Sarah Goldberg

The prevalence of mental health problems among older adults admitted as an emergency to a general hospital

Background: a high prevalence of co-morbid mental health problems is reported among older adults admitted to general hospitals. Setting: an 1,800 bed teaching hospital. Design: consecutive general medical and trauma orthopaedic admissions aged 70 or older were screened for mental health problems. Those screening positive were invited to undergo further assessment, and were interviewed to complete a battery of health status measurements. Results: of 1,004 patients screened, 36% had no mental health problems or had anxiety alone. Of those screening positive 250 took part in the full study. Adjusting for the two-stage sampling design, 50% of admitted patients over 70 were cognitively impaired, 27% had delirium and 8–32% were depressed. Six percent had hallucinations, 8% delusions, 21% apathy and 9% agitation/aggression (of at least moderate severity). Of those with mental health problems, 47% were incontinent, 49% needed help with feeding and 44% needed major help to transfer. Interpretation: we confirm the high prevalence of mental health problems among older adults admitted to general hospitals. These patients have high levels of functional dependency, psychological and behavioural problems which have implications for how they are cared for. Services that identify these problems and offer therapeutic intervention should be evaluated.

Care in specialist medical and mental health unit compared with standard care for older people with cognitive impairment admitted to general hospital: randomised controlled trial (NIHR TEAM trial)

Objective To develop and evaluate a best practice model of general hospital acute medical care for older people with cognitive impairment. Design Randomised controlled trial, adapted to take account of constraints imposed by a busy acute medical admission system. Setting Large acute general hospital in the United Kingdom. Participants 600 patients aged over 65 admitted for acute medical care, identified as “confused” on admission. Interventions Participants were randomised to a specialist medical and mental health unit, designed to deliver best practice care for people with delirium or dementia, or to standard care (acute geriatric or general medical wards). Features of the specialist unit included joint staffing by medical and mental health professionals; enhanced staff training in delirium, dementia, and person centred dementia care; provision of organised purposeful activity; environmental modification to meet the needs of those with cognitive impairment; delirium prevention; and a proactive and inclusive approach to family carers. Main outcome measures Primary outcome: number of days spent at home over the 90 days after randomisation. Secondary outcomes: structured non-participant observations to ascertain patients’ experiences; satisfaction of family carers with hospital care. When possible, outcome assessment was blind to allocation. Results There was no significant difference in days spent at home between the specialist unit and standard care groups (median 51 v 45 days, 95% confidence interval for difference −12 to 24; P=0.3). Median index hospital stay was 11 versus 11 days, mortality 22% versus 25% (−9% to 4%), readmission 32% versus 35% (−10% to 5%), and new admission to care home 20% versus 28% (−16% to 0) for the specialist unit and standard care groups, respectively. Patients returning home spent a median of 70.5 versus 71.0 days at home (−6.0 to 6.5). Patients on the specialist unit spent significantly more time with positive mood or engagement (79% v 68%, 2% to 20%; P=0.03) and experienced more staff interactions that met emotional and psychological needs (median 4 v 1 per observation; P<0.001). More family carers were satisfied with care (overall 91% v 83%, 2% to 15%; P=0.004), and severe dissatisfaction was reduced (5% v 10%, −10% to 0%; P=0.05). Conclusions Specialist care for people with delirium and dementia improved the experience of patients and satisfaction of carers, but there were no convincing benefits in health status or service use. Patients’ experience and carers’ satisfaction might be more appropriate measures of success for frail older people approaching the end of life. Trial registration Clinical Trials NCT01136148

Six-month outcomes following an emergency hospital admission for older adults with co-morbid mental health problems indicate complexity of care needs

