Health status and functional status in relationship to nursing home subacute rehabilitation program outcomes.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the relationship of health status and functional status to key nursing home subacute rehabilitation program outcomes: motor function at discharge, discharge destination, and length of stay in the program.


METHODS
Using a prospective cohort study design, 164 patients were assessed on entering the rehabilitation program for the first time after discharge from an acute hospital. Their median length of stay was 40 days.


RESULTS
The patients' motor function improved over time (P < 0.0001), and a large majority were discharged to the community. At admission, health status was positively associated with motor function (P < 0.05) and cognitive function (P < 0.01). Higher cognitive function and higher motor function at admission were correlated with higher motor function at discharge (rs = 0.386, P < 0.0001; rs = 0.563, P < 0.0001 respectively). Better health status was independently associated with discharge to the community (P < 0.01). Only motor function at admission was independently associated with length of stay (P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Health status and functional status are related, and both are independently associated with nursing home subacute rehabilitation program outcomes. Therefore, an improvement in one may result in an improvement in the other, and both aid in the attainment of positive subacute rehabilitation outcomes.
Likourezos
Antonios
A
Jewish Home and Hospital, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York 10025, USA.
Si
Myint
M
Kim
Woon-Ok
WO
Simmons
Sylvia
S
Frank
Judith
J
Neufeld
Richard
R
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006304:Health Status; D006620:Hip Fractures / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010351:Patient Discharge; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012046:Rehabilitation; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D019467:Subacute Care; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000534:rehabilitation