LeadingAge Texas
02/05/2026 | Press release | Archived content
HHS Research Reviews Dementia Patients Patterns of Hospice Use
February 05, 2026
HHS Research Reviews Dementia Patients Patterns of Hospice Use
Home» HHS Research Reviews Dementia Patients Patterns of Hospice Use
BY Katy
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The Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) recently released a research brief examining whether length of stay (LOS), visit frequency, and live-discharge (LD) rates differ for Medicare hospice enrollees with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD). The analysis found that one-third of all hospice patients had a primary or secondary ADRD diagnosis. Overall, these patients received fewer hospice visits despite experiencing longer stays.
Hospice patients with a primary ADRD diagnosis remained on the benefit for an average of 92.5 days-more than twice as long as cancer patients without a secondary ADRD diagnosis, who averaged just 40.6 days in hospice. ADRD patients also had the second-highest LD rate, surpassed only by cardiovascular patients without ADRD, and they had the highest rate of discharge for an unknown reason.
Provider characteristics also showed notable differences. For-profit agencies had the longest LOS for ADRD patients at 104.8 days, compared with 77.1 days for nonprofit agencies. For-profit hospices provided fewer average daily nursing visits but offered more aide visits than other ownership types. Additionally, hospices serving rural communities had shorter LOS for ADRD patients compared with those operating in urban areas.
These findings come amid increasing oversight and scrutiny of ADRD patient populations within the Medicare hospice benefit over the past several years.
LeadingAge Texas published this content on February 05, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on February 12, 2026 at 13:38 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]