Targeting older at-risk patients with decision-making algorithms is a priority at a time when hospitals are receiving an influx of Covid-19 patients that may exceed their capacity. Such screening could likely be extended to primary care settings in order to identify older community dwellers with Covid-19, but also those experiencing the adverse consequences of prolonged home confinement. The Centre of Excellence on Longevity of McGill University (Quebec, Canada) designed a short assessment for Montreal's housebound community-dwelling older adults. It acts as the first step in connecting older community dwellers who are housebound during the Covid-19 outbreak to telemedicine.

The COVID-19 pandemic had severe consequences for older adults. First, COVID-19 was associated with more severe medical complications and an increased mortality rate in older compared to younger adults (1). Second, home confinement, an intervention that reduces the spread of COVID-19, was associated with adverse consequences for the older community-dwelling population (2). It broke down social networks and the continuum of primary care, resulting in medication or food delivery issues, psychological fallout and increasing frailty risks (3). Frailty assessment provides insight into the degree of older community dwellers’ health status vulnerability, social isolation and adverse health event risks, and it should be assessed before interventions are proposed (3). We designed a short assessment tool known as “Evaluation SOcio-GERiatrique” (ESOGER) for Montreal’s homebound community-dwelling older adults (3). In a phone call, ESOGER briefly assessed frailty and social isolation and provided recommendations, facilitating contact with health or social care providers who initiate appropriate health and social care plans (3). This study aims to examine the longitudinal effects of ESOGER on frailty and social isolation in Montreal’s homebound community-dwelling older adults.

Recently, Aubertin-Leheurdre & Rolland underscored issues and challenges related to the insufficient physical activity levels observed in the frail older population due to social distancing during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic (1). Social distancing is an effective intervention to limit the spread of COVID-19 (2). However, for older community dwellers social distancing implies homebound which may lead to a decline in physical activity, increased gait and balance disorders, cardiovascular disease burden and morality risk (1, 3, 4).