Transitional care improves health of older adults

AORN Journal, July, 2004

Providing older adults who have heart failure with specialized nursing care during their hospital stay and at home after discharge results in better quality of life for the patients and fewer hospital readmissions, according to a May 12, 2004, news release from the National Institutes of Health. A study found that this type of care resulted in a 38% savings in Medicare costs.

The study, in which advanced practice nurses coordinated the care provided by the patients' physicians, pharmacists, social workers, RNs, and other health team members, found that although the cost of providing this level of care was nearly double that provided to patients receiving routine care, the increase was more than offset by cost savings from fewer hospital readmissions. The higher level of care resulted in an average savings of $4,845 per patient.

Specialized Care from Hospital to Home Improves the Health of Elderly with Heart Failure, Cuts Costs to the Health Care System (news release, Bethesda, Md: National Institutes of Health, May 12, 2004) http://www.nih.gov /news/pr/may2004/ninr-12.htm (accessed 27 May 2004).