ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with aspects of the discharge of elderly patients from hospital, and is an attempt to infuse the issues with the flavour of everyday work on the wards. Problems with discharge arising in the patient are mainly associated with mental impairment or physical disability or both. Some problems with the discharge of elderly people from hospital arise from care in clinical settings that are not well-tuned to their needs Clinical decisions, involve drawing up a balance for the individual between the likely benefits and the risks, a process in which the physician’s ideal role is as advisor to the patient, whose wishes should be paramount. Professional carers based in the community can also affect hospital admissions and discharges, both formally through their input to the rehabilitation team and informally through their reaction to problems or simply their availability.
