[INTEGRATED APPROACH TO PREVENT FUNCTIONAL DECLINE IN HOSPITALIZED ELDERLY]

Area of Science:

• Geriatrics
• Public Health
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Hospitalization frequently leads to functional decline in older patients, affecting 35% of 70-year-olds and increasing with age.
• This decline impacts physical, social, and psychological well-being, representing an underestimated healthcare challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the Prevention and Reactivation Care Programme (PReCaP), an intervention designed to mitigate hospital-related functional decline in elderly patients.
• To outline the program's multidisciplinary, integrated, and goal-oriented approach across various domains of patient function.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of the PReCaP at Vlietland Ziekenhuis, The Netherlands.
• The program includes early identification and rapid intervention for at-risk patients.
• Key components involve intensive follow-up, geriatric expertise, caregiver support, and case management.

Main Results:

• Outcome and process evaluations are currently ongoing.
• Detailed results from the PReCaP implementation will be published in forthcoming papers.

Conclusions:

• The PReCaP is an innovative, comprehensive program addressing hospital-related functional decline in the elderly.
• Its five distinctive elements aim to provide integrated care throughout the patient's journey.
• The program emphasizes early intervention, multidisciplinary support, and continuous follow-up.