Study Shows Hospice Care Shortage

Liz Perry for Leaders in Healthcare – April 25, 2008

A new University of Michigan study shows that the areas most in need of hospice care are those that are most lacking. The study found that communities with lower average incomes and large concentrations of elderly people were far less likely to be served by a hospice than those with wealthier, younger populations.

Researchers discovered that within a given county, its average income, education level, and percentage of residents over age 65 were the factors that most strongly determined how much hospice would be available to residents.

This provides a challenge for administrators of long term care facilities. Medicare only pays for 70 percent of hospice services. Patients’ families, private donors, and the nursing homes themselves must cover costs not paid by Medicare and insurance companies. Therefore, as the aging population continues to grow, it is crucial that administrators have the education, training, and experience to determine what hospice services should and can be offered.