Depression among seniors in residential care

Summary: In a sample of nearly 50,000 seniors living in residential care facilities (such as long-term care, nursing or personal care homes) in five Canadian jurisdictions, nearly half (44%) had a diagnosis and/or symptoms of depression. Residents with symptoms of depression, whether they had a diagnosis or not, experienced significant medical, social, functional and quality-of-life challenges. These included unstable health conditions, decline in self-sufficiency, cognitive impairment, conflict or withdrawal, sleep disturbance, pain and other serious health issues. While the symptoms of depression appeared to be associated with many negative health and social factors, residents with a diagnosis of depression were much more likely to receive antidepressant medications. These results highlight the importance of identifying seniors in residential care who may be suffering from depression. They also underscore the value of the Continuing Care Reporting System (CCRS) and the RAI-MDS 2.0© assessment in identifying seniors who are at risk for poor outcomes. Caregivers get real-time information that supports early identification of problems and guides best practice in care planning; managers get facility- and jurisdiction-level information to inform policy and planning.

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