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Background Inpatient prevalence of Parkinson's disease (PD) delirium varies widely across the literature. Delirium in general older populations is associated with adverse outcomes, such as increased mortality, dementia, and institutionalisation. However, to date there are no comprehensive prospective studies in PD delirium. This study aimed to determine delirium prevalence in hospitalised PD participants and the association with adverse outcomes, compared to a control group of older adults without PD. Methods Participants were hospitalised inpatients from the 'Defining Delirium and its Impact in Parkinson's Disease' and the 'Delirium and Cognitive Impact in Dementia' studies comprising 121 PD participants and 199 older adult controls. Delirium was diagnosed prospectively using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th Edition criteria. Outcomes were determined by medical note reviews and/or home visits 12 months post hospital discharge. Results Delirium was identified in 66.9% of PD participants compared to 38.7% of controls (p < 0.001). In PD participants only, delirium was associated with a significantly higher risk of mortality (HR = 3.3 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.3–8.6), p = 0.014) and institutionalisation (OR = 10.7 (95% CI = 2.1–54.6), p = 0.004) 12 months post-discharge, compared to older adult controls. However, delirium was associated with an increased risk of developing dementia 12 months post-discharge in both PD participants (OR = 6.1 (95% CI = 1.3–29.5), p = 0.024) and in controls (OR = 13.4 (95% CI = 2.5–72.6), p = 0.003). Conclusion Delirium is common in hospitalised PD patients, affecting two thirds of patients, and is associated with increased mortality, institutionalisation, and dementia. Further research is essential to understand how to accurately identify, prevent and manage delirium in people with PD who are in hospital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Falls are a common cause of potentially preventable death, disability and loss of independence with an annual estimated cost of £4.4bn. People living with dementia (PlwD) or mild cognitive impairment (MCI) have an increased fall risk. This overview evaluates evidence for technologies aiming to reduce falls and fall risk for PlwD or MCI. Methods In October 2022, we searched five databases for evidence syntheses. We used standard methods to rapidly screen, extract data, assess risk of bias and overlap, and synthesise the evidence for each technology type. Results We included seven systematic reviews, incorporating 22 relevant primary studies with 1,412 unique participants. All reviews had critical flaws on AMSTAR-2: constituent primary studies were small, heterogeneous, mostly non-randomised and assessed as low or moderate quality. Technologies assessed were: wearable sensors, environmental sensor-based systems, exergaming, virtual reality systems. We found no evidence relating to apps. Review evidence for the direct impact on falls was available only from environmental sensors, and this was inconclusive. For wearables and virtual reality technologies there was evidence that technologies may differentiate PlwD who fell from those who did not; and for exergaming that balance may be improved. Conclusions The evidence for technology to reduce falls and falls risk for PlwD and MCI is methodologically weak, based on small numbers of participants and often indirect. There is a need for higher-quality RCTs to provide robust evidence for effectiveness of fall prevention technologies. Such technologies should be designed with input from users and consideration of the wider implementation context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Long-term breathlessness is more common with age. However, in the oldest old (>85 years), little is known about the prevalence, or impact of breathlessness. We estimated breathlessness limiting exertion prevalence and explored (i) associated characteristics; and (ii) whether breathlessness limiting exertion explains clinical and social/functional outcomes. Methods Health and socio-demographic characteristics were extracted from the Newcastle 85+ Study cohort. Phase 1 (baseline) and follow-up data (18 months, Phase 2; 36 months, Phase 3; 60 months, Phase 4 after baseline) were examined using descriptive statistics and cross-sectional regression models. Results Eight hundred seventeen participants provided baseline breathlessness data (38.2% men; mean 84.5 years; SD 0.4). The proportions with any limitation of exertion, or severe limitation by breathlessness were 23% (95% confidence intervals (CIs) 20–25%) and 9% (95%CIs 7–11%) at baseline; 20% (16–25%) and 5% (3–8%) at Phase 4. Having more co-morbidities (odds ratio (OR) 1.34, 1.18–1.54; P  < 0.001), or self-reported respiratory (OR 1.88, 1.25–2.82; P  = 0.003) or cardiovascular disease (OR 2.38, 1.58–3.58; P  < 0.001) were associated with breathlessness limiting exertion. Breathlessness severely limiting exertion was associated with poorer self-rated