Housing Instability Tied to Higher Risk for Dementia Diagnosis

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 6, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Veterans experiencing housing instability have a substantially higher risk for receiving an Alzheimer disease or related dementia (ADRD) diagnosis versus a matched cohort of stably housed veterans, according to a study published online Dec. 6 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Jill S. Roncarati, Sc.D., from the Veterans Affairs Bedford Healthcare System in Massachusetts, and colleagues examined the rate of ADRD diagnosis for veterans experiencing homelessness and housing instability versus a matched cohort of stably housed veterans during a nine-year period (88,388 veterans total).

The researchers found that in the unadjusted model, veterans with housing instability had an increased risk for ADRD (hazard ratio, 1.33) compared with veterans with housing stability. This finding persisted in the adjusted model (hazard ratio, 1.41). By the midpoint of the study in 2015, 7.23 percent of housing-insecure and 3.66 percent of housing-stable veterans had an ADRD diagnosis.

"Veterans experiencing housing instability have a substantially higher risk of receiving an ADRD diagnosis than a matched cohort of stably housed veterans," the authors write. "Health systems and providers should consider cognitive screening among people experiencing housing insecurity. Existing permanent supportive housing programs should consider approaches to modify wraparound services to support veterans experiencing ADRD."

Abstract/Full Text