Depression in older people

Depression is common in older patients and symptoms can be masked by unexplained physical ailments like fatigue and pain. This cross-sectional study in Norway found mental health problems were addressed in only 9% of consultations, and only a third of patients with moderate depressive symptoms addressed them in their consultation. GPs were unaware of probable depression in almost one in three older patients.

 

Comprehensive geriatric assessments

As populations age and develop multimorbidity, the prevalence of frailty is likely to increase substantially. Comprehensive geriatric assessments are well-established as an intervention in frailty in secondary care, but there is very limited evidence on GP-led CGA. Donaghy and colleagues' evaluation of the ‘Living Well Assessment’ quality improvement project showed that GP-led CGAs were feasible in a large practice, even during the pandemic. Moreover, they were highly valued by patients.