Predictors for a good recovery after subacute geriatric care| JOURNAL OF GERONTOLOGY AND GERIATRICS
Vol. 64: ISSUE 2 - JUNE 2016
Clinical Geriatrics - Original Investigations
Published: 2016-06-15
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Predictors for a good recovery after subacute geriatric care

Kavli Research Centre for Geriatrics and Dementia, Haraldsplass Deaconess Hospital, Bergen, Norway
Sub Acute Care Unit, Fondazione Ospedale Poliambulanza, Brescia and Italian Research Group, Brescia, Italy
Geriatric Department, Fondazione Ospedale Poliambulanza, Brescia and Italian Research Group, Brescia, Italy
Sub Acute Care Unit, Fondazione Ospedale Poliambulanza, Brescia and Italian Research Group, Brescia, Italy
Kavli Research Centre for Geriatrics and Dementia, Haraldsplass Deaconess Hospital, Bergen, Norway
Department of Neuropsycopharmacology, University of Rome II, and Geriatric Research Group
Subacute care Older patients Rehabilitation Recovery Depression

Abstract

Background and aims. We wanted to investigate eight different geriatric assessment tests regarding the
prediction of 1) a good recovery (ability to return to own home or transfer to further rehabilitation), and 2) a
poor recovery (discharge to nursing home, hospice, acute hospitals or death) in elderly patients treated in a
subacute geriatric hospital ward.
Methods. Consecutive 664 community-dwelling patients aged ≥ 70 years, transferred from acute medical
and geriatric wards to a subacute geriatric ward were included. Demographic data and eight different geriatric
assessment tests were recorded, and odds ratio for having a good versus poor recovery was assessed with
logistic regression analysis.
Results. Improvement in Barthel index (OR = 6.77, 95% CI 3.41-13.45, p < 0.001) and the Tinetti scale (OR
4.58, 95% CI 2.36-8.89, p < 0.001), along with the absence of symptoms of depression (OR = 2.19, 95% CI
1.04-4.59, p = 0.04) and cognitive impairment (OR = 2.19, 95%CI 1.10-4.30, p = 0.02), were significantly associated with a good versus bad recovery in logistic multivariate regression analysis. Significant collinearity
(R > 0.75, p < 0.001) was demonstrated between several of the functional assessment tests.
Conclusions. Functional assessments with Barthel index at admission to the subacute ward and one day
before discharge, as well as evaluation with MMSE and GDS once during the stay in the subacute ward, gave
the optimal prediction of short term recovery. Further assessment with other overlapping functional tests may
be redundant.

Affiliations

J. Foss Abrahamsen

Kavli Research Centre for Geriatrics and Dementia, Haraldsplass Deaconess Hospital, Bergen, Norway

S. Boffelli

Sub Acute Care Unit, Fondazione Ospedale Poliambulanza, Brescia and Italian Research Group, Brescia, Italy

R. Rozzini

Geriatric Department, Fondazione Ospedale Poliambulanza, Brescia and Italian Research Group, Brescia, Italy

A. Cassinadri

Sub Acute Care Unit, Fondazione Ospedale Poliambulanza, Brescia and Italian Research Group, Brescia, Italy

A.H. Ranhoff

Kavli Research Centre for Geriatrics and Dementia, Haraldsplass Deaconess Hospital, Bergen, Norway

M. Trabucchi

Department of Neuropsycopharmacology, University of Rome II, and Geriatric Research Group

License

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Copyright

© Società Italiana di Gerontologia e Geriatria (SIGG) , 2016

How to Cite

[1]
Foss Abrahamsen, J., Boffelli, S., Rozzini, R., Cassinadri, A., Ranhoff, A. and Trabucchi, M. 2016. Predictors for a good recovery after subacute geriatric care. JOURNAL OF GERONTOLOGY AND GERIATRICS. 64, 2 (Jun. 2016), 41-48.
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