Læknablaðið - 15.10.1983, Page 57

LÆKNABLADID
271
sions of carers, breakdown of the social support and
an agreement of a joint care. The peak admission
month was July.
Females comprised 63 % of all patients, mean age
82.8 year and 80.5 year for males.
The principal medical diagnosis was dementia in
35 % and other chronic diseases of the central
nervous system in 30 % of patients. The mean
number of active problems (causing disability or
requiring treatment) were 4.7 per patient, and
altogether 84 different medical problems were
counted. Mobility ranged from 18 % independent to
22 % chair- og bedfást.
The mean number of drugs taken on admission
was 4.5 per patient and this had not changed at
discharge from hospital. However, during the hospi-
tal stay, the number of laxatives and antidepressant
drugs were increased but anti-inflammatory and
analgetic drugs decreased.
New diagnosis, mostly found in the urinary tract,
iocomotor organs and in the central nervous system
were discovered in 48 % of patients and multible
diseases in more than half of these.
The relief period, usually agreed for four weeks,
had to be extended to more than three months for
11 patients (longstay) and 3 patients died during in
patient care.
Social admissions to hospital play an important
part of geriatric care. Proper medical assessment,
treatment of active diseases and rehabilitation helps
to minimize disability and the relief for the carers at
home helps to prevent a more long-term institutio-
nalization.
HEIMILDIR
1) Kirk H, Hendriksen C. Social admission of
elderly people to hospital. Dan Med Bull 1982;
29/3; 138-40.
2) Irvine RE, Bagnall MK, Smith BJ. The Older
Patient. Hodder and Stoughton, London, 1978, 3.
útg. bls. 34.
3) Brocklehurst JC, Carty MH, Leeming JT, Robin-
son JM. Medical Screening of old people accep-
ted for recidential care. Lancet 1978; 2: 141-2.
4) Jónsson A, Halldórsson Th. Domiciliary asses-
sment for geriatric patients in Reykjavík. Geron-
tology 1981;27:89-93.
5) Simonen H, Apajalathi A, Ferm L, Töttermann
LE. The long-term treatment of the aged. Scand
J Soc Med 1979; 7:27.32.
6) Sanders S, Mortensen ML. Orsager til ældres
institutionsanbringelse. Ugeskr Læger 1981;
143/32: 2057-60.
7) Hendriksen C, Kirk H. Ældre patienters akutte
indlæggelse pá en medicinsk avdeling i Köben-
havns kommune. Ugeskr Læger 1981; 143/47:
3142-54.