| |
Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
 | |
|
| Predictors of discharge destination for 234 patients admitted to a combined geriatric medicine/old age psychiatry unit | | Author(s) | Arlene J Astell, Stella A Clark, Nicholas T Hartley |
| Journal title | International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, vol 23, no 9, September 2008 |
| Pages | pp 903-908 |
| Source | http://www.interscience.wiley.com |
| Keywords | Discharge [hospitals] ; Admission [hospitals] ; Geriatric units ; Psychogeriatric units ; Patients ; Needs [elderly] ; Longitudinal surveys ; Scotland. |
| Annotation | Factors that predicted discharge destinations of all patients admitted to a combined geriatric medicine/old age psychiatry unit in Scotland over a 4-year period were examined, by analysing data using non-parametric bivariate correlation and logistic regression analysis. Independence for activities of daily living (ADLs) was the key predictor of discharge destination. In combination with the number of active medical problems and dementia severity, independence for ADLs defined three distinct groups: patients discharged to home, or to a nursing home, or who died in hospital. Although the key precipitants of admission to joint geriatric medicine/old age psychiatric care are behavioural and psychiatric, these factors are intercurrent, can be successfully treated in an appropriate environment, and do not play a vital role in determining discharge outcome. These findings confirm the broad spectrum of need in older patients admitted to acute medical care identified in previous research, and support the case for specialised joint provision regarding their physical and mental health needs. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-081009202 A |
| Classmark | LD:QKJ: LD:QKH: LDB: LDM: LF: IK: 3J: 9A |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
|
| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
| |
|