Dying with Dementia: Is Hospice the Answer? IHPI Emerging Scholar talk

This talk by Lauren Hunt, Ph.D., RN, FNP, an Assistant Professor of Nursing at the University of California, San Francisco, was given on May 2, 2024 at the University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation as part of the Emerging Scholars Exchange program. Summary: People with dementia comprise over 30% of all decedents age 65 and older and make up 50% of hospice enrollees. Yet, dementia remains under-recognized as a terminal illness and we are failing to meet the palliative care needs of people with dementia and their caregivers at end of life. Meanwhile, there are intense debates about what the role of hospice should be for people with dementia amid growing concerns over quality and costs of hospice care for this population. In this talk, Dr. Hunt reviews why consideration of the end of life is critical for care of people with dementia, provide an overview of hospice use and trends for people with dementia, and discuss next steps and solutions for improving hospice and palliative care for people with dementia. More about the Emerging Scholars Exchange Program: https://ihpi.umich.edu/education-trai...