Approaches of Long Term Care: The Geriatric Syndromes Among Older Adults with Comorbidity in Moscow Population

Abstract

The aim of this chapter is to analyze the influence of chronic non-infectious diseases and geriatric syndromes on the progression of autonomy loss and needs of the elderly for medical care and social assistance. Materials and methods We have conducted a cross-sectional study in several Moscow polyclinics, for 1730 patients, 60 years and older. These people were divided into subgroups according to a dependency level in activities of daily living (ADL) and their need for assistance. The average age of the participants was 74.9 ± 6.1 years. Among them, a Group I of patients with comorbidity who underwent a comprehensive geriatric assessment included 315 older adults. In the focus of our attention was patients’ past with comorbidity and its associations with other geriatric syndromes. The associations with other geriatric syndromes were analyzed with chi-square test. Results with p < 0.05 were treated as statistically significant. Results 32% (619 people) of older people needed no social or medical help (subgroup 0), 21% (people needed minimal help (subgroup 1). Subgroups 2, 3, and 4—39% of patients need social assistance and medical care at home. The prevalence of chronic non-infectious diseases in the study group was high. Most participants of the study (95.5%) had no autonomy loss and dependency in the basic functional activity, and only two-thirds of participants (65.2%) were independent in instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). Conclusion With increasing age, there was a rise in the prevalence of such geriatric syndromes as autonomy loss, reduced mobility, cognitive impairment, sensory deficits, and urinary incontinence, but there was no significant increase in frailty, risks of malnutrition, symptoms of depression and falls.