More and More Dementia Patients Hospitalized

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via Alzheimer's News

More and More Dementia Patients Hospitalized

Nov 16, 2011

(Source: Archives of Internal Medicine) - A new analysis of elderly dementia

patients has found that by 2050, between three and seven million may be

hospitalized each year, up from just over one million a few years ago.

That's worrisome both because the health care system is already strained,

researchers say, and because the aggressive care given in hospitals might not be

the best option for those patients.

" This is the perfect nexus of 'do no harm' and 'be fiscally restrained,' " said

Dr. a Zilberberg from the University of Massachusetts. " We are sending

elderly demented patients into the hospital more often than we should, and it's

not pleasant for them. "

The researchers call for expanded use of nursing homes and hospice care instead

of putting dementia patients in hospitals, where they are more likely to be

confined to their bed and may have to be restrained.

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