Improving Quality of Life for Older People in Long-Stay Care ...

Figure 6.6: Long-stay residents’ level of confusion, by facility typeWelfare homes(n = 14)District/Community hospitals(n = 27)Voluntary homes/hospitals(n = 32)Public homes/hospitals(n = 37)Private nursing homes(n = 199)All facilities(n = 309)0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%Mentally alert Confused some of the time Severe confusion all of the time118Figure 6.7 provides details of the number of residents in long-stay facilities inrespect of mobility. Overall, 17 per cent of residents in long-stay facilities inIreland are fully mobile, 24 per cent are mobile with the use of a walking aid orstick, 18 per cent are mobile with the help of another person, and 40 per centare immobile, meaning that they are confined to bed or a chair. Over 50 per centof people in public geriatric hospitals/homes are immobile compared to 25 percent of people in welfare homes. The latter also contain the highest proportionof residents who are fully mobile (approximately one third of residents). One inthree people in private nursing homes are immobile. In 1986, only 20 per centof residents in private nursing homes were classified as bedfast or chairfast(O’Connor and Thompstone, 1986); this again suggests that dependency inprivate nursing homes has increased in recent decades. The same picture ofincreased dependency is true for voluntary nursing homes. While levels ofimmobility have increased in the private and voluntary sectors, they are stillsignificantly below those observed in the public geriatric homes/hospitals andin district/community hospitals.Improving Quality of Life for Older People in Long-Stay Care Settings in Ireland