Risk factors for inpatient facility admission among home health care patients with diabetes

Background: Home health care (HHC) patients with diabetes are at high risk for inpatient admissions. Purpose: To identify variables associated with inpatient admissions among adults age ≥50 with diabetes receiving HHC in the community and in assisted living (AL). Methods: Retrospective HHC data (collected October 2021 to March 2022 in the Southern United States) from the Outcome and Assessment Information Set D were analyzed with logistic regression (n = 5,308 patients). Discussion: The inpatient admission rate was 29.5%. For community-dwelling patients, multiple hospitalizations, depression, limited cognitive function, decreased activities of daily living (ADL) performance, and unhealed pressure ulcer or injury ≥stage 2 were significantly associated with inpatient admission. For those in AL, multiple prior hospitalizations and decreased ability to perform ADLs were associated with inpatient admission. Conclusion: Understanding risk factors for inpatient admissions among patients with diabetes can support the identification of at-risk patients and inform interventions.