Department of Health

Regardless of why an older person is admitted to hospital, their ability to move and care for themselves will determine the care and services they will need while in hospital and after discharge.

Older people in hospital are at risk of functional decline and de-conditioning as early as two days after admission1. As clinicians, we should encourage older people to maintain or improve their mobility and self-care skills participating in activities.

This topic gives an overview of the importance of mobility and self-care, tools to identify issues, and strategies to improve an older person’s mobility and self-care. In addition to following health service policy and procedures, consider the following actions and discuss them with colleagues and managers.


1. Hirsch, C.H., et al., The Natural-History of Functional Morbidity in Hospitalized Older Patients. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 1990. 38(12): p. 1296-1303.

All public and private hospitals are required to be accredited to the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare’s (ACSQHC) National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards. The primary aims of the standards are to protect the public from harm and to improve the quality of health service provision. Assessment to the second edition of the NSQHS Standards commenced in January 2019. The second edition comprises eight standards that provide a nationally consistent statement about the level of care consumers can expect from health services.

The Comprehensive Care Standard (Standard 5) aims to ensure that patients receive comprehensive health care that meets their individual needs, and considers the impact of their health issues on their life and wellbeing. It also aims to ensure that risks of harm for patients during health care are prevented and managed through targeted strategies. These include integrating patient care processes to identify patient needs and identifying actions related to falls, pressure injuries, nutrition, mental health, cognitive impairment and end-of-life care.

Information is presented in the Older People in Hospital learning topics that complements Standard 5 and other NSQHS Standards including the; Partnering with Consumers Standard (Standard 2), Medication Safety Standard (Standard 4), Communicating for Safety Standard (Standard 6) and Recognising and Responding to Acute Deterioration (Standard 8).

Reviewed 04 October 2015

Health.vic

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Older People in Hospital Department of Health

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