Costs associated with caring for people with dementia in nursing homes

Abstract

Objective. To estimate the costs associated with the implementation of a model of care for people with dementia in elderly care institutions in Mexico City. Material and method. Secondary quantitative analysis to estimate the costs associated with the implementation of the PROCUIDA-Dementia program, a study to promote psychosocial interventions in older people with dementia. A data collection instrument was developed to identify all the resources needed to carry out the intervention and its associated cost. Results. The costs associated to the intervention amounted to $134,240 MXN pesos considering the material, human resources, as well as training and supervision components. The highest cost in material was the reminiscence therapy including the elaboration of 12 thematic boxes for each residence ($9,950MXN per institution), while the most economical was the cognitive stimulation including the generation of the life history book with the residents ($668MXN).  Differences were found across facilities in terms of size, infrastructure, and other management issues that resulted in differences in costs associated with the interventions. Conclusion. Although the lack of resources faced by most care homes in Mexico represents a challenge for them to cover the cost of the four interventions, the positive impact of the intervention on the residents justifies its application. There are different alternatives that can be incorporated, increasing the possibility that a greater number of institutions will use these interventions.