Describing the frail population assessed by an occupational therapist in the emergency department: A prospective cohort study

This study aimed to explore frailty in older adults attending a tertiary hospital emergency department. The primary outcome of this prospective observational cohort study was to establish the prevalence and severity of frailty using the Clinical Frailty Scale. Two hundred and eleven patients were in...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inNew Zealand journal of occupational therapy Vol. 70; no. 2; pp. 19 - 27
Main Authors Murphy, Kym, Harper, Kristie, Williamson, Melinda, Jacques, Angela
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Wellington, NZ Occupational Therapy New Zealand Whakaora Ngangahau Aotearoa 01.09.2023
Occupational Therapy New Zealand Whakaora Ngangahau
New Zealand Association of Occupational Therapists
Subjects
Activities of daily living
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Cognition & reasoning
Cohort analysis
Elder care
Emergency medical care
Fragility (Psychology)
Frail elderly
Frail older people
Frailty
Geriatrics
Health aspects
Hospitals
Medical care
Medical tests
Methods
Occupational therapists
Occupational therapy
Older people
Patients
Professional ethics
Software
Therapeutics, Surgical
Therapists
Australia
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:This study aimed to explore frailty in older adults attending a tertiary hospital emergency department. The primary outcome of this prospective observational cohort study was to establish the prevalence and severity of frailty using the Clinical Frailty Scale. Two hundred and eleven patients were included with 63% identified as frail. Secondary outcomes included discharge referrals, post-discharge contacts, emergency department re- presentations and hospital re-admissions. Frailty was significantly associated with cognitive impairment, mobility aid use, polypharmacy, in-home assistance and previous falls. Continued identification of frailty in the emergency department by occupational therapists and targeted service provision May improve outcomes for this population.
Bibliography:Informit, Melbourne (Vic)
New Zealand Journal of Occupational Therapy, Vol. 70, No. 2, Sep 2023, 19-27
ISSN:1171-0462