Hospitalizations and Dementia: What Families Need to Know

Hospital stays can worsen dementia symptoms. Learn how to protect your loved one and navigate care, discharge, and insurance.

Why Hospitalization Is Different

For someone with dementia, a hospital stay can be disorienting—and even harmful.

Unfamiliar environments can lead to:

  • Increased confusion (delirium)
  • Anxiety and agitation
  • Higher fall risk
  • Communication challenges

What Families Experience During Hospital Stays

Caregivers often face:

  • Poor communication between providers
  • Rapid decision-making
  • Unclear discharge plans
  • Medication changes

This creates stress—and risk.

Understanding Insurance and Coverage

Many families don’t realize the difference between inpatient and observation status under Medicare.

This impacts:

  • Rehab eligibility
  • Skilled nursing coverage
  • Out-of-pocket costs

The Risk During Transitions of Care

Discharge is one of the most vulnerable moments.

Without coordination:

  • Medications may be incorrect
  • Follow-ups delayed
  • Readmissions increase

How Our Gold Service Program Helps

We provide:
✔️ Clinical advocacy during hospitalization
✔️ Communication with providers
✔️ Discharge planning support
✔️ Insurance and billing review
✔️ Denial prevention

If your loved one is hospitalized—or at risk—advocacy matters.

📩 Reach out for guidance through every step.

LORI IS EXTREMELY TALENTED!

What a great use of Lori’s talents!

I worked with Lori for several years during my career as an orthopedic surgeon. I know her to be not only compassionate and understanding but also a tireless advocate for what is right.

In difficult situations she was unwavering in her quest to enable me to provide the best possible care for my patients. She knows the system and how to work through it (and around it whenever necessary

LORI JUMPED RIGHT IN

If you are in need of a patient advocate, I would highly recommend Lori Schellenberg. She is extremely knowledgeable, effective, and professional. Knows when to be strong and forceful yet loving and caring with your loved one and your family. I was concerned about an elderly family member who had several severe falls, was forgetting to take medication, not eating healthy and not keeping up with housekeeping yet insistent she was fine and staying in her home. Even though Lori lived out of state she made phone calls on our behalf, made several recommendations to help us provide what our loved one needed and was an intermediary when it was necessary. Lori’s knowledge of geriatrics, continuous care/assisted living facilities, the health care system, long term care insurance and hospice is invaluable. She helped us put together a plan that provided the best and continuous care necessary for our loved one and our family. We are extremely thankful for her help and look forward to continuing to work with her as our loved one moves through the next phases of her life’s journey, thus enabling us to create loving memories.

LORI JUMPED RIGHT IN

My husband underwent nasal surgery 6 months ago, after he had a negative sleep study test and was referred to an ENT doctor due to continued fatigue and snoring.

Unfortunately, he developed two different serious infections, and we were concerned about his ongoing treatment with the ENT. In fact, we were very anxious because he wasn’t getting better but the surgeon was not clear with us as to what to do next.

When describing what was going on, Lori jumped right in, when she found out my husband was actually at the surgeon’s office at that time, and still did not understand the situation. She recommended that my husband ask to have the surgeon come back into the room, and to call her so that she could speak to the surgeon with my husband in the room. Lori was very professional and knowledgeable in her approach with his surgeon. She established a treatment plan, in a way that my husband could understand, and why this was the plan. She also discussed the “what ifs” the current treatment plan did not work. He ordered further tests to be completed prior to his next appointment, if he did not improve.

She followed up with my husband and I to make sure we understood the plan.

By advocating for my husband, Lori relieved a lot of anxiety and stress that this current medical concern was causing, and they felt more confident in the surgeon’s care.

We highly recommend Lori and Stepping Stone Advocacy Services, if you are experiencing a medical condition, and don’t know where to turn for answers. She is experienced and professional, yet able to discuss medical terms in a way that we understood.