The incidence of falls is very high immediately after hospital discharge, yet little is known about how acute illness and hospitalization affect the risk for falls, and how falls during the post-acute period affect patient's ability to recover function and live independently. During the first half of the proposed NIA Academic Award. Dr. Mahoney will conduct a prospective study to investigate risk factors and outcomes associated with falls after hospitalization, utilizing a unique cohort of frail elderly patients recently discharged from the hospital. She will work closely with her sponsors, Dr. Mark Sager and Dr. Mari Palta in conducting this study. This research will provide Dr. Mahoney with hands-on skills in study design, data collection and data analysis, and will allow her to develop the expertise to conduct future investigations independently. This study will also provide the background and framework for development of a clinical trial, occurring in the second phase of the proposed NIA Academic Award, to improve mobility and prevent falls in the post-hospitalization period. This intervention study, which will be enhanced by close collaboration with Drs. Jim Agre and Everett Smith, will give Dr. Mahoney the opportunity to acquire skills in rehabilitation medicine and exercise physiology which will be critically important for her future investigations in the area of fall prevention.
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