Characteristics and care trajectories of older patients in temporary stays in Denmark

Temporary stays for patients requiring short-term care outside the home, often following hospital discharge, has gained increasing importance. This study aimed to describe the characteristics and care trajectories of older patients in Danish temporary stays to improve care delivery and patient safety.

We conducted a descriptive study on a cohort of patients in temporary stays across 14 Danish municipalities from 2016 to 2023, using data from national health registries.

We identified 11,424 patients with a median age of 81 years (interquartile range [IQR] 73-87 years); 54% were women. Patients exhibited a high level of comorbidity, with a median Charlson Comorbidity Index of 1 (IQR 0-2), and a median of 3 hospital admissions (IQR 2-6) in the year preceding their move into temporary care. The majority (70%) transitioned to temporary stays following hospital discharge, while 30% were admitted directly from their homes. The median duration of temporary stays was 24 days (IQR 11-49 days), with 9.1% staying ≥ 90 days. Additionally, 7.0% of patients were hospitalised directly from the temporary stay facility, with a median time to hospital admission of 13 days (IQR 5-28 days). Median survival after admission to a temporary stay was 23 months (IQR 3.6-57 months). Predictors of mortality included male sex, older age, higher comorbidity burden, and increased number of hospital admissions prior to temporary stay.

Patients in temporary stays are generally older individuals with multimorbidity and limited life expectancy. Most patients are admitted following hospital discharge, and their stays are often prolonged.