Safety and efficacy of ipragliflozin in elderly versus non-elderly Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a subgroup analysis of the STELLA-LONG TERM study.

PubMed

Maegawa, Hiroshi; Tobe, Kazuyuki; Tabuchi, Hiromi; Nakamura, Ichiro; Uno, Satoshi

2018-03-01

This subgroup analysis of STELLA-LONG TERM interim data explored the long-term safety and efficacy of ipragliflozin in non-elderly vs. elderly Japanese type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. STELLA-LONG TERM is an ongoing 3-year prospective surveillance study of Japanese T2DM patients receiving ipragliflozin 50 mg once daily. In this subgroup analysis, patient characteristics, laboratory variables, and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) were compared between non-elderly (<65 years) and elderly (≥65 years) patients. Non-elderly patients had significantly higher body mass index and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol than elderly patients (P < 0.001). The proportion of patients with hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) <8.0% was significantly higher among elderly patients (P < 0.001). HbA1c, fasting plasma glucose, and body weight significantly decreased from baseline to 3 and 12 months in both groups (all P < 0.05 vs. baseline). The ADR incidence was 10.83% vs. 10.42% in non-elderly and elderly patients. The incidence of skin complications was 0.98% vs. 1.65% and that of renal disorder was 0.47% vs. 0.95% in non-elderly and elderly patients (both P = 0.003). Ipragliflozin was effective in non-elderly and elderly Japanese T2DM patients in a real-world clinical setting. The incidence of renal disorder and skin complications was significantly higher in elderly vs. non-elderly patients.

Uncertainty, the Overbearing Lived Experience of the Elderly People Undergoing Hemodialysis: A Qualitative Study.

PubMed

Sahaf, Robab; Sadat Ilali, Ehteram; Peyrovi, Hamid; Akbari Kamrani, Ahmad Ali; Spahbodi, Fatemeh

2017-01-01

The chronic kidney disease is a major health concern. The number of the elderly people with chronic renal failure has increased across the world. Dialysis is an appropriate therapy for the elderly, but it involves certain challenges. The present paper reports uncertainty as part of the elderly experiences of living with hemodialysis. This qualitative study applied Max van Manen interpretative phenomenological analysis to explain and explore experiences of the elderly with hemodialysis. Given the study inclusion criteria, data were collected using in-depth unstructured interviews with nine elderly undergoing hemodialysis, and then analyzed according to Van Manen 6-stage methodological approach. One of the most important findings emerging in the main study was "uncertainty", which can be important and noteworthy, given other aspects of the elderly life (loneliness, despair, comorbidity of diseases, disability, and mental and psychosocial problems). Uncertainty about the future is the most psychological concerns of people undergoing hemodialysis. The results obtained are indicative of the importance of paying attention to a major aspect in the life of the elderly undergoing hemodialysis, uncertainty. A positive outlook can be created in the elderly through education and increased knowledge about the disease, treatment and complications.

[Presentation of age(ing) and elderly people in TV commercials].

PubMed

Hoppe, Theresa; Tischer, Ulrike; Philippsen, Christine; Hartmann-Tews, Ilse

2016-06-01

From the results of different studies it is known that stereotyped images about ageing and elderly people frame and influence the attitudes, beliefs and activities of elderly people and also influence the interaction of others with elderly people. The purpose of this study was to assess the currently portrayed images of elderly people, age and ageing in television (TV) advertisements. The study was based on a qualitative and quantitative content analysis of commercials presented on four major TV networks, two private and two public TV broadcasting networks in Germany. The sample covered 114 different commercials which included 131 elderly actors (approximately 50 + years). The results show that the products most often portrayed in commercials with elderly people are related to food, followed by prescription drugs and health, insurance and hygiene products. Elderly people are still underrepresented in TV commercials. Their characters are portrayed with overwhelmingly positive attributes and traits. The findings suggest that TV advertisements create an ideal image of active and healthy ageing. Further research might explore to what extent elderly people take this ideal image of ageing as their own interpretive frame of orientation.

Quality of life and wellbeing of the elderly in Lebanese nursing homes.

PubMed

Doumit, Jacqueline; Nasser, Ramzi

2010-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to assess quality of life in relation to wellbeing among Lebanese nursing home elderly residents. The study attempts to understand the impact of structures, processes and skills on elderly health status. In this paper, 220 normally functioning elderly respondents from 33 nursing homes were studied. A quasi-experimental approach measured psychological and health-related factors using the Geriatric Depression Scale, Activity of Daily Living, EuroQol EQ-5D and the Mini-Nutritional Assessment (MNA) instruments. A relatively high level of mild depression among elderly residents and a lack of mobility were found. Generally, normally functioning elderly residents were well nourished and had moderate daily activity levels. The study is original in the sense that it assesses elderly residents' psychological and physical health status in relation to institutional structures, processes, and skills.

Elderly driver retraining

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1982-09-01

This report documents a study of the traffic safety problems associated with elderly drivers. For the purposes of this study, "elderly drivers" are defined as drivers aged 55 years or older. The study involved five major activities. First, research w...

Studies of the Future Aged. An International Symposium.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friis, Henning; Sheppard, Harold L., Ed.

These six papers report on future-oriented studies of the situation of the elderly. "Changing Elderly in a Changing Society: Danish Elderly in the Next Century" (Henning Friis) reports on research dealing with preferences of the future elderly for their life when they grow older. "Aging Effectively: Meeting the Challenge of an Aging…

The Dementia and Disability Project in Thai Elderly: rational, design, methodology and early results.

PubMed

Senanarong, Vorapun; Harnphadungkit, Kamolthip; Poungvarin, Niphon; Vannasaeng, Sathit; Chongwisal, Samut; Chakorn, Tipa; Jamjumrus, Piyanuch; Raksthaput, Atthapon; Chaichanettee, Sinisa; Aoonkaew, Nattapol; Udompunthurak, Suthipol; Doody, Rachelle S; Cummings, Jeffrey L

2013-01-10

A strong inverse relationship of functional limitation and socioeconomic status has been established in western ageing society. Functional limitation can be related to chronic diseases, disuse, cognitive decline, and ageing. Among chronic diseases in the Thai population, cerebrovascular diseases, diabetes, and arthritis are common. These factors are known to contribute to disability and poor quality of life in the elder population. Neuropsychiatric problems, cognitive decline, dementia, and cultural issues in elderly people also can alter the quality of life of the elderly. The Dementia and Disability Project in Thai Elderly (DDP) aims at comprehensively assessing community dwelling Thai elderly to understand the relationship between disability and motor function, neuropsychiatric symptoms, cognitive function, and chronic diseases. The DDP is the first study to look at the prevalence and etiology of dementia and of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in Thai elders and to explore the relationship of cognition, disability, small vessel diseases and cortical degeneration with neuroimaging in Thai elderly people. 1998 Thai elders were screened in 2004-2006 and diagnosed as having MCI or dementia. 223 elders with MCI or dementia and cognitively normal elderly had brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or at baseline. 319 elders from the 3 groups had blood tests to investigate the risks and possible etiologies of dementia including genotyping at baseline. The mean age of elders in this study is 69.51(SD=6.71, min=60, max=95) years. 689(34.9%) are men and 1284(65.1%) are women. Mean body weight was 58.36(SD=11.20) kgs. The regression model reveals that performance on gait and balance and serum triglyceride predicts activity of daily living performance (adjusted r2 = 0.280, f=2.644, p=0.003). The majority of abnormal gait in Thai elders was lower level gait disturbance. Only 1.5% (29/1952) had highest level gait disorders. 39.5% of 1964 subjects were free of chronic diseases. Treatment gap (indicating those who have untreated or inadequate treatment) of diabetes mellitus and hypertension in Thai elders in this study was 37% and 55.5% respectively. 62.6% of Thai elders have ApoE3E3 allele. Prevalence of positive ApoE4 gene in this study is 22.85%. 38.6% of Thai elders who had MRI brain study have moderate to severe white matter lesions. The large and comprehensive set of measurements in DDP allows a wide-ranging explanation of the functional and clinical features to be investigated in relation to white matter lesions or cortical atrophy of the brain in Thai elderly population. An almost 2 year follow up was made available to those with MCI and dementia and some of the cognitively normal elderly. The longitudinal design will provide great understanding of the possible contributors to disability in the elderly and to the progression of cognitive decline in Thai elders.

