Impact of Frailty and Functional Impairment on Healthcare Costs for Dementia and Cognitive Impairment
Author Information
Author(s): Howard Fink, Kerry Sheets, Lisa Langsetmo, John Schousboe, Allyson Kats, Kristine Ensrud
Primary Institution: Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Health Care System
Hypothesis
The study aims to determine how much of the healthcare costs associated with dementia and cognitive impairment can be attributed to frailty and functional impairment.
Conclusion
Most of the increased healthcare costs for dementia and cognitive impairment are due to frailty and functional impairment.
Supporting Evidence
- Dementia and cognitive impairment are linked to higher healthcare costs.
- Frailty and functional impairments significantly contribute to these costs.
- The study analyzed data from 8165 Medicare beneficiaries.
Takeaway
When people have dementia or cognitive problems, they often need more healthcare, and a lot of that extra cost comes from being frail or having trouble doing everyday tasks.
Methodology
The study used a multi-cohort dataset of Medicare beneficiaries and analyzed healthcare costs in relation to frailty and functional impairment.
Participant Demographics
53% women, 79% non-Hispanic White, mean age 79 years.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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