The Frailty In Residential Sector over Time (FIRST) study: methods and baseline cohort description.

Background: The Frailty In Residential Sector over Time (FIRST) Study is a 3-year prospective cohort study investigating the health of residents living in residential aged care services (RACS) in South Australia. The study aims to examine the change in frailty status and associated health outcomes.

Methods: This interim report presents data from March 2019-October 2020.

Dry Eyes, Ocular Lubricants, and Use of Systemic Medications Known or Suspected to Cause Dry Eyes in Residents of Aged Care Services.

Ocular issues are common, burdensome, and under-researched among residents of aged care services. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of dry eyes or use of ocular lubricants among residents, and the possible association with systemic medications known or suspected to cause dry eyes. A cross-sectional study of 383 residents of six aged care services in South Australia was conducted.

Root Cause Analysis to Identify Medication and Non-Medication Strategies to Prevent Infection-Related Hospitalizations from Australian Residential Aged Care Services.

Infections are leading causes of hospitalizations from residential aged care services (RACS), which provide supported accommodation for people with care needs that can no longer be met at home. Preventing infections and early and effective management are important to avoid unnecessary hospital transfers, particularly in the Australian setting where new quality standards require RACS to minimize infection-related risks. The objective of this study was to examine root causes of infection-related hospitalizations from RACS and identify strategies to limit infections and avoid unnecessary hospitalizations.

Use of Falls Risk Increasing Drugs in Residents at High and Low Falls Risk in Aged Care Services.

Falls are associated with considerable morbidity and mortality in aged care services and falls risk increasing drugs (FRIDs) are often overlooked as a contributor to falls. This study aims to investigate the association between the risk of falling and use of FRIDs from aged care services. Inverse-probability-weighted multinomial logistic regression was used to estimate the association between falls risk and regular FRIDs in 383 residents from six Australian aged care services.

Root cause analysis of fall-related hospitalisations among residents of aged care services.

Background: Fall-related hospitalisations from residential aged care services (RACS) are distressing for residents and costly to the healthcare system. Strategies to limit hospitalisations include preventing injurious falls and avoiding hospital transfers when falls occur.

Aims: To undertake a root cause analysis (RCA) of fall-related hospitalisations from RACS and identify opportunities for fall prevention and hospital avoidance.

Multiple antihypertensive use and risk of mortality in residents of aged care services: a prospective cohort study.

Aims: The objective of this study is to investigate the association between multiple antihypertensive use and mortality in residents with diagnosed hypertension, and whether dementia and frailty modify this association.

Methods: This is a two-year prospective cohort study of 239 residents with diagnosed hypertension receiving antihypertensive therapy across six residential aged care services in South Australia. Data were obtained from electronic medical records, medication charts and validated assessments.

Patterns of High-Dose and Long-Term Proton Pump Inhibitor Use: A Cross-Sectional Study in Six South Australian Residential Aged Care Services.

Aim: While proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are generally considered safe and well tolerated, frail older people who take PPIs long term may be susceptible to adverse events. This study characterized PPI use and determined factors associated with high-dose use among older adults in residential aged care services (RACSs).

Methods: A cross-sectional study of 383 residents of six South Australian RACSs within the same organization was conducted.

Frailty, Hospitalization, and Mortality in Residential Aged Care.

Background: Frailty predicts mortality in residential aged care, but the relationship with hospitalization is inconsistent. The purpose of this study was to investigate and compare whether frailty is associated with hospitalization and mortality among residents of aged care services.

Methods: A prospective cohort study of 383 residents aged 65 years and older was conducted in six Australian residential aged care services.

Selective prescribing of statins and the risk of mortality, hospitalizations, and falls in aged care services.

Background: Compared to randomized controlled trials, nonexperimental studies often report larger survival benefits but higher rates of adverse events for statin use vs nonuse.

Objective: We compared characteristics of statin users and nonusers living in aged care services and evaluated the relationships between statin use and all-cause mortality, all-cause and fall-related hospitalizations, and number of falls during a 12-month follow-up.

Methods: A prospective cohort study of 383 residents aged ≥65 years was conducted in six Australian aged care services.

Frequency of and factors related to pro re nata (PRN) medication use in aged care services.

Background: Little is known about the contribution of 'pro re nata' (PRN) medications to overall medication burden in residential aged care services (RACS).

Objectives: To determine the frequency of, and factors associated with PRN medication administration in RACS.

Measurements: Details of all medications charted for regular or PRN use were extracted from medication charts for 383 residents of 6 Australian RACS.

Rheumatic disease among Oklahoma tribal populations: a cross-sectional study.

Objective: Rheumatic diseases cause significant morbidity within American Indian populations. Clinical disease presentations, as well as historically associated autoantibodies, are not always useful in making a rapid diagnosis or assessing prognosis. The purpose of our study was to identify autoantibody associations among Oklahoma tribal populations with rheumatic disease.