Demented patients (41) admitted to a psychogeriatric assessment unit of 1977-1978 were matched by diagnosis, sex and living group prior to admission with 41 patients admitted to the same unit in 1981-1982. While the 2 cohorts showed no significant difference in their overall levels of disability at the time of admission, the latter group were more disabled at the time of discharge and were more likely to be placed in long-stay hospital care. The 1981-1982 cohort stayed significantly longer in the assessment unit. These differences suggest that health and social service resources are failing to keep pace with the rising numbers of demented elderly patients.