Valutazione multidimensionale geriatrica: confronto tra un gruppo di anziani valutati ambulatorialmente e un gruppo di anziani valutati a domicilio

Objective. Compare the characteristics of Hospital-admitted elderly subjects, with that of community-dwelling individuals. Methods. Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) was done using the following tests and scales: Mini Mental State Examination, Geriatric Depression Scale, Barthel Index of Independence in Activities of Daily modified, Instrumental Activity Daily Life, Physical Performance Test, Tinetti Performance- Oriented Mobility Assessment, Mini Nutritional Assessment, Cumulative Illness Rating Scale for Geriatrics. 661 subjects were assessed with CGA, 274 (41.4%) in hospital wards (average age 78.7 ± 6.7) and 387 at home (average age 76.4 ± 9.1). Results. The hospital-based group proved to be in worse conditions than the home-assessed one, regarding both functional capacity and cognitive and mood status (p < 0.0001). The hospital-based group was found to be at risk of malnutrition, while the home-assessed one was well nourished (P < 0.0001). BMI was found to be increased in both groups (p = 0.073). Lastly, co-morbidity was significantly higher in the hospital-based group (p < 0.0001). Conclusions. Our results show that health status is significantly worse in hospital- admitted subjects than in home-assessed ones. Hence, it is evident the need to routinely carry out CGA, before organ failure occurs, in order to plan personalized therapy and rehabilitation strategies in advance.