Background: Short-stay hospitalization in older patients is frequently associated with a loss
of function, which can lead to a need for postdischarge assistance and longer-term
institutionalization. Because little is known about this adverse outcome of hospitalization,
this study was conducted to (1) determine the discharge and 3-month postdischarge
functional outcomes for a large cohort of older persons hospitalized for medical illness,(2)
determine the extent to which patients were able to recover to preadmission levels of …