Clinical Characteristics of Older Adults Living in Foster Families in the French West Indies: Baseline Screening of the KArukera Study of Aging in Foster Families (KASAF) Cohort

Abstract

Background and Objectives Foster families for older adults could represent a transitional or alternative model to nursing homes. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics of older adults in foster families and to compare them with those of residents in nursing homes in French West Indies. Research Design and Methods This study is a cross-sectional analysis of the KArukera Study of Aging in Foster Families (KASAF) cohort. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were extracted. Dependency was assessed using the Activities of Daily Living (ADL) scale and cognition using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scale. Age, gender, ADL, and MMSE scores were compared with nursing home residents from a twin study of KASAF (n=332). Results A total of 107 older adults (mean age 81.8 years; 61.7% women) were recruited in 56 foster families between September 2020 and May 2021. 25.5% had diabetes mellitus, and 45.8% suffered from hypertension. The mean MMSE score was 9.3±10.1 and 76.0% had major cognitive impairment (MMSE score<18); 12.5% were diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. 42.0% of the residents were confined to bed or in a wheelchair, with a mean ADL score of 1.5±1.8. Almost all the residents (96.3%) benefited from a medical follow-up by a nurse who visited once or twice a day. Compared to older adults living in nursing homes, those in foster families were more frequently women (61.7% versus 49.4%), had lower ADL score (1.5 versus 2.4) and lower MMSE score (9.3 versus 11.3). Discussion and Implications The clinical profile of foster families’ residents was quite similar to that of nursing homes residents in terms of demographics, dementia, and dependency. Foster families might represent an interesting strategy to address the unmet clinical and social needs of dependent older adults, especially in countries where nursing homes are not sufficiently developed.