ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION Functional status plays an important role in maintenance of quality of life as people age. When an older person is admitted to the hospital, the best predictor of hospital mortality is the ability to perform routine activities of daily living (ADLs) (1). Loss of independence in even one ADL dramatically increases the chances of an older person either dying or requiring nursing-home placement within 6 months following hospital admission (1,2). Moreover, loss of ADLs is a better predictor of outcome than the Charlson comorbidity index or the New York Heart Association functional class.
