Factors associated with successful home discharge after inpatient rehabilitation in frail older stroke patients

Multimodal home-based rehabilitation intervention after discharge from inpatient geriatric rehabilitation (GeRas): study protocol for a multicenter randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Geriatric rehabilitation aims to maintain the functional reserves of older adults in order to optimize social participation and prevent disability. After discharge from inpatient geriatric rehabilitation, patients are at high risk for decreased physical capacity, increased vulnerability, and limitations in mobility. As a result, ageing in place becomes uncertain for a plethora of patients after discharge from geriatric rehabilitation and effective strategies to prevent physical decline are required. Collaboration between different health-care providers is essential to improve continuity of care after discharge from inpatient geriatric rehabilitation. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a multi-professional home-based intervention program (GeRas) to improve functional capacity and social participation in older persons after discharge from inpatient geriatric rehabilitation.

METHODS

The study is a multicenter, three-arm, randomized controlled trial with a three-month intervention period. Two hundred and seventy community-dwelling older people receiving inpatient geriatric rehabilitation will be randomized with a 1:1:1 ratio to one of the parallel intervention groups (conventional IG or tablet IG) or the control group (CG). The participants of both IGs will receive a home-based physical exercise program supervised by physical therapists, a nutritional recommendation by a physician, and social counseling by social workers of the health insurance company. The collaboration between the health-care providers and management of participants will be realized within a cloud environment based on a telemedicine platform and supported by multi-professional case conferences. The CG will receive usual care, two short handouts on general health-related topics, and facultative lifestyle counseling with general recommendations for a healthy diet and active ageing. The primary outcomes will be the physical capacity measured by the Short Physical Performance Battery and social participation assessed by the modified Reintegration to Normal Living Index, three months after discharge.

DISCUSSION

The GeRas program is designed to improve the collaboration between health-care providers in the transition from inpatient geriatric rehabilitation to outpatient settings. Compared to usual care, it is expected to improve physical capacity and participation in geriatric patients after discharge from inpatient geriatric rehabilitation.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS00029559). Registered on October 05, 2022.

Prediction of Discharge Destination After Inpatient Rehabilitation for Stroke Using Mobility and Self-Care Assessment in Section GG of the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility - Patient Assessment Instrument

Objective

To determine the ability of Section GG of the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility - Patient Assessment Inventory (Section GG)'s quantification of mobility and self-care to predict discharge destination for persons with stroke after inpatient rehabilitation.

Design

Retrospective, observational cohort study.

Setting

150-bed inpatient rehabilitation facility within a metropolitan health system.

Participants

Consecutive sample of adults and older adults with stroke admitted for inpatient rehabilitation from January 2020 to June 2021 (N=1051). Subjects were excluded for discharge to acute care or hospice or if they had COVID-19.

Intervention

None.

Main Outcome Measures

Section GG self-care and mobility scores used in reimbursement formulation by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid at admission to inpatient rehabilitation; age; sex; prior living situation; discharge setting. Logistic regression examined binary comparisons of discharge destinations. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves determined cut-off admission Section GG scores for binary comparisons.

Results

Logistic regression demonstrated that presence of a caregiver in the home was consistently the strongest predictor (P<.001) and admission Section GG scores were significant secondary factors in determining the discharge destination. An admission Section GG cut-off score of 33.5 determined home with homecare vs skilled nursing facility and a cut-off of 36.5 determined discharge to home with outpatient care vs skilled nursing facility.

Conclusion

Clinicians responsible for discharge decisions for patients with stroke after inpatient rehabilitation might start by determining the presence of a caregiver in the home and then use Section GG cut-off scores to guide decisions about home (with or without homecare) vs SNF destinations. Such guidance is not advised for the home with outpatient services vs home with homecare decision; clinical judgment is needed to determine the best discharge plan because this ROC had a less robust area under the curve. Sex and race/ethnicity were not determining factors for binary choices of discharge destinations.

Physical functioning factors predicting a return home after stroke rehabilitation: A systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

This systematic review and meta-analysis sought to identify the physical functioning factors associated with home discharge after inpatient stroke rehabilitation.

DATA SOURCES

A search of PubMed, Embase, CINHAL, The Cochrane Library (Trials), Web of Science, and PEDro were conducted up until May 2023.

