News from the National Post-acute and Long-term Care Study–June 2021

The following Stats and reports were released on June 1, 2021, by the National Center for Health Statistics:

In recognition of Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month (June 2021), we present estimates from the 2015–2016 National Study of Long–Term Care Providers (NSLTCP). (Note that starting in January 2020, NSLTCP was renamed the National Post-acute and Long-term Care Study (NPALS).)

In 2016, 41.9% of residents in assisted living and other residential care communities (RCCs), 30.9% of participants in adult day services centers (ADSCs), and 47.8% of residents in nursing homes had a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias (ADOD). (From Long-Term Care Providers and Services Users in the United States, 2015-2016).

By state, percent of participants in ADSCs who had a diagnosis of ADOD ranged from 4.3% in Idaho to 83.3.% in Maine, percent of residents in RCCs who had a diagnosis of ADOD ranged from 11.8% in Connecticut to 60.0% in Alaska, and percent of residents in nursing homes who had a diagnosis of ADOD ranged from 34.9% in Oregon and Utah to 55.2% in West Virginia. (From the Long-Term Care Providers and Services Users in the United States – State Estimates Supplement: National Study of Long-Term Care Providers, 2015-2016).

In 2015, 32.3% of home health patients and 44.5% of hospice patients had a diagnosis of ADOD. (From the Long-Term Care Providers and Services Users in the United States, 2015-2016).

By state, percent of hospice patients who had a diagnosis of ADOD ranged from 29.2% in Oregon to 55.4% in New Jersey, and percent of home health patients who had a diagnosis of ADOD ranged from 20.5% in North Dakota to 41.5% in Hawaii. (From the Long-Term Care Providers and Services Users in the United States – State Estimates Supplement: National Study of Long-Term Care Providers, 2015-2016).

Presentations

Caffrey, C, Sengupta, M. 2021. Health of the oldest old in the National Post-acute and Long-term Care Study, presentation at the 2021 American Society on Aging Annual Meeting, April, Virtual.

Sengupta, M. 2021. The National Post-acute and Long-term Care study: a rich source of data on services providers and users, presentation at the April Biostatistics Seminar, at Georgetown University, April 23, Virtual.

Sengupta, M. & DeFrances, C. 2021. The National Post-acute and Long-term Care Study (NPALS), presentation at a meeting with ASPE and ONC to discuss future EHR-related enhancements to NPALS, April 26, Virtual.

Updates

Restricted data files for the 2018 adult day and residential care surveys are available through NCHS’ Research Data Center (RDC). Public use files are being processed and we anticipate releasing the files in early summer, 2021.

Survey Data Collection

CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) is fielding the fifth wave of the biennial National Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Study (NPALS), formerly the National Study of Long-Term Care Providers (NSLTCP). NCHS has been asking Directors of residential care communities and adult day services centers that have been selected to participate in the study to complete and submit a questionnaire by web or mail. We will be accepting mail and web questionnaires until July. At the beginning of April, we started contacting places that we have not heard from and offering to have them complete the survey by telephone. To review the 2020 frequently asked questions, download samples of the questionnaires, and learn more about the study, visit NCHS’ NPALS website: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/npals/index.htm.

The 2020 survey includes questions on COVID-19 experience. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, NCHS understands that services may be temporarily or permanently suspended, reduced, or offered through alternative methods, and fewer people may be receiving services on a regular basis. NCHS has made modifications to some of the questions to address these COVID-related irregularities. We are asking providers to please complete the survey to the best of their ability.

Participation in this survey is voluntary but makes it possible to provide accurate and relevant findings to providers, policy makers, advocates, and researchers. Findings from previous survey waves can be accessed and downloaded from https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/npals/studyresults.htm at no cost.