Posters

Introduction Observations of the acute medical take suggested that patients who sustained a fall were affected by long delays and wait times to see both A+E and medical doctors. We felt that analgesia prescribing in these patients, many of whom sustained injury, was done poorly and some were being left without any analgesia leading to a negatively perceived patient journey. Our aim was to assess analgesia prescribing practices for patients following a fall with a view to improving experience. Method We completed three rounds of data collection, with 20 patients in each. We included patients

Introduction: Prion disease/Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies consists of a family of rare, progressive neurodegenerative disorders which have long incubation periods, are rapidly progressive and always fatal. CJD is caused by prions, which are abnormal pathogenic agents that induce abnormal folding of specific normal cellular proteins. This leads to brain damage and the characteristic signs and symptoms of the disease. There are 4 recognized forms – sporadic, genetic, iatrogenic and variant CJD. Review of 4 cases admitted to our acute ward for the elderly who were all ultimately

Introduction: 1 in 37 adults in the UK are diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease (PD). The varied nature and specific symptom management of the condition requires a person-centred multi-disciplinary approach to care. Methods: On a care-of-the-elderly ward at Bristol Royal Infirmary, 3 cycles of a quality improvement project were conducted to upskill knowledge and confidence of the staff caring for PD patients. In cycle 1, baseline knowledge and confidence of staff were gathered using a data collection survey. 5 teaching sessions were organised addressing topics in PD such as medication

Introduction Fragility fractures are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the UK. An estimated 549000 fragility fractures occur each year, with a significant financial and social cost. By identifying and treating those at risk we can reduce the incidence of fragility fractures. We wished to assess how we could optimise management of bone health in those presenting to our acute frailty unit(AFU). Method We conducted a retrospective review of patients admitted to AFU with falls on a background of frailty. 2 PDSA (plan, do, study and act) cycles were undertaken in 2023 and 2024

Introduction Delirium is a common presentation in geriatric medicine. Improvement in delirium assessment and management should improve identification of these patients and improve their outcomes. This Quality Improvement Project, completed by a group of Health Care for Older People (HCOP) resident doctors, aimed to improve delirium assessment and management for patients admitted to the five HCOP wards at Good Hope Hospital, Sutton Coldfield. Methods Patients with documented confusion were selected and delirium assessment/management was compared to current NICE Guidance. This included whether

Introduction People living with dementia (PLWD) take five more medications on average than those without dementia. This can increase the risk of medication-related harm, defined as any negative outcome, harm or injury caused by taking a medication. The aim of this systematic review was to identify studies that reported the prevalence of medication-related harm in PLWD and to assess its impact by evaluating various outcomes. Methods Twelve databases were searched from date of inception to April 2023. Papers published in English, reporting on the prevalence and/or adverse outcomes of medication

Background: Older adults with multimorbidity are prescribed medicines to manage chronic conditions. Some of these cause anticholinergic side effects which can lead to falls. Introduction: This work originated from the West Yorkshire ACB Task and Finish Group and involved pharmacists in secondary and primary care working collaboratively. The aims were: To raise awareness of ACB across all sectors. To calculate the ACB scores for patients admitted with falls on acute older patient admission wards in two hospitals and refer to primary care for review on discharge if the score is 3 or more

Abstract Content - Background/purpose: To prepare future physicians to care for a growing aging population, the Canadian Geriatrics Society (CGS) Education Committee formed a working group in 2019 to update the 2009 Core Competencies in the Care of Older Persons for Canadian Medical Students. The goal is to assist medical educators with developing relevant undergraduate medical curriculum. Methods: The working group chose 5Ms model and canMEDs framework to develop the competencies. A modified Delphi process was used. National participants were recruited and three rounds of Delphi surveys were

Background: The NHS Long Term plan calls for change to deliver proactive community frailty care1. Proactive frailty case-finding outside traditional healthcare settings should be explored2. Aims: To pilot test proactive frailty screening at a community event. Methods: GSTT Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy department hosted a community day in a deprived area of Lambeth, London. Waiting list residents were invited for a café-style assessment. Stalls were available to meet wider needs including finances, wellbeing, Ageing Well and others. Ageing Well (Consultant Geriatrician & Geriatrics trainee)

Background: The incidence of falls is a major public health issue with one- third of older people falling annually. Consequently, there are many interventions available to prevent falls such as education and exercise training. However, their effectiveness at reducing fall prevalence is minimal due to low adherence, especially amongst ethnic minority groups. There is currently a paucity of research in this area particularly among older adults from ethnic minority groups. Aims: This systematic review aims to identify the main facilitators and barriers to the uptake of fall prevention programs in

Care of the elderly simulation-based teaching for the multidisciplinary team Introduction Geriatric medicine is inherently complex and requires multi-disciplinary integration. Simulation-based training has been recognised by the Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians’ Training Board and the Royal College of Nursing as a method to enhance learning and improve patient outcomes. This project aimed to develop a multi-professional simulation programme within care of the elderly to mimic the multi-professional clinical practice that takes place on geriatric hospital wards. Methods A total of ten half

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurological condition which affects approximately 153,000 people in the United Kingdom (1). It classically involves a triad of bradykinesia, rigidity and tremor alongside other significant motor and non-motor features (2). Delayed or missed medications can result in unpleasant motor and non-motor fluctuations (3). Inappropriate management of patient medication has been shown to result in longer length of stay, delayed recovery, and worse overall outcomes (4). Patients with PD have a high risk of complications peri-operatively with evidence showing

Introduction Chronic insomnia and nocturia are frequently associated, particularly in older adults impacting sleep quality, daytime functioning and quality of life. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of daridorexant in patients with insomnia and comorbid nocturia. Methods This double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-way cross-over study randomised 60 patients aged ≥55 years with chronic insomnia and self-reported nocturia to 4-weeks nightly treatment of daridorexant 50 mg or placebo. This was followed by a 14–21-day washout period, after which patients received the alternate 4-week

Introduction The Commissioning for Quality and Innovation (CQUIN) framework sets a 10% minimum and an ideal goal of 30% of acutely presenting patients over the age of 65 to receive frailty assessment scores. Early recognition of frailty helps mitigate risks such as deconditioning. This project aims to assess and improve the adoption of this standard in medical emergency admissions of a Birmingham district general hospital by working with medical admissions teams and frailty services and observing for associated outcome measures. Methodology PDSA methodology was used. Data was retrospectively

Introduction Older people can commonly experience reduced appetite and it can be assessed very simply by questionnaires such as the Simplified Nutritional Appetite Questionnaire (SNAQ). Decreased appetite is associated with sarcopenia and frailty, which in turn are related to falls. The aim is to assess if screening for poor appetite might aid in predicting risk of future falls by exploring association between appetite score and falls at three and six months in older people with upper limb fracture. Methods A secondary data analysis. Baseline appetite was assessed using the SNAQ, with score

About 73% of people living with osteoarthritis are older than 55 years. Osteoarthritis can greatly reduce the quality of life. While surgical interventions (including joint replacement) present one approach to advanced and disabling osteoarthritis, non-surgical interventions help people living with the condition to manage pain and maintain optimal levels of functioning. Pharmacological options should be used in combination with non-pharmacological measures at the lowest effective dose for the shortest period of time possible. Lidocaine 5% plasters are used off license in clinical practice to

Introduction Delirium complicates 10% of admissions. A delay in diagnosis can lead to permanent cognitive decline, care home placement and death. Watford General Hospital’s (WGH) delirium liaison service receives fewer referrals than expected from areas with vulnerable patients such as ITU. This audit sought to understand why and what effect this might have on outcomes. Method The audit team reviewed notes for all >75-years-old in WGH on a single day, looking for delirium risk factors, evidence of delirium and, if present, a diagnosis and management plan. Outcomes were reviewed at 90 days

Introduction: Following the publication of ‘Call to action: A Five nations consensus on the use of intravenous zoledronate after hip fracture,’ Craigavon Area Hospital began offering IV Zoledronic acid (IV Zol) to patients with a fragility neck of femur (NOF) fracture. However, the administration of IV Zol is based on the bone health assessment, vitamin D level, and requires ongoing post-discharge care. An oral bisphosphonate should be started one year after IV Zol administration. This study aimed to analyse whether discharges from Craigavon Area hospital following a NOF fracture had clear

Urgent Community Assessment: A realist review of what works, for whom, and in what circumstances for older adults after a fall. P Garraway1; L Woods1; B Raut1; R Dewar-Haggart2; S Lunuwila1; S McKelvie1 1University of Southampton 2University of Oxford Introduction: Falls have a considerable effect on the physical and mental health of older adults. Urgent Community Response (UCR) services are increasing offered as a Community Alternative to aCute Hospitalisation (CAtCH) for falls management. These services often provide a home based assessments following an fall but there is limited

Background: Ireland has the highest rates of loneliness among EU countries, with those aged 80+ particularly vulnerable. Loneliness is a significant risk factor for various negative health outcomes. To address this, the Loneliness Research Network (LTRN) was established in November 2022 to ensure policy recommendations from Ireland’s national Loneliness Taskforce are informed by robust research. The LTRN’s first initiative aimed to identify research priorities, particularly in gerontology, to guide the future of loneliness research in Ireland. Method: The study was conducted in two phases