Mental impairment and utilization of community services

Before the implementation of the health care reform of 1992 (The Ädel Reform), a study of the frequency of mental impairment of people in different residential and care services was conducted in a parish of Stockholm. All residents, 65 years or older, registered with Primary Care Centres, Geriatric Hospitals and other institutions were assessed with respect to cognitive function according to the seven stage “Global Deterioration Scale” (GDS). The age-specific frequencies of mental impairment were similar to prevalences reported in earlier studies. The frequency of cognitive dysfunction of non-institutionalized and institutionalized elderly was 42% and 52%, respectively, and higher for women than for men. There was considerable variation in the prevalence of cognitive dysfunction among subjects in different types of accommodation. For the different stages of mental impairment the average age was about the same. With increasing need and demand for services, and limited resources, these variations in cognitive dysfunction have important implications for structuring appropriate support systems in a population with a rapidly rising proportion of elderly people.