The American journal of psychiatry
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Comparative Study
Nursing home placement, day care use, and cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease.
People with Alzheimer's disease are often placed in a nursing home, sometimes after using adult day care services. How affected persons function during this potentially difficult transition is not well understood. The aim of this study was to examine the associations of day care use and nursing home placement with the rate of cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease. ⋯ Nursing home placement is associated with accelerated short-term cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease. Prior experience in adult day care may lessen this association.