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Long-term care of the elderly. A descriptive study of 3600 institutionalized patients in the county of Västerbotten, Sweden
Sandman PO, Adolfsson R, Norberg A, Nyström L, Winblad B.. Comprehensive gerontology. Section A, Clinical and laboratory sciences, 1988-10-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Probands (n = 3607) living in long-term care institutions in the county of Västerbotten were assessed to estimate whether the prevalence of dementia in different types of institutions had changed since a similar survey was made 7 years before. The probands' motoric functions, vision, hearing, speech, prevalence of behavioral disturbances and psychiatric symptoms, work load and use of psychoactive drugs were also investigated with special emphasis on the differences between the demented and the non-demented. About 40% were demented. This proportion of demented patients had increased in somatic long-stay clinics, nursing homes and homes for the aged since 1975. Further, the mean age of the probands and their length of stay had increased in these institutions. Demented probands were more impaired with regard to motor functions, speech, vision, hearing, ADL-functions, behavioral and psychiatric symptoms, and they also imposed a higher work load on the staff than the non-demented. Demented probands were also prescribed psychoactive drugs, i.e. neuroleptics but not minor tranquilizers or antidepressants, more often than the non-demented in accordance with the increased prevalence of behavioral disturbances and psychiatric symptoms.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Sandman, P. O., Adolfsson, R., Norberg, A., Nyström, L., & Winblad, B. (1988). Long-term care of the elderly. A descriptive study of 3600 institutionalized patients in the county of Västerbotten, Sweden. Comprehensive gerontology. Section A, Clinical and laboratory sciences.
Vancouver
Sandman PO, Adolfsson R, Norberg A, Nyström L, Winblad B. Long-term care of the elderly. A descriptive study of 3600 institutionalized patients in the county of Västerbotten, Sweden. Comprehensive gerontology. Section A, Clinical and laboratory sciences. 1988. PMID: 3148369.
BibTeX
@article{sandman1988-3148369,
author = {Sandman, P. O. and Adolfsson, R. and Norberg, A. and Nyström, L. and Winblad, B.},
title = {{Long-term care of the elderly. A descriptive study of 3600 institutionalized patients in the county of Västerbotten, Sweden}},
journal = {Comprehensive gerontology. Section A, Clinical and laboratory sciences},
year = {1988},
pmid = {3148369}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. This record has no DOI, so the citation leaves it out. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- The probands' motoric functions, vision, hearing, speech, prevalence of behavioral disturbances and psychiatric symptoms, work load and use of psychoactive drugs were also investigated with special emphasis on the differences between the demented and the non-demented.
- This proportion of demented patients had increased in somatic long-stay clinics, nursing homes and homes for the aged since 1975.
- Further, the mean age of the probands and their length of stay had increased in these institutions.
- Demented probands were more impaired with regard to motor functions, speech, vision, hearing, ADL-functions, behavioral and psychiatric symptoms, and they also imposed a higher work load on the staff than the non-demented.
- Demented probands were also prescribed psychoactive drugs, i.e. neuroleptics but not minor tranquilizers or antidepressants, more often than the non-demented in accordance with the increased prevalence of behavioral disturbances and psychiatric symptoms.
Why it matters
This descriptive study of 3600 institutionalized patients in Sweden found about 40% were demented and that this proportion had increased since 1975. It describes patient characteristics and care burden, not treatment, cure or prevention of Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Participants3,607
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 41/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, so that was left out: it earned 39 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 41 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Comprehensive gerontology. Section A, Clinical and laboratory sciences) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 1988 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 3 / 4 | 3,607 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 4 / 7 | Cited 90 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 2.2 citations a year over 40 year(s) since 1988 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 2.7× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 0 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Bengt G. Winblad: h-index 171 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Umeå University: institution h-index 813 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 3148369) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 39 / 96 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 39 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 41 out of 100. |
| Total | 41 / 100 | — |
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