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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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| Six-month outcomes following an emergency hospital admission for older adults with co-morbid mental health problems indicate complexity of care needs | | Author(s) | Lucy E Bradshaw, Sarah E Goldberg, Sarah A Lewis |
| Journal title | Age and Ageing, vol 42, no 5, September 2013 |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press, September 2013 |
| Pages | pp 582-588 |
| Source | www.ageing.oxfordjournals.org |
| Keywords | In-patients ; Admission [hospitals] ; Accident & emergency depts ; Mental disorder ; Depression ; Cognitive impairment ; Evaluation. |
| Annotation | Two-thirds of older patients admitted as an emergency to a general hospital have co-existing mental health problems including delirium, dementia and depression. This study describes the outcomes of older adults with co-morbid mental health problems after an acute hospital admission. This was a follow-up study of 250 patients aged over 70 admitted to one of 12 wards (geriatric, medical or orthopaedic) of an English acute general hospital with a co-morbid mental health problem and followed up at 180 days. 27% of patients did not return to their original place of residence after the hospital admission. After 180 days 31% had died, 42% had been readmitted and 24% of community residents had moved to a care home. Only 31% survived without being readmitted or moving to a care home. However 16% spent more than 170 of the 180 days at home. Significant predictors for poor outcomes were co-morbidity, nutrition, cognitive function, reduction in activities of daily living ability prior to admission, behavioural and psychiatric problems and depression. Only 42% of survivors recovered to their pre-acute illness level of function. Clinically significant behavioural and psychiatric symptoms were present at follow-up in 71% of survivors with baseline cognitive impairment and new symptoms developed frequently in this group. The variable but often adverse outcomes in this group imply a wide range of health and social care needs. Community and acute services to meet these needs should be anticipated and provided for. (JL). |
| Accession Number | CPA-130906205 A |
| Classmark | LF7: LD:QKH: LD6: E: ENR: E4: 4C |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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