Life-Sustaining Treatments Among Medicare Beneficiaries with and without Dementia at the End of Life.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Older adults with dementia including Alzheimer's disease may have difficulty communicating their treatment preferences and thus may receive intensive end-of-life (EOL) care that confers limited benefits.

Objective

This study compared the use of life-sustaining interventions during the last 90 days of life among Medicare beneficiaries with and without dementia.

Methods

This cohort study utilized population-based national survey data from the 2000-2016 Health and Retirement Study linked with Medicare and Medicaid claims. Our sample included Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries aged 65 years or older deceased between 2000 and 2016. The main outcome was receipt of any life-sustaining interventions during the last 90 days of life, including mechanical ventilat

SUBMITTER: Zhu Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10777481 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature