Mental ability of patients provided with the long-term domiciliary nursing care

Introduction. The limited mental ability and the worsened quality of life result in the need for long-term domiciliary care. Both are caused not only by somatic diseases but also by mental disorders. The early recognition of the impairment of cognitive functions enables the inhibition of this disorder and helps retain better physical and mental abilities and enhances the patients’ independence. The early recognition also helps appoint patients reacquiring care. One of the forms of this process is long-term domiciliary care.

Aim. The aim of the work was to assess the mental ability of patients provided with long-term domiciliary nursing care.

Material and methods. The research embraced 190 patients receiving long-term domiciliary care from two self-governing health centres in the Slask District and was conducted in March and April 2013. The authors applied the diagnostic survey, the Abbreviated Mental Test Score (AMTS), the Barthel’s scale and their own questionnaire.

Results and conclusions. The examined patients were 44–100 years old. The average age was 81.99. Their mental ability was assessed as follows: 33.68% — proper, 28.95% — moderate impairment, 37.37% — severe impairment. The results show disorder in 2/3 of patients, relation between age, education and impairment of mental ability, relation between impaired mental ability and functional ability and relation between diseases the patients suffer from and their mental ability.

Nursing Topics 2014; 22 (1): 20–26