TY - JOUR
T1 - Evaluating social work discharge planning services for elderly people:access, complexity, andoutcome
AU - Oktay, Julianne S.
AU - Steinwachs, Donald M.
AU - Mamon, Joyce
AU - Bone, Lee R.
AU - Fahey, Maureen
N1 - Funding Information:
Julianne S. Oktay, PhD, is Professor, University of Maryland School of Social Work, 525 West Redwood Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. Donald M. Steinwachs, PhD, is Professor, Health Policy and Management, and Director, Health Services Research and Development Center, Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore, MD. Joyce Mamon is AdjunctAssociate Professor in Health Policy and Management and Senior Research Associate, Health Services Research and Development Center, Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore, MD, and Visiting Professor, School of Medicine, Center of Epidemiology and Community Medicine, University ofPadchva, Treviso, Italy. Lee R. Bone, MPH, is Instructor, and Maureen Fahey, MLA, is Senior Research Program Coordinator, Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore, MD. This study was supported under grant HS 054190 from the National Center for Health Services Research. This study would not have been possible without the cooperation of the following participating hospitals: Francis Scott Key, Sinai, St. Agnes, Union Memorial, and University of Maryland.
PY - 1992/11
Y1 - 1992/11
N2 - The discharge planning role of hospital social workers has become increasingly important in services to elderly people. This article examines three issues: (1) the extent to which elderly people most in need receive social work services, (2) the extent to which the discharge planning performed is a professional task, and (3) the effectiveness of discharge planning for those who return to their homes after hospitalization. The study focused on 1, 100 elderly patients from five Baltimore hospitals. Data were gathered from their social workers, from the patients themselves (by phone after discharge), and from medical records. Results show that only a minority of elderly patients who return to the community after hospitalization receive social work services while in the hospital but that those who do are likely to have posthospital needs. In most cases, the discharge planning uses professional skills, but 28 percent of cases are fairly routine. Finally, social work services were effective in reducing the level of unmet needs in the areas of nursing, medication, and physical therapy.
AB - The discharge planning role of hospital social workers has become increasingly important in services to elderly people. This article examines three issues: (1) the extent to which elderly people most in need receive social work services, (2) the extent to which the discharge planning performed is a professional task, and (3) the effectiveness of discharge planning for those who return to their homes after hospitalization. The study focused on 1, 100 elderly patients from five Baltimore hospitals. Data were gathered from their social workers, from the patients themselves (by phone after discharge), and from medical records. Results show that only a minority of elderly patients who return to the community after hospitalization receive social work services while in the hospital but that those who do are likely to have posthospital needs. In most cases, the discharge planning uses professional skills, but 28 percent of cases are fairly routine. Finally, social work services were effective in reducing the level of unmet needs in the areas of nursing, medication, and physical therapy.
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U2 - 10.1093/hsw/17.4.290
DO - 10.1093/hsw/17.4.290
M3 - Article
C2 - 1478555
AN - SCOPUS:0026951625
SN - 0360-7283
VL - 17
SP - 290
EP - 298
JO - Health and Social Work
JF - Health and Social Work
IS - 4
ER -