Elderly patients without dementia may not be able to comprehend discharge instructions due to temporary memory loss after hospitalization, according to research published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
Researchers from Northwestern Medicine conducted research on more than 200 seniors who did not have dementia or other cognitive problems. All seniors completed cognition tests to measure mental status. Results from their research found 31.5 percent of subjects had previously unrecognized low cognition at the time of their hospital discharge. Although 58 percent of patients no longer exhibited low cognition after one month, the researchers said elderly patients may need extra help and support from healthcare professionals and family in understanding and following discharge instructions.
"A helper on the day of discharge could make sure a senior understands discharge instructions and help her get home and follow instructions safely," lead researcher Lee Lindquist said in a university news release. "If a patient is by herself the day of a hospital discharge, it’s possible that she won’t comprehend complicated medical instructions, increasing medication errors and chances of re-hospitalization."
Read the release on the Northwestern study on low cognition in senior patients post-discharge.
Read other coverage about patient safety:
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Researchers from Northwestern Medicine conducted research on more than 200 seniors who did not have dementia or other cognitive problems. All seniors completed cognition tests to measure mental status. Results from their research found 31.5 percent of subjects had previously unrecognized low cognition at the time of their hospital discharge. Although 58 percent of patients no longer exhibited low cognition after one month, the researchers said elderly patients may need extra help and support from healthcare professionals and family in understanding and following discharge instructions.
"A helper on the day of discharge could make sure a senior understands discharge instructions and help her get home and follow instructions safely," lead researcher Lee Lindquist said in a university news release. "If a patient is by herself the day of a hospital discharge, it’s possible that she won’t comprehend complicated medical instructions, increasing medication errors and chances of re-hospitalization."
Read the release on the Northwestern study on low cognition in senior patients post-discharge.
Read other coverage about patient safety:
- Patients With Do-Not-Resuscitate Orders at Higher Risk of Complications, Mortality
- Radiation at Time of Lumpectomy Provides Faster, More Precise Treatment of Breast Cancer
- Study: Physicians Recommend Treatments They Would Not Choose for Themselves