health (OR 0.50, 029–0.86; P  = 0.012), depression (beta-coefficient 0.11, P  = 0.001), increased primary care contacts (beta-co-efficient 0.13, P  = 0.001) and number of nights in hospital (OR 1.81; 1.02–3.20; P  = 0.042). Conclusions Breathlessness limiting exertion appears to become less prevalent over time due to death or withdrawal of participants with cardio-respiratory illness. Breathlessness severely limiting exertion had a wide range of service utilisation and wellbeing impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background helping older people to maintain their independence, and identifying risk factors that compromise this, is of high importance. Polypharmacy is common in the very old (aged ≥ 85) but whether it can shape transitions in dependency in this fastest growing subpopulation is unclear. Methods using Newcastle 85+ Study data and multi-state modelling, we investigated the association between each additional medication prescribed and the progression of and recovery from dependency states, over 10 years (age 85–95). Participants were defined as either free from care (independent), requiring care less often than daily (low dependency), or requiring care at regular intervals each day or 24 hourly (medium/high dependency). Results each additional medication prescribed was associated with a 10% decreased chance of recovery from low dependence to independence (hazard ratio (HR): 0.90, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.82–0.99). Discussion when a relatively able person visits the GP or clinical pharmacist, careful consideration should be given to whether the potential benefits from adding a new medication outweigh the risk to reduced recovery of independence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background the very old (aged ≥ 85) are the fastest growing subpopulation of many developed countries but little is known about how their place of residence changes over time. We investigated transitions in residential status in an inception cohort of 85-year-olds over 10 years. Methods data were drawn from the Newcastle 85+ Study, a population-based longitudinal study of individuals aged 85 in 2006 (i.e. born in 1921) and permanently registered with a Newcastle or North Tyneside general practice (n  = 849). Results 76.3% lived in standard (non-supported) housing at baseline (age = 85) and few moved into a care home. The majority either remained in standard housing or died over the study period. A significant number who lived in standard housing had dependency and frailty at baseline. Discussion given the undersupply of care homes, and preference of older people to remain in their own homes as they age, the questions posed by this analysis are how to survive to 85 and remain in standard housing until the age of 85? And how, and by whom, are such a group being supported to remain at home? We need qualitative research to explore the informal-formal care networks of the very old. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Daily functioning is known to decline after a hip fracture, but studies of self-reported functioning before the fracture suggest this decline begins before the fracture. Objective Determine whether change in functioning in the year before a hip fracture in very old (80+) differs from change in those without a hip fracture. Design Two-stage individual patient data meta-analysis including data from the Towards Understanding Longitudinal International older People Studies (TULIPS)-consortium. Setting Four population-based longitudinal cohorts from the Netherlands, New Zealand and the UK. Subjects Participants aged 80+ years. Methods Participants were followed for 5 years, during which (instrumental) activities of daily living [(I)ADL] scores and incident hip fractures were registered at regular intervals. Z-scores of the last (I)ADL score and the change in (I)ADL in the year before a hip fracture were compared to the scores of controls, adjusted for age and sex. Results Of the 2,357 participants at baseline, the 161 who sustained a hip fracture during follow-up had a worse (I)ADL score before the fracture (0.40 standard deviations, 95% CI 0.19 to 0.61, P  = 0.0002) and a larger decline in (I)ADL in the year before fracture (−0.11 standard deviations, 95% CI −0.22 to 0.004, P  = 0.06) compared to those who did not sustain a hip fracture. Conclusions In the very old a decline in daily functioning already starts before a hip fracture. Therefore, a hip fracture is a sign of ongoing decline and what full recovery is should be seen in light of the pre-fracture decline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background inequalities and gaps in post-diagnostic support (PDS) for people with dementia persist despite a policy focus on dementia in England and Wales. Understanding and overcoming the factors contributing to these inequalities is vital to improve care for people living with dementia (PLWD) and their families. Objective to explore common barriers to the delivery of PDS in England and Wales and describe successful strategies to address