Characteristics associated with hospitalization within 30 days of geriatric intermediate care facility admission

AIM: To identify facility‐level characteristics associated with hospitalization within 30 days after admission to a geriatric intermediate care facility (GICF) (30‐day hospitalization) in Japan. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study used nationwide long‐term care insurance claims data and a national survey of long‐term geriatric care facilities. The study population was residents admitted to GICFs between October 2016 and February 2018. The outcome variable was 30‐day hospitalization. The independent variables were facility‐level characteristics such as level of healthcare professionals. RESULTS: The final sample for analysis comprised 282 991 residents of mean age ± SD, 85.8 ± 7.2 years, of whom 12 814 (4.5%) experienced 30‐day hospitalization. In a multivariable logistic generalized estimating equation model adjusted for facility‐ and resident‐level characteristics, and clustering GICFs, the odds of 30‐day hospitalization were 0.906 times lower (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.857–0.958) among residents in a GICF with dental hygienist than in those in a facility without. Furthermore, the risk of 30‐day hospitalization was lower among residents who had been admitted to a GICF with higher staffing levels of pharmacists (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.941, 95% CI 0.899–0.985), registered nurses (aOR 0.931, 95% CI 0.880–0.986), care workers (aOR 0.920, 95% CI 0.879–0.964) and speech‐language pathologists (aOR 0.926, 95% CI 0.874–0.982) than in those who had been admitted to a GICF with fewer of these healthcare professionals. CONCLUSIONS: Transitional care including dental hygienist or higher staffing levels of pharmacists, registered nurses, care workers and speech‐language pathologists may be a more effective way to prevent 30‐day hospitalization. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2021; 21: 1010–1017.