Program for elderly patients with acute heart failure through intervention by interdisciplinary team to prevent disability

[Abstract] [Objectives]: This study was performed to develop a program through intervention by interdisciplinary team to prevent disability of elderly patient with acute heart failure before and after hospitalization and to determine its usefulness. [Methods]: The subjects were 25 patients aged 75 and above (10 in the intervention group 15 in the control group) with acute heart failure. The subject hospital was an acute care hospital and had not obtained approval to function as a cardiac rehabilitation facility. The program consists of conference by interdisciplinary team, nursing care plan, and exercise training. To evaluation of this program, disability, treatment and care, lower extremity functional capability as the evaluation index. [Results]: 1 . The intervention group did not show a significant decrease at the time of discharge compared to the baseline, while in the control group cognitive function and basic ADL were significantly decreased. 2 . No differences were observed between the two groups in the length of hospital stay, intravenous drip, catheter in the bladder, body restraint, but all of these tended to be shorter in the intervention group. All the subjects in the intervention group were able to return to their home from the hospital. However, 8 patients (53%) in the control group returned home. 3 . The decrease in muscle thickness in the intervention group was approximately double that in the control group. Femoral circumference showed a significant decrease in both groups. [Conclusion]: A hospitalization program was developed with a team approach through interventions by interdisciplinary team for elderly patient with acute heart failure. This program can be incorporated in hospitals that have not obtained approval to function as a cardiac rehabilitation facility. The results of the present study indicated that this is a safe and sustainable program for maintenance of disability for elderly patients with acute heart failure from the early stage of hospitalization.