Table 1.
Characteristics of Home Hospice Enrollments.
| Characteristics | Home Hospice Cohort (N = 115 103) |
|---|---|
| Age (years) | |
| 18–55 | 2387 (2.1) |
| 56–65 | 6847 (6.0) |
| 66–75 | 23 644 (20.5) |
| 76–85 | 38 797 (33.7) |
| 86+ | 43 428 (37.7) |
| Median (IQR) | 82 (74–89) |
| Gender | |
| Women | 67 405 (58.6) |
| Men | 47 698 (41.4) |
| Race/ethnicity | |
| White | 97 915 (85.1) |
| Black | 11 213 (9.7) |
| Other | 5975 (5.2) |
| Region | |
| Midwest | 22 338 (19.4) |
| West | 17 112 (14.9) |
| East | 29 090 (25.3) |
| South | 46 563 (40.4) |
| Hospice diagnosis | |
| Cancer | 38 373 (33.3) |
| Noncancer | 76 730 (66.7) |
| Number of chronic conditionsa | |
| 0–1 | 43 976 (38.2) |
| 2 | 22 853 (19.8) |
| 3 | 22 541 (19.6) |
| 4+ | 25 733 (22.4) |
| Median (IQR) | 1 (0–2) |
| Median income (by quartiles) | |
| $39 114 and lower | 30 812 (26.8) |
| $48 716–$63 709 | 28 401 (24.7) |
| $48 716–$63 709 | 28 191 (24.5) |
| $63 710+ | 27 699 (24.0) |
| Health service utilization | |
| Number of hospitalizations 3 months prior to date of enrollment | |
| 0 | 70 301 (61) |
| 1 or more | 44 802 (39) |
| Number of previous hospice enrollments | |
| 0 | 106 680 (92.7) |
| 1 | 7510 (6.5) |
| 2 or more | 913 (0.8) |
| Hospice length of stay (days) | |
| Median (IQR) | 64 (18–187) |
| Hospice utilization | |
| Continuous home care | 7554 (6.6) |
| Inpatient hospice care | 14 043 (12.2) |
| Respite care | 8948 (7.8) |
| Average nursing visits per week | |
| <3 | 84 399 (73.3) |
| 3 to <4 | 12 423 (10.8) |
| 4 to <5 | 6999 (6.1) |
| 5+ | 11 282 (9.8) |
| Mean (SD) | 2.5 (1.6) |
| Median (IQR) | 2.0 (1.3–3.2) |
Abbreviation: IQR, interquartile range; SD, standard deviation.
a
Heart disease, lung disease, renal disease, dementia disorders, stroke/TIA, diabetes, depression, history of hip fracture.