Adequacy of discharge plans and rehospitalization among hospitalized dementia patients.

Because of the rapid growth of the elderly population and the decreasing number of days that patients are able to remain in the hospital, the task of discharge planning has become increasingly critical and challenging. This article reports on a study undertaken to examine the adequacy of discharge plans developed for dementia patients and to investigate factors related to inadequate plan development and patient readmission. Study results suggest that a sizeable proportion of dementia patients are discharged without adequate aftercare plans and are at risk of rehospitalization. The findings of this study point to significant family and resource-related factors that compromise discharge plan adequacy for dementia patients. Implications for practice, education, and policy are discussed.