Oral

This session addresses various aspects of the issues related to health outcomes and quality of life among the elderly population, including chronic disease, social support and emotional distress, chronic disease and changes in quality of life in older adults, reducing potentially inappropriate antibiotic prescribing in nursing homes, older patients' expectations on hospital stays, the process that Coroner/Medical Examiner (C/ME) offices follow in deciding to investigate a suspicious death, as well as chronic disease, social support and emotional distress.

Session Objectives: 1. Describe the increasing prevalence of nine common chronic diseases, alone and in combination with each other, in older men and women over 11-years. 2. Describe most important expectations on forthcoming hospital stays of older patients. 3. Describe the public health concern related to over- and inappropriate antibiotic prescribing practices in nursing homes. 4. Explain the relationship between chronic disease and emotional distress and whether social support provides a buffer to this relationship.