Photo Credit: Orathai Yingyoud

A study published in JAMA Network Open linked unstable housing among veteran patients receiving dialysis with an increased risk for all-cause mortality, which only increases with age. While it is known that housing status is an important determinant of overall health, little is known about the impact of unstable housing among patients receiving daily dialysis. Tessa Novick, MD, MSW, MHS, and colleagues conducted a retrospective cohort study to assess factors linked with unstable housing among US veterans and the link between unstable housing and mortality risk. Of the 25,689 patients, 771 veterans had a positive screen for unstable housing within three years before starting dialysis. Age-stratified analyses showed unstable housing was associated with higher mortality among veterans aged 75 to 85; however, the researchers did not observe associations for other age groups. According to Novick and colleagues, further research is needed to understand the experiences of older patients with unstable housing receiving dialysis and estimate the incidence of unstable housing among this patient set.