[The home for the aged: a source of growing concern (2). Behavior assessment over a 2 1/2-year period]

In 1983 we published the results of 12 months of behaviour assessment in an old people's home. We noticed an increase in physical and psychosocial problems. In the following 18 months we observed a further increase, both in the cross-sectional group as well as in the longitudinal group. Newly admitted people have rather serious problems from the onset. Furthermore, there is a marked increase from then on. The most vulnerable category consists of those elderly who die or are relocated to a nursing home within a short period of time. In the past the temporary increase in care for this group was compensated by the admittance of relatively healthy and young people. This equilibrium is now disturbed by the more advanced age and greater dependency of newly admitted elderly. In our research we find minor differences in psychosocial aspects between people dying and those relocated to a nursing home. The question remains, whether people in their last period of life should be relocated to a nursing home. We think the old people's home has an important task here. Because the lack of social contact plays an important role in the development of other problems, we plead for interventions in this area. We mentioned two possible modes of intervention. Our first impression is rather positive.