Hospital-level care at home for people living with dementia
Skipping the hospital: acute hospital care at home for people living with dementia
This project offers hospital-level treatment at home instead of inpatient admission for people with dementia who go to the emergency department.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brigham and Women's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11193502 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you or a loved one with dementia goes to the emergency department with an acute illness, this project can arrange hospital-level care in your home instead of admitting you to the hospital. Care in the home includes twice-daily nurse visits, daily physician visits, physical and occupational therapy, IV medications, biometric monitoring, in-home diagnostics, home health aide support, and 24/7 response. The team will also conduct serious illness conversations at home when appropriate and track outcomes such as functional decline, delirium, and adverse events. The program focuses on people living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias and compares home-based hospital care to usual hospital admission practices.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People living with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias who present to the emergency department with an acute illness that would otherwise require hospital admission and who have a safe, accessible home environment and caregiver support are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People who are medically unstable, require procedures or monitoring only available in an inpatient setting, lack a suitable home or caregiver support, or reside outside the program’s service area may not be eligible or benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could reduce hospital-related harm like delirium and loss of function and let people stay more comfortably at home.
How similar studies have performed: Previous hospital-at-home programs have reduced harms and hospital use in older adults, but applying and measuring this model specifically in people living with dementia is less well studied.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Brigham and Women's Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Levine, David Michael — Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Levine, David Michael
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.