Dr. Quincy Samus reports on study regarding dementia and hospitalization
Written by Ann Wiker on January 30, 2025
Dr. Quincy Samus and colleagues, Halima Amjad, Vishaldeep Sekhon, Jennifer Wolff, and David Roth used NHATS data linked to Medicare claims to examine hospitalization-related outcomes of people living undiagnosed or unaware of dementia. These groups had longer length of stay and were more likely to be discharged to a facility rather than home. Their outcomes were similar to people living with dementia who were aware and diagnosed except they had greater risk of 30-day readmission. This important study suggests that lack of clinician or family recognition of dementia may adversely impact hospitalization outcomes.
