Cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric evaluation of the social frailty scale in Iranian older adults.

BACKGROUND: Social frailty is a holistic concept encompassing various social determinants of health. Considering its importance and impact on health-related outcomes in older adults, the present study was conducted to cross-culturally adapt and psychometrically evaluate the Social Frailty Scale in Iranian older adults in 2023. METHODS: This was a methodological study. The translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the Social Frailty Scale 8-item (SFS-8) was conducted according to Wild's guideline. Content and face validity were assessed using qualitative and quantitative methods. Then, 250 older adults covered by comprehensive health centers were selected using multistage random sampling. Participants completed the demographic questionnaire, the Abbreviated Mental Test score, the SFS-8, and the Lubben Social Network Scale. Construct validity was assessed by principal component analysis (PCA) and known-group comparisons. The Mann‒Whitney U test was used to compare social frailty scores between the isolated and non-isolated older adults. Internal consistency, equivalence, and stability were assessed using the Kuder-Richardson method, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), the standard error of measurement (SEM), and the minimum detectable change (MDC). The ceiling and floor effects were also assessed. The data were analyzed using JASP 0.17.3. RESULTS: The ratio and index of content validity and the modified kappa coefficient of all the items were 1.00. The impact score of the items was greater than 4.6. PCA identified the scale as a single component by removing two questions that could explain 52.9% of the total variance in the scale score. The Persian version of the Social Frailty Scale could distinguish between isolated and non-isolated older adults (p < 0.001). The Kuder-Richardson coefficient, ICC, SEM, and MDC were 0.606, 0.904, 0.129, and 0.358, respectively. The relative frequencies of the minimum and maximum scores obtained from the scale were 34.8 and 1.2, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The Persian version of the Social Frailty Scale (P-SFS) can be used as a valid and reliable scale to assess social frailty in Iranian older adults.

How can we improve Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment for older people living with frailty in primary care and community settings? A qualitative study.

OBJECTIVE: With advancing age comes the increasing prevalence of frailty and increased risk of adverse outcomes (eg, hospitalisation). Evidence for comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA), a multidimensional holistic model of care, is mixed in community settings. Uncertainties remain, such as the key components of CGA, who delivers it, and the use of technology. This study aimed to understand the perspectives, beliefs and experiences, of both older people and health professionals, to improve the current CGA and explore factors that may impact on CGA delivery in community settings. DESIGN: A qualitative interview study was conducted with older people and healthcare professionals (HCPs) identified using a maximum variation strategy. Data were analysed using an abductive analysis approach. The non-adoption, abandonment, scale-up, spread and sustainability framework and the theoretical framework of acceptability guided the categorisation of the codes and identified categories were mapped to the two frameworks. SETTING: England, UK. RESULTS: 27 people were interviewed, constituting 14 older people and 13 HCPs. We identified limitations in the current CGA: a lack of information sharing between different HCPs who deliver CGA; poor communication between older people and their HCPs and a lack of follow-up as part of CGA. When we discussed the potential for CGA to use technology, HCPs and older people varied in their readiness to engage with it. CONCLUSIONS: Viable solutions to address gaps in the current delivery of CGA include the provision of training and support to use digital technology and a designated comprehensive care coordinator. The next stage of this research will use these findings, existing evidence and stakeholder engagement, to develop and refine a model of community-based CGA that can be assessed for feasibility and acceptability.

