GENDER IN GERIATRIC REHABILITATION—ARE THERE ANY DIFFERENCES?

Abstract

Background: Gender may have an influence on the results of geriatric therapy and rehabilitation. The aim of this study was to analyze the activities of daily living (ADL), evaluated by the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) on admission and on discharge made by women and men. Patients and Methods: Data of 2496 patients with a wide variety of diseases from the years 2006–2009 were analyzed. The patients were treated in the Center for Medicine in the Elderly in Hannover (Germany), a clinic with both acute and rehabilitative geriatric care. Results: 1802 (72.2%) of the patients were women and 695 (27.8%) men. The mean age of the patients was 81.6 ± 7.7 years (women: 82.5 ± 7.3; men: 79.2 ± 8.3). Cognition was not different between women and men (women: 23.6 ± 5.6; men 24.1 ± 5.3 points; n.s.). The FIM on admission for women and men was alike (women: 84.0 ± 21.9; men: 83.3 23.9 points, n.s.). The mean improvement of the FIM was 14.3 ± 13.4 points (women: 14.7 ± 13.2; men: 12.9 ± 13.6; n.s.). No differences were found neither for the motor nor the cognitive FIM. No differences were found for the FIM items. Conclusion: Although women were slightly older than men, there was no gender difference of the whole FIM or FIM domains on admission as well as on discharge. This was also true for functions where men might have an advantage like climbing stairs or where women might have more interest in like hygiene.