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Does Living Alone Confer a Higher Risk of Hospitalisation?

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  • Chunzhou Mu
  • Milica Kecmanovic
  • Jane Hall

Abstract

The rise in one‐person households is a worldwide trend. This means that informal care is less available, particularly for elderly people, with important implications for health‐care utilisation and health expenditure. This paper uses a two‐part model to examine the relationship between living alone and hospitalisations in Australia in terms of both the likelihood and the length of hospitalisation. The results show living alone increases the probability of hospitalisation by 2.9 percentage points and length of stay by 3.8 days for people aged 45 and above. Further analysis indicates that these impacts depend on the length of living alone. Additionally, the probability and the length of hospitalisation vary depending on whether the cause of living alone is separation/divorce, widowhood or never having married.

Suggested Citation

  • Chunzhou Mu & Milica Kecmanovic & Jane Hall, 2015. "Does Living Alone Confer a Higher Risk of Hospitalisation?," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 91(S1), pages 124-138, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ecorec:v:91:y:2015:i:s1:p:124-138
    DOI: 10.1111/1475-4932.12184
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    Cited by:

    1. John Rodwell, 2022. "Health Need Factors Are the Key Drivers of Hospitalization among the Elderly Living Alone: An Analysis of Longitudinal Data," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-12, November.
    2. Chunzhou Mu & Jane Hall, 2023. "Marital status and hospital use in older adults," Australian Economic Papers, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 62(2), pages 185-213, June.
    3. John Rodwell, 2022. "Cumulative Health Drivers of Overnight Hospitalization for Australian Working-Age Adults Living Alone: The Early Warning Potential of Functionality," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-11, November.

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