[Description of cognitive-behavioral specialized units in France: results of a national investigation]

Abstract

Through a national survey, the SFGG's UCC Task Force worked and liaised with the DGOS as to establish a national inventory of the UCCs in France. 43 of the 55 newly opened UCCs in 2011 filled up the survey. These UCCs largely supported patients meeting the admission criteria's from the book of specifications edited by the public department. Those patients were demented, valid and with disruptive behavior disorders. Earnings for the stay were commonly measured by a reduced NPI (32 to 18). Body therapies, cognitive and sensory were mainly performed, even if a quarter of the UCCs also provided acute missions (diagnosis and management of acute diseases). Medical staff and caregivers were very different. Nearly half of the UCCs reported an insufficient staffing and a third of them reported a lack of training. Among the most often claimed difficulty (81% of UCCs), the release of patients is noted, with an average length of stay of 36 days. From an architectural point of view and even if the amount of beds was by the book (in average: 11), 58% of the UCCs proposed only single rooms. The lack of homogeneity shown with this survey tells us to share more our practice.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; behavioral symptoms; cognitivo-behavioral unit; dementia.