Skilled Nursing Home Research Articles

Accountability of Hospitals for Medicare Beneficiaries' Postacute Care Discharge Disposition.

Accountability of Hospitals for Medicare Beneficiaries' Postacute Care Discharge Disposition.

The Effect of Integration of Hospitals and Post-Acute Care Providers on Medicare Payment and Patient Outcomes

In this paper we examine empirically the effect of integration on Medicare payment and rehospitalization. We use 2005-2013 data on Medicare beneficiaries receiving PAC in the U.S. to examine integration between hospitals and the two most common post-acute care settings: skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and home health agencies (HHA), using two measures of integration — formal vertical integration and informal integration representing preferential relationships between providers without formal relationships. Our identification strategy is twofold. First, we use longitudinal models with a fixed effect for each hospital-PAC pair in a market to test how changes in integration impact patient outcomes. Second, we use an instrumental variable approach to account for patient selection into integrated providers. We find that vertical integration between hospitals and SNFs increases Medicare payments and reduces rehospitalization rates. However, vertical integration between hospitals and HHAs has little effect, nor does informal integration between hospitals and either PAC setting.

Do determinants of burden and emotional distress in dementia caregivers change over time?

Objectives: Caring for a patient with dementia is a real challenge and can have considerable psychological consequences in the long run. Many caregivers, mostly relatives, feel highly burdened. To develop effective caregiver support to prevent caregivers from getting overburdened, insight is needed into the determinants of burden. The objective of this study is to explore which patient and caregiver characteristics determine the different kinds of caregiver burden over time, both in the short and in the long run.Method: The study was longitudinal. Data on patients and caregivers, general burden and emotional distress were collected at three times: at baseline, at the end of treatment and at nine months. The study was conducted in a psychiatric skilled nursing home with a unit for integrative reactivation and rehabilitation (IRR) and at different sites of home-/day care, assisted living arrangements and nursing home wards (usual care).Results: General burden is shown to be determined by severity of patient's neuropsychiatric symptoms, caregiver's sense of competence, health-related quality of life. Emotional distress is determined by severity of patient's neuropsychiatric symptoms, caregiver's sense of competence, high affiliation and patient gender.Conclusion: In preventing or treating caregiver burden, professional interventions need to aim specifically at diminishing the neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia patients and improving the sense of competence in caregivers.

House Calls: The Impact of Home-Based Care for Older Adults With Alzheimer’s and Dementia

Older adults with Alzheimer’s/dementia have high health care costs; they may benefit from home-based care, but few have home visits. This article describes a home-based care program for frail elders, including those with Alzheimer’s/dementia. Descriptive statistics are provided for Medicare-enrolled program participants and matched controls with Alzheimer’s/dementia on expenditures along six services: skilled nursing facility, inpatient acute, physician, home health, hospice, and social services. Cases with dementia were significantly more likely to have home health and hospice expenditures than controls, suggesting potential for the program to improve end-of-life care. Very few cases or controls had any social service expenditures. Social workers should advocate for the expanded role of home-based care for older adults with dementia and for increased Medicare reimbursement of social work services.

Early and late unplanned rehospitalizations for survivors of critical illness*.

Preventing rehospitalizations for patients with serious chronic illnesses is a focus of national quality initiatives. Although 8 million people are admitted yearly to an ICU, the frequency of rehospitalizations (readmissions to the hospital after discharge) is unknown. We sought to determine the frequency of rehospitalization after an ICU stay, outcomes for rehospitalized patients, and factors associated with rehospitalization. Retrospective cohort study using the New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System, an administrative database of all hospital discharges in New York State. ICUs in New York State. ICU patients who survived to hospital discharge in 2008-2010. None. Primary outcome was the cumulative incidence of first early rehospitalization (within 30 days of discharge), and secondary outcome was the cumulative incidence of late rehospitalization (between 31 and 180 d). Factors associated with rehospitalization within both time periods were identified using competing risk regression models. Of 492,653 ICU patients, 79,960 had a first early rehospitalization (cumulative incidence, 16.2%) and an additional 73,250 late rehospitalizations (cumulative incidence, 18.9%). Over one quarter of all rehospitalizations (28.6% for early; 26.7% for late) involved ICU admission. Overall hospital mortality for rehospitalized patients was 7.6% for early and 4.6% for late rehospitalizations. Longer index hospitalization (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.57-1.66 for 7-13 d vs < 3 d), discharge to a skilled nursing facility versus home (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.51-1.58), and having metastatic cancer (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.41-1.51) were associated with the greatest hazard of early rehospitalization. Approximately 16% of ICU survivors were rehospitalized within 30 days of hospital discharge; rehospitalized patients had high rates of ICU admission and hospital mortality. Few characteristics were strongly associated with rehospitalization, suggesting that identifying high-risk individuals for intervention may require additional predictors beyond what is available in administrative databases.

