UCC School of Nursing and Midwifery Annual Report 2019

Catherine McAuley School of Nursing and Midwifery, UCC

Frailty Care Bundle: Health Research Board and South/Southwest Hospital Group co-funded implementation science project

Older adults admitted to hospital are at higher risk of hospital associated decline (HAD) and adverse events. Hospital routines and challenges in prioritising fundamental care contribute to hospital-associated decline. In collaboration with our clinical partners, older adults and members of the older adult research team, we will co- design and implement a Frailty Care Bundle to increase patient mobilisation, nutrition, and hydration during acute hospitalisation. Our main outcome will be increased patient walking measured using accelerometers and patient nutrition and mobilisation. The project is funded for 24 months and we will start to roll out the intervention in February 2020. Dr Ruth Lernihan, South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital, Ms Helen Cahalane, Cork University Hospital and Ms Patricia Maloney, Mallow General Hospital are our research collaborators and we are looking forward to working with them on this exciting project. The Team: Professor Corina Naughton, Dr Teresa Wills, Professor Bridie O’Sullivan, Dr Ruth McCullagh and clinical and academic collaborators

Pictured above: Members of Cork County Age Alliance working with us to co-design the Frailty Care Bundle. Enormously valuable insight into what motivates older people to exercise ‘no one size fits all’ and how older people want to receive information. Their challenge to us was how can technology and artificial intelligence be used to support nutrition and mobilisation in acute care. Clearly the next research idea!

Working collaboratively with older people, our multidisciplinary clinical and academic teams is the key to optimise the recovery potential of older adults during an acute hospital admission Prioritising early mobilisation, nutrition, hydration and cognitive engagement above competing nursing activity is at the heart of our Frailty Care Bundle

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