iGEM: A Learning Tool for the 21st Century

In 2007, the elderly accounted for about 13% of the total U.S. population, but they comprised 37% of hospital admissions and 43% of hospital days of care with an average length of stay (LOS) of 5.6 days.(1) A well-known common complication that may be a catastrophic event for hospitalized elderly patients is functional decline, or dysfunctional syndrome associated with hospitalization (DSAH).(2-4)