The quality of life of older adults acutely admitted to the emergency department: A cross-sectional study

Nurs Open. 2022 Jul;9(4):2130-2138. doi: 10.1002/nop2.1223. Epub 2022 Apr 30.

Abstract

Aim: To investigate perceptions of individual QoL among acutely admitted older adults and explore whether homecare and readmission were associated with QoL.

Design: A cross-sectional study at three Danish Emergency Departments.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews, using the Schedule for the Evaluation of Individual Quality of Life - Direct Weighting (SEIQol-DW) (range 0-100) with patients ≥65 years, were conducted from August 2018 to July 2019. The differences between patients receiving homecare (yes/no) and readmission (yes/no) were tested using linear regression analyses with bootstrap procedures.

Results: Overall, we included 406 patients, of whom 38% received homecare. The mean SEIQoL-DW-score was 76 (SD = 19). The most important areas of individual QoL were Family, Social activities, Health, Everyday life and Leisure activities. Receiving homecare was associated to a significantly lower QoL score: -8 (SE = 2) and a significantly lower score in the categories Family and Health. There was no association between readmission and QoL.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03762941.

Keywords: emergency departments; home care; older people; readmission; schedule for the evaluation of individual quality of life.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Emergency Service, Hospital
  • Hospitalization*
  • Humans
  • Quality of Life*

Associated data

  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT03762941