Mortality rates and readmission rates indicate failure to provide the right level of care when the patient leaves the hospital. There is a continuum of care that The Villages Health system does not practice strategies to prevent readmissions, patient needs assessment, medication reconciliation, timely follow up appointments, patient education, initiating follow up phone calls, to name a few. If these strategies were properly implemented the mortality rates, defined as death within 28 days of admission would drop. So the entire health system not just the hospital fails our community. The other factor that affects mortality is the “never say die” philosophy. There are good ways to die and bad ways. An acceptance of earlier palliative and hospice care would make sense in an elderly population.
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