Does a living will affect chance of not dying in a hospital?
A study of data on 539 elderly people who died in the United States between 1993 and 1995 found that 40 percent had living wills (Article, p. 113). People with living wills were more likely to die at home or in a nursing home than in a hospital. An editorial writer says that “an association between having a living will and site of death does not imply causality” and called for public policy to address the problems of care for frail and older people dying from chronic, progressive illnesses (Editorial, p. 159).
