Palliative Care Needs of Older Adults With and Without Dementia During Post-Acute Care in Skilled Nursing Facilities

Seriously ill older adults, including those living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD), often receive disease-focused rehabilitative care in skilled nursing facilities (SNF) with little consideration for their palliative care (PC) needs. Using baseline data from a pilot pragmatic clinical trial (N = 52), we conducted a cross-sectional study to compare the clinical characteristics and the PC needs of older adults with and without ADRD receiving SNF care. Functional decline was the most common global indicator for palliative care among both groups. While there was no statistically significant difference in PC needs between the two groups, the most prevalent PC needs for all were pain (63.5%), feeling anxious or worried (59.6%), family and friends being anxious or worried (57.7%), and need for information (46.2%). Older adults with and without an ADRD diagnosis who are admitted to post-acute SNF care may benefit from universal screening and tailored PC services.