Posters

INTRODUCTION: In order to improve resident safety and reduce hospital admissions, the ‘Optimizing Bed Height Quality Improvement Study’ aims to raise awareness among healthcare professionals about the importance of ensuring optimal bed height to prevent falls and injuries in residents and to improve bed mobility. The parameters from a 2015 study, ‘Analysis of the Influence of Hospital Bed Height on Kinematic Parameters Associated with Patient Falls During Egress', are taken into account when using intervention techniques. METHODS: Residents aged 65 or over falling out of bed between January

Exercise is beneficial for Parkinson’s disease (PD), but many people struggle to achieve the 150 minutes per a week recommendation. Symptoms of PD or co-morbidity may be barriers for exercise; and physiotherapists can provide expert assessment and tailoring of exercise to accommodate these needs. We developed a remote physiotherapy intervention using videoconference (Attend Anywhere). An ongoing feasibility trial is assessing this intervention, and a process evaluation seeks to understand the broader context and acceptability of the intervention. Here we present a qualitative study of

Introduction Mittens are used to facilitate necessary interventions safely in patients who lack the mental capacity adhere to them. A serious incident (SI) occurred at our Trust when a patient, with delirium, developed pressure ulcers to their wrists as a result of prolonged use of mittens. A subsequent investigation revealed that there had been inadequate skin checks and insufficient documentation, from the medical team, directing the use of mittens. Method A multidisciplinary QIP was initiated: • For the Medical team: An electronic “Mittens Request Form” was created. This included fields to

Introduction Over 250 medications are reported to cause postural hypotension, associated with serious adverse outcomes in older adults. Studies in the literature and guidelines suggest a harmful cumulative risk of postural hypotension with multiple medication use. However, there is limited evidence on the potential for harm in practice, particularly which drugs are co-prescribed and may increase risk of postural hypotension. Methods Retrospective cohort study and cluster analysis using general practice data from IQVIA Medical Research Data (IMRD) in patients aged ≥50 contributing data between

Introduction: Indwelling urinary catheters (IUC) are well-known to cause serious adverse outcomes in older adults; such as catheter associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI), direct trauma, delirium, deconditioning, falls, restrain, prolonged length of stay etc. (Lee E., Malatt C, 2011). Removal of IUCs as soon as the indication is resolved, results in better outcomes (Dawson et al, 2017). We identified high rates of inappropriate catheterisations as a regular practice or part of sepsis protocol in our hospital. This QIP was designed to compare our practice against the standards set by NICE

INTRODUCTION Postural hypotension (PH) is an identifiable and potentially reversible cause of falls in elderly patients. The National Audit of Inpatient Falls recommends lying and standing blood pressure (LSBP) measurement for patients aged over 65. Our project aims to review current clinical practice and to develop a standardised approach to correctly investigate and manage PH in patients admitted following a fall to the geriatric department. METHOD: We performed two cycles of retrospective data collection across three geriatric wards, looking at percentage of patients investigated for PH and

Introduction Delirium is common in hospitalized older patients. It is associated with increased mortality, poorer functional outcomes and increased length of stay. It has also been shown to be positively associated with level of co-morbidity in older postoperative patients. The aims of the study is to assess the correlation between delirium and co-morbidity in older medical inpatients. It also aim to determine the effect of gender on this association. Method: This was a prospective, cross-sectional analysis carried out as part of a Quality Improvement Project on screening for delirium in older

Background The Ageing Well programme within the NHS Long Term Plan promotes person-centred care aligning with the goals of Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) in unifying health and social care aiming to increase the proportion of care to older people delivered in the community (NHS England, 2019). As most older people admitted to hospital are conveyed by ambulance services this presents a focus to reduce hospitalisation (Maynou L, Street A, Burton C, et al. Emergency Medicine Journal 2023). North Central London ICS has invested in ‘Silver Triage’ a pre-hospital telephone support scheme which sees

Introduction Increased frailty is associated with increased post-operative morbidity and mortality in older patients undergoing emergency laparotomy. NELA recommend documentation of frailty in surgical patients over 65. Using QI methodology, we introduced a ‘CARE tool’ for surgical doctors aiming to improve their documentation of an older person’s medical history (including CFS and delirium). Method A collaborative team representing geriatric medicine, anaesthetics and surgery devised the acronym CARE ( Cognition, Assistance at home, Record the CFS, Exercise tolerance). The tool was tested

Introduction: A weekly ward-based teaching programme was designed and implemented using quality improvement methodology. 10 topics were identified to be covered during each 4-month rotation. 1) Topic of the week introduced via a presentation in the weekly teaching session; 2) Daily topic discussions at ward level. Method: 7 wards. PDSA 1 (weeks 1 and 2): Weekly poster with the topic and a daily fact / question PDSA 2 (week 3 onwards): a) Software introduced to enable interaction in the teaching session b) Departmental WhatsApp used to send out daily questions. PDSA 3: a) New topics selected b)

