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The Efficacy of Care Model of Group Home for Caring the Elderly with Dementia: A Systematic Review

Friday, 25 July 2014

Meng-Chin Chen, RN
Department of Nursing, Yuh-Ing Junior College of Heath Care & Management, Kaohsiung, Taiwan., Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Li-Wei Lin, PhD, RN
Department of Nursing, Hung Kuang University, Taichung, Taiwan
Li-Yen Yang, PhD, RN
Department of Nursing, Fooyin University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

The effectiveness of group home for caring the elderly with dementia: A systematic review

Meng-Chin Chen 1 Li-Wei Lin 2  Li- Yen Yang 3

1Yuh-Ing Junior College of Health Care & Management, Taiwan

2Hung Kuang University, Taiwan

3Fooyin University, Taiwan

Background: The group home is one of the dementia care model and many studies have been discussed for this issue. However, the effectiveness of group home is different because of different research designed or method limitations (e.g. no measurement of long-term outcomes, and the lack of a control group). Therefore, the effectiveness of group home currently has not complete evaluation in clinical practice.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to appraisal critically the effectiveness of group home of group home for caring the elderly with dementia.

Methods: Literature search included English and non-English reports in the Medline, PubMed, CINAHL Plus with Full Text, Health Source, Cochrane library, Ageline, Academic Search Complete, ProQuest Health and Medical, MEDLINE Complete, ProQuest Nursing and Allied Health Source, Chinese Electronic Periodical Services (CEPS), Chinese Journal, Thesis Index and so on. Keywords including dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and group home were keyed in and the search was limited to articles published before June 2012. Literature search and quality assessment were conducted by two independent reviewers. A total of 608 articles that matched search criteria were extracted.  The quality assessment was assessed by using modified Jadad Scale.

Results: Eleven articles met study inclusion criteria. The quality score of the 11 studies was between 1 and 3. Patients with dementia living group home in their daily living activity, walking ability and quality of life were better than other long-term care institutions. Residents in group home have more independence autonomy and motility and less use of psychotropic drugs and have a high frequency of interaction with staff. The rates of survival and hospitalization for different care model have not significant difference in cognitive status and problem behaviors for three-year follow-up.

Conclusions : Empirical results demonstrated that the care   model of group home is effective for dementia patients and offers recommendations of research design for future research so that to improve the quality of care for dementia.

Keywords: group home, dementia, systematic review

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