Medical needs and survival of NHS continuing care residents.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the medical needs and survival of patients admitted to NHS continuing care beds for the frail elderly.


METHODS
A retrospective cohort study of admissions during one year to 222 beds in south-east Glasgow. Case-sheet review identified the diagnoses on admission. Medical interventions were allocated to one of six predetermined categories. Mortality data was collected up to four years after admission.


RESULTS
One hundred and eighty nine patients (65 male and 133 female) were admitted, 183 (92%) for NHS continuing care. The overall survival at three months was 47.8% and 38.5% at six months. In total 1585 interventions were recorded, 56.3% of admissions required one or more major intervention. Seventy eight (75.7%) of these were managed in the continuing care setting avoiding transfer to an acute hospital bed.


CONCLUSIONS
Older people resident in NHS continuing care have a short life expectancy and require frequent medical interventions. Much of this can be provided in the NHS continuing care setting avoiding admission to the acute sector. Shift of care for these patients to private nursing homes may not provide such support.
Moylan
T
T
Monklands Hospital, Airdrie, ML6 OJS. Tricia.Moylan@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk
Roberts
M
M
Murray
S
S
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003704:Dementia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D016330:Frail Elderly; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000453:epidemiology; D006707:Homes for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D009313:National Health Programs; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012120:Respiration Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012606:Scotland / Q000453:epidemiology; D016019:Survival Analysis