Needs of Older Adults with Early-Stage Dementia

초록

The purpose of this research project was to identify the met and unmet needs of older adults with early-stage dementia, residing in long-term care facilities in Korea. A cross-sectional descriptive design was used. A cohort of 152 older adults with early-stage dementia, residing in 11 long-term care facilities, was obtained through convenience sampling. The Camberwell Assessment of Need for the Elderly was used to assess the participants’ met and unmet needs. Depression and activities of daily living were also measured. Participants perceived the greatest unmet needs in mobility/falls, followed by the areas of daytime activities and intimate relationships. Ninety (59.2%) participants had clinical depression. A higher level of functional dependency and more frequent problems with elimination were significantly associated with a larger number of unmet needs. Needs of older adults with early-stage dementia are likely to be overlooked in long-term care facilities, but it was found that they had unique met and unmet needs. Nursing staff needs to provide quality care for this population using individualized care plans based on the study findings.

키워드