Abstract
Functional decline is one of the main problems arising from the hospitalization of elderly persons. Hospital environments and policies focused on functionality are crucial for diminishing disabilities associated with hospitalization. This observational study was performed in four internal medicine services and aimed to evaluate the hospital environment and policies as an integral step in implementing the Function-Focused Care (FFC) programme being established in Portugal. The results of the hospital environment analysis suggest that design and product support, while present, are limited given the needs, complexities and specificities of hospitalized elderly persons. Policy evaluation indicated the existence of institutional projects that reflect a concern with functionality. However, more than half of the criteria evaluated need to be developed further in order to integrate the FFC programme. These results highlight that, while these services aim to be more "age-friendly environments", a number of initiatives can and should be undertaken in order to guide the FFC implementation process. This will benefit patients and their families, professionals and institutions.
Keywords:
Elderly; Hospitals; Environment; Policy.