Mobility and Self-Care are Associated With Discharge to Community After Home Health for People With Dementia

Skilled home healthcare utilization and outcomes for older adults with dementia: A scoping review

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to summarize the existing research literature examining Medicare-skilled home health (HH) utilization and clinical outcomes for persons with dementia (PwD). We sought to answer the following questions: (1) How is dementia defined and classified in the HH literature? (2) What associations have been observed between dementia status and patterns of HH utilization? (3) What associations have been observed between dementia status and HH outcomes?

METHODS

Using Arksey and O'Malley's framework for scoping reviews, we searched PubMed, Google Scholar, and select relevant journals for quantitative studies conducted in the United States between 2000 and 2023 examining Medicare HH use and outcomes for PwD. We describe and compare approaches to classify dementia, identify findings related to HH utilization and outcomes supported by the preponderance of evidence, and comment on existing gaps and areas of ambiguity in the literature.

RESULTS

Thirty-two articles met the inclusion criteria. Most used claims-based data to classify dementia, leveraged national data, and were limited to traditional Medicare beneficiaries. Studies found meaningful differences in HH utilization by dementia status; most notably, PwD were more likely to access HH without a preceding hospitalization, had longer lengths of stay, and incurred higher HH costs. Literature relating to clinical outcomes was more difficult to interpret, due to significant variation in study objectives, samples, and outcome measures which prompted more nuanced and even contradictory conclusions. There is a dearth of research identifying how specific HH care pathways (e.g., service types, visit frequency) impact outcomes for this patient population.

CONCLUSIONS

This review supports the understanding that PwD are a unique subpopulation of HH patients who require special attention in policy development and evaluation. Critical research is needed to examine clinical outcomes in PwD further to inform practice and improve care quality.

The Role of Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status in Institutionalization of Home Health Care Patients With and Without Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias

OBJECTIVES

To assess whether neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) moderates the association between Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) and successful discharge to the community. In addition, to explore whether the role of neighborhood SES on successful discharge for patients with ADRD varies by the severity of ADRD.

DESIGN

This is a retrospective cohort study.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Medicare Fee-for-service beneficiaries, aged 65 or older, who received home health care in 2019.

METHODS

We used linear probability regression models with successful discharge to the community as the main outcome, and neighborhood SES and ADRD as independent variables. Also, we modified the Functional Assessment Staging Tool (FAST) to measure ADRD severity.

RESULTS

Our study results show ADRD and residing in neighborhoods with lower socioeconomic conditions were independently associated with lower probabilities of successful discharge to the community. We also found that the differences in probabilities of remaining at home between patients with and without ADRD were larger among those in neighborhoods with lower SES (ADRD∗less disadvantaged neighborhood, coeff: -0.01, P < .001; ADRD∗more disadvantaged neighborhood, coeff: -0.02, P < .001; ADRD∗most disadvantaged neighborhood, coeff: 0.032, P < .001). Among patients with ADRD, patients with the most advanced ADRD were less likely to remain in their homes and community when living in neighborhoods with lower SES.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Our study results show that when patients with ADRD receiving home health care live in neighborhoods with lower SES, they face further challenges to remaining in their homes and community. Public health officials and community planners should consider using area-level interventions to improve care and health outcomes for patients with ADRD. Also, further research aimed at identifying the specific factors and resources influencing lower care quality and poorer health outcomes in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods, particularly for patients with ADRD, can provide valuable insights for the development and implementation of targeted interventions.

Determinants of hospital readmissions in older people with dementia: a narrative review

INTRODUCTION

Over 50% of hospitalised older people with dementia have multimorbidity, and are at an increased risk of hospital readmissions within 30 days of their discharge. Between 20-40% of these readmissions may be preventable. Current research focuses on the physical causes of hospital readmissions. However, older people with dementia have additional psychosocial factors that are likely to increase their risk of readmissions. This narrative review aimed to identify psychosocial determinants of hospital readmissions, within the context of known physical factors.

METHODS

Electronic databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and PsychInfo were searched from inception until July 2022 and followed up in February 2024. Quantitative and qualitative studies in English including adults aged 65 years and over with dementia, their care workers and informal carers were considered if they investigated hospital readmissions. An inductive approach was adopted to map the determinants of readmissions. Identified themes were described as narrative categories.

