Table 2.
Time-varying Clinical Characteristics of Elderly Nursing Home Residents with Severe Dementia Receiving AChEIs
| Variable | Baseline Characteristics n (%) N=37,106 episodes | Time-varying Characteristics n (%) N=100,807 assessments |
|---|---|---|
| MDS Assessment Type | ||
| Admission | 4,576 (12.3) | 4,576 (4.5) |
| Quarterly | 24,434 (65.9) | 71,976 (71.4) |
| Annual | 6,001 (16.2) | 18,387 (18.2) |
| Significant Change in Status | 2,095 (5.7) | 5,868 (5.8) |
| Charlson Comorbidity Index | ||
| 0–1 | 6,001 (16.3) | 15,514 (15.4) |
| 2–3 | 9,101 (24.7) | 25,761 (25.6) |
| 4–5 | 8,659 (23.5) | 24,614 (24.4) |
| ≥6 | 13,127 (35.6) | 34,918 (34.6) |
| Makes self understood | ||
| Understood | 14,719 (39.7) | 38,964 (38.7) |
| Usually understood | 9,961 (26.8) | 27,333 (27.1) |
| Sometimes understood | 8,086 (21.8) | 21,830 (21.7) |
| Rarely/never understood | 4,340 (11.7) | 12,680 (12.6) |
| PHQ-9 score | ||
| Minimal | 30,155 (81.3) | 82,783 (82.1) |
| Mild | 4,808 (13.0) | 12,364 (12.3) |
| Moderate | 1,623 (4.4) | 4,338 (4.3) |
| Moderate-severe or severe | 520 (1.4) | 1,322 (1.3) |
| Aggressive behavior scale | ||
| None | 28,391 (76.5) | 78,048 (77.4) |
| Moderate | 5,741 (15.5) | 15,178 (15.1) |
| Severe | 2,335 (6.3) | 6,024 (6.0) |
| Very severe | 639 (1.7) | 1,557 (1.5) |
| Activities of Daily Living Score | ||
| 1 to 7 | 2,849 (7.7) | 7709 (7.7) |
| 8 to 14 | 6,033 (16.3) | 15,917 (15.8) |
| 15 to 21 | 19,426 (52.4) | 52,903 (52.5) |
| 22 to 28 | 8,798 (23.7) | 24,278 (24.1) |
| Urinary incontinence | ||
| Continent | 3,954 (10.7) | 9,893 (9.8) |
| Occasionally incontinent | 5,439 (14.7) | 13,988 (13.9) |
| Frequently incontinent | 12,281 (33.1) | 33,382 (33.1) |
| Always incontinent | 14,644 (39.5) | 41,899 (41.6) |
| Indwelling catheter | 788 (2.1) | 1,645 (1.6) |
| Cancer | 1,557 (4.2) | 4,081 (4.1) |
| Heart failure | 5,808 (15.7) | 15,490 (15.4) |
| End Stage Renal Disease | 3,433 (9.3) | 9,140 (9.1) |
| Short of breath | 2,469 (6.7) | 6,412 (6.4) |
| Poor appetite | 4,946 (13.3) | 12,811 (12.7) |
| Weight loss | 2,392 (6.5) | 5,891 (5.8) |
| Swallowing difficulty | 1,247 (3.4) | 3,266 (3.2) |
| Mechanically altered diet | 16,780 (45.2) | 47,426 (47.1) |
| IV/parenteral nutrition or feeding tube | 1,262 (3.4) | 2,892 (2.9) |
| Limited Prognosis | 1,875 (5.1) | 4,623 (4.6) |
| Hospitalizations/ED Visits (90 days prior) | ||
| None | 27,937 (75.3) | 86,397 (85.7) |
| Cause-specific (fall, fracture, syncope) | 3,193 (8.6) | 5,560 (5.5) |
| Other cause | 5,976 (16.1) | 8,850 (8.8) |
| AChEI at index date | ||
| Donepezil | 28,877 (77.8) | 77,772 (77.2) |
| Donepezil/memantine | 483 (1.3) | 1,926 (1.9) |
| Galantamine | 832 (2.2) | 2,280 (2.3) |
| Rivastigmine (oral) | 1,511 (4.1) | 4,230 (4.2) |
| Rivastigmine (transdermal) | 5,403 (14.6) | 14,599 (14.5) |
| Memantine use | 15,199 (41.0) | 42,692 (42.3) |
| Benzodiazepine and/or Z drug | 5,505 (14.8) | 14,282 (14.2) |
| Antipsychotic use | 9,128 (24.6) | 23,039 (22.9) |
| Antidepressant use | 21,310 (57.4) | 57,578 (57.1) |
| Highly Anticholinergic Drugs | 5,519 (14.9) | 14,179 (14.1) |
| Total number of medications | ||
| 0 to 5 | 17,798 (48.0) | 49,798 (49.4) |
| 6 to 10 | 16,183 (43.6) | 43,261 (42.9) |
| >10 | 3,125 (8.4) | 7,868 (7.7) |