Relationships between Life Motivation and ADL and Physique of Hospitalized Elderly: Chronic and Recovery Stage Tendencies

Abstract

[Purpose] The purpose of this research was to clarify the relationships between life motivation and ADL and physique for elderly hospitalized patients. [Subjects] The subjects were 71 hospitalized elderly with Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scores of 5 or more for feeding (recovery stage ward: 12 males, 24 females, average age 79.6 ± 11.1; chronic stage ward: 10 males, 25 females, average age 83.2 ± 7.6). [Method] Life motivation was obtained from the Vitality Index scores and divided into high and low score groups based on scores of 8 and above, and 7 and below, and analyzed with determinations of FIM and body mass index (BMI). [Results] We found significant differences between the high and low score groups for all items of FIM in the recovery stage. In the chronic stage, we found significant differences in the movement items of grooming, toilet transfer and excretion of FIM, all cognition items of FIM, and BMI. [Conclusion] We consider that life motivation is associated with general ADL ability in the recovery stage, and with basic human activities such as excretion or appearance in the chronic stage.