title: A survey of elderly patients admitted to hospital for social reasons.
abstract: A random 4% sample of the over 65's discharged from general hospitals throughout Wales was selected from Welsh Office HAA returns. Included within the group were 101 patients admitted for social reasons (ICD code V600 to V6055). Such patients were predominantly very elderly, female and extremely disabled. Typically such patients lived with, and were being cared for, by relatives. The majority of admissions were booked or planned to provide relief to these carers. Geographical variations in the use of such care was demonstrated. Use of domiciliary medical services by these patients was extremely high in contrast to their use of domiciliary social services. Mortality and re-admission rates at 3 months and 12 months after the initial discharge were very high and hospital treatment had little influence upon patients' disability. However, the short mean length of stay suggests that such patients do not 'block beds'.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006769:Hospitals, General / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009017:Morbidity; D009026:Mortality; D010359:Patient Readmission; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014852:Wales