Association of multidimensional frailty and quality of life in middle-aged and older people with stroke: A cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to (i) compare the prevalence of multidimensional frailty in middle-aged and older people with stroke and to (ii) explore the relationship between multidimensional frailty and quality of life (QoL) in this patient population. BACKGROUND: In recent years, stroke patients have become increasingly younger. As an important risk factor for stroke patients, frailty has gradually drawn research attention because of its multidimensional nature. DESIGN: This study used a cross-sectional design. METHODS: The study included 234 stroke patients aged 45 and older. Multidimensional frailty was defined as a holistic condition in which a person experiences losses in one or more domains of human functioning (physical, psychological and social) based on the Tilburg Frailty Indicator, and QoL was based on the short version of the Stroke-Specific Quality of Life Scale. Hierarchical regression was used to analyse the correlation factors of QoL. STROBE checklist guides the reporting of the manuscript. RESULTS: A total of 128 (54.7%) participants had multidimensional frailty, 48 (44.5%) were middle aged and 80 (63.5%) were older adults. The overall QoL mean score of the participants was 47.86 ± 9.04. Multidimensional frailty was negatively correlated with QoL. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that multidimensional frailty could independently explain 14.6% of the variation in QoL in stroke patients. CONCLUSIONS: Multidimensional frailty was prevalent in middle-aged and older people with stroke, and it was a significant factor associated with QoL in stroke patients. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: This study emphasises the importance of the early identification of multidimensional frailty. And targeted interventions should be studied to prevent the occurrence of multidimensional frailty and thereby improve the QoL of patients. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION/S: There are no patient or public contributions to this study.

Exploring stakeholders' experiences of comprehensive geriatric assessment in the community and out-patient settings: a qualitative evidence synthesis.

BACKGROUND: Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) is a multidimensional interdisciplinary process that addresses an older adult's biopsychosocial capabilities to create an integrated and co-ordinated plan of care. While quantitative evidence that demonstrates the positive impacts of CGA on clinical and process outcomes has been synthesised, to date qualitative research reporting how older adults and service providers experience CGA has not been synthesised. This study aimed to systematically review and synthesise qualitative studies reporting community-dwelling older adults', caregivers' and healthcare professionals' (HCP) experiences of CGA in the primary care and out-patient (OPD) setting. METHOD: We systematically searched five electronic databases including MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES and Social Sciences Full Text targeting qualitative or mixed methods studies that reported qualitative findings on older adults', caregivers' and HCPs' experiences of CGA in primary care or out-patient settings. There were no language or date restrictions applied to the search. The protocol was registered with the PROSPERO database (Registration: CRD42021283167). The methodological quality of the included studies was appraised using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist for qualitative research. Results were synthesised according to Noblit and Hare's seven-step approach to meta-ethnography, which involves an iterative and inductive process of data synthesis. RESULTS: Fourteen studies were included where CGA was completed in the home, general practice, out-patient setting in acute hospitals and in hybrid models across the community and hospital-based OPD settings. Synthesis generated four key themes: (1) CGA is experienced as a holistic process, (2) The home environment enhances CGA, (3) CGA in the community is enabled by a collaborative approach to care, and (4) Divergent experiences of the meaningful involvement of older adults, caregivers and family in the CGA process. CONCLUSION: Findings demonstrate that CGA in a home-based or OPD setting allows for a holistic and integrated approach to care for community-dwelling older adults while increasing patient satisfaction and accessibility of healthcare. Healthcare professionals in the community should ensure meaningful involvement of older adults and their families or caregivers in the CGA process. Further robustly designed and well reported trials of different models of community-based CGA informed by the findings of this synthesis are warranted.

Implementing the 4 Ms in a geriatric oncology clinic to create age friendly cancer care.

BACKGROUND: Over 50 % of cancers occur in people aged 70 and older, and 60 % of all cancer deaths occur in this population. Cancer care for the older adult is complex related to comorbidities, age related changes and various social needs. They also may experience cognitive and physical limitations during their cancer journey. At Moffitt Cancer Center, 49 % of patients seen in clinic, in hospital, in diagnostic and procedure areas are 65 years of age and over. The purpose of this quality project was to craft age friendly cancer care utilizing the 4 Ms framework as a roadmap to enterprise spread at an NCI Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. METHODS: Each new patient to the Senior Adult Oncology Program receives geriatric screening with SAOP-3, Timed up and Go and asked, "what matters most". The SAOP-3 Geriatric screening tool includes domains for screening depression and cognitive impairment. High risk medications prompt a pharmacy consult for deprescribing opportunities. RESULTS: Since becoming recognized as an AFHS, the 4 M's have been implemented in all inpatient units at 2 hospitals and continue to spread to ambulatory clinics on 4 outpatient sites. Further enterprise spread totals over 5500 geriatric oncology patients were screened utilizing the SAOP-3 screening tool.

