Posters for 2025 Autumn Meeting

Introduction Small, qualitative studies suggest discrepancies between older adults’ measured and self-perceived frailty. Any mismatch will have implications for frailty interventions and advanced care planning. We therefore, aimed to report the relationship between older adults’ self-perceived frailty and the Electronic Frailty Index (eFI), an objective screening tool measure of frailty, in a large, unselected cohort of older people. Method One thousand people aged ≥ 70 years, randomly selected from a single GP practice, were sent a survey, asking them to rate their own frailty using self

Introduction Lack of access to sensory aids like glasses or hearing aids, can lead elderly patients to experience disorientation, difficulties engaging with healthcare professionals, negatively impacting recovery and both patients and their next of kin’s hospital experience. These challenges, combined with a lack of staff awareness of sensory needs of patients on a busy geriatrics ward highlight the need for focused interventions. Methods This quality improvement project utilised the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) methodology over a 12-week period. Documentation of sensory impairments and aids was

Introduction Advanced care planning (ACP) is particularly relevant for those living with frailty, who are at heightened risk of sudden health changes and loss of cognitive ability. The concepts of frailty and ACP are understood differently by older adults and health care professionals (HCPs). This abstract represents the qualitative component of a mixed methods study aiming to evaluate older people’s perspectives of frailty, including how and why they build self-perceptions of frailty, and their perceptions of ACP. Method Ten community dwelling, older adults, (aged seventy years plus)

Introduction Cancer and ageing have a bidirectional relationship: age is the strongest risk factor for cancer, and cancer and treatments can accelerate ageing. Consequently, biological age of patients with cancer is likely to deviate from chronological age. Validated biomarkers of biological age are needed to quantify this and stratify interventions to minimise accelerated ageing. Methods Using the BioAge R Package, PhenoAge was calculated from eight blood test results of patients attending the Geriatric Oncology Liaison Development (GOLD) clinic at Guy’s Hospital between 2022 and 2025

Introduction: Polypharmacy—commonly defined as the use of five or more medications—is highly prevalent among older adults and is associated with increased risks of adverse drug events, falls, cognitive impairment, hospital admissions, and reduced quality of life. Inappropriate polypharmacy, where medications provide limited benefit or cause harm, represents a significant patient safety concern. Structured medication reviews (SMRs), supported by validated deprescribing tools such as STOPP/START and Beers Criteria, are essential for identifying and addressing potentially inappropriate

Introduction: Recommendations from the revised European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines (2023) have changed how we manage decompensated heart failure (HF) in acute hospitals. Adherence to ESC guidelines is associated with reduced mortality, readmissions and improved quality of life ( www.escardio.org, 2023). This audit was conducted to compare our practice against the above ESC guidelines. Method: Two PDSA cycles were completed between July 2024 and April 2025 in the Acute Frailty Unit and two Elderly Care wards. Patients presenting with decompensated HF above 65 years were included

Introduction Caring for patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) approaching end of life (EoL) is challenging. A switch to transdermal rotigotine for dopamine therapy due to loss of an oral route can lead to delirium/agitation and several first-line symptom management medications used at EoL have anti-dopaminergic activity. Aims To analyse and improve prescribing for patients with PD at EoL in an acute hospital setting, focusing on: Dopamine replacement therapy Symptom management Methods Deaths where PD was entered on the medical certificate of cause of death (MCCD) were collated in 3 rounds of

Introduction Bone health assessment forms a standard aspect of orthogeriatric care in line with NHFD* and NOGG**. Current recommendation is to administer first dose of bone protection medication during hospital stay due to high imminent fracture risk. We identified several cases where the first dose was delayed, including near misses and adverse events with potential for patient harm. Methods A process map of 20 patients was conducted to collect data on decision-making, documentation, and implementation of bone protection plans. A staff questionnaire identified key shortcomings and areas for

Introduction: Hospitalisation of people living with dementia often leads to an increase in behavioural and psychological symptoms, a risk of poor outcomes, a higher incidence of harm, and further cognitive decline. The “This is me” leaflet was designed by the Alzheimer’s Society and, upon its completion, provides information about a person living with dementia. This helps to deliver personalised care and reduce distress and the issues associated with hospitalisation. Whilst working on the older people’s wards at Ipswich hospital, we observed a low uptake of this clinical tool. We performed a

Introduction: Falls in older people are a major public health concern causing much morbidity, mortality and cost to health and social services. Frailty and co-morbidities are important risk factors for falls and a multidisciplinary approach and geriatric services are best suited to manage older fallers. Falls clinics led by geriatricians have been developed over the last three decades. However, as there is much variation in availability of geriatric services across Europe it is unclear to what extent Falls clinics/services exist across the continent. This study aimed to assess the prevalence