Experts Predict: What's Ahead for PA/LTC in 2015?

Experts Predict: What's Ahead for PA/LTC in 2015?

Racial and ethnic disparities in discharge to rehabilitation following traumatic brain injury.

Disparities in access to inpatient rehabilitation services after traumatic brain injury (TBI) have been identified, but less well described is the likelihood of discharge to a higher level of rehabilitation for Hispanic or black patients compared with non-Hispanic white patients. The authors investigate racial disparities in discharge destination (inpatient rehabilitation vs skilled nursing facility vs home health vs home) following TBI by using a nationwide database and methods to address racial differences in prehospital characteristics. Analysis of discharge destination for adults with moderate to severe TBI was performed using National Trauma Data Bank data for the years 2007-2010. The authors performed propensity score weighting followed by ordered logistic regression in their analytical sample and in a subgroup analysis of older adults with Medicare. Likelihood of discharge to a higher level of rehabilitation based on race/ethnicity accounting for prehospital and in-hospital variables was determined. The authors identified 299,205 TBI incidents: 232,392 non-Hispanic white, 29,611 Hispanic, and 37,202 black. Propensity weighting resulted in covariate balance among racial groups. Hispanic (adjusted OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.68-0.75) and black (adjusted OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.91-0.97) populations were less likely to be discharged to a higher level of rehabilitation than were non-Hispanic whites. The subgroup analysis indicated that Hispanic (adjusted OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.71-0.86) and black (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.81-0.94) populations were still less likely to receive a higher level of rehabilitation, despite uniform insurance coverage (Medicare). Adult Hispanic and black patients with TBI are significantly less likely to receive intensive rehabilitation than their non-Hispanic white counterparts; notably, this difference persists in the Medicare population (age ≥ 65 years), indicating that uniform insurance coverage alone does not account for the disparity. Given that insurance coverage and a wide range of prehospital characteristics do not eliminate racial disparities in discharge destination, it is crucial that additional unmeasured patient, physician, and institutional factors be explored to eliminate them.

Reducing All-Cause and Heart Failure Readmissions Using a Unique Collaborative Partnership of Hospital with Skilled Nursing Facilities and Home Care Agencies

Reducing All-Cause and Heart Failure Readmissions Using a Unique Collaborative Partnership of Hospital with Skilled Nursing Facilities and Home Care Agencies

Transitions between SNF and home-based care in patients with multiple sclerosis

To assess patient characteristics and risk factors associated with care transitions between skilled nursing facility (SNF) and home care for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) in an effort to improve outcomes and optimize patient care pathways. MS is a chronic neurologic illness of younger adults that is associated with physical disability, cognitive impairment and a high need for supportive services. The study was based on the 2005 Nursing Home Minimum Data Set and the Outcome and Assessment Information Set data (n = 10,064). We performed multivariate evaluation of patient risk factors for skilled nursing facility (SNF) admission and disposition while controlling for potential patient self-selection and other characteristics that affect care utilization. MS patients with recent history of home care use were less likely to be admitted to an acute care hospital and had higher physical disability at SNF admission than SNF patients who did not use home care. Insurance type (Medicaid) and availability of informal caregivers were associated with the use of homecare services after a SNF stay, while patient demographic and clinical characteristics did not explain SNF disposition. Future studies should explore the association between the local availability and affordability of home-based services and physician attitude about community-based care management of disabled patients.

