Most Common Causes of Death in a Skilled Nursing Facility

Caring for an elderly or ailing relative is challenging to say the least, and having to decide whether to put someone in a nursing facility can be devastating. In addition to feelings of guilt are fears and concerns about the person's care and safety. In 2007, there were 1,368,230 residents in skilled care facilities surveyed by state agencies. According to the National Institutes of Health, 20 to 24 percent of deaths in the United States occur in a nursing setting. The top three deficiencies noted by state agencies are safety standards (accidents), food sanitation and quality of care. Although stigma is often attached to nursing settings, wrongful death is not a leading cause of death in these facilities.

Alzheimer's and Dementia

• Alzheimer's is a brain disease that affects memory and behavior and causes other dementia-related symptoms by breaking down the brain's vital processes. According to the National Institute of Health's Library of Medicine, the leading cause of all nursing home deaths is related to Alzheimer's and dementia. This differs from the situation for the general population, in which the leading cause of death is cardiac disorders, with Alzheimer's rating sixth. Researchers are uncertain about the reason for the difference, but diet, stress and environment may be factors.

Heart Attack

• Emergency medical services treat close to 300,000 heart attacks annually.

  The second cause, heart attack, occurs when the heart's electrical impulses become rapid, erratic or both. This causes the heart to essentially short circuit, resulting in death. Some heart attacks involve an extreme slowing of the heart, or bradycardia. Heart attacks usually occur when the heart is already damaged or diseased, and scarring due to a prior heart attack is found on two-thirds of all these deaths.

Cerebrovascular Accident or Stroke

• CVA is the leading cause of adult disability in the world.

  Cerebrovascular accident (CVA) is the medical term for a stroke. Strokes occur when a blood vessel carrying nutrients and oxygen to the brain is clogged or ruptured, causing cell or tissue death. CVAs are the third leading cause of death in all Americans, not just nursing facilities. Strokes can also cause heart attacks by clotting/rupturing an artery that nourishes the heart, and most cause-of-death research lists the two pathologies together.

COPD and Other Pulmonary Disorders

• COPD is a chronic disease that causes shortness of breath, chest tightness, wheezing and overproduction of mucus. COPD occurs primarily in smokers and those exposed to harsh lung irritants over a long period of time. Other lung pathologies include pneumonia, bronchitis and pulmonary embolism (sudden blockage of the lung artery). Research studies list multiple lung diseases as nursing home death causes, and these affect many elderly Americans.

Wrongful Deaths

• Nursing home deaths related to medical malpractice, dangerous conditions, abuse and neglect are the primary concern of most families deciding to place a relative in a nursing home. Although these are valid concerns, they are not leading causes of death in such facilities. An estimated 2.1 million elderly American are abused and/or neglected every year; however, most mistreatment does not occur in nursing homes. Among 2.1 million Americans who are mistreated, 4 percent are in nursing homes; the rest are in their own home and are typically being cared for by a relative.