Oral

This session presents five studies on the end of life care issues for elderly population. Topics include a study examined whether residing in facilities with higher hospice concentration can 1) reduce the risk of hospitalization in residents not receiving hospice; and 2) further decrease hospice residents' risk of hospitalization, a study compared patient-reported experiences of care near the end-of-life to other care, using a large national survey of Medicare beneficiaries, a study using data from the 2007 National Home and Hospice Care Survey to compare the transfer rate to different settings between non-Hispanic whites and minorities, a study examined the within-facility differences in EOL care, and explored longitudinal and cross-sectional variations in EOL care between residents with and without dementia in US NHs, as well as using social media tools to build an active and effective social media presence about palliative care.

Session Objectives: 1. Evaluate the effect of facility-level hospice concentration in a nursing home on hospitalizations of its residents (both hospice and non-hospice users). 2. Compare patient reports of care for those near the end of life to reports from other patients. 3. Identify at least 3 factors that are related to changes in places of residence during hospice care. 4. Demonstrate the within-facility differences in EOL quality of care provided to residents with and without dementia and explain longitudinal and cross-sectional variations in EOL care provided to residents with and without dementia in US nursing homes.