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Moïsi L, Mino JC, Guidet B, Vallet H. Frailty assessment in critically ill older adults: a narrative review. Ann Intensive Care 2024; 14:93. [PMID: 38888743 PMCID: PMC11189387 DOI: 10.1186/s13613-024-01315-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Frailty, a condition that was first defined 20 years ago, is now assessed via multiple different tools. The Frailty Phenotype was initially used to identify a population of "pre-frail" and "frail" older adults, so as to prevent falls, loss of mobility, and hospitalizations. A different definition of frailty, via the Clinical Frailty Scale, is now actively used in critical care situations to evaluate over 65 year-old patients, whether it be for Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admissions, limitation of life-sustaining treatments or prognostication. Confusion remains when mentioning "frailty" in older adults, as to which tools are used, and what the impact or the bias of using these tools might be. In addition, it is essential to clarify which tools are appropriate in medical emergencies. In this review, we clarify various concepts and differences between frailty, functional autonomy and comorbidities; then focus on the current use of frailty scales in critically ill older adults. Finally, we discuss the benefits and risks of using standardized scales to describe patients, and suggest ways to maintain a complex, three-dimensional, patient evaluation, despite time constraints. Frailty in the ICU is common, involving around 40% of patients over 75. The most commonly used scale is the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS), a rapid substitute for Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA). Significant associations exist between the CFS-scale and both short and long-term mortality, as well as long-term outcomes, such as loss of functional ability and being discharged home. The CFS became a mainstream tool newly used for triage during the Covid-19 pandemic, in response to the pressure on healthcare systems. It was found to be significantly associated with in-hospital mortality. The improper use of scales may lead to hastened decision-making, especially when there are strains on healthcare resources or time-constraints. Being aware of theses biases is essential to facilitate older adults' access to equitable decision-making regarding critical care. The aim is to help counteract assessments which may be abridged by time and organisational constraints.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Moïsi
- Department of Geriatrics, Hopital Saint-Antoine, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Sorbonne Université, 75012, Paris, France.
- UVSQ, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Epidémiologie Et Santé Des Populations, UMR 1018, Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Sud, Villejuif, France.
- Département d'éthique, Faculté de Médecine, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France.
- Service de Gériatrie Aigue, Hopital St Antoine, 184 rue du Fbg St Antoine, 75012, Paris, France.
| | - J-C Mino
- UVSQ, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Epidémiologie Et Santé Des Populations, UMR 1018, Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Sud, Villejuif, France
- Département d'éthique, Faculté de Médecine, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - B Guidet
- Service de Réanimation Médicale, Hopital Saint-Antoine, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), 184 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine, 75012, Paris, France
- INSERM, UMRS 1136, Institute Pierre Louis d'Épidémiologie Et de Santé Publique, 75013, Paris, France
| | - H Vallet
- Department of Geriatrics, Hopital Saint-Antoine, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Sorbonne Université, 75012, Paris, France
- UMRS 1135, Centre d'immunologie Et de Maladies Infectieuses (CIMI), Institut National de La Santé Et de La Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Paris, France
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De Groote M, De Raedt S, Van Humbeeck L, Van Hoeyweghen R, Nobels A, Van Den Noortgate N, Piers R. How strong is the will-to-live in frail older persons? A survey study in acute geriatric wards and nursing homes in Belgium. Aging Ment Health 2024; 28:302-306. [PMID: 37534457 DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2023.2242302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Will-to-live is defined as the psychological expression of one's commitment to life and the desire to continue living. It is an important indicator of subjective wellbeing. This study aimed to assess the will-to-live in frail older hospitalized patients and nursing home residents as well as to evaluate its association with physical frailty, tiredness of life, depression and wish-to-die. METHODS Between March and September 2021, we interviewed 186 older adults in six nursing homes and two acute geriatric wards across Belgium. Will-to-live was assessed using a single-item numeric rating scale from 0 to 5. A linear regression analysis was performed to assess the association between will-to-live and frailty (Clinical Frailty Scale) with adjustment for age, gender and setting. Mann-Whitney U test was used to evaluate the association between will-to-live and depression, tiredness of life and wish-to-die. RESULTS Mean age was 85 (± 6.2) years. Mean score on the Clinical Frailty Scale was five (± 1.5) and four on the will-to-live (± 1.3). No statistical significant association was found between will-to-live and age (p = 0.991), gender (p = 0.272), setting (p = 0.627) and frailty (p = 0.629). Multiple linear regression showed no significant association with Clinical Frailty Scale (p = 0.660), after adjustment for age, gender and setting. Will-to-live was negatively associated with tiredness of life (p = 0.020) and wish-to-die (p < 0.001), but not with depression (p = 0.186). DISCUSSION Both nursing home residents and older hospitalized patients expressed a strong or very strong will-to-live. Will-to-live was not associated with physical frailty as measured by the Clinical Frailty Scale. Nursing home residents with a weak will-to-live were more likely to have depressive symptoms. Most nursing home residents with a wish-to-die had also a low will-to-live, although some residents had both a high will-to-live and wish-to-die.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie De Groote
