JAMDA
Volume 11, Issue 1 , Pages 42-51 , January 2010

Preferences Versus Practice: Life-Sustaining Treatments in Last Months of Life in Long-Term Care

  • Holly Biola, MD, MPH

      Affiliations

    • Geriatrics Division, Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC
    • Piedmont Health Services, Scott Community Health Center, Burlington, NC
    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress correspondence to Holly Biola, MD, MPH, Scott Community Health Center, 5270 Union Ridge Road, Burlington, NC 27217.
    • ,
  • Philip D. Sloane, MD, MPH

      Affiliations

    • Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
    • Department of Family Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
    • ,
  • Christianna S. Williams, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
    • Abt Associates Inc, Durham, NC
    • ,
  • Timothy P. Daaleman, DO, MPH

      Affiliations

    • Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
    • Department of Family Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
    • ,
  • Sheryl Zimmerman, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
    • School of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

References 

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  18. Zimmerman S, Gruber-Baldini AL, Sloane PD, et al. Assisted living and nursing homes: apples and oranges?. Gerontologist. 2003;43:107–117
  19. Zimmerman S, Sloane P, Eckert J, et al. Overview of the collaborative studies of long-term care. In:  Zimmerman S,  Sloane P,  Eckert J editor. Assisted Living: Needs, Practices and Policies in Residential Care for the Elderly. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press; 2001;117–143
  20. Danis M, Southerland LI, Garrett JM, et al. A prospective study of advance directives for life-sustaining care. N Eng J Med. 1991;324:882–888
  21. Cherlin E, Fried T, Prigerson HG, et al. Communication between physicians and family caregivers about care at the end-of-life: When do discussions occur and what is said?. J Palliat Med. 2005;8:1176–1185
  22. Happ MB, Capezuti E, Strumpf NE, et al. Advance care planning and end-of-life care for hospitalized nursing home residents. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2002;50:829–835
  23. Golin CE, Wenger NS, Liu H, et al. A prospective study of patient-physician communication about resuscitation. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2000;48:S52–S60
  24. Braun KL, Karel H, Zir A. Family response to end-of-life education: Differences by ethnicity and stage of caregiving. Am J Hospice Pall Care. 2006;23:269–276
  25. Monturo CA, Strumpf NE. Advance directives at end-of-life: Nursing home resident preferences for artificial nutrition. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2007;8:224–228
  26. Fagerlin A, Ditto PH, Danks JH, et al. Projection in surrogate decisions about life-sustaining medical treatment. Health Psych. 2001;20:166–175
  27. Shalowitz DI, Garrett-Mayer E, Wendler D. The accuracy of surrogate decision makers: A systematic review. Arch Intern Med. 2006;166:493–497
  28. POLST in your state. 2008. Available at: www.POLST.org. Accessed June 26, 2009.

 This work was supported by grants R01 AG18967, K02 AG00970, and K23 AG001030 from the National Institute on Aging. H.B. was supported by a National Research Service Award Primary Care Research grant (T32 HP-14001–19) from the Health Resources and Services Administration as well as the Duke University Geriatrics Fellowship program. The authors have no other relevant financial disclosures to report.

PII: S1525-8610(09)00253-9

doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2009.07.005

JAMDA
Volume 11, Issue 1 , Pages 42-51 , January 2010

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