Documentation and discharge planning for elderly patients

This paper is based on data collected from 326 elderly patients recruited in the course of a descriptive study of discharge planning in eight acute medical and surgical wards of a large teaching hospital. Evidence suggested various areas with potential for improved documentation: particularly the need for more detailed recording of baseline information about physical and mental abilities; housing; community services used; and involvement of the carers on whom the elderly patients relied. The study highlights the need to obtain, early on, full and accurate information to facilitate timely and effective discharge planning.