Gerontology & Geriatric Research

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Transitional Care for Older Adults: The Need for New Approaches to Support Family Caregivers

Constance R. Uphold

The importance of high quality transitional care in improving the outcomes of patients and families has gained increased attention. Transitional care is defined as actions designed to ensure coordination and continuity of care between levels of health care and across care settings. It is well known that when patients move between care settings untoward events often occur. For example, poor transitions in care can result in low patient satisfaction, serious medication errors, and increased use of emergency room services and unnecessary ambulatory care visits. In addition, lack of quality transitional care can result in high rates of rapid hospital readmissions -- the majority of which are potentially preventable. Older adults are particularly vulnerable to breakdown in continuity and coordination of care between settings, because they have multiple chronic diseases and complicated therapies.