Hostname: page-component-cb9f654ff-d5ftd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-08-08T21:23:27.610Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Best care options for older prisoners with dementia: a scoping review

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 August 2019

Sanetta Henrietta Johanna du Toit Open the ORCID record for Sanetta Henrietta Johanna du Toit [Opens in a new window] ,
Adrienne Withall ,
Kate O’Loughlin ,
Nikola Ninaus ,
Meryl Lovarini ,
Phillip Snoyman ,
Tony Butler ,
Katrina Forsyth  and
Claire A. Surr Open the ORCID record for Claire A. Surr [Opens in a new window]
Sanetta Henrietta Johanna du Toit*
Affiliation:
Ageing, Work and Health Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
Adrienne Withall
Affiliation:
The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Kate O’Loughlin
Affiliation:
Ageing, Work and Health Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
Nikola Ninaus
Affiliation:
Ageing, Work and Health Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
Meryl Lovarini
Affiliation:
Ageing, Work and Health Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
Phillip Snoyman
Affiliation:
Department of Justice, Corrective Services, NSW, Australia
Tony Butler
Affiliation:
Justice Health Research Program, Kirby Institute, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Katrina Forsyth
Affiliation:
Offender Health Research Network, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
Claire A. Surr
Affiliation:
Centre for Dementia Research, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, UK
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Sanetta Henrietta Johanna du Toit, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia. Phone +61 2 9351 9203; Fax +61 2 9351 9197. Email: sanet.dutoit@sydney.edu.au.
Get access

Abstract

Introduction:

The prisoner population is ageing, and consideration is needed for how to best support those with age-related health conditions in the system. Existing work practices and organizational structures often fail to meet the needs of prisoners with dementia, and prison staff experience high levels of burden because of the increased needs of these prisoners. Little is known about the best method of responding to the needs of this growing subpopulation of prisoners.

Method:

A scoping review was conducted to answer the question: what are the perceived best care options for prisoners with dementia? To be included, publications had to be publicly available, reported on research findings, or viewed opinions and commentaries on care practices relevant to older prisoners with dementia. Searches were conducted in 11 databases to identify relevant publications. Data from the included publications were extracted and summarized into themes.

Results:

Eight themes were identified that could support better care practices for prisoners with dementia: (1) early and ongoing screening for older prisoners; (2) specialized services; (3) specialized units; (4) programs or activities; (5) adaptations to current contexts; (6) early release or parole for older prisoners with dementia deemed at low risk of reoffending; and (7) training younger prisoners (8) as well as staff to assist older prisoners with dementia. Besides practical strategies improving care practice, costs, prison-specific resources, and staff skills were highlighted as care barriers across all themes. A lack of empirical evidence supported these findings.

Conclusion:

One of the implications of the international ageing prison population is the higher number of people living with dementia being incarcerated. Suggestions for best care approaches for prisoners with dementia now need to move from opinion to empirical approaches to guide practice.

Keywords

care modelsprisonsageingcognitive impairmentvulnerablepopulations

Information

Type
Original Research Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 31 , Issue 8: Issue Theme: Dementia Care , August 2019 , pp. 1081 - 1097
Copyright
© International Psychogeriatric Association 2019 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

