No More Revolving Door

When elderly patients are discharged from the hospital, there is little assurance that they will recover on their own. In fact, one in five have to be readmitted to the hospital within 30 days. Nurse researchers at the University of Pennsylvania report that paying attention to the transition from hospital to home can reduce readmissions. Assigning a nurse as clinical manager of care for these patients or making in-person home visits to patients soon after discharge are strategies that help vulnerable patients stay out of the hospital.
[Health Affairs, April, 2011]