Hospital Admissions Up for Calif. Nursing Home Residents, Report Finds
California long-term care residents are receiving hospital treatment at far greater rates compared with a decade ago, according to a recent Commonwealth Fund study, Payers & Providers reports.
For the study, researchers from Brown University compiled data on hospital admission rates for California nursing home residents. They found that admission rates increased from 14.8% in 2000 to 18.1% in 2006, for a total increase of 22.3%.
Although California's 2006 hospital admission rates trailed slightly behind the national median of 18.7%, the state's total increase was the fourth largest among the 50 states surveyed, researchers found.
Implications
Researchers and long-term care advocates say the study's findings suggest that nursing homes are serving residents with more serious health needs than in the past.
Some observers also have questioned whether long-term care facilities are properly equipped to provide care for a larger population of residents with health issues (Payers & Providers, 10/22). This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.