Using The Apriori Algorithm To Classify The Care Needs Of Patients With Different Types Of Dementia

PURPOSE: To elucidate specific combinations of care needs for people living with dementia (PLWD) and their caregivers according to specific subtypes of dementia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study at memory clinics in Changhua Christian Hospital, Taiwan, was conducted. Five hundred and eight people living with dementia and their caregivers joined the dementia collaborative care model. The care team established 15 care needs containing most of quality measures for PLWD and their caregivers. Individualized care plans including different combinations of care needs were addressed through face-to-face assessments. Apriori algorithm was used to find specific combinations of care needs for particular groups of PLWD and their caregivers. RESULTS: This study identified the basic care needs of PLWD and caregivers including appropriate scheduling of activities, regular outpatient follow-up treatment, introduction and referral of social resources, referral to family support groups and care skills training, and health education for dementia and behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. Patients with Alzheimer’s dementia required more care to prevent traffic accidents and getting lost, while patients with vascular dementia required more care to prevent falls. The older (≥75 years old) PLWD were associated with more needs of fall prevention and care for the mood of the caregiver, especially in the female patients with mild Alzheimer’s dementia (CDR = 1). CONCLUSION: Bundling the needed care needs might be a more effective means to care for a wide variety of patients with dementia.