Factors contributing to the early rehospitalization of elderly people.

The main determinants of rehospitalization of elderly people were studied with a longitudinal sample of 264 persons older than 60 years at a midwestern, urban, university-affiliated hospital. Path analysis was applied to survey data collected for this study. Seventeen percent of subjects were readmitted within 30 days of discharge. Controlling for health and socioeconomic factors, the main determinant of readmission was the discharge placement; those placed back into the community for care in the home were more likely to be rehospitalized than those discharged to institutions. Contrary to predictions in the literature and the authors' expectations, patient involvement in discharge planning had no discernible effect on placement decisions and subsequent hospitalization. The implications of these findings for discharge planning by social workers are discussed.