For some people, what care you need starts with a discussion about what to expect. Consider using the calculator if this reflects you.
This online calculator uses a personalized approach to predict a person’s life expectancy and future care needs by taking into account their unique health characteristics. Our aim is to inform older people and their caregivers on the signs of increasing care needs. Using data from 491 277 home care users in Ontario, we designed this calculator for older people living in the community, the family members who care for them, and who are uncertain about what to expect.
While it is important to answer the questions as accurately as possible, it is also important to keep an open mind about the results. We hope you take this as an opportunity to create an open discussion with your family and care providers. Although anyone can use this calculator, we encourage you to review your results with a health care professional for further discussion.
Cancel
Do you want to know how long you will live? Has anyone ever talked to you about your end of life? This calculator identifies when a person may be nearing the end of life and provides information that helps to determine their care needs.
Disclaimer: This calculator does not predict the future for any single individual.
RESPECT is short for Risk Evaluation for Support: Predictions for Elder-life in the Community Tool. It was developed for frail older people who might need supports and care in their homes. Technically, it is an algorithm that calculates a frail person’s survival—that is, how long they will live. Using the responses to 17 questions about their health and ability to care for themselves, the tool provides an estimate of a person’s survival based on information gathered on people who have similar characteristics.
RESPECT was designed for frail older adults living in the community who are uncertain about their survival and the family members and caregivers who support them. RESPECT can also be used by formal care providers—such as physicians, home care staff or palliative care teams—to understand their patient’s decline.
As a person’s health declines, they may need more supports and care in their home. RESPECT calculates a person’s survival and provides information that can help them understand what type of care and services they may need. A patient can use this information to discuss their care needs with their caregivers and healthcare providers. Similarly, formal care providers can use this tool to discuss, with their patient, what can be expected as the patient approaches the end of life and plan for the supports that their patient may need.
RESPECT was developed and validated using home care data from Ontario. We used data from 1.3 million Ontario home care assessments that were followed to 80,000 deaths between 2007 and 2014. The dataset contains detailed health information from the standardized Resident Assessment Instrument for Home Care, which case managers or care coordinators commonly use to assess the needs of frail individuals who might need home care.
RESPECT was designed for frail older adults living in the community, which includes those living in assisted living and retirement home communities, who might need support at home. People receiving care in other settings—such as those in long-term care or nursing homes—may have different underlying risks that contribute to their survival and RESPECT will not be able to accurately estimate the mortality risk for these populations.
RESPECT was created by the Project Big Life Team, which includes patients and caregivers to older adults who need care. The Project Big Life Team is led by researchers at the Ottawa Hospital, the Bruyère Research Institute, the University of Ottawa and ICES. ICES, formerly known as the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, is a not-for-profit research institute encompassing a community of research, data and clinical experts, and a secure and accessible array of Ontario's health-related data.
Through funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Project Big Life Team will be collaborating with various healthcare providers and organizations to improve the integration of this information into existing electronic medical records. At this time, results generated from the online calculator can be printed and shared with a patient’s formal care provider and those in their circle of care.
This work was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and supported by ICES. ICES receives core funding from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.
