Croatian Medical Journal · Aug 31, 2025
Planning care for nursing-home residents: cognitive impairment, functional independence, and accommodation services in nursing homes in the city of Zagreb
By Tomasović Mrčela N, Mach Z, Kušan Jukić M et al.
AIM: To assess whether the Mini-Mental State Examination, second edition (MMSE-2), scores were associated with the category of functional independence of nursing-home residents and the level of accommodation services they received. METHODS: This cross-sectional study enrolled 248 participants older than 65 residing in five county-owned nursing homes in the city of Zagreb from 2017 to 2019. Cognitive status was assessed with the standard version of the MMSE-2, and the level of functional independence with the modified Barthel scale index. We collected data on demographic, clinical, and social characteristics, including the level of accommodation services (I-III). RESULTS: MMSE scores were associated with the category of functional independence (χ2=21.11; P<0.001) and the level of accommodation services provided to nursing-home residents (χ2=38.87; P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Cognitive impairment should be determined in nursing-home residents to facilitate the planning of long-term institutional care and the implementation of the prescribed standards based on the level of accommodation services.