Three year outcome of the residents in a special nursing home

The 3 year outcome of 48 residents in a special nursing home was investigated, using Hasegawa's dementia rating scale (HDS) and activities of daily living (ADL). For all the residents, HDS score correlates well with age (P < 0.01) and ADP score (P < 0.001). Nineteen residents (40.4%) died during the period surveyed. Two-thirds of the residents with low ADL score died during the period, whereas 70% of the residents with high ADL score are alive. Of these scales, ADL correlated well with the fatal prognosis, suggesting that ADL is a valuable prognostic tool. As for the causes of death, pulmonary disease was prominent (n = 12, 63.2%). Consequently, the prevention of pulmonary disease is needed to achieve a good outcome in the management of nursing home residents.