Potentially preventable hospitalizations in dementia: family caregiver experiences
Open accessAbstract
BACKGROUND: Health crises in persons living with dementia challenge their caregivers to make pivotal decisions, often under pressure, and to act in new ways on behalf of their care recipient. Disruption of everyday routines and heightened stress are familiar consequences of these events. Hospitalization for acute illness or injury is a familiar health crisis in dementia. The focus of this study is to describe the lived experience of dementia family caregivers whose care recipients had a recent unplanned admission, and to identify potential opportunities for developing preventive interventions. METHODS: Family caregivers (n = 20) of people with dementia who experienced a recent hospitalization due to an ambulatory care sensitive condition or fall-related injury completed phone interviews. Interviews used semi-structured protocols to elicit caregivers' reactions to the hospitalization and recollections of the events leading up to it. RESULTS: Analysis of interview data identified four major themes: (1) caregiver is uncertain how to interpret and act on the change; (2) caregiver is unable to provide necessary care; (3) caregiver experiences a personal crisis in response to the patient's health event; (4) mitigating factors may prevent caregiver crises. CONCLUSIONS: This study identifies a need for clinicians and family caregivers to work together to avoid health crises of both caregivers and people with dementia and to enable caregivers to manage the health of their care recipients without sacrificing their own health and wellness.
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Fragmented transitions can lower physical and psychological wellbeing of those with MLTCiD and unpaid carers.
“Fragmented transitions can also lower physical and psychological wellbeing of those with MLTCiD and unpaid carers (referred to as ‘carers’) [18, 19].”
From Do hospital-to-home transitions work for older adults with multiple long-term conditions including dementia? A realist review (2025) · cites this paper as [19]
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“Fragmented transitions can also lower physical and psychological wellbeing of those with MLTCiD and unpaid carers (referred to as ‘carers’) [18, 19].”
- Authors
- Sadak, T., Foster Zdon, S., Ishado, E., Zaslavsky, O., & Borson, S.
- Affiliations
- University of Washington (US)
- Corresponding author
- Sadak, Tatiana
- Venue
- International Psychogeriatrics
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2017-07
- Volume
- 29
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 1201-1211
- ISSN
- 1041-6102 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2603460640
- Cited by
- 52
- References
- 23
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 2
- FWCI
- 4.04
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- International Psychogeriatrics (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Pharmacy › Nursing care and research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Palliative Care and End-of-Life Issues
- Keywords
- dementia, family caregivers, hospitalization, ambulatory care sensitive conditions, fall-related injuries, caregiver stress, preventive interventions, caregiver decision-making, caregiver well-being
- MeSH terms
- Accidental Falls, Adaptation, Psychological, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Dementia, Family, Female, Hospitalization, Humans, Interviews as Topic, Male, Middle Aged, Caregivers
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