Oldest cost more in hospitals

WASHINGTON, Dec. 28 (UPI) -- Adults ages 75-84 account for almost 14 percent of the 40 million admissions to U.S. hospitals in 2008, federal health officials say.

A report by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, part of the Department of Health and Services, says patients age 85 and older made up an additional 8 percent.

Together most senior of America's seniors accounted for 8.7 million hospital admissions in 2008 compared with the 5.3 million admissions of relatively younger seniors -- those ages 65-74.

Treating the most elderly is more costly. Patients age 75 and older cost hospitals more than $92 billion, compared with $65 billion for patients ages 65-74.

Those age 85 and older were more than twice as likely to be hospitalized as 65-to-74-year-olds and nearly three times more likely to require nursing home or other type of long-term care after leaving the hospital.

Congestive heart failure was the main reason for hospitalizing for people age 85 and older followed by pneumonia, blood poisoning, urinary tract infections and heart rhythm disorders.

For those ages 75-84, the top five reasons for hospitalization were congestive heart failure, pneumonia, heart rhythm disorders, blood poisoning and osteoarthritis.