METHODS

Two independent reviewers selected studies for population (patients with stroke), predictive factors (physical functioning), outcome (discharge destination), setting (inpatient rehabilitation), and study designs (observational and experimental studies). Predictive factors were identified among assessments of the "body function" and "activity" components of the International Classification of Functioning. Methodological quality was assessed with the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. The findings used quantitative and narrative syntheses. Meta-analyses were performed with the inverse variance method and the random-effects model using included studies with sufficient data.

RESULTS

Forty-five studies were included with 204,787 participants. Included studies assessed the association of independence in activities of daily living, walking, rolling, transferring, and balance on admission with a probability of returning home. Motor (odds ratio = 1.23, 95% confidence interval: 1.12-1.35, p < .001) and total (odds ratio = 1.34, 95% confidence interval: 1.14-1.57, p < .001) Functional Independence Measure scores on admission were significantly associated with home discharge in meta-analyses. Additionally, included studies showed that independence in motor activities, such as sitting, transferring, and walking, and scores above thresholds for the Functional Independence Measure and Berg Balance Scale on admission were associated with discharge destination.

CONCLUSION

This review showed that higher independence in activities of daily living on admission is associated with home discharge after inpatient stroke rehabilitation.

How Might We Have Known? Using Administrative Data to Predict 30-Day Hospital Readmission in Clients Receiving Home Care Services from 2018 to 2021

Background

Reducing hospital readmissions can improve individual health outcomes and lower system-level costs. This study aimed to understand the characteristics of home care Personal Support clients who experienced a hospital admission (ie, hospital hold) and to identify factors that predict hospital readmission within 30 days of resuming home care Personal Support services.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study using client administrative data from a home healthcare provider organization (2018-2021). The sample included clients (⩾18 years) who received publicly funded Personal Support services and experienced a hospital hold. Descriptive statistics and a binary logistic regression model analyzed the relationship between demographics, hospital service utilization, home care service utilization, and contextual factors on the outcome of 30-day hospital readmission.

Results

Approximately 17% (n = 662) of all clients with a hospital hold (n = 3992) were readmitted to hospital within 30 days. Compared with non-readmitted clients, those with greater home care Personal Support service intensity after the index hospital hold were less likely to experience a hospital 30-day readmission. In contrast, those with greater acuity, higher assessed care needs, more hospital holds overall, more extended hospital stays (⩾2 weeks), and lower social support had a higher likelihood of 30-day hospital readmission.

Conclusion

The findings from this study provide a greater understanding of factors associated with home care clients' risk of hospital readmission within 30 days and can be used to inform targeted, evidence-based support to reduce home care clients' hospital readmissions.

Urinary dysfunction in patients with vascular cognitive impairment

Vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) is caused by vascular pathologies, with the spectrum of cognitive disorders ranging from subjective cognitive dysfunction to dementia. Particularly among older adults, cognitive impairment is often complicated with urinary dysfunction (UD); some patients may present with UD before cognitive impairment owing to stroke or even when there are white matter hyperintensities on imaging studies. Patients with cognitive impairment often have both language and movement dysfunction, and thus, UD in patients with VCI can often be underdiagnosed and remain untreated. UD has an impact on the quality of life of patients and caregivers, often leading to poor outcomes. Medical history is an important aspect and should be taken from both patients and their caregivers. Clinical assessment including urinalysis, voiding diary, scales on UD and cognitive impairment, post-void residual volume measurement, uroflowmetry, and (video-) urodynamics should be performed according to indication. Although studies on UD with VCI are few, most of them show that an overactive bladder (OAB) is the most common UD type, and urinary incontinence is the most common symptom. Normal urine storage and micturition in a specific environment are complex processes that require a sophisticated neural network. Although there are many studies on the brain-urinary circuit, the specific circuit involving VCI and UD remains unclear. Currently, there is no disease-modifying pharmacological treatment for cognitive impairment, and anti-acetylcholine drugs, which are commonly used to treat OAB, may cause cognitive impairment, leading to a vicious circle. Therefore, it is important to understand the complex interaction between UD and VCI and formulate individualized treatment plans. This review provides an overview of research advances in clinical features, imaging and pathological characteristics, and treatment options of UD in patients with VCI to increase subject awareness, facilitate research, and improve diagnosis and treatment rates.

