Mental status and functional health 4 days following relocation to a nursing home.

Nurses frequently note changes in the health status of the aged following admission to a nursing home. The purpose of this study was to determine the stability of mental status and functional health over a 4-day period immediately following relocation from hospital to nursing home. Participants (N = 55) over the age of 60 were chosen sequentially as admitted to a 120-bed, long-term care facility for rehabilitation or convalescence, and interviewed on Day 1 and Day 4 following admission. Level of consciousness, attention/concentration, orientation, memory, and higher cognitive function were evaluated by the Mental Status Examination, and six activities of daily living were evaluated by the Scaled Outcome Criteria. A matched pairs t-test (p less than .05) demonstrated no significant differences in mean scores between Day 1 and Day 4. Results indicated that these short-term residents were stable in their mental status and functional health during the immediate period following relocation. Additional study is needed, with evaluation of the environment and its effect on participants' and expectation for length of stay.