Predictors of functional recovery (FR) for elderly hospitalized patients in a geriatric evaluation and management unit (GEMU) in Taiwan

Elderly patients who are hospitalized with acute illnesses frequently have adverse outcomes. To maintain functional independence, the geriatric evaluation and management unit (GEMU) was established to provide the opportunity for functional recovery (FR). This study's aim was to investigate potential prognostic factors for functional improvement in a GEMU of Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan. A total of 117 elderly patients (age, 80.0±6.3 years, 84.6% males) were enrolled. A comprehensive geriatric assessment and functional status evaluation, including the functional reach test (FRT) and the timed up-and-go (TUG) test, were performed. FR was defined by a greater than 10% improvement in the Barthel Index (BI) before GEMU discharge. Lower BI (44.7±25.2 vs. 68.7±34.5, p < 0.001), lower instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) scores (1.8±1.5 vs. 3.5±2.6, p < 0.001), impaired FRT (83.3% vs. 63.5%, p = 0.028), and impaired TUG test (94.4% vs. 74.6%, p = 0.008) were predictive factors for functional improvement. On multivariate logistic regression, an impaired TUG test (Odds ratio = OR = 6.18, 95% confidence interval = 95% C.I. = 1.69–22.6, p = 0.006) was an independent variable associated with FR. The results indicate that elderly hospitalized patients, even with poor physical function, could benefit from geriatric integrated care delivered by a GEMU.