A Qualitative Study Exploring Rehabilitant and Informal Caregiver Perspectives of a Challenging Rehabilitation Environment for Geriatric Rehabilitation

There is a trend toward formalization of the rehabilitation process for older rehabilitants in a Challenging Rehabilitation Environment (CRE). This concept involves the comprehensive organization of care, support, and environment in rehabilitation wards. So far, literature about the principles of CRE is scarce. This study aims to explore the opinions of rehabilitants and informal caregivers regarding CRE, through a qualitative study between 2019 and 2020. Three telephone interviews were conducted with informal caregivers, and also 3 focus groups with 15 rehabilitants and 3 informal caregivers, all with recent experience in rehabilitation. Nine themes emerged regarding the rehabilitation process: (1) rehabilitant (attention for resilience, motivation, cognitive and emotional aspects), (2) rehabilitant centered (goal setting, physical and cognitive functioning and coping), (3) informal caregivers (involving and attention for resilience and relation), (4) communication (aligning the rehabilitation process), (5) exercise (increasing intensity by using task-oriented exercise, patient-regulated exercise, and group training), (6) peer support (learning experiences and recognition), (7) daily schedule (influence on the planning and activities outside therapy), (8) nutrition (energy for rehabilitation), and (9) eHealth (makes rehabilitation more challenging and fun). Regarding organizational processes, 4 themes were identified: (1) environmental aspects (single bedrooms, shared room for activities and therapy options on the ward), (2) staff aspects (small team with an emphatic supportive and motivating attitude), (3) organizational aspects (organized in an efficient way), and (4) return home (the discharge process should be well prepared for instance with home visits). Organizing excellent rehabilitation care requires a thorough understanding of the concept of CRE, as it is a complex and comprehensive concept that concerns the whole rehabilitation process. Its effectiveness and efficiency should be researched in prospective studies.

Medication self-management interventions for persons with stroke: A scoping review

The use of multiple medications is common following a stroke for secondary prevention and management of co-occurring chronic conditions. Given the use of multiple medications post-stroke, optimizing medication self-management for this population is important. The objective of this scoping review was to identify and summarize what has been reported in the literature on interventions related to medication self-management for adults (aged 18+) with stroke. Electronic databases (Ovid Medline, Ovid Embase, EBSCO CINAHL, Ovid PsycINFO, Web of Science) and grey literature were searched to identify relevant articles. For inclusion, articles were required to include an adult population with stroke undergoing an intervention aimed at modifying or improving medication management that incorporated a component of self-management. Two independent reviewers screened the articles for inclusion. Data were extracted and summarized using descriptive content analysis. Of the 56 articles that met the inclusion criteria, the focus of most interventions was on improvement of secondary stroke prevention through risk factor management and lifestyle modifications. The majority of studies included medication self-management as a component of a broader intervention. Most interventions used both face-to-face interactions and technology for delivery. Behavioural outcomes, specifically medication adherence, were the most commonly targeted outcomes across the interventions. However, the majority of interventions did not specifically or holistically target medication self-management. There is an opportunity to better support medication self-management post-stroke by ensuring interventions are delivered across sectors or in the community, developing an understanding of the optimal frequency and duration of delivery, and qualitatively exploring experiences with the interventions to ensure ongoing improvement.

Relationship between Dysphagia and Home Discharge among Older Patients Receiving Hospital Rehabilitation in Rural Japan: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Dysphagia refers to swallowing difficulty, which impacts patients' quality of life. Dysphagia influences clinical outcomes, including mortality rates and length of hospital stay of older hospitalized patients. Dysphagia may affect the current and future quality of life of these patients. However, its exact impact remains unclear. We aimed to clarify the impact of dysphagia on discharge to home in older patients in a rural rehabilitation unit. We conducted a secondary analysis using data from a retrospective cohort study including patients aged over 65 years who had been discharged from a community hospital rehabilitation unit in rural Japan. Data from the participants had been previously collected from April 2016 to March 2020. The primary outcome was home discharge. The average participant age was 82.1 (standard deviation, 10.8) years; 34.5% were men. Among medical conditions, brain stroke (44.3%) was the most frequent reason for admission; the most frequent orthopedic condition was femoral fracture (42.9%). The presence of dysphagia (odds ratio [OR] = 0.38, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.20-0.73), polypharmacy (OR = 0.5, 95% CI: 0.32-0.90), and admission for internal medicine diseases (OR = 0.44, 95% CI: 0.26-0.77) were negatively associated with home discharge. High motor domain scores of the Functional Independence Measure were positively associated with home discharge (OR = 1.07, 95% CI: 1.05-1.08). Dysphagia was negatively associated with home discharge as were polypharmacy and admission for internal medicine diseases and conditions. By clarifying effective interventions through interventional studies, including approaches to managing multimorbidity and polypharmacy through interprofessional collaboration, the health conditions of older patients in rural areas may be improved.