Background: The MDTea is a free open access medical education podcast designed for all healthcare professionals caring for older adults. To date there are 120 episodes. Introduction/Method: The MDTea Podcast has CPD survey logs on its website where listeners who access the website can record their learning and receive a CPD certificate, Listeners provide their professional roles. Listener numbers for episodes were much higher than those recorded in the CPD log, so alternative measures were sought to understand who listens to the podcast. Series 11 was released in January to July 2022 and was

Introduction Dementia and hearing loss (HL) are becoming increasingly prevalent in society and commonly co-exist. People living with concurrent conditions have complex needs and face additional barriers to diagnosis and management. There is a paucity of research regarding the current and optimal management of HL in people living with dementia. This research aimed to: (1) examine the current clinical provision for people living with HL and dementia within UK audiology services, and (2) explore recommendations for the management of co-existing HL and dementia from professionals and people living

Abstract Content - Introduction Frailty is an important clinical syndrome of increased vulnerability to stressors. The impact of frailty on stroke is a growing research area. We carried out a systematic review for an up to date picture of the prevalence of frailty and its impact on a wide range of outcomes Methods We searched Medline, Embase and CINAHL for studies referencing frailty and stroke. We assessed quality of studies using National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) quality assessment tools. We collated prevalence of frailty and impact on outcomes after stroke or transient

Introduction The Covid19 pandemic represents an unprecedented challenge to global health and care services and necessitated a rapid shift towards healthcare being provided remotely. 1 A quality improvement project was conducted in Cardiff CRT to improve staff confidence in relation to remote-working to optimise the care of older patients in the community. Objectives To integrate the use of technology in intermediate care in Cardiff CRT Method A survey was sent to Cardiff CRT staff in May 2020. The plan-do-study-act (PDSA) model was used to implement improvement interventions whilst allowing

Introduction Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is recognised by the motor symptoms of tremor, rigidity and bradykinesia. However, the prevalence of psychiatric symptoms such as low mood, anxiety and memory problems in PD is also common (20-80%). We integrated one clinical session per week from a Parkinson’s specialist psychiatrist (PDSP) into our existing MDT service, and aimed to evaluate the impact of this model on care for patients with PD. Method We initiated a series of Plan Do Study Act (PDSA) cycles to establish a referral pathway to our PDSP. Using electronic clinical records we collected data

Background and aims: Frailty is a clinical syndrome of increased vulnerability to stressors, associated with adverse outcomes after stroke, but its impact on outcomes after transient ischaemic attack (TIA) remain unclear. Methods: Retrospective analysis of 1185 patients referred by the emergency department (ED) who attended TIA clinic with a Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) within two weeks. Records were combined from two routinely collected databases, and prevalence of frailty was determined. Frailty was classified as CFS score >/=4. Data were collected on date of death, and hazard ratios (HR)

Introduction: Incontinence affects a significant proportion of older adults who reside in care homes. Incontinence symptoms have been linked to comorbidities, an increased risk of infection and reduced quality of life and mental wellbeing of residents. However, continence care provision can often be poor for residents, further compromising the health and wellbeing of this vulnerable population. Method: A systematic qualitative evidence synthesis and thematic analysis established the current evidence-base of barriers and facilitators for the provision of continence care in care homes. Results

Introduction Delirium is prevalent in patients with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (iPD) who are admitted to hospital. The hypoactive subtype of delirium is associated with poorer outcomes in hospitalised patients The aim of this study was to evaluate different outcomes across delirium subtypes in unplanned hospital admissions in patients living with iPD Methods Data was collated prospectively on all patients with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease admitted to our hospital’s medical wards between 1st January 2019 and 30th March 2020. Electronic case-note review and in-person assessments were used

Introduction In older adults, medicines non-adherence is prevalent and harmful. Current methods of identification have limitations with direct questioning often being met with a reluctance to “admit” non-adherence to healthcare professionals. The Making Medicines Work for You screener has been developed to support patients and clinicians identify and discuss adherence issues in a clinical setting. This study aimed to pilot the screener and identify barriers to medication adherence in an unspecified geriatric outpatient population. Method Patients attending the Older Person’ Assessment Unit at

Introduction The pathway for referral to elective perioperative clinic involves frailty screening patients at the point of referral1. This is adequate If waiting times are short. At Swansea Bay 6,458 patients>65 years are awaiting surgery with up to 5 year waits for cholecystectomies. Opportunity to medically optimise patients prior to surgery are lost using a traditional approach. We aimed to develop a screening tool to identify frailty in patients awaiting surgery. Method The cholecystectomy list (750 patients) of which 258 were> 65years. Older people were sent a postal questionnaire gaining