IMPORTANT

“A transition is a physical move from one location to another with a stay of at least one night.” Please see portions below of an article that appeared in Medical News Today on 3/26/16:

For older adults, especially those with dementia, some transitions may be unavoidable and necessary. However, unnecessary transitions are linked to problems such as medication errors, hospital readmissions, and increased risk of death. What’s more, good dementia care emphasizes the need for familiar people and familiar environments, and this can be more difficult to support when too many transitions take place. Having coordinated care and a long-term care plan in place that considers the needs of a person with dementia may reduce unnecessary transitions, say the authors of a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.”

Receiving a prescription for an antipsychotic medication or benzodiazepine, as well as living in more rural areas, were linked to a higher number of transitions, too.

The researchers concluded that, for people with dementia and their caregivers, the year of diagnosis is often overwhelmingly stressful. Still, steps can be taken to lessen transitions and improve care. These include:

• Connection to an ongoing primary care provider
• Early, advanced care planning consistent with one’s wishes
• Having a patient advocate who can help with care coordination
• Increasing caregiver and provider awareness of community support systems