Usefulness of the timed up and go test as an indicator of safety of activities of daily living

Abstract

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to verify the usefulness of the TUG test as a tool for ADL evaluation and the fall risk assessment of hip-fracture patients discharged to home from a convalescence rehabilitation ward. [Subjects] The subjects were 40 hip-fracture patients, who had been injured while falling, who were discharged to home from a convalescence rehabilitation ward. [Methods] The TUG test and FIM were administered within one week of discharge from hospital. The relationship between the two was analyzed, and the incidence of falls in the subsequent three-month period was investigated. [Results] A significant correlation between FIM and TUG performance time was found (p<0.01). Of the 40 patients 7 had falls in the 3-month follow-up period. Some patients with high FIM scores fell, but the number decreased to 0 when the additional condition of a TUG performance time of less than 20 sec was implemented. [Conclusion] This study demonstrated the usefulness of the TUG test as an assessment of fall risk and ADL of hip-fracture patients at discharge to home from a convalescence rehabilitation ward.