Læknablaðið : fylgirit - 01.03.1983, Page 199

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ASSESSMENT OF LONGSTAY PATIENTS
AGED 70 YEARS AND OLDER
IN GENERAL AND PSYCHIATRIC
HOSPITALS IN REYKJAVÍK
Ársæll Jónsson, Sigurveig H. Sigurðardóttir, Skúli G. Johnsen, Guðjón Magnússon
Introduction
A general census of hospital inpatients was carried out by the
Municipal Health Authorities in Reykjavík and the Director of
Public Health on 31st March 1981. This presented an opportunity
to study the medical and social problems of longstay elderly
patients who occupied hospital beds in the non-longstay wards.
Materials and methods
On the census day, 1763 patients occupied hospital beds in the
Reykjavík area. From the data sheets the patients for our study
were selected on the following criteria;
a) age 70 or older.
b) patients occupying a non-longstay bed.
c) patient regarded as a longstay by his attending doctor or he
had received full treatment but could not be discharged back
to where he came from or transferred elsewhere.
In the following week, all selected patients were visited by a
geriatrician and a social worker. The hospital case notes were
consulted, the patients seen and briefly examined and their pro-
blems discussed with the ward sister. For each patient, inform-
ation was obtained on the number of active problems, patterns of
drug consumption, need for assistance for daily activities,
incidence of fecal and urinary incontinence and an assessment of
the mental state. An attempt was also made to assess the
probabilities of a return to the community with a view of an
appropiate geriatric hospital service.
Summary of results
1. Included in this survey were 114 patients, 80 females and 34
males, in 5 different hospitals. From medical wards were 64%,
surgical wards 18%, psychiatric wards 18%. The mean age of
patients in the somatic wards was 81 year for males and 82 year
for females and 74 and 76 years for males and females in the
psychiatric wards.
2. Of 114 patients, 101 had more than one active problem at that
time, either requiring treatment or causing disability. Problems
were listed more numerous in patients in one of the hospitals
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