Variation in Hospice Aide Care by Residential Setting

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Palliative Care
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Hospice care often involves direct support from hospice aides.
• The utilization of hospice aide services may differ across various residential care settings like assisted living facilities and nursing homes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the frequency of hospice aide utilization across different residential settings.
• To identify factors associated with hospice aide use in various residential care environments.

Main Methods:

• A longitudinal cohort study utilizing data from the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS).
• Analysis included Medicare beneficiaries who died between 2010 and 2019 with hospice claims and residential setting data (n=1,915).
• Multivariable models were employed to examine associations between hospice aide visits and patient/hospice characteristics, controlling for setting.

Main Results:

• Hospice aide visits were less frequent in community settings (64.4%) compared to assisted living (76.6%) and nursing homes (72.6%).
• Factors associated with hospice aide utilization did not significantly vary across community, assisted living, or nursing home settings in adjusted analyses.
• Despite existing hands-on support in facilities, hospice aide use was higher in residential settings versus community settings.

Conclusions:

• Hospice aide utilization patterns differ by setting, with higher use in residential care compared to community settings.
• The factors influencing the use of hospice aides appear consistent across different residential environments.
• Further research is needed to optimize hospice aide integration and collaboration within diverse care settings to meet individual patient needs effectively.