 2000 to 31 March 2012 and continued intervention until 31 March 2013. We evaluated the factors that influenced LDC using Cox's proportional hazards model for each sex.ResultsKaplan–Meier analysis showed a gender difference in LDC. The median LDC was 18 months (interquartile range: 3–37 months) for men and 21 months (interquartile range: 5–53 months) for women (P = 0.027). In model 1, the low initial Assessment Scale for Symptoms of Dementia score for each sex and high initial scores for Hasegawa's Dementia Scale‐Revised and Nishimura's activity of daily living scale in women were related to the long‐term use of day care. Model 2 indicated that a low final score for Nishimura's activity of daily living scale increased LDC for each sex. LDC was not affected by variables related to the caregiving system except for the number of cohabitants in men.ConclusionsIt was suggested that patients with high cognitive and physical functions attend the day‐care clinic for a long time. It was necessary to control the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia for those using day care in the long term. However, patients with low physical function at the end of day‐care attendance may also attend our day‐care service in the long term if they receive favourable assistance.