title: Discharge of patients to long-term care from a large acute hospital over a 12-year period.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Several factors may be important in determining the discharge of patients to long-term care from the acute hospital.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to look at factors associated with discharge to long-term care from St. James's Hospital, Dublin between 1997 and 2008.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data obtained from a long-term care database within the geriatric service were analysed. This service is responsible for assessing and listing all patients for long-term care within the hospital.
  
  
  RESULTS
  3,107 patients were listed and 2,520 discharged to long-term care during the period. Mean age was 81.7±7.3 years and 64.1% were female. The number listed increased since 1997, but there was no change in age or gender. Median time to discharge was 52 days, but varied by year and was longer for public versus private facilities (mean difference=18 days, P=0.006). Mortality of those awaiting long-term care was 17.0%, but varied significantly by year and ranged form 9.3-29.0%. Mortality was higher in males, in those of older age and during the winter months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Variation in the time to discharge appears to be associated with changes in the provision of publicly funded private nursing home beds.
authors.affiliation: Mercer's Institute for Research on Ageing, St James's Hospital, Top Floor, Hospital 4, James's St, Dublin 8, Ireland. kev_mccarroll@hotmail.com
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McCarroll
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Coakley
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Casey
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Harbison
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Oxley
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Kenny
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cunningham
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland; D007902:Length of Stay; D008134:Long-Term Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies