Age and ageing
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Multicenter Study
Even a small change can make a big difference: the case of in-hospital cognitive decline and new IADL dependency.
post-hospitalisation functional decline is a widely described phenomenon, yet factors related to new disability in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) in previously independently functioning older adults are rarely studied. ⋯ decline in SPMSQ score during acute hospitalisation has a detrimental effect on functional decline after acute hospitalisation, defined by incidence IADL dependency. This finding emphasises the need to identify cognitive decline during hospitalisation to allow timely intervention to prevent post-discharge functional decline in this population.