them, drawing on examples from current practice. Design qualitative semi-structured interviews, focus groups and observation. Settings Phase 1: interviewees were drawn from multiple sectors across England and Wales, including NHS clinical commissioning groups and social care. Phase 2: six case study sites based in different sectors (primary care, secondary mental health and third sector) in England. Participants Phase 1: 61 professionals, including commissioners and service managers. Phase 2: 68 professionals, including frontline staff and those working in related services; 17 PLWD; 31 carers. Results barriers to implementing PDS in dementia were an unsupportive infrastructure, limited proactive review and limited capacity and capability particularly in primary care. Strategies used successfully in practice to address these challenges included creating opportunities for service development, improving joint working, supporting non-specialists and developing ongoing, holistic review and care planning. Conclusion a range of practical strategies have been identified to address many of the common barriers to PDS in dementia. To achieve policy goals of a task-shifted and task-shared approach to PDS, widespread use of these strategies is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Acute hospitalisation and delirium have individually been shown to adversely affect trajectories of cognitive decline but have not previously been considered together. This work aimed to explore the impact on cognition of hospital admission with and without delirium, compared to a control group with no hospital admissions. Methods The Delirium and Cognitive Impact in Dementia (DECIDE) study was nested within the Cognitive Function and Ageing Study II (CFAS II)–Newcastle cohort. CFAS II participants completed two baseline interviews, including the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). During 2016, surviving participants from CFAS II–Newcastle were recruited to DECIDE on admission to hospital. Participants were reviewed daily to determine delirium status. During 2017, all DECIDE participants and age, sex and years of education matched controls without hospital admissions during 2016 were invited to repeat the CFAS II interview. Delirium was excluded in the control group using the Informant Assessment of Geriatric Delirium Scale (i-AGeD). Linear mixed effects modelling determined predictors of cognitive decline. Results During 2016, 82 of 205 (40%) DECIDE participants had at least one episode of delirium. At 1 year, 135 of 205 hospitalised participants completed an interview along with 100 controls. No controls experienced delirium (i-AGeD>4). Delirium was associated with a faster rate of cognitive decline compared to those without delirium (β = −2.2, P  < 0.001), but number of hospital admissions was not (P  = 0.447). Conclusions These results suggest that delirium during hospitalisation rather than hospitalisation per se is a risk factor for future cognitive decline, emphasising the need for dementia prevention studies that focus on delirium intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Delirium is common, distressing and associated with poor outcomes. Previous studies investigating the impact of delirium on cognitive outcomes have been limited by incomplete ascertainment of baseline cognition or lack of prospective delirium assessments. This study quantified the association between delirium and cognitive function over time by prospectively ascertaining delirium in a cohort aged ≥ 65 years in whom baseline cognition had previously been established. Methods For 12 months, we assessed participants from the Cognitive Function and Ageing Study II-Newcastle for delirium daily during hospital admissions. At 1-year, we assessed cognitive decline and dementia in those with and without delirium. We evaluated the effect of delirium (including its duration and number of episodes) on cognitive function over time, independently of baseline cognition and illness severity. Results Eighty two of 205 participants recruited developed delirium in hospital (40%). One-year outcome data were available for 173 participants: 18 had a new dementia diagnosis, 38 had died. Delirium was associated with cognitive decline (−1.8 Mini-Mental State Examination points [95% CI –3.5 to –0.2]) and an increased risk of new dementia diagnosis at follow up (OR 8.8 [95% CI 1.9–41.4]). More than one episode and more days with delirium (>5 days) were associated with worse cognitive outcomes. Conclusions Delirium increases risk of future cognitive decline and dementia, independent of illness severity and baseline cognition, with more episodes associated with worse cognitive outcomes. Given that delirium has been shown to be preventable in some cases, we propose that delirium is a potentially modifiable risk factor for dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To determine the physical and mental health of very old people (aged 80+) with anaemia. Methods Individual level meta-analysis from five cohorts of octogenarians (n = 2,392): LiLACS NZ Māori, LiLACS NZ non-Māori, Leiden 85-plus Study, Newcastle 85+ Study, and TOOTH. Mixed models of change in functional ability, cognitive function, depressive symptoms, and self-rated health over time were separately fitted for each cohort. We combined individual cohort estimates of differences according to the presence of anaemia at baseline, adjusting for age at entry, sex, and time elapsed. Combined estimates are presented as differences in standard deviation units (i.e. standardised mean differences–SMDs). Results The combined prevalence of anaemia was 30.2%. Throughout follow-up, participants with anaemia, on average, had: worse functional ability (SMD −0.42 of a standard deviation across cohorts; CI -0.59,-0.25); worse cognitive scores (SMD -0.27; CI -0.39,-0.15); worse depression scores (SMD -0.20; CI -0.31,-0.08); and lower ratings of their own health (SMD -0.36; CI -0.47,-0.25). Differential rates of change observed were: larger declines in functional ability for those with anaemia (SMD −0.12 over five years; CI -0.21,-0.03) and smaller mean difference in depression scores over time between those with and without anaemia (SMD 0.18 over five years; CI 0.05,0.30). Conclusion Anaemia in the very old is a common condition associated with worse functional ability, cognitive function, depressive symptoms, and self-rated health, and a more rapid decline in functional ability over time. The question remains as to whether anaemia itself contributes to worse outcomes or is simply a marker of chronic diseases and nutrient deficiencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background the long-term effect of the use of drugs with anticholinergic activity on cognitive function remains unclear. Methods we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the relationship between anticholinergic drugs and risk of dementia, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and cognitive decline in the older population. We identified studies published between January 2002 and April 2018 with ≥12 weeks follow-up between strongly anticholinergic drug exposure and the study outcome measurement. We pooled adjusted odds ratios (OR) for studies reporting any, and at least short-term (90+ days) or long-term (365+ days) anticholinergic use for dementia and MCI outcomes, and standardised mean differences (SMD) in global cognition test scores for cognitive decline outcomes. Statistical heterogeneity was measured using the I 2 statistic and risk of bias using ROBINS-I. Results twenty-six studies (including 621,548 participants) met our inclusion criteria. 'Any' anticholinergic use was associated with incident dementia (OR 1.20, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.09–1.32, I 2 = 86%). Short-term and long-term use were also associated with incident dementia (OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.17–1.29, I 2 = 2%; and OR 1.50, 95% CI 1.22–1.85, I 2 = 90%). 'Any' anticholinergic use was associated with cognitive decline (SMD 0.15; 95% CI 0.09–0.21, I 2 = 3%) but showed no statistically significant difference for MCI (OR 1.24, 95% CI 0.97–1.59, I 2 = 0%). Conclusions anticholinergic drug use is associated with increased dementia incidence and cognitive decline in observational studies. However, a causal link cannot yet be inferred, as studies were observational with considerable risk of bias. Stronger evidence from high-quality studies is needed to guide the management of long-term use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Using Newcastle 85+ Study data, we investigated transitions between frailty states from age 85 to 90 years and whether multi-morbidities and socioeconomic status (SES) modify transitions. Methods The Newcastle 85+ Study is a prospective, longitudinal cohort study of all people born in 1921 in Newcastle and North Tyneside. Data included: a multidimensional health assessment; general practice record review (GPRR) and date of death. Using the Fried phenotype (participants defined as robust, pre-frail or frail), frailty was measured at baseline, 18, 36 and 60 months. Results Frailty scores were available for 82% (696/845) of participants at baseline. The prevalence of frailty was higher in women (29.7%, 123/414) than men (17.7%, 50/282) at baseline and all subsequent time points. Of those robust at baseline, 44.6% (50/112) remained robust at 18 months and 28% (14/50) at age 90. Most (52%) remained in the same state across consecutive interviews; only 6% of the transitions were recovery (from pre-frail to robust or frail to pre-frail), and none were from frail to robust. Four or more diseases inferred a greater likelihood of progression from robust to pre-frail even after adjustment for SES. SES did not influence the likelihood of moving from one frailty state to another. Conclusions Almost half the time between age 85 and 90, on average, was spent in a pre-frail state; multi-morbidity increased the chance of progression from robust and to frail; greater clinical intervention at the onset of a first chronic illness, to prevent transition to multi-morbidity, should be encouraged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the ageing population grows globally, the need for informal care—usually provided by family and friends—will continue to increase. Numbers of people with dementia also continue to rise, and much of their care will be provided by relatives. As such, more people who may themselves be older, will take on such caring roles. Consequently, more carers are likely to have education and support needs. Amidst government recognition of the need to provide good quality, person-centred education and support to carers, there are tensions between the potential for such provision to be resource intensive and whether existing services have the capacity to meet the needs of carers. