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Wladkowski SP, Enguídanos S. Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias: Caregiver Perspectives on Hospice Re-Enrollment Following a Hospice Live Discharge. J Palliat Med 2023; 26:1374-1379. [PMID: 37155702 DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2023.0059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: The number of individuals dying of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRDs) is steadily increasing and they represent the largest group of hospice enrollees. In 2020, 15.4% of hospice patients across the United States were discharged alive from hospice care, with 5.6% decertified due to being "no longer terminally ill." A live discharge from hospice care can disrupt care continuity, increase hospitalizations and emergency room visits, and reduce the quality of life for patients and families. Furthermore, this discontinuity may impede re-enrollment into hospice services and receipt of community bereavement services. Objectives: The aim of this study is to explore the perspectives of caregivers of adults with ADRDs around hospice re-enrollment following a live discharge from hospice. Design: We conducted semistructured interviews of caregivers of adults with ADRDs who experienced a live discharge from hospice (n = 24). Thematic analysis was used to analyze data. Results: Three-quarters of participants (n = 16) would consider re-enrolling their loved one in hospice. However, some believed they would have to wait for a medical crisis (n = 6) to re-enroll, while others (n = 10) questioned the appropriateness of hospice for patients with ADRDs if they cannot remain in hospice care until death. Conclusions: A live discharge for ADRD patients impacts caregivers' decisions on whether they will choose to re-enroll a patient who has been discharged alive from hospice. Further research and support of caregivers through the discharge process are necessary to ensure that patients and their caregivers remain connected to hospice agencies postdischarge.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Susan Enguídanos
- USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, Los Angeles, California, USA
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Hunt LJ, Gan S, Smith AK, Aldridge MD, Boscardin WJ, Harrison KL, James JE, Lee AK, Yaffe K. Hospice Quality, Race, and Disenrollment in Hospice Enrollees With Dementia. J Palliat Med 2023; 26:1100-1108. [PMID: 37010377 PMCID: PMC10440673 DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2023.0011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Racial and ethnic minoritized people with dementia (PWD) are at high risk of disenrollment from hospice, yet little is known about the relationship between hospice quality and racial disparities in disenrollment among PWD. Objective: To assess the association between race and disenrollment between and within hospice quality categories in PWD. Design/Setting/Subjects: Retrospective cohort study of 100% Medicare beneficiaries 65+ enrolled in hospice with a principal diagnosis of dementia, July 2012-December 2017. Race and ethnicity (White/Black/Hispanic/Asian and Pacific Islander [AAPI]) was assessed with the Research Triangle Institute (RTI) algorithm. Hospice quality was assessed with the publicly-available Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey item on overall hospice rating, including a category for hospices exempt from public reporting (unrated). Results: The sample included 673,102 PWD (mean age 86, 66% female, 85% White, 7.3% Black, 6.3% Hispanic, 1.6% AAPI) enrolled in 4371 hospices nationwide. Likelihood of disenrollment was higher in hospices in the lowest quartile of quality ratings (vs. highest quartile) for both White (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.12 [95% confidence interval 1.06-1.19]) and minoritized PWD (AOR range 1.2-1.3) and was substantially higher in unrated hospices (AOR range 1.8-2.0). Within both low- and high-quality hospices, minoritized PWD were more likely to be disenrolled compared with White PWD (AOR range 1.18-1.45). Conclusions: Hospice quality predicts disenrollment, but does not fully explain disparities in disenrollment for minoritized PWD. Efforts to improve racial equity in hospice should focus both on increasing equity in access to high-quality hospices and improving care for racial minoritized PWD in all hospices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren J. Hunt
- Department of Physiological Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Global Brain Health Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Siqi Gan
- Northern California Institute for Research and Education, San Francisco, California, USA
- Division of Geriatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Alexander K. Smith
- Division of Geriatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Melissa D. Aldridge
- Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - W. John Boscardin
- Division of Geriatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Krista L. Harrison
- Global Brain Health Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Division of Geriatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Jennifer E. James
- Institute for Health and Aging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Alexandra K. Lee
- Division of Geriatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Kristine Yaffe
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
