[Health and social services: needs, preferences and their use by the elderly following hospitalization].
BACKGROUND
Many processes behind the admission to hospital of elderly people can lead to a deterioration in their health at the time of discharge. The aims of the study are to assess the dependency on and need for socio-health care required by elderly people aged over 64 when discharged from a hospital for acute cases, the help that patients prefer and the help that they actually receive one month following their discharge.


METHODS
A total of 193 patients aged over 64 and admitted to a hospital in Valencia between February and April 1994 were studied. Information on socio-demographic characteristics, self-care capacity, mental state, main diagnosis and co-morbidity was obtained by means of an interview at the time of admission and the medical record. A multidisciplinary team evaluated the socio-health care required in each case. A second interview, one month after discharge from hospital, gathered data on the actual care received.


RESULTS
At the time of admission, 17% of the patients needed partial care and 21% full care. 23% were candidates for receiving home help, 9% to be treated as out-patients and 6% in a chronic illness hospital. Most of the patients asked to live at home. One month after discharge from hospital, only 2% of patients were receiving home help, none were being treated as out-patients or in a chronic illness hospital and 3% had once again admitted to a hospital for acute cases. 8% of the patients who were living at home alone before being admitted to hospital and 5% of those who were living with someone else had gone to live with relatives.


CONCLUSIONS
The reality observed reflects the lack of socio-health resources. In many cases, this situation leads families to take on the care of the elderly themselves.
Iturria Sierra
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JA
Unidad de Investigación en Servicios de Salud. Institut Valencià d'Estudis en Salut Pública.
Márquez Calderón
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S
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006299:Health Services for the Aged; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000592:standards; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D010351:Patient Discharge; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D013030:Spain