Lithium is the mainstay treatment for the management of treatment-resistant depression and long-standing bipolar affective disorder; Given the narrow therapeutic window and the fact that the elderly is an especially vulnerable population group, the need for monitoring is of particular importance. The purpose of this audit is to evaluate the practice for patients on lithium at an old age psychiatric community team and to compare these results with the 2020’s original audit. To then check for any improvements since the implementation of the last year’s measures and recommend changes. We
Background: Malnutrition (i.e., protein-energy malnutrition) in older adults is associated with significant complications and increased mortality, highlighting the need for effective treatments. Many randomized controlled trials (RCTs) testing the effectiveness of nutritional interventions for the treatment of malnutrition showed mixed results and there is a need for meta-analyses. However, evidence synthesis is hampered by the wide variety of outcomes and assessment methods in RCTs. This project, led by EuGMS Special Interest Group Nutrition, aims to develop a Core Outcome Set (COS) for
Background The Covid-19 pandemic led to many consultations being conducted remotely. Cognitive impairment is recognised as a potential barrier to remote healthcare interactions and is common but heterogeneous in Parkinson’s. Little is known about these consultations in real life. We explored the experiences of remote consultations for people with Parkinson’s and cognitive impairment, investigating the perspectives of people with Parkinson’s, caregivers and healthcare professionals. Method Semi-structured interviews were conducted remotely (video or telephone) with 11 people with Parkinson’s
Introduction: Resilient ageing is conceptualised as strive towards achieving satisfactory quality of life (QoL) at old age by embracing positive adaptation and coping mechanisms against adversities regardless of health conditions. Preventive Home Visit (PHV) including various types of home-care interventions were introduced to delay health deterioration and improved QoL. However, research related to resilience as an outcome measured for PHV is scarce. Therefore, this systematic review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of PHV in improving resilience among community dwelling older adults and
Advancements in HIV treatment has resulted in an ageing population in people living with HIV (PLWH). Increasing prevalence of frailty in older PLWH has been demonstrated, giving rise to multi-morbidities, polypharmacy and consequently, complex medical and social needs. Approximately 5650 people are living with HIV across Greater Manchester. With increasing patient complexity, a pathway was developed to help provide holistic care and improve quality of life for older adults living with HIV. A pilot involving multi-disciplinary professionals from the hospital frailty, HIV and community teams was
Introduction: Constipation is a common diagnosis among hospitalized patients. It results in considerable morbidity in elderly patients, healthcare utilization and economic burden. Laxatives are commonly prescribed but poorly monitored due to benign side effect perception. Aim: We undertook a review of the quality of laxative prescribing and subsequent monitoring amongst an inpatient cohort. We propose new standards: - Medication review at least once weekly - Documented rationale for choice of medication - Specified timeframe review and outcome documentation. We reviewed current hospital trust
Introduction There are 400 thousand people living with dementia (PLWD) in Egypt. Most of the care for PLWD is delivered by family members. Healthcare Professionals (HCP) supporting these families need adequate training. Involving HCP in designing and producing training material ensures sustainability of these educational resources as their content will be socially and culturally relevant. Methods The first part of the project involved the lead author (OM) meeting with 2 geriatricians to identify common challenging situations in dementia. A short video for training HCP in dementia using these
Introduction Ageing is associated with multimorbidity, polypharmacy and medication-related harm (MRH). A 2013 systematic review reported only one study of medication errors (MEs) in older Egyptian patients. Our study investigated MRH (adverse drug reactions (ADR), drug errors, and non-adherence) in older Egyptian adults after hospital-discharge. Methods Between 2018 and 2020, we recruited 400 Egyptian patients, aged ≥60 years on discharge from Geriatrics and Internal Medicine wards from 3 hospitals, and followed them up for 8 weeks. Study procedures adopted a modified PRIME trial methodology
Introduction Despite recognition of the status of gerontological nursing as a speciality , there is no specific UK competency framework for early career nurses working with older people. As part of a feasibility intervention to improve recruitment and retention of nurses within the speciality (ECHO Early Careers in Healthcare of Older People and PEACH Programme for early careers for care home nurses) , we developed a bespoke competency framework appropriate for nurse working within all sectors. Method The national and international literature on published competency frameworks was reviewed to
Introduction: Delirium is a neuropsychiatric condition which is independently associated with poorer outcomes, and is prevalent in those aged over 75. Early recognition and standardised pathways are key to delivering good delirium care. Despite this, there are no formal screening and standardised pathways in RIE ED. Baseline data suggested around 4% are being screened for delirium. Aim: To increase screening for delirium from a baseline figure of 4% to 75% for patients aged over 75 years of age attending RIE ED, and also to ensure initial investigations were initiated in any patients who were
