Admission of geriatric patients to hospital on Niue Island 1977-1982.

This report analyses the admission to hospital of people aged 65 years or more on Niue Island in the years 1977-1982. Geriatric admissions, of which 59% were female, comprised 8% of all admissions, equalling the proportion of old people in the community. There were no significant differences by age and or sex for admission rates, reasons for admission, length of stay or disposition. Acute illnesses, particularly respiratory problems, accounted for the majority of geriatric admissions although chronic degenerative disorders, usually cardio-vascular in nature, also played a role. The median hospital stay was 10.5 days, with 81% of all geriatric patients being discharged within one month. The majority (79%) of patients are discharged back into the community. Longest hospital stays resulted from potentially preventable accidents and injury, which constitute a leading cause of death for elderly men, from infectious/parasitic diseases, and from nonspecific nursing care admissions.