Article

Designated multidisciplinary rehabilitation units have been shown to
provide several benefits for the frail older population. The aim of this research
was to evaluate changes in strength, mobility, balance, endurance, frailty and
quality of life (QoL) following a 6-week multidisciplinary inpatient
rehabilitation programme. METHOD: This was a prospective, observational study
performed in a post-acute multidisciplinary geriatric inpatient rehabilitation
service. A consecutive sample of heterogenous frail older adults (n = 32)
participated. Subjects were assessed on admission to the rehabilitation service
(T1) and following 6 weeks of rehabilitation (T2). A range of outcome measures
were used to assess function and QoL: Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Timed Up and Go
(TUG), 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), Barthel Index (BI), EuroQol-Visual Analogue
Scale (EQ-VAS), Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS), lower limb and grip dynamometry.
RESULTS: The majority were female (n = 25), the mean age was 82.9 years (SD
6.35). The median length of stay was 49 days. Patients improved significantly
between T1 and T2 assessments in the BBS (p </= 0.0001); TUG (p </= 0.0001); 6MWT
(p </= 0.0001); BI (p </= 0.0001); EQ-VAS (p = 0.002); CFS (p </= 0.0001); and in
some aspects of grip and lower limb strength. CONCLUSION: This study has
demonstrated that positive outcomes occurred in a range of measures in an older,
frail inpatient rehabilitation population.

Langue : ANGLAIS