Improved functional status from people with disabilities discharged from day medical care homes from 2017-2023 in Poland

•This study confirmed that a new model of day care for older adults with disabilities provided within the Day Medical Care Homes in Poland lead to improvenemtn in the fuctional status of older adults.•Changes in disability of patients was observed regardless of gender, age or place of residence.•The organizational model of care in Day Medical Care Homes, including the scope of intervention, organizational rules, and funding rules may be used by other countries (especially in Central and Eastern Europe), that face demographic changes and population aging like Poland. This study aimed to assess changes in the functional status of 956 patients with disabilities covered by day care in Day Medical Care Homes in Poland between 2017 and 2023. Medical records (admission reports and discharge reports) of patients admitted to seven Day Medical Care Homes managed by the Medical and Diagnostic Centre (Poland) were analyzed. The functional status of the patients was assessed using the Barthel Index and the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) tool. Out of 956 patients, 77.4% were females, and the mean age was 74.4 (SD=8.6) years. The average Barthel Index score was 59.4 (SD=5.8; 40-65) on admission and 72.6 (SD=10.2; 25-100) on discharge (p