Factors associated with longer hospital admission in elderly patients with major neurocognitive disorder.

Background: Major neurocognitive disorder presents many challenges to patients, families and healthcare systems, especially when a patient requires admission to a psychiatric hospital.

Aim: To identify characteristics of older patients with major neurocognitive disorder at risk of prolonged admission in a psychiatric hospital.

Setting: A tertiary psychiatric hospital in Gauteng province, South Africa.

Methods: The authors conducted a retrospective review of the hospital database and clinical files. Clinical and demographic data were collected from the files of 50 inpatients, 60 years and older, who were diagnosed with major neurocognitive disorder and admitted between 2015 and 2019. Anonymised data from patient records were captured on an electronic spreadsheet and analysed using T-tests and analysis of variance (ANOVA) to investigate the relationship between patient characteristics and length of hospital admission.

Results: The mean duration of admission was 18.29 months. Involuntary admission status (β = 0.239, p = 0.049), level of assistance required (moderate level of assistance [β = 0.378, p = 0.005]; high level of assistance [β = 0.336, p = 0.015]), availability of social support (β = -0.319, p = 0.016) and the presence of behavioural or psychological problems (β = 0.437, p = 0.002) were significantly correlated with longer admission. Using a stepwise regression model, the only significant variable associated with a shorter length of stay was the presence of social support (β = -0.512, p = 0.009). Age, type of major neurocognitive disorder and number of comorbidities were not correlated with the duration of admission (p > 0.005).

Conclusion and contribution: Social support plays an important role in the management of patients with major neurocognitive disorder. The findings in this study highlight healthcare shortages and a need for adequate placement facilities in South Africa for patients who have no other form of support.