Characteristics of Elderly Home Health Care Users: Data From the 1996 National Home and Hospice Care Survey Advance Data 309. Characteristics of Elderly Home Health Care Users: Data From the 1996 National Home and Hospice Care Survey. 12 pp. (PHS) 2000-1250View/download PDF 93 KB During 1996, there were an estimated 1.75 million elderly people age 65 years and over using home health care services, according to a report from the National Center for Health Statistics. "Characteristics of Elderly Home Health Care Users: Data From the National Home and Hospice Care Survey" presents demographic characteristics, service utilization, and care received by current home health care patients and those discharged in 1996. When both the current patients and discharge samples were examined by individual demographic characteristics, the majority were women (70 percent), 75-84 years old (47 percent), white (69 percent), widowed (47 percent), living in private residences (92 percent). Data Highlights: Of all elderly patients, 56 percent were reported as receiving help in at least one activity of daily living (ADL) such as bathing, dressing, eating. The most frequent help received by elderly patients in ADLs was bathing or showering. The most frequent home health care services used by elderly current patients were skilled nursing services. Eighty-five percent of men and 84 percent of women used these services. The average length of service for elderly discharges was 107 days. Seventy percent of the elderly used home health care services for 60 days or less. For men, the average length of service was 104 days and for women it was 109 days. Keywords: National Home and Hospice Care Survey, current patients, discharges
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October 15, 2008
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