Long-Term Outcomes of Older Adults in Ireland after Geriatric Rehabilitation for COVID-19: A Prospective Cohort Study

Abstract

Abstract Background COVID-19 is a contagious disease caused by the Sars-CoV-2 virus. Disease presentation and severity has evolved since its emergence in 2019. In May 2023, the World Health Organization declared the end of the COVID-19 pandemic but described it as an established and ongoing health issue. Studies to date have focused on disease presentation, prevalence and evolution and the immediate rehabilitation outcomes for older adults. There is a paucity of research reporting the long-term outcomes of older adults who have completed geriatric rehabilitation. The primary aim of this study was to describe the long-term functional outcomes of a cohort of older adults with acute COVID-19 who have completed inpatient geriatric rehabilitation. Methods This is a subgroup analysis of Irish data gathered as part of a pan-European prospective cohort study. Patients were recruited from two acute hospitals in the Republic of Ireland: Beaumont Hospital and University Hospital Limerick. Patients with a confirmed case of COVID-19 infection and accepted for geriatric rehabilitation in the hospital setting were eligible for recruitment. Functional ability, patient reported symptoms and quality of life were measured using the Barthel Index, the COVID-19 Yorkshire Rehabilitation Screen and the EQ-5D-5L respectively. Results Thirty patients were included in the subgroup analysis. The rate of mortality was 23.3% at six months after discharge from rehabilitation. Patients achieved a return to pre-admission functional ability but reported a significant increase in patient reported symptoms and their quality of life did not return to pre-admission levels when assessed at six months after discharge from rehabilitation. Conclusion Multidisciplinary rehabilitation for older adults with acute COVID-19 infection can assist patients to return to their premorbid functional ability. On discharge from rehabilitation, ongoing follow up of older adults is recommended to assist them to negotiate and manage ongoing symptomatology such as breathlessness or fatigue.