The oldest old, those 85 and older, are receiving increasing
attention in the gerontological sciences because of the
growth of this segment of the older population. Within
home health care, these oldest old people are also growing
in number and, based on these findings, experience
differential outcomes compared to those less than 85.
Additional research in this area might also examine more
closely the oldest old patients in home healthcare to
determine if, at the patient level, they experience differential
outcomes compared to the younger old and whether
there are differences in the validity of the risk adjustment
models currently in use.