Nursing Home Residents with Emphysema/COPD Compared to Other Residents

ABSTRACT Over the past 20 years, the prevalence and age-adjusted death rate for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has increased by 30 percent, with most of this increase in persons over 65. Over 444,000 MDS admission assessments recorded in the Minimum Data Set (MDS) during 2000 were analyzed, including 68,439 assessments for residents with emphysema/COPD (15.4 percent). Profiles of nursing home residents with emphysema/COPD were created and compared to other residents. These profiles describe demographic characteristics, health status, and treatments received. Residents with emphysema/COPD were less physically and cognitively disabled than other residents, but more likely than other residents to have cardiovascular diseases, pneumonia, and respiratory infections. Residents with emphysema/COPD were more likely to receive oxygen therapy, IV medications, and monitoring for acute medical conditions than other residents. Almost 30 percent of residents with emphysema/COPD experienced daily pain, wit...