The Frailty In Residential Sector over Time (FIRST) study: methods and baseline cohort description.

BACKGROUND: The Frailty In Residential Sector over Time (FIRST) Study is a 3-year prospective cohort study investigating the health of residents living in residential aged care services (RACS) in South Australia. The study aims to examine the change in frailty status and associated health outcomes. METHODS: This interim report presents data from March 2019-October 2020. The study setting is 12 RACS from one organisation across metropolitan and rural South Australia involving 1243 residents. All permanent (i.e. respite or transition care program excluded) residents living in the RACS for at least 8 weeks were invited to participate. Residents who were deemed to be medically unstable (e.g. experiencing delirium), have less than 3 months to live, or not fluent in English were excluded. Data collected included frailty status, medical diagnoses, medicines, pain, nutrition, sarcopenia, falls, dementia, anxiety and depression, sleep quality, quality of life, satisfaction with care, activities of daily living, and life space use at baseline and 12-months. Data Linkage will occur over the 3 years from baseline. RESULTS: A total of 561 permanent residents (mean age 87.69 ± 7.25) were included. The majority of residents were female (n = 411, 73.3%) with 95.3% (n = 527) being classified as either frail (n = 377, 68.2%) or most-frail (n = 150, 27.1%) according to the Frailty Index (FI). Most residents were severely impaired in their basic activities of daily living (n = 554, 98.8%), and were at-risk of malnutrition (n = 305, 55.0%) and at-risk of sarcopenia (n = 492, 89.5%). Most residents did not experience pain (n = 475, 85.4%), had normal daytime sleepiness (n = 385, 69.7%), and low anxiety and depression scores (n = 327, 58.9%). CONCLUSION: This study provides valuable information on the health and frailty levels of residents living in RACS in South Australia. The results will assist in developing interventions that can help to improve the health and wellbeing of residents in aged care services. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Prospectively registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ( ACTRN12619000500156 ).

Multiple antihypertensive use and risk of mortality in residents of aged care services: a prospective cohort study.

AIMS: The objective of this study is to investigate the association between multiple antihypertensive use and mortality in residents with diagnosed hypertension, and whether dementia and frailty modify this association. METHODS: This is a two-year prospective cohort study of 239 residents with diagnosed hypertension receiving antihypertensive therapy across six residential aged care services in South Australia. Data were obtained from electronic medical records, medication charts and validated assessments. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality and the secondary outcome was cardiovascular-related hospitalizations. Inverse probability weighted Cox models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for all-cause mortality. Covariates included age, sex, dementia severity, frailty status, Charlson's comorbidity index and cardiovascular comorbidities. RESULTS: The study sample (mean age of 88.1 ± 6.3 years; 79% female) included 70 (29.3%) residents using one antihypertensive and 169 (70.7%) residents using multiple antihypertensives. The crude incidence rates for death were higher in residents using multiple antihypertensives compared with residents using monotherapy (251 and 173/1000 person-years, respectively). After weighting, residents who used multiple antihypertensives had a greater risk of mortality compared with monotherapy (HR 1.40, 95%CI 1.03-1.92). After stratifying by dementia diagnosis and frailty status, the risk only remained significant in residents with diagnosed dementia (HR 1.91, 95%CI 1.20-3.04) and who were most frail (HR 2.52, 95%CI 1.13-5.64). Rate of cardiovascular-related hospitalizations did not differ among residents using multiple compared to monotherapy (rate ratio 0.73, 95%CI 0.32-1.67). CONCLUSIONS: Multiple antihypertensive use is associated with an increased risk of mortality in residents with diagnosed hypertension, particularly in residents with dementia and among those who are most frail.

Root cause analysis of fall-related hospitalisations among residents of aged care services.

