Abstracts of the 61st Annual and Scientific Meeting of the Irish Gerontological Society. September 20-21, 2013. Dublin, Ireland.

Details not for publication O46 Clinical Characteristics of Older Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV+) Patients E Moloney, D Morley, E Murphy, M Horgan, A Jackson, J Clare Cork University Hospital, Cork, Ireland Background: HIV positive patients attending infectious disease services are increasingly reaching older decades of life. This reflects better patient survival in an era of modern antiretroviral therapy but is also due to increasingly new diagnoses being made in patients over the age of fifty. Methods: All prevalent patients over 50 years of age who attend the HIV clinic at our institution in 2012 were studied. A manual review of patient charts was performed and the following data were extracted: demographic data, clinical data at presentation, sexual history and comorbidities. Results: 384 patients attended our clinic in 2012. 61 patients were over the age of fifty—48 males, (79 %), 13 females (21 %). Twentyone patients were 60 years or older (34 %), eight (13 %) were over 65 years. Median age at diagnosis was 48 years (IQR 42–55) and 25 patients (41 %) were diagnosed after the age of fifty. 60 (98.5 %) patients acquired HIV through sexual exposure. 30 males (62.5 %) reported ‘men sex with men’ (MSM) exposure. The oldest patient attending the service is 76 years old. 37 (60 %) patients were late presenters (nadir CD4 count of \350 cells/uL) (31 male, 6 female). Predominant AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) defining illness at presentation include 13 pneumocystis pneumonias (21 %), 8 Candida infections (13 %), 6 Tuberculosis infections (9 %). Twenty-five patients (41 %) carried three or more comorbidities, including 23 dyslipidemia (38 %), 15 psychiatric diagnoses (25 %), 13 hypertension (21 %), 5 diabetes mellitus (type II) (8 %). 18 patients (30 %) were prescribed greater than three non-HIV treatment related medications. Conclusions: An increasingly ageing cohort is expected in HIV clinics over the coming decade. Sexual contact continues to be the predominant vector for HIV acquisition and a high proportion of incident patients should be expected to be late presenters. A higher burden of comorbidities is expected in this cohort, necessitating more frequent subspecialty consultation. O47 Perceptions, Supports and Expectations Influence Exercise Activity in Frail Older Adults L Broderick, E Savage, R McCullagh, E Bantry-White, S Timmons St. Patricks University Hospital, Cork, Ireland; University College Cork, Cork, Ireland Background: Ireland’s population is rapidly aging. Frail older adults are at particular risk of adverse outcomes. Exercise interventions reduce adverse outcomes, however regular exercise or physical activity decreases with age for non-frail older adults. (1) Research into exercise behaviours of frail older adults is scarce. Thus, this qualitative study was conducted to establish what factors influence frail older adults to exercise. Methods: Ethical approval was obtained. Semi-structured, openended interviews were conducted with 29 frail older adults to explore what influenced them to exercise. Thematic content analysis established the findings. Results: Firstly, lifelong perception of exercise influences current exercise behaviours in frail older adults. Important historical influences on exercise behaviour include emigration, technology, occupation, and child-rearing. In general, frail older adults perceive exercise as a by-product of more purposeful activities such as manual work, or social activities. They define exercise in terms of function, thus their descriptions of exercise changes in line with their ability. Previous participation in rehabilitation programmes changes perceptions and expectations of exercise. Motivators to exercise include desire for independence, positive outcome expectations and enjoyment. Barriers include health, age, environment and family. Family, the largest source of social support, support exercise behaviour, but they also limit it. Progression into frailty appears to be associated with a decline in non-family support. Conclusions: Frail older adults perceive exercise as incidental to more purposeful activities rather than an endpoint in itself. Therefore, exercise programmes concentrating on functional outcomes may be more relevant for this population. Family members in a caring role may benefit from education regarding exercise benefits. Strategies which promote social support networks may also benefit frail older adults. References: 1. Schoenborn CA, Adams PF, Barnes PM, Vickerie JL, Schiller JS (2004) Health behaviors of adults: United States, 1999–2001. Vital Health Stat 10 219:1 (Data from the National Health Survey) S224 Ir J Med Sci (2013) 182 (Suppl 6):S179–S296