Letter to Editor

Post Discharge Nursing of Older Patients: A Viewpoint in Terms of Reducing Cost of Hospital Readmission

Nader Aghakhani*

Patient Safety Research Center, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran

Submission: April 18, 2018; Published: April 25, 2018

*Corresponding author: Nader Aghakhani, Patient Safety Research Center, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran, Tel: 00984432754961 ; Email: naderaghakhani2000@gmail.com

How to cite this article: Nader Aghakhani. Post Discharge Nursing of Older Patients: A Viewpoint in Terms of Reducing Cost of Hospital Readmission. OAJ Gerontol & Geriatric Med. 2018; 4(1): 555630. DOI: 10.19080/OAJGGM.2018.04.555630

Keywords

Keywords: Post Discharge; Nursing; Older patients; Cost; Readmission

Letter To Editor

As a global health service issue, aging changes quality of life, medicine, economics and ethics of the world [1]. The elderly are more likely than younger persons to suffer from chronic diseases that can cause them to lose their weight, have worsened condition and increased risk of many health problems [2]. Physical deconditioning, functional inability, malnutrition, pressure injuries, put elderly as long stay consumers of hospital care [3].

New health care policies, based on shortened length of hospitalization are a method towards providing elderly with care in their home. Nursing services that provide comprehensive assessment and care in this way are good alternative to sending elderly to hospital. This trend may be more effective for reducing cost of hospital readmission [4].

It is obvious that hospitals are seeking a way to reduce readmissions, improve medication reconciliation, promote patient safety after hospital discharge and promote handovers from the hospital to their home. Improving the discharge process may be done with engagement of health providers and family support in planning follow-up. Yet an area that needs additional exploration is support to caregivers themselves. Patients and their families education for self-care, is a useful trend, but adequately support by caregivers and necessary respite are necessary [5].

Ensure continuity of care and need for support services for the elderly population after they are discharged from hospital is increasing. Therefore, enhanced discharge services by individual care plans and comprehensive geriatric assessment impact on patients and may be beneficial to them [6]. Post discharge interventions may decrease admittance to residential care, length of hospital stay and readmissions; promote clinical outcomes and increase mobility, independence and satisfaction of clients and their families [7].

It is important to identify what discharge interventions are useful for the older patients. These should include assessing their rehabilitation needs, delivering support to them when they would be discharged in the patient's home; however, it should be clear what best intervention is after discharge based on present or their next problems [8].

To conclude, oldness has an important impact on society, its long term complications require a heavy investment of financial resources. Therefore, elderly require an intensive care setting with specialized personnel to provide complex diagnostic and treatment. These services are very expensive in the acute and post discharge phases. On the other hand, the rising hospital financial expenses coupled with a growing old people population decrease the resources of the health care providing, and therefore, a better and long term nursing care is required to save a qualified lives for the old patients after the accident such as myocardial infarction, brain stroke or other chronic diseases and reduce the economic burden of the chronic and irremediable treatment. As key players in the rehabilitation team, the nurses, therefore, should be aware of the post discharge nursing of old patients' aspects in order to promote their recovery.

References

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2. Cornwell J, Levenson R, Sonola L, Poteliakhof E (2012) Continuity of care for older hospital patients: a call for action.
3. Considine J, Smith R, Hill K, Weiland T, Gannon J, et al. (2010) Older peoples' experience of accessing emergency care. Australas Emerg Nurs J 13(3): 61-69.
4. Gadzhanova S, Reed R (2007) Medical services provided by general practitioners in residential aged-care facilities in Australia. MJA 187(2): 92-94.
5. Pinquart M, Sorensen S (2003) Differences between caregivers and noncaregivers in psychological health and physical health: a metaanalysis. Psychol Aging 18(2): 250-267.
6. Parker SG, Peet SM, Mc Pherson A, Cannaby AM, Abrams K, et al. (2002) A systematic review of discharge arrangements for older people. Health Technol Assess 6(4): 1-183.
7. Ellis G, Whitehead MA, O'Neill D, Langhorne P, Robinson D (2017) Comprehensive geriatric assessment for older adults admitted to hospital. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 9: CD006211.
8. Ward D, Drahota A, Gal D, Severs M, Dean TP (2008) Care home versus hospital and own home environments for rehabilitation of older people. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 4: CD003164.