BACKGROUND: Fall-related hospitalisations from residential aged care services (RACS) are distressing for residents and costly to the healthcare system. Strategies to limit hospitalisations include preventing injurious falls and avoiding hospital transfers when falls occur. AIMS: To undertake a root cause analysis (RCA) of fall-related hospitalisations from RACS and identify opportunities for fall prevention and hospital avoidance. METHODS: An aggregated RCA of 47 consecutive fall-related hospitalisations for 40 residents over a 12-month period at six South Australian RACS was undertaken. Comprehensive data were extracted from RACS records including nursing progress notes, medical records, medication charts, hospital summaries and incident reports by a nurse clinical auditor and clinical pharmacist. Root cause identification was performed by the research team. A multidisciplinary expert panel recommended strategies for falls prevention and hospital avoidance. RESULTS: Overall, 55.3% of fall-related hospitalisations were among residents with a history of falls. Among all fall-related hospitalisations, at least one high falls risk medication was administered regularly prior to hospitalisation. Potential root causes of falling included medication initiations and dose changes. Root causes for hospital transfers included need for timely access to subsidised medical services or radiology. Strategies identified for avoiding hospitalisations included pharmacy-generated alerts when medications associated with an increased risk of falls are initiated or changed, multidisciplinary audit and feedback of falls risk medication use and access to subsidised mobile imaging services. CONCLUSIONS: This aggregate RCA identified a range of strategies to address resident and system-level factors to minimise fall-related hospitalisations.

Use of Falls Risk Increasing Drugs in Residents at High and Low Falls Risk in Aged Care Services.

Falls are associated with considerable morbidity and mortality in aged care services and falls risk increasing drugs (FRIDs) are often overlooked as a contributor to falls. This study aims to investigate the association between the risk of falling and use of FRIDs from aged care services. Inverse-probability-weighted multinomial logistic regression was used to estimate the association between falls risk and regular FRIDs in 383 residents from six Australian aged care services. Overall, residents at high and low falls risk had similar prevalence of FRIDs. Prevalence of antipsychotics and sedative-hypnotics was low. Residents at high falls risk had higher adjusted odds of using ≥2 psychotropic medications (odds ratio [OR] = 1.75, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.17-2.61) and ≥2 medications that cause/worsen orthostatic hypotension (OR = 3.59, 95% CI = 2.27-5.69). High prevalence of FRIDs was mainly attributable to medications for which residents had clinical indications. Clinicians appeared to have largely avoided FRIDs that explicit criteria deem potentially inappropriate for high falls risk.

Dry Eyes, Ocular Lubricants, and Use of Systemic Medications Known or Suspected to Cause Dry Eyes in Residents of Aged Care Services.

Ocular issues are common, burdensome, and under-researched among residents of aged care services. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of dry eyes or use of ocular lubricants among residents, and the possible association with systemic medications known or suspected to cause dry eyes. A cross-sectional study of 383 residents of six aged care services in South Australia was conducted. Data were extracted from participants' medical histories, medication charts, and validated assessments. The main exposure was systemic medications known to cause, contribute to, or aggravate dry eyes. The primary outcome was documented dry eyes or regular administration of ocular lubricants. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between systemic medications and dry eyes/use of ocular lubricants. Dry eyes were documented for 53 (13.8%) residents and 98 (25.6%) residents were administered ocular lubricants. Overall, 116 (30.3%) residents had documented dry eyes/used ocular lubricants. Of these, half (n = 58) were taking a medication known to cause, contribute to, or aggravate dry eyes. Taking one or more medications listed as known to cause dry eyes was associated with having dry eyes/use of ocular lubricants (OR 1.83, 95% CI 1.15-2.94). In sub-analyses, no individual medication was associated with dry eyes/use of ocular lubricants. Dry eyes and use of ocular lubricants are common in residential aged care. Our hypothesis generating findings suggest the need for further research into the clinical significance of systemic medications as a possible cause of dry eyes.

Root Cause Analysis to Identify Medication and Non-Medication Strategies to Prevent Infection-Related Hospitalizations from Australian Residential Aged Care Services.

Infections are leading causes of hospitalizations from residential aged care services (RACS), which provide supported accommodation for people with care needs that can no longer be met at home. Preventing infections and early and effective management are important to avoid unnecessary hospital transfers, particularly in the Australian setting where new quality standards require RACS to minimize infection-related risks. The objective of this study was to examine root causes of infection-related hospitalizations from RACS and identify strategies to limit infections and avoid unnecessary hospitalizations. An aggregate root cause analysis (RCA) was undertaken using a structured local framework. A clinical nurse auditor and clinical pharmacist undertook a comprehensive review of 49 consecutive infection-related hospitalizations from 6 RACS. Data were collected from nursing progress notes, medical records, medication charts, hospital summaries, and incident reports using a purpose-built collection tool. The research team then utilized a structured classification system to guide the identification of root causes of hospital transfers. A multidisciplinary clinical panel assessed the root causes and formulated strategies to limit infections and hospitalizations. Overall, 59.2% of hospitalizations were for respiratory, 28.6% for urinary, and 10.2% for skin infections. Potential root causes of infections included medications that may increase infection risk and resident vaccination status. Potential contributors to hospital transfers included possible suboptimal selection of empirical antimicrobial therapy, inability of RACS staff to establish on-site intravenous access for antimicrobial administration, and the need to access subsidized medical services not provided in the RACS (e.g., radiology and pathology). Strategies identified by the panel included medication review, targeted bundles of care, additional antimicrobial stewardship initiatives, earlier identification of infection, and models of care that facilitate timely access to medical services. The RCA and clinical panel findings provide a roadmap to assist targeting services to prevent infection and limit unnecessary hospital transfers from RACS.

