Elderly readmission prevalence and related factors in educational hospitals in Bojnurd, April-May 2017

Elderly re-admission to the hospital is a recurrent, costly and often life-threatening event. This study has been performed with the aim of assess the prevalence and factors associated with elderly re-admission. The present study is a descriptive-analytic study with cross-sectional method which was done through convenience sampling. The study was done on a total of 441 elderly who were eligible for entering the study and discharged from three hospitals in Bojnourd in April-May 2017. Data gathering tool was a researcher-made questionnaire that its reliability is calculated with Cronbach's alpha coefficient 0.86 and face and content validity was approved by ten faculty members in geriatric nursing department. The questionnaire was completed in three stages: From May 1 for a month daily, then at the end of a month and three months after the discharge of each patient. Data was collected using information obtained from the patient himself or his companions also by referring to the information in the HIS system and patient records. Data interpretation was done using SPSS-21. The majority of sample (56%) were female, (67%) aged 60-75 years old, (64.5%) married, (52%) lived in the city, (56%) had independent income, (74%) illiterate, (45%) and lived with children 45 of the discharged elderly (%10.2) had a re-admission within one month and within three months after the discharge was 61 people (%13.8).The results of the findings are based on chi-square test showed a significant relationship between the elderly dependency status and re-admission (p <0/01). There was no significant relationship for other factors such as demographic and clinical variables as well as environmental- hospital variables with elderly readmission (p≥ 0/05). Elderly patients who have a level of dependency on their relatives, more likely to be re-admitted. Paying attention to the dependence of the elder on relatives; to meet their basic needs; serves as a prevention of their subsequent sequelae and re-hospitalization.