Effectiveness of nursing discharge planning interventions on health-related outcomes in elderly inpatients discharged home: a systematic review protocol

Review question/objective The aim of this systematic review is to determine the best available evidence of the effectiveness of discharge planning interventions involving at least one nurse on health related outcomes, including, but not limited to, functional limitations, symptom management, unmet needs and/or health related quality of life for elderly inpatients discharged home. Furthermore, the objective of this study is to assess the relative impact of individual components of discharge planning interventions Inclusion criteria Types of participants This review will consider studies that included elderly inpatients, aged 65 years or older, discharged from acute care and post-acute care rehabilitation hospitals (including skilled nursing home facilities) to home. Types of intervention(s)/phenomena of interest This review will consider studies that assess the following nursing discharge planning interventions: 1. Early geriatric assessment 2. Discharge preparation: education/teaching medication self-management, developing self-care management skills, symptoms management, effective communication and information about discharge plan, effective multidisciplinary communication 3. Patient or caregivers participation/involvement to the discharge planning and decision making related to discharge destination 4. Continuity of care (coordination and effective communication between hospital staff, primary care and health care providers, coordination of the patient’s discharge/transitional plan, management of patient’s transition and post discharge needs 5. Day of discharge assessment regarding discharge planning (medication reconciliation, completion and explanation to the patient of the discharge summary) and 6. Post discharge follow-up (home care follow up/visits, follow-up phone calls). This systematic review will focus on discharge planning interventions: i) provided by at least one nurse; and ii) which are incorporated into a multidisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary model of care. Types of outcomes This review will consider studies that include the following outcome measures: 1.) Functional ability/functional limitations 2.) Symptoms/medical condition management/adverse outcomes 3.) Unmet needs after hospital discharge 4.) Coping with disease /coping difficulties 5.) Health related quality of life 6.) Satisfaction with care during the discharge planning process 7.) Health care utilization (eg number of hospital visits).

Integration and Task Allocation: Evidence from Patient Care

Using the universe of patient transitions from inpatient hospital care to skilled nursing facilities and home health care in 2005, we show how integration eliminates task misallocation problems between organizations. We find that vertical integration allows hospitals to shift patient recovery tasks downstream to lower-cost organizations by discharging patients earlier (and in poorer health) and increasing post-hospitalization service intensity. While integration facilitates a shift in the allocation of tasks and resources, health outcomes either improved or were unaffected by integration on average. The evidence suggests that integration solves coordination problems that arise in market exchange through improvements in the allocation of tasks across care settings.

Physiological effects of a technology-based music-making program in skilled nursing residents

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a technology-based music-making intervention (the Beamz) in elevating heart rate and producing a relaxation response in skilled nursing home residents. Using a quasi-experimental counterbalanced design, results indicated that this brief intervention produced a statistically significant elevation in heart rate and systolic blood pressure when played at a fast tempo. Heart rate was also significantly elevated when slow tempo music was used. In addition, participants reported a statistically lower level of relaxation following the slow tempo session and expressed that they found this new activity intervention enjoyable. Implications of findings and future research possibilities using technology-based music-making interventions in recreation therapy practice are discussed.