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are a resource with scope to meet some of these educational and support needs. MOOCs enable flexible learning, are often free, and can be accessed anywhere in the world. Providing supportive dementia care requires carers to have an understanding of the condition, assistance to cope with the responsibilities of caring, and recognition of the importance of their own health and wellbeing as well as the person they support. In response to the needs of family carers of people with advancing dementia identified through a 5 year programme of research, we developed a MOOC—dementia care: living well as dementia progresses. This is an accessible source of relevant and engaging information; which enables carers to learn about advancing dementia, consider their own needs and create an interactive global forum of peer support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Frailty is a significant determinant of health care utilisation and associated costs, both of which also increase with proximity to death. What is not known is how the relationships between frailty, proximity to death, hospital use and costs develop in a population aged 85 years and over. Methods This study used data from a prospective observational cohort, the Newcastle 85+ Study, linked with hospital episode statistics and death registrations. Using the Rockwood frailty index (cut off <0.25), we analysed the relationship between frailty and mortality, proximity to death, hospital use and hospital costs over 2, 5 and 7 years using descriptive statistics, Kaplan–Meier survival curves, Cox's proportional hazards and negative binomial regression models. Results Baseline frailty was associated with a more than two-fold increased risk of mortality after 7 years, compared to people who were non-frail. Participants classified as frail spent more time in hospital over 7 years than the non-frail, but this difference declined over time. Baseline frailty was not associated with increased time spent in hospital during the last 90 days of life. Conclusion Evidence continues to accrue on the impact of frailty on emergency health care use. Hospital and community services need to adapt to meet the challenge of introducing new proactive and preventative approaches, designed to achieve benefits in clinical and/or cost effectiveness of frailty management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: recognising that a patient is nearing the end of life is essential, to enable professional carers to discuss prognosis and preferences for end of life care. Objective: investigate whether an electronic frailty index (eFI) generated from routinely collected data, can be used to predict mortality at an individual level. Design: historical prospective case control study. Setting: UK primary care electronic health records. Subjects: 13,149 individuals age 75 and over who died between 01/01/2015 and 01/01/2016, 1:1 matched by age and sex to individuals with no record of death in the same time period. Methods: two subsamples were randomly selected to enable development and validation of the association between eFI 3 months prior to death and mortality. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analyses were used to examine diagnostic accuracy of eFI at 3 months prior to death. Results: an eFI > 0.19 predicted mortality in the development sample at 75% sensitivity and 69% area under received operating curve (AUC). In the validation dataset this cut point gave 76% sensitivity, 53% specificity. Conclusions: the eFI measured at a single time point has low predictive value for individual risk of death, even 3 months prior to death. Although the eFI is a strong predictor or mortality at a population level, its use for individuals is far less clear [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: models projecting future disease burden have focussed on one or two diseases. Little is known on how risk factors of younger cohorts will play out in the future burden of multi-morbidity (two or more concurrent long-term conditions). Design: a dynamic microsimulation model, the Population Ageing and Care Simulation (PACSim) model, simulates the characteristics (sociodemographic factors, health behaviours, chronic diseases and geriatric conditions) of individuals over the period 2014-2040. Population: