The topic content is divided into the information types below
Diabetes is the commonest metabolic long term condition in older people and is characterised by a high rate of vascular complications and subsequent disability, frequent hospital admissions, and increased institutionalisation.
Deconditioning and loss of functional abilities in frail older people may start soon after arriving in hospital. Many end up in a care home prematurely because of it. This campaign, with downloadable resources, aims to encourage patients to 'Sit up, get dressed, keep moving!'
The functional domain of CGA focuses on mobility, activities of daily living (ADLs/IADLs), gait stability, and rehabilitation potential. Assessing Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) can provide insight into an individual’s functional status, independence, and care needs. These aspects, combined with the other five domain areas, are essential for creating a comprehensive care plan.
The environmental domain examines home safety, accessibility, community services and technology aids. The living environment is an essential element of CGA as it directly impacts an older adult’s safety, independence, and quality of life.
The social domain of CGA explores social support, carer needs, isolation, spiritual/religious beliefs and financial concerns. These aspects, combined with the other five domain areas, are essential for creating a comprehensive care plan.
Nutrition and hydration are essential elements of CGA as they impact on all body systems. Nutrition and hydration crossover with many other domains in CGA and identifying and managing poor nutrition and hydration is likely to support with the prevention and management of other health conditions, including frailty itself.
The effects of normal ageing have a detrimental effect on the integrity and function of skin, which can be further exacerbated by the presence of other comorbidities and frailty.
The psychological domain of CGA assesses cognition, mood, delirium risk, mental health conditions, and emotional wellbeing. These aspects, combined with the other five domain areas, are essential for creating a comprehensive care plan.
Caregivers provide physical assistance, cognitive prompting and/or emotional support to older people.
Future wishes are an essential component of CGA, with the aim of encompassing information from all the domains of CGA to pre-empt potential deterioration in each of them, outlining how these should (or should not) be managed in line with the patients’ wishes, and their level of functioning/frailty.
Sensory impairment is an important but often overlooked element of CGA.
Issues with bladder and bowel function are common as we age, although it is important to remember they are not a ‘normal’ and inevitable part of ageing.
This page offers some real-world examples and experiences of CGA being implemented into older people's services. We invite BGS members and colleagues to share their success stories, tips, and learnings.
A detailed account of a person’s past medical and surgical history is an essential component of any physical health assessment. This is particularly important in geriatric medicine, given the close relationships between age, comorbidity, frailty and disability.
Many older adults with frailty are prescribed multiple medicines for various health conditions, and careful management of this polypharmacy is crucial to ensure medicines are appropriate and safe.
Falls are a vital component of CGA, as they are common in older adults and strongly linked with increased morbidity, mortality, and loss of independence.
Pain should be considered in all patients as part of the process of CGA, and there are many tools available to facilitate the assessment of pain in individuals who may struggle to report it.
This statement outlines our concerns with the Terminally Ill (Adults) Bill (TIA Bill) ahead of the second report stage debate on 13 June and the expected third reading on 20 June. As the membership organisation representing professionals specialising in healthcare for older people, the biggest group who would be impacted by assisted dying (AD), we urge MPs to consider our concerns.
As winter approaches, BGS members across the country will be considering the impact that the change in seasons will have on their patients and services. These 12 actions are intended as a guide to the core components of safe, high-quality care for older people that are transferable between care settings.
This list of preferred and non-preferred terminology has been compiled to help healthcare professionals, academic authors and the general public avoid language that might be deemed unacceptable or inappropriate when describing the health of older people.
What is Quality Improvement (QI) and why is it important to consider in the context of older people's healthcare? This section discusses the different origins and approaches to QI.