Patterns of High-Dose and Long-Term Proton Pump Inhibitor Use: A Cross-Sectional Study in Six South Australian Residential Aged Care Services.

AIM: While proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are generally considered safe and well tolerated, frail older people who take PPIs long term may be susceptible to adverse events. This study characterized PPI use and determined factors associated with high-dose use among older adults in residential aged care services (RACSs). METHODS: A cross-sectional study of 383 residents of six South Australian RACSs within the same organization was conducted. Clinical, diagnostic, and medication data were collected by study nurses. The proportions of residents who took a PPI for > 8 weeks and without documented indications were calculated. Factors associated with high-dose PPI use compared to standard/low doses were identified using age- and sex-adjusted logistic regression models. RESULTS: 196 (51%) residents received a PPI, with 45 (23%) prescribed a high dose. Overall, 173 (88%) PPI users had documented clinical indications or received medications that can increase bleeding risk. Three-quarters of PPI users with gastroesophageal reflux disease or dyspepsia had received a PPI for > 8 weeks. High-dose PPI use was associated with increasing medication regimen complexity [odds ratio (OR) 1.02; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01-1.04 per one-point increase in Medication Regimen Complexity Index score] and a greater number of medications prescribed for regular use (OR 1.11; 95% CI 1.01-1.21 per additional medication). CONCLUSIONS: Half of all residents received a PPI, of whom the majority had documented clinical indications or received medications that may increase bleeding risk. There remains an opportunity to review the continuing need for treatment and consider "step-down" approaches for high-dose PPI users.

Selective prescribing of statins and the risk of mortality, hospitalizations, and falls in aged care services.

BACKGROUND: Compared to randomized controlled trials, nonexperimental studies often report larger survival benefits but higher rates of adverse events for statin use vs nonuse. OBJECTIVE: We compared characteristics of statin users and nonusers living in aged care services and evaluated the relationships between statin use and all-cause mortality, all-cause and fall-related hospitalizations, and number of falls during a 12-month follow-up. METHODS: A prospective cohort study of 383 residents aged ≥65 years was conducted in six Australian aged care services. Data were obtained from electronic medical records and medication charts and through a series of validated assessments. RESULTS: The greatest differences between statin users and nonusers were observed in activities of daily living, frailty, and medication use (absolute standardized difference >0.40), with users being less dependent and less frail but using a higher number of medications. Statin use was associated with a decreased risk of all-cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0.58, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.37-0.93) and hospitalizations (HR 0.67, 95% CI 0.46-0.98). After exclusion of residents unable to sit or stand, statin use was associated with a nonsignificant increase in the risk of fall-related hospitalizations (HR 1.47, 95% CI 0.80-2.68) but with a lower incidence of falls (incidence rate ratio 0.67, 95% CI 0.47-0.96). CONCLUSIONS: The observed associations between statin use and the outcomes may be largely explained by selective prescribing and deprescribing of statins and variation in likelihood of hospitalization based on consideration of each resident's clinical and frailty status. Randomized deprescribing trials are needed to guide statin prescribing in this setting.

Frailty, Hospitalization, and Mortality in Residential Aged Care.

