Factors associated with functional decline in older adults after discharge from an acute-care hospital

Abstract Purpose This study was conducted to investigate the trend in functional changes over time and factors associated with the number of areas showing functional decline in older adults who had been discharged from a hospital. Methods This longitudinal study involved 156 patients aged ≥65 years who were admitted to a tertiary hospital in Seoul and discharged home. We investigated patient demographic and healthcare characteristics, and the number of areas showing functional decline at 1 and 3 months after discharge. We analyzed the data using univariate and multivariate Poisson regression models. Results The number of areas showing functional decline increased between admission and 1 month after discharge, and had declined slightly at 3 months after discharge. The factors associated with the number of areas showing functional decline at 3 months after discharge were age, education level, and length of hospitalization ( p p Conclusions The results indicate that older subjects with no spouse or those with their elderly spouse as their caregiver are at risk of functional decline in a greater number of areas after discharge. Therefore, a comprehensive healthcare policy to ensure care continuity is required for functional health maintenance for older adults after hospital discharge.