Centre for Policy on Ageing



Firearm presence in household of patients with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias
Author(s)	Karen B Spangenberg, Mark T Wagner, Shirley Hendrix
Journal title	Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, vol 47, no 10, October 1999
Pages	pp 1183-1186
Keywords	Dementia ; Living in the community ; Hazards ; United States of America.
Annotation	Attention has recently been drawn to the potential dangers of firearm use among patients with dementia in the United States. However, little is known about the actual prevalence of firearms in households with demented family members. This study examined the prevalence and loaded status of firearms in households with a demented family member in a sample of 106 outpatients at a memory disorders clinic. A high prevalence of firearm presence was revealed (60.4%). Gun ownership was equally prevalent in households regardless of the severity of dementia, severity of behavioural disturbance, or depressive symptoms. In households with firearms, 44.6% of the families reported that the guns were kept loaded, 38% reported that they did not know whether the guns were loaded. The findings suggest that clinicians need to ask families specifically about the presence of firearms and advocate for their removal. (AKM).
Accession Number	CPA-991201211 A
Classmark	EA: K4: OK7: 7T
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...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing.