Elderly People with Dementia Admitted for COVID-19: How Different are They?

Patients with a dementia diagnosis and COVID-19 sometimes manifest an atypical clinical picture. However, differences between elderly COVID-19 patients having dementia and those not having dementia have not been described yet. The in-hospital mortality and out-of-hospital mortality from both groups has not been reported.

The primary aim of this study is to determine if there is a significant difference in-hospital and out-of-hospital mortality in the elderly patients admitted for COVID-19, comparing those with dementia and those without dementia. A secondary aim is to determine whether there are significant clinical and laboratory differences between elderly COVID-19 patients with dementia and without dementia.

Data collection of hospitalizations of elderly patients aged 70 years old or older admitted for COVID-19 in 2020 at the Hospital de San Juan de Alicante.

In-hospital mortality in a context of admission for COVID-19 is significantly higher in patients with out dementia. However, post-discharge out-of-hospital mortality is significantly higher in patients with dementia.

The out-of-hospital mortality of elderly patients with dementia appears to be significantly higher than those who do not. Therefore, the importance of caring for elderly patients with dementia after being discharged from hospital should be emphasized.