Skilled nursing providers are banking on the resumption of elective surgeries to serve as a springboard to higher occupancy levels.
But a new study indicates providers could struggle to retain previous hospital discharge levels, citing a decrease of some elective procedures among seniors.
The findings, which were published Monday, found the overall frequency of surgery is decreasing among older adults, with the frequency of elective abdominal surgeries seeing the most significant drops among adults over 65.
First author Daniel Rubin, M.D., said the findings suggest that providers are getting better at determining who will benefit most from a surgery. He also attributed the decline to the rise of less invasive, alternative treatments. He noted that most seniors over 85 will require at least some transitional, post-acute medical care after a surgical procedure.
“Older adults really want to get back to their normal life after an operation,” Rubin said. “But recovery can be difficult, and the rates at which older adults require post-acute care — such as time in a rehabilitation facility or long-term care — is high. These results can help inform the decisions made by patients and providers on whether or not a surgery is the right choice for them,” he added.
Full findings were published in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society.
