Demography and Epidemiology of Dying in the U.S. with Emphasis on Deaths of Older Persons

SUMMARY

As chronic disease continues to be the major cause of death and as the elderly population grows, it is important to evaluate the adequacy and completeness of health care strategies for the elderly. Two studies, the National Mortality Followback Survey and the National Institute on Aging Survey of the Last Days of Life, were designed to examine the circumstances of death for representative samples of decedents. Four areas of focus are location of death, transitions among health care settings, circumstances at the time of death, and changes in physical and cognitive function in the last year of life. Although the data are helpful for family planning, they are limited by a lack of data on costs. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-342-9678. E-mail address: [email protected]]

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Dwight B. Brock

Dwight B. Brock, PhD, is Chief of the Biometry Office and Daniel J. Foley, MS, is a Statistician in the Epidemiology, Demography and Biometry Program at the National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.