Hospital admissions

The best place for an older adult to receive medical care is home: away from hospitals and risks associated with them, such as hospital acquired infections, confusion, and loss of independence.

Older adults have reduced physiological reserves so even seemingly trivial problems may result in major losses of the ability to function. From experience about 50% of hospital admissions in older adults are not because they have to be in hospital for medical treatments but because the loss in function results in increased care needs, and they don't have enough support in the community to help them out.

However there are times when hospital admissions cannot be avoided. Admission at Spire Sussex Hospital can be organised for:

- Intravenous antibiotics for severe urinary, chest or other infections, or infections not responding to oral treatments.

- Intravenous treatment with water medications/diuretics in patients with heart failure who developed too much fluid retention in their body.

- Admissions for pain control and physiotherapy following a fall

- Day case admissions for blood transfusions and iron infusion for patients with chronic anaemia.

- Day case admissions for once yearly intravenous zolendronic acid infusion for patients who cannot take oral medications for their osteoporosis, or the oral medicines ineffective.

- Day case admissions (can also be done in clinic) for hyaluronic acid knee injections for patients with osteoarthritis.Hyaluronic acid injections lessen pain and increase knee function but seem to work better in some people than others.

During admission patients are seen by a consultant Dr Mucci every day and receive holistic care: while being treated for their main condition, patients also get review of other systems and medical problems as well as review of medicines.