An innovative decision tool to optimize hospital discharge in frail older patients living at risk
Anticipated Findings
We will provide both hospital and community-based clinicians with a refined version of this tool. Its aim will be to help clinicians facilitate conversations about difficult decisions related to a senior’s wish to return or stay at home.
About the Project
Discharge from hospital is a difficult time for older adults living with frailty and their family members. Most hospitalized older adults want to return home. However, many are at increased risk of harm after hospitalization. Older adults may be inclined to relocate due to safety concerns. Clinicians are thus faced with difficult decisions: How do you support the older adult’s wishes to return home and address the concerns of families, while reducing the older adult’s chances of injury?
It is reported that clinicians tend to override patient wishes regarding discharge location when risks are identified as a concern. Our project wants to reverse this approach by helping clinicians support older adults and their families to live “with risks” at home.
The ultimate goal is to find the most appropriate and acceptable way to minimize harm and increase the capacities of older adults to meet their goal to age in place. We will adapt a tool developed for use in the community to the hospital discharge setting.
Project Team
Principal Investigator:
Véronique Provencher, PhD – Université de Sherbrooke
Co-Investigator:
Nathalie Delli-Colli, PhD – Université de Sherbrooke
Mary Egan, PhD – Bruyere Research Institute
Dominique Giroux, PhD – Université Laval
Marie-Jeanne Kergoat, PhD – Université de Montréal
Heather MacLeod, MSc (OT), OT Reg. (Ont.) – Bruyere Research Institute
Nathalie Veillette, PhD – Université de Montréal
Knowledge Users:
Shaen Gingrich – North East Specialized Geriatric Centre
Jennifer Klein – Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital
Collaborator:
Roy Frederick, CPA – Université de Sherbrooke
Project Contact: Dr. Veronique Provéncher – veronique.provencher@usherbrooke.ca
Key words: frailty; caregivers; hospital discharge; shared decision making; patient-centred care; risk assessment; risk management; independent living; patient autonomy; aging in place