Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
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Multicenter Study
Immunogenicity of the BNT162b2 vaccine in frail or disabled nursing home residents: COVID-A study.
The safety and immunogenicity of the BNT162b2 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine in older adults with different frailty and disability profiles have not been well determined. Our objective was to analyze immunogenicity of the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine in older adults across frailty and disability profiles. ⋯ The BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine in older adults is safe and produces immunogenicity, independently of the frailty and disability profiles. Older adults in LTCFs should receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
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Hospice patients with dementia are at increased risk for live discharge and long lengths of stay (>180 days), causing patient and family caregiver stress and burden. The location and timing of clinician visits are important factors influencing whether someone dies as expected, in hospice, or experiences a live discharge or long length of stay. ⋯ Nearly 40% of patients with dementia in our study experienced live discharge or a long length of stay. Additional research is needed to understand why home hospice may result in live discharge or a long length of stay for patients with dementia. Nurse visits were associated with death, suggesting their responsiveness to deteriorating patient health. Hospice guidelines may need to permit longer stays so community-dwelling patients with dementia, a growing segment of hospice patients, can remain continuously enrolled in hospice and avoid burden and costs associated with live discharge.