For patients recovering from acute illness, the ability to stand, walk, climb stairs, and
participate in therapy are critical to their recovery and eventual discharge to the least
restrictive environment. Orthostatic hypotension is a common finding in medically ill adult
and elderly patients and is a potentially reversible contributor to functional impairment.
This 4-year project will be a randomized controlled trial of a
multidisciplinary-multicomponent intervention to determine whether routine identification
and treatment of OH improves functional outcomes such as: balance, fall rates, therapy
participation, length of stay, transfer to acute care hospital, and discharge location.
Routine screening and management of OH may improve outcomes for rehabilitation and long term
care patients, as well other high-risk patient populations.