Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
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Frailty is common in surgical and intensive care unit (ICU) populations, yet it is not routinely measured. Frailty indices are able to quantify this condition across a range of health deficits. We aimed to develop a frailty index (FI) from routinely collected hospital data in a surgical and ICU population. ⋯ It is feasible to construct an FI from hospital admission data in a cohort of critically ill and surgical patients.
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Identifying surgical patients at risk for discharge to a post-acute facility has the potential to reduce hospital length of stay, improve postoperative planning, and increase patient satisfaction. We sought to examine the association between a positive response to a preoperative patient-reported frailty screen and non-home discharge (NHD). ⋯ Patient response to screening questions on the FRAIL screen identified those at highest risk of NHD. The FRAIL screening tool is practical, easy to apply, and could be used during preoperative counseling to identify patients likely to have increased discharge planning needs.
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It is crucial that nursing homes have adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) and staff to protect residents and staff from COVID-19. Some states have taken actions to mitigate shortages of PPE and staffing in nursing homes, including creating dedicated long-term care (LTC) teams and supporting staffing capacity. ⋯ Given that nearly half of U.S. nursing homes recently faced a shortage of PPE and/or staff, and that state budget deficits may limit further state actions, ongoing federal assistance with PPE and staffing of nursing homes is needed.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Anxious, Depressed, and Planning for the Future: Advance Care Planning in Diverse Older Adults.
To determine whether depression and anxiety are associated with advance care planning (ACP) engagement or values concerning future medical care. ⋯ Depression and anxiety were associated with greater ACP engagement and not valuing life extension. Although the direction of association between ACP engagement and values with anxiety and depression cannot be determined in this cross-sectional study, these conditions may influence ACP preferences. Future studies should assess whether changes in anxiety or depression affect ACP preferences over time.