Health and Disability

More than $8 million in federal funding aimed at keeping people away from nursing homes started arriving in seven states Tuesday. Most of the money will be used to build hospital-discharge planning processes that emphasize home- and community-based care programs, officials said

Norman DeLisle, MDRC
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According to a meta-analysis published in The Lancet, elderly people can improve physical function and live more independently if provided with complex interventions such as preventive home visits and community-based care after hospital discharge. The study of over 90,000 elderly people also led authors to conclude that well-developed services for the elderly should not be withdrawn.

Elderly people tend to have reduced physical capabilities, which leads to increased dependence on others, a need for hospital and long-term nursing-home care, and premature death. Community-based complex interventions seek to preserve physical function and independence in elderly people. Researchers were interested in assessing the efficacy of interventions such as preventive home visits, care after hospital discharge, fall prevention, and education and counseling in a group setting.