Characteristics of Elderly Home Health Care Users: Data From the 1994 National Home and Hospice Care Survey

Advance Data 279.  At any time during 1994, there were an estimated 1.4 million elderly people (65 years of age and over) being serviced by home health care agencies, according to a new report from the National Center for Health Statistics. "Characteristics of Elderly Home Health Care Users: Data From the 1994 National Home and Hospice Care Survey," presents demographic characteristics, service utilization, and care received by current elderly home health care patients and those discharged in 1994. When both the current patients and discharge samples were examined by individual demographic characteristics, the majority were women (71 percent and 62 percent), 75-84 years old (42 percent and 48 percent), white (68 percent and 67 percent), non-Hispanic (59 percent and 49 percent), widowed (46 percent and 40 percent), and lived in a private residence (93 percent and 92 percent).

Data Highlights:

Of all elderly patients, 57 percent were reported as receiving help in at least one activities of daily living (ADL) -- such as bathing, dressing, eating, etc.

The most frequent help received by elderly patients in ADL's was bathing or showering.

The most frequent home health care services used by elderly patients were skilled nursing services. Eighty-nine percent of the male and 85 percent of female discharges used this service, compared to 88 percent of the male and 79 percent of female current patients.

Of those discharged, the average length of service for men was 82 days and for women, 142 days.

This page last reviewed January 11, 2007