Is Hospitalization Helpful for People with Advanced Dementia?

If your loved one with late stage Alzheimer's or another dementia begins to decline or develops a respiratory illness, she should go to the hospital for treatment, right? Maybe, and maybe not. While we all want the best for our loved ones, and want to honor their wishes in medical decisions, it's not always that clear. The answer to the hospitalization question first of all depends on what our family members have previously expressed as their wishes in a living will or verbally told their power of attorney for healthcare. If they've said that they would like aggressive treatment and care throughout their life, regardless of their condition, then yes, they should probably go to the hospital. However, if they've emphasized comfort care, or if they haven't clearly expressed their wishes regarding hospitalization, you might be unsure about what the best decision for your loved one is here. Research that studied the results of hospitalization in late stage dementia concludes that hospitalization, while necessary and appropriate in some cases, does not always provide the best results in other situations. Some people with pneumonia, for example, might be better off treating it with intravenous antibiotics at a nursing facility or at home with home health care as opposed to being admitted into a hospital for similar treatment. For more on several research studies that outline the risks and benefits of hospitalization in advanced dementia, please see the full article here: Hospit...
Source: About Alzheimers Disease - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news