Tamara Thomas

Urban Health Today

According to a study published in Alzheimer&rsquo;s &amp; Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer&rsquo;s Association, people living with dementia from racial and ethnic minority groups are less likely to receive accurate and timely dementia diagnosis and medication or use hospice care.&nbsp;For this study, Dr. Ladson Hinton and colleagues evaluated the access, quality, and treatment outcomes of people in minority racial/ethnic groups living with dementia and their family caregivers.&ldquo;Reducing disparities in Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease and related dementias and receiving timely, high-quality health care services is essential to advance health equity,&rdquo; said Dr. Hinton,The researchers analyzed about 71 papers published between 2000 to 2022. Of the 71Studies evaluated, 85.9% reported findings for Black Americans, 57.7% for Hispanic Americans, 25.4% for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and 2.8% for American Indians and Alaska natives.The researchers observed that people from minority groups received less optimal care and experienced delays in receiving diagnosis. According to the study, it took 11% longer for Black Americans and 40% longer for Hispanic Americans to receive a diagnosis.The findings also revealed that Asian American older adults were less likely to receive a diagnostic work-up for cognitive impairment than other racial groups. Furthermore, the researchers observed that across various studies, Black and Hispanic American patients were less likely to be referred for neuropsychological testing.In addition, Dr. Hinton and colleagues found not only that minoritized populations received anti-dementia medications less frequently but also that Hispanic and Black American older adults discontinued these medications at higher rates.When the researchers looked at end-of-life care in patients with Alzheimer&rsquo;s, they found thatBlack Americans with dementia were more likely to have increased hospital admission rates, longer lengths of stay, and higher costs of treatment. They were also less likely to receive hospice care and more likely to receive feeding tubes and mechanical ventilation during end-of-life care.&rdquo;Ultimately, it&rsquo;s critical that the best available dementia care is attainable and offered to all Americans, particularly those who are left out of novel research innovations because of their race, social standing, or place of residence,&rdquo; said Dr. Ana Qui&ntilde;ones, one of the study authors.&ldquo;To make real progress in achieving equity and closing the gaps in outcomes for Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease and related dementias, we must do more to ensure the most promising interventions are aimed at those who need them the most,&rdquo; she added.Source:<a href="https://health.ucdavis.edu/news/headlines/study-finds-disparities-in-diagnosis-and-treatment-of-dementia/2024/01"> UC Davis Health</a>Journal: <a href="https://alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/alz.13612">Journal of the Alzheimer&rsquo;s Association</a>

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Minorities with Dementia Face Delays in Diagnosis, Medication, and Hospice

People living with dementia from racial and ethnic minority groups are less likely to receive accurate and timely dementia diagnosis.

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