Posters

Introduction. In older adults, dizziness is often experienced as a vague feeling of subjective unsteadiness, where people perceive themselves to be swaying more than they actually are. One factor that potentially drives such distorted perceptions of instability is (hyper)vigilance towards balance. This study aimed to investigate if older adults who report higher levels of trait balance vigilance (i) are more likely to report sensations of general unsteadiness when their balance is acutely threatened, and (ii) if this is accompanied by maladaptive changes in postural control. Methods. Forty

Background: Sialorrhoea is the increase of drooling due to poor clearance of saliva and is a common symptom in people with Parkinson’s Disease. It can lead to a decline in confidence, as well as increasing the risk of aspiration pneumonia. Botulinum injections are currently used in select patients to control the sialorrhoea, and the purpose of this project was to assess the benefit this treatment has had on patients. Methods: Data was collected from 40 patients who have received treatment at the sialorrhoea clinic and included Drooling Severity and Frequency Scale (DSFS), EQ5D and Visual

Introduction: Turning is essential to mobility, constituting 35-45% of all daily steps. Falls during turning are more severe with 7.9x greater risk of hip fracture. Reduced quality of turning has been observed in people with Parkinson’s disease (PwP). Findings suggest head and trunk control during turning are different in PwP compared to controls, however it is unclear how this relates to clinical measures. Methods: 36 PwP completed an intermittent walking task with 180 degree turns (ICICLE-Gait). An inertial measurement unit attached to the head evaluated head rotations (>30 degrees). Turning

INTRODUCTION: Our QIP was conducted in the Geriatric wards at Royal Gwent Hospital by doctors working in Geriatrics. Delirium, falls, confusion and urinary retention are common reasons for hospital admission in the elderly. Anticholinergic burden (ACB) is the cumulative effect of taking multiple medicines with anticholinergic properties contributing to frequent admissions. The aim of our QIP was to increase doctor’s awareness of ACB and encourage the review and deprescribing of regular medications in elderly patients to decrease ACB. METHODS: ACB was measured on admission and discharge using

Introduction Patients living with dementia are more likely to experience delirium and adverse outcomes when admitted to hospital (Dementia UK, 2022). The General Surgery directorate at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board secured funding for a Memory Link Worker (MLW) in the emergency stream. The aim of the MLW is to improve the hospital experience for patients living with cognitive impairment or anyone experiencing delirium. The MLW should also increase awareness and completion rates of “Read About Me” (RAM). Method Eligible patients are identified by ward staff or the Perioperative care

Introduction Zoledronic acid, a bisphosphonate used primarily for treating osteoporosis and other bone-related conditions, traditionally requires hospital visits for administration, which can be burdensome, especially for frail older patients. The administration of intravenous (IV) Zoledronic acid at home via Community Rapid Response Teams (CRT) represents an innovative approach to enhance patient care and accessibility while offering significant benefits to patients and healthcare services. Service Delivery CRT team is typically composed of highly trained nurses and doctors, equipped to

Introduction The importance of nutritional support has been extensively investigated in studies of people with hip and fragility fractures. Hospital nutritional assessments vary in quality, and this limits the extent to which risk assessment can be viewed as a meaningful indicator of nutritional support. Provision of supplements is an alternative measure, but only if known to have been consumed. For this reason, we developed a protocol to capture actual consumption of prescribed supplements. Methods Following nutritional risk assessment, the prescription and distribution of supplements was

Introduction: Musculoskeletal (MSK) injuries are a common factor in acute presentations to the emergency department (ED). Effective pain management is crucial for patient comfort and recovery, yet pain control for MSK injuries admitted under the medical team often falls short of optimal standards. This quality improvement project aims to evaluate and enhance the prescription practices for pain relief in elderly patients with MSK injuries at the Wrexham Maelor Hospital (WMH) ED. Methods: A two cycle project was completed in which patients with MSK injuries were identified and reviewed regarding

INTRODUCTION People with Parkinson’s disease (PwPD) often report low levels of physical activity and poor health and 90% of PwPD will fall at least once[1]. Interventions to reduce falls in PwPD often involve physical therapy and exercise, however the environment is an independent risk factor for falls[2]. Exploring whether fall circumstances differ in PwPD due to health status and physical activity level will inform occupational health services and the design and development of environmental modifications. METHODS An online survey was developed to evaluate falls in adults ≥60y. Of 358

Introduction The Action Falls programme has demonstrated effectiveness in reducing falls amongst care home residents in a trial but has not been implemented widely (Logan et al, BMJ, 2021, 375, e066991). Co-production of implementation has been identified as a mechanism for achieving buy-in. This study aimed to co-produce an implementation model. Methods Systemic action research with an appreciative approach framed co-production workshops in three stakeholder groups: residents and relatives, care home staff and representatives from health and social care organisations. Topics explored were

