Assessment of function: critically important to acute care of elders. The NICHE Faculty.

Assessment of functional status in hospitalized elders provides essential information that can assist maintenance or restoration of self-care. Nurses in acute care settings are in a pivotal position to assess function and target interventions to prevent loss of function and maintain an individual's self-care ability. This article discusses critical issues in the functional assessment of hospitalized elders and provides a clinical practice protocol that includes nursing care strategies to prevent functional decline during hospitalization and assist with discharge planning.