Adequacy of home care and hospital readmission for elderly congestive heart failure patients

Readmission to acute care facilities is a frequent and costly problem among older adults with congestive heart failure (CHF). The study reported in th is article tested the hypothesis that adequate home rare, operationalized a s patient-perceived adequacy of formal and informal assistance, is associat ed with lower readmission to acute care facilities. The study followed 253 elderly (age 65 and older) Medicare patients discharged to their homes afte r hospitalization for CHF, through structured telephone interviews at. two, six, 10, and 14 weeks postdischarge. Study findings point to the importanc e of home care in reducing the high risk of readmission among elderly patie nts. The findings raise implications for practice, policy, and research.