Survival in hospice patients with dementia: the effect of home hospice and nurse visits.
Elizabeth A LuthDavid J RussellJiehui Cici XuBonnie LauderMiriam B RyvickerRitchell R DignamRosemary BaughnKathryn H BowlesHolly G PrigersonPublished in: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (2021)
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.