Health outcomes in aged care residents with dementia during the COVID-19 pandemic

Aged care residents with COVID-19 who received more vaccine doses had lower rates of COVID-19 related hospitalisation

This section reports on COVID-19-related hospitalisations for aged care residents with a COVID-19 diagnosis by vaccination status during the pre-Omicron and Omicron periods (to 1 July 2022). See the COVID-19 related hospitalisations section for definitions used in this analysis. To aid in interpreting findings, 95% confidence intervals are included.

Among aged care residents with a COVID-19 diagnosis in the pre-Omicron period:

• overall, nearly 1 in 3 residents with and without a dementia record had a COVID-19 related hospitalisation (Figure 5.2) 
• of those hospitalised, a higher percentage of residents who had received 0–1 COVID-19 vaccine dose died in hospital (37% of those with and without a dementia record) than residents who had received 2 or more vaccine doses (18% of those with a dementia record, 11% of those with no dementia record (Figure 5.2)).

Among aged care residents with a COVID-19 diagnosis in the Omicron period:

• 16% of unvaccinated residents with a dementia record had a COVID-19 related hospitalisation compared with 5.6% of those who had 3 or more vaccine doses (Figure 5.2) 
• of those hospitalised, 25% of unvaccinated residents with a dementia record died in hospital compared with 13% of those who had 3 or more vaccine doses (Figure 5.2).
• A similar pattern was seen for people with no dementia record (Figure 5.2).
• The lower percentages of COVID-19 related hospitalisations and deaths in hospital among residents who had 3 or more vaccine doses were seen for all age groups (Table S5.2).

For downloadable data tables, see Table S5.2 in Data tables (COVID-19 vaccination and antiviral use among aged care residents with a COVID-19 diagnosis).

Lower rates of COVID-19 related hospitalisations after COVID-19 vaccination were seen across all levels of care needs

To explore the impact of care needs on COVID-19 vaccination status and COVID-19 related hospitalisations, Aged Care Funding Instrument (ACFI) care needs data were analysed for the Omicron period (see ACFI data for methods). 

The pattern of lower percentages of COVID-19 related hospitalisations and deaths in hospital among residents who had 3 or more vaccine doses was seen for people with high, medium and low/nil levels of care needs (Figure 5.3). For example, among residents with a dementia record who had high needs in the Complex health care domain:

• 14% of people who had received 0–1 vaccine dose had a COVID-19 related hospitalisation, of whom 26% died in hospital
• 5.5% of people who had received 3 or more vaccine doses had a COVID-19 related hospitalisation, of whom 16% died in hospital (Figure 5.3).

Figure 5.3: Number and percentage of aged care residents with a COVID-19 diagnosis in the Omicron period (a) with a COVID-19 related hospitalisation and (b) who died in hospital, by dementia status, number of COVID-19 vaccine doses and level of care needs in the ACFI Activities of daily living, Cognition and behaviour and Complex health care domains (to 30 June 2022)

For downloadable data tables, see Table S5.3 in Data tables (COVID-19 vaccination and antiviral use among aged care residents with a COVID-19 diagnosis).