高齢者の退院指導及び在宅看護の在り方を検討した研究は少ない。そこで、高齢者の自宅院時に持つ健康上及び生活上の問題を明らかにすることを目的に、面接調査を行った。対象は、中・四国の3国立大学付属病院と1総合病院で退院許可のあった70歳以上の患者78名とした。調査内容は、退院時の患者の身体状態・日常生活動作・退院時の患者の状況・家族の状況・健康に対する意識や取り組みについてとした。その結果、(1)高齢の自宅退院患者の23.1%は、身体状態上継続看護が必要であった。(2)退院患者の20.5%が、退院後生活を自立する為に介助が必要であるとしていた。(3)退院患者の57.7%は心配事を持ち、50%は相談・指導を希望していた。(4)患者の世話人の42.3%は職業を持ち、27.3%は健康を害していた。(5)退院患者の73.1%は何らかの健康管理がなされ、84.7%は生きがいを持っていた。Now there are few researehes into the guidance which be done for the elderly patients at the time of leaving the hospital and into the ways of their home nursing care. Therefore, we did interview the elderly patients in order to make it clear what problems they have about their health and their life. In the three national university hospitals in Chugoku District and Shikoku District and one general hospial, we focussed on the 78 patients more than seventy years old who were allowed to leave the hospital. The purpose of our research is to know body condition and the situation of the patients leaving the hospital, activities of their daily life, the situation of their family and their consciousness and care about their health. After having done this research we conclude as follows, (1) 23.1 percent of all the patients need continuing nursing care from the viewpoint of their body condition after leaving the hospital. (2) 20.5 percent of all the patients need help from their family or others to support themselves at home. (3) 57.7 percent of all the patients have worries and 50 percent of them have a wish to consult with the doctors or the nurses and to be guided by them. (4) 42.3 percent of people who take care of patients have their own job and suffer from poor health. (5) 73.1 percent of all the patients who leaves the hospital were given some health care before entering the hospital and 84.7 percent of them seem to lead a life worth living