A Long-Term Care—Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (LTC-CGA) Tool: Improving Care for Frail Older Adults?

Abstract

Background

Most older adults living in long-term care facilities (LTCF) are frail and have complex care needs. Holistic understanding of residents’ health status is key to providing good care. Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) is a valid assessment method which aims to embrace complexity. Here we aimed to study a CGA that has been modified for use in long-term care (the LTC-CGA) and to investigate its acceptability and usefulness to stakeholders and users.

Methods

This mixed methods study, conducted in 10 LTCFs in Halifax, Nova Scotia, reviewed 598 resident charts from pre- and postimplementation of the LTC-CGA. Qualitative methods explored stakeholder perspectives (physicians, nurses, paramedics, administrators, residents and families) though focus groups.

Results

The LTC-CGA was present in 78% of LTCF charts in the post -implementation, period though it did not appear in acute care charts of transferred residents, despite the intention that it accompany residents between care sites. Some items had suboptimal completion rates (e.g., Advance Directives at 56.4%), though these were located in other sections of the LTCF chart (98.2%). Nevertheless, qualitative findings suggest the LTC-CGA describes a clinical baseline health status which enabled timely and informed clinical decision-making.

Conclusions

The LTC-CGA is a useful resource whose full capacity may not yet have been realized.