For professionals

Summary

Background and purpose
Many patients with a complex neurological disorder, such as Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis or residual symptoms of acquired brain injury, sooner or later in their disease process call on long-term care. It is known that these people have different care needs than the general nursing home population, but there are only estimates of their numbers. This research, made possible by the Verenso Grant for scientific research, aims to find out how many people in the Netherlands have an indication for long-term care and a diagnosis that indicates a serious disorder of the nervous system, other than dementia.

Methodology
We combined large datasets from Statistics Netherlands to determine the prevalence of a number of complex neurological disorders among people with an indication for long-term care in a nursing home.

Results
On 31-12-2015, 121,749 people in the Netherlands had an indication that gives access to long-term care in a nursing home. Of these, 9,398 people have a complex neurological disorder. Parkinson's disease and related disorders occur in 4% of the total long-term care population. Patients with a rarer condition are 10 to 20 years younger than the average nursing home patient.

Contemplation
There are more people in long-term care with a complex neurological disorder, other than dementia, than previously assumed. Through further academisation of long-term care and the development of target group centres of expertise, it should be possible to offer appropriate care to these patients and their loved ones.