Intern Workload and Discontinuity of Care on 30-Day Readmission

Intern Workload and Discontinuity of Care on 30-Day Readmission

Settlement Ends Medicare's ‘Improvement’ Standard

Settlement Ends Medicare's ‘Improvement’ Standard

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: prevalence, characteristics, and pharmacologic treatment in nursing home residents with cognitive impairment.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is prevalent in nursing home residents. National and international guidelines exist for management of COPD; however, little is known about "real-world" management of COPD in this population. Nursing home patients with significant cognitive impairment may have difficulty utilizing handheld device (HHD) formulations of respiratory medications and may be clinically appropriate candidates for nebulized therapy. To determine (a) the prevalence, clinical characteristics, and treatment of patients with a diagnosis of "emphysema/COPD" per Minimum Data Set (MDS) version 2.0 records in U.S. nursing homes and (b) the relationship of nebulized versus HHD formulations of medication to prevalence of shortness of breath in a cohort of cognitively impaired nursing home residents. In a descriptive, retrospective analysis of a large data repository of skilled nursing home residents with COPD, prescription claims and MDS data from October 1, 2009, through September 30, 2010, were extracted, linked, and de-identified. Measures included medications, diagnoses, and selected outcome parameters from the MDS. Cognitive impairment was defined as a score of 3-6 on the Cognitive Performance Scale derived from MDS records. A proxy of ≤ 14-day courses of respiratory antibiotics, oral corticosteroids, or both was used to identify COPD exacerbations. Shortness of breath (SOB) in the last 7 days was captured from Section J1.l. of the MDS. The total number of unique patients with at least 1 MDS record during the study period was 126,121. Of those, 27,106 (21.5%) had COPD. The prevalence rates of diagnoses concurrent with COPD were as follows: asthma = 8.6%, Alzheimer's disease or other dementia = 37.2%, congestive heart failure = 37.5%, anxiety disorder = 23%, depression = 50.1%, pneumonia = 21.2%, and respiratory infection = 9%. 58% of patients with COPD were white females aged 75 years or older. According to the MDS, 62% of COPD patients had a short-term memory problem, while 43.3% of patients had moderately or severely impaired cognitive skills for daily decision making. 83% of COPD patients with pharmacy claims (17,395/27,106) received at least 1 medication used to treat COPD; 9,711 (17.1%) received no respiratory medications. Use of beta-agonists (53.9%), anticholinergic medications (41.2%), long-acting beta-agonist/corticosteroid (LABA/ICS) combinations (28%) in HHD, and nebulized beta-agonist/anticholinergic combinations (26.6%) was prevalent. Inhaled LABA/ICS and long-acting anticholinergic therapy was received by 28% and 22% residents, respectively. 22% (n = 5,085) of patients exhibited at least 2 exacerbations of COPD, and 33% were noted to have SOB. Monotherapy with short-acting beta-agonists (SABA) was evident in 48.7% of cognitively impaired COPD patients. SOB within the previous 7 days was noted in 39.1% of cognitively impaired COPD patients treated with nebulized SABA monotherapy. 38% of these patients exhibited 2 or more COPD exacerbations, and 57.9% were hospitalized at least once during the 12-month period. LABA monotherapy or combined LABA/SABA use represented ≤ 1% of beta-agonist use for unique COPD patients with cognitive impairment. In this retrospective analysis of administrative data, 21.5% of nursing home residents had a diagnosis of COPD, and 17% of these residents received no respiratory medications. These residents had significant cognitive and functional impairment and concurrent diagnoses. 22% of residents experienced at least 2 exacerbations of COPD during the 12 months of study. As many as 60% were not receiving inhaled LABA/ICS or inhaled tiotropium, and 33% exhibited SOB. There is significant use of nebulized SABA monotherapy, which may be contributing to SOB and exacerbations or hospitalizations in nursing home residents with COPD.

Colonic Volvulus

Management approaches for colonic volvulus are infrequently described in the literature in the United States, and many studies only report operative cases. The aim of this study was to define the demographics, diagnostic and treatment approaches, and outcomes for patients with this disorder in the United States. This study is a retrospective review. The study was conducted at a 7-hospital health system. All patients diagnosed with colonic volvulus by International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision code were included. The primary outcomes measured were recurrence, complications, and mortality. One hundred three cases of volvulus (50 sigmoid, 53 cecal) were identified in 92 patients. Compared with cecal volvulus, sigmoid volvulus was more common in men, patients with neurologic diagnoses, and residents of skilled nursing home. Eighty-five percent of the cases presented were acutely obstructed. The diagnosis was established by abdominal x-ray (17%), contrast enema study (27%), CT scan (35%), or laparotomy (17%). Abdominal x-rays were insufficient for definitive diagnosis in 85% of cecal and 49% of sigmoid cases (p = 0.002). All patients with cecal volvulus were treated surgically. Seventy-nine percent of patients with sigmoid volvulus underwent successful nonoperative reduction, of whom 38% had subsequent surgery. Fifty-eight percent of patients with sigmoid volvulus were treated operatively. Resection with primary anastomosis was chosen in most cases (78%). Resection with end ostomy (10%), reduction and pexy (7%), and reduction alone (4%) were other approaches. The mortality rate was 5% (cecal 0%, sigmoid 10%; p = 0.012). There were no readmissions for recurrent cecal volvulus. Nonoperative treatment for sigmoid volvulus often failed (48%). Complication rates were higher in sigmoid volvulus cases (cecal 17%, sigmoid 34%; p = 0.047). This study was limited by its retrospective, nonexperimental design. Although incidences of cecal and sigmoid volvulus are similar in the present series, sigmoid volvuli are more common in men, individuals with neurologic disease, and residents of nursing homes. Plain radiograph is insufficient to confirm cecal volvulus. The diagnosis is most often made with CT scans. The nonoperative management of sigmoid volvulus is associated with a high recurrence rate.

