• Aoife Mccarthy, Katie Robinson, Frances Dockery, Kara McLoughlin, Margaret O'Connor, Antonella Milos, Gillian Corey, Leonora Carey, Fiona Steed, Miriam Haaksma, Aoife Whiston, Audrey Tierney, and Rose Galvin.
• School of Allied Health, Faculty of Education and Health Sciences, Health Research Institute and Ageing Research Centre, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland. aoife.m.mccarthy@ul.ie.
• Ir J Med Sci. 2024 Oct 1; 193 (5): 256725752567-2575.

BackgroundThere is a paucity of research reporting the long-term outcomes of older adults who have completed geriatric rehabilitation following COVID-19.AimThe 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.MethodsThis 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.ResultsThirty 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.ConclusionsMultidisciplinary 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.© 2024. The Author(s).

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