WASHINGTON, D.C.: Nearly two-thirds of people aged 85 and over, and more than half of people aged 95 and over still die in hospital, new research has found.
It is the first study of its kind. Researchers found 62 per cent of older people still die in hospital, although this proportion decreases with increasing age. The data also showed older people who live in deprived areas are more likely to die in hospital, and that older people who die of non-malignant disease are more likely to die in hospital than those who die of cancer.
The researchers used a powerful statistical technique called multivariable regression analysis to examine the factors associated with hospital deaths in older people. This technique enables statisticians to look at the relationships between a number of different variables.
In the past, researchers looked at individual factors, such as gender, age, cause of death, and their association with dying in hospital, but this is the first time anyone has used data to look at all of these factors together, simultaneously assessing their independent contribution to the outcome and eliminating confounding.
The study also found that skilled nursing home residents and those diagnosed with dementia are significantly less likely to die in hospital.