Sociology
Pathways to Hospital Death among the Oldest Old
Document Type
Article
Abstract
Using the 1986 National Mortality Followback Survey (N = 2, 090), this research examines the conditions under which the oldest old (85+ years of age) are discharged from a nursing home to enter and die in a hospital as well as the conditions under which community dwellers enter and die in a hospital. Given the need to plan for health services for this growing population and the recent policy changes in length of hospital stay, this analysis focuses on pathways leading to a hospital death. Results suggest that the factors that influence site of death are necessarily quite distinct for those who have entered the institutional long-term care system versus those who have not. Among institutionalized patients, the incidence of an acute condition appears to precipitate hospitalization, whereas among community dwellers, the presence of a social support network and the decedent's race are the only salient factors predicting hospital death. Implications are discussed. © 1993, Sage Publications. All rights reserved.
Publication Title
Journal of Aging and Health
Publication Date
1993
Volume
5
Issue
4
First Page
516
Last Page
535
ISSN
0898-2643
DOI
10.1177/089826439300500406
Keywords
death, hospitals, health services, site of death
Repository Citation
Merrill, Deborah M. and Mor, Vincent, "Pathways to Hospital Death among the Oldest Old" (1993). Sociology. 34.
https://commons.clarku.edu/faculty_sociology/34