Challenges of Dementia Care in a Regional Australian Hospital: Exploring Interventions to Minimise Length of Stay for Dementia Patients

Objective: There are significant difficulties associated with the management of dementia patients in hospitals, leading to adverse patient outcomes, prolonged length of stay (LOS), strain on resources and high readmission rates. This study aimed to investigate these factors in the context of a regional hospital.

Design: This study retrospectively reviewed all dementia admissions in a publicly funded Australian regional hospital from January 2022 to December 2022.

Methods: All admissions including an ICD-10 coded dementia diagnosis were assessed, and data extracted using the integrated electronic medical record.

Setting: Overall, 257 bed Australian regional hospital in an area with a Modified Monash Model rating of 2.

Participants: There were 105 dementia patients admitted within the study period.

Main outcomes measures: Dementia severity, LOS, consultation liaison (CL) psychiatry involvement, readmission rates, and discharge destinations.

Results: The LOS in patients with dementia was 23.3 (± 35.2) days compared to age-matched patients without dementia admitted in the same period with a LOS of 8.2 (± 4.7) days. Dementia patients who died in hospital had the longest acute LOS at 14.4 (± 8.8) days. Dementia patients who were admitted from their usual residential aged care facility had the longest maintenance LOS at 69 (± 83.3) days.

Conclusions: This research contributes information to the current knowledge gap of dementia care in regional hospitals. Data from this study may help to inform the development of strategies for effective hospital-based dementia care and interventions.