*Angus, C. (2015). Older Prisoners: trends and challenges [e-brief 14/2015]. NSW Parliamentary Research Service.Google Scholar
Arksey, H. and O’Malley, L. (2005). Scoping studies: towards a methodological framework. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 8, 19–32.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
*Atabay, T. (2009). Older prisoners. In Handbook on Prisoners with Special Needs (pp. 123–143). Criminal Justice Handbook Series. Vienna, Austria: United Nations.Google Scholar
*Baidawi, S., Turner, S., Trotter, C., Browning, C., Collier, P., O’Connor, D. and Sheehan, R. (2011). Older prisoners – a challenge for Australian corrections. Trends and Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice, No. 426, 1.Google Scholar
*Baldwin, J. and Leete, J. (2012). Behind bars: the challenge of an ageing prison population, Australian Journal of Dementia Care, 1, 16–19.Google Scholar
*Beckett, J., Peternelj-Taylor, C. and Johnson, R. L. (2003). Growing old in the correctional system. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing & Mental Health Services, 41, 12–18.Google ScholarPubMed
Brooke, J., Diaz-Gil, A. and Jackson, D. (2018). The impact of dementia in the prison setting: a systematic review. Dementia, (London, England). 1471301218801715-1471301218801715. [online]. Available from: http://search.proquest.com/docview/2115269224.Google Scholar
*Brown, J. (2014). Dementia in prison (Discussion paper no. 9, March), Alzheimer’s Australia, Available at https://www.dementia.org.au/files/20140423-NSW-REP-DementiaInPrison.pdf; accessed 21 April 2018.Google Scholar
*Brown, J. (2015, October). Living with Dementia in Prison. Available at https://www.churchilltrust.com.au/media/fellows/Brown_J_2015_Living_with_dementia_in_prison.pdf; accessed 2 May 2018.Google Scholar
Christodoulou, M. (2012). Locked up and at risk of dementia. The Lancet Neurology, 11, 750–751.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cipriani, G., Danti, S., Carlesi, C. and Di Fiorino, M. (2017). Old and dangerous: prison and dementia. Journal of Forensic & Legal Medicine, 51, 40–44. doi: 10.1016/j.jflm.2017.07.004.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
*Collins, D. R. and Bird, R. (2007). The Penitentiary visit – a new role for geriatricians? Age and Ageing, 36, 11–13. doi: 10.1093/ageing/afl144.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
*Combalbert, N. et al. (2018). Cognitive impairment, self-perceived health and quality of life of older prisoners. Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health, 28, 36–49. doi:10.1002/cbm.2023.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
*Correctional Service of Canada. (2013). Healthcare considerations for older offenders. Newsletter of the Asian and Pacific Conference of Correctional Administrators, 34, 13–16.Google Scholar
*Cox, J. F. and Lawrence, J. E. (2010). Planning services for elderly inmates with mental illness. Corrections Today, 72, 52–57.Google Scholar
*Curtice, M., Parker, J., Wismayer, F. S. and Tomison, A. (2003). The elderly offender: an 11-year survey of referrals to a regional forensic psychiatric service. Journal of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology, 14, 253–265. doi: 10.1080/1478994031000077989.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Das, K., Murray, K., Driscoll, R. and Nimmagadda, S. R. (2012). Assessment of healthcare and placement needs in an older forensic psychiatric population in comparison to a younger forensic psychiatric population. International Psychogeriatrics, 24, 1188–1190. doi: 10.1017/S1041610212000130CrossRefGoogle Scholar
*Dopson, L. (2005). No bars to better care. Nursing Older People, 17, 47–47.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
*Du Toit, S. H. J. and McGrath, M. (2018). Dementia in prisons: enabling better care for ageing prisoners. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 81(8): 460–462. doi: 10.1177/0308022617744509.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
*Duffin, C. (2010). Doing time: health care in the criminal justice system. Nursing Older People, 22, 14–18.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fazel, S., McMillan, J. and O’Donnell, I. (2002). Dementia in prison: ethical and legal implications. Journal of Medical Ethics, 28, 156–159.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Feczko, A. (2014). Dementia in the incarcerated elderly adult: innovative solutions to promote quality care. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 26, 640–648. doi: 10.1002/2327-6924.12189.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Forrest, G., Baidawi, S, Atkinson, T., Small, H. and Bernoth, M. (2017). Previously unrecognised issues: managing the health of an ageing prison and homeless population. In: Bernoth, M. and Winkler (Eds.), D. Healthy Ageing and Aged Care. (pp 221–231). Melbourne: Oxford University PressGoogle Scholar