Clarification of Factors Determining Discharge Destination Among Elderly Patients After Stroke With Low Levels of Independence in Activities of Daily Living: A Retrospective Study

Objective

To determine factors influencing discharge destination of elderly patients after stroke with low levels of independence in activities of daily living (ADL).

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

A community-based public hospital in a rural area in Japan.

Participants

A total of 67 patients with low daily function among 205 elderly patients with stroke screened for eligibility (N=67).

Interventions

Not applicable.

Main Outcome Measures

Motor component of functional independence measure (M-FIM) at discharge and discharge destination-home or long-term care facility (LCF).

Results

Among the 205 eligible patients, 147 were discharged home and 58 were discharged to LCFs. Patients with an M-FIM score of ≤30 at discharge were defined as patients deemed difficult to discharge home because of low independence levels in ADL. Of the 147 patients discharged home, 24 (16.3%) had M-FIM scores of ≤30. Of the 58 patients discharged to LCFs, 43 (74.1%) had M-FIM scores of ≤30. Patients with an M-FIM score of ≤30 at discharge significantly tended to be discharged home if they obtained oral intake vs tube feeding as a nutritional method (P=.047) and higher cognitive component of FIM scores at discharge (P=.002). All six patients who lived alone among patients with an M-FIM score of ≤30 were discharged to LCFs. Two patients on tube feeding were discharged home.

Conclusions

Nutritional method, cognitive function at discharge, and the prestroke living situation with or without household caregivers are important factors of discharge among elderly patients after stroke with low independence levels in ADL. However, only a small number of severely disabled patients were successfully discharged home.

Polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medications in stroke rehabilitation: prevalence and association with outcomes

Background Evidence is scarce regarding polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) in rehabilitation medicine. Aim To investigate the prevalence of polypharmacy and PIMs and their association with outcomes in stroke rehabilitation. Method A retrospective cohort study was conducted with 849 older inpatients post-stroke. Polypharmacy was defined as six or more medications, and PIMs were defined based on Beers criteria 2019. Study outcomes included functional independence measure (FIM)-motor, FIM-cognitive, energy intake, dysphagia, length of hospital stay, and the rate of home discharge. To consider the effect of pharmacotherapy during rehabilitation, multivariate analyses were used to determine whether the presence of polypharmacy or PIMs at discharge was associated with outcomes. Results After enrollment, 361 patients (mean age 78.3 ± 7.7 years; 49.3% male) were analyzed. Polypharmacy was observed in 43.8% and 62.9% of patients, and any PIMs were observed in 64.8% and 65.4% of patients at admission and discharge, respectively. The most frequently prescribed PIMs included antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, and proton pump inhibitors. Polypharmacy was negatively associated with FIM-motor score (β = - 0.062, P = 0.049), FIM-cognitive score (β = - 0.076, P = 0.014), energy intake (β = - 0.143, P = 0.005), and home discharge (OR: 0.458; 95% CI: 0.248, 0.847; P = 0.013). PIMs were negatively associated with home discharge (OR: 0.375; 95% CI: 0.195, 0.718; P = 0.003). Conclusion Polypharmacy and PIMs are commonly found among older patients undergoing stroke rehabilitation. Moreover, polypharmacy was negatively associated with activities of daily living (ADL) but not with PIMs and ADLs, and both were associated with home discharge.

Development of a Readiness for Hospital Discharge assessment tool in Thai patients with stroke

Background

The transition from hospital to home among patients with stroke is quite challenging. If the patients are not ready for hospital discharge, their condition may worsen, which also causes a high rate of readmission. Although instruments to measure readiness for hospital discharge exist, none of them fit with the Thailand context.

