SHRUGS


SHRUGS

Scottish Health Resource Utilisation Groups. A UK acronym for groups of dependancy and care needs of older people in long-term wards. SHRUGs data is collected every 6 months by trained interviewers, and provides snapshots of the characteristics of residents in geriatric long-stay wards. SHRUGs define dependency in terms of feeding, lavatory use and physical movement. Care needs relate to need for special care, clinically complex treatment and behavioural difficulties. Supplementary information is collected on individual residents related to clinically complex conditions, incontinence, visual and hearing impairment and problems in communication.