# Palliative Care Consultations for Persons with Alzheimer's Disease and related Dementia in the Medicare Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Setting

> **NIH NIH K23** · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · 2020 · $123,468

## Abstract

Abstract of the Proposed Research
Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) are serious, life limiting illnesses with no known cure. The
majority of persons with advanced dementia die in nursing homes (NHs) and 40% receive post-acute skilled
nursing facility (SNF) care in NHs in the last 3 months of life. SNF care is a Medicare post-acute rehabilitation
service delivered in NHs focused on intense rehabilitation and/or aggressive, disease-modifying therapies.
Regardless of life expectancy, use of SNF care typically precludes access to Hospice services. This has
profound implications for the quality of life and end-of-life experience for persons with ADRD. However, there is
no regulatory barrier to the receipt of palliative care (PC) services delivered by healthcare providers concurrent
with SNF care. PC is patient- and family-centered care that incorporates symptom assessment and
management and open communication and documentation of patients/families’ goals of care and &
preferences for treatments. However, there is little scientific evidence about the processes and outcomes of
SNF PC for individuals with ADRD in NHs. The proposed supplemental study is uniquely positioned to address
such gaps in science by leveraging existing study protocols, procedures, and infrastructure of a currently
funded study (1K23NR017663-01A1) to expand its focus on ADRD. Specifically, we will conduct a two-arm
non-randomized controlled pilot clinical trial, enrolling 50 persons diagnosed with ADRD who are in SNF care
to establish the feasibility of the SNF-PC intervention, estimate the effect size of the SNF-PC intervention on
patient/family caregiver reported quality of life, symptom management, and satisfaction with care, and compare
the demographics, clinical characteristics, and palliative care needs of people with ADRD versus non ADRD
serious illnesses during post-acute SNF care in NHs. Currently, there is no existing empirically derived
model for PC for people with ADRD in NHs receiving SNF care; the proposed supplement is highly
likely to stimulate novel and impactful advances in clinical practice and scientific inquiry. It also seeks
to shift the current models of dementia care in SNFs to a person-centered model with an evidence-
based practice that can enhance the quality of life for people with ADRD and promote goal-directed
care.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10123157
- **Project number:** 3K23NR017663-02S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Joan Gleba Carpenter
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $123,468
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2019-01-01 → 2020-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10123157

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10123157, Palliative Care Consultations for Persons with Alzheimer's Disease and related Dementia in the Medicare Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Setting (3K23NR017663-02S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10123157. Licensed CC0.

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