[FUNCTIONAL INDEPENDENCE MEASURE SCALE SCORES IN SEVERELY DEPENDENT OLDER ADULTS UPON REHABILITATION COMPLETION FOLLOWING HIP FRACTURE].

Introduction: Functional Independence Measure (FIM) is a scale used to evaluate functional status during rehabilitation. The association between FIM scale scores upon hip fracture rehabilitation completion and functional status of older adults according to the Israeli Ministry of Health (MOH) guidelines has never been studied.

Aims: To study the association between FIM scale scores upon hip fracture rehabilitation completion and functional status of older adults.

Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at the Geriatric-Orthopedic unit at the Sheba Medical Center. The medical charts of older adults (age ≥65) admitted for rehabilitation following hip fracture during 2007-2012 were studied. Age, gender, total FIM score upon rehabilitation completion, functional status upon rehabilitation completion according to the Israeli MOH guidelines, and moving to a nursing-home were documented.

Results: The cohort included 453 older adults: 374 (82.6%) females; mean age 82.9±6.7 years. Most older adults were severely dependent upon rehabilitation completion (n=320, 70.6%) and 84 (26.3%) of whom moved to or returned to a nursing-home. Median total FIM scores upon rehabilitation completion was 100 (interquartile range (IQR): 92-111) in mildly dependent older adults, 72 (IQR: 53-87) in severely dependent community-dwelling older adults, and 39 (IQR: 29-58) in severely dependent nursing-home residents (p<0.001). Total FIM score of 85 (or less) had the highest sensitivity (78.4%) and specificity (91.0%) in representing severely dependent older adults.

Conclusions: These findings may assist Israeli geriatricians to define the functional status of older adults upon hip fracture rehabilitation completion.