The dementia and disability project in Thai elderly: rational, design, methodology and early results

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background A strong inverse relationship of functional limitation and socioeconomic status has been established in western ageing society. Functional limitation can be related to chronic diseases, disuse, cognitive decline, and ageing. Among chronic diseases in the Thai population, cerebrovascular diseases, diabetes, and arthritis are common. These factors are known to contribute to disability and poor quality of life in the elder population. Neuropsychiatric problems, cognitive decline, dementia, and cultural issues in elderly people also can alter the quality of life of the elderly. Methods The Dementia and Disability Project in Thai Elderly (DDP) aims at comprehensively assessing community dwelling Thai elderly to understand the relationship between disability and motor function, neuropsychiatric symptoms, cognitive function, and chronic diseases. The DDP is the first study to look at the prevalence and etiology of dementia and of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in Thai elders and to explore the relationship of cognition, disability, small vessel diseases and cortical degeneration with neuroimaging in Thai elderly people. 1998 Thai elders were screened in 2004–2006 and diagnosed as having MCI or dementia. 223 elders with MCI or dementia and cognitively normal elderly had brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or at baseline. 319 elders from the 3 groups had blood tests to investigate the risks and possible etiologies of dementia including genotyping at baseline. Results The mean age of elders in this study is 69.51(SD=6.71, min=60, max=95) years. 689(34.9%) are men and 1284(65.1%) are women. Mean body weight was 58.36(SD=11.20) kgs. The regression model reveals that performance on gait and balance and serum triglyceride predicts activity of daily living performance (adjusted r2 = 0.280, f=2.644, p=0.003). The majority of abnormal gait in Thai elders was lower level gait disturbance. Only 1.5% (29/1952) had highest level gait disorders. 39.5% of 1964 subjects were free of chronic diseases. Treatment gap (indicating those who have untreated or inadequate treatment) of diabetes mellitus and hypertension in Thai elders in this study was 37% and 55.5% respectively. 62.6% of Thai elders have ApoE3E3 allele. Prevalence of positive ApoE4 gene in this study is 22.85%. 38.6% of Thai elders who had MRI brain study have moderate to severe white matter lesions. Conclusion The large and comprehensive set of measurements in DDP allows a wide-ranging explanation of the functional and clinical features to be investigated in relation to white matter lesions or cortical atrophy of the brain in Thai elderly population. An almost 2 year follow up was made available to those with MCI and dementia and some of the cognitively normal elderly. The longitudinal design will provide great understanding of the possible contributors to disability in the elderly and to the progression of cognitive decline in Thai elders. PMID:23305293

The effect of a family-based intervention with a cognitive-behavioral approach on elder abuse.

PubMed

Khanlary, Zahra; Maarefvand, Masoomeh; Biglarian, Akbar; Heravi-Karimooi, Majideh

2016-01-01

Elder abuse may become a health issue in developing countries, including Iran. The purpose of this investigation was to study the effectiveness of Family-Based Cognitive-Behavioral Social Work (FBCBSW) in reducing elder abuse. In a randomized clinical trial in Iran, 27 elders participated in intervention and control groups. The intervention groups received a five-session FBCBSW intervention and completed the Domestic-Elder-Abuse-Questionnaire (DEAQ), which evaluates elder abuse at baseline and follow-ups. Repeated measures of analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the Wilcoxon test were used to analyze the data. The repeated measures ANOVA revealed that FBCBSW was successful in reducing elder abuse. The Wilcoxon test indicated that emotional neglect, care neglect, financial neglect, curtailment of personal autonomy, psychological abuse, and financial abuse significantly decreased over time, but there was no statistically significant difference in physical abuse before and after the intervention. The findings from this study suggest that FBCBSW is a promising approach to reducing elder abuse and warrants further study with larger samples.

Medical expenditure and unmet need of the pre-elderly and the elderly according to job status in Korea: Are the elderly indeed most vulnerable?

PubMed Central

Lee, Hwa-Young; Kondo, Naoki

2018-01-01

Increase in the elderly population and early retirement imposes immense economic burden on societies. Previous studies on the association between medical expenditure and working status in the elderly population have not adequately addressed reverse causality problem. In addition, the pre-elderly group has hardly been discussed in this regard. This study assessed possible causal association between employment status and medical expenditure as well as employment status and medical unmet needs in a representative sample of the Korean elderly (aged≧65) and the pre-elderly (aged ≧50 and < 65) adults from the Korea Health Panel Data (KHP). Dynamic panel Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) estimation was employed for the analysis of medical expenditure to address reverse causality, and fixed effect panel logistic regression was used for the analysis of unmet need. The results showed no significant association between job status and medical expenditure in the elderly, but a negative and significant influence on the level of medical expenditure in the pre-elderly. Unemployment was a significant determinant of lowering unmet need from lack of time while it was not associated with unmet need from financial burden in the fixed-effect panel model for both the elderly and pre-elderly groups. The pre-elderly adults were more likely to reduce necessary health service utilization due to unemployment compared to the elderly group because there is no proper financial safety net for the pre-elderly, which may cause non-adherence to treatment and therefore lead to negative health effects. The policy dialogue on safety net currently centers only on the elderly, but should be extended to the pre-elderly population. PMID:29570736

Exploratory study toward development of the French version of the questionnaire on personality traits (QPT/VKP-4) in an elderly population in comparison to young adults.

PubMed

Courtois, R; Enfoux, A; Plaisant, O; Coutard, N; Duijsens, I J; Réveillère, C; Camus, V; El-Hage, W

2014-08-01

This research is an exploratory study toward development of the French version of the Questionnaire on Personality Traits (QPT/VKP-4). The goal was to assess its association with the Big Five Inventory (BIG-5) and to explore the personality characteristics of the elderly compared to young adults. The 241 participants included 83 elderly people and 158 young adults. Borderline and anxious personality disorders were less frequent in elderly women than in young women, and depressive personality disorder was less frequent in elderly men. Dimension scores were higher for Conscientiousness in the elderly, Agreeableness in elderly women, and Extraversion in elderly men. Statistically significant correlations were found between personality dimension scores using the VKP-4 and the BIG-5.

