Abstract
In the autumn of 2020, the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic hit Europe. In this context, because of the insufficient number of beds in geriatric COVID units, non-geriatric wards were confronted with a significant number of admissions of geriatric patients. In this perspective article, we describe the role of a mobile geriatric team in the framework of the COVID-19 pandemic and specifically how it assisted other specialists in the management of hospitalized geriatric patients by implementing a new approach: the systematic assessment and optimization of Intrinsic Capacity functions. For each patient, assessed by this consultative team, an individualized care plan, including an anticipated end-of-life decision-making process, was established. Intensity of care was most often not stated by considering chronological age but rather the comorbidity burden, the frailty status, and the patient's wishes. Further studies are needed to determine if this mobile geriatric team approach was beneficial in terms of mortality, length of stay, or functional, psychological, and cognitive outcomes in COVID-19 geriatric patients.
Highlights
In the early autumn of 2020, the second wave of the Coronavirus disease (COVID)-19 pandemic hit Europe and the number of hospitalizations rapidly increased in several European countries [1]
We describe the role of a mobile geriatric team in the context of the emergency situation of the COVID-19 pandemic and how it assisted other specialists in the management of geriatric patients by implementing a new approach: the systematic assessment and optimization of intrinsic capacity functions
We proposed the first description of a new approach based on the systematic screening of intrinsic capacity (IC) functions by a multidisciplinary mobile geriatric team in a hospital setting
Summary
In the early autumn of 2020, the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic hit Europe and the number of hospitalizations rapidly increased in several European countries [1]. The early intervention of an MGT was shown to reduce the length of stay of geriatric inpatients [10] and was associated with a lower mortality rate and less functional decline after hospital discharge [11,12,13] In this perspective article, we describe the role of a mobile geriatric team in the context of the emergency situation of the COVID-19 pandemic and how it assisted other specialists in the management of geriatric patients by implementing a new approach: the systematic assessment and optimization of intrinsic capacity functions. Persons who have severe COVID-19 infection might take several months to return to normal mobility [41] With this in mind, after a careful reviewing of patients’ mobility capacity, MGT considered a transfer to a rehabilitation unit at discharge or a home-based individual physical exercise program
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