Marital Status and Persons With Dementia in Assisted Living

Despite the prevalence of dementia among residents in assisted living (AL), few researchers have focused on the length of stay (LOS) in AL among this population. Little is known about the factors that may contribute to LOS in these settings, particularly for residents with dementia. In the current study, a sub-set of AL residents with dementia (n = 112) was utilized to examine whether marital status was associated with LOS in AL as this has received sparse attention in previous research despite studies suggesting that marital status influences LOS in other health-care and long-term care settings. The Andersen-Newman behavioral model was used as a conceptual framework for the basis of this study of LOS, marital status, and dementia in AL. We hypothesized that persons with dementia who were married would have longer LOS than unmarried persons with dementia in AL. Cox regression was used to examine the association between marital status and LOS in AL of residents with dementia and whether activities of daily living were related to discharge from AL settings among married and unmarried residents with dementia. Main effects for marital status and the interaction between marital status and mobility with LOS were examined. Study findings provide information related to the psychosocial needs of AL residents with dementia and offer implications for assessing the on-going needs of vulnerable AL residents.