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PubMed1999

Profiling care and benchmarking best practice in care of hospitalized elderly: the Geriatric Institutional Assessment Profile.

This article reports on a new instrument, the Geriatric Institutional Assessment Profile (GIAP), developed to assess (1) hospital workers' knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions regarding care of geriatric patients, and (2) the perceived adequacy of an institutional environment to serve geriatric patients' needs. Findings are reported from 303 questionnaires completed by health care employees from a 658-bed academic medical center. Internal consistency estimates were consistently high for the various components of the GIAP. Factor analysis was performed to examine underlying dimensions of knowledge and institutional environment. The GIAP has the potential to narrow the gap between actual and best practice in geriatric care by identifying staff information needs and concerns, as well as institutional barriers and facilitators to providing quality geriatric hospital care.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Intermediate care--a challenge to specialty of geriatric medicine or its renaissance?

The specialism of geriatric medicine has developed considerably in the last half of the twentieth century. In Great Britain it has emerged from its sombre beginnings in Victorian poor law institutions to become one of the largest specialities in medicine encompassing a wide range of disciplines and interests. More recently, there has been a parallel development in "intermediate care" a sweeping phrase that encompasses a wide diversity of practices in a plethora of venues. Although there is considerable attraction in minimising the duration of hospital stay by older people, there is a real risk of intermediate care being used as a euphemism for indeterminate neglect. For older people to benefit from appropriate treatment and care, the lessons learnt by earlier generations of geriatricians, and supported by the international evidence base should not be disregarded. Elderly people need a full multi-disciplinary assessment (comprehensive geriatric assessment) and continued involvement of skilled and trained personnel in their continuing care (geriatric evaluation and management). The recommendations of the British Geriatrics Society on intermediate care are commended and should be adhered to by all planners and providers of intermediate care. There is considerable logic in developing ways in which the two developments can be integrated to build upon the best features of both.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

An older person as a subject of comprehensive geriatric approach.

The simultaneous presence of many disorders (physical, psychological, and social) and unmet health care needs in elderly people require a more complex assessment then just a routine diagnostic examination. The involvement of comprehensive geriatric assessment provides a health care model that integrates medical and nursing care with social support. A geriatric assessment could be carried out in a wide variety of settings including: acute hospital units, long-term care, out-patient dispensaries and home visits. A holistic and comprehensive geriatric approach should cover physical, functional and mental assessments as well as the caregiver's strain. For preventive care, effort should be placed on the aspect of health promotion, diseases prevention, and disability postponement. Rehabilitation is an important area for older people, as a majority of them requires a temporary rehabilitation after a major illness before they could regain independence in the community. In order to provide a cross comparison among different patients in different settings, a standardized methodology or instruments will enable to make comparisons better then subjective investigation. To provide a holistic and interdisciplinary health care for the elderly, training doctors, nurses and other health care professionals in geriatrics and gerontology is essential.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1983

Long-term efficacy and safety of tolmetin sodium in treatment of geriatric patients with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis: a retrospective study.

In order to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of tolmetin sodium in the treatment of both rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis in geriatric patients, a retrospective study was made of patients 65 years and older who participated in long-term, controlled, double-blind and open trials during both the investigational period and since marketing of the drug. Standard entrance criteria, methods of evaluating disease activity, and statistical methods were used in the study of both arthritic diseases. A total of 847 geriatric patients were studied for periods of up to one year; 171 had RA, while 676 had osteoarthritis of large or small joints. Average daily dose of tolmetin sodium was 1141 mg for patients with RA and 953 mg for patients with osteoarthritis. The results of this retrospective study of both RA and osteoarthritis patients show that tolmetin was as effective in geriatric patients as in nongeriatric patients. Symptoms responded rapidly to treatment with tolmetin, and both the inflammatory symptoms of RA and the joint pain and functional parameters of osteoarthritis showed improvement that was both statistically and clinically significant throughout the major course of therapy. Tolmetin was also found to be safe and well tolerated by the elderly patient population. The major complaints were gastrointestinal, but serious or limiting side effects occurred in few patients. The dropout rates due to adverse effects during the entire year of therapy were 15.8 per cent in the RA population and 15.4 per cent in osteoarthritis patients. This retrospective evaluation of tolmetin therapy shows significant relief of the symptoms of both RA and osteoarthritis in a geriatric population and fails to reveal any unusual or serious conditions which would contraindicate its use in the elderly patient. Tolmetin, which is an antiinflammatory agent with a short half-life, can provide adequate, safe therapy in the geriatric population.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

