STATCAST - Week of April 29, 2019

New Long-Term Care Report and Arthritis Awareness Month

TRANSCRIPT

Health issues related to aging are one of many areas that NCHS focuses its research on. One of the many health care surveys conducted by NCHS, the National Study of Long-Term Care Providers, released a significant report this week on “Service Provision, Hospitalizations, and Chronic Conditions in Adult Day Services Centers: Findings From the 2016 National Study of Long-Term Care Providerspdf icon.” These facilities have participants with diverse health needs, including common chronic conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, depression, diabetes, and heart disease.  These chronic conditions have been found to be associated with hospitalizations and readmissions in long-term care settings.   The report found that as of 2016 just over half of adult day service centers in the U.S. – or 52% — provide skilled nursing, social work, therapeutic, mental health, and dietary and nutritional services. Meanwhile 10 percent of adult day service centers provide none of these services, according to the new report.

Arthritis is another chronic condition that disproportionately impacts older Americans, and the month of May is “Arthritis Awareness Month.” Data from the National Health Interview Survey estimates that 55% of American adults ages 75 and over and 48% of adults ages 65-74 have been diagnosed with arthritis. Data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey estimates that, according to medical documentation, arthritis is present in nearly a quarter of all doctor’s office visits by patients ages 75 and over, and the condition is present at over one-fifth of visits by patients ages 65-74.