Posters

Introduction Some people living with dementia have difficulties at mealtimes, with significant implications for physical and mental health (Abdelhamid et al., 2016). Care home staff provide direct care at mealtimes (Skills for Care, 2015), but there is a shortage of high-quality dementia care training focusing on mealtimes (Fetherstonhaugh et al., 2019). This study tested the feasibility and acceptability of an evidence-based training programme promoting better mealtime care for people living with dementia (Faraday et al, 2022). Method The study comprised a before-and-after design using

Introduction: There are limited evidence-based studies examining barriers and facilitators to pain assessment and management in residents with advanced dementia in long-term care settings, with no studies conducted to date in the long-term care setting in Northern Ireland. Aims: We aimed to explore care home nurses’ perspectives of facilitators of and barriers to providing optimum pain assessment and management to people with advanced dementia living in the nursing home setting in Northern Ireland. Methods: One-to-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with nursing home nurses. Nurses

Introduction Globally, about one-third of community-dwelling older adults suffer from complex multimorbidity. Complex multimorbidity (three or more chronic diseases and affecting three or more different body systems) have worse outcomes than multimorbidity, such as more frequent hospitalizations, and premature mortality. The effect of sociodemographic factors in the progression of multimorbidity has been found, but the lifestyle and polypharmacy remain unclear. This study aims to explore impact of lifestyle and polypharmacy on the progression of multimorbidity among community-dwelling older

Introduction The use of cognitive rehabilitation sessions (CRS) in the care of people with neurodegenerative diseases increased following the 2008-2012 Alzheimer's plan in France. Practitioners work with primary carers to optimise care and ensure a better quality of life at home . Materials and methods Multicentre, quantitative, descriptive, observational study. We distributed questionnaires from May to November 2023 to the main carers of patients with mild to moderate cognitive impairment who had been prescribed CRSs. Variables were compared using the Kruskal-Wallis test. Results We collected

Introduction: As medical student numbers rise, clinicians are under pressure to provide high quality teaching. To increase Geriatric medicine representation within the undergraduate curriculum, fourth-year students from the University of Glasgow attending Glasgow Royal Infirmary (GRI) are given the opportunity to participate in an ‘Older People’s Services Float (OPS) week’. Clinical Teaching Fellows (CTFs) and Clinical Development Fellows (CDFs) support students to undertake a condensed version of Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA). Students assess patients from the perspective of

Importance: Delirium affects up to 15% of hospitalised inpatients but prevalence rates vary by speciality. Outcomes for patients with delirium remain poor, but to improve care for patients having a full understanding of the burden of delirium within inpatients is an essential first step. Objective: To identify the prevalence of delirium on admission at a single hospital site across all specialities over a two-year period. Design: A retrospective analysis of all non-elective admissions 4A's Test (4AT) scores using Electronic Patient Records (EPR) data. Setting: A 600-bed urban teaching hospital

Descriptor NHS Forth Valley, acute services identified an 122% increase in demand for patients to receive enhanced observations during 2023-2024. The attached chart demonstrates the staff bank requests over the 12 months evidencing the 2 sharp rises during April 23 and November 23. Methodology Weekly reviews of patients placed on enhanced observation with bedside teaching Education programme for nurse leaders (CNM&SCN), nursing workforce and carers Ensuring activities are available and accessible Scope initiatives being used in other health boards which have proven to reduce demand of enhanced

Background Current practice for acute delirium presentation is hospital admission whilst the delirium resolves, often including multiple transfers with poor outcomes. This project challenges this practice and allows people to recover at home with a maximum of 6 calls a day and night with carers trained in delirium. Results From a previous audit of Pathway 2 beds patients with delirium had poor outcomes, high levels of placement in permanent care and long lengths of stay (21 days). There have been 192 episodes of care through the Delirium Pathway.80% were from hospital wards and 20% stepped up

Introduction Frailty is associated with an increased risk of perioperative complications, prolonged hospital stay, and functional decline after surgery. Despite the potential advantages of early detection, frailty screening of surgical patients is not standard practice across the UK. Digital questionnaires may offer an effective tool for screening large patient populations; however, there is concern that this is biased when used in frail or elderly patients. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of digital screening in patients aged 65 and over who are awaiting

Introduction: Frailty presents significant challenges to healthcare systems, particularly in Thurrock, Essex, where 14% of residents are aged 65 or older. This demographic shift, combined with socioeconomic factors, highlights the need for patient-centred, clinically effective, and tailored healthcare services that prioritise patient safety. Aim: To improve frailty management for elderly patients in Thurrock by integrating pharmacist support within a nurse-led service. The initiative focuses on improving medication management, alleviating workload pressures, and providing holistic care to

