The Reasons for Nursing Home Entry in an Adult Day Care Population: Caregiver Reports Versus Regression Results

Abstract

This article aims to compare reasons for nursing home entry determined through a regression of baseline predictors to relatives’ perceptions of reasons for entry. Participants included 201 community-residing members of 5 senior day care centers in Maryland. Through a prospective design, statistical predictors using Cox regressions were compared to the relatives’ reports of reasons for nursing home entry. These reports identified the most common reasons for nursing home entry as deterioration of independence and confusion. Behavior problems were also reported for almost half of the participants. In contrast, strong baseline statistical predictors of institutionalization were depressed affect, number of psychiatric diagnoses, a diagnosis of dementia, and age. Because of its strong significance within the baseline predictors, the meaning of depressed affect and why it was such a potent predictor of nursing home entry, yet still not reported by caregivers, should be studied further.