Centre for Policy on Ageing



Risky discharges: are we too cautious?
Author(s)	H C Hanger, R Sainsbury
Journal title	Australian Journal on Ageing, vol 16, no 4, November 1997
Pages	pp 155-157
Keywords	Discharge [hospitals] ; Living in the community ; At risk ; New Zealand.
Annotation	Some older individuals choose to remain at home, despite considerable risks of injury or even death. This New Zealand study followed 19 patients who returned home despite all of the multidisciplinary team considering that they were extremely unsafe and at considerable risk. At six months, 53% of the patients were still at home, 26% were in rest homes; 5% were in long-stay hospital care, and 16% had died. The three patients who "failed to manage" at home did so within one day, emphasising the importance of a trial leave period. Patients who lived with a carer were more likely to remain at home than those who lived alone. The findings suggest that very frail, at risk, older patients can often manage at home despite considerable dangers. (AKM).
Accession Number	CPA-980625231 A
Classmark	LD:QKJ: K4: CA3: 7YN
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...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing.