Posters

Introduction Well-being is increasingly recognised as a core outcome in dementia care; however, existing measures largely focus on hedonic aspects such as mood or comfort. Meaning-based (eudaimonic) well-being, encompassing purpose, autonomy and engagement, remains poorly defined and difficult to assess in people with dementia, particularly due to cognitive impairment and limitations in self-report. This study describes the development and validation of the Well-being in Dementia Inventory (WiDI), a novel proxy-rated measure designed to capture deeper dimensions of well-being in this

Introduction Older adults form an increasing proportion of trauma admissions, with low-level falls accounting for most injuries. Ageing is associated with reduced physiological reserve, multimorbidity, and greater vulnerability, leading to higher mortality even after low-energy trauma. As geriatric trauma increases, there is increasing emphasis on frailty assessment, prognostication, and advance care planning to support appropriate, patient-centred decisions. This study aimed to identify which injury patterns contribute to increased mortality in the local geriatric trauma population and

Introduction Significant injuries are often missed in patients over 65. This may reflect the perception that low-energy mechanisms are unlikely to cause injury, distracting injuries, communication barriers, or a combination of factors. Delayed fracture diagnosis adversely impacts patient outcomes. A silver trauma screening tool was developed in line with new trust guidance. It recommends that all patients aged over 65 with a Rockwood Clinical Frailty Scale score >5 presenting following a fall undergo trauma screening on admission. The tool consists of shake (cervical spine fractures), rattle

Aim: Optimising the management of older patients admitted with intracranial haemorrhage (ICH) to a District General Hospital. Methodology: This retrospective quality improvement project included patients >65 years old admitted with ICH under the general surgical team over a six-month period (01/01/2025-01/07/2025). Data was collected from the electronic health record (Cerner) and outcomes were analysed. Data will be presented as median (range) unless stated otherwise. Statistical analysis conducted on GraphPad Prism. Results: 62 patients were included, aged 84 (65-99) years. Thirty-three

Introduction: Optimising the management of older patients with rib fractures at a District General Hospital. Method: This retrospective quality improvement project included all patients >65 years old admitted with rib fractures over a six-month period (01/01/2025–01/07/2025). Data was collected from the electronic health record (Cerner). Data will be presented as median (range). Statistical analysis conducted on GraphPad Prism. Results: 81 patients were included, aged 82 (65-100) years. Fifty patients (61%) had a clinical frailty score (CFS) The average battle score was 23, with twenty-seven

Background: Geriatric trauma admissions continue to rise, yet optimal care pathways for this population remain poorly defined. Although trauma centre care improves outcomes in the general trauma population and palliative care is known to support patients with complex needs, their combined value in geriatric trauma remains unclear. At The Hillingdon Hospitals (THH), we observed that older trauma patients frequently lacked timely recognition of dying, received delayed or absent ceilings of care, and often underwent prolonged active treatment despite frailty, comorbidities, or prior care

Background: Delirium is a frequent and serious complication in older trauma patients, affecting an estimated 20–60%, particularly after fractures, spinal injuries, and prolonged immobilization. It typically arises from a combination of factors, including the acute effects of injury, pain, polypharmacy, infection, constipation, urinary retention, and physiological stress layered onto existing comorbidities and reduced cognitive reserve. Despite its impact, delirium is often under-recognised in busy ward settings, where hypoactive presentations are easily mistaken for fatigue, low mood, or

Introduction Computed tomography (CT) of the brain plays a crucial role in identifying pathologies responsible for acute confusion and reductions in Glasgow Coma Score (GCS). The quality of radiological request forms is essential to both radiographers and radiologists, with inadequate detail leading to avoidable delays and a reduction in diagnostic accuracy. This Quality Improvement Project (QIP) aims to improve the quality of CT brain requests submitted to investigate acute confusion and reduced GCS between December 2025 and February 2026, from the Care of the Elderly (COTE) wards and the

Introduction Delirium is a common but serious complication in older surgical patients, associated with increased morbidity and mortality, prolonged length of stay and poorer long-term outcomes. NICE guidance recommends all patients are observed daily for signs of delirium and promotes a multidisciplinary approach to prevention and management. The diagnosis and documentation of delirium is important for coding, handover of care and for helping patients and families understand their symptoms.  Methods  Clinical notes of patients aged ≥65 discharged from general surgery in January 2025 (n = 38)

Introduction  Delirium is a common but serious complication in older surgical patients, associated with increased morbidity and mortality, prolonged length of stay and poorer long-term outcomes. NICE guidance recommends all patients are observed daily for signs of delirium and promotes a multidisciplinary approach to prevention and management. The diagnosis and documentation of delirium is important for coding, handover of care and for helping patients and families understand their symptoms.  Methods  Clinical notes of patients aged ≥65 discharged from general surgery in January 2025 (n = 38)

Background Understanding a patient’s usual cognition and communication needs is central to preventing delirium. The ‘Get to Know Me’ booklet is intended to capture this information early in admission and support personalised care. Locally, use of the booklet was inconsistent, and foundation doctors reported they were often unaware it existed, unsure where it was kept, and unclear whose role it was to supply it. This project aimed to improve awareness, confidence and use through a focused teaching intervention. Methods Foundation doctors completed a baseline questionnaire assessing awareness

Introduction: Dysphagia is common in older people and is associated with aspiration and respiratory complications, particularly in those with cervical spine fractures1. A pilot study (2021) led to standards of care (SOP), developed with SLT team, for staff training to initiate early bedside dysphagia screening to mitigate respiratory complications and improve outcomes. Aim: To evaluate whether bedside dysphagia screening in older patients admitted with cervical spine fractures can mitigate aspiration and respiratory complications. Method: A retrospective cohort study using electronic records

With an ageing population, the number of older people attending emergency departments with head injuries is increasing. 2023 NICE guidelines advise to consider a CT scan for these patients who have sustained a head injury and have no other indication for a CT head scan but are on anticoagulation treatment or antiplatelet treatment. However, there are time, financial and personal costs of hospital conveyance to facilitate scanning to both individuals and the wider system. Method Across two UK, South coast hospitals, retrospective review of requests for CT brains from 1964 patients over 80years

St Mary’s is a central MTC and receives approximately 340 ‘Major Trauma Calls’ per month. Rib fractures (RF) are often seen in major trauma, frequently feature in high-acuity mechanisms of injury, and are known to cause extensive pain and distress. St Mary’s RF SOP directs trauma teams to utilise a 24/7 ‘invasive’ analgesic pathway (advance regional nerve blocks/epidurals/PCA’s) as part of a multimodal analgesic approach to acute pain. The RF SOP defines invasive pathways indicated if a patient’s rib fracture severity score ‘STUMBL’ is >16. Our team completed a retrospective cohort data

Introduction: Sleep disturbances are common in individuals living with dementia, especially those living with Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) and Parkinson’s Disease (PD). These disturbances are associated with increased depressive symptoms among carers and can precipitate transition to care homes. DREAMS:START (Dementia RElAted Manual for Sleep; STrAtegies for RelaTives) is a clinically effective intervention for sleep disturbance in all-cause dementias. However, the experiences of supporting individuals living with LBD or PD and sleep disturbance remains unexplored. Therefore, this study sought to

Aim: To create a clinical culture of “Think Trauma” with all 65+yr olds presenting following unplanned attendances to the ground from any height for any reason. A good trauma assessment should be possible regardless of the first contact clinicians admitting specialty or grade. Overall improving initial assessment, management of and reduction in missed injuries in these older trauma patients. Method: Formed a senior multispecialty team to identify an educational plan. Based on narrative feedback from other trauma courses, a low-fidelity simulation-led course was created. Aimed at more junior

Introduction The Oxford and Reading Cognitive Health After Recovery from acute illness and Delirium- Prospective Study (ORCHARD-PS) aims to investigate the pathophysiology of delirium and future dementia risk after acute illness (Gan JM, Elderton L, Vijayakumar Sheela M, et al. BMJ Open, 2025 Jun 13;15(6):e102028). We determined baseline delirium occurrence, delirium subtype and associations with cognition and frailty in an interim analysis. Methods Acute medical patients aged 65 years and older without terminal illness, advanced dementia or nursing home residence were enrolled after consent

Introduction Falls are a leading cause of hospital admission in the elderly frail population. Current NICE guidance specifically recommends CT imaging as primary investigation of choice for detecting a clinically important brain injury (CIBI) in patients over age 65, with LOC/amnesia, or on anticoagulation who have sustained a head injury (HI). Aim To consider appropriateness of NICE guidance for CT head imaging for patients living with frailty, who present with HI following a fall from standing height. Method Clinical audit of 329 patients, Clinical Frailty Score 4-8, presenting with HI

Introduction Older patients are at a higher risk of suffering injuries that are classed as major trauma (MT), due to a variety of factors. Injuries to the orofacial region present unique challenges in their management, necessitating a balance between functional and aesthetic demands. Despite these challenges, few studies to date have considered how a facial injury may impact outcomes in the older population. We describe a 10-year review at a major trauma centre (MTC) of older patients, who present with facial injuries alongside MT. Methods Data for patients over 65 years old who attended our

Introduction Atypical parkinsonian syndromes (APS), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), multiple system atrophy (MSA) and corticobasal degeneration syndrome (CBS), are relatively rare and clinically heterogeneous. This can result in misdiagnosis, usually for idiopathic Parkinson’s disease. Recent cohort studies indicate characterising NPS could facilitate earlier and more accurate APS diagnosis. We audited NPS and associated management in a specialist APS clinic population. Methods Electronic patient records were reviewed for 97 ‘active’ patients attending the Oxford University Hospitals APS