Associations among fluid intake, cognitive function, and length of stay in psychogeriatric inpatients.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine differences, interactions, and associations among cognition, fluid intake, and demographic variables that may affect length of stay (LOS) for psychogeriatric inpatients aged 65 years or older.

Design And Methods: Descriptive, comparative, correlational secondary analysis of data from a primary study of 202 inpatients.

Findings: Older adults with and without cognitive impairment had different fluid intake over time (F = 3.