Background: two-thirds of older patients admitted as an emergency to a general hospital have co-existing mental health problems including delirium, dementia and depression. This study describes the outcomes of older adults with co-morbid mental health problems after an acute hospital admission. Methods: a follow-up study of 250 patients aged over 70 admitted to 1 of 12 wards (geriatric, medical or orthopaedic) of an English acute general hospital with a co-morbid mental health problem and followed up at 180 days. Results: twenty-seven per cent did not return to their original place of residence after the hospital admission. After 180 days 31% had died, 42% had been readmitted and 24% of community residents had moved to a care home. Only 31% survived without being readmitted or moving to a care home. However, 16% spent >170 of the 180 days at home. Significant predictors for poor outcomes were co-morbidity, nutrition, cognitive function, reduction in activities of daily living ability prior to admission, behavioural and psychiatric problems and depression. Only 42% of survivors recovered to their pre-acute illness level of function. Clinically significant behavioural and psychiatric symptoms were present at follow-up in 71% of survivors with baseline cognitive impairment, and new symptoms developed frequently in this group. Conclusions: the variable, but often adverse, outcomes in this group implies a wide range of health and social care needs. Community and acute services to meet these needs should be anticipated and provided for.

The diagnosis, prevalence and outcome of delirium in a cohort of older people with mental health problems on general hospital wards

This paper aimed to measure the prevalence and outcomes of delirium for patients over 70 admitted to a general hospital for acute medical care and to assess the validity of the Delirium Rating Scale‐Revised‐98 (DRS‐R‐98) in this setting.

Equipping tomorrow's doctors for the patients of today

As the proportion of older patients with frailty presenting to health services increases, so does the need for doctors to be adequately trained to meet their needs. The presentations seen in such patients, the evidence-based models of care and skillsets required to deliver them are different than for younger patient groups-so specific training is required. Several research programmes have used detailed and explicit methods to establish evidence-based expert-validated curricula outlining learning outcomes for undergraduates in geriatric medicine-there is now broad-consensus on what newly qualified doctors need to know. There are, despite this, shortcomings in the teaching of undergraduates about geriatric medicine. National and international surveys from the UK, EU, USA, Canada, Austria and the Netherlands have all shown shortcomings in the content and amount of undergraduate teaching. Mechanisms to improve this situation, aside from specifying curricula, include developing academic departments and professorships in geriatric medicine, providing grants to develop teaching in geriatric medicine and developing novel teaching interventions to make the best of existing resources. Under the last of these headings, innovations have been shown to improve outcomes by: using technology to ensure the most effective allocation of teaching time and resources; using inter-professional education as a means of improving attitudes towards care of older patients; focusing teaching specifically on attitudes towards older patients and those who work with them; and trying to engage patients in teaching. Research areas going forward include how to incentivise medical schools to deliver specified curricula, how to choose from an ever-expanding array of teaching technologies, how to implement interprofessional education in a sustainable way and how to design teaching interventions using a qualitative understanding of attitudes towards older patients and the teams that care for them.

Carers for older people with co-morbid cognitive impairment in general hospital: characteristics and psychological well-being

This analysis sought to describe the characteristics and well‐being of carers of older people with mental health problems admitted to a general hospital.

Delivering dementia care differently-evaluating the differences and similarities between a specialist medical and mental health unit and standard acute care wards: A qualitative study of family carers' perceptions of quality of care

Objectives To examine in depth carers’ views and experiences of the delivery of patient care for people with dementia or delirium in an acute general hospital, in order to evaluate a specialist Medical and Mental Health Unit (MMHU) compared with standard hospital wards. This qualitative study complemented the quantitative findings of a randomised controlled trial. Design Qualitative semistructured interviews were conducted with carers of patients with cognitive impairment admitted to hospital over a 4-month period. Setting A specialist MMHU was developed in an English National Health Service acute hospital aiming to deliver the best-practice care. Specialist mental health staff were integrated with the ward team. All staff received enhanced training in dementia, delirium and person-centred care. A programme of purposeful therapeutic and leisure activities was introduced. The ward environment was optimised to improve patient orientation and independence. A proactive and inclusive approach to family carers was encouraged. Participants 40 carers who had been recruited to a randomised controlled trial comparing the MMHU with standard wards. Results The main themes identified related closely to family carers’ met or unmet expectations and included activities and boredom, staff knowledge, dignity and fundamental care, the ward environment and communication between staff and carers. Carers from MMHU were aware of, and appreciated, improvements relating to activities, the ward environment and staff knowledge and skill in the appropriate management of dementia and delirium. However, communication and engagement of family carers were still perceived as insufficient. Conclusions Our data demonstrate the extent to which the MMHU succeeded in its goal of providing the best-practice care and improving carer experience, and where deficiencies remained. Neither setting was perceived as neither wholly good nor wholly bad; however, greater satisfaction (and less dissatisfaction) with care was experienced by carers from MMHU compared with standard care wards.

