Factors contributing to rehospitalization of elderly patients with heart failure

This article describes factors contributing to rehospitalizations of elderly patients with heart failure. Advanced practice nurses' logs, study questionnaires, and medical record summaries from a recent clinical trial provided rich, descriptive information about a variety of social and behavioral factors surrounding rehospitalization in these medically fragile older people. Medication and dietary nonadherence were factors affecting symptom appearance and rehospitalization. Social and behavioral factors, such as the absence of strong social support or motivation, contributed to nonadherence. These results suggest that social and behavioral factors must be identified and addressed in an individualized manner to prevent recurrent hospitalizations for elderly patients with heart failure.