Innovative dementia care: Functional status over time of persons with Alzheimer disease in a residential care centre compared to special care units

Residential care centres (RCCs) for persons with Alzheimer disease are incr easing worldwide, but there are few studies that compare the functional out comes of RCC residents to residents of other types of continuing care setti ngs. This study compared residents of the first Canadian RCC on physical, c ognitive, behavioural and emotional functioning 6, 12 and 18 months after a dmission to residents of special care units (SCUs) operated by the same con tinuing care provider. SCU residents were initially functioning lower than RCC residents on most outcome measures and these differences persisted over time. Resident functioning declined overtime regardless of care setting an d, when the initial status was controlled for, the rates of decline were si milar. However, RCC residents experienced greater independence/freedom of c hoice, fewer physical or psychotropic medication restraints and were more a ctive, which may have enhanced their quality of life. Copyright (C) 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel.