The National Home and Hospice Care Survey: 1993 Summary

This report presents a summary of data collected in the 1993 National Home and Hospice Care Survey (NHHCS). The 1993 NHHCS, a segment of the Long-term Care Component of the National Health Care Survey (1), is the second in a series of annual surveys of home and hospice care agencies in the United States. Data collection for the first NHHCS in 1992 and for the 1993 survey were conducted between September and December of 1992 and 1993, respectively. The 1,500 agencies included in the 1992 survey were revisited in 1993 with the exception of 42 agencies that had merged with other agencies, that were determined to be duplicates of other agencies, or were out of scope for the survey. A probability sample of home health agencies and hospices provided information on their characteristics and about their current patients and discharges. The survey included all types of agencies that provided such services whether they were Medicare or Medicaid certified or were licensed.

Home health care agencies and hospices are defined by the type of care they provide. Home health care is provided to individuals and families in their places of residence to promote, maintain, or restore health or to maximize the level of
independence while minimizing the effects of disability and illness, including terminal illness. Hospice care is defined as a program of palliative and supportive care services providing physical, psychological, social, and spiritual care for dying persons, their families, and other loved ones. Hospice services are available in both the home and inpatient settings. Preliminary statistics about the agencies, their current patients, and discharges have been published (2). This report presents final statistics for 1993. These statistics utilize data collected on the home health agencies and hospices, their current patients, and their discharges.