Archives of gerontology and geriatrics
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Arch Gerontol Geriatr · Sep 2014
Comparative StudyFormal and informal care costs of hospitalized older people at risk of poor functioning: A prospective cohort study.
Hospitalized older people are at risk of poor functioning after hospital discharge. We aimed to relate formal and informal care costs to level of risk for low functioning of hospitalized older people up to one year after admission. We studied 460 patients 65 years or older who were admitted to a 450-bed hospital in the Netherlands between June 2010 and October 2010. ⋯ Informal and formal healthcare costs were almost double for people with the highest risk score compared to people not at risk (p<0.001). Older patients with high risk scores at hospital admission have substantially higher formal and informal care costs in the year after initial hospital admission than people with low risk scores. This implies that substantial investments may be made in preventive interventions for at-risk hospitalized older people.
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Arch Gerontol Geriatr · Sep 2014
The prediction of disability by self-reported physical frailty components of the Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI).
Disability is an important health outcome for older persons; it is associated with impaired quality of life, future hospitalization, and mortality. Disability also places a high burden on health care professionals and health care systems. Disability is regarded as an adverse outcome of physical frailty. ⋯ The other three components of the physical frailty subscale of the TFI (poor balance, poor hearing, poor vision) together did not predict disability. Low physical activity predicted both total and ADL disability, and slowness both total and IADL disability. In conclusion, self-report assessment using the physical subscale of the TFI aids the prediction of future ADL and IADL disability in older persons two and a half years later.
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Arch Gerontol Geriatr · Jul 2014
Association of dementia with early rehospitalization among Medicare beneficiaries.
Preventable hospital readmissions have been recognized as indicators of hospital quality, a source of increased healthcare expenditures, and a burden for patients, families, and caregivers. Despite growth of initiatives targeting risk factors associated with potentially avoidable hospital readmissions, the impact of dementia on the likelihood of rehospitalization is poorly characterized. Therefore, the primary objective of this retrospective cohort study was to investigate whether dementia was an independent predictor of 30-day readmissions. ⋯ Nearly 20% of admissions (n=5133) were followed by a readmission within thirty days. Hospitalizations of beneficiaries with a dementia diagnosis were more likely to be followed by a readmission within thirty days (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 1.18; 95% CI, 1.08, 1.29), compared to hospitalizations of those of without dementia. Controlling for discharge site of care did not attenuate the association (AOR 1.21; 95% CI, 1.10, 1.33).
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Arch Gerontol Geriatr · Jul 2014
Geriatric conditions as predictors of increased number of hospital admissions and hospital bed days over one year: findings of a nationwide cohort of older adults from Taiwan.
The main aim of the present study was to determine whether geriatric conditions independently predict hospital utilizations after controlling for chronic diseases and disability among community dwelling older adults. We analyzed data from a nationally representative sample of older adults aged 65 years and above by linkage of 2005 Taiwan National Health Interview Survey data (including demographic characteristics, chronic diseases, disability, and geriatric conditions such as depressive symptoms, cognitive impairment, falls, and urinary incontinence), and 2006 National Health Insurance (NHI) claims data (including hospital admissions and hospital bed days). A total of 1598 participants who consented to data linkage, were successfully linked to NHI data, and had complete data for geriatric conditions were eligible for analysis. ⋯ After adjustment for demographics, prior hospitalization, chronic diseases and functional disability, participants with geriatric conditions had significantly more hospital admissions (incidence rate ratio=1.34; 95% confidence interval=[1.02-1.75]) and more hospital bed days (incidence rate ratio=1.72; 95% confidence interval=[1.11-2.66]) than participants without geriatric conditions. Our results highlight the high prevalence (56.3%) of one or more geriatric conditions and their independent association with excess hospital utilizations. Thus, it is of critical importance to develop programs aimed at preventing or improving these conditions to reduce hospital use in this population.