Poster Presentation Australian and New Zealand Society for Geriatric Medicine Annual Scientific Meeting 2026

Medium-term outcomes of COVID-19 infection in aged care facilities – a Residential In-Reach perspective (#251)

Renee Zeng 1 , Kelly Picken 1 , Richard Kane 1 , Christine Mandrawa 1 , Emma Hack 1
  1. Geriatric Medicine, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Aims: Frailty is associated with adverse outcomes following COVID-19 infection (1, 2). Weight loss and reduced physical activity are key components of frailty that are prevalent in residential aged care facilities (RACF) (3, 4). This study aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 infection on mortality and frailty in non-hospitalised RACF residents, using weight loss and mobility as surrogate markers.

 

Methods: A retrospective observational case series was conducted using referrals to a metropolitan Residential In-Reach (RIR) service between 1st July and 30th September 2022. All COVID-19 related referrals of non-hospitalised residents were included. Baseline demographic data was collected. Mortality, weight and mobility status were assessed three months following COVID-19 infection.

 

Results: Of 35 eligible referrals, 22 residents had data available for descriptive analysis. The median age was 83 years. Vaccination coverage and antiviral use were high. COVID-19 infection was either mild (68.2%) or moderate (31.8%), with no severe cases.  Cognitive impairment or dementia was the most prevalent comorbidity. Mortality and mobility decline were low (n=4 and n=3 respectively). Weight loss was common, affecting 10 residents, with a median percentage weight change of -4.15% among those who had lost weight.

 

Conclusions: With recent COVID-19 strains leading to milder infections and reduced hospitalisation, increasing attention should be shifted to its impact on morbidity (5). Unintentional weight loss may represent a key marker of post-COVID vulnerability and frailty. These findings highlight the importance of nutritional assessment and support following infection in this population. Larger studies are needed to better define these associations.

  1. 1. Ellis RJ, Moffatt CRM, Aaron LT, Beaverson G, Chaw K, Curtis C, et al. Factors associated with hospitalisations and deaths of residential aged care residents with COVID-19 during the Omicron (BA.1) wave in Queensland. Medical Journal of Australia. 2023;218(4):174-9.
  2. 2. König M, Gollasch M, Komleva Y. Frailty after COVID-19: The wave after? Aging Medicine. 2023;6(3):307-16.
  3. 3. Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. A summary of the final report. Australia: Royal Comission into Aged Care Quality and Safety; 2021 Mar 21. 115p.
  4. 4. Pel-Littel RE, Schuurmans MJ, Emmelot-Vonk MH, Verhaar HJJ. Frailty: Defining and measuring of a concept. The Journal of nutrition, health and aging. 2009;13(4):390-4.
  5. 5. Muleme M, McNamara BJ, Ampt FH, Baptista M, Dittmer J, Osborne A, et al. Severity of COVID-19 among Residents in Aged Care Facilities in Victoria, Australia: A Retrospective Cohort Study Comparing the Delta and Omicron Epidemic Periods. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2023;24(4):434-40.e5.