More women than men are admitted to nursing homes after suffering a stroke and they have higher care needs
Most stroke survivors admitted to nursing homes were women (61 per cent women compared to 39 per cent men), according to new research from ICES, a non-profit research institute that uses population-based health information to produce knowledge on a broad range of healthcare issues. While women had lower mortality than men over time, they had more care needs compared to men.
“Our findings suggest that the burden of stroke continues to be higher in women, even among the most severely affected patients,” says Dr. Amy Yu, lead author of the study, ICES adjunct scientist and a stroke neurologist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.
The study, published today in The Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences, builds on past research that shows women who survive stroke experience more disability than men and are more likely to be admitted to nursing homes. However, little is known about what happens to patients with stroke after admission to a nursing home.
The researchers looked at data on all patients released from hospital after suffering a stroke between April 1, 2011 and March 31, 2016, and who were subsequently admitted to a nursing home within six months.
The research showed:
- About one in 10 stroke survivors (8.9 per cent) are newly admitted to a nursing home within six months of their stroke. Half of these patients survived three years or more in the nursing home.
- Women had lower mortality than men over time, but they had more care needs.
- More women than men experience pain and depression, two potentially treatable symptoms.
“We hope our findings will improve pain and depression screening and treatment as well as stimulate further research aiming to enhance the quality of life in residents of nursing home with stroke,” adds Yu.
The study “Sex differences in care need and survival in patients admitted to nursing home post-stroke,” was published by the The Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences.
Author block: Yu AYX, Maclagan LC, Diong C, Austin PC, Kapral MK, Swartz RH, Bronskill SE.
ICES is an independent, non-profit research institute that uses population-based health information to produce knowledge on a broad range of healthcare issues. Our unbiased evidence provides measures of health system performance, a clearer understanding of the shifting healthcare needs of Ontarians, and a stimulus for discussion of practical solutions to optimize scarce resources. ICES knowledge is highly regarded in Canada and abroad, and is widely used by government, hospitals, planners, and practitioners to make decisions about care delivery and to develop policy. In October 2018, the institute formerly known as the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences formally adopted the initialism ICES as its official name. For the latest ICES news, follow us on Twitter: @ICESOntario
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