The outcomes for those with dementia admitted to acute hospitals are often poor, with higher mortality, increased risk of institutionalisation and longer length of stay. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of dementia on length of stay and the associated cost of care in acute hospitals in Ireland. People with a recorded diagnosis of dementia were found to have a significantly longer length of stay than those with no recorded dementia. Multiplying the excess length of stay by the number of dementia-related admissions gave an estimate of 246,908 additional hospital days per annum due to dementia at an associated additional annual cost of over €199 million. Improving the experience of those with dementia in acute hospitals will likely lead to cost savings for the health service; however, it will require a number of measures including: earlier diagnosis, training for medical professionals and improvements in the built environment.
Alzheimer’s Disease International (2009) World Alzheimer report 2009, London, UK: Alzheimer’s Disease International.
2.
Alzheimer Society (2009) Counting the cost: caring for people with dementia on hospital wards, London, UK: Alzheimer Society.
3.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2013). Dementia care in hospitals: costs and strategies. Canberra, Australia: Australia Institute of Health and Welfare.
4.
CahillS.O’SheaE.PierceM. (2012) Creating excellence in dementia care: a research review for Ireland’s national dementia strategy, Dublin, Ireland: School of Social Work and Social Policy, Trinity College Dublin.
5.
ConnollyS.GillespieP.O’SheaE.CahillS.PierceM. (forthcoming) The economic and social costs of dementia in Ireland. Dementia. doi: 10.1177/1471301212442453.
6.
CowdellF. (2010) The care of older people with dementia in acute hospitals. International Journal of Older People Nursing5: 83–92.
7.
GuijarroR.San RomanC. M.Gomez-HuelgasR.VillalobosA.MartinM.GuilM.ToledoJ. B. (2010) Impact of dementia on hospitalization. Neuroepidemiology35: 101–108.
8.
HickeyA.ClinchD.GroarkeE. P. (1997) Prevalence of cognitive impairment in the hospitalised elderly. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry12: 27–33.
9.
HolmesJ.HouseA. (2000) Psychiatric illness predicts poor outcome after surgery for hip fracture: a prospective cohort study. Psychological Medicine30: 921–929.
10.
KingB.JonesC.BrandC. (2006) Relationship between dementia and length of stay of general medical patients admitted to acute care. Australasian Journal on Ageing25: 20–23.
11.
LyketsosC.SheppardJ.RabinsP. (2000) Dementia in elderly persons in a general hospital. American Journal of Psychiatry157: 704–707.
12.
MecocciP.von StraussE.CherubiniA.ErcolaniS.MarianiE.SeninU.FratiglioniL. (2005) Cognitive impairment is the major risk factor for development of geriatric syndromes during hospitalization: results from the GIFA study. Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders20: 262–269.
13.
NolanL. (2007) Caring for people with dementia in the acute setting: a study of nurses’ view. British Journal of Nursing16: 419–422.
14.
O’SheaE.ConnollyS. (2012) Reforming health production in Ireland. World Economy35: 1359–1371.
15.
ParkM.DelaneyC.MaasM.ReedD. (2004) Using a Nursing minimum data set with older patients with dementia in an acute care setting. Journal of Advanced Nursing47: 329–339.
16.
ReynishE.BickelH.FratiglioniL.KiejnaA.PrinceM.GeorgeJ. (2009) Systematic review and collaborative analysis of the prevalence of dementia in Europe. (Poster presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International conference on Alzheimer’s Disease, Vienne, Austria, 11–16 July). Alzheimer’s and Dementia5(supplement 1): 393–393.
17.
SampsonE.BlanchardM.JonesL.TookmanA.MichaelK. (2009) Dementia in the acute hospital: prospective cohort study of prevalence and mortality. The British Journal of Psychiatry195: 61–66.
18.
TolsonD.SmithM.KnightP. (1999) An investigation of the components of best nursing practice in the care of acutely ill hospitalised older patients with coincidental dementia: a multi-method design. Journal of Advanced Nursing30: 1127–1136.
19.
WancataJ.BendaN.WindhaberJ.NowotnyM. (2001) Does psychiatric comorbidity increase the length of stay in general hospitals?General Hospital Psychiatry23: 8–14.
20.
Wimo, A., Jönsson, L., Gustavsson, A., McDaid, D., Ersek, K., Georges, J., … Valtonen, H. (2011). The economic impact of dementia in Europe in 2008-cost estimates from the Eurocode project. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 26, 825–832.
21.
WimoA.PrinceM. (2010) World Alzheimer report 2010: the global economic impact of dementia, London, UK: Alzheimer’s Disease International.
22.
Wren, M., Normand, C., O’Reilly, D., Cruise, S., Connolly, S., & Murphy, C. (2012). Towards the development of a predictive model of long-term care demand for Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Dublin, Ireland: Centre for Health Policy and Management, Trinity College Dublin.
23.
ZekryD.HerrmannF.GrandjeanR.VitaleA.De PinhoM.MichelJ.KrauseK. (2009) Does dementia predict adverse hospitalisation outcomes? A prospective study in aged inpatients. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry24: 283–291.
