Over 125,000 episodes of inpatient rehabilitation were delivered in Australia in 2019, and most patients were old with varying degrees of frailty. Frailty is a state of decreasing vulnerability to stressors such as illness and injury, and recovery can be slower. Professor Alison Mudge's study aimed to describe older patients' functioning, participation, health status and frailty.

More frail people are expected to be more likely to need rehabilitation care. However, whether their rehabilitation journey looks different (for example, slower or less complete recovery) is unclear. This is essential information for patients and their carers as they embark on their rehabilitation journey. As it can be hard to enrol frail patients in research, it is also relevant to know how many patients were eligible and chose to participate, how long the outcome measures took and whether they were acceptable to the older patients.

Forty-one older participants were enrolled in the study, with 18% of them being pre-fail and 28% frail. The team was able to engage with majority of them for interviews at discharge and 3-month follow ups. Six of their carers also agreed to share their experience.

Although detailed evaluation of this study's findings will be completed by mid 2024, preliminary results indicate that the measurable outcomes from this project were quick and acceptable to participants.