Discordance in Frailty Measures in Old Community Dwelling People with Multimorbidity - A Cross-Sectional Study.

Purpose: Assessment of frailty is a key method to identify older people in need of holistic care. However, agreement between different frailty instrument varies. Thus, groups classified as frail by different instruments are not completely overlapping. This study evaluated differences in sociodemographic factors, cognition, functional status, and quality of life between older persons with multimorbidity who were discordantly classified by five different frailty instruments, with focus on the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) and Fried's Frailty Phenotype (FP). Participants and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study in a community-dwelling setting. Inclusion criteria were as follows: ≥75 years old, ≥3 visits to the emergency department the past 18 months, and ≥3 diagnoses according to ICD-10. 450 participants were included. Frailty was assessed by CFS, FP, Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), Grip Strength and Walking Speed. Results: 385 participants had data on all frailty instruments. Prevalence of frailty ranged from 34% (CFS) to 75% (SPPB). Nine percent of participants were non-frail by all instruments, 20% were frail by all instruments and 71% had discordant frailty classifications. Those who were frail according to CFS but not by the other instruments had lower cognition and functional status. Those who were frail according to FP but not CFS were, to a larger extent, women, lived alone, had higher cognitive ability and functional status. Conclusion: The CFS might not identify physically frail women in older community-dwelling people with multimorbidity. They could thus be at risk of not be given the attention their frail condition need.

Effectiveness of holistic assessment-based interventions in improving outcomes in adults with multiple long-term conditions and/or frailty: an umbrella review protocol.

OBJECTIVE: This umbrella review will synthesize evidence on the effectiveness of holistic assessment-based interventions in improving health outcomes in adults (aged ≥18) with multiple long-term conditions and/or frailty. INTRODUCTION: Health systems need effective, evidence-based interventions to improve health outcomes for adults with multiple long-term conditions. Holistic assessment-based interventions are effective in older people admitted to hospital (usually called "comprehensive geriatric assessments" in that context); however, the evidence is inconclusive on whether similar interventions are effective in community settings. INCLUSION CRITERIA: We will include systematic reviews examining the effectiveness of community and/or hospital holistic assessment-based interventions in improving health outcomes for community-dwelling and hospitalized adults aged ≥ 18 with multiple long-term conditions and/or frailty. METHODS: The review will follow the JBI methodology for umbrella reviews. MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL Plus, Scopus, ASSIA, Cochrane Library, and the TRIP Medical Database will be searched to identify reviews published in English from 2010 till the present. This will be followed by a manual search of reference lists of included reviews to identify additional reviews. Two reviewers will independently screen titles and abstracts against the selection criteria, followed by screening of full texts. Methodological quality will be assessed using the JBI critical appraisal checklist for systematic reviews and research syntheses and data will be extracted using an adapted and piloted JBI data extraction tool. The summary of findings will be presented in tabular format, with narrative descriptions and visual indications. The citation matrix will be generated and the corrected covered area calculated to analyze the overlap in primary studies across the reviews. REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42022363217.

Preoperative frailty vs. cognitive impairment: Which one matters most for postoperative delirium among older adults with cancer?

