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Beginning with its emergence in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a pandemic that causes COVID-19, has spread and left profound consequences on the lives and health of people around the world. Although most patients who have COVID-19 recover after two to six weeks, research shows that 10–30% of people who have had COVID-19, even with a mild clinical picture, remain with persistent symptoms that have a devastating effect on their quality of life. These symptoms, which most often include fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pain, headache, and cognitive dysfunction, but also others that generally have an impact on everyday functioning, are recognized as a clinical condition called post-COVID syndrome (long COVID). In addition to physical disabilities in people recovering from COVID-19, mental health problems have also been observed, including problems with concentration (“brain fog”), anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In this chapter, we provide a comprehensive review of the current scientific findings identifying post-COVID conditions and their relationship with mental health status.

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Introduction. Falls and fall-related injuries are common in the geriatric population and may be associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to determine differences in the incidence of falls and risk factors for falls between the community-dwelling and institutionalized elderly people. Material and Methods. The cross sectional study was conducted in the period from May 1, 2015 to December 1, 2015, including 300 community-dwelling elderly people and 110 nursing home residents. The research instruments were a sociodemographic questionnaire, Mini nutritional assessment, Katz index, and Lawton scale. Results. During the previous 12 months, at least one fall was reported in 17.1% of the total number of respondents. The incidence of falls was higher among nursing home residents (c 2 = 13.550; p = 0.001). The risk factors for falls were multifactorial. Community-dwelling elderly suffered from urinary incontinence more frequently compared to nursing home residents (p = 0.004), but a significantly worse nutritional status was found in community-dwelling elderly people (p < 0.001). Assistance in basic activities of daily living was required by 3.9% of nursing home residents, and 8.3% of community-dwelling elderly people (p < 0.001). Statistically significant difference was not found in the performance of instrumental activities of daily living (p < 0.145). Conclusion. The incidence of falls was higher in nursing home residents. Risk factors for falls in both examined groups were visual and hearing impairments, urinary incontinence, use of 3 medications per day, damaged functional status, and malnutrition. Prevention of falls requires modification of environmental hazards, reduction of risk factors, their evaluation and strategy implementation.

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