[Evaluating geriatric rehabilitation from the perspective of medical service of the national health insurance administration].

There is evidence for the community effectiveness of preventive geriatric intervention programs prior to the need for help or long-term care from a couple of prospective randomized controlled trials (RCTs). For geriatric rehabilitation programs tailored to older people with imminent or manifest need for long-term care analogous--evidence is still lacking. The nationwide leading boards of the FRG's Sickness Insurance Administration in conjunction with its Central Medical Service have formulated guidelines for the formation of a nationwide ambulatory geriatric rehabilitation service to realize the postulate of the long-term care insurance legislation "rehabilitation prior to long-term care". These guidelines must be proven empirically. To prove the effectiveness and efficiency of the foreseen ambulatory geriatric rehabilitation service, the RCT design would be highly desirable. Unfortunately, the prerequisites in the field of methodology are poor since valid, reproducible and feasible criteria for the selection of suitable patients and measurement criteria which meet the requirement of proven medium-term sensitivity to change do not yet exist. Nevertheless, there is a great and urgent need, for the first time, to investigate the cost-effectiveness ratio for this ambulatory geriatric rehabilitation service to be established in the FRG, leaving aside the methodologic desiderata of randomized control-groups.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

[Problems recognizing pain in geriatrics].

OBJECTIVE: Elderly people often present substantial problems in pain assessment. The aim of the study was to quantify and discuss the problem of recognizing pain in hospitalized geriatric patients. METHODS: 124 geriatric patients and their treating doctors were questioned about pain, pain intensity and influence of pain on daily living in a cross-sectional-study. The score of the Barthel index (activity of daily living, ADL) at admittance and discharge, the cognitive status (monumental status of Folstein, MMS), the use of analgetic drugs and the medical diagnoses were assessed. The answers of the question "Did you/your patient have pain in the past seven days?" from patients and doctors were used to make seven groups. RESULTS: 20 (16,1%) patients could not answer the question about pain. In comparison to the group of patients who were able to answer, they were restricted in ADL and MMS. However, the answers of doctors about pain did not differ. 25 (20,3%) answers of treating doctors were wrong compared to the answers of the patients. In these cases, intensity and influence of pain on daily living were estimated low by the patients. In 14 (11,3%) patients, doctors could not state about pain. These patients were least restricted in ADL at admission and discharge. Altogether, the pain of 13/46 (28,3%) patients was treated insufficiently at the day of the interview. CONCLUSIONS: In half of the geriatric patients, pain was not well or not at all recognized by the treating doctors. Pain of not communicative patients was assessed similarly by the doctor as that of patients who were able to give information. In this geriatric hospital, little support at admittance and a superior improvement in the activities of daily living during the in-hospital treatment lead to less attention to pain by the doctor. The importance of pain therapy in geriatrics is illustrated by the fact that almost every third patient with pain is treated insufficiently at the day of the interview.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1992

Protein and energy tolerance by stressed geriatric patients.

