Outcomes and Utilization for Hospice and Non-Hospice Nursing Facility Decedents

This comparative study first identifies and describes two cohorts of nursing facility decedents, those that did and did not elect Medicare hospice. Then, using data for up to one year prior to death, the study characterizes utilization and quality of care for these two cohorts. The influence of Medicare hospice on hospital utilization and symptom management at the end of life in nursing facilities is examined through multivariate analyses and findings of these analyses are presented and discussed. [63 PDF pages]