Mental health first aid for the elderly: A pilot study of a training program adapted for helping elderly people.

PubMed

Svensson, Bengt; Hansson, Lars

2017-06-01

Epidemiological studies have shown a high prevalence of mental illness among the elderly. Clinical data however indicate both insufficient detection and treatment of illnesses. Suggested barriers to treatment include conceptions that mental health symptoms belong to normal aging and lack of competence among staff in elderly care in detecting mental illness. A Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training program for the elderly was developed and provided to staff in elderly care. The aim of this study was to investigate changes in knowledge in mental illness, confidence in helping a person, readiness to give help and attitudes towards persons with mental illness. Single group pre-test-post-test design. The study group included staff in elderly care from different places in Sweden (n = 139). Significant improvements in knowledge, confidence in helping an elderly person with mental illness and attitudes towards persons with mental illness are shown. Skills acquired during the course have been practiced during the follow-up. The adaption of MHFA training for staff working in elderly care gives promising results. Improvements in self-reported confidence in giving help, attitudes towards persons with mental illness and actual help given to persons with mental illness are shown. However, the study design allows no firm conclusions and a randomized controlled trail is needed to investigate the effectiveness of the program. Outcomes should include if the detection and treatment of mental illness among the elderly actually improved.

Healthy Eating Exploratory Program for the Elderly: Low Salt Intake in Congregate Meal Service.

PubMed

Seo, S; Kim, O Y; Ahn, J

2016-03-01

This study reported on an exploratory program to help the low income elderly improve healthy eating behavior, specifically by reducing salt intake. We conducted an exploratory program for 4 weeks for this study. The exploratory program involved offering menus with reduced salt and providing education on healthy eating. After the exploratory program, a survey of the elderly and in-depth interviews allowed us to evaluate the program for foodservice providers (dietitian, social workers, and volunteer workers). This study included both foodservice workers and elderly who actually used the foodservice in a congregate meal service system. This is a unique approach. A congregate meal service center in Seoul, Korea. Seventy four elderly in a congregate meal service center. Demographics were collected, and the healthy eating program and healthy eating education for elderly respondents were evaluated. The elderly showed high satisfaction with the exploratory program for healthy eating. We found no significant differences in satisfaction with the program between the elderly who attended education sessions and those who did not, but more of the elderly from the education sessions showed positive behavioral change intentions. The exploratory program influenced to reduce the salt intake of the elderly in congregate meal service. This study suggests cooperation of foodservice providers and the support of administrators is critical to the success of such programs.

Management of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer in elderly populations.

PubMed

Lilenbaum, Rogerio

2003-11-01

Elderly patients, defined as those >or= 70 years of age, represent approximately 40% of all patients diagnosed with non-small-cell lung cancer in the United States. Nonetheless, elderly patients have been underrepresented in national cooperative group trials, and many do not receive appropriate treatment. Whereas the benefit of systemic chemotherapy in younger patients is accepted by most clinicians, there remains a great deal of skepticism with respect to older patients, who are often labeled unfit for chemotherapy. More recent studies with a special focus on elderly patients demonstrate that these patients indeed benefit from chemotherapy. The landmark Elderly Lung Cancer Vinorelbine Italian Study Group trial and the Multicentre Italian Lung Cancer in the Elderly Study clarified the role of vinorelbine in the treatment of elderly patients. Retrospective and prospective subgroup analyses from selected North American trials suggested that elderly patients also benefit from platinum-based combinations. Whether elderly patients should be treated with single-agent versus combination chemotherapy is discussed in this review. The available data suggest that patients should be evaluated for chemotherapy based on their performance status and comorbidities rather than age alone. For elderly patients judged fit to receive combination chemotherapy, carboplatin-based regimens are a reasonable option. In elderly patients with less than optimal performance status or significant comorbid conditions, single-agent therapy may be more appropriate.

Assessment of the nutritional status of the elderly and its correlates.

PubMed

Agarwalla, Rashmi; Saikia, Anku Moni; Baruah, Rupali

2015-01-01

The percentage of elderly is growing rapidly and malnutrition is not uncommon in the elderly. The present study was carried out to assess the nutritional status of the elderly using the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) tool, and to study the various epidemiological factors influencing their nutritional status. This cross-sectional study was done from July 2012 to August 2013 in Boko-Bongaon Block, Kamrup District, Assam, India. The elderly, those over 60 years of age, who met the inclusion criteria participated in the study. A total of 30 clusters were selected and 12 elderly from each cluster were taken to achieve the desired sample size of 360. Nutritional status was assessed by the MNA tool and a 24-h dietary recall method. Out of the total of 360 elderly persons, 15% were found to be malnourished and 55% were at risk of malnutrition. The association between nutritional status and older age group, female gender, dependent functional status, dependent financial status and inadequate calorie intake was found to be significant. The present findings reveal that malnutrition is not an uncommon problem in the elderly, and further studies are needed in this regard.

The protective effect of taking care of grandchildren on elders' mental health? Associations between changing patterns of intergenerational exchanges and the reduction of elders' loneliness and depression between 1993 and 2007 in Taiwan.

PubMed

Tsai, Feng-Jen; Motamed, Sandrine; Rougemont, André

2013-06-10

The 20th century's rapid industrialization and urbanization brought important social changes to Taiwan, including an increased number of elders living alone, which has increased risk of depression for the elderly. This study aimed to evaluate the changing pattern regarding the effect of intergenerational exchanges on elders' depressive symptoms from 1993 to 2007. Data from the second-, fourth- and sixth-wave surveys of the Study of Health and Living Status of the Middle-Aged and Elderly in Taiwan were analyzed. This study collected elders' individual sociodemographic characteristics, their self-reported health status and their intergenerational exchanges, including living with partners or with their children and their provision of care for their grandchildren. Information about elders' depression was evaluated using the 5-item Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D).Changes in elders' intergenerational exchanges and depressive symptoms were compared during these study periods (chi-square test). Then, logistic regression was performed to determine how significantly elders' intergenerational exchanges were associated with their depressive symptoms across the three years 1993, 1999 and 2007. The prevalence of elders living with partners decreased from 1993 to 2007 by 19%, and that of living with their children decreased from 1993 to 2007 by 7%. Conversely, the percentage of elders providing care for grandchildren dramatically increased, from 9% in 1993 to 21% in 2007. Elderly people had significantly fewer depressive symptoms in 2007 than in 1993.After adjusting for confounders, those living without a partner, living without children or providing no grandchild care had a greater risk of feeling lonely and being depressed. However, during the period 1993 to 2007, the impact on elders' depression and loneliness of co-residing with a partner or with children decreased at the same time that the impact of their provision of grandchild care increased. In 2007, elders who provided no grandchild care were significantly more likely to feel lonely and sad as well as to have high CES-D scores; these strong associations were not found in 1993 and 1999. This study illustrates how taking care of grandchildren protects against depression and loneliness in elderly Taiwanese. We argue the need, in an aging society, for improving intergenerational interaction and recommend careful evaluation of the interaction between population policies and those of social welfare, such as child care.

