DISCHARGE PLANNING: Predicting Patients' Needs

The elderly are at higher risk for longer and more frequent lengths of hospital stay than other adults. Comprehensive discharge planning programs, including early identification of those at risk, can alter these statistics. Screening inventories to identify patients at risk have been available for many years, but they are not specific to the needs of the elderly. The Blaylock Risk Assessment Screen (BRASS) is administered on admission and identifies patients at risk for prolonged hospital stay and in need of discharge planning resources. The nurse can use the data BRASS provides to improve care outcomes while the patient is in the hospital and in the transition to home care. It shows promise for use as the first phase of a discharge planning program.