Table 2.
Characteristics of participants.
| Characteristic | Participants (n = 18) | |
|---|---|---|
| Age | Median 84 | Inter-quartile range (IQR) 81–87 range 70–93 |
| Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS)a | Median 6 | IQR 5–7; range 5–8 |
| Australian-modified Karnofsky Performance Status (AKPS)b | Median 50 | IQR 40–60; range 20–60 |
| Unplanned hospital admissions in last 6 months | Median 1 | IQR 1–3; range 0–8 |
| Female gender | 10 | |
| Lives alone | 8 | |
| Patient interviewed | 17 | |
| Interview setting | ||
| In patients homec | 13 | |
| In hospital | 5 | |
| Carer interviewed | ||
| Yes | 7 | |
| No (no carer nominated) | 7 | |
| No (carer declined) | 4 | |
| Carer characteristics | (n = 7) | |
| Relationship | ||
| Spouse | 3 | |
| Son/daughter | 4 | |
| Lives with patient | 5 | |
| Female gender | 5 | |
| Interviewed separately | 1 | |
a
The CFS is scored from 0 to 9, with higher scores representing increasing frailty. Participants scoring 5 or more, corresponding to ‘Mildly frail: more evident slowing, requiring help with higher order activities of daily living’, were eligible for the study.
b
The AKPS is scored from 0 to 100, with higher scores representing higher function. There was no cut off for AKPS. The highest score for participants was 60 = ‘able to care for most needs; but requires occasional assistance’.
c
One participant was interviewed in supported accommodation.