Too Many Older Adults Readmitted to Hospitals With Same Infections They Took Home

A University of Michigan (U-M) study in the Journal of American Geriatrics Society found roughly 15 percent of hospitalized older adults will return to the hospital within a month of leaving, with a disproportionately high number rehospitalized for pre-existing, or linked infections, reports ScienceDaily . Moreover, those sent home or to home care were more likely to come back with a linked infection than those sent to skilled nursing communities. The researchers analyzed Medicare records for more than 318,000 hospital discharges for persons 65 and older, and 2.5 percent of hospitalized older adults return due to linked infections. The most common infection was Clostridioides difficile, a potentially fatal bacteria that causes diarrhea and colitis, followed by urinary tract infections. "Presumably subjects have been treated for the infection since the hospital has already billed Medicare," said U-M Professor Geoffrey Hoffman. "Readmissions shouldn't be zero, but they should be much closer to zero." Hoffman added that the population with the same diagnosis at rehospitalization and discharge is very narrow, so the number will by default be much smaller than general hospital returns or returns for complex conditions. "There are probably some gaps in self-care for persons going home with an infection from the hospital," he said. "This suggests home healthcare agencies aren't up to snuff with infection control and persons going home without home health-care probably need better training, as do their caregivers."