Dementia makes people far more likely to be hospitalized with preventable illnesses than people without the impairment, a new study suggests. According to HealthDay News, research from the University of Washington School of Medicine found that two-thirds of hospitalized dementia patients are admitted with avoidable conditions like urinary tract infection or pneumonia.
Such high rates are a serious issue because of the inability of many dementia patients to recover after a hospital visit, lead author Elizabeth Phelan said.
“Hospital admissions for all causes and potentially preventable admissions were significantly higher for those with dementia,” said Phelan. “They’re at risk for delirium, falls, pressure ulcers; they may need to be restrained, and many never return to their prior level of functioning after a hospitalization. If hospitalizations could be avoided, it would be helpful for preserving cognition and avoiding new problems.”
Phelan’s team came to their findings by analyzing a previous study of more than 3,000 people over the age of 65. The participants, who showed no signs of dementia at the beginning of the study, were monitored for changes in their cognitive ability. By the end of the study, 494 people had dementia and 86 percent of those diagnosed had been hospitalized at least once. By contrast, just 59 percent of those who didn’t have dementia had been hospitalized. That’s an increased risk of 41 percent, HealthDay noted.
