TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2008//
TI  - Fall-related hospitalization and facility costs among residents of institutions providing long-term care
JO  - Gerontologist
A1  - Carroll, Norman V.
A1  - Delafuente, Jeffrey C.
A1  - Cox, Fred M.
A1  - Narayanan, Siva
SP  - 213
EP  - 222
VL  - 48
IS  - 2
N2  - PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to estimate hospital and long-term-care costs resulting from falls in long-term-care facilities (LTCFs). DESIGN AND METHODS: The study used a retrospective, pre/post with comparison group design. We used matching, based on propensity scores, to control for baseline differences between fallers and non-fallers. We estimated residents' propensity to fall from demographics, comorbidities, and reimbursement in the pre-period. The matched sample included 1,130 fallers and 1,130 non-fallers who were residents of a large, multifacility long-term-care chain. Cost estimates were based on information in the Minimum Data Set and were defined as hospital and LTCF reimbursements. We estimated fall-related costs as the difference between changes in costs for fallers and non-fallers from the pre- to post-period. RESULTS: Fallers were substantially more likely to suffer fractures and hospitalizations in the post-period than were non-fallers. Fall-related LTCF and hospital costs were $6,259 (95% confidence interval = $2,034-$10,484) per resident per year. About 60% of this amount was attributable to higher hospitalization costs. Fallers were more likely to be discharged to hospitals or to die. IMPLICATIONS: Falls in LTCFs are associated with costs of about $6,200 per resident per year. These results provide baseline estimates that one may use to estimate the cost-effectiveness of interventions to reduce fall rates.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0016-9013
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/
ID  - ref1
ER  -