The study on development of easily chewable and swallowable foods for elderly

PubMed Central

Kim, Soojeong

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND/OBJECTS When the functions involved in the ingestion of food occurs failure, not only loss of enjoyment of eating, it will be faced with protein-energy malnutrition. Dysmasesis and difficulty of swallowing occurs in various diseases, but it may be a major cause of aging, and elderly people with authoring and dysmasesis and difficulty of swallowing in the aging society is expected to increase rapidly. SUBJECTS/METHODS In this study, we carried out a survey targeting nutritionists who work in elderly care facilities, and examined characteristics of offering of foods for elderly and the degree of demand of development of easily chewable and swallowable foods for the elderly who can crush foods and take that by their own tongues, and sometimes have difficulty in drinking water and tea. RESULTS In elderly care facilities, it was found to provide a finely chopped food or ground food that was ground with water in a blender for elderly with dysmasesis. Elderly satisfaction of provided foods is appeared overall low. Results of investigating the applicability of foods for elderly and the reflection will of menus, were showed the highest response rate in a gelification method in molecular gastronomic science technics, and results of investigating the frequent food of the elderly; representative menu of beef, pork, white fish, anchovies and spinach, were showed Korean barbecue beef, hot pepper paste stir fried pork, pan fried white fish, stir fried anchovy, seasoned spinach were the highest offer frequency. CONCLUSIONS This study will provide the fundamentals of the development of easily chewable and swallowable foods, gelification, for the elderly. The study will also illustrate that, in the elderly, food undergone gelification will reduce the risk of swallowing down to the wrong pipe and improve overall food preference. PMID:26244082

The study on development of easily chewable and swallowable foods for elderly.

PubMed

Kim, Soojeong; Joo, Nami

2015-08-01

When the functions involved in the ingestion of food occurs failure, not only loss of enjoyment of eating, it will be faced with protein-energy malnutrition. Dysmasesis and difficulty of swallowing occurs in various diseases, but it may be a major cause of aging, and elderly people with authoring and dysmasesis and difficulty of swallowing in the aging society is expected to increase rapidly. In this study, we carried out a survey targeting nutritionists who work in elderly care facilities, and examined characteristics of offering of foods for elderly and the degree of demand of development of easily chewable and swallowable foods for the elderly who can crush foods and take that by their own tongues, and sometimes have difficulty in drinking water and tea. In elderly care facilities, it was found to provide a finely chopped food or ground food that was ground with water in a blender for elderly with dysmasesis. Elderly satisfaction of provided foods is appeared overall low. Results of investigating the applicability of foods for elderly and the reflection will of menus, were showed the highest response rate in a gelification method in molecular gastronomic science technics, and results of investigating the frequent food of the elderly; representative menu of beef, pork, white fish, anchovies and spinach, were showed Korean barbecue beef, hot pepper paste stir fried pork, pan fried white fish, stir fried anchovy, seasoned spinach were the highest offer frequency. This study will provide the fundamentals of the development of easily chewable and swallowable foods, gelification, for the elderly. The study will also illustrate that, in the elderly, food undergone gelification will reduce the risk of swallowing down to the wrong pipe and improve overall food preference.

First-line managers' experiences of alternative modes of funding in elderly care in Sweden.

PubMed

Antonsson, Helen; Korjonen, Susanne Eriksson; Rosengren, Kristina

2012-09-01

The aim of this study was to describe first-line managers' experiences of alternative modes of funding elderly care in two communities in western Sweden. A growing elderly population demands alternative modes of funding elderly care for better outcomes for patients and better efficiency as it is publicly funded through taxation. The study comprised a total of eight semi-structured interviews with first-line managers working within elderly care. The interviews were analysed using manifest qualitative content analysis. Respect for the individuals was a main concern in the study. One category, quality improvement, and four subcategories freedom of choice, organisational structure, quality awareness and market forces effects were identified to describe first-line managers' experiences of the operation of elderly care. Quality improvement was an important factor to deal with when elderly care was operated in different organisational perspectives, either private or public. The first-line manager is a key person for developing a learning organisation that encourages both staff, clients and their relatives to improve the organisation. Moreover, person-centred care strengthens the client's role in the organisation, which is in line with the government's goal for the quality improvement of elderly care. However, further research is needed on how quality improvement could be developed when different caregivers operate in the same market in order to improve care from the elderly perspective. This study highlights alternative modes of funding elderly care. The economical perspectives should not dominate without taking care of quality improvement when the operation of elderly care is planned and implemented. Strategies such as a learning organisational structure built on person-centred care could create quality improvement in elderly care. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Elderly demand for family-based care and support: evidence from a social intervention strategy.

PubMed

Aboagye, Emmanuel; Agyemang, Otuo Serebour; Tjerbo, Trond

2013-12-06

This paper examines the influence of the national health insurance scheme on elderly demand for family-based care and support. It contributes to the growing concern on the rapid increase in the elderly population globally using micro-level social theory to examine the influence the health insurance has on elderly demand for family support. A qualitative case study approach is applied to construct a comprehensive and thick description of how the national health insurance scheme influences the elderly in their demand for family support.Through focused interviews and direct observation of six selected cases, in-depth information on primary carers, living arrangement and the interaction between the health insurance as structure and elders as agents are analyzed. The study highlights that the interaction between the elderly and the national health insurance scheme has produced a new stratum of relationship between the elderly and their primary carers. Consequently, this has created equilibrium between the elderly demand for support and support made available by their primary carers. As the demand of the elderly for support is declining, supply of support by family members for the elderly is also on the decline.

Elderly Demand for Family-based Care and Support: Evidence from a Social Intervention Strategy

PubMed Central

Aboagye, Emmanuel; Agyemang, Otuo Serebour; Tjerbo, Trond

2014-01-01

This paper examines the influence of the national health insurance scheme on elderly demand for family-based care and support. It contributes to the growing concern on the rapid increase in the elderly population globally using micro-level social theory to examine the influence the health insurance has on elderly demand for family support. A qualitative case study approach is applied to construct a comprehensive and thick description of how the national health insurance scheme influences the elderly in their demand for family support. Through focused interviews and direct observation of six selected cases, in-depth information on primary carers, living arrangement and the interaction between the health insurance as structure and elders as agents are analyzed. The study highlights that the interaction between the elderly and the national health insurance scheme has produced a new stratum of relationship between the elderly and their primary carers. Consequently, this has created equilibrium between the elderly demand for support and support made available by their primary carers. As the demand of the elderly for support is declining, supply of support by family members for the elderly is also on the decline. PMID:24576369

Uncertainty, the Overbearing Lived Experience of the Elderly People Undergoing Hemodialysis: A Qualitative Study

PubMed Central

Sahaf, Robab; Sadat Ilali, Ehteram; Peyrovi, Hamid; Akbari Kamrani, Ahmad Ali; Spahbodi, Fatemeh

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Background: The chronic kidney disease is a major health concern. The number of the elderly people with chronic renal failure has increased across the world. Dialysis is an appropriate therapy for the elderly, but it involves certain challenges. The present paper reports uncertainty as part of the elderly experiences of living with hemodialysis. Methods: This qualitative study applied Max van Manen interpretative phenomenological analysis to explain and explore experiences of the elderly with hemodialysis. Given the study inclusion criteria, data were collected using in-depth unstructured interviews with nine elderly undergoing hemodialysis, and then analyzed according to Van Manen 6-stage methodological approach. Results: One of the most important findings emerging in the main study was “uncertainty”, which can be important and noteworthy, given other aspects of the elderly life (loneliness, despair, comorbidity of diseases, disability, and mental and psychosocial problems). Uncertainty about the future is the most psychological concerns of people undergoing hemodialysis. Conclusion: The results obtained are indicative of the importance of paying attention to a major aspect in the life of the elderly undergoing hemodialysis, uncertainty. A positive outlook can be created in the elderly through education and increased knowledge about the disease, treatment and complications. PMID:28097174

Field study on behaviors and adaptation of elderly people and their thermal comfort requirements in residential environments.

