The Healthcare Cost of Isolation and Loneliness, Managing Social Isolation Related to Incontinence

Abstract Body: ™™™™™Introduction: Socially isolated older adults are at greater risk for poor health and death than their well-connected counterparts. Medicare Spending on the same population concludes that an estimated $6.7 billion additional federal dollars are spent annually1. A novel wellness device has recently entered the market place with a goal of allowing greater independence for adults with mobility and dexterity challenges to maintaining proper perineal hygiene. Objective: A study was conducted on 48 subjects in assisted and independent living. The goal was to see if use of an automated perineal hygiene system could delay transition to a higher level of care. And assist in managing incontinence-associated dermatitis by automating the accepted management algorithm for perineal care2. Method: A validated scale was used to evaluate effectiveness of current perineal hygiene care. Mal odor and quality of life (QOL) scores were taken to provide baseline measures and then were tracked over time. Surveys were conducted of subjects and their caregivers. Subjects were followed for one year with regular assessments performed to determine QOL improvement, percentage of subjects with noticeable odor and status of dermatitis for the population. Results: No subjects transitioned to higher levels of care. Dermatitis was present in 89% of the population at baseline with 100% durably healed dermatitis by 6 weeks and was maintained for the remainder of the study. QOL improvement from 45% with good QOL to 90% after 2 weeks. There was a cost savings of $8,000 per subject per month based on the lack of transition to higher levels of care2. Conclusion: Professors Julianne Holt-Lunstad and Timothy Smith of Brigham Young University found that prolonged social isolation is as harmful to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and is more harmful than obesity3. Anything that allows older patients to better manage perineal hygiene is worthwhile.