Measurement of the risk of total loss of autonomy in metropolitan France.

Summary This paper focuses on the construction of incidence laws for total loss of autonomy over the period 2010-2012 using data from national hospitalization databases (PMSI 2008-2013). Our results are decomposed according to two types of dependence: cognitive dependence (or dementia) and physical dependence. Women have a slightly higher risk of entering dementia, whereas the risk for physical dependence is higher for men. The incidence of all-cause dependence is comparable between men and women. The results suggest a slowing down of the incidence beyond the age of 90 and a convergence of men and women at older ages. The implications of these results for extrapolation to older ages are discussed.