Dementia Care Partner Preparedness and Desire to Seek Long-Term Care at Hospital Discharge: Mediating Roles of Care Receiver Clinical Factors.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore the mediating roles of care receiver clinical factors on the relationship between care partner preparedness and care partner desire to seek long-term care admission for persons living with dementia at hospital discharge.

Methods: This study analyzed data from the Family centered Function-focused Care (Fam-FFC), which included 424 care receiver and care partner dyads. A multiple mediation model examined the indirect effects of care partner preparedness on the desire to seek long-term care through care receiver clinical factors (behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia [BPSD], comorbidities, delirium severity, physical function, and cognition).

Results: Delirium severity and physical function partially mediated the relationship between care partner preparedness and care partner desire to seek long-term care admission (B = -.011; 95% CI = -.019, -.003, and B = -.013; 95% CI = -.027, -.001, respectively).

Conclusions: Interventions should enhance care partner preparedness and address delirium severity and physical function in hospitalized persons with dementia to prevent unwanted nursing home placement at hospital discharge.

Clinical implications: Integrating care partner preparedness and care receiver clinical factors (delirium severity and physical function) into discharge planning may minimize care partner desire to seek long-term care.