Date of Award

5-2020

Document Type

Thesis

Department

Social Work

First Advisor

Gary Gaspard, A.M., DSW Candidate

Abstract

The large population of older adults in America has many medical needs which creates a large economic burden. People who are more negatively affected by fragmented care need advocates for them in the field of healthcare. The research question of this study is “what is the relationship between fragmented care and hospitalizations in older adults with mental illness?” The research hypothesis is that fragmented care and hospitalizations have a statistically significant relationship for older adults with mental illness. The hope of this study is to advocate for decreased fragmentation in care for older adults who receive Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) care at Trilogy. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between fragmentation in care and hospital admissions in adults 65 and older with chronic conditions who receive ACT care from Trilogy. Data will be gathered from adults 65 and older who currently receive or have received ACT care from Trilogy. This population consists of people who have been diagnosed with a mental illness and will contribute to the existing literature on older adults by adding to the sparse literature on older adults with mental illnesses and how they experience healthcare. The researcher will utilize a phone survey method to collect the data from clients. The sample size is 5 participants who are 65 or older and currently receive or have received ACT care from Trilogy. The data was analyzed using 4 chi square tests that compared fragmented care to hospitalizations. The care fragmentation was measured by unique doctor visits and different primary care providers in 2018 and 2019. Those responses were cross-tabulated with hospital admissions in 2018 and 2019. The researcher’s claim was that Trilogy’s ACT clients with higher care fragmentation will likely have more hospitalizations, and there would be a clear relationship between these variables.

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