Ethical and policy considerations for centenarians--the oldest old.

Abstract

To illustrate the incongruence of ethical standards and fiscal and policy constraints on quality care for the oldest old. As the fastest growing demographic segment in the United States, care needs of the oldest old are a special challenge to the health care system. Narrative analysis of interviews with centenarians who used nursing home services. The sample was three participants of the Georgia Centenarian Study who had been community dwelling and cognitively intact at the onset of participation (between 1988 and 1997). Interviews were conducted in nursing homes or after discharge. Case histories were constructed from interviews in 1997 to improve understanding of quality of care. Less-than-optimal care was provided for these elders, and little consideration was given to their input to care decisions and prospects for medical improvement. Appropriate consideration was not given to providing least-restrictive environments, appropriate restraint use, and options for community care. Six policy reforms are suggested for meeting the needs of the oldest-old before and after institutionalization. These include: integration of resident involvement in care decisions; development of alternate models of care; greater input from nurses concerning nursing care of special populations; more effective family and community involvement in the caring of elderly populations; increased research to promote function and independence; and increased education of personnel and nursing students to allow for more accurate assessment of cognitive and physical status.