Mortality and Function After Widowhood Among Older Adults With Dementia, Cancer, or Organ Failure.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

The widowhood effect, in which mortality increases and function decreases in the period following spousal death, may be heightened in older adults with functional impairment and serious illnesses, such as cancer, dementia, or organ failure, who are highly reliant on others, particularly spouses, for support. Yet there are limited data on widowhood among people with these conditions.

Objective

To determine the association of widowhood with function and mortality among older adults with dementia, cancer, or organ failure.

Design, setting, and participants

This longitudinal cohort study used population-based, nationally representative data from the Health and Retirement Study database linked to Medicare claims from 2008 to 2018. Participants were married or pa

SUBMITTER: Rodin R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11393717 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature