Mental Illness and Emergency Department Use in Veterans with Dementia
Author Information
Author(s): Katherine Miller, Megan Shepherd-Banigan
Primary Institution: Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States; Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States
Hypothesis
Does residence matter for veterans with dementia and mental illness?
Conclusion
Community-dwelling veterans with pre-existing mental illness and newly diagnosed ADRD may benefit from targeted interventions to reduce emergency department use.
Supporting Evidence
- 96% of veterans with new ADRD diagnoses are community-dwelling.
- 19% of nursing home residents have pre-existing mental illness.
- 17.5% of community-dwelling veterans with pre-existing mental illness had any emergency department visits post-ADRD diagnosis.
Takeaway
Veterans with dementia who also have mental illness go to the emergency room more often, especially if they live in nursing homes.
Methodology
The study describes the presence of mental illness in veterans with a new ADRD diagnosis, comparing those in nursing homes to community-dwelling individuals.
Participant Demographics
The cohort includes veterans with a new ADRD diagnosis, with 96% community-dwelling and 4% nursing home residents.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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