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Community-based geriatric assessment supports independence and improved QoL while reducing acute care needs in older adults.  

In the cohort study published in June 2025 in the issue of BMC Primary Care, researchers examined clinical and process outcomes in older adults (OAs) at risk of or living with frailty who received an interdisciplinary Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) in the community.  

They assessed OAs aged ≥75 years who were screened for frailty and referred by general practitioners (GP) to 1 of 3 Community Specialist Teams for Older Persons (CST-OP) hubs in the Mid-West of Ireland. Follow-up assessments were completed by an independent assessor via telephone in 30 and 180 days. The primary outcome measured was functional status. Secondary outcomes included the use of primary and secondary healthcare, nursing home (NH) admission, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), satisfaction, and mortality.  

The results showed that 303 individuals were recruited with a mean age of 83.2 years. Functional decline occurred 26.4% at 30 days and 33.7% at 180 days. Most individuals retained functional independence for up to 6 months following a community-based CGA. At 30 days, mortality was 1.0%, Emergency Department (ED) visits were 6.9%, hospitalization was 6.6%, and NH admission was 4.0%. The HRQoL improved significantly at both 30 and 180 days [F (2,542) = 13.8, P< 0.001, η²  = 0.5]. Frailty presence significantly predicted adverse outcomes.  

Investigators concluded that community-based CGA was associated with improved HRQoL and reduced acute care use among OAs, with the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) serving as a useful predictor of adverse outcomes. 

Source: bmcprimcare.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12875-025-02895-x