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Hunt LJ, Gan S, Boscardin WJ, Yaffe K, Ritchie CS, Aldridge MD, Smith AK. A national study of disenrollment from hospice among people with dementia. J Am Geriatr Soc 2022; 70:2858-2870. [PMID: 35670444 PMCID: PMC9588572 DOI: 10.1111/jgs.17912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND People with dementia (PWD) are at high risk for hospice disenrollment, yet little is known about patterns of disenrollment among the growing number of hospice enrollees with dementia. DESIGN Retrospective, observational cohort study of 100% Medicare beneficiaries with dementia aged 65 and older enrolled in the Medicare Hospice Benefit between July 2012 and December 2017. Outcome measures included hospice-initiated disenrollment for patients whose rate of decline ceased to meet the Medicare hospice eligibility guideline of "expected death within 6 months" (extended prognosis) and patient-initiated disenrollment (revocation). Hospice, regional, and patient risk factors and variation were assessed with multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression models. RESULTS Among 867,695 hospice enrollees with dementia, 70,945 (8.2%) were disenrolled due to extended prognosis and 43,133 (5.0%) revoked within 1-year of their index admission. There was substantial variation in hospice provider disenrollment due to extended prognosis (10th-90th percentile 4.5%-14.6%, adjusted median odds ratio (MOR) 1.86, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.82, 1.91) and revocation (10th-90th percentile 2.5%-10.1%, MOR 2.09, 95% CI 2.03, 2.14). Among hospital referral regions (HRR), there was more variation in revocation (10th-90th percentile 3.5%-7.6%, MOR 1.4, 95% CI 1.34, 1.47) than extended prognosis (10th-90th percentile 7.0%-9.5%, MOR 1.23, 95% CI 1.18, 1.27), with much higher revocation rates noted in HRRs located in the Southeast and Southern California. A number of patient and hospice characteristics were associated with higher odds of both types of disenrollment (younger age, female sex, minoritized race and ethnicity, Medicaid dual eligibility, Medicare Part C enrollment), while some were associated with revocation only (more comorbidities, newer, smaller, and for-profit hospices). CONCLUSIONS In this nationally representative study of hospice enrollees with dementia, hospice disenrollment varied by type of hospice, geographic region, and patient characteristics including age, sex, race, and ethnicity. These findings raise important questions about whether and how the Medicare Hospice Benefit could be adapted to reduce disparities and better support PWD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren J. Hunt
- Department of Physiological Nursing, University of California, San Francisco
- Global Brain Health Institute, University of California, San Francisco
- Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Siqi Gan
- Northern California Institute for Research and Education, San Francisco, CA
| | - W. John Boscardin
- Division of Geriatrics, University of California, San Francisco
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Kristine Yaffe
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Christine S. Ritchie
- Division of Palliative Care and Geriatric Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Mongan Institute for Aging and Serious Illness, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Melissa D. Aldridge
- Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY, NY
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Luth EA, Russell DJ, Xu JC, Lauder B, Ryvicker MB, Dignam RR, Baughn R, Bowles KH, Prigerson HG. Survival in hospice patients with dementia: the effect of home hospice and nurse visits. J Am Geriatr Soc 2021; 69:1529-1538. [PMID: 33608869 DOI: 10.1111/jgs.17066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hospice patients with dementia are at increased risk for live discharge and long lengths of stay (>180 days), causing patient and family caregiver stress and burden. The location and timing of clinician visits are important factors influencing whether someone dies as expected, in hospice, or experiences a live discharge or long length of stay. OBJECTIVE Examine how home hospice and nurse visit frequency relate to dying in hospice within the Medicare-intended 6-month period. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. SETTING Non-profit hospice agency. PARTICIPANTS Three thousand eight hundred and thirty seven patients with dementia who received hospice services from 2013 to 2017. METHODS Multivariable survival analyses examined the effects of receiving home hospice (vs. nursing home) and timing of nurse visits on death within 6 months of hospice enrollment, compared to live discharge or long length of stay. Models adjust for relevant demographic and clinical factors. RESULTS Thirty-nine percent (39%) of patients experienced live discharge or long length of stay. Home hospice patients were more likely to experience live discharge or long length of stays (HR for death: 0.77, 95%CI: 0.69-0.86, p < 0.001). Frequency of nurse visits was inversely associated with live discharge and long lengths of stay (HR for death: 2.87, 95%CI: 2.47-3.33, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION Nearly 40% of patients with dementia in our study experienced live discharge or a long length of stay. Additional research is needed to understand why home hospice may result in live discharge or a long length of stay for patients with dementia. Nurse visits were associated with death, suggesting their responsiveness to deteriorating patient health. Hospice guidelines may need to permit longer stays so community-dwelling patients with dementia, a growing segment of hospice patients, can remain continuously enrolled in hospice and avoid burden and costs associated with live discharge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Luth
