Ingestive Skill Difficulties are Frequent Among Acutely-Hospitalized Frail Elderly Patients, and Predict Hospital Outcomes

Purpose: To examine the relationship between ingestive skill performance while eating and drinking and frailty status in acutely-hospitalized elderly patients and to examine whether there is a relationship between the proportion of ingestive skill difficulties and Length of Hospital Stay (LOS) and discharge destination. Methods: Frail (n64) and robust (n40) acutely-hospitalized elderly patients were assessed using The McGill Ingestive Skills Assessment. Results: Forty-three ingestive skills were significantly more affected in frail patients (21.9 to 95.3) versus robust patients (2.5 to 65.0). When adjusting for frailty status, difficulties in self-feeding and texture management were related to prolonged LOS, and difficulties in positioning and liquid ingestion were related to discharge to institutional care. Conclusion: Ingestive skill difficulties among acutely-hospitalized frail elderly patients were frequent and characterized by great complexity. This necessitates a broad range of management strategies related to the patients' ability in positioning, self-feeding skills, as well as oropharyngeal sensorimotor skills.