NEEDS ASSESSMENT OF LONG TERM CARE INSTITUTIONS RESIDENTS WITH DEMENTIA

Background: The number of elderly people living in long term institutions is increasing. People with dementia in care homes have varied and complex needs which may provedifficult to meet at home. Those needs are associated with a range of general needs which may involve elderly people. The study is aimed at the characterization of the met and unmet needs of the elderly living in long-term care facilities and also to learn about the living conditions of older people living in institutions, focusing on their various needs. Material/Methods: Ninety eight residents with dementia (Mini Mental State Examination < 23), were interviewed with the use of Camberwell Assessment of Need for the Elderly. Information was gathered from the medical notes and interviews with the patients. CANE was administered to the patients. Results: Data analysis showed that most needs were unmet. The most commonly reported unmet needs were: 'memory', 'psychological distress', 'intimate relationship', 'company' and 'food'. The patients' four most frequently identified met needs were 'self care', 'household activities', 'physical health' and 'drugs'. Conclusions: Residents of the institutions were generally found to have the majority of their physical and medical needs met, but psychological and social needs often remained unmet. These findings have implications for the practice of people who work in the care for these patients.