PubMed

Hwang, R-L; Chen, C-P

2010-06-01

This study investigated the thermal sensation of elderly people in Taiwan, older than 60 years, in indoor microclimate at home, and their requirements for establishing thermal comfort. The study was conducted using both a thermal sensation questionnaire and measurement of indoor climatic parameters underlying the thermal environment. Survey results were compared with those reported by Cheng and Hwang (2008, J. Tongji Univ., 38, 817-822) for non-elders to study the variation between different age groups in requirements of indoor thermal comfort. The results show that the predominant strategy of thermal adaptation for elders was window-opening in the summer and clothing adjustment in the winter. The temperature of thermal neutrality was 25.2 degrees C and 23.2 degrees C for the summer and the winter, respectively. Logistically regressed probit modeling on percentage of predicted dissatisfied (PPD) against mean thermal sensation vote revealed that the sensation votes corresponding to a PPD of 20% were +/- 0.75 for elders, about +/- 0.10 less than the levels projected by ISO 7730 model. The range of operative temperature for 80% thermal acceptability for elders in the summer was 23.2-27.1 degrees C, narrower than the range of 23.0-28.6 degrees C reported for non-elders. This is likely a result of a difference in the selection of adaptive strategies. Taiwan in the last decade has seen a rapid growth in the elderly population in its societal structure, and as such the quality of indoor thermal comfort increasingly concerns the elderly people. This study presents the results from field-surveying elders residing in major geographical areas of Taiwan, and discusses the requirements of these elders for indoor thermal comfort in different seasons. Through a comparison with the requirements by non-elders, this study demonstrates the unique sensitivity of elders toward indoor thermal quality and the selection of adaptive strategies that need to be considered when a thermal comfort zone is attempted in a household of members consisting of different age groups.

Assessing the level of elder abuse knowledge preprofessionals possess: implications for the further development of university curriculum.

PubMed

Policastro, Christina; Payne, Brian K

2014-01-01

Elder abuse is a multifaceted problemthat requires interdisciplinary prevention and intervention strategies. An important question that arises is whether professionals are adequately prepared to address elder abuse in this collaborative network. Unfortunately, no studies have been conducted to assess the varying levels of knowledge that preprofessionals enrolled in university courses possess with regard to elder abuse. To fill this void, this study assesses the levels of elder abuse awareness among social work, nursing, health professions, and criminal justice students. Specific attention is given to determining whether there are differences in the amount of exposure to elder abuse literature across the disciplines. The study involves the analysis of survey data collected from 202 students enrolled in health and human sciences classes at a large university. Results show that none of the preprofessional groups, on average, reported knowing enough about elder abuse. Implications for future practice and research are provided.

Employment and Hawaii's Elderly.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huffman, Marcia D.

A study was conducted in Hawaii to determine the status of elderly persons in regard to employment, as well as attitudes toward employment of the elderly, defined in this study as aged 55 and over. Elderly persons aged 65 and over are the fastest growing segment of Hawaii's population, projected to increase from 73,700 in 1980 to 141,000 in 2000.…

The complexities of elder abuse.

PubMed

Roberto, Karen A

2016-01-01

Elder abuse is a growing societal concern, affecting at least 1 in 10 older Americans. Researchers and practitioners alike consistently assert that a dramatic discrepancy exists between the prevalence rates of elder abuse and the number of elder abuse cases reported. As a field of study, recognition and understanding of elder abuse is still emerging. Comparing findings of a small, but growing, body of literature on perceived and substantiated cases of elder abuse is challenging because there is no uniform term or agreed-upon definition used among state governments, researchers, health care and service providers, and advocates. This article summarizes current understanding of elder abuse, including what constitutes elder abuse, risk factors for elder abuse, perpetrators of elder abuse, and outcomes of elder abuse. Issues associated with the detection of elder abuse and intervention strategies for victims of abuse are addressed. In the final section, potential roles and contributions of psychologists for advancing elder abuse research, professional practice, and policy development are highlighted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Elderly women and stress. Does marriage make a difference?

PubMed

Preston, D B; Dellasega, C

1990-04-01

Although studies of gender differences in the stress/health relationship of elderly persons have been done, few have examined the combined affect of marital status and gender on health. The experience of stress may affect elderly married women differently than elderly unmarried women. The purpose of this study was to explore the differential effects of stress on elderly married women and to identify interventions that could be used in gerontological nursing practice to promote effective coping. Roy's theory is used to explain the effects of stress on elderly women and to suggest nursing interventions. According to Roy, individuals respond to stressors in four behavioral modes: physiological, self-concept, role performance, and interdependency. The results of this study indicate that, of the four groups studied in this sample, the married women were in poorest health and the most vulnerable to stress.

Elder Mistreatment Perpetrators with Substance Abuse and/or Mental Health Conditions: Results from the National Elder Mistreatment Study.

PubMed

Labrum, Travis; Solomon, Phyllis L

2018-03-01

A large portion of persons who commit elder mistreatment have long been known to have indicators of substance abuse and/or mental health conditions (SAMHC). However, few studies have specifically examined elder mistreatment by persons with SAMHC, preventing the development of specialized intervention strategies. Using results from the National Elder Mistreatment Study, the current article examines victim, perpetrator, and interaction characteristics between cases of emotional and physical elder mistreatment in which the perpetrator is reported to have vs. not have SAMHC. Chi square tests and Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon non-parametric tests were performed. 210 perpetrators of emotional elder mistreatment were reported to have SAMHC with 412 perpetrators of emotional mistreatment reported to not have SAMHC. 57 perpetrators of physical elder mistreatment were reported to have SAMHC with 38 perpetrators of physical mistreatment not having SAMHC. Emotional elder mistreatment committed by persons with SAMHC was associated with the following characteristics: perpetrator-unemployment, history of involvement with police, and fewer friendships; victim-female gender, greater emotional problems, and greater occurrences of lifetime emotional mistreatment; interaction-co-residence, and reporting of mistreatment to authorities. Physical elder mistreatment committed by persons with SAMHC was associated with police involvement of the perpetrator and greater occurrences of lifetime physical mistreatment experienced by the victim. These findings indicate that victims of elder mistreatment by persons with SAMHC are in particular need of intervention services as they have greater histories of mistreatment and experience greater emotional problems. Implications for effectively intervening in cases of elder mistreatment by persons with SAMHC are discussed.

Correlates of Living Alone among Single Elderly Chinese Immigrants in Canada

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lai, Daniel W. L.; Leonenko, Wendy L.

