New Program Aims to Prevent Unnecessary Hospital Stays for Older Adults

The Australian government's Medical Research Future Fund is underwriting a $1.9 million study to prevent unnecessary hospital stays for senior care community residents, reports News-Medical . The three-year Early Detection of Deterioration in Elder residents (EDDIE+) program aims to provide tailored training and resources to nursing staff for early detection of cognitive deterioration, so they can proactively care for residents and avoid hospitalization. The program will be piloted in 12 senior care communities and promises to carry benefits for both residents and healthcare providers. Previous research identified urinary tract infection, dehydration, constipation, chest pain, breathing difficulty, delirium, falls, and palliative care as factors that can lead to hospitalization for seniors. "When we modeled the program in a cohort of 1,000 residents, it resulted in a total of 1,606 fewer hospital bed days a year, which was a cost saving of $2.6 million to the Australian healthcare system," said Queensland University of Technology's Hannah Carter.