Relationships Between Residential Care Community Characteristics and Overnight Hospital Stays and Readmissions: Results From the National Study of Long-Term Care Providers.

THE PROBLEM: Hospitalizations and subsequent readmissions can produce significant challenges when trying to reduce costs and improve quality of care. This study describes hospitalizations and readmissions using residential care community data from the 2012 National Study of Long-Term Care Providers. THE RESOLUTION: About 61.0% of residential care communities had hospitalizations, and among these communities, 39.3% had readmissions. Residential care communities in the Northeast were more likely to have had hospitalizations and readmissions. Residential care communities located in a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) had a lower likelihood of hospitalizations, and communities that provided therapeutic services had a lower likelihood of readmissions. TIPS FOR SUCCESS: An association with a CCRC and provision of therapeutic services were found to be protective against hospitalizations and readmissions, respectively.