RESULTS

Seventeen studies including 7,194,878 participants met our inclusion criteria from a total of 6369 articles. Sixteen quantitative studies included observational cohort and randomised controlled trial designs, and one study was qualitative. Ten studies were based in the USA, and one study each from Taiwan, Australia, Canada, Sweden, Japan, Denmark, and The Netherlands. Large hospital and insurance records provided data on over 2 million patients in one American study. Physical determinants included reduced mobility and accumulation of long-term conditions. Psychosocial determinants included inadequate hospital discharge planning, limited interdisciplinary collaboration, socioeconomic inequalities among ethnic minorities, and behavioural and psychological symptoms. Other important psychosocial factors such as loneliness, poverty and mental well-being, were not included in the studies.

CONCLUSION

Poorly defined roles and responsibilities of health and social care professionals and poor communication during care transitions, increase the risk of readmission in older people with dementia. These identified psychosocial determinants are likely to significantly contribute to readmissions. However, future research should focus on the understanding of the interaction between a host of psychosocial and physical determinants, and multidisciplinary interventions across care settings to reduce hospital readmissions.

Successful Discharge to Community From Home Health Less Likely for People in Late Stages of Dementia

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Several studies have established the efficacy of home health in meeting the health care needs of people with Alzheimer disease and related dementias (ADRD) and helping them to remain at home. However, transitioning to the community after discharge from home health presents challenges to patient safety and quality of life. The severity of an individual's functional impairments, cognitive limitations, and behavioral and psychological symptoms may compound these challenges. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between dementia severity and successful discharge to community (DTC) from home health.

METHODS

This was a retrospective study of 142 376 Medicare beneficiaries with ADRD. Successful DTC was defined as having no unplanned hospitalization or death within 30 days of DTC from home health. Successful DTC rates were calculated, and multilevel logistic regression was used to estimate the relative risk (RR) of successful DTC, by dementia severity category, adjusted for patient and clinical characteristics. Six dementia severity categories were identified using a crosswalk between items on the Outcome and Assessment Information Set and the Functional Assessment Staging Tool.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Successful DTC occurred in 71.2% of beneficiaries. Beneficiaries in the 2 most severe dementia categories had significantly lower risk of successful DTC (category 6: RR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.889-0.910; category 7: RR = 0.737, 95% CI = 0.704-0.770) than those in the least severe dementia category. The RR of successful DTC for people with ADRD decreased as the level of independence with oral medication management decreased and when there was an overall greater need for caregiver assistance.

CONCLUSIONS

Patient status at the time of admission to home health is associated with outcomes after discharge from home health. Early identification of people in advanced stages of ADRD provides an opportunity to implement strategies to facilitate successful DTC while people are still receiving home care services. The severity of ADRD and availability of caregiver assistance should be key considerations in planning for successful DTC for people with ADRD.

How to manage comorbidities in people with dementia: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

People with dementia experience a high prevalence of comorbidities that seriously affect patient outcomes. The aim of this study was to map the evidence and components related to comorbidity management, including interventions to facilitate and support the practice of management.

METHODS

A scoping review was conducted. In June 2022, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE), Open grey, and the Cochrane Library were searched to identify relevant literature. The inclusion criteria were outlined to identify studies on comorbidity management in people with dementia.

RESULTS

We found 43 items that met the inclusion criteria. The majority of the studies were published since 2010. Most research focused on medication management, health care service use and provision, and comorbidity-related monitoring and management; there were a small number of studies that involved decision-making. Only 6 studies developed interventions to support dementia care, which included comorbidity management. Studies involving the comorbidity management process were mainly based on qualitative methods, which make it difficult to quantify the impact of these processes on comorbidity management.

CONCLUSIONS

Given the serious impact of dementia on managing comorbidities, there is a need to develop systematic interventions targeting the management of comorbidities.

Identifying unmet needs of older adults transitioning from home health care to independence at home: A qualitative study

Health care practices to prepare older adults and their family caregivers for transitions from home health care (HHC) to independence at home are rarely studied. The objective of this multiple case study was to describe HHC patient and clinician perceptions of unmet needs after HHC discharge and recommendations to address them in future research. In this qualitative study, data were collected using chart-reviews and semi-structured interviews with paired patients (or caregivers as proxy) and HHC clinicians (N=17 pairs). We identified three themes: (1) low patient and caregiver engagement in care planning increased risk for preventable health events after HHC discharge, (2) limited continuity of care restricted patient and caregiver access to community-based services, and (3) gaps in patient and caregiver education influenced independent care of chronic illnesses after discharge. Findings suggest opportunities to improve care practices to prepare older adults and their caregivers for transitions from HHC to independence at home.