Senior House Staff Survey Regarding Post-Acute Care Training

Introduction/Objective: Forty percent of hospitalized Medicare patients need post-acute care (PAC). PAC is delivered in skilled nursing homes, acute rehabilitation facilities and at home. Selecting the right PAC option is a critical piece of transitional care. Unfortunately, current house staff seem to lack the training to assist the patients in selecting the most appropriate PAC venue. We planned a survey to assess the preparedness and knowledge of senior house staff regarding critical PAC issues.

Insurance Status and Hospital Discharge Disposition After Trauma: Inequities in Access to Postacute Care

Postacute care is an essential component of medical care aimed at returning trauma patients to their preinjury functional status. Rehabilitation services, skilled nursing facilities, and home care all play a role in facilitating the healing process. Access to such care may be limited based on insurance status, leaving the uninsured with limited resources to reach full recovery. We hypothesized that access to specialized postacute care is less available to patients who lack health insurance. A retrospective cohort of trauma patients in the National Trauma Databank from 2002 to 2006 was assessed to determine whether insurance status was a predictor of discharge to a specialized postacute care facility (rehabilitation, skilled nursing facilities, and home health). Using multivariate logistic regression, we assessed the likelihood of discharge to such facilities on the basis of insurance status, controlling for patient demographics and injury severity. Adjusting for variation in age, race/ethicity, gender, and injury type and severity, uninsured patients had the lowest odds of being discharged to a skilled nursing facility (odds ratio [OR], 0.76; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.73-0.80; p<0.001), home health (OR, 0.51; 95% CI 0.49-0.53; p<0.001), and rehabilitation (OR, 0.45; 95% CI 0.44-0.46; p<0.001). Uninsured patients had the highest odds, however, of being discharged directly home (OR, 1.32; 95% CI 1.30-1.34; p<0.001). Insurance status is an important predictor of hospital disposition and access to specialized posthospital care. Uninsured patients are less likely to have access to the full range of medical care available to ensure complete recovery from traumatic injuries.

Expanded Adult Day Program as a Transition Option From Hospital to Home

This article describes a pilot program for provision of postacute care (PAC) in an established adult day program. Demographic, clinical, utilization, and satisfaction data were abstracted retrospectively from program records; postdischarge readmission and emergency department visit data were obtained from the electronic health record. Comparative data were obtained from the health records of patients who were offered but declined the adult day program. Between 2005 and 2008, 78 patients requiring PAC were approached by the RN coordinator; 33 selected the adult day program, and 45 selected alternative destinations. The majority of patients had a neurological diagnosis, most commonly stroke. Participants and their family caregivers were highly satisfied with the program. The 30-day readmission rate for adult day program participants was significantly lower than that for nonparticipants. An expanded adult day program may represent a viable Transitional Care Model for selected patients and a feasible alternative to skilled nursing facility and home health care for PAC.

Herpes simplex encephalitis following spinal ependymoma resection: case report and literature review

Herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) is a rare complication of neurosurgical procedures but must be considered in early deterioration of the postoperative patient. This is the first report of HSE following spinal cord tumor resection. A 65-year-old woman had C2-C5 laminectomy for subtotal resection of intramedullary ependymoma. Six days postoperatively she developed fever, vomiting and rapid decline in mental status. Brain MRI revealed enhancement of left insular cortex. Polymerase chain reaction on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) identified herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) as the causal agent. Twenty-one days of acyclovir led to improvement. Three subsequent admissions to neurological intensive care unit were required for deterioration in mental status, including pneumonia, hydrocephalus and deep vein thromboses. Ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS), tracheotomy, percutaneous intravenous central catheter (PICC) line and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) were placed. She was discharged to skilled nursing home care. Acyclovir is effective therapy against HSV, though outcomes may be poor even in optimally treated cases. Empiric treatment must be started even in the absence of serologic evidence of HSV infection if suspicion for HSE is high.