Abstract
Purpose
We explored the feasibility of a clinical pathway to identify hospitalized patients with dementia who would benefit from a palliative intervention.
Design and Methods
Consecutive geropsychiatric admissions were screened for terminal dementia to be randomized to a palliative consultation vs usual care.
Findings
A total of 43 of the 188 patients (23%) had dementia; however, dementia stages were severe but not terminal. The pathway was not feasible because of the lack of the target population in the inpatient setting for the intervention.
Practice Implications
New clinical pathways are needed to identify patients with dementia who would benefit from palliative care.