Nutritional support of stressed geriatric patients remains empiric and has classically been limited by tolerance. Although the hypermetabolic response is known to increase protein and calorie demands, tolerance to increased loads of delivered nutrients in older patients has been questioned. We compared tolerance to nutrient delivery and nitrogen metabolism in 38 stressed surgical patients over age 65 to 38 Injury Severity Score or disease matched younger controls. Twenty-seven of the 31 geriatric patients (87%) who maintained normal renal function (serum creatinine less than 2.0 mg/dl) became azotemic (BUN greater than 30) while receiving 1.5 to 2.0 g of protein per kilogram of ideal body weight compared to only 21% of controls. This phenomenon led to inaccuracies in 17% of geriatric nitrogen balance studies because of unaccounted for serum accumulation of urea nitrogen (compared to only 6% in the control group). When calculated protein requirements were administered to the geriatric group, the mean nitrogen balance was -1.6. Resting energy expenditure as measured by indirect calorimetry demonstrated a strong correlation between actual calorie expenditures and calculated needs based on the Harris-Benedict basal energy expenditure (BEE) multiplied by an activity factor of 1.2 and a stress factor of 1.75 for trauma (r = 0.86, P less than 0.05) or 1.5 for general surgery patients (r = 0.72, P less than 0.05). In summary, energy requirements by stressed geriatric patients can be closely defined by calculation of the Harris-Benedict BEE in conjunction with appropriate activity and stress factors. However, attempts to deliver traditional levels of protein lead to azotemia and are frequently unsuccessful in achieving positive nitrogen balance.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed2000

The impact of a rotation in geriatrics during the internship on young doctors.

We initiated a study aimed to evaluate the impact of a rotation in geriatrics during the internship (Preregistration Year-PY). A total of 46 young doctors who completed a month's rotation in geriatrics during the 5 year period 1993-1997 were located and sent a mail questionnaire. It included queries on how they appreciate the contribution of the rotation on their training. A total of 36 doctors (78%) responded, 94% mentioned they learned new skills and ranked them as highly important, and 91% affirmed that the experience in the geriatric ward contributed to a more positive attitude toward elderly patients. A total of 86% stated they would recommend young graduates to elect a geriatric rotation, 56% believe it should be included as an obligatory rotation during the PY. Based on this survey we concluded that a month's rotation in geriatrics is an important contribution to young graduates' medical education before entering practice. In view of the increasing number of elderly patients in most medical fields such experience should be fostered.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2001

The effect of public long-term care insurance plan on care management and care planning in Japanese geriatric hospitals.

Japan, a society facing demographic aging at an incomparable speed, decided to introduce a new public long-term care insurance system to meet the expected need for elders to be cared for in the near future. The purpose of this study was to examine the change in knowledgeability on the side of managers of Japanese geriatric hospitals regarding (1) the concept of care-management as the methodology to supply care services to the elderly smoothly, and (2) comprehensive assessment for the elders as the technical skill in the process of materializing care management. Subjects were interviewed and questioned over the telephone according to a structural questionnaire. Managers (directors and office managers) of geriatric hospitals in 1996 and 1999. In 1996, the rate of knowledgeability for care management on the side of managers of geriatric hospitals was 70.0% (28/40) as a whole, increasing to 97.3% (71/73) in 1999. With regard to MDS-RAPs, the knowledgeability rate increased from 57.5% (23/40) in 1996 to 95.9% (70/73) in 1999. However, regarding care planning, almost all of the hospitals that performed care planning were those in the category required to submit care plans to the municipal government. Geriatric hospitals that were not required to submit such plans did not perform such planning either in 1996 or in 1999. It can be concluded that the decision to introduce a long-term care insurance system in Japan has led to a deeper understanding of the methodology of care management and a comprehensive assessment on the side of managers of geriatric hospitals.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1989

Anesthetic considerations for the geriatric patient.

The geriatric patient presents an anesthetic challenge due to the physiologic alterations that occur during aging. The geriatric patient usually has an increased number of disease processes and does not possess the functional organ reserve capabilities compared to a younger patient. The geriatric patient seems more susceptible to the cardiopulmonary depressant effects of the preanesthetic and anesthetic agents in common use and, due to decreased hepatic function and other factors, may have a delayed recovery from these drugs. The preanesthetic and anesthetic drugs chosen for a geriatric patient will depend on that particular patient's physiologic status, the procedure to be done, and the experience of the veterinarian. Adequate fluid and monitoring support should always be provided for the geriatric patient.