Introduction A good discharge summary for a patient is an important clinical record that narrates and communicates clinical information about the patient's entire hospitalisation. Discharge communications between healthcare facilities play a pivotal role in the coordination of patient care. As geriatric patients’ physical health is intricately woven into their social circumstances, mobility, and available care facilities, the mention of these parameters becomes quite important as it informs the community medical team of the patient’s condition more comprehensively. Crafting a good summary is

Introduction: Polypharmacy is commonly defined as the concomitant use of five or more medications. This is a common problem in frail elderly patients and more so on the surgical inpatients where it is not regularly reviewed by the surgical team. Methods: We reviewed retrospectively the data on vascular inpatients from 2015-2016 and after the set-up of the perioperative services in 2022-23. Patients above 65 years of age with a clinical frailty score of 4 or more or with two or more co-morbidities were selected from both groups. In total 130 patients were selected from each group and their

Pain management is essential for quality care in all inpatient settings, where pain may stem from trauma, acute medical conditions, or surgery. Patients with cancer or chronic pain often experience acute exacerbations or may develop acute pain related problems. This audit aimed to assess adherence to best practices in pain management for hospitalized patients and compare current pain management services in UK. We conducted an 8-week audit at Derriford Hospital, Plymouth, using patient records from seeEHR. We assessed the effectiveness, safety, and immediacy of pain relief actions and whether

Abstract Content - 'The number of patients being diagnosed with Heart Failure (HF) on a global scale continues to rise, placing a huge strain on the National Health Service (NHS). Caring for patients with HF comes with huge cost implications and exacerbates an already growing economic burden for healthcare systems. HF care needs to be standardised and integrated if we are to provide optimal care. Evidence shows that there is potential to improve the detection, diagnosis and management of HF care through innovative care pathways when delivered consistently through strong leadership and

Introduction This project aims to explore the diagnostic experiences of people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and compares this with the experiences of healthcare professionals diagnosing PD, to inform areas of improvement to increase patient satisfaction. Method A quality improvement project conducted using two surveys, one aimed at clinicians, and one aimed at people with PD, which were distributed via email and in person, to allow insights to be gained from conversation. Results 31 patients and 24 professionals completed the surveys. 63% of patients were happy with the diagnosis

Abstract Content - Introduction Falls are the leading cause of preventable death in older adults and can also lead to psychological consequences, including concerns about future falls. Although literature traditionally focuses on those over 65 yrs, recent research shows adults as young as 50 yrs could be at risk. Most falls occur at home and are often due to environmental hazards. Despite evidence supporting a 38% reduction in falls through home modifications, their efficacy in not fully understood. Exploring barriers and facilitators to home modifications aimed at reducing falls and concerns

People from ethnic minorities face additional challenges in hospital. These contribute to poorer progress and outcomes. We set out to develop an online resource to help hip fracture teams provide answers to questions commonly posed by people presenting with hip fracture, and to address inequalities in patients’ and their families’ access to information. Method In 2021 we surveyed all 167 hospitals in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland which look after people with hip fracture – to identify which provided printed or digital information, and which made this available in languages appropriate

Introduction: Maintaining good postural stability is considered important to prevent falls in the elderly. We evaluated factors associated with good postural stability. Methods: We evaluated 33 patients (6 males and 27 females) over 65 years old. The average age was 76.1 years old ranging 65 to 85. We measured Index of Postural Stability(IPS) using gravicoder GW-5000 manufactured by ANIMA. The IPS was advocated by Mochizuki in 2000. It was defined following this equation; IPS=log[(area of stability limit + area of postural sway)/area of postural sway). Larger IPS means better postural

Untreated osteoporosis increases the risk of fragility fractures; a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Bisphosphonates have been shown to reduce fracture risk yet can be associated with adverse side-effects . As such, their long-term use should be monitored so that maximal benefit is obtained with minimal harm to the patient. Despite this, the management of osteoporosis in primary care remains poor. The purpose of this audit was to evaluate the long-term management of patients on bisphosphonate therapy. It assessed whether individuals were placed on appropriate treatment at

Introduction: Osteoporosis is a known consequence of stroke, associated with an increased incidence of fractures and leading to further disability. The pattern of bone loss seen in stroke patients is different from that usually seen with postmenopausal osteoporosis. It depends on the degree of paresis, gait disability, and the duration of immobilisation. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from 20 patients admitted to the stroke ward. All patients with stroke aged more than 65 years were included in the data. Patients who were less than 65 years old, non-stroke patients, and patients who