INTRODUCTION: Limited data are available to explore the association between preoperative frailty and cognitive impairment with postoperative delirium among older adults with cancer. We explored this association in a single Comprehensive Cancer Center where postoperative delirium and frailty are assessed in routine care using the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) and Memorial Sloan Kettering Frailty Index (MSK-FI), respectively. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective study on patients with cancer, aged 65+, who underwent surgery from April 2018 to March 2019 with hospital stay ≥1 day. We used logistic regression with postoperative delirium as the outcome, primary predictor MSK-FI, adjusted for age, operative time, and preoperative albumin. As the MSK-FI includes a component related to cognitive impairment, we additionally evaluated the impact of this component, separately from the rest of the score, on the association between frailty and postoperative delirium. RESULTS: Among 1,257 patients with available MSK-FI and CAM measures, 47 patients (3.7%) had postoperative delirium. Increased frailty was associated with increased risk of postoperative delirium (odds ratio [OR] 1.51; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.26, 1.81; p < 0.001). However, this was largely related to the effect of cognitive impairment (OR 15.29; 95% CI 7.18; 32.56; p < 0.001). In patients with cognitive impairment, the association between frailty and postoperative delirium was not significant (OR 0.97; 95% CI 0.65, 1.44; p-value = 0.9), as having cognitive impairment put patients at high risk for postoperative delirium even without taking into account the other components of the MSK-FI. While the association between frailty and postoperative delirium in patients with intact cognitive function was statistically significant (OR 1.58; 95% CI 1.27, 1.96; p < 0.001), it was not clinically meaningful, particularly considering the low risk of delirium among patients with intact cognitive function (e.g., 1.3% vs 3.2% for MSK-FI 1 vs 3). DISCUSSION: Cognitive function should be a greater focus than frailty, as measured by the MSK-FI, in preoperative assessment for the prediction of postoperative delirium.

Hypomagnesemia and incident delirium in hospitalized older persons.

BACKGROUND: Altered serum magnesium (Mg) levels in older persons have been hypothesized to have a role in predicting hospitalization and mortality. Hypomagnesemia and delirium are frequent problems in older patients, but no study has evaluated such an association in acute geriatric setting. AIMS: We investigated the impact of hypomagnesemia on the incidence of delirium in an acute geriatric setting. METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted on 209 older hospitalized patients. All subjects underwent a comprehensive geriatric assessment. Mg was measured in serum by routine laboratory methods. The presence of incident delirium was determined by the 4AT screening tool. A logistic regression model was used to assess the association between serum Mg and delirium controlling for multiple covariates. RESULTS: 209 patients (77.9% women) were included in the study. The mean age of the participants was 85.7 ± 6.50 years (range 65-100). 27 subjects (12.9%) developed delirium during the hospitalization, with no difference between genders. Subjects with delirium had lower serum magnesium levels than those without (1.88 ± 0.34 versus 2.04 ± 0.28; p = 0.009). Delirium risk was significantly higher in patients with lower serum magnesium levels (OR 5.80 95% CI 1.450-23.222; p = 0.013), independent of multiple covariates. CONCLUSION: Our data show that low serum Mg level is a good predictor of incident delirium in acute geriatric settings. Present findings have relevant implications for clinical management, highlighting the need for analyzing Mg concentration carefully. Whether Mg supplementation in patients with hypomagnesemia could lead to delirium prevention and/or control needs further investigation.

Consistency in the prevalence and associated factors of frailty determined by two instruments among hospitalised older adults: A cross-sectional study.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To investigate the consistency in the prevalence and associated factors of frailty determined by the physical-originated Fatigue, Resistance, Ambulation, Illnesses and Loss of weight (FRAIL) scale and the multidimensional Tilburg Frailty Indicators (TFI) scale. BACKGROUND: Accurate assessment of frailty and the identification of its associated factors could guide the development and implementation of holistic and individualised treatment plan. However, recommendations regarding the selection of frailty assessment tools are inconclusive. DESIGN: This is a cross-sectional study, the reporting of which followed the STROBE guidelines. METHODS: A total of 1220 older adults were recruited from a university affiliated tertiary hospital in Xi'an City, Northwest China, and administrated with a social-demographic and health-related information sheet, the FRAIL, the TFI, the Short-Form Mini-Nutritional Assessment, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the 5-level EuroQol 5 dimensions questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression analysis were used to investigate the prevalence of frailty and its associated factors. RESULTS: The prevalence of physical-originated and multidimensional frailty was 55.2% and 77.6%, respectively. The consistency between the two scales was low. Taking the combined use of the two instruments as the reference, the TFI and FRAIL could identify 89.99% and 64.02% of the participants with frailty. Polypharmacy, health-related quality of life and sleep quality were found to be associated with both physical-originated and multidimensional frailty. Nutritional status and level of physical activity were additionally identified as the independent associated factors of multidimensional frailty. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of frailty among hospitalised older adults is high. There is low consistency between the FRAIL and TFI in detecting frailty. The TFI exhibited higher sensitivity in detecting individuals with frailty and its associated factors. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The findings of this study supported a single use of the TFI for the assessment of frailty in the hospital setting.

