Long-term outcomes of older adults with acute COVID-19 following inpatient geriatric rehabilitation: a prospective cohort study from the Republic of Ireland

Background: There is a paucity of research reporting the long-term outcomes of older adults who have completed geriatric rehabilitation following COVID-19.

Aim: The primary aim of this study is to describe the long-term functional outcomes of a cohort of older adults with acute COVID-19 who have completed inpatient geriatric rehabilitation.

Methods: This is a subgroup analysis of Irish data from a pan-European prospective cohort study. Functional ability, patient reported symptoms, and quality of life were measured using the Barthel index, the COVID-19 Yorkshire Rehabilitation Screen, and the EQ-5D-5L, respectively.

Results: Thirty patients enrolled in the study. The rate of mortality was 23.3% at 6 months after discharge from rehabilitation. Patients achieved a return to pre-admission functional ability but reported a significant increase in patient reported symptoms and their quality of life did not return to pre-admission levels when assessed at 6 months after discharge from rehabilitation.

Conclusions: Multidisciplinary rehabilitation for older adults with acute COVID-19 infection can assist patients to return to their premorbid functional ability. On discharge from rehabilitation, ongoing follow-up of older adults is recommended to assist them to negotiate and manage ongoing symptomatology such as breathlessness or fatigue.