Table 1.
Characteristics of Study Participants
| Patients (n = 14) | Close Persons (n = 6) | |
|---|---|---|
| Female sex | 4 | 4 |
| Age, y | 79 ± 7 | 71 ± 12 |
| Race | ||
| White | 11 | 4 |
| Black | 1 | 0 |
| Asian | 1 | 2 |
| Other | 1 | 0 |
| Highest educational attainment | ||
| Any high school | 4 | 0 |
| Any college | 4 | 5 |
| Any graduate school | 6 | 1 |
| Employment status | ||
| Working | 1 | 2 |
| Retired | 13 | 4 |
| Marital status | ||
| Spouse/live-in partner | 10 | 6 |
| Single, widowed, divorced | 4 | 0 |
| Relationship to patient | ||
| Spouse/live-in partner | NA | 5 |
| Adult child | NA | 1 |
| Household annual income | ||
| <$25,000 | 4 | 2 |
| $25,00-$50,000 | 3 | 1 |
| $50,000-$70,000 | 2 | 1 |
| >$75,000 | 2 | 2 |
| Decline to respond | 3 | 0 |
| Self-rated health | ||
| Excellent | 1 | 0 |
| Very good | 2 | 3 |
| Good | 6 | 2 |
| Fair | 4 | 1 |
| Poor | 1 | 0 |
| Have you ever heard of the following? | ||
| Dialysis | 14 | 6 |
| Conservative care | 5 | 3 |
Note: Values given are numbers of patients, except for age, which is given as mean ± standard deviation.