Ghanta, Kalyan

Objectives: To determine the prevalence and relationship of frailty and health status measures among residents of long-term care [nursing homes (NH) and assisted living (AL)] facilities. Resident and methods: Residents ≥ 65 years who are residents of NH and AL facilities at La Crosse county, Wisconsin, were assessed for frailty (gait speed, unintended weight loss, and grip strength), comorbidity (Charlson index), and quality of life (QOL) [Short Form (SF)-36]. Results: Among 96 participants (57 from NH and 39 from AL), 78% were frail. The prevalence of frailty (77% vs. 79%), comorbidity (2.0 vs. 2.0), and poor health status did not differ between residents of NH and AL living facilities. Frail residents were older and had higher comorbidity index (2.0 vs. 0, p=0.02), including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and heart failure. Frailty had the strongest correlation with the SF-36 Physical Component Score (r=-0.45), Figure. It exhibited weaker associations with comorbidity and the SF-36 Mental Component Score. Overall, SF-36 for physical component was lower among frail residents (33 vs. 48, p<0.001). Following adjustments by linear regression, compared to those without frailty, frail residents had lower adjusted quality of life scores. Conclusion: Frailty was highly prevalent among residents of long-term care facilities and did not differ between NH and AL facilities. We noted significant correlations between frailty, comorbid conditions, and poor quality of life.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence and relationship of frailty and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among residents of long-term care [nursing homes (NH) and assisted living (AL)] facilities. Methods: Residents of NH and AL facilities in La Crosse County, Wisconsin, were recruited 1/2009-6/2010 and assessed for frailty (gait speed, unintended weight loss, grip strength), comorbidity (Charlson index), and HRQOL [Short Form (SF)-36]. Results: Among 137 participants, 85% were frail. Frail residents were older, had more comorbidities (2.0 vs. 0, p < .001) and lower mean SF-36 Physical Component Score (PCS, 32 vs. 48, p < .001). Following adjustments for age, sex, and comorbidities, compared to nonfrail residents, frail residents had lower SF-36 PCS (mean difference −14.7, 95% CI. −19.3,−10.1, p < .001). Frailty, comorbidity, and HRQOL did not differ between NH and AL facilities. Discussion: Frail residents had lower HRQOL, suggesting that preventing frailty may lead to better HRQOL among residents of long-term care facilities.