Objective: To estimate the cost and cost variability of psychogeriatric care in the community.
Methods: 69 patients and their respective family caregivers were studied, 34 attending a psychogeriatric Day Centre (DC) and 35 receiving the usual Community Care (CC) based mainly on outpatient healthcare. The following costs were recorded: general expenses, medication, transportation, resource utilisation, informal care and indirect costs due to health impairment and loss of work productivity of the caregiver.
Results: The mean cost of the care of a psychogeriatric outpatient was of 205,989 Spanish pta per month (1,648 US $), with an additional cost of DC of 85,941 Spanish pta/month (688 US $). In the CC group, 71% of the cost was due to informal care but in the case of DC, the largest cost item corresponded to resource utilisation (42%). Cost increased with age of the patient, cognitive and functional impairment and caregiver burden.
Conclusions: The cost of psychogeriatric patients' care in the community is higher for those who attend a DC, those who are in a more advanced state of their disease and those whose caregivers are overburdened.