Improvement of physical and functional fitness in patients hospitalized at a geriatric ward depending on the duration of kinesitherapy

OBJECTIVE: Introduction: Physical and functional fitness plays the key role in an independent, quality life of patients. Primarily, it prevents deterioration of health and loss of independence. Our degree of physical fitness depends on us and determines our old age life. There has been lots of scientific research into physical and functional fitness and its role in disease prevention and maintaining independence. With physical and functional fitness, older people have the chance to maintain their functional independence and improve quality of life. The aim: To evaluate the effect of duration of kinesitherapy on the improvement of physical and functional fitness in patients hospitalized at a geriatric ward. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Material and methods: The study involved 40 randomly selected, old-age patients hospitalized at a geriatric ward. All the patients took part in the study two times - both before and after kinesitherapy. The study was carried out on the basis of selected elements of comprehensive geriatric assessment. ADL and IADL tests were used for each patient to assess both basic and complex aspects of life functions. To assess physical fitness, SPPB (Short Physical Performance Battery) tests were employed. RESULTS: Results: The results show that the longer of kinesitherapy process, the better improvement of functional and physical fitness. CONCLUSION: Conclusions: The test showed that patients who had underwent kinesitherapeutic intervention for more than four days at the ward had better results. To sum up, it can be concluded that quick implementation of kinesitherapy, thus making the kinesitherapy process longer, significantly improves patients' fitness.