Tamara G. Fong Alzheimers Hospitalization Study

Back in 1984 the United States Congress directed the National Institutes Of Health and in particular The National Institute on Aging to pursue further research related to Alzheimers disease.  This recent study was conducted by MADRC Massachusetts Alzheimer's Disease Research Center in cooperation with funding from The National Institute on Aging.

The study is titled Adverse Outcomes After Hospitalization and Delirium in Persons With Alzheimer's Disease.  The famous study was published on line June 19. 2012 in Journal Annals Of Internal Medicine.  Researchers Tamara G. Fong, Richard N Jones, Edward R. Marcantonio, Douglas Tommet, Alden L. Gross, Daniel Hastemariam, Eva Schmitt, Liang Yap, Sharon K. Inouye. 

The study speaks to risk for institutionalization, progression of cognitive decline, and hastened death with hospitalizing an individual who has been diagnosed with Alzheimers disease.  The study talks about a group of symptoms providers call delirium.  Delirium is sudden and severe confusion.  Symptoms can include more anxiety, easily agitated, disorganized thinking, incoherent speech, searching.  The individual is unable to return to normal base level of function on their own. 

The community is beginning to see how a trip to the hospital includes all the ingredients for manifesting symptoms of confusion.  The individual is ill, possibly with a urinary tract infection.  In the emergency room the individual is asked many questions by different staff representing the involved departments.  The setting is unfamiliar.  The interventions seem akward (catheterization for urine sample) with no sense of a scheduled time. If the senior with Alzheimer's disease must stay the night, they are moved from emergency to a room on the med surg floor.  New staff, new environment, new questions. 

This challenges senior care providers to recognize the need for that stable staff person to follow the senior through the hospitalization process.  The staff who spend time helping the senior at home are now the familiar face in the unfamiliar place. 

This is especially challenging to payers.  Insurance providers have long considered an in home care provider accompanying a patient in to the hospital system a duplication of service.  Valid pay sources continue to separate this out, saying in the hospital the staff must deliver all the care of the patient.  This is no longer pragmatic practice when an individual with memory deficits requires a hospital stay.

Hospital staff can have some difficulty with a senior care staff accompanying the patient through the hospital process.  The hospital staff will tell the family that a sitter or escort will be available if needed.  It appears the senior with memory loss would most benefit from the company of the stable care giver during the hospitalization. 

Having the usual in home care giver accompany the senior to the hospital can help medical providers receive an accurate sense of what is occurring in the home.  The calming presence of a familiar face may reduce the seniors need for new prescription medications ordered to manage manifestation of undesired behaviors with increased confusion.  The senior has a better chance of receiving a discharge to home with less risk for readmission. 

Home Care Path www.homecarepath believes in accompanying seniors with a hospital stay.  Services include:
-in home staffing
-inpatient advocacy for safe successful hospital stays
-transitional counseling when a more structured service is needed
-temporary help with a scheduled day surgery
-down sizing home contents when stuff matters
-communicating face to face on the computer across long distances
Simply call 608-432-4286 to schedule an in home interview.  Email lkutzke@homecarepath.onmicrosoft.com We can be there when you are working.  2012 rates are 20.00 per hour.  We accept long term care insurance. Valuing home and human life.