Among people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, 25% experience a preventable hospitalization, and such preventable hospitalizations cost Medicare nearly $2.6 billion in 2013. Hospitalizations for people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias also increase risk for delirium, falls, pressure ulcers, untreated pain, and functional decline — impacts that can hinder or delay recovery after a hospitalization, create new care challenges, or intensify the existing burden of care.
A new public health policy brief from the Alzheimer’s Association — Reducing Potentially Preventable Hospitalizations for People Living with Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias — identifies ways that state and local public health leaders can help reduce potentially avoidable hospitalizations.
Last Updated on April 28, 2020
