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

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