Bedbound Status During the Last Year of Life Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults

What is the prevalence of and what are the characteristics associated with being bedbound during the last year of life among a national sample of community-dwelling older adults?In this cross-sectional study of 3168 decedents, individuals with dementia had nearly 5 times higher odds of being bedbound compared with those without dementia, with prevalence rising from 21% to 77% from 12 to 0 months before death. Bedbound decedents received nearly 3 times more weekly caregiving hours than those who were not bedbound.These findings suggest that being bedbound during the last year of life is common among older adults with dementia and highlights the urgent need for expanded home-based care and caregiver support services.

Corresponding Author: Katherine A. Ornstein, PhD, MPH, Center for Equity in Aging, School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University, 525 N Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD 21205 (ornstein@jhu.edu).

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