Characteristics of elderly home health care users: data from the 1994 National Home and Hospice Care Survey.
OBJECTIVE
This report presents the demographic characteristics, service utilization, and primary admission diagnosis of elderly current home health care patients and discharges.


METHODS
The data used for this report are from the National Center for Health Statistics' 1994 National Home and Hospice Care Survey's (NHHCS) sample of current patients and discharges age 65 years and over. The 1994 NHHCS is the third annual survey of home health care agencies and hospices and their current patients and discharges.


RESULTS
The overall results of the survey indicate that the elderly in both the current patient and discharge samples were predominantly women, 75-84 years old, white, non-Hispanic, widowed, and lived in a private residence with their family. For both elderly men and women, the most commonly used home health care service was skilled nursing services and the primary admission diagnosis was heart disease.
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Division of Health Care Statistics, National Center for Health Statistics, USA.
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003625:Data Collection; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D016330:Frail Elderly / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017051:Hospice Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology