Discharging older patients: how a single form could help avoid unnecessary hospital delays

Important information about an older person can be hard to access or record, but a new form could benefit healthcare staff, patients and families

When I was a practising nurse I saw first hand the consequences of delays in discharging older patients when they no longer needed hospital care.

Aside from the obvious financial burden on our health services, staying in hospital too long can lead to functional decline, increased confusion and a loss of confidence for many older people.

Now, as a health services researcher, I want to find out why these delays happen and what can be done to help.

Hard to decide what level of ‘normal’ is acceptable for