HH and hospice patient: Elderly woman, widowed
HH and hospice patient: Elderly woman, widowed
A snapshot of the typical patient
The typical home health and hospice patient is an elderly Caucasian woman between the ages of 75 and 84, widowed, and likely living in a private residence with family members, state the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
For the more than 2 million patients served by home health and hospice, the most common primary diagnosis was disease of the circulatory system, which includes heart disease. Care most often consisted of home health skilled nursing services, says the report, which was released last December.
Characteristics of Elderly Home Health Care Users: Data from the 1996 National Home and Hospice Care Survey, looked at data from the 1996 National Home and Hospice Care Survey done by the National Center for Health Statistics.
Demographic characteristics studied
Researchers sought to examine the demographic characteristics of home health and hospice patients and the services that were provided to them. The report looked at the data from two perspectives: current patients and discharged patients.
In 1996, there were an estimated 1.75 million elderly people — 65 years old and up — using home health care. The report found the following characteristics in current home health care patients:
• 70% were women;
• 47% were between the ages of 75-84 years old;
• 69% were white and 65% were non-Hispanic;
• 47% were widowed;
• 59% of the those widowed were elderly women, while 19% were elderly men;
• 92% were living in private residences;
• 50% lived with family members;
• 44% of elderly women lived alone, vs. 27% of elderly men.
Because elderly patients have a diminished capacity to perform normal activities of daily living (ADL), much of the care concentrated on helping them perform those basic tasks. Of all elderly current patients, 56% required help with at least one ADL. The most common type of help with ADLs included bathing and showering (53%), and dressing (46%).
Shopping for groceries or clothes, considered instrumental activities of daily living, was the most prominent service provided to those patients by agencies. Eighty-four percent required help. Twenty-three percent needed help preparing meals.
Discharged patients
Discharge data was similar to current patient statistics. Discharges from home health and hospice (discharge as a result of death was included) in 1996 were also predominantly elderly white and non-Hispanic women who were mostly widowed.
The average length of service for elderly discharges was 107 days. Seventy percent of elderly patients used home health care services for 60 days or less. The average length of service for men was 104 days and 109 days for women. Lengths of service of more than 181 days were reported among 15% of elderly women and 9% of elderly men.
Heart disease, a leading killer of Americans, topped the list of most frequent primary diagnoses at discharge. Twenty-five percent of men and 32% of women had circulatory system diseases, which includes heart disease. Disease of the respiratory system was the next most common disease among men (13%), while injury and poisoning were the second most cited disease among women (15%).
Researchers say the recent statistics are consistent with the three previous home health and hospice surveys, with little change in the demographic of home health and hospice patients and the services they require.
Subscribe Now for Access
You have reached your article limit for the month. We hope you found our articles both enjoyable and insightful. For information on new subscriptions, product trials, alternative billing arrangements or group and site discounts please call 800-688-2421. We look forward to having you as a long-term member of the Relias Media community.