In her doctoral dissertation, Saritha Vargese examines comorbidities in people with dementia and their impact on functional capacity and hospitalisations in the last years of life. The findings show that dementia commonly co-occurs with neurological, musculoskeletal, thyroid, and psychiatric disorders, in addition to cardiometabolic conditions. Among people with dementia, mobility limitations worsened as the number of comorbidities increased. At all levels of comorbidity, people with dementia received less hospital care compared to those without dementia. Over the 17-year study period, hospitalisation rates declined both from home and long-term care settings. The findings highlight the need for targeted interventions, better integration of health and social care, and improved support for home-based care for people living with dementia.
The doctoral dissertation of MD Saritha Vargese in the field of gerontology titled Dementia and comorbidities in older adults: Prevalence, trends and associations with functional ability and hospitalizations will be publicly examined at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Tampere University on 24 April 2026.
The Opponent will be Professor Laura Fratiglioni from the Karolinska Institute, Sweden. The Custos will be Professor emerita Marja Jylhä from the Faculty of Social Sciences, Tampere University.