Suicide Risk in Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities: 2003-2011

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Suicide among older adults in long-term care (LTC) settings requires further investigation.
• Understanding risk factors associated with suicide in these vulnerable populations is crucial for prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the epidemiology of suicide among adults aged 50 years and older in nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
• To determine if anticipating transition into long-term care (LTC) is a risk factor for suicide.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the Virginia Violent Death Reporting System (2003-2011).
• Matched suicide locations with nursing home and assisted living facility registries.
• Employed logistic regression for individual and organizational correlates and qualitative text analysis for identifying decedents anticipating LTC entry.

Main Results:

• Suicide incidence was 14.16/100,000 in nursing homes and 15.66/100,000 in the community.
• Higher quality metrics in nursing homes (OR=1.95) and larger assisted living facility size (OR=1.01) were associated with increased suicide risk.
• 38 decedents were identified as anticipating LTC transition.

Conclusions:

• Long-term care (LTC) represents a critical juncture for suicide prevention efforts.
• Identifying individuals anticipating LTC transition is vital for targeted interventions.