title: Length of stay in skilled nursing facilities is longer for patients with dementia.
abstract: Studies estimate prolonged stays in acute and sub-acute facilities for patients with dementia. Actuarial projections suggest prolonged stays in long term care facilities for patients with dementia. To test these predictions, we assessed whether patients with dementia stay in skilled nursing facilities (SNF) longer than patients without dementia. We obtained medical records of 5,373 residents discharged from a SNF between 1996 and 2001. Residents were identified as having dementia by ICD-9 codes. Age, sex and length of stay (LOS), measured in days from admission to discharge or death, were gathered. Mean LOS for patients with dementia (92.7 +/- 313.0, n = 758) was significantly longer than non-demented patients (29.7 +/- 136.8, n = 4615, p < 0.001). In a subset of individuals who stayed until death, the mean LOS for patients with dementia (202.9 +/- 528.6, n = 195) also was significantly longer than for non-demented patients (91.8 +/- 300.5, n = 610, p < 0.001). LOS was increased for demented patients even within age groups. Thus, patients with dementia stay in SNFs significantly longer from entry until discharge or death. It is likely that demented patients enter for non-physical, cognitive related reasons. These results may help families and institutions plan for long-term care.
authors.affiliation: The Cleo Roberts Center for Clinical Research, Sun Health Research Institute, Sun City, AZ 85351, USA. Marwan.Sabbagh@sunhealth.org
authors.forename: Marwan N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Sabbagh
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Silverberg
authors.forename: Bashar
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Majeed
authors.forename: Shefali
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Samant
authors.forename: D Larry
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Sparks
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Seward
authors.forename: Donald J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Connor
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003704:Dementia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012866:Skilled Nursing Facilities