Do Falls Experienced During Inpatient Stroke Rehabilitation Affect Length of Stay, Functional Status, and Discharge Destination?

Abstract

Objective: To compare length of stay, functional status, and discharge destination between individuals who fell during inpatient stroke rehabilitation and those who did not fall.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Rehabilitation hospital.

Participants: Individuals who fell during inpatient stroke rehabilitation (n=106; fallers group; mean age, 67.8±12.9y; mean time poststroke, 26.4±28.3d) were matched to individuals who did not fall (n=106; nonfallers group; mean age, 67.3±13.6y; mean time poststroke, 21.9±28.8d) on age and functional status (N=212).

Interventions: Not applicable.

Main outcome measures: Total length of stay, FIM assessed at discharge, and discharge destination.

Results: The mean length of stay for fallers was 11 days longer than nonfallers (P=.0017). Nonfallers and fallers did not differ on discharge total FIM scores (P=.19), and both groups were discharged home after inpatient rehabilitation (nonfallers: 77%; fallers: 74%; P=.52).

Conclusions: This study suggests that falls experienced during inpatient stroke rehabilitation may have contributed to a longer length of stay; however, falls did not affect discharge functional status or discharge destination.

Keywords: Accidental Falls; Rehabilitation; Stroke.

Conflict of interest statement

None.

Copyright © 2016 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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