2007-01-01

According to traditional Chinese culture, families will care for their elderly. Therefore, it appears to be uncommon for elderly Chinese to live alone. This study examines the correlates for single elderly Chinese immigrants in Canada to live alone. Using a probability sample of single elderly Chinese immigrants (N = 660) in seven urban centers,…

Elderly self-management: a qualitative study

PubMed Central

Ravanipour, Maryam; Salehi, Shayesteh; Taleghani, Fariba; Abedi, Heidar Ali

2010-01-01

BACKGROUND: The population of elderly in Iran and in the world is increasing. It is predicted that the population of elderly reaches to 10 millions in Iran by the year 2019. Elders more than other age groups are at risk of chronic diseases and health problems; and elderly affects their self-management and makes them feel disabled. Since the knowledge of self-management for Iranian elderly is not well developed, this paper aimed to determine the concept of self-management for Iranian elders. METHODS: This was a qualitative study with grounded theory approach on Iranian elderly self-management. Data were collected through deep interviews with 26 participants in a period of one year and were analyzed using a Strauss Corbin analysis method. RESULTS: Self-management in the context of power means using different managing methods in dealing with daily life needs, especially in interactions with others in a way that accelerates affairs with efficiency and satisfaction. The main categories emerged from this qualitative study included: managing plans, managing life goals and policies, persuading the desired goals, managing self-care, directing others, coordinating and consulting with others. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study provided a deep understanding of elderly perceptions of self-management in their lives. These findings can be a baseline for future researches on developing effective health interventions such as developing a nursing model for increasing the elderly self-management abilities in Iran. Such a model can provide a strong basis for nursing care. PMID:21589781

[Leisure activities for the elderly during hospitalization].

PubMed

Jannuzzi, Fernanda Freire; Cintra, Fernanda Aparecida

2006-06-01

This study intended to: 1. Identify the leisure activities available in the hospital and those in which the elderly participate; 2. Relate elderly hospitalization with their participation in leisure activities; 3. Assess the factors that motivate and inhibit elderly participation in leisure activities. This is a descriptive/exploratory study carried out with one hundred hospitalized elderly patients. Available leisure activities were television and magazines. Most participants (99%) said they participate in leisure activities such as family/ friends conversations and visits. Involvement in leisure activities decreases with associated diseases and increases with hospitalization time. Leisure was motivated by the elderly's personal characteristics, the reduction of the hospitalization's negative effects, and the benefits it brings to the health. Its limitation was associated to intrinsic aspects of the elderly and to the institutional context.

Nursing Aides' Attitudes to Elder Abuse in Nursing Homes: The Effect of Work Stressors and Burnout

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shinan-Altman, Shiri; Cohen, Miri

2009-01-01

Background: Nursing aides' attitudes condoning elder abuse are a possible risk factor for executing abusive behaviors against elder residents of long-term care facilities but have been studied infrequently. Purpose: The purpose of the study was to assess nursing aides' attitudes that condone abusive behaviors toward elderly people, as well as the…

Comparison of Outpatient Services between Elderly People with Intellectual Disabilities and the General Elderly Population in Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsu, Shang-Wei; Lin, Jin-Ding; Chiang, Po-Huang; Chang, Yu-Chia; Tung, Ho-Jui

2012-01-01

This study aims to analyze the ambulatory visit frequency and medical expenditures of the general elderly population versus the elderly with intellectual disabilities in Taiwan, while examining the effects of age, gender, urbanization and copayment status on ambulatory utilization. A cross-sectional study was conducted to analyze data from 103,183…

Study of Spirituality in Elderly With Subjective Memory Complaints.

PubMed

Trivedi, Surbhi C; Subramanyam, Alka A; Kamath, Ravindra M; Pinto, Charles

2016-01-01

Subjective memory complaints are very common among elderly. They can be due to depression, cognitive decline, or be a part of normal aging process. Spirituality is another important dimension in elderly, and it is believed to help them cope with various adversities. This study was done to find out whether any relation exists between these 2 variables in elderly. A total of 120 elderly individuals, presenting with subjective memory complaints, were divided into 3 groups - controls, elderly with depression, and elderly with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Spirituality in them was studied by dividing it into the subdomains of self-transcendence, presence of meaning in life, search for meaning in life, and locus of control. Spirituality was the highest in controls, followed by MCI group, and then depression group. Spirituality had a direct negative relationship with severity of depression, while relationship of spirituality with severity of cognitive decline was more complex. Relationship of spirituality with mental health status in elderly patients seemed bidirectional, that is, cause as well as effect relationship. © The Author(s) 2015.

[Prevalence of elder abuse in Spanish dwelling in community].

PubMed

Pérez-Rojo, Gema; Izal, María; Montorio, Ignacio; Regato, Pilar; Espinosa, Juan Manuel

2013-12-21

Although elder abuse is not a new phenomenon, it remains hidden. There have been carried out various preliminary studies about the prevalence of elder abuse in different countries. The aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence of suspicion of elder abuse in old persons without cognitive impairment, dwelling in community, who were attended in Primary Health Care or Social Services Centres. We carried out a transverse study in which 340 elders participated. We found a 12.1% prevalence of suspicion of elder abuse. Psychological abuse suspicion was the most frequent type and it was very common the simultaneous presence of different types of abuse (psychological and physical and sexual). The suspicion of elder abuse was more frequent in women and spouses were responsible in a high great frequency. The information obtained allows advancing in the knowledge of elder abuse in Spain, where the research about this issue is poor. However, the prevalence found neither has to be considered as a social alarm nor as a social slackness. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

Clinical Practices and Outcomes in Elderly Hemodialysis Patients: Results from the Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS)

PubMed Central

Tong, Lin; Tentori, Francesca; Akiba, Takashi; Karaboyas, Angelo; Gillespie, Brenda; Akizawa, Tadao; Pisoni, Ronald L.; Bommer, Juergen; Port, Friedrich K.

2011-01-01

Summary Background and objectives Demand for hemodialysis among elderly patients is increasing worldwide. Although clinical care of this high-risk group is complex and challenging, no guidelines exist to inform hemodialysis practices. The Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS) provides a unique opportunity to assess dialysis practices and associated outcomes among elderly versus younger patients on chronic in-center hemodialysis in 12 countries. Design, setting, participants, & measurements Clinical characteristics, dialysis practices, and outcomes of elderly versus younger patients were compared among participants in four DOPPS regions in 2005 through 2007. Results Although participant mean age increased over time in all DOPPS countries, the percentage of elderly varied widely. Overall, comorbidities and malnutrition were more common in the elderly. Fistulae were used less frequently among elderly versus younger patients in Europe and North America but not in Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. No difference in treatment time was observed between elderly and younger patients after normalizing for body weight. In all regions, ultrafiltration rates were lower among elderly patients. Elderly patients reported poorer quality of life with respect to the physical but not mental component scores. Mortality risk was three- to sixfold higher in the elderly group, whereas causes of death overall were similar for elderly and younger patients. Conclusions Elderly patients represent a different proportion of DOPPS participants across countries, possibly reflecting differences in policies and clinical practices. In general, hemodialysis practices in the elderly reflected each region's clinical patterns, with some variation by age group depending upon the practice. PMID:21734085

Eliciting change in at-risk elders (ECARE): evaluation of an elder abuse intervention program.

