Baseline characteristics
| Characteristic | Intervention (n=305) | Usual care (n=343) |
|---|---|---|
| Age (mean, SD) | 79.6 (7.5) | 79.1 (7.9) |
| Male (n, %) | 137 (45) | 171 (50) |
| Spoke English at home (n, %) | 185 (61) | 224 (65) |
| Resident in an RACF* (n, %) | 21 (7) | 47 (14) |
| Barthel index† (median, IQR) | 91 (71–100) | 90 (71–100) |
| IADL‡ (median, IQR) | 6 (3–8) | 6 (3–8) |
| Visually impaired§ (n, %) | 59 (20) | 83 (26) |
| Hearing impaired¶ (n, %) | 61 (20) | 69 (21) |
| Premorbid cognitive impairment** (n, %) | 38 (13) | 50 (15) |
| MMSE score†† (median, IQR) | 25 (20–28) | 26 (19–28) |
| APACHE II score‡‡ (mean, SD) | 14.3 (5.0) | 14.0 (4.6) |
| Charlson score§§ (median, IQR) | 2 (1–3) | 2 (1–3) |
| Urea¶¶ (median, IQR) | 8.7 (6.5–12.2) | 8.0 (6.0–12.4) |
| Creatinine*** (median, IQR) | 0.10 (0.08–0.13) | 0.10 (0.08–0.14) |
| Urea/creatinine ratio (median, IQR) | 88 (70–110) | 84 (69–104) |
| Albumin*** (mean, SD) | 34.5 (5.4) | 34.4 (5.4) |
| Oxygen therapy (n, %) | 68 (25) | 69 (22) |
| Intravenous therapy (n, %) | 36 (13) | 43 (14) |
| Indwelling catheter (n, %) | 22 (7) | 31 (9) |
*Residential aged care facility.
†Modified Barthel Index.30
‡Independent Activities of Daily Living (Lawton-Brody scale).29
§Corrected binocular vision of: <6/12 CERA kit.26
¶Fewer than six whispers heard on the Whisper test.25
**A composite variable of documented dementia ± Modified Blessed Dementia Rating scale >4.24
††Mini-Mental State Examination.21
‡‡Acute Physiology, Age And Chronic Health Evaluation.28
§§Charlson comorbidity index.27
¶¶mmol/L.
***g/L.