Discharges from the hospital to community-based settings are more difficult for older adults when there is lack of communication, resource sharing, and viable partnerships among service providers in these settings. The researchers captured the perspectives of three different groups of participants from hospitals, independent living centers, and Area Agencies on Aging, which has rarely been done in studies on discharge planning. Findings include identification of barriers in the assessment and referral process (e.g., timing of discharge, inattention to client goals, lack of communication and partnerships between hospital discharge planners and community providers), and strategies for overcoming these barriers. Implications are discussed including potential for Medicaid and Medicare cost reductions due to fewer re-hospitalizations.

More inclusive assisted living admission and discharge criteria, and concomitant staffing and funding, are necessary if the aging-in-place philosophy is to be more fully implemented.

No abstract

Objectives. This methods article examines how characteristics of residential relocation (e.g., housing type) and research design decisions (e.g., level of analysis, geographic scale) influence reported rates for residential relocation among older adults. Methods. Examination of key studies on late-life residential relocation (1992-2005) revealed a wide range of residential mobility rates and factors that contributed to this variation. These rates were rescaled to a common 5-year time period to allow for a degree of comparison across methodological approaches. Results. We identified a wide range of rates for residential relocation in the literature (from 5% to more than 30% for a 5-year time period). Research design decisions accounted for much of the variation in these rates across studies; geographic scale was associated with the greatest amount of variation. Discussion. We translate the findings into concrete suggestions for investigators. The article provides the background needed to identify the research design best suited to the end purpose of studies on residential relocation (e.g., inform economic policy, understand the individual's aging experience, plan for long-term-care systems). These methodological issues are also relevant to other areas of investigation in which relocation influences the variables being studied (e.g., caregiving, urban planning, neighborhood development).

The Reclaiming Joy peer support intervention has potential for reducing depression and increasing quality of life in low-income older adults who have physical health conditions. It is feasible to administer and sustain the intervention through collaborative efforts with minimal program resources and a small amount of technical assistance.