To determine the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of a large cohort of patients with young onset dementia (YOD) (aged below 65), and whether they differ from older (age 65+) adults with dementia.
Methods:
Retrospective cross-sectional study. Participants were New Zealanders who were assessed with International Residential Assessment Instrument (interRAI) assessments (including community-dwelling adults and those in long-term care) from 2016 to 2019 and had a diagnosis of dementia. Outcomes were sociodemographic and clinical characteristics captured in the interRAI assessment.
Results:
People with YOD were more likely to be male, of non-European ethnicity, and live in a dwelling other than a private home or be homeless. They were more likely to exhibit problematic behaviors and neuropsychiatric symptoms but were less frail and less dependent…