Introduction Older care home (CH) residents are particularly vulnerable to infections and often experience adverse outcomes. Despite this group being prioritised for vaccination, no COVID-19 vaccine trials recruited CH residents. Given that the social and biological characteristics of CH residents may influence vaccine effectiveness, it is crucial to test vaccines in this population. Methods The Widening Access to Trials in Care Homes (WATCH) project was established to develop best practice guidance on designing and conducting vaccine trials in the CH population. As part of this project, a

Introduction Falls are a common presentation comprising 17% of all ED attendances in older people and can result in harm including fragility fractures (FFs). FFs lead to pain, functional decline, deconditioning, and high mortality. Validated tools such as FRAX can increase prescribing of antiresorptive medications (ARM), reducing harm. Comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) is the gold standard for assessing and managing geriatric syndromes including falls and can include fragility fracture risk assessment. Method An audit was conducted of all inpatients over one day on Colwell Ward at Isle

Background A key challenge for disease-modifying trials in Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the lack of sensitive, patient-relevant outcome measures. Digital mobility outcomes (DMOs), captured using body-worn devices, offer a novel, objective means to assess real-world gait and mobility. The Mobilise-D study validated DMOs in PD, demonstrating that the analytics software could accurately and reliably monitor mobility in the real world. However, to progress towards regulatory qualification, demonstration of responsiveness to therapy is required. The Edmond J Safra Accelerating Clinical Trials in

Introduction: Despite it's known deliriogenic properties, and contrary to trust guidelines, lorazepam is often used first line in the management of delirium at Manchester Royal Infirmary without a documented rationale. This project aims to improve adherence to trust delirium guidance - reducing the use of lorazepam in the pharmacological management of delirium and improving compliance with non-pharmacological elements. Methods: Case identification was carried out using the hospital's Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system, Epic®. A report was created to display patients with a coded diagnosis

Background Loneliness is common among older adults and linked to poor health outcomes. In the UK, around 1.4 million older people experience frequent loneliness, a number expected to rise. Despite its impact, loneliness is often unrecognized in acute hospitals. The UCLA Loneliness Scale Version 3 (UCLA-3) is a brief, validated 3-item tool with 77% sensitivity and 61% specificity, suitable for routine geriatric screening. Objectives · Assess feasibility of UCLA-3 for rapid loneliness screening · Determine loneliness prevalence in older inpatients · Explore integration of UCLA-3 into geriatric

Background 'Instant Ageing' technologies and simulated ward rounds are established parts of geriatric medicine teaching in many centres. However, these once innovative methods received negative feedback when delivered during our undergraduate BMBS programme. We set out to explore whether adding gamification to established teaching methods could enhance student knowledge, attitudes towards frailty and perceptions of their attachment. Methods We designed a 'Frailty Escape Room' where students rotated around stations completing tasks related to falls, polypharmacy, delirium, frailty assessment

Background: The global population of people aged 65 years and over is expected to rise from 761 million in 2021 to 1.6 billion by 2050. Many of these older adults have multiple comorbidities and functional impairments that make them particularly vulnerable during acute hospitalisation. Engagement in meaningful activities can be vital to older people’s care, particularly in acute hospitals. Evidence suggests that such engagement can have a positive impact on the patients’ hospital journeys. To ensure individualised support, it is important to understand the purpose of meaningful activities for

Background Pathways into care homes represent a critical yet under-researched aspect of decision-making for individuals, families, and professionals. Prior research links recent psychiatric hospital discharge to higher risk of care home entry from hospital. This retrospective cohort study used linked health and care home data to identify predictors of care home admission following psychiatric hospital discharge within the previous six months. Methods We included adults moving-in to care homes between 1/4/13 and 31/3/16, recorded in the Scottish Care Home Census. Data were linked to inpatient

Introduction Lumbar spinal stenosis is a disabling condition affecting older people and there is a need to provide effective rehabilitation. The BOOST programme is a group physical and psychological intervention for people with spinal stenosis that we evaluated in the BOOST randomised controlled trial (RCT). The BOOST programme significantly improved walking at 6 and 12 months, reduced falling risk and was cost-effective compared to best practice advice. Disability improved at 6 months. Method A two-stage implementation study. Stage 1: We worked with stakeholders to optimise the programme for

Introduction Regular exercise to improve muscle strength and balance is recommended for older people. Providing extra protein to older people may enhance the benefits of exercise especially in people who have insufficient dietary protein. Our study evaluated the feasibility of conducting a definitive trial to evaluate the effectiveness of mobility and strength training +/- protein supplements for pre-frail/frail older people with low protein intake. Method A multi-centre feasibility randomised controlled trial in 4 NHS community trusts. Recruitment: via physiotherapy caseloads, an existing