Report: NH hospital discharges delayed for older patients with nowhere to go

A recent study by the Foundation for Healthy Communities found frequent delays in hospital discharges for medically cleared patients in New Hampshire. Data collected from 21 acute care hospitals in the state revealed that over half of affected patients were over the age of 65. The biggest barrier to timely discharge was access to a nursing home bed. Other barriers included insurance and Medicaid issues and the sometimes lengthy process of establishing a guardian for older patients. Mental health is often a barrier as well. The study found an average discharge delay of 20 days - though there are some mentally ill patients that can remain in hospital beds for over 50 days.