Korean J Geriatr Gerontol.  2025 Apr;26(1):40-46. 10.15656/kjgg.2025.26.1.40.

Factors Related to Discharge Intention among Medical Aid Inpatients Admitted from Long-Term Care Hospitals

• Lee YJ
• Song H

• KMID: 2567824
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.15656/kjgg.2025.26.1.40

Abstract

Background
This study aimed to identify the intention to and factors of intention to discharge of medical aid recipients who are long-term hospitalized in long-term care hospitals.
Methods
A person-to-person interview survey was administered to medical aid patients admitted to long-term care hospitals for ≥91 days. Based on Andersen’s model, the intention to discharge and predisposing, enabling, and need factors were dependent and independent variables, respectively.
Results
The factors of intention to discharge were age, presence or absence of someone who could take care of them when they were sick, and place of residence upon discharge. Specifically, when the reference age was ≥80 years, the intention to discharge was significantly higher in those aged ≤59 years and those in their 60s and 70s. Moreover, participants who had someone who could take care of them when they were sick had a higher intention to discharge than those who did not. Patients who intended to live in a place before hospitalization, or a family or relative’s home, when they were discharged were more likely to have an intention to discharge.
Conclusion
Support discharge for relatively younger medical aid patients, provision of postdischarge care services, and provision of housing support are essential to promote the discharge of long-term admitted medical aid patients in long-term hospital care.

Keyword

Intention to discharge; Long-term hospitalization; Medical aid recipient