- Department of Geriatrics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Soetkin De Raedt
- Department of Geriatrics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | | | - Anne Nobels
- Department of Psychiatry, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Ruth Piers
- Department of Geriatrics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
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Weissberger G, Bergman YS, Shrira A. The Association between Ageist Attitudes, Subjective Age, and Financial Exploitation Vulnerability Among Older Adults. J Appl Gerontol 2022; 42:1267-1273. [DOI: 10.1177/07334648221132130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Ageism, or age-based negative stereotypes, prejudice, and/or discriminatory behaviors toward older adults, has been linked with various detrimental physical and psychological consequences. The current study examined the relevance of ageist attitudes to financial exploitation vulnerability (FEV) among older adults and investigated whether feeling older than one’s chronological age (i.e., older subjective age) moderated the ageist attitudes-FEV association. 230 participants ( M age = 72.08, SD = 5.74) filled out scales assessing ageist attitudes, subjective age, and provided relevant sociodemographic information. High levels of ageist attitudes and an older subjective age were associated with increased FEV. Moreover, the ageist attitudes-FEV association was significantly stronger among participants reporting an older subjective age. The results highlight the importance of taking into account ageism and subjective age in order to gain a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms which render older adults vulnerable to financial exploitation. Practical and empirical implications are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gali Weissberger
- Interdisciplinary Department of Social Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, CA, USA
| | - Yoav S. Bergman
- Faculty of Social Work, Ashkelon Academic College, Ashkelon, Israel
| | - Amit Shrira
- Interdisciplinary Department of Social Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, CA, USA
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Segel-Karpas D, Shrira A, Cohn-Schwartz E, Bodner E. Daily fluctuations in subjective age and depressive symptoms: the roles of attitudes to ageing and chronological age. Eur J Ageing 2022; 19:741-751. [PMID: 36052204 PMCID: PMC9424480 DOI: 10.1007/s10433-021-00681-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies indicate that both subjective age-individuals' perception of their own age as older or younger than their chronological age, and attitudes to ageing are related to physical and mental health. Less is known about the possible dual effect of these two constructs of subjective views of ageing. In the current study, 334 participants (aged 30-90, M = 58.15) reported their daily subjective age and mental health along 14 consecutive days. Attitudes to ageing were measured at baseline. Results indicated that daily variation in subjective age was related to daily variation in depressive symptoms, such that people experienced more depressive symptoms at days they felt older. Furthermore, we found that attitudes to ageing (perceptions of losses, physical change, and psychological growth) moderated this relationship. The covariation between daily subjective age and daily depressive symptoms was stronger when attitudes to ageing were less favorable (e.g., high perceptions of losses and low psychological growth). The moderating effect of losses was especially prominent among older participants. This indicates that attitudes to ageing moderate the toll that feeling old takes on mental health, especially in older age. The results also emphasize the need to understand how different subjective views on ageing, measured in different time frames, operate interactively to shape individual's daily experiences.
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Gholamzadeh S, Shaygan M, Naderi Z, Hosseini FA. Age discrimination perceived by hospitalized older adult patients in Iran: A qualitative study. Health Promot Perspect 2022; 12:45-55. [PMID: 35854844 PMCID: PMC9277281 DOI: 10.34172/hpp.2022.07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The quality of care that older adult patients receive during hospitalization is directly associated with the perception, knowledge, and skills of the healthcare team. This qualitative study was conducted to explore the concept of age discrimination perceived by hospitalized older adult patients. Methods: The present exploratory qualitative study was conducted using conventional content analysis. The purposive sampling method was used to recruit participants and the sampling continued until data saturation. A total of 21 individuals comprising of 12 hospitalized older adult patients, 5 family caregivers, 3 nurses, and a physician were enrolled in the study. Data were collected through 21 face-to-face, semi-structured, in-depth interviews. Data were analyzed using the qualitative content analysis method as described by Elo and Kyngäs. Results: The analysis of the interview data resulted in 4 main categories, namely injustice perceptions, interactional injustice, procedural injustice, and organizational injustice. Conclusion: The findings of the study indicated that older adult patients perceive the occurrence of age discrimination by healthcare teams and inequalities in the provided care in hospitals. It is therefore important to address ageism and subsequent inequalities through short- and long-term policies and plans, as well as standardization and transformation of the present condition of hospitals to become an age-friendly environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sakineh Gholamzadeh
- Community Based Psychiatric Care Research Center, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Maryam Shaygan
- Community Based Psychiatric Care Research Center, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Zeinab Naderi
- Department of Nursing, Sirjan School of Medical Sciences, Sirjan, Iran
| | - Fahimeh Alsadat Hosseini
- Community Based Psychiatric Care Research Center, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
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