The problems of elderly people at home one week after discharge from an acute care setting.
The problems of elderly people following discharge from hospital is a worldwide focus of nursing attention. Actual and local insight into the nature and extent of post-discharge problems is needed as a base for improving and evaluating discharge planning. Problems following discharge were investigated as the first part of a larger study. Over a 3-month period, 251 elderly people who had been discharged after a hospital stay of more than 3 days, were asked to participate in the study. Half received a postal questionnaire and half were interviewed at home, one week after discharge. There were 145 respondents. The need for information was mentioned by 80% of the patients. Housekeeping tasks also caused most patients some difficulty. Almost 40% of those discharged reported some kind of unmet need.
Mistiaen
P
P
Research Centre Primary/Secondary Health Care, University Hospital VU-ziskenhuis, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Duijnhouwer
E
E
Wijkel
D
D
de Bont
M
M
Veeger
A
A
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000359:Aftercare; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006299:Health Services for the Aged; D006304:Health Status; D006699:Home Care Services; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands; D010351:Patient Discharge