Most elderly dementia patients are cared for and die in their homes rather than in an institutional setting, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
The study’s findings go against a widely-held belief that most dementia patients end up moving into a nursing home and dying there, according to Dr. Christopher Callahan, of the Indiana University School of Medicine and the Regenstrief Institute in Indianapolis, and his research colleagues. In fact, according to the study, about 19% died in nursing homes while nearly half (46%) died at home.
After following about 1,500 dementia patients, researchers found that 74% of those who were sent to a nursing home after a hospitalization didn’t stay there; rather, many ended up either being re-hospitalized in under 30 days (about 25%) or returning home.
Dementia patients did not move straight from home to hospital to nursing home, as the researchers expected. Instead, dementia patients moved back and forth between settings, which can make managing patient care even more complex and add stress for family caregivers.
The study appears in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society and confirms that families provide the majority of care for dementia patients.
"Our study is the first to track movement of individuals with dementia until death regardless of whether the cause of death was ... dementia or another condition," Callahan said in a journal news release. "A better understanding of the relationships between sites of care for older adults with dementia is fundamental to building better models of care for these vulnerable elders."
The findings challenge beliefs "regarding the permanence of nursing-home care for persons with dementia," Dr. Robert Kane, of the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota, and Dr. Joseph Ouslander, of the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University, wrote in an accompanying editorial.
"More research is needed to understand how this impacts the quality of care for dementia patients and how we can improve care transitions and management for dementia patients and their families," they noted.
Learn more about dementia...
The study’s findings go against a widely-held belief that most dementia patients end up moving into a nursing home and dying there, according to Dr. Christopher Callahan, of the Indiana University School of Medicine and the Regenstrief Institute in Indianapolis, and his research colleagues. In fact, according to the study, about 19% died in nursing homes while nearly half (46%) died at home.
After following about 1,500 dementia patients, researchers found that 74% of those who were sent to a nursing home after a hospitalization didn’t stay there; rather, many ended up either being re-hospitalized in under 30 days (about 25%) or returning home.
Dementia patients did not move straight from home to hospital to nursing home, as the researchers expected. Instead, dementia patients moved back and forth between settings, which can make managing patient care even more complex and add stress for family caregivers.
The study appears in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society and confirms that families provide the majority of care for dementia patients.
"Our study is the first to track movement of individuals with dementia until death regardless of whether the cause of death was ... dementia or another condition," Callahan said in a journal news release. "A better understanding of the relationships between sites of care for older adults with dementia is fundamental to building better models of care for these vulnerable elders."
The findings challenge beliefs "regarding the permanence of nursing-home care for persons with dementia," Dr. Robert Kane, of the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota, and Dr. Joseph Ouslander, of the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University, wrote in an accompanying editorial.
"More research is needed to understand how this impacts the quality of care for dementia patients and how we can improve care transitions and management for dementia patients and their families," they noted.
Learn more about dementia...
Great article on a challenging issue. In home care is a great alternative, when affordable. Too many times children of aging parents aren't aware of the different options available to them. Thanks for touching on this topic!
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