Discharge home after acute stroke: Differences between older and younger patients

OBJECTIVE: To identify determinants for discharge destination of older (≥ 70 years) and younger (< 70 years) acute stroke patients. DESIGN: Multicentre prospective cohort. PATIENTS: A total of 395 patients, within 7 days of clinically evaluated stroke, were included from 6 hospital stroke units. METHODS: The main outcome measure was discharge destination (home vs clinical rehabilitation). Independent variables were: demographic factors, stroke characteristics, functional impairments and disabilities, cognition, comorbidity, and premorbid social participation. Multivariate logistic regression analysis established the independent strength of the contribution of possible determinants to discharge destination. RESULTS: Seventy-six percent of younger patients were discharged home, compared with 63% of older patients. Most of the younger patients discharged to clinical rehabilitation (71%) had a spouse, whereas only 40% of the older age group discharged to clinical rehabilitation had a spouse. Multivariate analysis showed that, besides National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale and Barthel Index scores, having a spouse was an important determinant for discharge home in the older age group (adjusted odds ratio 4.77, 95% confidence interval 2.01-11.31), but not in the younger age group. CONCLUSION: The presence of a spouse is an additional important factor determining discharge home in older stroke patients. It is important to monitor and support informal caregivers in order to provide appropriate care for older community-dwelling stroke patients.