Actual conditions for returning home after hospitalization among older patients receiving home medical care in Japan: OHCARE Study

Aim: To examine the actual conditions of older patients receiving home medical care after hospitalization over a period of 2 years in Japan.Methods: The study population included 102 participants, aged >= 65 years, receiving home medical care, who consented to participate in the Osaka Home Care Registry (OHCARE) study in Japan over a period of 2 years. We investigated the actual conditions for returning home after hospitalization.Results: The median age of the 102 participants was 84 years, and 61 (59.8%) were women. In the group that returned home, 42 (55.3%) of the respondents desired to recuperate in a familiar place, as in advanced care planning (ACP). During the 2-year follow-up period, the group that did not return home had significantly more deaths. A multivariate analysis showed the association in the presence of ACP (odds ratio: 4.72, 95% confidence interval: 1.60-13.86) and cardiac disease (odds ratio: 0.25, 95% confidence interval: 0.08-0.76). The lack of ACP in the medical records when the patient was admitted to the hospital may have prevented the return home.Conclusion: In older patients who had difficulty returning home after hospitalization, the lack of ACP in home medical care may have been an influencing factor. ACP could help continue with home medical care.