Patterns of and reasons for relocation in dementia care

Because dementia is a progressive disease, the need for care in municipal shelter accommodations might change over time, raising the crucial question whether to relocate an individual. The aim of the study was to investigate the number of relocations between municipal dementia housing units and to examine the patterns and reasons for relocation, together with the various municipal prerequisites for carrying out relocation. Thirty-three managers of 101 dementia care units in 12 municipalities in Sweden were interviewed, and records of persons who had moved into or out of the dementia care units during the year 2002 were reviewed retrospectively. The results showed that turnover occurred in 35% of the 865 rooms during the year. Of those relocations, 78 (9%) were persons who moved to another accommodation-either into (59), between (13), or out of (6) a dementia care unit. This finding indicates that there are situations in which remaining in place was considered less appropriate than relocating a single individual with dementia to other accommodations with or without dementia specialization. The most common reason for relocation within the municipal shelters was an increased need for care.