TY  - JOUR
AU  - Baruth, Joshua M.
AU  - Geske, Jennifer
AU  - Sokolowski, Elizabeth
AU  - Lapid, Maria I.
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/03/10
TI  - End-of-Life Care Disparities in Older Adults with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders
JO  - OBM Geriatrics
SP  - 336
VL  - 10
IS  - 01
AB  - Schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs) are complex conditions with chronic symptoms and impairments associated with greater risk for physical comorbidity and early mortality. Understanding end-of-life care in older adults with SSDs is crucial for improving geriatric psychiatric care and identifying healthcare disparities. A cohort of 254 older adult decedents with a history of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder was identified using the Rochester Epidemiology Project. A control group of 254 older adult decedents without psychiatric history, matched by age and sex, was also identified. Data on diagnostic codes, demographics, cause, and manner of death were extracted and analyzed. Statistical comparisons were made using conditional logistic regression, McNemar’s tests and prevalence ratio analyses. Older adults with SSD had a mean age of death of 64.5 years. The SSD group was significantly more likely to have dementia listed as their primary cause of death. There was also a higher prevalence of death due to congestive heart failure in the SSD group compared to controls and a lower prevalence of death due to cancer compared to controls. Individuals with SSDs were more likely to die in a skilled nursing facility and less likely to die in a hospice facility compared to controls. The study identified significant end-of-life care disparities for older adults with SSDs including differences in primary causes of death and in locations of death. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions and improved care models in geriatric psychiatry to address these disparities.
SN  - 2638-1311
UR  - https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.geriatr.2601336
DO  - 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2601336
ID  - Baruth2026
ER  -