Trajectories of Community Mobility Recovery After Hospitalization in Older Adults

Objectives To identify trajectories of recovery of community mobility in acutely ill older adults using the University of Alabama at Birmingham Life‐Space Assessment (LSA). Design Prospective observation cohort study. Setting Central Alabama, Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Participants Community‐dwelling adults aged 65 and older hospitalized for nonsurgical medical reasons (N=173). Measurements We determined LSA scores for the month before and monthly for 6 months after hospitalization (composite scores ranging from 0–120, with 120 reflecting completely unrestricted mobility). Results In the month after hospitalization, 92 (53%) participants had a clinically significant decrease in life‐space mobility, while 42 (24%) were unchanged, and 39 (23%) had an increase from the month preceding hospitalization. Of participants with a life‐space decrease, the majority recovered their prehospitalization mobility status during 6 months of follow‐up, whereas 34% did not recover. Participants whose life‐space decreased were hospitalized significantly longer (P=.01) and, on average, had higher prehospital life‐space scores (P=.01) than those who maintained or increased their life‐space. Conclusion A clinically significant loss of community mobility was common after hospitalization, but most participants recovered to prehospitalization mobility within 6 months of discharge. Research examining in‐hospital and posthospitalization interventions to achieve faster recovery of community mobility is needed.