Posters

Introduction: The Free-Cog is a brief cognitive test designed to capture decline in both general cognition and executive function. The Free-Cog has been validated by comparison with the Mini-Addenbrooke Cognitive Examination in a UK secondary care setting. Here, we compare Free-Cog to the routinely-used Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Lawton-Brody Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) and Physical Self-Maintenance Scales (PSMS). Methods: Patients from three memory clinics were recruited (n=318 records). The Free-Cog, MMSE, IADL and PSMS were administered in-person (n=288)

Introduction: Parkinson's disease (PD) is an age-related neurological condition characterized by bradykinesia, tremor, and postural instability. Weight loss within the first year of diagnosis is associated with poor prognosis. Studies suggest that if older adults lose skeletal muscle, their risk of falls and related injuries increases. Therefore, measures of body composition (e.g. muscle, fat) are important in PD, where the risk of falls is high. Established body composition analysis equipment is bulky and only used in research settings. We tested the reliability of a portable SECA mBCA 525

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is an age-related neurodegenerative condition with a range of motor and non-motor symptoms. Early non-motor symptoms include constipation and orthostatic hypotension, while dysphagia is common in established PD. Previous work by our group showed that many people lose weight within a year of diagnosis. This study explored if fluid intake was also reduced in people with newly diagnosed PD. Materials and methods: We invited people with newly diagnosed PD (within six months of a diagnosis or longer if not requiring treatment) to join the study. Controls were

Introduction: Non-pharmacological de-escalation techniques are effective in managing agitated patients with delirium, yet are often overlooked in favour of pharmacological management. Sedatives are prescribed despite increased falls and extrapyramidal side effects. We used quality improvement methodology with the aim of reducing sedative use in older adults with delirium in an acute UK hospital. Methods: Utilising inpatient electronic prescribing records, we collected data on all patients aged ≥65 prescribed a sedative acutely during May 2022 in a 575-bedded acute district general hospital

Introduction Plasma 25(OH)D is commonly tested following hip fracture. The National Osteoporosis Society recommends against routine testing in these patients as vitamin D is often co-prescribed with anti-resorptive agents, making vitamin D testing unnecessary. Our median reporting time for plasma 25(OH)D is 11.5 days, costing around £7/unit. High dose, rapid vitamin D loading costs £1.34. So, is vitamin D testing in these patients cost-effective and does it add to our clinical decision-making? Method Records of 72 discharges from our ortho-geriatric unit over 3 months were reviewed for

Frailty is a growing concern, particularly for older adults attending Emergency Departments (EDs). Frailty accounts for 5-10% of all ED visits and up to 30% of acute admissions. The NHS mandates that hospitals with Type 1 EDs provide a minimum of 70 hours of Acute Frailty Services per week to address this challenge. At Salford Royal Foundation Trust (SRFT), a Frailty Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) service was introduced to deliver rapid assessment and care for frail older adults, aiming to reduce hospital admissions and improve patient outcomes. This service operates five days per week and is

Title Evaluation of a new regional pathway for Medicines Optimisation in Older People (MOOP) medicines adherence pharmacist optimising medicines in older people referred by Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) Authors & Provenance PCrawford1; SJohnston1; PGalbraith1; PTennyson1; CDarcy2; CMcGuigan2; KMiller3; JPatterson3; JAgnew4; JMcGennity4; HMcKee5; ACunningham5; CStevenson5; KBloomer6. MOOP Pharmacy Medicines Adherence Service, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust MOOP Pharmacy Medicines Adherence Service, Western Health and Social Care Trust MOOP Pharmacy Medicines Adherence Service

Background Specialist, hyperacute management of a transient ischemic attack (TIA) is necessary to decrease subsequent stroke. As part of a local Quality Improvement (QI) initiative, we implemented a new TIA pathway in our hospital to maximise efficiency, encourage an ambulatory approach, and improve global TIA management in line with the 2023 UK and Ireland Clinical Guidelines for Stroke. Method We completed a retrospective cohort study of patients who attended our hospital between April 1, 2024, and June 30, 2024. Patients with a primary diagnosis of TIA were identified through the Hospital

Introduction: Falls are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality throughout the world. This burden is greatest in elderly populations. Malaysia is experiencing a rapid demographic shift towards an ageing population, it has a low incidence of falling, but a high mortality to fall ratio. Identifying risk factors may guide future practice and prevent harm. Anticholinergic medication is associated with cognitive decline, mortality and falling. Methods: Data were used from the Malaysian Elders Longitudinal Research study (MELoR), an ongoing study to assess geriatric health in Malaysia, to

Introduction Music therapy (MT) can alleviate the behavioural and psychiatric symptoms of dementia (BPSD) but it is not a standard intervention. NICE recommends MT to improve wellbeing in patients with dementia. On our Care of the Elderly (COE) wards, MT is carried out by a qualified music therapist once a week, in groups, individual sessions, or both. This quality improvement project (QIP) aimed to establish what, if any impact, MT, as it was currently provided, had on BPSD, in the setting of a general district hospital ward, thereby also potentially setting new standards which could be used

