ABSTRACT
Hospitalization has been recognized as a critical event in the life of elderly persons that is associated with increased risk of functional decline and cognitive impairment. On the other hand, optimal cognitive function is a crucial factor for improving the quality of life of elderly people. This study was conducted to determine the relationship between cognitive impairment and functional decline in hospitalized elderly people. This research is a cross-sectional study with sample size 400 was done in 2011, with convenience sampling of hospitalized elders. Data collected by two instruments, first questionnaire contain two parts; demographic characteristics and Six Item Cognitive Impairment Test and second questionnaire was Modified Barthel Index. Data analysis was done by descriptive statistics and Chi-square test or Fisher exact test and Logistic regression model using SPSS version 17. The mean and SD of participants' age was 76/28 +/- 8/3, 10/3% of them was 60-64, 12%; 65-69, 13% 70-74, 26/3% 75-79, 38/4% over 80 years old. The most frequency of them was 80 and over years old. Finding indicated, there is relation between diagnosis and age with cognition status and between age and diagnosis with functional status and between cognitive impairment and functional decline in activity daily living. This study suggested chance ratio of cognition impairment in people with functional decline is 9/57 in comparing with independent functional status, in adverse chance ratio of functional decline in people with cognition impairment 8/7 in comparing with safe cognition status. There is relation between functional decline and cognitive impairment in hospitalized elders. Promoting functional status, mobility and cognition status should be major goals of elders' rehabilitation and primary assessment functional and cognition status in elders' evaluation in care placement is necessity