PubMed

Mariam, Lydia Morris; McClure, Regina; Robinson, J B; Yang, Janet A

2015-01-01

The current study evaluated the effectiveness of a community-based elder abuse intervention program that assists suspected victims of elder abuse and self-neglect through a partnership with local law enforcement. This program, Eliciting Change in At-Risk Elders, involves building alliances with the elder and family members, connecting the elder to supportive services that reduce risk of further abuse, and utilizing motivational interviewing-type skills to help elders overcome ambivalence regarding making difficult life changes. Risk factors of elder abuse decreased over the course of the intervention and nearly three-quarters of participants made progress on their treatment goal, advancing at least one of Prochaska and DiClemente's (1983) stages of change (precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance). Forty-three percent of elders moved into the stages of action and maintenance regarding their goal. The usefulness of eliciting change via longer-term relationships with vulnerable elders in entrenched elder abuse situations is discussed.

Domestic elder abuse in Yazd, Iran: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Morowatisharifabad, Mohammad Ali; Rezaeipandari, Hassan; Dehghani, Ali; Zeinali, Ahmad

2016-01-01

Social changes due to urbanism, acculturation, and fading of values have led to some challenges in family relationships, including domestic elder abuse. This study was conducted to determine elder abuse status in Yazd, Iran. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 250 elderly people over 60 years in Yazd in 2014-2015. Clustered random sampling was used to recruit the participants from 10 clusters in Yazd (25 individuals from each cluster). The data were gathered by the 49-item,Iranian Domestic Elder Abuse Questionnaire which was filled out through private interviews with the participants. Mean score of elder abuse was 11.84 (SD: 12.70) of total 100. Of the participants,79.6% (95% CI: 74.5-84.6) experienced at least one type of abuse. Emotional neglect was the most reported abuse and physical abuse was the least reported. Abuse score was associated with age, education level, living status, and insurance status of elders. Further, those who reported history of gastrointestinal problems, dyslipidemia, respiratory diseases, sleep disorders, audiovisual problems, joints pain, hypertension, dental/oral problems, cardiovascular disease,urinary incontinence and disability, reported a statistically significant higher abuse score. Despite overall low rate of domestic elder abuse, its high prevalence indicates that some interventions are necessary to decrease domestic elder abuse. Emotional neglect of elders should be addressed more than other abuse types.

Characteristics and Outcomes of Very Elderly Enrolled in a Prehospital Stroke Research Study.

PubMed

Sanossian, Nerses; Apibunyopas, Kathleen C; Liebeskind, David S; Starkman, Sidney; Burgos, Adrian M; Conwit, Robin; Eckstein, Marc; Pratt, Frank; Stratton, Sam; Hamilton, Scott; Saver, Jeffrey L

2016-11-01

Greater numbers of individuals aged ≥80 years enjoy a high quality of life, yet historically stroke trials have excluded this population. We aimed to describe a population of very elderly successfully enrolled into an acute stroke trial and compare their characteristics and outcomes with the younger cohort. We analyzed consecutive patients enrolled <2 hours of symptom onset in a prehospital stroke treatment trial, the FAST-MAG clinical trial (Field Administration of Stroke Therapy-Magnesium). We gathered demographic, treatment, and outcome data for nonelderly (<80 years old), very elderly (≥80 years old), and extreme elderly (≥90 years old). We describe key differences in the population of elderly and the impact of their inclusion on the clinical trial. Of 1700 participants in FAST-MAG, there were 1210 nonelderly, 490 very elderly, and 60 extreme elderly subjects. Very elderly stroke patients successfully enrolled in a research study were more likely to be women, white, and have an ischemic mechanism rather than an intracerebral hemorrhage. Although the very elderly had generally poorer outcomes, 4 in 10 were functionally independent at 90 days. Inclusion of the very elderly population in acute stroke clinical trials would both significantly increase study participation and generalizability of future acute stroke clinical trials. URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00059332. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

Domestic elder abuse in Yazd, Iran: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Morowatisharifabad, Mohammad Ali; Rezaeipandari, Hassan; Dehghani, Ali; Zeinali, Ahmad

2016-01-01

Background: Social changes due to urbanism, acculturation, and fading of values have led to some challenges in family relationships, including domestic elder abuse. This study was conducted to determine elder abuse status in Yazd, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 250 elderly people over 60 years in Yazd in 2014-2015. Clustered random sampling was used to recruit the participants from 10 clusters in Yazd (25 individuals from each cluster). The data were gathered by the 49-item,Iranian Domestic Elder Abuse Questionnaire which was filled out through private interviews with the participants. Results: Mean score of elder abuse was 11.84 (SD: 12.70) of total 100. Of the participants,79.6% (95% CI: 74.5-84.6) experienced at least one type of abuse. Emotional neglect was the most reported abuse and physical abuse was the least reported. Abuse score was associated with age, education level, living status, and insurance status of elders. Further, those who reported history of gastrointestinal problems, dyslipidemia, respiratory diseases, sleep disorders, audiovisual problems, joints pain, hypertension, dental/oral problems, cardiovascular disease,urinary incontinence and disability, reported a statistically significant higher abuse score. Conclusion: Despite overall low rate of domestic elder abuse, its high prevalence indicates that some interventions are necessary to decrease domestic elder abuse. Emotional neglect of elders should be addressed more than other abuse types. PMID:27386426

The time has come to eliminate the gaps in the under-recognized burden of elder mistreatment: A community-based, cross-sectional study from rural eastern Nepal.

PubMed

Yadav, Uday Narayan; Tamang, Man Kumar; Paudel, Grish; Kafle, Bharat; Mehta, Suresh; Chandra Sekaran, Varalakshmi; Gruiskens, Jeroen R J H

2018-01-01

Elder mistreatment is a well-recognized public health issue with complex underlying factors. The current study hypothesized that there is no effect of any of the following factors on any type of elder mistreatment: ethnicity, age group, education status, gender, living arrangement, concentration problems, medication for any disease, income level of caregiver, use of alcohol and tobacco products, and dependence on family or caregivers for daily activities. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 339 elders adults aged 60 or above residing in a rural part of eastern Nepal between August and November 2016. Multi-stage cluster sampling was adopted to select the study subjects. Information was collected using semi-structured questionnaires administered to elderly people by a designated interviewer. Factors associated with elder mistreatment were analyzed using logistic regression. Our findings revealed that 61.7% of 60+-year-olds experienced some form of mistreatment (physical 2.4%, psychological 22.4%, caregiver neglect 57.5%, financial 12.1% and stranger-inflicted 8.3%). Elder mistreatment was associated with the following characteristics of elders: dependent on family for daily living activities, illiterate, experiencing concentration problems, residing in a living arrangement with their son(s)/daughter(s)-in-law, taking regular medications, belonging to the Dalit community according to the Hindu traditional caste system, and residing with a caregiver having a monthly family income of less than NRs. 20,000 (193USD). Our data show that elder mistreatment is prevalent in a rural community of Nepal. Addressing the lower socio-economic or socio-cultural classes of caregivers and elders via community-focused development programs might have significant implications for improving the well-being of elders.

