Dementia-friendly intervention for hospitalized older adults with cognitive impairments: results of the Italian Dementia-Friendly Hospital Trial (IDENTITÀ)

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate whether a short training focused on improving dementia care practices of the hospital staff was able to counteract functional loss and to decrease negative outcomes at discharge among hospitalized older adults with cognitive impairment.

Method: Sixty-eight hospitalized participants aged 65 and over with cognitive impairment were included in the study, allocated in the control group (n = 34) and intervention group (n = 34). The intervention consisted of a short training of the hospital staff aimed at improving the management of patients with cognitive impairment. Participants were evaluated within 48 h of hospital admission and at discharge using a battery of tests including Barthel Index, Mini-Mental State Examination, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.

Results: The intervention group demonstrated shorter hospital length of stay and a maintenance of the functional status at discharge compared to the control group. We observed no differences in cognitive ability between the two groups, and a trend towards a decrease of anxious symptoms in the intervention group compared to the control group.

Conclusion: The results suggest that an intervention, focused on improving dementia care practices in healthcare staff, has the potential to improve the outcomes for hospitalized older adults with cognitive impairment.

Keywords:

• Cognitive impairment
• dementia-friendly intervention
• functional status
• depression
• anxiety

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank specialists delivered dementia-friendly intervention, Federazione Alzheimer Italia, and all the study participants and hospital staff for volunteering their time and effort to take part in the study.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Funding

This study was supported by funding from the Fondazione Piacenza e Vigevano.

Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author.