Palliative care for older people - World Health Organization ...

Fig. 3.2. Factors associated with place of death (home and hospital only)Factors related to illnessNon-solid tumoursLong length of diseaseLow functional statusHospitalHomeHomeIndividual factorsDemographic variablesGood social conditionsEthnic minoritiesPersonal variablesPersonal preferencesHomeHospitalHomeHealth care inputUse of home careIntensity of home careAvailability ofinpatient bedsPrevious admissionto hospitalRural environmentAreas with greaterhospital provisionHomeHomeHospitalHospitalHomeHospitalSocial supportLiving with relativesExtended family supportBeing marriedCaregivers’ preferencesHomeHomeHomeHomeMacrosocial factorsHistorical trendsHomePlace of deathSource: adapted from Gomes & Higginson (8).home care, living with relatives and having extendedfamily support (8). The interplay between thesefactors can add further complexity. The associationbetween age and place of death varies both withinand between countries (9). For example, in London,United Kingdom, older age is associated with ahigher probability of dying in a hospital or in anursing home and a lower chance of dying at homeor in an inpatient hospice.In New York City, United States of America, olderpeople are more likely to die at home or in nursinghomes than in a hospital (9).10