Introduction Medications with anticholinergic properties can have significant adverse effects, particularly in older adults. An Anticholinergic Burden (ACB) score of ≥3 is associated with increased risks of falls, cognitive impairment, and mortality. Additionally, side effects such as urinary retention, visual disturbances, and constipation are frequent contributors to delirium. Aim To assess whether raising awareness of ACB within the Healthcare of Older People (HCOP) department can lead to a reduction in ACB scores. Methods Over four months, a teaching session and a poster was disseminated

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) has had lasting effects on the health of individuals, particularly older adults specially those with comorbidities, who are more vulnerable to severe and long term illness. Studying the post-COVID 19 period in the older population is relevant for understanding the long-term effects of the disease. There have been conflicting results on functional decline in Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) in post COVID 19 older adults compared to their pre-infection baseline. This study aimed to compare

Introduction: Frailty and social vulnerability use deficit accumulation approaches to understand heterogeneity in older adult health outcomes. We examined sex differences in the effect of frailty and social vulnerability on 5-year mortality and long-term care home (LTCH) entry in Nova Scotia, Canada. Methods: We followed community-dwelling older adults 65 years and over who were assessed for public home care supports from 2005 to 2018 using data from the Resident Assessment Instrument. We conducted sex-stratified and sex-disaggregated Cox proportional hazards analyses, adjusting for age

The Effect of Infections on Telomere Dynamics: Insights from a Systematic Review Introduction Infections are linked to an increased risk of age-related diseases like cardiovascular disease and dementia. Accelerated immunological ageing, which can be measured by telomere length (TL), could be a potential underlying mechanism. However, the extent to which different infections influence TL or its attrition is not fully understood. Clarifying these relationships could guide preventive strategies to reduce age-related disease risk. Method We conducted a systematic review searching six major

Background: Multimorbidity poses major healthcare challenges which contributes to a decline in quality of life and an increased mortality risk. There exists heterogeneity on the internal associations within multimorbidity. We aimed to explore multimorbidity patterns and construct networks, delving into the relationships among diseases. Methods: The data from the health examination records of adults residing in Southern China in 2020 were utilized. Individuals aged 65 and above were included. Fifteen diseases were extracted. Hierarchical cluster analysis was performed. The multimorbidity matrix

Introduction In people over 65, 1 in 6 drink at increased-risk levels and an estimated 1 million are malnourished. However, little is known about alcohol’s harmful effect on older adults’ nutritional status. Therefore, we measured the nutrient intakes and outcomes of older adults, scoring ≥4 on the AUDIT, at index hospital admission and at 3 to 6 months afterwards. Methods This mixed-methods project investigated the nutritional status at baseline and follow-up. Nutrient intakes were measured by 24-hour dietary recalls and compared against the UK Government Reference Nutrient Intakes (RNI)

Practitioners’ Perspectives on Medicine Optimisation for Older People from Ethnic Minority Communities with Polypharmacy in Primary Care: A Realist evaluation Introduction Medicine optimisation (MO) is a person-centred approach to support the safe, effective, and appropriate use of medications, aligned with patients’ preferences and needs. MO in older people, particularly those from ethnic minority communities (EMCs), can be challenging due to cultural, communication, and systemic factors. These challenges are increased by polypharmacy, the use of multiple medications to manage multimorbidity

Introduction: In geriatric medicine department of a large tertiary care university hospital, it was observed that multidisciplinary team (MDT) working was not standardised, morning huddles were inefficient, there was a lack of inclusion of all members in MDT meetings and the meetings were too medical focused. The aim of this project was to address these concerns through a multipronged approach. Methods: An initial survey was carried out with 34 participants from all disciplines of MDT. Areas needing improvement were identified from the survey and through discussions among doctors, nurses and

Introduction: Anticholinergic medications are associated with cognitive decline and increased risk of falls. This link is dose dependent and has been shown to decrease with medication discontinuation, therefore reducing the anticholinergic burden of patients represents an opportunity to prevent patient harm and improve quality of life. This project aims to improve patients’ anticholinergic burden (ACB) scores following admission to Meadowlands Care of the Elderly Unit and presentation to the Frailty Assessment Unit. Methods: We began by conducting two simultaneous audits in the inpatient and

Introduction The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) introduced guidance on implementing frailty assessment and management in oncology services in November 2023. Frailty-informed care has been demonstrated to improve outcomes. The RCP suggests that where the management of frailty is beyond the skillset of the oncology team, links should be built with local geriatric teams to ensure holistic care, responding to individual needs. Method We set up a referral pathway within an existing geriatric clinic at a district general hospital, facilitating referrals initially from oncology colleagues, then