Aging↗
PubMed2002

Nutrition and feeding of the geriatric horse.

Little is known regarding nutrient requirements and feeding of geriatric horses, and more effort should be placed on this area of equine nutrition research. That which is known suggests that some geriatric horses may not have different requirements than other mature horses, whereas others affected by disease or poor dentition may have special nutritional needs. In general, rations for geriatric horses should be based on high-quality roughage supplemented with complementary minerals and vitamins. The need for additional energy aside from that provided by the forage can be supplied by adding energy concentrates, such as cereal grains or fat, to the ration. Processing techniques involving heat, such as pelleting and extruding, are advised when cereal grains are included in the ration so as to improve starch digestibility in the small intestine and avoid starch overload in the hindgut and it subsequent problem (ie, colic, laminitis). In addition, the environment in which geriatric horses are fed should be one that promotes ease of ration consumption and eliminates factors thar impair feed consumption, such as competition from other horses and the need to travel relatively long distances (eg, grazing marginal pastures). Finally, strict attention should be paid to the body condition of geriatric horses so as to evaluate adequacy of the ration and the general health of the horse.

Aging↗
PubMed1982

Peer perceptions of geriatrics wearing hearing aids.

This study investigated whether geriatric observers having varying amounts of experience with hearing aid users formed different initial impressions of their peers who were shown in three conditions of hearing aid use, and whether the size of the aid affected their ratings. Stimuli consisted of 36 photographic slides, three each of six men and six women shown wearing: (a) a body type hearing aid, (b) a post-auricular type aid, and (c) no aid. The stimuli were presented to 72 geriatric observers drawn from three groups: (a) 24 with no prior hearing aid experience, (b) 24 having some experience with a spouse, family member, or close friend who wore an aid, and (c) 24 who were hearing aid users. The observers rated the 12 geriatrics on a 16-item semantic differential. Factor analysis of the ratings resulted in three factors: achievement, personality, and appearance. Analyses of variance revealed that none of the three observer groups rated the geriatrics lower on any of the three factors when they were shown wearing hearing aids. These findings indicate that these peer observers did not perceive a "hearing aid effect" for the geriatric hearing aid wearers.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Medical comorbidity and rehabilitation efficiency in geriatric inpatients.

OBJECTIVES: To measure and describe medical comorbidity in geriatric rehabilitation patients and investigate its relationship to rehabilitation efficiency. DESIGN: Prospective, multivariate, within-subject design. SETTING: The Geriatric Rehabilitation inpatient unit of the SCO Health Service in Ottawa, Canada. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred ten patients, with a mean age of 82 years. MEASUREMENTS: The rehabilitation efficiency ratio, based on gains in functional status achieved with rehabilitation treatment, and the length of stay were computed for all patients. Values were regressed on the scores of the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale (CIRS), the Mini-Mental State Examination, and the Geriatric Depression Scale to establish predictive power. RESULTS: The findings suggest that geriatric rehabilitation patients experience considerable medical comorbidity. Sixty percent of patients had impairments across six of the 13 dimensions of the CIRS, whereas 36% of patients had impairments across 11 of the 13 dimensions. In addition, medical comorbidity was negatively related to rehabilitation efficiency. This relationship was significant even after controlling for age, cognitive status, depressive symptoms, and functional independence status at admission. CONCLUSION: Medical comorbidity was a significant predictor of rehabilitation efficiency in geriatric patients. Comorbidity scores >5 were prognostic of poorer rehabilitation outcomes and can serve as an empirical guide in estimating a patient's suitability for rehabilitation. Medical comorbidity predicted both the overall functional change achieved with retabilitation (Functional Independence Measure gains) and the rate at with which those gains were reached (rehabilitation efficiency ratio).

