Table 1.
Characteristics of Patients with Late-stage Dementia & Family Decision-makers.
| TOTAL N=62 |
Intervention N=30 |
Control N=32 |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patient Characteristics | P value | |||
| Patient age, mean (SD) | 83.9 (8.7) | 83.0 (8.8) | 84.7 (8.7) | 0.434 |
| Patient female, % | 56% | 67% | 47% | 0.116 |
| Patient race, % | 0.808 | |||
| White | 71% | 70% | 72% | |
| African American | 24% | 27% | 22% | |
| Other | 5% | 3% | 6% | |
| Patient Hispanic or Latino, % | 5% | 3% | 6% | 0.593 |
| GDS * Stage, % | ||||
| 5 | 37% | 43% | 31% | 0.556 |
| 6 | 42% | 40% | 44% | |
| 7 | 21% | 17% | 25% | |
| BANS-S **, mean (s.d.) | 15.9 (3.6) | 15.4 (3.5) | 16.3 (3.6) | 0.271 |
| Admitting diagnosis in chart review | ||||
| Urinary tract infection | 28% | 37% | 19% | 0.114 |
| Sepsis | 16% | 13% | 19% | 0.562 |
| Neurospychiatric symptoms | 15% | 17% | 13% | 0.642 |
| Hip fracture | 11% | 3% | 19% | 0.055 |
| Pneumonia | 8% | 3% | 13% | 0.185 |
| Dehydration/malnutrition | 8% | 7% | 9% | 0.700 |
| Delirium | 6% | 7% | 6% | 0.947 |
| Other | 8% | 13% | 2% | 0.298 |
| Hospitalized in past 30 d. | 10% | 10% | 9% | 0.934 |
| ER in past 30 d. | 35% | 40% | 31% | 0.472 |
| Prior advance directive | 63% | 63% | 63% | 1.000 |
| Pre-admission residence | ||||
| Home | 51% | 43% | 60% | 0.107 |
| Assisted living | 18% | 30% | 6% | |
| Nursing home | 26% | 23% | 28% | |
| other | 5% | 4% | 6% | |
| Hospital length of stay, median (range) | 6 (2–36) | 6 (2–36) | 6 (2–32) | 0.437 |
| Family Decision-maker Characteristics | ||||
| Family decision-maker age, mean (SD) | 59.7 (10.5) | 60.0 (9.9) | 59.5 (11.1) | 0.844 |
| Family decision-maker female, % | 79% | 73% | 84% | 0.286 |
| Family decision-maker race, % | ||||
| White | 71% | 70% | 72% | 0.808 |
| African American | 24% | 27% | 22% | |
| Other | 5% | 3% | 6% | |
| Hispanic or Latino, % | 2% | 0% | 3% | 0.329 |
| Relationship to person with dementia, % | ||||
| Daughter | 52% | 47% | 56% | 0.262 |
| Son | 18% | 27% | 9% | |
| Spouse | 19% | 20% | 19% | |
| Other | 11% | 6% | 16% | |
| Family decision involvement, % | ||||
| Not at all involved | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0.323 |
| Somewhat involved | 10% | 14% | 6% | |
| Very involved | 90% | 86% | 97% | |
| Family perceived 6-month prognosis, % | ||||
| Get better | ||||
| Stay same | 17% | 17% | 17% | 0.926 |
| Get worse | 23% | 23% | 23% | |
| Likely to die | 37% | 40% | 33% | |
| 23% | 20% | 27% |
*
GDS=Global Deterioration Scale, range 1–7, higher stage indicates more advanced dementia
**
BANS-S=Bedford Alzheimer’s Nursing Severity-Subscale, range 7–28, higher scores indicate more functional disability