Factors associated with admission to a geriatric hospital in semisuburban southern Japan

A case-control study was conducted to evaluate the factors associated with admission to a geriatric hospital. Case studied were 13 Japanese elderly who were admitted to a geriatric hospital because their female caregivers had found it impossible to look after them at home. We used 35 pairs of elderly and female caregivers, who were receiving domiciliary visits by nurses, in the catchment area of the hospital. The present study revealed that elderly with dementia (vs without; Odds ratio = 6.69) and with moderately limited activities of daily living (Barthel Index 61 +) (vs severely limited activities of daily living: Barthel Index 0-60; Odds ratio = 6.62), caregivers being a daughter-in-law (vs other kinship; Odds ratio = 6.30), were risk factors.