The fact that many Americans spend their last days in a hospital bed is a shame for them, their families, and the U.S. budget.
A recent analysis by Arcadia Healthcare Solutions finds that spending on those who die in the hospital is about seven times that of those who live out their last days at home. Much of that money comes from the estate of the deceased, but most of it is paid for by U.S. taxpayers through Medicare.
The study showed that the 42 percent of Americans who died in a non-hospital setting, whether at home or in a hospice facility, incurred an average of $4,760 in billable medical services during their last month of life.
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The 40 percent of Americans who died in hospitals incurred an average of $32,379 in costs during the last month of life.
Finding out that end-of-life care is expensive is not news. But increasingly the concerns about the cost are accompanied by the belief that much of the spending is in vain, and actually makes patients and their families worse off.
Increasingly, advocates are encouraging the elderly to plan for what type of treatment they want to undergo in the event of a terminal diagnosis. Do they want to undergo aggressive interventions in their final months, weeks or days? Surveys show that most people say their priority for end-of-life is comfort and being close to family and friends in their own home.
But because so few Americans have living wills, their wishes are often not fulfilled, frequently because by the time they are ill they are not in a position to make important decisions. Family members are often left to make the call.
"In the end, everyone died. They all died," Dr. Richard Parker, chief medical officer of Arcadia, told NPR. "If we look at this retroactively, retrospectively — and we could go back and ask people — I bet most of them would say I'd rather be home with my family."
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