Pre-Intensive Care Unit Cognitive Status, Subsequent Disability, and New Nursing Home Admission among Critically Ill Older Adults.

Among older adults, any impairment (even minimal) in pre-intensive care unit cognitive status was associated with an increase in post-intensive care unit disability over the 6 months after a critical illness; moderate cognitive impairment doubled the likelihood of a new nursing home admission. Pre-intensive care unit cognitive impairment was not associated with mortality from intensive care unit admission through 6 months of follow-up. Pre-intensive care unit cognitive status may provide prognostic information about the likelihood of older adults maintaining independence after a critical illness.