Abstract: The aim of this study was to describe the functional status of persons aged 75 and above who had been hospitalized in acute care and, to investigate quality of life differences, if any, of those who performed ADL fully one year after hospitalization and of those who did not. The RAIAC and SF‐36 were used as instruments. The result showed that during hospitalisation, 31 % of the patients improved in ADL function. Many of the patients reported that several IADL activities were troublesome to manage without help at discharge. The respondent who was dependent in ADL activities had a significantly lower QoL than the person who was independent at the follow‐up. Nursing care should involve more effective care planning.