Transfer Trauma: Does Moving Between Nursing Homes Increase Hospitalization and Mortality?

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Health Services Research
• Public Health

Background:

• Transfer trauma is a potential risk for long-term nursing home residents relocated between facilities.
• The association between nursing home transfers and severe acute health risks like hospitalization or death remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if long-term nursing home residents are at higher risk of hospitalization or death after a facility transfer compared to non-transferred residents.
• To determine if these outcomes are indicators of transfer trauma.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study using a national Medicare sample linked to Minimum Data Set (MDS) assessments.
• 1:1 matching of long-term nursing home residents who transferred facilities in 2019 with similar residents who did not transfer.
• Conditional logistic regression analysis adjusted for demographic, functional, cognitive, and comorbidity factors to assess 90-day hospitalization and mortality risks.

Main Results:

• Analysis included 1375 matched pairs (2750 residents).
• No significant difference in 90-day hospitalizations (173 vs. 160) or mortality between transfer and non-transfer groups.
• Adjusted analysis showed transfer status was not associated with increased odds of 90-day hospitalization (OR=1.18) or death (OR=1.58).

Conclusions:

• Nursing home to nursing home transfers were not linked to increased hospitalization or mortality risk within 90 days for long-term residents.
• Necessary transfers may not inherently pose severe acute health risks to this population.