Hospital Discharge: A Descriptive Study of the Patient Journey for Frail Older People with Complex Needs

This paper reports on a descriptive study using locally available health and social care data relating to the patient journey of a cohort of frail, older people with complex health and social care needs. The study identifies contact with social care services and some health services prior to hospital admission, charts the patient journey in hospital, and provides information on discharge destinations. The findings have implications for the discharge planning process and the improvement of community care services, including intermediate care.