Life events and senile dementia. I. Admission, deterioration and social environment change.

This study examines the frequency of life events before admission and before deterioration in 70 dementia patients, in comparison with 50 dementia controls living in the community and 50 fit elderly people matched for age and sex. We hypothesized that there would be an excess of events connoting changes in routine and the social environment. Specific scales were developed to measure these aspects of events. Our results supported the initial hypothesis, confirming that it is the social disruptiveness of change rather than the threat implied by life events that is associated with deterioration. The findings are discussed in the light of current models of the dementia process.