Background: The institutionalization of a patient with Alzheimer's disease or other dementia (ADOD) is the last resort for the latter's family and/or caregivers. We hypothesized that the degree of kinship between the patient and his/her caregiver would influence the likelihood of institutionalization. Objective: To assess the association between institutionalization of patients with ADOD and the degree of kinship with the family caregiver.