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2002

Nutritional status using mini nutritional assessment and subjective global assessment predict mortality in geriatric patients.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the clinical assessment of nutritional status and mortality in geriatric patients. DESIGN: Prospective follow-up study. SETTING: Acute geriatric inpatient ward. PARTICIPANTS: Eighty-three consecutive acute geriatric patients (mean age +/- standard deviation = 83 +/- 7; 68% women). MEASUREMENTS: Patients were classified as (1) having protein-energy malnutrition (PEM), (2) having moderate PEM or being at risk for PEM, or (3) being well nourished according to Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) and Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA). Body mass index ((BMI) kg/m2), arm anthropometry, and handgrip strength were determined. In a subgroup of patients (n = 39), body composition was analyzed using dual energy x-ray absorption and bioelectrical impedance. Three-year mortality data were obtained from the Swedish population records. RESULTS: Twenty percent and 26% of the patients were classified as having PEM based on SGA and MNA, respectively, whereas 43% and 56%, respectively, were classified as having moderate PEM or being at risk for PEM. Objective measures, such as BMI, arm anthropometry, handgrip, and body fat were 20% to 50% lower in the malnourished group than in the well-nourished subjects (P <.05). Moreover, mortality was higher in those classified as being malnourished, ranging from 40% after 1 year to 80% after 3 years, compared with 20% after 1 year (P =.03-0.17) and 50% after 3 years (P <.01) in patients classified as being well nourished. CONCLUSION: Fewer than one-third of newly admitted geriatric patients had a normal nutritional status according to SGA and MNA. BMI, arm anthropometry, body fat mass, and handgrip strength were reduced, and 1-, 2-, and 3-year mortality was higher in patients classified as malnourished. The present data justify the use of SGA and MNA for the assessment of nutritional status in geriatric patients.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

Geriatric trauma in the State of Illinois: substance use and injury patterns.

As the elderly population increases and they lead more active and healthy lifestyles, their exposure to the threats of injury multiply. Undoubtedly, the geriatric population will comprise a growing percentage of trauma patients. The role of alcohol and drug use in geriatric trauma has not been clearly defined. The purpose of this study is to determine the incidence of alcohol and illicit drug use in association with mechanism of injury in all elderly trauma patients presenting to level I and II trauma centers in the State of Illinois over 3 years. A retrospective analysis was performed on 3 years of data (January 1, 1994 to December 31, 1996), provided by the Illinois Department of Public Health as the Illinois Trauma Registry, which describes consecutive trauma patients presenting to level I and II trauma facilities in the State of Illinois. During the study period, there were a total of 134,846 trauma patient entries. Of these 32,382 (24.0%) were for patients 65 years of age or older. In those patients 65 and older, 1699 (5.2%) were tested for the presence of alcohol and 845 (49.7%) tested positive. Of the elderly patients who tested positive for alcohol, 71.8% were considered intoxicated (BAC >80 mg/dL). Urine toxicology screens were performed on 1785 (5.5%) elderly trauma patients, and 208 (11.6%) were positive. Besides alcohol, benzodiazipines and opiates were the most frequently detected drugs. For elderly patients under the influence of alcohol falls (49.5%) and motor vehicle crashes (36.7%) were the most common mechanism of injury. For geriatric patients testing negative for alcohol, motor vehicle crashes were a much more common mechanism of injury than falls (65.0% v 25.1%). Falls were a much more common cause of injury in elderly patients using alcohol than in those not using alcohol. Alcohol and substance abuse are possibly significant factors in geriatric trauma. Although only 5% of elderly trauma patients were tested for alcohol, nearly half had alcohol present on presentation to a trauma center, and the majority of these patients were intoxicated. Prospective studies are needed to determine the true incidence of alcohol use/abuse in the geriatric trauma population and the need for routine alcohol screening of these patients. Detection of alcohol abuse in elderly trauma patients could help identify individuals in need of counseling and rehabilitative treatment. It may also reduce future injuries in these patients.

