Functional, cognitive, and nutritional decline in 435 elderly nursing home residents after the first wave of the...

Many institutionalized older people have died during the first wave of COVID-19. Other related consequences have not yet been described objectively. The aim of this study was to compare functional, cognitive, and nutritional status before and after the first wave among nursing home residents, in both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients.

Older adults institutionalized in four nursing homes were assessed from May to June 2020, by a geriatric multidisciplinary team in collaboration with the nursing homes staff. Comprehensive geriatric assessment was performed including functional, cognitive, and nutritional variables before and after the first wave of the pandemic. Data from residents with positive results for microbiological testing for SARS-CoV-2 were compared with those who did not.

435 nursing home residents were included. The median age was 86.77 ± 8.5 years, 78.4% were women. 190 (43.9%) tested positive for coronavirus. Functional decline after the first wave was detected in 20.2% according to the Barthel Index and in 18.5% according to functional ambulation categories, p < 0.001. Cognitive status worsened by 22 and 25.9% according to the global deterioration scale (p < 0.001) and Lobo's Mini-Examen Cognoscitivo (p 0.01), respectively. Onset of depressive symptoms was found in 48% (p < 0.001). The prevalence of malnutrition increased by 36.8 and 38.4% lost weight. When comparing the functional, cognitive, and nutritional decline between COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients no clinical or statistically significant differences were found except for the presence of prior malnutrition, higher in the COVID-19 group.

We observed a significative functional, cognitive, and nutritional decline in institutionalized elderly after the first wave of COVID-19. These results may be caused by the lockdown itself, since no differences have been found between COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients. According to these results, interventions are necessary during social isolation or confinement to prevent systemic decline in the elderly.