Posters

Background "Dignity in death" (DiD) refers to avoiding suffering at the end-of-life by meeting individuals' physical, emotional, and spiritual needs compassionately and respectfully. This includes upholding autonomy, preserving individuality, and fostering open discussions about death while aligning care with the person’s values. Holistic care prioritises comfort and dignity, treating death with understanding rather than fear (Ignacio et al., 2016). However, little is known about how care home staff perceive "dignity in death," despite extensive research on hospital and hospice staff (Hemati

Background: Hip fractures represent a significant global health burden, leading to substantial morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. Delays in surgical intervention are consistently linked to poorer patient outcomes. This audit aimed to evaluate and enhance hip fracture management at Southampton General Hospital (SGH) through targeted quality improvement initiatives. Methods: An interventional clinical audit was conducted at SGH, a Major Trauma Centre, comparing a pre-intervention period (December 2023 – March 2024; n=272 patients) with a post-intervention period (September 2024 –

DNAR QIP abstract Introduction: Advanced Care Planning (ACP) involves making decisions about future care, including resuscitation. When resuscitation is deemed not in a patient’s best interest, a Do Not Attempt Resuscitation (DNAR) order is made to prevent harm. NHS England recommends that ACP decisions be shareable as this improves efficiency of repeated discussions and ensures patients’ wishes are respected. In Wales there is no consistently used ACP documents which increases risk of unwanted management as well as inconsistency in the ACP documentation. Methods: This study aimed to improve

Introduction: Polypharmacy is a highly prevalent challenge in geriatric care, particularly concerning patients with cardiovascular conditions. The STOPP (Screening Tool of Older Persons' potentially inappropriate Prescriptions) and START (Screening Tool to Alert to Right Treatment) criteria are recognized tools designed to optimize medication regimens in older adults by identifying potential omissions and potentially inappropriate prescriptions. This project aimed to evaluate and improve adherence to the STOPP/START criteria for cardiovascular and coagulation medications among older people

Introduction As the population ages, more older adults with moderate to severe frailty are undergoing invasive cardiac interventions. Despite its prognostic significance, frailty is not incorporated into conventional cardiac risk scores. Best practice requires assessment of baseline function, care needs, and polypharmacy to inform intervention suitability, ceiling of care decisions, and discharge planning. The Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) is a validated tool (1) for summarising frailty based on clinical judgement. Accurate social history documentation is essential and endorsed by both European

Background: Frailty is a growing public health issue due to the aging population. Early recognition and awareness are key in preventing deterioration and promoting independence. A leaflet was created to: Encourage conversation about frailty. Highlight the importance of lifestyle interventions and discharge planning. Include local contact numbers and community support services. Support early detection, reduce avoidable hospital admissions, and promote healthier aging at home. Aims: Assess the effectiveness of the leaflet in improving patient and carer awareness. Support recognition and

Introduction: Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) have demonstrated significant benefits in reducing cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes and established coronary artery disease (CAD). Guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) recommend the use of SGLT2i in this high-risk population. This audit evaluates adherence to these guidelines, identifies barriers to compliance, and highlights areas for improvement. Method: A retrospective audit was conducted on diabetic patients with CAD who

Introduction  People are living longer with more complex multimorbidity across the globe. Those living with multimorbidity are at higher risk of becoming frail. Frail people have significant palliative care needs but as with other non-malignant conditions, access to palliative care support for frail patients is challenging. This is in part to a lack of recognition of these patient cohorts being able to benefit from palliative care. The aim of this review is to identify the evidence on how palliative care needs are being identified and assessed in frail older people and any evidence on

Background: A QIP conducted within the geriatrics department at University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire, led by a team of resident doctors under consultant supervision. Introduction: Efficient handovers are an essential part of safe care and geriatric medicine has unique challenges due to complex patient needs, nuanced decision making and requiring continuity of care. The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) recommends standardised, dynamic handovers with digital and face-to-face components. Our departmental out of hours handover process was perceived as inefficient by resident doctors. This

Abstract Content - Introduction Cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus are leading causes of mortality in Latin America and the Caribbean, accounting for 1.05 million deaths in 2016, with 41.8% occurring before age 70. Despite rising mortality and unhealthy diets, detailed dietary impact estimates on CMD mortality are lacking. This study quantifies CMD mortality in our countrie using Framingham, PROCAM, and SCORE risk assessments to inform health policies and interventions. Materials and methods A cohort of patients over 60 years from northwest Colombia was studied, excluding those with

Introduction Inpatient falls have the potential to result in significant morbidity. This is especially true in our cohort of older patients. There is a wide variability in the levels of confidence levels amongst nursing and medical staff when it comes to the immediate assessment following a fall. The aim is to ensure that there is a safer and more consistent approach to the above. This project has acted as a ‘start-up’ for a larger Spread & Scale across the Health board. However, we will focus on University Hospital Llandough for the purposes of this QI. Method Baseline data was collected

Introduction Loss and bereavement are experienced disproportionately by older adults. Bereavement can be a traumatic and life changing event that has a significant impact on health and social support. (Croxall, 2016) Geriatricians will regularly care for grieving patients and relatives; thus, it is essential to understand this process and be able to signpost to support. (Meichsner, 2020) Although the geriatric curriculum includes end-of-life care, grief and bereavement are not included. (JRCPTB, 2024) This contrasts with the palliative care curriculum, which includes psychosocial care of

Introduction: Venous thromboembolism (VE) prophylaxis is commonly administered to patients across many hospital settings, however it can be more challenging to address in frailty patients. These patients are more likely to have contraindications to anticoagulation and be "delayed discharges" (medically fit for discharge and at baseline mobility), at which point VTE prophylaxis may not be indicated. Method: This quality improvement project was carried out in the acute geriatric ward at St John's Hospital. With the aim to improve VTE prophylaxis (appropriately prescribed and deprescribed when

Over 70,000 hip fractures occur annually in the UK, most being osteoporosis associated fragility fractures that require surgical fixation. Established orthogeriatric intervention and standardised pre- and postoperative care improve outcomes. With 25% of patients sustaining another fracture within five years, post-operative bisphosphonate use is increasingly relevant. Periprosthetic hip fractures (PPFs), a growing form of fragility fracture, often lack orthogeriatric input and bone protection advice is not standardised, an issue seen at St Richard’s Hospital, Chichester.​ Aim- This study aims

Background The National Dementia Strategy states that patients with dementia should receive individualised care tailored to their preferences and needs. With an ageing population, where approximately two-thirds of hospital beds are occupied by patients over 65, the number of inpatients with dementia is increasing. Slow patient flow throughout the hospital often results in these patients remaining on busy medical wards for extended periods, posing challenges in the provision of patient centred care. “What Matters to Me” (WMTM) documents are provided to patients and their families to record

Introduction: Vitamin D is essential for blood calcium and phosphate homeostasis. In addition, it has anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and neuroprotective effects. The geriatric population is vulnerable to Vitamin D deficiency (VD) due to poor dietary intake, reduced exposure to sunlight, reduced skin thickness, drug interactions, and impaired absorption and metabolism. VD is associated with osteomalacia, high bone turnover, an increased risk of hip fractures, infection, cardiovascular and metabolic disorders and cancer risk. Clinical diagnosis of VD is difficult due to vague symptoms. It is

Key words: acute frailty, triple assessment, comprehensive geriatric assessment, integrated discharge team (IDT) Introduction: The expansion of acute frailty services is essential to meet the needs of our ageing population. According to the UK Office for National Statistics 2021 census, over one-sixth of the population (18.6%, or 11.1 million people) were aged 65 and over, with this proportion expected to rise to 25% within the next 20 years. British Geriatrics Society emphasizes the importance of using these metrics early in the patient journey, particularly for those with high 4AT, CFS, or

Introduction: Older adults accessing hospital care represent a distinct population, in whom patterns of multiple long-term conditions (MLTC) may differ to the wider population, especially given a higher likelihood of complex health and care requirements. A recent scoping review identified variability in the definition and operationalisation of MLTC in older adults accessing hospital care, with minimal description of MLTC in UK hospitals and limited consideration of complexity. To address this research gap, we aimed to describe the epidemiology and complexity of MLTC in older adults accessing

Background Eastbourne, on the East Sussex coast, has a population older than the national average. Older people make up a significant proportion of the hospital inpatient cohort, so services should be adapted to their needs. Language plays an important role in inclusion, but evidence is limited about preferred language in caring for older people. Anecdotally, "Elderly Care" did not resonate with patients. To find out more, surveys were conducted. Methods Surveys were used to find out patients' views on the name "Elderly Care" and identify other names they might prefer. Inpatients over 65 were

Introduction East Surrey Hospital (SASH) recognised in April 2024 that there was no acute frailty pathway or same day care service specifically for older people. It performed 3rd or 4th quartile for all performance indicators regarding the care of frail or older people. Older people occupied 60% of bed days at SASH and had the longest emergency department wait times. Materials and Methods SASH made a strategic commitment to improve outcomes for frail and older people. A best practice review and initial trajectory modelling led to trial of an acute frailty team. This resulted in a full business