title: SCI recidivism and nursing home placement: an interdisciplinary approach.
abstract: Satisfactory placement of spinal cord injury (SCI) patients in community nursing homes presents a challenge for interdisciplinary team members and caregivers. Problems of recidivism exist. There is limited information about the presenting signs/symptoms of these patients in nursing homes or the economic impact of their frequent reentries into hospitals. To identify factors related to recidivism, nurses at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital analyzed the demographic and clinical characteristics of readmissions from nursing homes to SCI units for two years. Analysis of risk factors aided in the identification of situations that predisposed patients to recidivism and served as a basis for program development. A Community Nursing Home Enrichment Program (CNHEP) was designed utilizing the interdisciplinary team. The CNHEP consisted of pre- and post-placement interventions designed to 1) prepare the veteran for a change in life style, 2) decrease frequency of rehospitalization and 3) improve placement outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Nursing Service for Extended Care/NHCU, Tuscaloosa Veterans Affairs Medical Center, AL, USA.
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Putney
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Simpson-Page
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Resell
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schatti
mesh_terms: D003152:Community Health Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009735:Nursing Homes; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010351:Patient Discharge; D010359:Patient Readmission; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000451:nursing*