Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 22, 2026
Digital Home-Monitoring of Patients after Kidney Transplantation: The MACCS Platform
Published on: April 12, 2021
A cross-sectional study examining the functional independence of elderly individuals with a functioning kidney
Gurnaam Singh Kasbia1, Janine Farragher, Sang Joseph Kim
11 Division of Nephrology, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada. 2 Address correspondence to: Sarbjit V. Jassal, M.D., Geriatric Dialysis Rehabilitation Program, 200 Elizabeth St, 8N 857, Toronto, ON, Canada M5G 2C4.
Background:
Cross-sectional studies of patients dependent on dialysis show that they have a high need for help with routine daily activities. In many cases, individuals who undergo kidney transplantation have previously been treated with dialysis for a significant period of time, thus many of the characteristics may be similar. The purpose of this study was to estimate the rate of functional disability in a cross-sectional population of older patients with a functioning kidney transplant.
Methods:
Kidney transplant patients, aged 65 years or more, were approached to participate. Patients were interviewed to ascertain current living situation, employment status, and 1-year fall history. Functional assessments included the Barthel Index, the Lawton-Brody Scale, the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, and dynamometer handgrip strength.
Results:
Eighty-two patients (71%) agreed to participate. Over half (54%) reported being disabled or requiring assistance for at least one daily-living activity, with housekeeping, grocery shopping, and laundry being the activities most commonly affected. Most patients had markedly impaired TUG and handgrip tests, and 21% recalled having fallen more than once in the past year.
Limitations:
We used a single-center, cross-sectional study design.
Conclusions:
These results demonstrate a high prevalence of functional dependence, unintentional falls, and significant morbidity associated with decreased muscle strength in the older kidney transplant population.
