End-of-Life Care Disparity for Asian American Pacific Islander and White Americans with Dementia
Author Information
Author(s): Kim Hyosin, Lin Haiqun, Zafar Anum, Wu Bei, Duberstein Paul, JarrÃn Olga
Primary Institution: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Hypothesis
There are racial disparities in end-of-life care for Asian American and Pacific Islander Medicare beneficiaries with dementia compared to non-Hispanic White beneficiaries.
Conclusion
Asian American and Pacific Islander beneficiaries with dementia experience significant disparities in end-of-life care compared to their White counterparts.
Supporting Evidence
- AAPI beneficiaries with dementia were more likely to be dually enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid (60% vs. 32%).
- AAPI beneficiaries were less likely to use home health care (52% vs. 55%) or nursing home care (54% vs. 64%).
- AAPI beneficiaries were less likely to use hospice care during the last 6 months of life (52% vs. 65%).
- AAPI beneficiaries were more likely to die in an inpatient setting (34% vs. 26%).
- Differences in care were magnified among beneficiaries with high chronic disease burden.
Takeaway
Older Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders with dementia often don't get the same care at the end of their lives as White Americans do.
Methodology
The study analyzed Medicare administrative, claims, and assessment data for beneficiaries who died in 2019.
Limitations
The study is limited to Medicare beneficiaries and may not represent all older adults with dementia.
Participant Demographics
The study included 20,301 Asian American and Pacific Islander beneficiaries and 762,443 non-Hispanic White beneficiaries with dementia.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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