Supporting someone with dementia during a hospital stay

Going into hospital can be difficult for people with dementia due to the unfamiliar surroundings, people and routines.  

At any one time, one in four hospital beds is occupied by people living with dementia. On average, they also stay in hospital more than twice as long as people over 65 who don’t have the condition. 

There are a number of reasons why people living with dementia have an increased risk of being admitted to hospital. For example, they might not always recognise when they are hungry or forget to drink, which can leave them malnourished, dehydrated and susceptible to infection. Falls are also common for people with dementia due to difficulties with judgment, sensory perception, mobility and coordination. 

Whilst a person with dementia may go into hospital for a planned procedure such as an operation, many people I support are admitted in an emergency – and this number is increasing. Between 2012 and 2018, the number of people with dementia admitted to hospital in an emergency increased by 70%.  

An unplanned hospital stay can be very stressful for both the person with dementia and their family. This is something Shara, whose mother had vascular dementia, experienced firsthand.  

Shara says, “In 2013 Mum had a number of falls and after a traumatic 32-hour wait in A&E, she was admitted to hospital for eight weeks. My dementia specialist Admiral Nurse understood the pressures of the hospital setting and suggested making a health and care passport which helped hospital staff understand Mum’s history and who she was as a person.” 

Creating a health and care passport, which provides information about the person to help guide their care, is one of the ways that good preparation can help make an unplanned hospital admission easier. 

More tips to cope with an unplanned hospital stay

• Communication is key. Try to remain calm and explain clearly to the person with dementia why they are being admitted to hospital. Make sure everyone involved in treating the person knows that they have dementia, and share advice on how best to communicate with them   

• Pack an overnight bag. Keep a bag prepared at home in case of an emergency, including clothes that are familiar to the person, labelled with their name, and an item the person finds relaxing, like a soft blanket  

• Have important documents ready. If the person living with dementia has made any formal plans about their care, such as an advance care plan, it’s useful to always have these ready to share with staff. It’s also helpful to keep a list of the medication the person is taking 
• Have headphones to hand. Listening to music can prevent the person with dementia getting overwhelmed in a loud and busy hospital waiting room 

Tips for visiting someone with dementia in hospital

• Create a family group chat. Choose one member of the family to receive updates from the ward and share these on the group chat. This makes sure everyone is kept updated and also helps build a good rapport with busy hospital staff  

• Don’t all visit at once. Spread visitors throughout the day. Multiple visitors at one time can be overwhelming for the person with dementia 

• Keep to a routine. Where possible, keep visiting times the same each day. You could write these in a diary to remind the person who is visiting and when  

• Bring in activities the person likes to do. You could look through photo albums of family and friends or watch the person’s favourite film on a tablet 

Tips for when the person is ready to leave hospital

• Be involved in the discharge planning process. It’s really important that you as a carer, and the person with dementia if possible, are involved in the discharge planning process. This will include developing a plan with health and social care professionals that considers the person’s needs, where they will be living and who will provide their care once they leave  

• Get a carer’s assessment and needs assessment. Social services should carry out a carer’s assessment for you, and a needs assessment for the person with dementia to establish what support you will both need 

• Adapt the home. The person with dementia may need more help and support when they get home. If possible, make any necessary adaptations before the person is discharged to help them live safely, such as grab rails or hoists – having a care needs assessment will help you identify any equipment they may need 

Managing a hospital stay and the time after discharge can be challenging, but Dementia UK’s specialist Admiral Nurses are here for you.  

If you need advice or support on navigating the transition of care for someone with dementia, please contact Dementia UK’s free Helpline on 0800 888 6678 or email helpline@dementiauk.org