Singapore Clinical Practice Guidelines For Sarcopenia: Screening, Diagnosis, Management and Prevention.

OBJECTIVES: To present the local evidence and final recommendations of the Clinical Practice Guidelines workgroup convened by the Chapter of Geriatricians and the Society for Geriatric Medicine Singapore. The aim is to develop contextualized evidence-based recommendations that facilitate adoption of the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) 2019 consensus into current practice in Singapore. METHODS: The workgroup drew upon the AWGS'2019 consensus, updated literature review of Singapore studies till 31 Dec 2020, and evidence from recent systematic reviews. From 40 local studies included for data extraction, we constructed evidence tables organized as: definition and epidemiology; diagnosis and evaluation; and treatment and intervention. Twenty recommendations - case-finding, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, research - were developed, and graded for strength and quality using the GRADE approach. Consensus from an expert panel(N=23) was achieved after two rounds of the modified Delphi process. RESULTS: The local prevalence of sarcopenia among community-dwelling older adults ranged from 13.6% to 25%. Most studies adopted the AWGS'2019 and AWGS'2014 criteria. Reported case finding tools include SARC-F, calf circumference (CC) and SARC-CalF. Gender-specific AWGS cut-offs for appendicular skeletal mass were used to define low muscle mass. Different protocols and dynamometers were used to assess handgrip strength, whilst gait speed and 5-times chair stand were commonly used to assess physical performance. RECOMMENDATIONS: We conditionally recommend a case-finding approach in at-risk older adults using validated case-finding tools. Screen-positive individuals should be assessed for 'possible sarcopenia' and underlying causes. For diagnosis, we conditionally recommend using the AWGS'2019 algorithm, and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry when necessary to determine low lean mass for a confirmatory diagnosis of sarcopenia. For treatment, we strongly recommend resistance-based exercises and conditionally recommend a quality protein-rich diet/protein supplementation, with Vitamin D supplementation for insufficiency (<30 micrograms/L). For prevention, we recommend regular resistance-based physical activity and adequate protein intake (≥1.0g/kg bodyweight). We encourage more research to address local evidence gaps.

Model to Predict Oral Frailty Based on a Questionnaire: A Cross-Sectional Study.

A statistical model to predict oral frailty based on information obtained from questionnaires might help to estimate its prevalence and clarify its determinants. In this study, we aimed to develop and validate a predictive model to assess oral frailty thorough a secondary data analysis of a previous cross-sectional study on oral frailty conducted on 843 patients aged ≥ 65 years. The data were split into training and testing sets (a 70/30 split) using random sampling. The training set was used to develop a multivariate stepwise logistic regression model. The model was evaluated on the testing set and its performance was assessed using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The final model in the training set consisted of age, number of teeth present, difficulty eating tough foods compared with six months ago, and recent history of choking on tea or soup. The model showed good accuracy in the testing set, with an area of 0.860 (95% confidence interval: 0.806-0.915) under the ROC curve. These results suggested that the prediction model was useful in estimating the prevalence of oral frailty and identifying the associated factors.

Sarc-frailty: towards an integrated view of ageing.

