Gait Speed in Older Adults

Functionality is an important parameter in the assessment of the geriatric patient, which predisposes to frailty, institutionalisation, morbidity, disability and death. The elderly patient must be assessed holistically, and for this, the best tool in our daily medical practice is the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA), whose main objective is the development of an individualised plan with a preventive, therapeutic and rehabilitative approach, which guarantees adequate, effective, quality and warm medical care.The geriatric patient presents particular characteristics, different from the general adult population, so care is measured in terms of functionality, which involves physical, mental, affective, economic and socio-familial aspects. It is essential to find a reliable parameter that allows predicting patients at risk of staying longer in hospital, greater possibility of in-hospital complications and greater risk of functional loss after hospitalisation. Gait speed has been shown to be a reliable predictor of functional recovery and hospital stay.