Elderly persons' last six months of life: findings from the Hospitalized Elderly Longitudinal Project.

Elderly persons' last six months of life: findings from the Hospitalized Elderly Longitudinal Project. Research Abstract Details 

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Elderly persons' last six months of life: findings from the Hospitalized Elderly Longitudinal Project. Abstract Text:

BACKGROUND: Few studies describe the end of life in very old people. OBJECTIVES: To characterize the last 6 months of life and dying in patients 80 years and older by describing demographic characteristics, functional state and quality of life, symptoms, preferences, use of life-sustaining treatments, satisfaction with care, and family burden. DESIGN: A retrospective analysis for patients enrolled in a prospective cohort study. SETTING: Four teaching hospitals who participated in the Hospitalized Elderly Longitudinal Project (HELP). SUBJECTS: 417 patients who died within 1 year of their enrollment hospitalization. MEASUREMENTS: Chart reviews and interview data with patients and surrogates at several points in time. We constructed four observational time windows backward in time beginning with the patients' death. RESULTS: Before hospitalization, two out of three patients reported fair quality of life, and patients averaged 2.4 impairments in activities of daily living. Seventy percent preferred comfort care on the third day of hospitalization. During the last month of life, three of five patients interviewed in the hospital and four of five interviewed out of the hospital preferred not to be resuscitated. At the time of death, four of five patients had a do not resuscitate (DNR) order and two of five had an order to withhold a ventilator. During the last month of life, one out of four patients reported severe pain. CONCLUSIONS: Patients reported increasing functional impairments and limited quality of life. The majority preferred comfort care. The number of patients in severe pain was substantial. Before death, the majority had measures in place to limit aggressive care.

Elderly persons' last six months of life: findings from the Hospitalized Elderly Longitudinal Project. Publishing Authors By Initials

For similar persons: terminally ill research abstracts see: persons: terminally ill research

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Elderly persons' last six months of life: findings from the Hospitalized Elderly Longitudinal Project. Journal Published:

PUBLICATION TYPE: Research Support, U.S. Gov't,

Journal: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society

VOLUME: 48

Page Numbers: S131-9

Journal Abbreviation: J Am Geriatr Soc

ISSN: 0002-8614

DAY: 10

MONTH: May

YEAR: 2000

Elderly persons' last six months of life: findings from the Hospitalized Elderly Longitudinal Project. Information

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LANGUAGE: eng

NlmUniqueID: 7503062

Elderly persons' last six months of life: findings from the Hospitalized Elderly Longitudinal Project. Keywords Mesh Terms:

KEYWORDS: Terminally Ill

MESH TERMS: statistics & numerical data

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Grant and Affiliation Information for Elderly persons' last six months of life: findings from the Hospitalized Elderly Longitudinal Project.

AFFILIATION: The Division for Aging Studies and Services, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.

Country: UNITED STATES

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MEDLINETA: J Am Geriatr Soc

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