HOSPITAL admission & discharge MEDICAL quality control MILD cognitive impairment CAREGIVERS FAMILIES LENGTH of stay in hospitals INTERVIEWING LONG term health care DISCHARGE planning ONTARIO Alternate level of care Care experience Hospital discharge

Background: Delayed hospital discharge (also known as Alternate Level of Care or ALC) is a global health care quality issue with negative implications for people (e.g., functional decline) and the health care system (e.g., costly interruptions in hospital flow and procedures). ALC disproportionately impacts people with cognitive impairment, and insight into the needs and experiences of this specific sub population and their carers is lacking.