Objective

This study aimed to develop a Readiness for Hospital Discharge assessment tool in Thai patients with stroke.

Methods

The study was conducted from February to September 2020, which consisted of several steps: 1) conducting an extensive literature review, 2) content validity with five experts, 3) pilot testing with 30 samples, and 4) field testing with 348 participants. Content validity index (CVI) was used to measure the content validity, Cronbach's alpha and inter-item correlation to evaluate reliability, and multiple logistic regression analysis to measure the construct validity.

Results

The findings showed good validity and reliability, with I-CVI of 0.85, Cronbach's alpha of 0.94, and corrected item-total correlation ranging from 0.43 to 0.86. The construct validity was demonstrated through the results of regression analysis showing that the nine variables include level of consciousness (OR = 0.544; CI 95% = 0.311 - 0.951), verbal response (OR = 0.445; 95% CI 0.272- 0.729), motor power right leg (OR = 0.165; 95% CI 0.56- 0.485), visual field (OR = 0.188; 95% CI 0.60-0.587), dysphagia (OR = 0.618; 95% CI 0.410-0.932), mobility (OR = 0.376; 95% CI 0.190 - 0.741), self-feeding (OR = 0.098; 95% CI 0.036 -0.265), bathing (OR = 0.099; 95% CI 0.026-0.378), and bladder control (OR = 0.589; 95% CI 0.355-0.977) that significantly influenced the hospital readmission within 30 days in patients with stroke.

Conclusion

The Readiness for Hospital Discharge assessment tool is valid and reliable. Healthcare providers, especially nurses, can use this tool to assess discharge conditions for patients with stroke with greater accuracy in predicting hospital readmission.

Cognitive Status Predicts Return to Functional Independence After Minor Stroke: A Decision Tree Analysis

About two-thirds of patients with minor strokes are discharged home. However, these patients may have difficulties returning to their usual living activities. To investigate the factors associated with successful home discharge, our aim was to provide a decision tree (based on clinical data) that could identify if a patient discharged home could return to pre-stroke activities and to perform an external validation of this decision tree on an independent cohort. Two cohorts of patients with minor strokes gathered from stroke registries at the Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière and University Hospital Bern were included in this study (n = 105 for the construction cohort coming from France; n = 100 for the second cohort coming from Switzerland). The decision tree was built using the classification and regression tree (CART) analysis on the construction cohort. It was then applied to the validation cohort. Accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, false positive, and false-negative rates were reported for both cohorts. In the construction cohort, 60 patients (57%) returned to their usual, pre-stroke level of independence. The CART analysis produced a decision tree with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) as the first decision point, followed by discharge NIHSS score or age, and then by the occupational status. The overall prediction accuracy to the favorable outcome was 80% in the construction cohort and reached 72% accuracy in the validation cohort. This decision tree highlighted the role of cognitive function as a crucial factor for patients to return to their usual activities after a minor stroke. The algorithm may help clinicians to tailor planning of patients' discharge.

Prevalence of Walking Limitation After Acute Stroke and Its Impact on Discharge to Home

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to provide contemporary estimates of the prevalence of lower extremity motor impairment and walking limitation after first-ever stroke and to characterize the predictive nature of early walking ability for being discharged home after acute hospitalization.

METHODS

In this cohort study, data were collected from a metropolitan acute care hospital in Canada at admission for 487 adults with first-ever acute ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke. Lower extremity motor impairment and walking limitation were measured using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale and AlphaFIM, respectively. Parallel multivariable logistic regression models were built to predict discharge home after acute hospitalization compared with further hospitalization.

RESULTS

For patients surviving a first-ever stroke, 44.1% presented with some degree of lower extremity motor impairment and 46.0% were unable to walk. In a multivariable model built around a binary classification of walking (Nagelkerke R2 = 0.41), those with any ability to walk at admission (with or without therapist assistance) had 9.48 times greater odds of being discharged home (odds ratio = 9.48, 95% CI = 6.11-14.92) than those who were unable. In a parallel multivariable model built around an ordinal classification of walking (Nagelkerke R2 = 0.49), patients had 2.07 times greater odds (odds ratio = 2.07, 95% CI = 1.82-2.38) of being discharged home for each increment on a 6-point walking scale (total dependence to complete independence) assessed at acute admission.

