Outcome of patients admitted to an acute geriatric medical unit

To find out what happens to patients admitted to an acute geriatric medical unit, all admissions during 1982 were reviewed. Demographic features were compared with those of the community served, and rehabilitation, inpatient mortality and mortality in the year following discharge were assessed. Inpatients accounted for 4% of the community aged over 65, and most patients were discharged back to the community. Inpatient mortality was 25% and mortality in the year following discharge was 23%, giving a two year mortality of 42%, which was similar in all age groups. The achievement of high rehabilitation rates was tempered by the considerable mortality rates following discharge.