Summary
A Health Foundation report indicates that perhaps over 40% of emergency hospital admissions on the part of permanent care home residents aged ≥65 years could have been avoided with better preventive primary care, community support / NHS care in care homes. Avoidable hospital admissions were often potentially treatable outside of hospitals; and a proportion are asserted to have been the result of poor care or neglect.
Reference
Wolters, A. Santos, F. [and] Lloyd. T. (2019). Emergency admissions to hospital from care homes: how often and what for? London: Health Foundation, July 2019.
Enfield Care Home Assessment Team (CHAT)
A nurse-led service providing outreach care for care home residents with dementia (also providing support and training for care home staff) has been shown to have numerous advantages, including (quotation):
- A 35% fall in A&E attendances and non-elective hospital admissions.
- A 9% reduction in hospital costs – nearly £600,000.
- A 7% reduction in the number of falls leading to A&E attendances or hospital admissions.
- Most (99%) of residents dying at their preferred place of death.
- Nearly 40% of residents have their medication reduced.
- Almost 8,500 hospital attendances and more than 8,000 GP call-outs have been avoided.
Reference
A good chat boosts quality and saves money in dementia care. [Online]: PCC, November 11th 2019.
