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Background The age, multimorbidity, immunodeficiency and frailty of older people living in nursing homes make them vulnerable to COVID-19 and to mortality in general. For this reason, our objective is to verify the incidence of general and COVID-19 mortality and to analyse its predictive factors in older people living in nursing homes over a 2-year period. Methods A two-year prospective longitudinal multicenter study was carried out in 5 nursing homes in Central Catalonia (Spain) between 2020 and 2022. Date and causes of deaths were recorded. In addition, sociodemographic and health data were collected. For the effect of mortality, survival curves were performed using the Kaplan-Meier method and multivariate analysis using Cox regression. Results The total sample of 125 subjects had a mean age of 85.10 years (standard deviation = 7.3). A total of 59 (47.2%) deaths were recorded at 24 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 38.6–55.9) and 25 (20.0%) were due to COVID-19 most in first 3 months. In the multivariate analysis, functional impairment (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.40, 95% CI: 1.33–4.32, p = 0.003) was a significant risk factor for mortality independently of age (HR: 1.17, 95% CI: 0.69-2.00, p = 0.549) and risk of sarcopenia (HR: 1.40, 95% CI, 0.63–3.12, p = 0.403). Conclusions Nearly half of this sample of nursing home residents died within the 2-year period, and 20% were attributed to COVID-19. Functional impairment was a risk factor for overall mortality and COVID-19 mortality, independent of age and risk of sarcopenia.

(1) Background: Loneliness, little studied in Nursing Homes (NHs), can affect physical and mental health. We aimed to verify the prevalence of loneliness in 5 NHs and its associated factors. (2) Methods: Cross-sectional study. Older adults aged 65 or over with preserved cognitive status were included. The De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale was used to assess overall, social, and emotional loneliness; sociodemographic and health-related variables were collected. The chi-square (or Fisher’s) test and logistic regression were used for bivariate and multivariate analysis respectively. (3) Results: The final sample consisted of 65 participants (81.5% female) with a mean age of 84±7.13. Prevalence of overall loneliness was 70.7% (95%CI:58.2-81.4), social loneliness 44.6% (95% CI: 33.1-56.6) and emotional loneliness 46.2% (95% CI: 34.5–58.1). Overall loneliness was associated with lower perceived quality of life (Odds Ratio-OR= 5.52, 95% CI:1.25-24.38) and NH with state subsidized places (OR=0.19, 95% CI: 0.05-0.74); social loneliness with having 0-1 children (OR=0.25, 95% CI: 0.08-0.77), and emotional loneliness with depression (OR=4.54, 95% CI: 1.28-16.08) and urinary incontinence (UI) (OR=4.65, 95% CI: 1.23-17.52). (4) Conclusions: Loneliness was present in almost 71% of residents and was associated with the type of NH and poorer quality of life, emotional loneliness with depression and UI and social loneliness with having less than 2 children.

BackgroundCOVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on society, including on residents of nursing homes (NH), who have a higher risk of complications and mortality due their physical and intellectual disabilities.AimTo identify which risk factors associated with developing COVID-19 infection with symptoms in institutionalized older people.MethodsA 1-year longitudinal multicenter study was conducted in 5 NH during the period December 2019 to March 2021. The inclusion criteria used were residents aged 65 years or over, living in the NH permanently, with a diagnostic test for COVID-19 confirmed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and/or serological test. The main variable was symptomatic COVID-19, with at least one of the following symptoms (fever, respiratory difficulties, cough, diarrhea, sudden urinary incontinence and disorientation or delirium). Three assessments were performed: baseline, six and twelve months follow-up. Descriptive and bivariate analysis (calculating relative risk-RR) were performed, considering a 95% confidence level and a statistically significant p ResultsOf the total sample of 78 individuals who tested positive for COVID-19, mean age 84.6 years (SD=±7.8), 62 (79.5%) were female; 40 (51.3%) participants presented with COVID-19 symptoms. Living in a private NH (RR=3.6, 95% CI [1.2–11.0], p=0.023) and having suffered a stroke (RR=4.1, 95% CI [1.1–14.7], p=0.033) were positively associated with developing COVID-19 infection with symptoms.ConclusionsHaving suffered a stroke and living permanently in a private health care facility were positively associated with symptomatic COVID-19 in this sample of institutionalized older people.

Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common geriatric syndrome affecting bladder health and is especially prevalent in nursing homes (NHs). The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of UI and its associated factors in five Spanish NHs. UI (measured with Minimum Data Set 3.0), sociodemographic, and health-related variables were collected. Chi-square (or Fisher’s) or Student’s t-test (or Mann Whitney U) for bivariate analysis were used, with Prevalence Ratio (PR) as an association measure. The prevalence of UI was 66.1% (CI:95%, 53.6–77.2) in incontinent (n = 45, mean age 84.04, SD = 7.7) and continent (n = 23, mean age 83.00, SD = 7.7) groups. UI was significantly associated with frailty (PR = 1.84; 95%CI 0.96–3.53), faecal incontinence (PR = 1.65; 95%CI 1.02–2.65), anxiety (PR = 1.64; 95%CI 1.01–2.66), physical performance (PR = 1.77; 95%CI 1.00–3.11), and cognitive state (PR = 1.95; 95%CI 1.05–3.60). Statistically significant differences were found between incontinent and continent NH residents for limitations in activities of daily living (ADL), mobility, quality of life, sedentary behaviour, and handgrip strength. It can be concluded that two out of three of the residents experienced UI, and significant associated factors were mainly physical (sedentary behaviour, frailty, physical performance, ADL limitations, mobility, faecal incontinence, and handgrip strength) followed by psycho-cognitive factors (cognition, anxiety, and quality of life).

Background In 2018, the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP2) updated the original definition of sarcopenia, establishing new criteria to be used globally. Early diagnosis of sarcopenia in nursing home residents and the identification of contributing factors would target interventions to reduce the incidence of malnutrition, social isolation, functional decline, hospitalization and mortality. Aim Verify the prevalence and the degree of severity of sarcopenia according to the new EWSGOP2 criteria and to analyse its associated factors in residents living in nursing homes in Central Catalonia (Spain). Design A cross-sectional multicenter study was conducted in 4 nursing homes. SARC-F test was applied as the initial screening, muscle strength was measured by a dynamometer, skeletal muscle mass by bioimpedance analysis and physical performance by Gait Speed. Four categories were used: total probable sarcopenia, probable sarcopenia, confirmed sarcopenia and severe sarcopenia. Results Among the total sample of 104 nursing home residents (mean age 84.6, ± 7.8; median 86, IQR 110), 84.6% were women and 85 (81.7%) (95% confidence interval [CI] 73.0-88.0) had total probable sarcopenia, 63 (60.5%) had probable sarcopenia, 19 (18.3%) had confirmed sarcopenia and 7 (6.7%) had severe sarcopenia. In the bivariate analysis, obesity was negatively associated and total time in sedentary behavior positively associated with all sarcopenia categories. In addition, malnutrition and urinary continence were positively associated with total and probable sarcopenia. Urinary incontinence was a positive associated factor of total and probable sarcopenia. In the multivariate analysis, obesity represented a negative associated factor: OR = 0.13 (0.03 - 0.57), p = 0.007 and OR = 0.14 (0.03 - 0.60), p = 0.008 with total and probable sarcopenia, respectively, adjusted by urinary incontinence status. For confirmed sarcopenia, obesity also represented a negative associated factor OR = 0.06 (0.01 - 0.99), p = 0.049 and the total time in sedentary behavior a positive associated factor OR = 1.10 (1.00- 1.20), p = 0.040. Conclusions According the EWGSOP2 criteria, high prevalence of sarcopenia was found in institutionalized older people, ranging from 6.7 to 81.7% depending on the category. Malnutrition, urinary incontinence and total time in sedentary behavior were associated with sarcopenia, whilst obesity represented a protective factor in this population.

IntroductionSeveral studies have shown that physical activity (PA) levels and sedentary behaviour (SB) are independent risk factors for many health-related issues. However, there is scarce evidence supporting the relationship between SB and urinary incontinence (UI) in community-dwelling older adults, and no information on any possible association in institutionalised older adults. Stage I of this project has the main objective of determining the prevalence of UI and its associated factors in nursing home (NH) residents, as well as analysing the association between UI (and its types) and SB. Stage II aims to investigate the incidence and predictive factors of functional and continence decline, falls, hospitalisations, mortality and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic among NH residents.Methods and analysisStage I is an observational, multicentre, cross-sectional study with mixed methodology that aims to explore the current status of several health-related outcomes in NH residents of Osona (Barcelona, Spain). The prevalence ratio will be used as an association measure and multivariate analysis will be undertaken using Poisson regression with robust variance. Stage II is a 2-year longitudinal study that aims to analyse functional and continence decline, incidence of falls, hospitalisations, mortality and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on these outcomes. A survival analysis using the actuarial method for functional decline and continence, evaluated every 6 months, and the Kaplan-Meier method for falls, hospitalisations and deaths, and Cox regression for multivariate analysis will be undertaken.Ethics and disseminationThe study received the following approvals: University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia Ethics and Research Committee (92/2019 and 109/2020), Clinical Research Ethics Committee of the Osona Foundation for Health Research and Education (FORES) (code 2020118/PR249). Study results will be disseminated at conferences, meetings and through peer-reviewed journals.Trial registration numberNCT04297904.