Admission function portends discharge function and length of stay after stroke.

This retrospective study of 51 patients with stroke examined the relationship between functional independence and length of stay in a hospital-based acute rehabilitation unit. Functional independence increased significantly over the course of rehabilitation. The patients' functional independence at discharge and length of stay both correlated significantly with admission function. Self-care, mobility, and locomotion items and categories provided the best prediction of length of stay. Such variables, therefore, may prove most useful in program planning.