Factors associated with hospitalization in care home residents

Every year, thousands of care home residents with dementia are admitted to hospital—some for essential care, others for stays that might have been avoided. This research aims to identify the specific factors that make these preventable admissions more likely. The problem is clear: hospitalisation can be harmful for people with dementia, causing confusion, distress, and loss of function. Yet many admissions are driven by factors unrelated to a medical emergency—such as staffing shortages in the care home, lack of access to specialist advice, or difficulty managing behavioural symptoms. Understanding which factors are most influential could allow care homes, GPs, and hospitals to intervene earlier. If this research succeeds, it could change how care homes operate day-to-day. Staff might receive better training or faster access to geriatricians, reducing the need to send residents to A&E. Commissioners could redesign community health services to support care homes more effectively. The result would be fewer unnecessary hospital stays, less distress for vulnerable people, and a more efficient use of NHS resources. This is applied health services research with a direct, practical goal: keeping people with dementia safe and comfortable where they live.