Comparing advance care planning between older adults with and without HIV

ABSTRACT

We compared completion of advance directives (AD), designation of a healthcare proxy, and stage in the advance care planning process (pre-contemplation/contemplation, preparation/action) between older adults with (N = 110) and without (N = 50) HIV. Participants’ mean age was 61.3, most identified as male (82%) and sexual minorities (74%), were racially/ethnically diverse (44% white, 28% Latinx, 16% Black); 37% had an AD and 44% had a healthcare proxy. In adjusted logistic regressions, HIV− individuals had higher odds of being in preparation/action for having an AD (aOR: 2.6) and healthcare proxy (aOR: 3.6) compared to people living with HIV. Older age (aOR: 1.1) and having a sense of greater purpose in life (aOR: 2.1) were also positively associated with being in the preparation/action stage for having a healthcare proxy.

KEYWORDS:

• Advance directives
• healthcare proxy
• aging
• Transtheoretical Model

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the participants who took the time to participate in our study and the volunteers and research assistants who helped with data collection.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by funding from the USC Dean’s Office, NIH/National Institute on Aging (K01 AG064986-01), NIH/NCATS UL1TR001855, and UL1TR000130. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.