@article {11749, title = {The epidemiology of social isolation and loneliness among older adults during the last years of life.}, journal = {Journal of the American Geriatrics Society}, volume = {69}, year = {2021}, pages = {3081-3091}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Social isolation and loneliness are critical to the health of older adults, but they have not been well-described at the end of life.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence and correlates of social isolation and loneliness among older adults in the last years of life.

DESIGN: Nationally representative, cross-sectional survey.

SETTING: Health and Retirement Study, 2006-2016 data.

PARTICIPANTS: Adults age > 50 interviewed once in the last 4 years of life (n~=~3613).

MEASUREMENTS: We defined social isolation using a 15-item scale measuring household contacts, social network interaction, and community engagement, and frequent loneliness using the 3-item UCLA Loneliness Scale. We used multivariable logistic regression to determine their adjusted prevalence by time prior-to-death and by subgroups of interest.

RESULTS: Approximately 19\% experienced social isolation, 18\% loneliness, and 5\% both in the last 4 years of life (correlation~=~0.11). The adjusted prevalence of social isolation was higher for individuals nearer to death (4 years: 18\% vs 0-3 months: 27\%, p~=~0.05) and there was no significant change in loneliness (4 years: 19\% vs 0-3 months: 23\%, p~=~0.13). Risk factors for both isolation and loneliness included (p < 0.01): low net-worth (Isolation: 34\% vs 14\%; Loneliness: 29\% vs 13\%), hearing impairment (Isolation: 26\% vs 20\%; Loneliness: 26\% vs 17\%), and difficulty preparing meals (Isolation: 27\% vs 19\%; Loneliness: 29\% vs 15\%). Factors associated with loneliness, but not social isolation, included being female, pain, incontinence, and cognitive impairment.

CONCLUSIONS: Social isolation and loneliness are common at the end of life, affecting 1 in 4 older adults, but few experience both. Rates were higher for older adults who were poor and experienced functional or sensory impairments. Results can inform clinical efforts to identify and address end-of-life psychosocial suffering and health policies which prioritize social needs at the end of life.

}, keywords = {Cognition, end of life, Loneliness, Palliative care, social isolation}, issn = {1532-5415}, doi = {10.1111/jgs.17366}, author = {Ashwin A Kotwal and Irena Cenzer and Linda J. Waite and Kenneth E Covinsky and Perissinotto, Carla M and W John Boscardin and Louise C Hawkley and Dale, William and Smith, Alexander K} } @article {7501, title = {The epidemiology of pain during the last 2 years of life.}, journal = {Ann Intern Med}, volume = {153}, year = {2010}, month = {2010 Nov 02}, pages = {563-9}, publisher = {153}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: The epidemiology of pain during the last years of life has not been well described.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the prevalence and correlates of pain during the last 2 years of life.

DESIGN: Observational study. Data from participants who died while enrolled in the Health and Retirement Study were analyzed. The survey interview closest to death was used. Each participant or proxy was interviewed once in the last 24 months of life and was classified into 1 of 24 cohorts on the basis of the number of months between the interview and death. The relationship between time before death and pain was modeled and was adjusted for age, sex, race or ethnicity, education level, net worth, income, terminal diagnosis category, presence of arthritis, and proxy status.

SETTING: The Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative survey of community-living older adults (1994 to 2006).

PARTICIPANTS: Older adult decedents.

MEASUREMENTS: Clinically significant pain, as indicated by a report that the participant was "often troubled" by pain of at least moderate severity.

RESULTS: The sample included 4703 decedents. Mean age (SD) of participants was 75.7 years (SD, 10.8); 83.1\% were white, 10.7\% were black, 4.7\% were Hispanic; and 52.3\% were men. The adjusted prevalence of pain 24 months before death was 26\% (95\% CI, 23\% to 30\%). The prevalence remained flat until 4 months before death (28\% [CI, 25\% to 32\%]), then it increased, reaching 46\% (CI, 38\% to 55\%) in the last month of life. The prevalence of pain in the last month of life was 60\% among patients with arthritis versus 26\% among patients without arthritis (P < 0.001) and did not differ by terminal diagnosis category (cancer [45\%], heart disease [48\%], frailty [50\%], sudden death [42\%], or other causes [47\%]; P = 0.195).

LIMITATION: Data are cross-sectional; 19\% of responses were from proxies; and information about cause, location, and treatment of pain was not available.

CONCLUSION: Although the prevalence of pain increases in the last 4 months of life, pain is present in more than one quarter of elderly persons during the last 2 years of life. Arthritis is strongly associated with pain at the end of life.

PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE: National Institute on Aging, National Center for Research Resources, National Institute on Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, and National Palliative Care Research Center.

}, keywords = {Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Arthritis, Chronic disease, Cross-Sectional Studies, Death, Female, Humans, Male, pain, Palliative care, Prevalence, Quality of Life, Socioeconomic factors, Terminally Ill, Time Factors}, issn = {1539-3704}, doi = {10.7326/0003-4819-153-9-201011020-00005}, author = {Alexander K Smith and Irena Cenzer and Sara J Knight and Kathleen A Puntillo and Eric W Widera and Brie A Williams and W John Boscardin and Kenneth E Covinsky} }