Experience of general hospital care in older patients with cognitive impairment: are we measuring the most vulnerable patients’ experience?

Healthcare is more than a technical exercise in meeting physical healthcare needs; it has emotional, psychological, social and cultural dimensions. Patients, the public and government expect healthcare providers to ensure that patients’ experiences are good. This represents an important outcome for health services1 and is one of the five outcome domains in the UK NHS Outcomes Framework,2 which is intended to inform healthcare commissioning. Two-thirds of general hospital beds are occupied by older people3; half of these older people have cognitive impairment—mostly dementia and/or delirium. Cognitive impairment is a spectrum and for some (particularly those with delirium) cognition will fluctuate during their hospital stay, but a quarter of older patients in hospital will have moderate or severe cognitive impairment (with a Mini Mental State Examination score of <18).4 They will be disorientated to time or place, have problems of attention and memory and following simple commands. These patients are mostly very old (half will be over 85 years old), acutely ill and have many comorbidities.4 Many are reaching the end of their natural life5; there is a palliative element to their care, making the quality of their care and their experience of being in hospital of greater importance. Such patients have many functional problems (incontinence, needing help when moving and assistance with meals) and behavioural and psychological problems (delusions, hallucinations, agitation and aggression and apathy), which together with their acute illness and comorbidities make them especially vulnerable to a poor experience.4 Reports have criticised the quality of care of these patients6 ,7 and poor quality care is likely to result in poor patient experience. Therefore we examined the methods currently used to measure patient experience or care quality and considered their feasibility for use with older people who are cognitively …

Factors Associated with Family Caregiver Dissatisfaction with Acute Hospital Care of Older Cognitively Impaired Relatives

To identify patient and caregiver characteristics associated with caregiver dissatisfaction with hospital care of cognitively impaired elderly adults.

Development of a curriculum for advanced nurse practitioners working with older people with frailty in the acute hospital through a modified Delphi process

BACKGROUND advanced nurse practitioners (ANPs) are experienced nurses who undertake some activities traditionally performed by medical staff. There are four pillars of advanced practice: advanced clinical skills, leadership, education and research. ANPs are starting to specialise in the management of older adults with frailty in the acute hospital. However, the role and competencies required for this have not been well defined. This study aimed to establish an expert consensus on the role description and essential competencies for ANPs working with older people with frailty to develop a curriculum. METHODS a literature review and workshops including multi-professional and lay representatives generated a role description and a list of 69 competencies. A modified Delphi process was then conducted with three rounds involving a panel of 31 experts including representatives from the RCN, BGS Education and Training Committee, BGS Senior Nurses and Practitioners Group, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy Older People Network, College of Occupational Therapists Older People Specialist Section and lay representatives. Consensus on the statements was established by 70% panel agreement. RESULTS the role description reached 100% agreement within three rounds. Twenty-five essential competencies were agreed after Round 1, increasing to 43 after Round 2 and 49 after Round 3. CONCLUSION this Delphi study has allowed, for the first time, a national panel of clinical experts and lay representatives to refine and agree a set of competencies for ANPs working with older people with frailty. It is the first step towards ensuring consistency in the training of ANPs in geriatric medicine.