Recent estimates show that nearly 50% or about one million residents in long-term care facilities have dementia. Such statistics underlie the need for dementia care staff training, says a special issue of The Gerontologist.
The number of residents with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia is expected to increase substantially as the population ages, according to the journal. It features several articles that explore quality of life and specific care needs for people with dementia in assisted living and nursing homes.
By 2050, the number of people with Alzheimer’s disease could reach 16 million, putting staffing and quality of care demands on long-term residential care facilities. Such facilities undoubtedly will be the option of choice for the majority of families, according to the journal.
(Published 11-10-05)
