While most Canadians will die of preventable causes and have health care needs that can be met at their home, only 20% receive a home visit from a doctor in the last year of their lives.A team of researchers created the Risk Evaluation for Suppport: Predictions For Elder-Life in The Community Tool (RESPECT) to help understanding the changing care needs and times of older adults.This calculator predicts death in 6 months based on data from over 491 000 older adults living in communities who used homecare during the 6-year period 2007 to 2013.Dr. Amy Hsu is an investigator at The Bruyre Medical Institute and affiliate investigator at The Ottawa Hospital. She is also faculty at The University of Ottawa's Department of Family Medicine. It can be used to help an adult child decide when to go on a vacation with the family, or when to leave work.RESPECT uses a "big data” approach to estimate survival rates based on the end-of life experience of older Ontario adults. Research team discovered that the ability to perform daily activities such as hygiene and using the toilet were better predictors for 6-month mortality than any diseases.Dr. Peter Tanuseputro is a physician-scientist at The Ottawa Hospital, ICES and an investigator at the Bruyre Research Institute. He says knowing how long a person can live is crucial in helping to make informed decisions about which treatments and where they should be received. As a person nears death, it becomes less important to focus on curative care and more about providing care that enhances the quality of a person's remaining years.It was created with patients and their caregivers in mind. The tool has been tested in community settings across Ontario. It is also available for home and medical care staff.###The RESPECT tool can be found here: https:/// / www. Respect. Projectbiglife. ca/ Enter the password pbldemo01* to prevent publication."Predicting Death in Home Care Users: Derivation and Validation of the Risk Assessment for Support: Predictions For Elder-Life In the Community Tool (RESPECT")" was published July 5, 2021.
