Prevention of Functional and Cognitive Impairment in Hospitalized Oncogeriatric Patients

Hospitalized older patients usually remain bedridden for many hours and this may lead to the appearance of unwanted negative consequences, such as cognitive or physical decline upon discharge. Our study will analyze whether an intervention consisting of a multicomponent training programme applied to patients over the age of 60 who are hospitalized for acute medical conditions in an Oncology Department of a tertiary hospital improves functional capacity and cognitive function. A total of 50 hospitalized older adult patients will be recruited in the Hospital Universitario de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain. The participants will be randomized and included in an exercise intervention (n = 25) or a control (n = 25) group (hospital usual-care). The intervention consists of a multicomponent exercise training programme that will take place for 3 consecutive days (2 sessions/day). The control group will receive usual hospital care, which will include physical rehabilitation when needed. Functional and cognitive impairment after and during acute hospitalization in older adults are major determinants of the later need for health resources. If our hypothesis is correct and shows that a multicomponent, individualized and progressive exercise programme is an effective therapy for improving the functional capacity of acutely hospitalized older patients compared to usual care, a change in the current system of hospitalization may be justified in oncogeriatric patients with medical conditions