Variation in Hospice Experiences by Care Setting for Patients With Dementia

Use of hospice care among patients with dementia has been steadily increasing. Our objectives were to characterize quality of hospice care experiences among decedents who had a primary diagnosis of dementia and their caregivers and investigate differences across settings of hospice care.

We analyzed Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) Hospice Survey data from caregiver respondents whose family members received hospice care.

Data from 96,845 caregiver respondents whose family members had a primary diagnosis of dementia and died in 2017 or 2018 while receiving hospice care in 2829 hospices.

We calculated quality measure scores overall and stratified by setting, adjusting for mode of survey administration and differences in case mix, and examined variability in hospice-level scores among decedents with dementia.

Mean quality measure scores ranged from 69.0 (Getting Hospice Care Training) to 90.9 (Getting Emotional Support). Measure scores varied significantly across settings, with caregivers of decedents who received care in a nursing home (NH), acute care hospital (ACH), or assisted living facility (ALF) consistently reporting poorer quality of care. Hospice-level scores varied substantially, with a wide range between the 10th and 90th percentiles of hospice performance (eg, 25 points).

There are important opportunities to improve hospice care for patients with dementia and their caregivers, particularly with respect to caregiver training, symptom management, and across all dimensions within the NH, ACH, and ALF settings. Variability in care experiences across hospices, as well as long lengths of stay for those with dementia, highlight the importance of informed and timely hospice referral.