[A retrospective study of duration of illness in a group of nursing home patients with a dementia syndrome]

Abstract

In this study 127 patients with dementia were investigated, with known age of onset (mean age: 75.6 years), who died between 1979 and 1983 in a psychogeriatric nursing home. The mean period between onset of illness and admission into the nursing home was 4.8 years, while the mean total duration of illness was 7.7 years. These data were compared with the mean life expectancy of the Dutch population (CBS, Life tables of the population of the Netherlands by sex and age). There appeared to be little difference between the survival time from onset of illness and the mean expected life span, controlled for age and sex. After admission however, there was a 53% reduction of life expectancy. Life expectancy from both age at onset and age on admission, was better for women and the eldest patients.