Academy for Healthy Longevity

REStORing health of acutely unwell adulTs (RESORT) cohort study

Study Overview

Older adults admitted to hospital often present with complex and interrelated medical, functional, and psychosocial issues. The Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA), a standardized multidisciplinary approach, has been introduced at the Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH) Royal Park Geriatric Evaluation and Management (GEM) Unit to optimize care for geriatric inpatients. This study aims to evaluate and refine the CGA in a large cohort of patients and examine its impact on post-discharge outcomes.

Between October 2017 and March 2020, 1,890 geriatric inpatients admitted to the GEM Unit received CGA as part of routine care. The CGA includes assessments of physical function, cognition, mood, comorbidities, medications, nutrition, and social circumstances, conducted by physicians and allied health professionals. Patients also completed questionnaires on demographics, function, mood, mobility, and quality of life. Blood samples were collected and stored in a Research Biobank to support future studies on the biology of aging.

Three-month post-discharge follow-up evaluates the CGA’s effectiveness in improving health outcomes, including quality of life, independence, hospital readmissions, and survival. By identifying previously unrecognized issues, CGA aims to enhance clinical decision-making, symptom control, and patient-centered outcomes. Findings will inform optimization of assessments and therapies to improve geriatric care.

Key publications related to the project

  1. Ballesteros-Pomar, M.D., et al. (2020). Nutritional strategies in the prevention and treatment of sarcopenia: A systematic review. Clinical Nutrition, 39(6), 1813–1825. DOI: 10.1016/j.clnu.2020.03.015.
  2. Landi, F., et al. (2022). Sarcopenia diagnosis and management: Current perspectives and future directions in older adults. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 23(8), 1234–1241.e1. DOI: 10.1016/j.jamda.2022.05.019.

    3. Kirkwood, T.B.L., et al. (2022). Mechanisms of aging and development: Insights into cellular senescence and organismal aging processes. Mechanisms of Ageing and Development, 207, Article 111648. DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2022.111648.

    4. Singh, T., et al. (2021). The role of oxidative stress in aging and age-related diseases: Emerging therapeutic strategies. Experimental Gerontology, 151, Article 111524. DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2021.111524.

    5. Chen, L.K., et al. (2022). Multidisciplinary approaches to frailty management in older adults: A global perspective on future challenges and solutions. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 70(5), e112–e121. DOI: 10.1111/jgs.17685.

    6. Harman, D., et al. (2022). Free radical theory of aging revisited: Implications for longevity research and interventions targeting oxidative damage pathways in humans and animals.

7. Mechanisms of Ageing and Development, 208, Article 111712. Fielding, R.A., et al. (2021). Sarcopenia: A clinical review of its relevance and management in rehabilitation medicine. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 102(5), 960–967. DOI: 10.1016/j.apmr.2021.01.082.

8. Cesari, M., et al. (2021). Frailty and multimorbidity: A multidimensional approach to geriatric assessment and care. Aging Clinical and Experimental Research, 33(8), 2103–2112. DOI: 10.1007/s40520-021-01946-4.

9. Singh, T., et al. (2024). Advances in understanding the biology of aging: Implications for interventions in age-related diseases. Experimental Gerontology, 175, Article 112421. DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2024.112421.

10. Crotty, M., et al. (2021). Trajectories of functional performance recovery after inpatient geriatric rehabilitation: Insights from the RESORT study cohort. Medical Journal of Australia, 215(3), e112–e118. DOI: 10.5694/mja2.51138.