Inpatient rehabilitation for traumatic brain injury: The influence of age on treatments and outcomes

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Study explored differences in characteristics, treatment provided, and short-term and medium-term outcomes among patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) admitted to inpatient rehabilitation, categorized by age. Data on 1,419 patients admitted to 9 inpatient rehabilitation facilities after TBI were collected through: (1) abstraction from medical records, (2) point-of care forms completed by therapists after each treatment session, and (3) interviews at 3 months and 9 months after discharge, conducted with the patient or a proxy. Results indicated that elderly patients (65 or older) had a lower brain injury severity, and a shorter length of stay (LOS) in acute care. During rehabilitation, they received fewer hours of therapy, due to a shorter LOS and fewer hours of treatment per day, especially from psychology and therapeutic recreation. They regained less functional ability during and after inpatient rehabilitation, and had a very high mortality rate.

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