Study: Poor home care leads elderly to ERs

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LONDON, Aug. 9 (UPI) -- Hundreds of thousands of elderly British citizens wind up in hospital emergency rooms because of poor home care, a study determined.

King's Fund think tank researchers found that 2.3 million overnight stays in the hospital could have been prevented if community healthcare and social services programs worked as well as those in the country's top 25 percent, The Daily Telegraph reported Thursday. The hospital visits amount to 7,000 hospital beds, or the equivalent of several medium-sized hospitals, filled with elderly emergency cases year-round, the newspaper said.

The report said 462 million pounds ($723 million) could be saved by avoiding the hospital visits.

The Telegraph said experts said the findings prove the National Health Service needs to invest in more cost-efficient elder care close to home rather than on more expensive hospital care.

"Our analysis demonstrates a significant opportunity to reduce the overall rate of use of emergency hospital beds by people over 65 while at the same time not threatening and potentially improving the quality of patient care," the report concluded.

Katherine Murphy, chief executive of the Patients Association, called the report "a really important report and its implications need to be recognized."

Jo Webber, deputy director of policy at the NHS Confederation, which represents most health service organizations, called the report's figures "striking."

"They help explain why we in the NHS have been arguing for radical change to the way care is provided," Webber said. "We know in many cases hospital may not be the best place for older people. They can often receive more appropriate and tailored care in their own homes and in community settings."