OBJECTIVES: Sarcopenia and frailty have both been related to adverse events in ageing, but have long been studied in parallel. The purpose of this study was to provide a better depiction of ageing by taking the advantages of both entities. STUDY DESIGN: 2532 participants were enrolled from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2002. A new diagnostic entity, sarc-frailty, was established by merging the diagnostic elements of both sarcopenia and frailty. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Cox proportional hazard models, Kaplan-Meier curve, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were utilized to compare the hazard ratios and predictive power in relation to mortality of sarcopenia, frailty, and sarc-frailty. Two different classification strategies, categorical and scoring, were used as alternative assessment methods. RESULTS: The median follow-up duration was 67.49 months, and no participants were lost to follow-up. ROC analysis revealed the highest area under curves (AUC) in sarc-frailty by both categorical and scoring classification (AUC = 0.660, p value <0.001 and AUC = 0.697, p value <0.001, respectively), indicating the best predictive ability in relation to mortality. Kaplan-Meier analysis also demonstrated the shortest overall survival for sarc-frailty with both classifications (p value both <0.001). In addition, hazard ratios (HRs) of sarc-frailty with both classifications were higher than their counterparts for sarcopenia and frailty (HR = 12.599, 95 % CI = 7.780 to 20.403, p < 0.001 by categorical method, and HR = 20.121, 95 % CI = 8.101 to 49.973, p < 0.001 by scoring classification). Moreover, the scoring classification revealed a more delicate hierarchical structure of mortality levels than the categorical classification. CONCLUSIONS: Sarc-frailty had a better predictive ability in relation to mortality. Considering that ageing well is a holistic health-care issue, our new entity, along with the scoring method, provides clinicians with more effective tools in geriatric assessment.

The Japan Frailty Scale is a promising screening test for frailty and pre-frailty in Japanese elderly people.

Frailty is one of the most important problems in a super-aged society. It is necessary to identify frailty quickly and easily at the bedside. We developed a simple patient-reported frailty screening scale, the Japan Frailty Scale (JFS), based on the aging concept of Kampo medicine. Eight candidate questions were prepared by Kampo medicine experts, and a simple prediction model was created in the development cohort (n = 434) and externally validated in an independent validation cohort (n = 276). The physical indicators and questionnaires associated with frailty were also comprehensively evaluated. The reference standard for frailty or pre-frailty was determined based on the Kihon checklist. In the development cohort, four questions, nocturia (0-2), lumbago (0-2), cold sensitivity (0-2), exhaustion (0-4), and age (0-1) were selected by multivariable logistic regression analysis. The total JFS score is 0-11. Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis of the JFS for identifying frailty status showed moderately good discrimination (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.78, 95 % confidence interval (CI): 0.73-0.82). At the JFS cutoff value of 3/4 for frailty or pre-frailty, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were 86.9 %, 53.3 %, 62.8 %, and 81.7 %, respectively. External validation of the JFS showed moderately good discrimination (AUC = 0.76, 95 % CI: 0.70-0.81). The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV were 79.9 %, 61.4 %, 69.3 %, and 73.7 %, respectively. These results indicate that the JFS is a promising patient-reported clinical scale for early identification of pre-frail/frail patients at the bedside in primary care.

Using comprehensive geriatric assessment for older adults undertaking a facility-based transition care program to evaluate functional outcomes: a feasibility study.

BACKGROUND: The study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of using a comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) in a residential transition care setting to measure older adults' functional outcomes. METHODS: A convenience sample of older adults (n = 10) and staff (n = 4) was recruited. The feasibility of using assessment tools that comprise a CGA to comprehensively measure function in physical, cognitive, social and emotional domains was evaluated pre- and post-rehabilitation. RESULTS: 10 older adults (mean ± SD age = 78.9 ± 9.1, n = 6 male) completed a CGA performed using assessments across physical, cognitive, social and emotional domains. The CGA took 55.9 ± 7.3 min to complete. Staff found CGA using the selected assessment tools to be acceptable and suitable for the transition care population. Older adults found the procedure to be timely and 60% found the assessments easy to comprehend. Participating in CGA also assisted older adults in understanding their present state of health. The older adults demonstrated improvements across all assessed domains including functional mobility (de Morton Mobility Index; baseline 41.5 ± 23.0, discharge 55.0 ± 24.0, p = 0.01) and quality of life (EQ-5D-5L; baseline 59.0 ± 21.7, discharge 78.0 ± 16.0, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Incorporating CGA to evaluate functional outcomes in transition care using a suite of assessment tools was feasible and enabled a holistic assessment.

