Serious Mental Illness on Rise Among Residents of Assisted-Living Communities

The prevalence of serious mental illness (SMI) among people who live in assisted-living communities is rising faster than in the community at large, suggests astudy in theAmerican Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.“This increased prevalence of SMI in [assisted living] has implications for the provision of mental health services in this setting, a topic that is largely underexplored other than in broad strokes,” wrote Cassandra L. Hua, Ph.D., of the Brown University School of Public Health and colleagues.The researchers analyzed data from the Medicare Master Beneficiary Summary File, a ZIP code history file, OASIS home health assessment data, Medicare Part B claims, a national list of state licensed assisted-living communities, and a Residential History File. They separated the population into three groups: those who lived in the community at large, in a nursing home, or in assisted living on December 31 of each year from 2007 to 2017.Over the 10-year period studied, the prevalence of SMI in assisted living increased by 54%, compared with an increase of 39% in the community at large. However, the prevalence of SMI rose the fastest in nursing homes, increasing 77%.The prevalence of SMI in assisted living varied widely between states, ranging from 3.2% in Wyoming to 33.1% in New York.“Given that Medicaid coverage of [assisted living] varies by state, funding for [assisted-living] services may remain suboptimal in many locations,” Hau and colleagues wrote. “Future researc...
Source: Psychiatr News - Category: Psychiatry Tags: assisted living Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry nursing homes serious mental illness SMI Source Type: research