CONCLUSION

Approximately one-half of patients with first-ever stroke present with lower extremity weakness and walking limitation. Early walking ability is a significant predictor of returning home after acute hospitalization, independent of stroke severity. Discharge planning may be facilitated early after stroke with the familiar assessment of walking ability.

IMPACT

An early assessment of walking function within days of stroke admission can help to streamline discharge planning.

LAY SUMMARY

Nearly one-half of all individuals who experience a first-time stroke have walking difficulty when they arrive at the hospital. The severity of the walking limitation can predict whether a patient will eventually be discharged home or go on to further hospitalization.

Identifying the Association Between Older Adults' Characteristics and Their Health-Related Outcomes in a Transition Care Setting: A Retrospective Audit

Introduction: Continued evaluation of Transition Care Programs (TCP) is essential to improving older adults' outcomes and can guide which older adults may benefit from undertaking TCP. The aim of this study was to audit a transition care service to identify the association between the characteristics of older adults undertaking a facility-based TCP and (i) discharge destination and (ii) functional improvement.

Materials and methods: An audit (n = 169) of older adults aged 60 years and above who completed a facility-based TCP in Australia was conducted. Outcomes audited were performance of activities of daily living (ADL) measured using the Modified Barthel Index (MBI) and discharge destination. Data were analyzed using logistic regression and linear mixed modeling.

Results: Older adults [mean age 84.2 (±8.3) years] had a median TCP stay of 38 days. Fifty-four older adults (32.0%) were discharged home, 20 (11.8%) were readmitted to hospital and 93 (55%) were admitted to permanent residential aged care. Having no cognitive impairment [OR = 0.41 (95% CI 0.18-0.93)], being independent with ADL at admission [OR = 0.41 (95% CI 0.16-1.00)] and a pre-planned team goal of home discharge [OR = 24.98 (95% CI 5.47-114.15)] was significantly associated with discharge home. Cases discharged home showed greater improvement in functional ability [MBI 21.3 points (95% CI 17.0-25.6)] compared to cases discharged to other destinations [MBI 9.6 points (95% CI 6.5-12.7)].

Conclusion: Auditing a facility-based TCP identified that older adults who were independent in ADL and had good cognitive levels were more likely to be discharged home. Older adults with cognitive impairment also made clinically significant functional improvements.

Socio-environmental predictive factors for discharge destination after inpatient rehabilitation in patients with stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE

To identify which of the socio-environmental factors of patients with stroke are predictive for discharge to their home after inpatient rehabilitation. Because discharge planning is a key component of rehabilitation, it is important to recognize the predictive factors for a discharge home. Other systematic reviews demonstrated the value of functional outcome measures. This review adds to the current literature by assessing the predictive value of socio-environmental factors, which shape the context in which a person lives.

METHODS

We performed a systematic search in seven databases. Two independent reviewers selected studies and assessed them for methodological quality. We extracted data to estimate pooled odds ratio for household situation, social support, ethnicity and socioeconomic status.

RESULTS

Forty studies were included. Significant estimates were found for living with others (OR 2.60; 95%CI 1.84-3.68), having support at home (OR 11.48; 95%CI 6.52-20.21), being married (OR 2.05; 95%CI 1.80-2.33) and living at home before stroke (OR 31.01; 95%CI 7.38-130.18).

CONCLUSION

Living at home and benefiting from social support, including living with others, are important factors to consider during discharge planning after stroke. Further research should consider the impact of socioeconomic status.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONEvaluating the social and environmental factors of patients with stroke plays an important role in discharge planning.Next to functional status, caregiver availability (support at home) is among the strongest predictive factors for discharge home.To assess caregiver availability, the presence of a willing and able caregiver should be surveyed at admission.Further predictive factors for discharge home are cohabitation and marital status.

