Cognitive impairment, dementia and functional status of nursing home residents: cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach

Introduction. Dementia is one of the diseases with the greatest impact on the individual and family health, constituting a strong predictor of institutionalization. Objective. To identify cognitive impairment and dementia in residents of a nursing home and to describe these biological variables. Methods. A descriptive, correlational and cross-sectional quantitative approach in 61 elderly male residents was conducted to determine the presence of cognitive impairment (CI), dementia, comorbidities and functional status. Information was obtained from medical records. Results. 35 residents had CI. Mean age of patients with CI was 79.4 (± 9.81) years vs. 78.6 (± 9.79) in patients without CI. 25 residents were diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, 4 had vascular dementia, 3 had frontotemporal dementia and 1 resident had Lewy bodies dementia. 2 patients with cognitive impairment did not meet any dementia criteria. Significant association between the degree of cognitive impairment and functional status of patients was found (x2 = 25.76, P = 0.0001), with a mean negative correlation between the response to MMSE and FAQ (Spearman = -0.726, P = 0.000). Hypertension was the most commonly found non communicable disease in residents and patients with CI had a Charlson Comorbidity Index greater than those without CI (z = -2.434, P = 0.015). Conclusions. Mean age, functional impairment, and comorbidities were greater in residents with CI as compared to residents without CI. Among older adults with cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s was the predominant dementia