title: Discharge planning for elderly patients.
abstract: Discharge planning for older patients is gaining recognition as a process requiring improvement. Demographic changes have produced an increasing population of elderly patients in the acute hospital sector, many of whom need co-ordinated discharge planning and appropriate post-discharge support. This article discusses the accumulated research findings of the past 20 years, which have highlighted the need for health services research, policy and practice to improve the effectiveness of discharge planning for elderly people.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tierney
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Closs
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care; D005851:Geriatric Nursing; D006299:Health Services for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D010351:Patient Discharge