In the context of an aging population, use of services by the elderly throughout
the health care system continues to grow, particularly among those aged 85 years
and older. According to 2004 national survey data, 38% of hospital discharges
are people aged 65 years and older (Russo & Elixhauser, 2003). Simultaneously,
dramatic advances in prevention, treatment, and control of numerous chronic
diseases and related illnesses have led to greatly increased complexity of care
for older adults in today’s modern health care systems.