Arcadia Healthcare Solutions data released in April collected medical interactions during the final year of life from 2,398 patients who died during a five-year span. What’s unique about this data is that it’s visual, and the picture it paints may raise questions about how and where we would like to die.
NPR’s On Aging wrote about the Arcadia report: “Hospital deaths are more intrusive and expensive than deaths at home, in hospice care, or even in nursing homes.” Costs of care in the last month of life range from $4,760 for an at-home death to $32,379 for a hospital death.
The article points out that where a person dies might have a lot to do with whether or not they’ve made their wishes clear to a doctor or a family member.
Source: NPR. Dying in a Hospital Means More Procedures, Tests, and Costs