*Gaston, S. (2017). Vulnerable prisoners: dementia and the impact on prisoners, staff and the correctional setting. Collegian. 25, 241–246. doi:10.1016/j.colegn.2017.05.004.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ginnivan, N. A., Butler, T. G. and Withall, A. N. (2018). The rising health, social and economic costs of Australia’s ageing prisoner population. The Medical Journal of Australia, 209, 422–424.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
*Gross, B. (2007). Elderly offenders: implications for Corrections Personnel, Forensic Examiner, 16, 56–61.Google Scholar
Hayes, A. J., Burns, A., Turnbull, P. and Shaw, J. J. (2012). The health and social needs of older male prisoners. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 27, 1155–1162. doi: 10.1002/gps.3761.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
*Hodel, B. and Sánchez, H. G. (2013). The Special Needs Program for Inmate-Patients with Dementia (SNPID): a psychosocial program provided in the prison system. Dementia, 12, 654–660. doi: 10.1177/1471301211432952.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Howse, K. (2003). Growing Old in Prison: A scoping study on older prisoners. U.K.:Centre for Policy on Ageing and Prison Reform Trust.Google Scholar
Jeon, Y. H., Potter, E., Cashin, A. and Chenoweth, L. (2007). An innovative model of an aged care hostel in the prison setting: process of benchmarking and evaluation. Geriaction, 25, 12–17.Google Scholar
Kakoullis, A., Le Mesurier, N. and Kingston, P. (2010). The mental health of older prisoners. International Psychogeriatrics, 22, 693–701. doi: 10.1017/S1041610210000359.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kingston, P., Le Mesurier, N., Yorston, G., Wardle, S. and Heath, L. (2011). Psychiatric morbidity in older prisoners: unrecognized and undertreated. International Psychogeriatrics, 23, 1354–1360. doi: 10.1017/S1041610211000378.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lemieux, C. M., Dyeson, T. B. and Castiglione, B. (2002). Revisiting the literature on prisoners who are older: are we wiser? The Prison Journal, 82, 440–458. doi: 10.1177/0032885502238680.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
*Maschi, T., Kwak, J., Ko, E. and Morrissey, M. B. (2012). Forget me not: dementia prison. The Gerontologist, 52, 441.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McKinstry, C., Brown, T. and Gustafsson, L. (2014). Scoping reviews in occupational therapy: the what, why, and how to. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 61, 58–66.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Moll, A. (2013a). Losing Track of Time: Dementia and the Ageing Prison Population: Treatment of Challenges and Examples of Good Practice. London: Mental Health Foundation.Google Scholar
*Moll, A. (2013b). Dementia behind bars: an unexpected yet predictable crisis. Mental Health Today, 24–27.Google Scholar
*Munday, D., Leaman, J. and O’Moore, E. (2017). Health and Social Care Needs Assessments of the Older Prison Population – a Guidance Document, London: Public Health England.Google Scholar
*Norman, A. (2017). Prison – no place for older people. Nursing Standard, 31, 29. doi: 10.7748/ns.31.49.29.s24.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
*NSW Justice, Inspector of Custodial Services. (2015). Old and inside: managing aged offenders in custody. Available at http://www.custodialinspector.justice.nsw.gov.au/Documents/Old%20and%20inside%20Managing%20aged%20offenders%20in%20custody.pdf; accessed 28 May 2018.Google Scholar
Parliament House of Commons Justice Committee. (2013). Older Prisoners Fifth Report of 2013–2014 HC 89 [Incorporating HC 1100 i–iii]. London: The Stationery Office.Google Scholar
Parliament House of Commons. (2017). U.K. Prison Population Statistics Number SN/SG/04334, 20 April 2017. London: The Stationery Office.Google Scholar
*Patterson, K., Newman, C. and Doona, K. (2016). Improving the care of older persons in Australian prisons using the Policy Delphi method. Dementia, 15, 1219–1233. doi: 10.1177/1471301214557531.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
