Program of Intensive Support in Emergency Departments for Care Partners of Cognitively Impaired Patients

Program of Intensive Support in Emergency Departments for Care Partners of Cognitively Impaired Patients

Dementia is a common problem for older patients presenting to emergency departments and for the family caregivers who often lack support, understanding, and skills to manage the problems related to the need for emergency department visits. The purpose of Program of Intensive Support in Emergency Departments for Care Partners of Cognitively Impaired Patients (POISED-CPCIP, here on referred to as POISED) randomized controlled trial is to use previously established quality improvement methods of root cause analysis to uncover reasons for emergency department use and to focus on caregiver activation within a program of dementia care management.

The goals of this study are to reduce recurrent emergency department visits and improve caregiver symptoms of depression, anxiety and need for social support.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Must be in the emergency department for care at the point of recruitment
• Must be English- or Spanish-speaking
• Must have a family member or friend who provides caregiving assistance
• Must have a plan to be discharged to home (ESI = 4 or 5)
• Must have score <3 on the MiniCog or if using caregiver assessment by IQCODE must be >3.4
• Must have capacity to consent or have a proxy.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Care recipient (CR) is a resident of a nursing home or other supportive facility
• CR scores > 3 on the MiniCog or the caregiver assessment by IQCODE was < 3.4
• Caregiver (CG) declines participation
• CR is not being discharged to home