Transitioning Antibiotics from Hospitals to Nursing Homes: Bridging the Gap

Nursing homes remain an important location of post-acute care for the most vulnerable older Americans with complex care needs.1 In 2020, 1.2 million Medicare beneficiaries had episodes of care that consisted of hospitalization followed by post-acute care in a skilled nursing facility.2 Yet, transitions of care, particularly from hospital to nursing home, continue to pose serious challenges to the health care system. Hospitalized patients discharged to nursing home on antibiotics are at increased risk for poor outcomes from inadequate management of antibiotic plan of care that commonly results in other medical complications.