Hospice visit patterns for people living with dementia
Hospice Visit Patterns for People with Dementia: Variation, Outcomes, and Policy Considerations
This project looks at how often and what kinds of hospice visits people with dementia receive and how those visit patterns affect care and policy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11265783 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From my perspective as someone affected by dementia, the team will analyze Medicare records to map how often hospice staff visit people with dementia and what services are provided. They will interview family caregivers to learn what day-to-day help (like bathing and toileting) is needed and how hospice responds. The project will link visit patterns to outcomes such as hospital transfers, symptom control, and length of hospice stay, and will study how Medicare payment rules influence service delivery. By combining national data with caregivers' experiences, the goal is to identify changes that could improve hospice support for people with dementia and their families.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are Medicare beneficiaries living with dementia who are enrolled in hospice care, along with their family or unpaid caregivers.
Not a fit: People who are not enrolled in hospice, who do not have dementia, or who receive hospice care outside the Medicare system may not directly benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to clearer expectations or guidelines for hospice visits and better practical support for people with dementia and their caregivers.
How similar studies have performed: Small qualitative studies have documented caregiver needs for more aide support, but large-scale, policy-focused analyses on hospice visit patterns are relatively new.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Aldridge, Melissa Diane — Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- Study coordinator: Aldridge, Melissa Diane
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.