Hospital care for patients aged 85 and over, 2014–15

Forty two per cent (287,933) of separations for patients aged 85 years and over were same-day separations (see Box 1) in 2014–15. A greater proportion of separations for males aged 85 and over were on a same-day basis 47% (144,961) compared with females 38% (142,972) during 2014–15.

More than half 54% (147,294) of private hospital separations for patients aged 85 and over were same-day, compared with 34% in public hospitals (140,639) (Figure 4).

In 2014–15, the average length of stay for overnight separations (see Box 1) for patients aged 85 and over was 8.4 days, about three days longer than the average for all overnight separations (5.5 days) [1]. Female patients (8.7 days) spent almost 1 day longer than male patients (8.0 days) for overnight separations. Overnight separations for patients aged 85 and over were longer in private hospitals (9.1 days) than in public hospitals (8.1 days) (Figure 5).

In 2014–15, more than half (56%, 156,465) of overnight separations in public hospitals for patients aged 85 and over had a length of stay between 1 and 5 days (Figure 6). In contrast, private hospital overnight separations for patients aged 85 and over lasting between 1 and 5 days represented less than half (46%, 57,534) of overnight separations.