Factors influencing home discharge of hospitalized oldest-old patients (≥90 years): A retrospective quantitative case-control study

Abstract

The purpose of this retrospective study was to identify factors that could predict the discharge destination of oldest-old patients (patients aged ≥90 years). Information on the nutritional status, activities of daily living (ADL), nursing care needs based on nursing need degree (NND), rehabilitation therapy, and discharge destination was obtained from the medical records of 90 oldest-old patients aged ≥90 years admitted to our hospital, excluding orthopedic inpatients and short-term (≤5 days) inpatients. Of these, 64 were discharged home while 4 died during hospitalization. More than half had moderately low total lymphocyte count (<1200/μL). Home discharge was correlated with living with someone else and little need for assistance during eating and getting/standing-up at admission. The cutoff value for ability for basic movement scale (ABMS) at admission for home discharge was 18 points. Nutritional management and early mobilization are important aspects of clinical management of the oldest-olds.

Keywords: Activities of daily living; Eating; Frail elderly; Hospitalization; Nonagenarians; Nursing care; Nutritional status; Patient discharge; Rehabilitation.