“Men with dementia face 24 percent higher death risk than women in major Medicare study,” by Donna Shryer, McKnights LTC News
“A major new study examining more than 5.7 million Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 and older reveals significant gender differences in how dementia affects survival and healthcare needs after diagnosis. … According to the study findings, men with dementia were 24% more likely to die during the follow-up period compared with women, even after the researchers accounted for differences in age, medical conditions and access to healthcare resources. The survival advantage for women remained consistent whether measured at one year, three years or five years after diagnosis. … The research also revealed that men living with dementia required more intensive medical care. Study data indicated that the men had higher rates of hospitalizations (50.5% versus 46.9% for women), were more likely to need hospice care and required more neuroimaging services such as brain scans. Women, however, were more likely than men to spend time in skilled nursing facilities. Those findings challenge assumptions about why women bear a higher burden of dementia-related deaths in the general population. The study concluded that this disparity stems from women being more likely to develop dementia in the first place, rather than having worse survival rates once dementia is diagnosed.”
LTC Comment, Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform:
Very interesting. Men with dementia are more likely to die sooner, but women are more likely to enter skilled nursing. What are the ramifications for LTC planning? Says to me, cover both spouses with LTCI so caring for husband doesn’t contribute to wife’s SNF institutionalization vulnerabiliity. OK, maybe a stretch, but still a good idea.