Open AccessINCOMPLETE ADVANCE CARE PLANNING? CORRELATES OF PLANNING WITHOUT PERSONAL CONVERSATIONS
Author(s) -
Kathrin Boerner,
Deborah Carr,
Katherine M Ornstein,
Sara M. Moorman
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
innovation in aging
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2399-5300
DOI - 10.1093/geroni/igz038.1589
Subject(s) - disadvantage , advance care planning , odds , power of attorney , health care , social isolation , social care , psychology , isolation (microbiology) , nursing , medicine , political science , logistic regression , psychiatry , law , microbiology and biotechnology , biology
In the course of advance care planning (ACP), people may elect any of the following: a living will, a durable power of attorney for health care, and discussions with family members and health care providers. A small proportion of planners complete legal documents without discussing them with others (formal planning only, FPO). If people who have done FPO become incapacitated, their family and health care professionals may lack guidance on how to direct their care. To better understand this group, we drew on four large surveys of community-dwelling adults. Social isolation, measured by living alone and lack of a confidante, increased the odds of FPO across all studies. We also found some evidence that economic disadvantage and depressive symptoms were linked with FPO. We discuss implications for policy and practice, underscoring that ACP is yet another important domain affected by the crisis of social isolation in old age.