Effects of a nursing-home respite admission on veterans with advanced dementia.

The short-term admission to a nursing home of patients with dementia represents an important respite option for their caregivers, yet little is known about how it affects the patients. Twenty-six of 39 men admitted to a Veterans Affairs dementia respite program experienced a small but statistically significant decline in self-care and behavior at 2 days after discharge, but by 14 days most had returned to their pre-respite status. Patients who deteriorated substantially had, on average, greater independence in self-care and less cognitive impairment at admission than those who improved or worsened minimally.