Improving the care of older patients during the COVID-19 pandemic

doi:10.1007/s40520-020-01641-w

. 2020 Sep;32(9):1883-1888.

doi: 10.1007/s40520-020-01641-w. Epub 2020 Jul 11.

Improving the care of older patients during the COVID-19 pandemic

Angelo Bianchetti^{1

2

3}, Giuseppe Bellelli^{4

5

6}, Fabio Guerini^{7

5

6}, Alessandra Marengoni^{8

6}, Alessandro Padovani^{9

5}, Renzo Rozzini^{10

5

6}, Marco Trabucchi^{5

6}

Affiliations

¹ Medicine and Rehabilitation Department, Istituto Clinico S.Anna Hospital, via del Franzone 31, 25122, Brescia, Italy. angelo.bianchetti@grupposandonato.it.
² Associazione Italiana di Psicogeriatria (AIP), Brescia, Italy. angelo.bianchetti@grupposandonato.it.
³ Società Italiana di Geriatria e Gerontologia (SIGG), Firenze, Italy. angelo.bianchetti@grupposandonato.it.
⁴ School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca and Acute Geriatric Unit, San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy.
⁵ Associazione Italiana di Psicogeriatria (AIP), Brescia, Italy.
⁶ Società Italiana di Geriatria e Gerontologia (SIGG), Firenze, Italy.
⁷ Medicine and Rehabilitation Department, Istituto Clinico S.Anna Hospital, via del Franzone 31, 25122, Brescia, Italy.
⁸ Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Geriatric Medicine, Montichiari Hospital, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
⁹ Neurology Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
¹⁰ Geriatric Department, Fondazione Poliambulanza Istituto Ospedaliero Hospital, Brescia, Italy.

PMID: 32654005
PMCID: PMC7352085
DOI: 10.1007/s40520-020-01641-w

Free PMC article

Improving the care of older patients during the COVID-19 pandemic

Angelo Bianchetti et al. Aging Clin Exp Res. 2020 Sep.

Free PMC article

. 2020 Sep;32(9):1883-1888.

doi: 10.1007/s40520-020-01641-w. Epub 2020 Jul 11.

Authors

Angelo Bianchetti^{1

2

3}, Giuseppe Bellelli^{4

5

6}, Fabio Guerini^{7

5

6}, Alessandra Marengoni^{8

6}, Alessandro Padovani^{9

5}, Renzo Rozzini^{10

5

6}, Marco Trabucchi^{5

6}

Affiliations

¹ Medicine and Rehabilitation Department, Istituto Clinico S.Anna Hospital, via del Franzone 31, 25122, Brescia, Italy. angelo.bianchetti@grupposandonato.it.
² Associazione Italiana di Psicogeriatria (AIP), Brescia, Italy. angelo.bianchetti@grupposandonato.it.
³ Società Italiana di Geriatria e Gerontologia (SIGG), Firenze, Italy. angelo.bianchetti@grupposandonato.it.
⁴ School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca and Acute Geriatric Unit, San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy.
⁵ Associazione Italiana di Psicogeriatria (AIP), Brescia, Italy.
⁶ Società Italiana di Geriatria e Gerontologia (SIGG), Firenze, Italy.
⁷ Medicine and Rehabilitation Department, Istituto Clinico S.Anna Hospital, via del Franzone 31, 25122, Brescia, Italy.
⁸ Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Geriatric Medicine, Montichiari Hospital, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
⁹ Neurology Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
¹⁰ Geriatric Department, Fondazione Poliambulanza Istituto Ospedaliero Hospital, Brescia, Italy.

PMID: 32654005
PMCID: PMC7352085
DOI: 10.1007/s40520-020-01641-w

Abstract

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has led to a dramatic crisis of Health Care Systems worldwide, and older people have been among the most disadvantaged. Specific recommendations and reports have been released both at International and National level, regarding the diagnosis and management of COVID-19 in the elderly. However, little has been proposed for an appropriate response to older, frail and multimorbid patients in different settings of care (acute care units, long term care facilities, nursing homes and primary care) and for the management of geriatric syndromes (i.e. delirium, sarcopenia, falls). We presume that the current pandemic of will leads to substantial changes in health care systems, and we suggest some key guide principles that could inspire the provision of healthcare services to older people and their families. These principles are primarily directed to physicians and nurses working in the geriatric field but could also be useful for other specialists.

Keywords: COVID-19; Elderly; Frailty; SARS-CoV-2.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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References

1. Word Health Organization. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation Report – 79. Available at: https://www.who.int/docs/defaultsource/ coronaviruse/situation-reports/2.... Accessed 8 Apr 2020
1. Aronson L. Age, complexity, and crisis—a prescription for progress in pandemic. N Engl J Med. 2020 doi: 10.1056/NEJMp2006115. - DOI - PubMed
1. Grasselli G, Zangrillo A, Zanella A, et al. COVID-19 Lombardy ICU Network. Baseline characteristics and outcomes of 1591 patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 admitted to ICUs of the Lombardy Region, Italy. JAMA. 2020 doi: 10.1001/jama.2020.5394. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
1. Rozzini R, Bianchetti A. COVID towers: low- and medium-intensity care for patients not in the ICU. CMAJ. 2020;192:E463–E464. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.75334. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
1. Abbatecola AM, Antonelli-Incalzi R. COVID-19 spiraling of frailty in older Italian patients. J Nutr Health Aging. 2020 doi: 10.1007/s12603-020-1357-9. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

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[1] Word Health Organization. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation Report – 79. Available at: https://www.who.int/docs/defaultsource/ coronaviruse/situation-reports/2.... Accessed 8 Apr 2020

[2] Word Health Organization. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation Report – 79. Available at: https://www.who.int/docs/defaultsource/ coronaviruse/situation-reports/2.... Accessed 8 Apr 2020

[3] Aronson L. Age, complexity, and crisis—a prescription for progress in pandemic. N Engl J Med. 2020 doi: 10.1056/NEJMp2006115. - DOI - PubMed

[4] Aronson L. Age, complexity, and crisis—a prescription for progress in pandemic. N Engl J Med. 2020 doi: 10.1056/NEJMp2006115. - DOI - PubMed

[5] Grasselli G, Zangrillo A, Zanella A, et al. COVID-19 Lombardy ICU Network. Baseline characteristics and outcomes of 1591 patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 admitted to ICUs of the Lombardy Region, Italy. JAMA. 2020 doi: 10.1001/jama.2020.5394. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[6] Grasselli G, Zangrillo A, Zanella A, et al. COVID-19 Lombardy ICU Network. Baseline characteristics and outcomes of 1591 patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 admitted to ICUs of the Lombardy Region, Italy. JAMA. 2020 doi: 10.1001/jama.2020.5394. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[7] Rozzini R, Bianchetti A. COVID towers: low- and medium-intensity care for patients not in the ICU. CMAJ. 2020;192:E463–E464. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.75334. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[8] Rozzini R, Bianchetti A. COVID towers: low- and medium-intensity care for patients not in the ICU. CMAJ. 2020;192:E463–E464. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.75334. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[9] Abbatecola AM, Antonelli-Incalzi R. COVID-19 spiraling of frailty in older Italian patients. J Nutr Health Aging. 2020 doi: 10.1007/s12603-020-1357-9. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[10] Abbatecola AM, Antonelli-Incalzi R. COVID-19 spiraling of frailty in older Italian patients. J Nutr Health Aging. 2020 doi: 10.1007/s12603-020-1357-9. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

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Improving the care of older patients during the COVID-19 pandemic

Affiliations

Improving the care of older patients during the COVID-19 pandemic

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

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