Specialization in Post-Acute Dementia Care: Do High-Volume Home Health Agencies and Skilled Nursing Facilities Result in Better Patient Outcomes?​

The health of working-age adults in the US has been poorer in recent years and further behind other high-income countries, which has profound implications for the labor market, wellbeing, and healthcare costs to individuals, families, and society. Dementia is among the most expensive diseases affecting many people’s lives — financially and non-financially. The rate of dementia has declined among older adults (e.g., over 70) in the US, but this may not hold for working-age adults. Evidence suggests midlife cognitive functioning is a significant predictor of developing dementia in old age, but there is little evidence on population trends in cognitive functioning of working-age adults. A better understanding of midlife dementia risks is critically important to inform interventions to reduce the dementia rate in the future. We will assess the cognitive functioning of middle-aged adults in the US over time and identify potential factors that explain the trend.