Background Recent advances in skeletal muscle biology have identified multiple potential candidate therapeutic interventions for sarcopenia. A systematic approach is needed to prioritise the most promising interventions for early-phase clinical studies. Methods A multidisciplinary team with expertise in sarcopenia, early-phase clinical trials, and geriatric medicine sought to identify target product profile (TPP) and intervention selection tools for neuromuscular conditions. As none were identified for sarcopenia, the group then developed a sarcopenia TPP. An algorithm was created to select

Background Sarcopenia is the age-related loss of muscle strength and mass. It affects 10% to 27% of individuals aged over 60 and increases the risk of falls, hospital admissions, and early mortality. It costs the UK around £2.5 billion annually in healthcare. Currently, no approved pharmacological treatments exist—this horizon scan aimed to identify early-stage trials testing potential interventions to prevent, delay, or treat sarcopenia. Methods Five databases were searched: PubMed, MedRxiv, BioRxiv, ClinicalTrials.gov, and UK Research Funding Successes. We included studies reporting

Introduction Prior stroke is one of the biggest risk factors for future stroke events. Secondary prevention medications are key to reducing subsequent vascular events, and guidelines recommend use of antithrombotics, antihypertensives and lipid lowering drugs. We carried out a retrospective study of adherence to these medications in a post stroke population. Methods Consecutive patients admitted with acute stroke to a Dublin hospital between July 2022 and November 2023 were invited to participate. Participant interviews were carried out at 1 year post stroke, including demographic and clinical

Introduction Hearing and vision impairment are associated with cognitive impairment and dementia in older adults. There is limited public understanding that modifying these risk factors can reduce the risk of dementia. In previous studies 36% of older adults have not had a vision assessment and hearing aids are thought to be underused. This study aimed to increase the understanding of patients attending a memory service of the link between cognition, vision and hearing impairment and encourage participants to have future eye and hearing assessments. Method A video was developed with patient

Introduction Frailty-attuned acute hospital care is a vital component of integrated services for older people. The NHS Long Term Plan requires hospitals with major emergency departments to deliver 70 hours of acute frailty services each week. Workforce limitations often prevent services from meeting this target and expanding. Geriatric specialist registrars (SpRs) must gain experience in acute frailty so that the consultant workforce of the future can meet patient needs effectively. St Thomas' Hospital (STH) Acute Frailty Service expanded hours of operation through the introduction of a

Introduction Effective communication between primary and secondary care teams is essential for providing continuity of care in the community for older people with frailty. Discharge summaries often lack information captured in a comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA). Junior members of the team, tasked with writing discharge letters, have not been formally taught in this area. This project aimed to incorporate key CGA domains into discharge summaries. Methods The geriatric medicine department at Broomfield Hospital and community mid virtual frailty team identified 7 core CGA domains for

Introduction With the emergence of disease modifying treatments for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), there is an increasing emphasis on the earlier detection and diagnosis of AD. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sampled using lumbar puncture (LP) can be used to establish a biological diagnosis of AD. One potential obstacle to the widespread adoption of CSF biomarkers for AD diagnosis has been a perceived association with poor patient tolerability and safety of LP. LPs have been undertaken within our Geriatrician-Led Memory Service since May 2022. Patients are provided with a written information sheet prior

Abstract Content - Background The Major Trauma Audit is a national clinical audit managed by the National Office of Clinical Audit (NOCA), that captures data of patients with life threatening or life changing injuries. It has been publishing annual reports since 2014. Methods; Originally established using the Trauma Audit Research Network (TARN) methodology now entitle National Major Trauma Registry in the UK. Results: In 2024 a focused report from 2017-2021 on older adults was published as this is the largest group of patients in the major trauma population (51%, n=11,145). 56% of patients

Abstract Content - Introduction The Irish Hip Fracture Database (IHFD) is a national clinical audit managed by the National Office of Clinical Audit, that measures the quality of care and outcomes of hip fracture patients aged over 60 years. Annually there are 4000 hip fractures, the median age of a patient is 81 and 66% are female. 84% are admitted from home, 12% from a nursing home and 95% are caused by a low trauma fall. Methodology Data is collected through the Hospital In-patient Enquiry (HIPE) system. Care is measured against 7 clinical standards and two data quality standards and since

Introduction The occurrence of falls in adults 65+ years remains a common and costly issue worldwide. Exercise programmes that improve strength and challenge balance have been shown to be the most effective intervention for reducing falls in community-dwelling older adults, such as the 6-month Falls Management Exercise (FaME) programme. Despite the pre-existing evidence base, the adoption of the FaME programme has been limited. Perspectives of multiple key stakeholder groups and providers of the FaME programme could future inform more successful adoption and implementation of fall prevention