Evaluation of the impact of non-slip socks on the motor recovery of elderly people in acute care hospitals: Protocol for a randomized, controlled trial study.

BACKGROUND: Older patients often arrive in acute care wards with inappropriate footwear. Hospitals may provide non-slip socks to improve the patients' safety. However, few studies have been conducted on the benefits of non-slip socks. A recent literature review found only two randomized controlled studies that evaluated non-slip socks, but the socks were not the primary focus of the studies. The aim of this study is therefore to specifically evaluate the benefits of non-slip socks on gait in hospitalized older people. METHODS: This open, randomized, controlled trial will include patients aged 75 years and over, hospitalized in an acute medical unit. Patients will be randomized to either remain barefoot or wear non-slip socks throughout their stay. The primary outcome is gait speed, assessed on Day 1 and Day 8. DISCUSSION: This randomized controlled trial should provide clinicians with a scientific rational for the recommendation, or not, of the use of non-slip socks for older patients in acute care hospitals. TRIAL REGISTRATION: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ on May 12, 2021 under the reference: NCT04882696 https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04882696.

[Elderly subjects hospitalised in acute care medical unit: baseline date and on-year follow-up]. / Personnes âgées hospitalisées dans un service de médecine polyvalente : description initiale, suivi à un an.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the elderly population hospitalized in a service of short-term care, and to follow during one year its evolution in term of dependence and of rehospitalisation. METHODS: Inclusion of all the patients of more than 75 years hospitalized in the service during 5 weeks, with initial geriatric evaluation, and phone evaluation in 6 months and one year. RESULTS: Seventy-four patients were included, among which 57 were living at home. The mean length of stay was 11 days. In one year, 22 patients died, 23 went in institution and 29 are always in the place of residence, among which 18 with a rise of the helps. 53% of patients were rehospitalized at least once. CONCLUSION: This work allows a description, social and functional, of the patients older than 75 years, hospitalized in the service. It confirms the risk of loss of autonomy and of unplanned readmission, in the short and medium term, that a geriatric program could limit.