Frailty on the acute medical take.

Frailty is a prevalent condition in urgent care settings associated with an increased risk of adverse events. Frailty commonly presents on the acute medical take in the form of geriatric syndromes, which include falls, delirium and immobility. Comprehensive geriatric assessment is the evidence-based holistic approach to assessing and managing people with frailty. This multidimensional and interdisciplinary process is generally specialist led, however, acute medical teams can make important contributions through early identification and grading of frailty, and proactive management of geriatric syndromes.

[Changes in first-time patients in an outpatient memory clinic -The impact of the declaration of a state of emergency].

AIM: With the spread of the new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) and the resulting declaration of a state of emergency, many medical institutions refrained from providing medical care, and patients themselves refrained from visiting hospitals. We also stopped accepting new patients to our outpatient memory loss clinic. We examined whether or not there was any change in the patients who visited our clinic after the state of emergency was lifted. METHODS: A total of 517 first-time patients ≥65 years old who visited the Center for Comprehensive Care on Memory Disorders at Kyorin University Hospital from July 2019 to June 2021 were included in the study. Patients were grouped by quarter, and their physical characteristics, frailty, and Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) findings were compared. RESULTS: Patients who were first seen in July-September 2020 (Q3) had a higher number of medications and greater proportion of frailty than those who were first-time patients in other periods. Regarding the sub-indices, weight loss (48.6%) and the percentage of those complaining of fatigue (37.5%) were significantly higher in Q3 than in other periods. Regarding the CGA findings, the Vitality Index was significantly lower, and among the sub-items, appetite and motivation for activity were lower in Q3 than in other periods. CONCLUSIONS: First-time outpatients at the outpatient memory clinic in Q3 of 2020 had a higher rate of frailty and lower motivation than first-time patients at other times.The spread of COVID-19 infection and behavioral restrictions due to the declaration of a state of emergency may have contributed to the progression of frailty among outpatients with memory loss.

A nutritionally focused program for community-living older adults resulted in improved health and well-being.

OBJECTIVES: Among older adults, malnutrition is common and is associated with increased risk for impaired health and functionality, conditions further associated with poorer quality of life. In this study of community-living older adults, our objective was to quantify outcome changes following identification and treatment of malnutrition or its risk. DESIGN: Our intervention was a nutritional quality improvement program (QIP). The nutritional QIP included: (i) education of participants about the importance of complete and balanced macro- and micronutrient intake plus physical exercise, (ii) nutritional intervention with dietary counseling; and (iii) provision of oral nutritional supplements (ONS) for daily intake over 60 days. Follow-up measurements took place 30 days after ONS treatment ended, i.e., 90 days after start of intervention. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: We recruited 618 transitional-care, chronically ill, older adults (>60 years) with malnutrition/risk (per Mini Nutrition Assessment-Short Form, MNA-SF) from the outpatient clinic of Hospital Universitario San Ignacio, in Bogotá, Colombia. METHODS: For pre-post comparisons, we examined cognition (Mini-Mental State Exam, MMSE), physical abilities (Barthel Activities of Daily Living, ADL; Short Physical Performance Battery, SPPB), affective disorder status (Global Depression Scale, GDS), and quality of life (QoL; EuroQoL-5D-3L, EQ-5D-3L; EuroQoL-Visual Analog Scale, EQ-VAS). RESULTS: Participants were mean age 74.1 ± 8.7 y, female majority (69.4%), and had an average of 2.6 comorbidities with cardiovascular and respiratory diseases predominant (28.5%). QIP-based nutritional intervention led to significant improvements in cognitive (MMSE) and physical functions (ADL and SPPB), affective disorder status (GDS), and health-related quality of life (EQ-VAS); all differences (P < 0.001). Self-reported QoL (EQ-5D-3L) also improved. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Over 90 days, the nutritional QIP led to improvements in all measured outcomes, thus highlighting the importance of addressing malnutrition or its risk among community-living older adults. From a patient's perspective, maintaining mental and physical function are important and further linked with quality of life. BRIEF SUMMARY: For older, community-living adults, nutrition care can improve health and well-being outcomes. Care includes screening for malnutrition risk, dietary and exercise counseling, and daily nutritional supplements when needed. GOV IDENTIFIER: NCT04042987.

