Policy decisions and the reduction of mental hospitalization of the aged.
Inappropriate hospitalization of elderly persons in mental institutions has been a cause for much concern. Reduction of this type of hospitalization has become an accepted national policy. The observed variations among the states in the rates and trends of hospitalization of aged patients may indicate that trends income states are more congruent with national policy than those in others. In an effort to account for the wide variation among the states, time trend analyses of rate changes of hospitalized aged were made for a sample of states. These reveal that there are relationships between impatient trends and specific policies and programs for the aged. The results provide insights into mental hospitalization of elderly persons, and indicate how the inappropriate mental hospitalization of the aged can be reduced.
D000368:Aged; D002140:California; D003134:Commitment of Persons with Psychiatric Disorders; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006300:Health Services Misuse; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000639:trends*; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D009518:New York; D011640:Public Policy; D014481:United States