RESUMO
The aim of this work was to study the impact of hospital admission on functional status of elders. 86 patients (63 male) aged 73ñ4 years old admitted to the Internal Medicine Service of a public hospital were studied. Funstional status was measured on admission, discharge and 15 days after discharge using the Northwestern Functional Status Review Instrument. 15 patients died during hospital stay. Functional status improved in patients admitted with disordered consciousness, in those admitted due to neurologic dosirders, in those with less than 2 chronic diseases, in those whose disease cured during hospitalization and those that did not acquire new disease during admission. Prolonged hospitalizations of more than 13 days were associated with functional status worsening. It is concluded that functional status of elders does not always deteriorate during hospital admissions