Diagnosis and disability in Geriatric Assessment Team clients: a pilot study

This study presents the results of a pilot study examining the diagnosis and disability levels of a sample of clients seen by four Victorian Regional Geriatric Assessment Teams (GATs). It identifies a clear relationship between the client disability profile and the resultant recommended care plan. As expected, clients recommended for nursing home care are the most disabled, although clients recommended for inpatient treatment/rehabilitation also have very high levels of physical disability. Recipients of hostel or Special Accommodation Home (SAH) recommendations, however, exhibit levels of physical disability comparable to those of clients with community care recommendations. The distinguishing factor here is the presence of cognitive disability, which substantially reduces the likelihood of retention in the community.