Table 1 Characteristics of the study sample and comparison between discharged and hospitalised patients

Age, mean (SD)

83.6 (4.8)

83.1 (5.0)

83.8 (4.7)

.207

Female, n (%)

264 (60.4)

77 (65.8)

190 (58.5)

.163

Living situation, n (%)

.233

 - Home, alone

155 (35.1)

37 (31.6)

118 (36.3)

 - Home, together

225 (50.9)

60 (51.3)

165 (50.8)

 - Residential care

62 (14.0)

20 (17.1)

42 (12.9)

Nursing care at home, n (%)

123 (32.6)

25 (26.0)

98 (34.9)

.111

Home care, n (%)

48 (12.7)

7 (0.07)

41 (14.6)

.060

Physiotherapy, n (%)

40 (10.6)

10 (10.2)

30 (10.7)

.896

Meals on wheels, n (%)

59 (15.6)

10 (10.2)

49 (17.4)

.089

Cleaning help, n (%)

172 (45.4)

45 (45.9)

127 (45.2)

.902

Shopping assistance, n (%)

241 (63.8)

53 (53.0)

188 (67.6)

.009

Help for finances, n (%)

199 (52.5)

42 (42.0)

157 (56.3)

.014

Personal alarm system, n (%)

54 (14.0)

11 (11.1)

43 (15.0)

.333

ADL, Me (Q1-Q3)

7 (6–10)

6 (6–8)

7 (6–10)

.045

Number of medications at home, mean (SD)

7.8 (4.1)

7.2 (3.8)

8.0 (4.1)

.058

ESI, n (%)*

.188

 - 1

1 (0.3)

-

1 (0.4)

 - 2

153 (39.7)

41 (39.0)

112 (40.0)

 - 3

199 (51.7)

47 (44.8)

152 (54.3)

 - 4

31 (8.1)

17 (16.2)

14 (5.0)

 - 5

1 (0.3)

-

1 (0.4)

CIRS, mean (SD)

13.9 (4.9)

12.5 (5.1)

14.5 (4.8)

<.001

Get up and go independent, n (%)

281 (63.6)

91 (77.8)

190 (58.5)

<.001

Falls in the last year, n (%)

234 (53.4)

63 (54.8)

171 (52.9)

.734

Pain^$, n (%)

171 (39.3)

45 (39.1)

126 (39.4)

.963

Nutritional status

<.001

 - Malnourished

100 (22.6)

20 (17.1)

80 (24.6)

 - Risk for malnutrition

229 (51.8)

52 (44.4)

177 (54.5)

 - Normal nutritional status

113 (25.6)

45 (38.5)

68 (20.9)

Sweet 16, mean (SD)

10.8 (3.8)

11.5 (3.8)

10.6 (3.8)

.028

Delirium, n (%)

35 (8.1)

5 (4.3)

30 (9.5)

.080

Risk for depression, n (%)

123 (29.4)

25 (22.7)

98 (31.8)

.072

IQ-code, mean (SD)

55.9 (9.5)

53.6 (8.9)

56.9 (9.6)

.055

Wounds, n (%)

68 (15.4)

17 (14.5)

51 (15.7)

.765

Last hospitalisation <3 months, n (%)

97 (22.9)

24 (20.9)

73 (23.7)

.538

Length of ED stay in hours, Me (Q1-Q3)

12 h17 (8 h03-23 h55)

8 h39 (5 h55-18 h32)

13 h41 (8 h49-25 h34)

<.001