Table 3.
Prevalence of geriatric syndromes and needs for hospice care based on EGA classified by three age groups.
| Variable | Total (n = 693) | Young elderly, 65–74 years (n = 259) | Moderately elderly, 75–84 years (n = 259) | Old elderly, ≥85 years (n = 175) | p value∗ | p value for trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delirium | 73 (11.4) | 12 (4.8) | 24 (10.0) | 37 (24.8) | <0.01 | <0.01 |
| Depression | 133 (23.4) | 53 (22.1) | 48 (22.2) | 32 (28.6) | 0.36 | 0.24 |
| Dementia | 248 (43.1) | 61 (25.4) | 112 (51.4) | 75 (64.1) | <0.01 | <0.01 |
| Deterioration of ADL <1 year† | 200 (29.4) | 45 (17.8) | 76 (29.6) | 79 (46.2) | <0.01 | <0.01 |
| Feeding | 92 (13.3) | 11 (4.3) | 30 (11.6) | 51 (29.3) | <0.01 | <0.01 |
| Hygiene | 133 (19.2) | 26 (10.0) | 50 (19.3) | 57 (32.8) | <0.01 | <0.01 |
| Dressing | 106 (15.3) | 18 (7.0) | 32 (12.4) | 56 (32.2) | <0.01 | <0.01 |
| Transferring | 92 (13.3) | 12 (4.6) | 32 (12.4) | 48 (27.6) | <0.01 | <0.01 |
| Walking | 142 (20.5) | 29 (11.2) | 55 (21.2) | 58 (33.3) | <0.01 | <0.01 |
| Toileting | 111 (16.0) | 15 (5.8) | 38 (14.7) | 58 (33.3) | <0.01 | <0.01 |
| Bathing | 140 (20.2) | 25 (9.7) | 50 (19.3) | 65 (37.4) | <0.01 | <0.01 |
| Vision impairment affecting ADL | 143 (22.2) | 35 (13.8) | 50 (20.8) | 58 (38.9) | <0.01 | <0.01 |
| Hearing impairment affecting ADL | 153 (23.8) | 28 (11.0) | 59 (24.7) | 66 (44.3) | <0.01 | <0.01 |
| Sleep disturbances affecting ADL | 90 (13.1) | 45 (17.5) | 26 (10.1) | 19 (11.1) | 0.03 | 0.03 |
| Any fall <1 year | 149 (21.8) | 40 (15.6) | 62 (24.1) | 47 (27.5) | <0.01 | <0.01 |
| Polypharmacy (≥8 drugs) | 198 (28.7) | 81 (31.4) | 66 (25.5) | 51 (29.7) | 0.32 | 0.57 |
| Pain | 220 (35.1) | 84 (33.7) | 84 (36.1) | 52 (35.9) | 0.85 | 0.63 |
| Pressure ulcer | 39 (5.6) | 6 (2.3) | 15 (5.8) | 18 (10.3) | <0.01 | <0.01 |
| Incontinence or retention | 205 (29.6) | 39 (15.1) | 78 (30.1) | 88 (50.6) | <0.01 | <0.01 |
| Indwelling device or physical restrain† | 149 (21.6) | 36 (13.9) | 59 (22.8) | 54 (31.2) | <0.01 | <0.01 |
| Nasogastric tube | 81 (11.7) | 19 (7.3) | 32 (12.4) | 30 (17.2) | <0.01 | <0.01 |
| Foley | 98 (14.2) | 18 (7.0) | 41 (15.8) | 39 (22.4) | <0.01 | <0.01 |
| Tracheostomy | 6 (0.9) | 3 (1.2) | 1 (0.4) | 2 (1.2) | 0.66 | 0.89 |
| Physical restrain | 5 (0.7) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 5 (2.9) | <0.01 | <0.01 |
| Other | 14 (2.0) | 7 (2.7) | 6 (2.3) | 1 (0.6) | 0.28 | 0.14 |
| Nutrition problem‡ | 237 (35.7) | 86 (34.0) | 86 (34.4) | 65 (40.4) | 0.36 | 0.22 |
| BMI | 22.9 ± 4.1 | 23.8 ± 4.3 | 22.6 ± 3.9 | 21.9 ± 3.8 | <0.01 | <0.01 |
| Frequent use of medical resource | 347 (50.1) | 120 (46.3) | 126 (48.7) | 101 (58.1) | <0.05 | 0.02 |
| Lack of advance care planning | 581 (84.0) | 227 (87.6) | 227 (87.6) | 127 (73.0) | <0.01 | <0.01 |
| Caregiver problem | 32 (4.6) | 19 (7.3) | 10 (3.9) | 3 (1.7) | 0.02 | <0.01 |
| Socioeconomic problem† | 38 (5.5) | 16 (6.2) | 15 (5.8) | 7 (4.1) | 0.61 | 0.36 |
| Live alone | 31 (4.5) | 13 (5.0) | 13 (5.0) | 5 (2.9) | 0.50 | 0.32 |
| Economic problem | 10 (1.5) | 5 (1.9) | 3 (1.2) | 2 (1.2) | 0.72 | 0.47 |
| Need for family meeting | 43 (6.2) | 9 (3.5) | 14 (5.4) | 20 (11.5) | <0.01 | <0.01 |
| Need for hospice care | 82 (11.9) | 16 (6.2) | 31 (12.1) | 35 (20.2) | <0.01 | <0.01 |
| Estimated life period <6 months | 26 (3.8) | 7 (2.7) | 6 (2.3) | 13 (7.5) | 0.01 | 0.02 |
| Need for comfortable care only | 26 (3.8) | 7 (2.7) | 8 (3.1) | 11 (6.3) | 0.12 | 0.07 |
| Long-term bedridden¶ | 82 (11.9) | 15 (5.8) | 31 (12.0) | 36 (20.7) | <0.01 | <0.01 |
Data are presented as mean ± standard deviation or n (%). EGA, emergency geriatric assessment; ADL, activities of daily living; BMI, body mass index. ∗Comparison among three age groups. †Multiple choices. ‡Any of the following: BMI ≤18.5, BMI ≥27, BWL 5% <1 month or BWL 10% <6 months, dysphagia or poor appetite in recent 2 weeks, or difficulty of swallowing or intake. ¶Long-term bedridden >3 months, recurrent infection, and significant cognitive impairment.