Functional recovery in patients older than 85 years admitted to a Medium-Stay unit in Madrid

Abstract

Background: the medium-Stay unit comprise a geriatric care level, intended to restore functionality in elderly patients with a recent and potentially reversible deterioration. Objective: to evaluate functional gain in patients over 85 years of age admitted during 2021, in the medium-Stay unit of the Guadarrama Hospital, in the Community of Madrid, Spain. Methods: a descriptive and retrospective observational study was performed at the institution and time period declared in the objective. The study population consisted of 181 patients admitted because of orthogeriatrics, functional impairment and acquired brain damage. The variables were: age, sex, cognitive impairment (Pfeiffer questionnaire), comorbidities (Charlson index), functional assessment (Barthel index), functional gain, stay and destination at discharge. Results: the average age was 89.6±3.1 years, with 133 (73 %) women. There were no significant differences in functional gain by processes, with similar functional gains for orthogeriatrics and functional impairment, 24.1±21.5 and 24.2±21.7 respectively. Significant differences were found in the Barthel index at admission (p< 0.001) and at discharge (p= 0.003), Charlson index (p< 0.001) and Pfeiffer index (p= 0.001). The efficiency of the rehabilitation was greater than 0.5 in the three processes, without significant differences between them. 69.1 % of patients returned home. Conclusions: octogenarian patients benefit from admission to medium-Stay units. Rehabilitative therapy improves overall functionality, reduces patient dependence as well as institutionalization.

Keywords

• anciano frágil
• unidades hospitalarias
• servicios de salud de ancianos
• tiempo de internación
• rehabilitación