TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2015//
TI  - Nature and extent of external-cause deaths of nursing home residents in Victoria, Australia
JO  - Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
A1  - Ibrahim, Joseph E.
A1  - Murphy, Briony J.
A1  - Bugeja, Lyndal
A1  - Ranson, David
SP  - 954
EP  - 962
VL  - 63
IS  - 5
N2  - OBJECTIVES: To describe the nature and extent of external-cause deaths of residents of nursing homes in Victoria, Australia. <br><br>DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study of all decedents using routinely collected data contained within the National Coronial Information System. SETTING: Accredited nursing homes in Victoria. PARTICIPANTS: Nursing home residents who had died from external causes and whose deaths were reported to the Coroners Court between July 1, 2000, and December 31, 2012. MEASUREMENTS: Basic descriptive analysis was conducted to measure frequencies and proportion of exposures within each outcome group, and rates were calculated using population data. <br><br>RESULTS: One thousand two hundred ninety-six external cause deaths of nursing home residents were identified. Deaths were due to falls (n = 1,155, 89.1%), choking (n = 89, 6.9%), suicide (n = 17, 1.3%), complications of clinical care (n = 8, 0.6%) and resident-on-resident assault (n = 7, 0.5%). Deaths occurred more frequently in women (n = 814, 62.8%), in keeping with the sex distribution in nursing homes, and residents aged 85 and older (n = 923, 71.2%). The number of inquests held to investigate a death as a matter of public interest was small (n = 24, 1.9%). <br><br>CONCLUSION: A significant proportion of nursing home resident deaths are from external causes and are potentially preventable. A shift in community attitudes is required toward an understanding that premature death of a resident from injury is not a natural part of life.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0002-8614
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jgs.13377
ID  - ref1
ER  -