Introduction: Orthostatic hypotension (OH) is common in geriatric inpatients and associated with an increased risk of falls, fractures, reduced quality of life and death. Therefore, recognizing OH early is important in prevention of this associated morbidity and mortality. A lying and standing blood pressure (LSBP) measurement is required for the diagnosis of OH and guidelines advice LSBP measurement in patients 65 years and older. Aim: This Quality Improvement Project aimed to improve rates of LSBP measurement on all geriatric inpatients during their current admission. To carry this out we
Introduction People who recover poorly after delirium are likely to require an increased level of care. It is presently unknown whether interventions to improve recovery after delirium are effective and cost-effective. This research aimed to develop a programme theory to inform the design of an intervention to improve recovery after delirium. Method A rapid realist review of literature was conducted to develop an initial programme theory. Following this, a qualitative investigation of the perceived rehabilitation needs of older people who have experienced delirium during a hospital stay was
Background The increased operative risk for older adults remains a growing concern in neurosurgery. One method of managing this is the addition of embedded geriatric liaison teams for proactive management of older and frail patients in surgical settings. This study aims to evaluate the attitudes of healthcare professionals towards the Medicine of the Elderly Liaison to Neurosurgery Team at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and to investigate the impact that the team has made since its inception in February 2021. Methods 17 staff members were interviewed: medical and surgical doctors as well as
Abstract Introduction: Chronic pain is associated with frailty. We hypothesised that painful comorbidities would be more strongly associated with frailty than non-painful comorbidities. Method: Data were from Investigating Musculoskeletal Health and Wellbeing, a UK-based cohort of people with or at risk of musculoskeletal problems or frailty. Average pain over the previous month was assessed using an 11-point numerical rating scale (NRS). The original FRAIL questionnaire comprises five self-report items: Fatigue, Resistance, Ambulation, Illnesses and Loss of weight. In this study, risk of
Introduction: Moving into a care home is a significant, life-changing experience which occurs to address care needs which cannot be supported elsewhere. UK health policy recommends against moving into a care home from the acute hospital. However, this occurs in practice. Better understanding pathways into care homes could improve support for individuals and families, service planning and policymaking. Our aim was to characterise individuals who move-in to a care home from hospital and those moving-in from the community, identifying factors associated with moving-in from hospital. Method: A
Introduction: Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) improves outcomes for frail older adults in acute hospitals. Patients aged 75 and over admitted into the Emergency Department (ED) at the QEUH will automatically generate a “frailty icon” on their electronic record. The number of frail people accessing emergency care is increasing. This Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) frailty tool prompts staff to assess for frailty and refer to the local Frailty Pathway if appropriate. We designed a multidisciplinary quality improvement project (QIP) to increase completion of the frailty icon and
INTRODUCTION: The number of transcatheter aortic valve implantations (TAVIs) performed in the UK is increasing exponentially, providing a new treatment avenue for patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis previously deemed too frail for surgical intervention. Frailty is known to be associated with poor outcomes following TAVI, however little is known as to whether comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA), the gold standard intervention for older adults in a range of clinical settings, can change outcomes for older adults undergoing this procedure. METHODS: Databases EMBASE, MEDLINE
Background: Multimorbidity has negative impacts on the health outcomes of older adults. Previous research has discovered different patterns of multimorbidity. However, evidence is scarce for associations between multimorbidity patterns and depression, especially the role of social participation in it. This study aimed to explore the relationship between multimorbidity patterns and depression among older adults in Taiwan and the effect of social participation in different multimorbidity patterns. Methods: This population-based cohort study used data from the Taiwan Longitudinal Study on Aging
Intracerebroventricular streptozotocin injection at 3mg/kg of b/w causes phenotypes similar to that of sporadic Alzheimer’s disease (sAD) from 14th day post-injection. On the other hand, body of evidences indicated that impairment in the sAD is the major contributor for cognitive decline. Taken together, we tested the adult neurogenesis hypothesis in streptozotocin model of sAD in female Wistar rats after extremely low magnetic stimulation (MF: 17.96, 50Hz, 2hr/day, 21days). To do so, 33 rats were randomly divided into three groups viz. Sham+MF, AD and AD+MF. Consequently, animals were first
Introduction: Bowel health is affected in acutely admitted patients due to illness, change in diet, dehydration, and reduced mobility. Constipation is common and older patients are particularly at risk of constipation due to reduced bowel transit speed. Bowel motion monitoring can help improve bowel health and reduce complications including delirium, which can prolong hospital admission. To increase detection of constipation, a quality improvement project was carried out in the Department of Medicine for the Elderly at Southend Hospital, with aims to increase compliance of daily stool chart