In 1988, the demented in an elderly rural population (n = 851) were traced and assessed with the GBS geriatric rating scale. The aim of the study was to investigate the level of impairments of demented persons primary cared for and to relate their impairments to form of housing; to compare the distribution of care between not‐demented and demented in an elderly population, and to establish the primary caregiver/patient ratio. The majority of the demented (44/50) were cared for in the studied primary health care area, despite the scarcity of staff. All received formal care. They consumed more formal care than the not‐demented in the population. In relation to amount of elderly persons helped, the home‐help personnel ratio was 0.30, in district care the ratio was 0.02, whereas the ratio of general practitioners was 0.002, estimated from the number of contacts and