Lessons learned from a longitudinal study of dementia care.

In a longitudinal study, the authors document the moves of dementia patients between different care settings, following up 103 individuals who had participated in an earlier study of the transition from home to institutional care. It was possible to document numerous moves between home, respite care, acute care hospital, and long-term care settings for these patients. The authors discuss the clinical implications of the many changes of residence for those suffering from dementia.