Prevalence of dementia among patients referred to an aged care assessment team and associated stress in their carers.

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of dementia among patients referred to an aged care assessment team and to compare levels of burden and psychological morbidity between carers of cognitively normal persons and carers of people with dementia, in this population. Validated cognitive tests were administered to participants drawn from a random sample of all persons referred to the North West Hospital Aged Care Assessment Team, and diagnoses of dementia were made according to ICD-10 criteria. Available carers were assessed for psychological morbidity and burden with the General Health Questionnaire and the Zarit Family Burden Interview. Of 100 patients selected, 78 were assessed, of whom 34 (44 per cent) were cognitively normal and 34 (44 per cent) fulfilled ICD-10 criteria for dementia. A further 8 (10 per cent) had cognitive impairment not meeting the criteria for dementia. There was a high level of psychological morbidity and burden among the carers of both the cognitively normal patients and the dementia sufferers, which was largely accounted for by the patients' physical disability. This has implication for the adequate provision of health care and services to both patients and carers of this population. Adequate education of members of aged care assessment teams in the identification of dementia and their ability to refer to appropriate dementia-specific services and provide counselling for carers requires future planning.