Older Adult Self-Neglect Patients Experience Increased ED Revisits, Readmissions

Background: Older adult self-neglect, defined as the inability or unwillingness to meet basic self-care needs, is a growing public health concern and represents the most frequently reported form of elder abuse in the United States. It is associated with cognitive impairment, psychiatric illness, substance abuse, social isolation, and socioeconomic vulnerability. Individuals who self-neglect are at increased risk for hospitalization, recurrent emergency department (ED) visits, institutionalization, and death. As the aging population increasingly relies on ED services, self-neglect places substantial strain on already burdened health care systems, despite its prevalence and consequences. Limited data exist on how self-neglect affects diagnostic imaging utilization and long-term outcomes. Understanding these patterns is essential for identifying at-risk patients and developing interventions to improve care and reduce system-wide impact. Objective: To evaluate the imaging utilization pat more...