Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
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Observational Study
Long-Term Acute Care Hospital Use of Non-Mechanically Ventilated Hospitalized Older Adults.
To determine why non-mechanically ventilated hospitalized older adults are transferred to long-term acute care (LTAC) hospitals rather than remaining in the hospital. ⋯ Nearly half of the variation in LTAC use is independent of illness severity and is explained by which hospital and what region the individual was hospitalized in. Because of the greater fragmentation of care and Medicare spending with LTAC transfers (because LTAC hospitals generate a separate bundled payment from the hospital), greater attention is needed to define the optimal role of LTAC hospitals in caring for older adults. J Am Geriatr Soc 66:2112-2119, 2018.
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To examine the separate and joint association between physical activity and frailty and long-term all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality in older adults. ⋯ Physical activity might partly compensate for the greater mortality risk associated with frailty in old age. J Am Geriatr Soc 66:2097-2103, 2018.
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To determine whether providing physical therapy (PT) services in the emergency department (ED) improves outcomes for older adults who fall. ⋯ Expanding PT services in the ED may reduce future fall-related ED use of older adults. Additional analyses could assess characteristics of individuals receiving PT in the ED and follow-up PT use after discharge. J Am Geriatr Soc 66:2205-2212, 2018.