Preference for place of death in a continuing care retirement community

Purpose: To describe death-related planning and preferences for place of de ath among well elders in a community characterized by a low rate of hospita l deaths. Design and Methods: Cross-sectional prevalence survey of independ ent-living residents (n = 219) of a continuing-care retirement community (C CRC) in Central North Carolina characterized by a low rate of hospital deat hs. Results: Death-related planning played a part in the decision of 40% of residents to move to the CCRC. A majority of residents reported a clear pr eference for place of death, and a majority of these preferred to die on th e CCRC campus. Most residents wanted to discuss their preferences Tor place of death with their health care provider. Preferences for place of death a ppear consistent across age cohorts and are relevant to elders long-term ca re decisions. Implications: Given the striking discrepancy between patients ' preferences for nonhospital deaths and the high prevalence of hospital de aths in the United States, this often-neglected issue should be routinely a ddressed in end-of-line planning. The CCRC may be a practice model that is particularly compatible with personal preferences for place of death.