The Alchoholic Patient in the Nursing Home

Abstract

There are indications that more alcoholics are being placed in nursing homes than ever before. To determine in what ways these patients differ from others going to nursing homes, all alcoholics (72) placed from hospital to nursing homes were studied prior to placement and followed 6 months in 35 homes. Seventy-one nonalco-holics placed during the same period were randomly selected for comparison. Hospital disability ratings from physicians, evaluations from social workers, and diagnostic data from records indicated no significant differences in levels of disability or impairment. Alcoholics were less likely to be currently married and had less income. Although they were younger, they had a significantly higher number of diagnoses than other nursing home patients (P< .01); however, with the exception of cirrhosis and brain syndrome, they had fewer serious illnesses such as cancer and diabetes. Outcome after 6 months showed 28 percent left the nursing home, 45 percent were still in the home, 10 percent were hospitalized, and 16 percent had expired. These outcomes were not significantly different from other nursing home patients. Results indicate alcoholics are as much in need of nursing home services as other patients, even though they differ along social and specific illness patterns *