[Current status of dementia in admitions to national leprosariums nationwide]

The purpose of this study was to get an overview of the following aspects of people admitted to 13 national leprosariums in Japan: the prevalence of dementia, medical and nursing systems, and facilities and equipment. Subjects included 1733 people admitted to wards for patients or disabled people in these leprosariums. Subjects were examined for cognitive function using Nishimura's behavioral rating scale for the mental states of the elderly (NMS), and for the prevalence of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). We also investigated medical and nursing systems, facilities and equipment, and status of nursing education. The results showed that, 288 subjects (16.6%) had a diagnosis of dementia. According to the NMS, 47.5% of the subjects were categorized as mild to severe dementia, while cognitive dysfunction was observed in 63.5% if borderline cases were included. Non-specialist physicians managed 30.8% of the subjects in 4 institutions, and there were no certified nurses specialized in dementia management. Results from this study suggest that there is need for the placement of dementia specialists', improvement of specialized medical services, and human resource development of specialized nurses in leprosariums where many elderly people live.