Accidental Falls↗
PubMed2003

[Outpatient geriatric rehabilitation: an evaluation of two models assessing trends of medical outcomes].

In Germany, complex and intensified outpatient geriatric rehabilitation is currently scarcely practised, mainly in model projects. The evaluation of these projects is exclusively conducted in uncontrolled studies. In our project "AMBRA", two different organisational models of geriatric rehabilitation are compared: a mobile rehabilitation team based at a geriatric hospital department and an outpatient rehabilitation centre run by GPs trained in geriatrics. Outcomes were assessed in terms of capability of self-care (Barthel-Index), mobility (Tinetti-Test, Timed "Up & Go"-Test, TUG), and depression (Geriatric Depression Scale, GDS). They were documented at three points in time (start of rehabilitation, end of rehabilitation, 6 months after end of rehabilitation) and analysed by multivariate analyses of variance (repeated measurements). 162 complete patients histories were taken in the first 18 months of the project. They show significant improvements in capability of self-care and mobility (both Tinetti-Test and TUG) between the beginning and the end of rehabilitation (adjusted for age, sex, cognitive function, diagnosis, rehabilitation model). On a medium-term basis, these results remained stable (TUG declined, however). Average GDS values did not change significantly. There were no significant sex- or age-related effects. The patients' cognitive function influenced changes in the results of the Barthel-Index and the Tinetti-Test. Patients with skeletal diseases showed less favourable trends in the Barthel-Index as did patients with cognitive impairments caused by vascular disease in the TUG, but these patients also benefited in the course of the model rehabilitation procedures. Differences in trends between patient groups of the two models were observed in the Barthel-Index. 96 % of patients previously living at home were still living there at the end of rehabilitation, 91 % were still living there 6 months after the end of rehabilitation. At the end of rehabilitation, 67 % of patients described an improvement of their personal situation associated with the rehabilitation procedure. Six months later, 82 % described an improvement or a stabilisation of their personal situation. Our results show positive medium-term rehabilitation trends concerning medical and subjective outcomes. In order to analyse effectiveness, we will have to wait for the results of a regional control group which is being recruited.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2005

[Ambulatory geriatric rehabilitation and its legal classification within the statutory health insurance system].

In Germany, the number and proportion of elderly people will continue to increase. Only few hospitals and rehabilitation units are currently providing inpatient geriatric services. Concepts for graded geriatric care see ambulatory geriatric rehabilitation (AGR) as an independent service und as a complement to pre-existing structures in geriatric care. In 2004, the national association of statutory health insurance funds established recommendations for AGR, which include criteria of structural and process quality of ambulant geriatric rehabilitation. This article describes various aspects of these framework recommendations (target groups, rehabilitation indicators, and equipment of services). In addition, the classification of AGR within the legislation of the statutory health insurance system is evaluated. The financing of AGR by the statutory health insurance system and the preconditions for accreditation of AGR-services within this system are discussed. The authors conclude that discrimination between existing partially-inpatient day clinics and AGR services is not appropriate. Furthermore, there is no legal basis for such a discrimination; on the contrary, the terms partially-inpatient and ambulatory rehabilitation services can be seen as a uniform benefit according to book 5 of the German social code, SGB V. Therefore there is no differentiation between AGR and partially-inpatient rehabilitation in the statutory health insurance system.

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PubMed2006

Principles and practice of geriatric assent.

Geriatric assent involves health care professionals' active collaboration with cognitively impaired patients that takes account of their longstanding values in any major health care decisions. The main purpose of this paper is to assist geriatric health practitioners 'in the field' to understand how to apply geriatric assent in a variety of clinical situations to maximize incapacitated older adults' input into decision-making. A case example and algorithm are presented to illustrate the basic principles of implementing geriatric assent. Practice informed by the principles of geriatric assent will preserve respect for the current and future autonomy of patients across diverse cultural backgrounds.

Aged↗