Nutrition in the First Week after Stroke Is Associated with Discharge to Home

Malnutrition is associated with poor clinical outcomes in stroke patients. The effect of early nutritional intake after admission on home discharge is unclear. We evaluated the impact of energy intake in the first week of hospitalization of acute stroke patients on home discharge and activities of daily living (ADL). A retrospective cohort study was conducted with 201 stroke patients admitted to an acute care hospital in Japan. The energy and protein intake during the first week were evaluated. Multivariate models were used to estimate variables related to discharge destination and ADL at discharge. The cut-off point of nutritional intake for determining the discharge destination was evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic curve. Out of 163 patients included in the analysis, 89 (54.6%) and 74 (45.4%) were discharged home and elsewhere, respectively. Those discharged home had higher energy and protein intake than those discharged elsewhere. In multiple regression analysis, energy intake was independently associated with ADL at discharge and home discharge (odds ratio 1.146). Those with energy intake >20.7 kcal/kg/day had higher ADL at discharge and more patients discharged home than those with energy intake <20.7 kcal/kg/day. Energy intake during the first week affected home discharge in acute stroke patients.

Factors associated with successful rehabilitation in older adults: A systematic review and best evidence synthesis

Purpose; Returning to community living is an indicator for successful rehabilitation in older adults admitted to geriatric rehabilitation. Predicting successful rehabilitation could contribute to the deployment of early discharge planning, and leads to a more custom-made rehabilitation trajectory. This review aims to present an overview of factors associated with successful rehabilitation following inpatient geriatric rehabilitation. Method; A systematic literature review was conducted in PubMed, CINAHL and Embase. Extracted factors were analysed via Bakker's five levels of evidence. Results; Nine studies with methodological quality of good to moderate were included. For 13 of the 18 extracted factors, limited (n=3), moderate (n=5) and conflicting (n=5) evidence found a significant association. Conclusions; Caregiver, comorbidities, motor-function, nutritional status, time from onset are significantly related to successful rehabilitation. These factors could support healthcare professionals to indicate successful rehabilitation at admission and contributes to deployment of early discharge planning and development of more custom-made rehabilitation trajectories.

Precision implementation of early ambulation in elderly patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery: a randomized-controlled clinical trial

Background

Although early ambulation (EA) is associated with improved outcomes in post-operative patients, implementation of EA in elderly patients is still a challenge. In this study, we aimed to design and assess a precision early ambulation program for cardiac rehabilitation.

Methods

We conducted a single-center, randomized and controlled clinical trial in elderly patients aged over 60 years after off-pump coronary artery bypass graft (OPCABG) surgery. Patients were randomly assigned to a precision early ambulation (PEA) group or a routine ambulation (Control) group. Age-predicted maximal heart rate (APMHR) and maximal oxygen uptake (VO_2max) were used as a reference to formulate and monitor the PEA regimen. The primary end-point was the postoperative length of stay in hospital (PLOS). The secondary end-points included 90-day mortality, incidence of early discharge, laboratory tests, length of ICU stay, the incidence of multiple organ complications and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Ambulation outcomes were also recorded.

Results

In total, 178 patients were enrolled (n = 89 per group). In the intent-to-treat analysis, PLOS in the PEA group was shorter than that in the Control group (9.04 ± 3.08 versus 10.09 ± 3.32 days, respectively. Mean difference 1.045 days; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.098–1.992; P = 0.031 in the unadjusted model; mean difference 0.957 days; CI 0.007–1.907; P = 0.048 in adjusted model). The incidence of early discharge differed significantly between the PEA and control groups (41[46.1%] versus 24[27.0%] patients, respectively. Odds ratio [OR] 0.432; CI 0.231–0.809; P = 0.009 in unadjusted model; OR 0.466; CI 0.244–0.889, P = 0.02 in adjusted model). The time of first bowel movement, partial pressure O₂ and post-traumatic stress disorder score in the PEA group were better than those in the Control group. Participants walked much longer distances on day 3 in the PEA group than those in the Control group (76.12 ± 29.02 versus 56.80 ± 24.40 m, respectively, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

APMHR and VO_2max are valuable for implementation of PEA according to an established security threshold. PEA after OPCAPG surgery is safe and reliable for elderly patients, not only reducing the hospital stay, but also improving their physiological and psychological symptoms.

Trial registration

This study is a component of a protocol retrospectively registered: Application of ERAS in cardiovascular surgery. Trial registration number: ChiCTR1800018167. Date of registration: 3rd September, 2018. URL of trial registry record: http://www.chictr.org.cn/index.aspx