Using comprehensive geriatric assessment for older adults undertaking a facility-based transition care program to evaluate functional outcomes: a feasibility study

Background: The study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of using a comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) in a
residential transition care setting to measure older adults’ functional outcomes.
Methods: A convenience sample of older adults (n=10) and staf (n=4) was recruited. The feasibility of using
assessment tools that comprise a CGA to comprehensively measure function in physical, cognitive, social and emo‑
tional domains was evaluated pre- and post-rehabilitation.
Results: 10 older adults (mean±SD age=78.9±9.1, n=6 male) completed a CGA performed using assessments
across physical, cognitive, social and emotional domains. The CGA took 55.9±7.3 min to complete. Staf found CGA
using the selected assessment tools to be acceptable and suitable for the transition care population. Older adults
found the procedure to be timely and 60% found the assessments easy to comprehend. Participating in CGA also
assisted older adults in understanding their present state of health. The older adults demonstrated improvements
across all assessed domains including functional mobility (de Morton Mobility Index; baseline 41.5±23.0, discharge
55.0±24.0, p=0.01) and quality of life (EQ-5D-5L; baseline 59.0±21.7, discharge 78.0±16.0, p<0.01).
Conclusions: Incorporating CGA to evaluate functional outcomes in transition care using a suite of assessment tools
was feasible and enabled a holistic assessment