Hospitalization and Socio-Health Care for Dementia in Spain

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Public Health
• Geriatrics

Background:

• Dementias significantly impact cognitive and behavioral functions, leading to decreased daily functioning.
• Population aging in Spain is associated with a rising number of dementia cases.
• Reducing hospital admissions for dementia, many of which are avoidable, benefits patients and healthcare systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze trends in dementia-related hospitalizations in Castilla y León from 2005 to 2015.
• To understand the correlation between dementia and hospitalization patterns.
• To identify factors influencing dementia admissions.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study utilizing the Castilla y León hospital discharge database (2005-2015).
• Analysis of hospitalizations specifically for dementia.
• Joinpoint regression analysis to examine trends in hospitalizations by year and age quartiles.

Main Results:

• Dementia accounted for 0.10% of total hospitalizations (2807 out of 2,717,192).
• Degenerative dementia (1907) and vascular dementia (607) were the primary types.
• Hospitalization rates for most dementias showed decreasing trends, except for mild cognitive impairment, which increased.
• An increasing-decreasing joinpoint was observed for vascular dementia in 2007.

Conclusions:

• While not a major cause of hospitalization, dementia admissions incur high costs and long stays, with many appearing avoidable.
• Decreasing hospitalization trends for most dementias suggest the potential effectiveness of socio-health measures implemented in Spain since 2007.
• The rise in mild cognitive impairment hospitalizations warrants further investigation and targeted interventions.