A new study indicates that seniors with dementia are more likely to be hospitalized for potentially preventable conditions, than their peers without the disease. Researchers found three main conditions that accounted for most of these potentially avoidable hospitalizations.

The long term study followed 3,019 individuals over 65 years old, some with dementia and others without any cognitive impairment. Researchers found 86 percent of those with dementia had been hospitalized at least once by the end of the study, while 59 percent of those who did not have dementia had been hospitalized at least once during the same time period.

Those with dementia were also more likely than their peers to be hospitalized as a result of potentially preventable illnesses. The risk of being hospitalized for a preventable illness was 78 percent higher among the seniors with dementia. Urinary tract infection, bacterial pneumonia, and congestive heart failure were the three most common conditions, causing two-thirds of the potentially preventable hospitalizations. Other common causes of preventable hospitalization for individuals with dementia were dehydration and duodenal ulcer.

Researchers pointed out that these major causes of hospitalizations resulted from problems with self-care. Forgetting to take medication exacerbates congestive heart failure, for example. Those with dementia also often fail to receive treatment for illnesses until the problem is severe, but dedicated caregivers can help with this problem. “People caring for someone with dementia have an important role to play. They can be the eyes and ears for the care recipient. They can clue into what seems to be typical, and when there's any deviation from that, they can alert the primary care provider, who can then treat proactively," said the study's lead author, Dr. Elizabeth Phelan. 

Read more about the study in the US News & World Report article: “Dementia May Lead to Avoidable Hospitalizations”.

Suggested Articles:

Resources

• More senior living news articles
• Public policy news
• Press releases
• Subscribe