*Peate, I. (2013). Dementia care and offender populations. British Journal of Community Nursing, 18, 284–285.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pham, M. T. et al. (2014). A scoping review of scoping reviews: advancing the approach and enhancing the consistency. Research Synthesis Methods, 5, 371–385. doi:10.1002/jrsm.1123.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
*Potter, E., Cashin, A., Chenoweth, L. and Jeon, Y-H. (2007). The healthcare of older inmates in the correctional setting. International Journal of Prisoner Health, 3, 204–213.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
*Prisons Department of Malaysia. (2013). Elderly offenders in Malaysian prisons. Newsletter of the Asian and Pacific Conference of Correctional Administrators, 34, 7–12.Google Scholar
Royal College of Occupational Therapy. (2018). Prisons: the value of occupational therapy. Available at: http://cotimprovinglives.com/prisons-the-value-of-occupational-therapy/; accessed 31 May 2018.Google Scholar
Shah, H., et al. (2016). Research priorities to reduce the global burden of dementia by 2025. The Lancet Neurology, 15, 1285–1294.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sheffrin, M., Ahalt, C., Cenzer, I. S. and Williams, B. (2016). Geriatrics in jail: educating professionals to improve the care of older inmates. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 1, S232.Google Scholar
*Shilling, D. (2012). Senior citizens in prison. Victimization of the Elderly & Disabled, 15, 17–28.Google Scholar
Smee, K. (2013). Caring for the ageing prisoner, a new age issue. Newsletter of the Asian and Pacific Conference of Correctional Administrators, 34, 4–6.Google Scholar
*Stewart, W. and Lovely, R. (2017). Peer social support training in UK prisons. Nursing Standard, 32, 39. doi: 10.7748/ns.2017.e10572.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stojkovic, S. (2007). Elderly prisoners: a growing and forgotten group within correctional systems vulnerable to elder abuse. Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect, 19, 97–117.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tricco, A. C., et al. (2018). PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR): checklist and explanation. Annals of Internal Medicine, 169, 467–473. doi: 10.7326/M18-0850.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Turner, S. and Trotter, C. (2010). Growing old in prison? A review of national and international research on ageing offenders. Corrections Research Paper Series No. 3, July. Victoria: Department of Justice.Google Scholar
*Vogel, T., Lanquillon, S. and Graf, M. (2013). When and why should mentally ill prisoners be transferred to secure hospitals: a proposed algorithm. International Journal of Law & Psychiatry, 36, 281–286. doi: 10.1016/j.ijlp.2013.04.021.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wahidin, A. (2005). “We are a significant minority”: old women in English prisons. British Society of Criminology Online Journal, 6, 1–16.Google Scholar
*Wheldon, A. and Williams, R. (2012). Development of a geriatrician led outreach service for older prisoners. Age and Ageing, 2, ii14. doi: 10.1093/ageing/afs112.Google Scholar
*Williams, B. A., Goodwin, J. S., Baillargeon, J., Ahalt, C. and Walter, L. C. (2012). Addressing the aging crisis in U.S. criminal justice health care. Journal of American Geriatric Society, 60, 1150–1156, doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2012.03962.x.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
*Williams, B. A., Stern, M. F., Mellow, J., Safer, M. and Greifinger, R. B. (2012). Aging in correctional custody: setting a policy agenda for older prisoner health care. American Journal of Public Health, 102, 1475–1481. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2012.300704.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
*Williams, J. (2012). Social care in older prisoners. Journal of Social Work, 13, 471–491.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wilson, J and Barboza, S. (2010). The looming challenge of dementia in prisons. Correct Care, 24, 10–32.Google Scholar
Yarnell, S. C., Kirwin, P. D. and Zonana, H. V. (2017). Geriatrics and the legal system. Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, 45, 208–217.Google ScholarPubMed
*Yorston, G. A. and Taylor, P. J. (2006). Commentary: older offenders – no place to go? Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, 34, 333–337.Google ScholarPubMed