Benzodiazepine or Antipsychotic Use and Mortality Risk Among Patients With Dementia in Hospice Care

Is the initiation of benzodiazepine and antipsychotic use while enrolled in hospice associated with increased mortality among nursing home residents with Alzheimer disease and related dementias (ADRD)?In this national case-control study of 139 103 long-term nursing home residents with ADRD enrolled in hospice, new initiation of benzodiazepine or antipsychotic use while enrolled in hospice was associated with a 41% and a 16% increased risk of 180-day mortality, respectively.These findings suggest that clinicians should carefully weigh the risks and benefits of initiating benzodiazepine and antipsychotic use for individuals with ADRD in hospice, given the potential association with increased mortality.

Corresponding Author: Lauren B. Gerlach, DO, MS, Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical School, 4250 Plymouth Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (glauren@umich.edu).

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