June 6 (UPI) -- Hospice patients with dementia are more likely to experience better care and less anxiety than dementia patients not on hospice, according to a study released Monday by UC San Francisco and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
Hospice patients with dementia tend to experience less sadness with regular visits from nursing staff, social workers and chaplains to the patient's home or assisted living facility, according to the study published in Health Affairs.
The hospice program was originally designed for patients with cancer who are expected to die within six months, but researchers found close to half of older adult hospice enrollees also have a diagnosis of dementia.
The study tracked Medicare claims of 2,059 seniors over 70 who had died between 2011 and 2017 and found 40% of those seniors had dementia, but only 59% of those with dementia used hospice.
Slower walking speed associated with higher risk of dementia