Self-Reported Frailty Screening Tools: Comparing Construct Validity of the Frailty Phenotype Questionnaire and FRAIL.

OBJECTIVES: We examined the construct validity of 2 self-reported frailty questionnaires, the Frailty Phenotype Questionnaire (FPQ) and FRAIL, against the Cardiovascular Health Study frailty phenotype (CHS-FP). DESIGN: Cross-sectional data analysis of longitudinal prospective cohort study. SETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTS: We included data from 230 older adults (mean age: 67.2 ± 7.4 years) from the "Longitudinal Assessment of Biomarkers for characterization of early Sarcopenia and Osteosarcopenic Obesity in predicting frailty and functional decline in community-dwelling Asian older adults Study" (GeriLABS 2) recruited between December 2017 and March 2019. METHODS: We compared area under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC), agreement, correlation, and predictive validity against outcome measures [Short Physical Performance Battery, 5 times repeat chair stand (RCS-5), Frenchay activities index, International Physical Activity Questionnaire, life-space assessment, Social Functioning Scale 8 (SFS-8), EuroQol-5 dimensions (utility value)] using logistic regression adjusted for age, gender, and vascular risk factors. We examined concurrent validity across robust versus prefrail/frail for inflammatory blood biomarkers [tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 and C-reactive protein (CRP)] and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry body composition [bone mineral density (BMD); appendicular lean mass index (ALMI), and fat mass index (FMI)]. RESULTS: Prevalence of prefrail/frail was 25.7%, 14.8%, and 48.3% for FPQ, FRAIL, and CHS-FP, respectively. Compared with FRAIL, FPQ had better diagnostic performance (AUC = 0.617 vs 0.531, P = .002; sensitivity = 37.8% vs 18.0%; specificity = 85.6% vs 88.2%) and agreement (AC1-Stat = 0.303 vs 0.197). FPQ showed good predictive validity [RCS-5: odds ratio (OR) 2.38; 95% CI: 1.17-4.86; International Physical Activity Questionnaire: OR 3.62; 95% CI:1.78-7.34; SFS-8: OR 2.11; 95% CI: 1.64-5.89 vs FRAIL: all P > .05]. Only FRAIL showed concurrent validity for CRP, compared with both FPQ and FRAIL for TNF-R1. FRAIL showed better concurrent validity for BMD, FMI, and possibly ALMI, unlike FPQ (all P > .05). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Our results support complementary validity of FPQ and FRAIL in independent community-dwelling older adults. FPQ has increased case detection sensitivity with good predictive validity, whereas FRAIL demonstrates concurrent validity for inflammation and body composition. With better diagnostic performance and validity for blood biomarkers and clinical outcomes, FPQ has utility for early frailty detection in the community setting.

Clinical Application of Enteral Nutrition Combined with Microbial Preparation for Intestinal Preparation in Elderly Patients with Colorectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to determine the safety and efficacy of enteral nutrition in combination with microbial preparations for bowel preparation in elderly patients with colorectal cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS Were divided 160 patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer into a control group (n=80) and an experimental group (n=80) by random number table method. The control group took the traditional intestinal preparation, and the experimental group took oral enteral nutrition combined with microbial preparations. Both groups were treated by the same medical team. The postoperative recovery, complications, nutritional status, inflammation, and other indicators of the 2 groups were compared. RESULTS The nutritional status of the experimental group was significantly better than that of the control group, the incidence of tissue inflammation and postoperative complications was significantly lower than that of the control group, and the stool test results of patients with postoperative diarrhea were better than those of the control group, and the difference between groups was statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS The intestinal preparation using enteral nutrition combined with microbial preparations can alleviate the systemic inflammatory response in elderly patients, improve the nutritional status, reduce the occurrence of postoperative complications, and facilitate rapid postoperative recovery.