about 303,589 individuals aged 35 years and over (a 1% random sample of the 2014 England population) created from Understanding Society, the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, and the Cognitive Function and Ageing Study II. Main outcome measures: the prevalence of, numbers with, and years lived with, chronic diseases, geriatric conditions and multi-morbidity. Results: between 2015 and 2035, multi-morbidity prevalence is estimated to increase, the proportion with 4+ diseases almost doubling (2015:9.8%; 2035:17.0%) and two-thirds of those with 4+ diseases will have mental ill-health (dementia, depression, cognitive impairment no dementia). Multi-morbidity prevalence in incoming cohorts aged 65-74 years will rise (2015:45.7%; 2035:52.8%). Life expectancy gains (men 3.6 years, women: 2.9 years) will be spent mostly with 4+ diseases (men: 2.4 years, 65.9%; women: 2.5 years, 85.2%), resulting from increased prevalence of rather than longer survival with multi-morbidity. Conclusions: our findings indicate that over the next 20 years there will be an expansion of morbidity, particularly complex multi-morbidity (4+ diseases). We advocate for a new focus on prevention of, and appropriate and efficient service provision for those with, complex multi-morbidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: medical practice has changed over the last decades reflecting the ageing population, when multi-morbidity requiring multiple medications is more common. Objective: describe and quantify self-reported medicine use including both prescription and over the counter medicines in two comparable population-based studies of older people (65+) in England and to assess the nature and scale of polypharmacy. Methods: data used were from two separate population-based studies; the Cognitive Function Ageing Study I and II. Descriptive analyses were performed to summarise and quantify general medicine use. Negative binomial regression models were fitted to determine factors associated with the number of medicines used. Results: medication use, including both prescribed medicines and over the counter products has increased dramatically over the last 2 decades. The number of people taking five or more items quadrupled from 12 to 49%, while the proportion of people who did not take any medication has decreased from around 1 in 5 to 1 in 13. Cardiovascular drugs were the most frequently taken medication. Polypharmacy is associated with increases in the number of diagnosed long-term conditions. Conclusions: comparison between CFAS I and II reveals marked increases in medication usage and polypharmacy in the older population. The influence of healthcare organisation, introduction of new guidelines and technology changes leading to diagnosis of earlier, milder chronic diseases and treatment may be contributing to this changing pattern. Further research is needed to develop practical solutions to optimise medication management in older people, reducing the harming associated with medication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: non-participation in epidemiological studies threatens the generalisability of findings. Objective: to investigate the change in non-participation between the Medical Research Council Cognitive Function and Ageing Study (CFAS) I and II. Design: a comparison of two epidemiological studies of older people using identical methods. Setting: three geographical areas of the United Kingdom. Subjects: older people aged 65 years and over. Methods: the two studies were conducted approximately two decades apart between 1989 and 1994 (CFAS I) and between 2008 and 2011 (CFAS II). Random samples were drawn from primary care lists. We compared demographic factors associated with non-participation. Results: non-participation in CFAS II was higher than in CFAS I (45.3 versus 18.3%). After adjustment for confounders, in both CFAS I and CFAS II, women were more likely to decline to take part (CFAS I: odds ratio (OR) 1.3 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2 to 1.4; CFAS II: 1.1 95% CI 1.1 to 1.2). Deprivation was associated with non-participation in both studies (highest versus lowest Townsend deprivation quintile, CFAS I: OR 1.4 95% CI 1.2 to 1.6; CFAS II: 2.0 95% CI 1.8 to 2.2). Age was not associated with non-participation in either study (CFAS I, P = 0.21; CFAS II, P = 0.47). Conclusions: non-participation in epidemiological studies of older people has increased substantially in the past two decades and public willingness to take part in studies of this kind would appear to be declining. As communities become more diverse and older people have increasing commitments on their time, new ways to engage prospective participants are urgently needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Provides information on the outcomes that can result from comprehensive geriatric assessment. Role of informal caregivers in influencing adherence to recommendations of comprehensive geriatric assessment; Description of the patients referred to a community comprehensive geriatric assessment service.