Functional disability of elderly family medicine patients in acute care hospital and nursing homes.

This report describes the functional impairments of elderly patients from a family medicine program who were admitted either to an acute care hospital or long-term care facilities over the course of a year. Assessments were performed in the areas of social and economic resources, mental health, physical health, and the ability to perform routine activities needed for independent living. The presence of significant functional impairment in many of the areas suggests the need for the family physician to develop skills in working as a member of a health care team in order to design and implement a comprehensive treatment plan for elderly patients admitted either to hospitals or long-term care facilities.