A tool to help veterans with dementia make decisions about emergency care.

Who could benefit from this research

What this research studies

This research develops a shared decision-making tool aimed at assisting veterans aged 65 and older with dementia during their visits to the emergency department. The tool will help healthcare providers, patients, and caregivers engage in meaningful conversations about whether to admit the patient to the hospital or discharge them home. By considering the values and preferences of patients and their caregivers, the tool seeks to improve the decision-making process in a setting where patients may struggle to communicate their needs. The goal is to reduce unnecessary hospital admissions while ensuring that patients receive appropriate care.

Why it matters

Where this research is happening

• Durham VA Medical Center
  Durham, United States Active

Researchers

• Principal investigator: Seidenfeld, Justine — Durham VA Medical Center
• Study coordinator: Seidenfeld, Justine

Related research

Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.

• Shared decision tool to help veterans with dementia and caregivers choose ED care and discharge

  This project builds a simple tool to help veterans living with dementia and their families make emergency department care and discharge decisions together.

  NIH research Duke University · Durham, United States · NIH-11349240

• Antisocial behaviors in frontotemporal dementia: aggression versus rule‑breaking

  This project looks at different kinds of antisocial behaviors—like aggression or rule‑breaking—in people with behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) and how those behaviors relate to brain changes.

  NIH research Vanderbilt University Medical Center · Nashville, United States · NIH-11306098

• Creating a tool to help older adults with dementia make care decisions

  This study is all about helping older adults with Alzheimer's and related conditions make better choices when moving from home care to long-term care facilities by talking to them and their caregivers to understand what they want and need.

  NIH research University of Washington · Seattle, United States · NIH-11225508

• Decision tool to help veterans with dementia and caregivers in the emergency room

  Creates a short conversation aid to help veterans living with dementia, their caregivers, and ER clinicians decide whether to admit a patient or go home.

  NIH research Durham VA Medical Center · Durham, United States · NIH-11220434

• Understanding antisocial behavior in frontotemporal dementia

  This study is looking at the challenging behaviors, like aggression and breaking rules, that can happen in people with behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), and it aims to better understand how these behaviors are connected to changes in the brain.

  NIH research Vanderbilt University Medical Center · Nashville, United States · NIH-11132837

• Creating a care decision-making program for African American families dealing with dementia

  This study is creating a special program to help African American families, especially adult daughters caring for parents with Alzheimer's, make better decisions about care, so they can feel more supported and improve their loved ones' quality of life.

  NIH research Emory University · Atlanta, United States · NIH-10897947

About this research

1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.