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Does hospital admission affect dependency levels of elderly psychiatric patients?
P Brackenridge1, K Courtnay, A Jha
1Psychogeriatric Unit, Warlingham Park Hospital Surrey, UK.
Objective:
To study effect of hospital admission on dependency levels of psychogeriatric patients.
Design:
A cohort was formed comprising consecutive admissions. This was subdivided into organic and functional cases and the dependency levels of the two groups compared on admission and discharge.
Setting:
An acute psychogeriatic ward at a psychiatric hospital near London.
Patients:
One hundred consecutive acute elderly psychiatric inpatients.
Measures:
The Stockton Geriatric Rating Scale was used to assess dependency levels, the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression and the Mini-Mental State Examination for cognitive impairment.
Results:
Patients with functional illness showed a significant reduction in dependency levels compared to organic cases during admission.
Conclusion:
Admission to hospital has a significant effect in reducing dependency levels of elderly patients with functional illness.