Poster Presentation Australian and New Zealand Society for Geriatric Medicine Annual Scientific Meeting 2025

Prevalence, characteristics, and symptom burden of patients with dementia in an inpatient palliative care unit setting (120227)

Katherine Mackinnon 1 2 , Aaron B Wong 3 4 5 6 , Rosie Watson 1 3
  1. Geriatric Medicine, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia
  2. Rehab and Aged Care Services, Canberra Hospital, Garran, ACT, Australia
  3. Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
  4. Palliative Care, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia
  5. Supportive and Palliative Care Service, Eastern Health, Wantirna, VIC, Australia
  6. Faculty of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia

Aims:

Dementia is a leading cause of death in Australia. However, patients with dementia often do not receive specialised palliative care. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of patients with dementia among older adults admitted to an inpatient palliative care unit (PCU), and to describe their characteristics and palliative symptom burden. 

 

Methods:

The study included 279 patients aged over 65, admitted to the PCU between July and December 2022. We identified patients with dementia using electronic medical records. Palliative symptom burden was assessed using Palliative Care Outcomes Collaboration (PCOC) data.

 

Results: 

The median age was 82 (range 65-100), and 131/279 (47%) were female. The prevalence of patients with dementia was 53/279 (19%), and a further 64/279 (23%) had other cognitive disorders. Most patients with dementia were receiving palliative care for another life-limiting condition (89%). Patients with dementia mostly received PCU care in the terminal phase (median palliative phase 4, range 1-4), while patients without a history of dementia received care earlier (median palliative phase 3, range 1-4).

 

Conclusions:

Patients with dementia make up a significant proportion of PCU admissions, although specialised care is predominantly for other palliative syndromes. Patients with dementia received palliative care later than those without. Further research is needed to understand symptoms in people with dementia, which may be under-reported in this study due to later recognition of dying.