Background: Frailty predicts mortality in residential aged care, but the relationship with hospitalization is inconsistent. The purpose of this study was to investigate and compare whether frailty is associated with hospitalization and mortality among residents of aged care services. Methods: A prospective cohort study of 383 residents aged 65 years and older was conducted in six Australian residential aged care services. Frailty was assessed using the FRAIL-NH scale and a 66-item frailty index. Results: Overall, 125 residents were hospitalized on 192 occasions and 85 died over the 12-month follow-up. Over this period, less than 3% of the nonfrail/vulnerable residents but more than 20% of the most frail residents died at the facility without hospitalization. Using the FRAIL-NH, residents with mild/moderate frailty had higher numbers of hospitalizations (adjusted incidence rate ratio 1.57, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.11-2.20) and hospital days (incidence rate ratio 1.48, 95% CI 1.32-1.66) than nonfrail residents. Residents who were most frail had lower numbers of hospitalizations (incidence rate ratio 0.65, 95% CI 0.42-0.99) and hospital days (incidence rate ratio 0.39, 95% CI 0.33-0.46) than nonfrail residents. Similar patterns of associations with number of hospital days were observed for the frailty index. Most frail residents had a higher risk of death than nonfrail residents (for FRAIL-NH, adjusted hazard ratio 2.96, 95% CI 1.50-5.83; for frailty index, hazard ratio 5.28, 95% CI 2.05-13.59). Conclusions: Residents with mild/moderate frailty had higher risk of hospitalization and death than nonfrail residents. Residents who were most frail had higher risk of death but lower risk of hospitalization than nonfrail residents.

Frequency of and factors related to pro re nata (PRN) medication use in aged care services.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the contribution of 'pro re nata' (PRN) medications to overall medication burden in residential aged care services (RACS). OBJECTIVES: To determine the frequency of, and factors associated with PRN medication administration in RACS. MEASUREMENTS: Details of all medications charted for regular or PRN use were extracted from medication charts for 383 residents of 6 Australian RACS. Records of medications administered over a 7 day period were also extracted. Factors associated with PRN medication administration among residents charted ≥1 PRN were determined using multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: Of the 360 (94%) residents charted ≥1 PRN medication, 99 (28%) were administered PRN medication at least once. The most prevalent PRN medications were analgesics and laxatives. Residents with greater dependence with activities of daily living (ADL) (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) per additional point on Katz ADL scale: 0.80; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.72-0.89; p < 0.001) and a greater number of regular medications (aOR per additional medication: 1.06; 95% CI 1.00-1.13; p = 0.042) were more likely to be administered PRN medication. CONCLUSIONS: Although most residents are charted PRN medications, rates of administration are relatively low, suggesting the contribution of PRNs to medication burden in RACS may be lower than previously thought.

Rheumatic disease among Oklahoma tribal populations: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: Rheumatic diseases cause significant morbidity within American Indian populations. Clinical disease presentations, as well as historically associated autoantibodies, are not always useful in making a rapid diagnosis or assessing prognosis. The purpose of our study was to identify autoantibody associations among Oklahoma tribal populations with rheumatic disease. METHODS: Oklahoma tribal members (110 patients with rheumatic disease and 110 controls) were enrolled at tribal-based clinics. Patients with rheumatic disease (suspected or confirmed diagnosis) were assessed by a rheumatologist for clinical features, disease criteria, and activity measures. Blood samples were collected and tested for common rheumatic disease autoantibodies [antinuclear antibody (ANA), anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (anti-CCP), rheumatoid factor (RF), anti-Ro, anti-La, anti-Sm, anti-nRNP, anti-ribosomal P, anti-dsDNA, and anticardiolipins]. RESULTS: In patients with suspected systemic rheumatic diseases, 72% satisfied American College of Rheumatology classification criteria: 40 (36%) had rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 16 (15%) systemic lupus erythematosus, 8 (7%) scleroderma, 8 (7%) osteoarthritis, 4 (4%) fibromyalgia, 2 (2%) seronegative spondyloarthropathy, 1 Sjögren's syndrome, and 1 sarcoidosis. Compared to controls, RA patient sera were more likely to contain anti-CCP (55% vs 2%; p < 0.001) or RF IgM antibodies (57% vs 10%; p < 0.001); however, the difference was greater for anti-CCP. Anti-CCP positivity conferred higher disease activity scores (DAS28 5.6 vs 4.45; p = 0.021) while RF positivity did not (DAS28 5.36 vs 4.64; p = 0.15). Anticardiolipin antibodies (25% of rheumatic disease patients vs 10% of controls; p = 0.0022) and ANA (63% vs 21%; p < 0.0001) were more common in rheumatic disease patients. CONCLUSION: Anti-CCP may serve as a more specific RA biomarker in American Indian patients, while the clinical significance of increased frequency of anticardiolipin antibodies needs further evaluation.