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - David J Russell
- Center for Home Care & Policy Research, Visiting Nurse Service of New York, New York, New York, USA.,Department of Sociology, Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jiehui Cici Xu
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Bonnie Lauder
- Hospice and Palliative Care Services, Visiting Nurse Service of New York, New York, New York, USA
| | - Miriam B Ryvicker
- Center for Home Care & Policy Research, Visiting Nurse Service of New York, New York, New York, USA
| | - Ritchell R Dignam
- Hospice and Palliative Care Services, Visiting Nurse Service of New York, New York, New York, USA
| | - Rosemary Baughn
- Hospice and Palliative Care Services, Visiting Nurse Service of New York, New York, New York, USA
| | - Kathryn H Bowles
- Center for Home Care & Policy Research, Visiting Nurse Service of New York, New York, New York, USA.,Biobehavioral Health Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Holly G Prigerson
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
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Abstract
Live discharges from hospice may occur because of patient choice or provider choice. However, when discharges occur before death, patients and families may feel abandoned and left to manage care needs previously provided by hospice. The purpose of this systematic review was to better understand the nature of live discharges, including frequency, patient characteristics, and hospice characteristics. Of 44 studies identified for review, 13 met inclusion criteria and were published between 2008 and 2018. Live discharge rates varied from 5% to 23%. Patients' prehospice characteristics varied widely based on diagnosis, comorbidities, gender, race, and ethnicity. Hospice characteristics indicated that the likelihood of a live discharge was increased for patients enrolled in for-profit hospices and in rural areas. Only 2 studies captured the patient/family perspective of the live discharge experience, finding that the loss of hospice support was fraught with difficulties. A need for further study of the live discharge experience and the practices of hospices with high live discharge rates was identified.
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Luth EA, Russell DJ, Brody AA, Dignam R, Czaja SJ, Ryvicker M, Bowles KH, Prigerson HG. Race, Ethnicity, and Other Risks for Live Discharge Among Hospice Patients with Dementia. J Am Geriatr Soc 2020; 68:551-558. [PMID: 31750935 PMCID: PMC7056492 DOI: 10.1111/jgs.16242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2019] [Revised: 10/06/2019] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The end-of-life trajectory for persons with dementia is often protracted and difficult to predict, placing these individuals at heightened risk of live discharge from hospice. Risks for live discharge due to condition stabilization or failure to decline among patients with dementia are not well established. Our aim was to identify demographic, health, and hospice service factors associated with live discharge due to condition stabilization or failure to decline among hospice patients with dementia. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. SETTING A large not-for-profit agency in New York City. PARTICIPANTS A total of 2629 hospice patients with dementia age 65 years and older. MEASUREMENTS Primary outcome was live discharge from hospice due to condition stabilization or failure to decline (vs death). Measures include demographic factors (race/ethnicity, Medicaid, sex, age, marital status, parental status), health characteristics (primary dementia diagnosis, comorbidities, functional status, prior hospitalization), and hospice service (location, length of service, number and timing of nurse visits). RESULTS Logistic regression models indicated that compared with white hospice patients with dementia, African American and Hispanic hospice patients with dementia experienced increased risk of live discharge (African American: adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.42; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.34-4.38; Hispanic: aOR = 2.99; 95% CI = 1.81-4.94). Home hospice (aOR = 7.57; 95% CI = 4.04-14.18), longer length of service (aOR = 1.04; 95% CI = 1.04-1.05), and more days between nurse visits and discharge (aOR = 1.86; 95% CI = 1.56-2.21) were also associated with live discharge. CONCLUSION To avoid burdensome and disruptive transitions out of hospice in patients with dementia, interventions to reduce live discharge due to condition stabilization or failure to decline should be tailored to meet the needs of African American, Hispanic, and home hospice patients. Policies regarding sustained hospice eligibility should account for the variable and protracted end-of-life trajectory of patients with dementia. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:551-558, 2020.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David J. Russell
- Center for Home Care Policy & Research, Visiting Nurse
Service of New York
- Department of Sociology Appalachian State University
| | - Abraham A. Brody
- New York University College of Nursing
- James J Peters Bronx VA Medical Center, GRECC
| | - Ritchell Dignam
- Center for Home Care Policy & Research, Visiting Nurse
Service of New York
| | | | - Miriam Ryvicker
- Center for Home Care Policy & Research, Visiting Nurse
Service of New York
| | - Kathryn H. Bowles
- Center for Home Care Policy & Research, Visiting Nurse
Service of New York
- University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
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