[Day treatment? An interim evaluation of day treatment in nursing homes]

Abstract

Day-treatment has developed very rapidly in Dutch nursing homes. This development was due to several unproved positive expectations concerning the therapeutical results, the effects for relatives and caregivers at home and the substitutional effects of day-treatment. In this article these expectations are tested by means of a Dutch literature-review. From a psychosocial point of view, many patients benefit by day-treatment. Somatically, this is probably the case to a lesser extent. For persons in the home-situation, among whom informal and professional caregivers, day-treatment is an important and highly valued provision. To a certain degree there is a substitutional effect for somatic patients, to a considerably lesser degree for psychogeriatric patients. Sometimes, however, day-treatment accelerates an admission to a nursing home. Partly, day-treatment has attracted a new category of patients. A plea is made for sound effect-research, for which some recommendations are made. Moreover, there is a demand for well evaluated experiments with day-centers and for the partly maintenance of the daycare function in nursing homes. The substitution of nursing home beds for day-treatment capacity is considered as relevant only for a limited part of the population.