The Role of Rehabilitation on the Evolution of Disability and Self-Sufficiency in a Population of Hospitalized Older Adults

Abstract

Frailty is characterized by increased vulnerability, which impairs the ability to cope with stressors and represents a risk factor for the development of disability. Moreover, the population of older adults is continuously increasing. For this reason, frailty and aging represent very important social and health topics. The management of elderly patients, especially when they are hospitalized, is complex and requires the collaboration of multiple professionals and different approaches to intervene in the multi-morbidity that characterizes this population. A significant percentage of hospitalized older patients present several comorbidities that cause prolonged hospital stays. This condition could lead to clinical complications, increased costs of care, and a higher likelihood of in-hospital death. Aging is a concept that encompasses several symptoms and requires a multidisciplinary and specific approach, especially during hospitalization and in acute care settings. The present study aims to evaluate how intensive rehabilitation treatment is accompanied by improvement in some hematological and clinical parameters and could contribute to an evolution in disability among elderly patients. The results of the present research show the crucial role of rehabilitation treatment in the development of disability, independence, and self-sufficiency in a population of older inpatients in a post-acute care setting. Further research should be conducted to identify other biomarkers useful in the management of frail patients.