Sentimentality and Nostalgia in Elderly People in Bulgaria and Greece – Cross-Validity of the Questionnaire SNEP and Cross-Cultural Comparison

PubMed Central

Stoyanova, Stanislava Yordanova; Giannouli, Vaitsa; Gergov, Teodor Krasimirov

2017-01-01

Sentimentality and nostalgia are two similar psychological constructs, which play an important role in the emotional lives of elderly people who are usually focused on the past. There are two objectives of this study - making cross-cultural comparison of sentimentality and nostalgia among Bulgarian and Greek elderly people using a questionnaire, and establishing the psychometric properties of this questionnaire among Greek elderly people. Sentimentality and nostalgia in elderly people in Bulgaria and Greece were studied by means of Sentimentality and Nostalgia in Elderly People questionnaire (SNEP), created by Gergov and Stoyanova (2013). For the Greek version, one factor structure without sub-scales is proposed, while for the Bulgarian version of SNEP the factor structure had four sub-scales, besides the total score. Together with some similarities (medium level of nostalgia and sentimentality being widespread), the elderly people in Bulgaria and Greece differed cross-culturally in their sentimentality and nostalgia related to the past in direction of more increased sentimentality and nostalgia in the Bulgarian sample. Some gender and age differences revealed that the oldest male Bulgarians were the most sentimental. The psychometric properties of this questionnaire were examined for the first time in a Greek sample of elders and a trend was found for stability of sentimentality and nostalgia in elderly people that could be studied further in longitudinal studies. PMID:28344678

Gender issues and oral health in elderly Indians.

PubMed

Shah, N

2003-12-01

Gender disparity in health and diseases is increasingly being recognised. Therefore, it was decided to investigate gender differences in the elderly subjects (60+years) from a community-based study. The study was undertaken to evaluate the oral health status and treatment needs of urban and rural elderly and to study the impact of socio-demographic variables on them. An urban area in South Delhi and its adjoining four villages was selected. A modified WHO-Oral Health Survey proforma and Rup-Nagpal's scale were used to record oral health and socio-demographic data respectively. In addition, diet pattern (vegetarian/non-vegetarian) and body mass index (BMI) were also recorded. Chi square test and p values were calculated for each of the studied parameters. There were significant differences for socio-economic status, literacy level, marital and family status between elderly men and women (p<0.0001). A higher percentage of elderly women were vegetarian and overweight than elderly men (p<0.01). However, there were few differences found in the prevalence of dental caries, periodontal diseases and edentulousness between male and female elderly (p>0.01). The only difference found was in the evidence of previous dental treatment received. Elderly men had a higher percentage of filled teeth and denture wear compared to elderly women (p<0.01). Women's oral health is significantly influenced by social, economic and psychological factors.

Experience of elder abuse among older Korean immigrants.

PubMed

Chang, Miya

2016-01-01

Studies on the scope and nature of Asian American elder abuse conducted with older immigrants are extremely limited. The overall purpose of this study was to examine the extent and type of elder abuse among older Korean immigrants, and to investigate critical predictors of elder abuse in this population. The sample consisted of 200 older Korean immigrants aged 60 to 90 years who resided in Los Angeles County in 2008. One of the key findings indicated that 58.3% of respondents experienced one or more types of elder abuse. Logistic regression indicated that the victims' health status and educational level were statistically significant predictors of the likelihood of experiencing abuse. The present study, although limited in sample size, measures, sampling methods, and population representation, has contributed to this important area of knowledge. It is recommended that future studies conduct research on elder abuse with more representative national samples that can measure the extent of abuse and neglect more accurately.

Thyrotoxicosis in the Elderly

PubMed Central

Finch, Mark J.; Woodbury, David

1983-01-01

Charts of 28 hyperthyroid patients over 60 years old were retrospectively analyzed and compared with charts of 14 patients under 30 years old. The mean duration of symptoms prior to diagnosis was 16 months in the elderly and five months in the younger group. Heart rate was substantially lower in the older (107 beats/min) vs younger (117 beats/min) study group. The symptom of weakness or fatigue was more prevalent in the elderly group (94 percent) than in the younger group (57 percent). Cardiac palpitation was more prevalent in the elderly patients whereas insomnia, irritability, dysphagia, hyperphagia, and heat intolerance were more prevalent in the younger patients. Fifty percent of the elderly patients complained of chest pain. Cachexia (62 percent), thin, fine hair (50 percent), and weakness (58 percent) were prominent physical findings in the elderly group. Twenty-six percent of the elderly patients had atrial fibrillation. These findings confirm previous studies that show some differences in presentation of hyperthyroidism in elderly patients when compared with younger patients. The authors recommend that thyroid function tests be obtained for broad indications in the elderly. PMID:6644837

Suicide among the elderly and associated factors in South Korea.

PubMed

Shin, Kyoung Min; Cho, Sun-Mi; Hong, Chang Hyung; Park, Kyung Soon; Shin, Yun Mi; Lim, Ki Young; Koh, Sang Hyun

2013-01-01

With the population of the elderly increasing, suicides among elderly people present a serious problem for global societies. However, there are few studies on suicide among elderly subjects, especially in Asia. The study aimed to determine the relationship between physical health, mental health, social environmental condition, and the suicide behavior among elderly subjects in the city of Suwon, located southeast of Seoul. We analyzed 1548 Korean aged over 60 years from baseline data of a larger prospective study called the Suwon Project. The study protocol included sociodemographic variables, mental health factors, and physical health factors. In the interview, the subjects were asked about suicide ideation and history of suicide attempt. Of the total subjects, 7.42% reported suicide ideation and 1.42% reported a history of suicide attempt. A logistic regression analysis showed that physical illness, five stroke warning signs, anxiety and depression associated with suicide ideation, and depression strongly corresponded to the suicide ideation. Anxiety, depression, and stroke warning signs were associated with history of suicide attempt among the elderly. Additionally, stroke warning signs and depression are independently associated with history of suicide attempt. This study revealed that stroke warning signs have a high correlation with history of suicide attempt in the elderly, independent from the depression factors. This study suggests that there is an independent relationship between physical health status and suicide behavior in the case of elders.

Dabigatran Levels in Elderly Patients with Atrial Fibrillation: First Post-Marketing Experiences.

PubMed

Bolek, Tomáš; Samoš, Matej; Škorňová, Ingrid; Stančiaková, Lucia; Staško, Ján; Galajda, Peter; Kubisz, Peter; Mokáň, Marián

2018-05-08

The number of elderly individuals with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NV-AF) requiring long-term anticoagulation is rising. The pharmacokinetics of oral anticoagulants in elderly individuals may differ from that for younger patients. The aim of this study was to assess the dabigatran levels in elderly patients with NV-AF. A pilot prospective post-marketing study in patients with NV-AF on dabigatran therapy was performed; we enrolled 21 consecutive elderly patients (aged ≥ 75 years) on a reduced dabigatran regimen (110 mg twice daily) and compared them with 13 younger (≤ 70 years) individuals on reduced dabigatran therapy due to renal impairment and with 16 younger patients on standard dabigatran therapy (150 mg twice daily). Blood samples were taken for the assessment of dabigatran trough and peak levels. Dabigatran levels were measured with the Hemoclot ® Thrombin Inhibitor Assay. There were significant differences in dabigatran trough levels when comparing elderly patients on reduced dabigatran with non-elderly patients on reduced dabigatran (99.3 ± 73.6 vs 51.6 ± 25.6 ng/mL; p < 0.01). Similarly, the detected dabigatran peak levels were significantly higher in elderly patients on reduced dabigatran compared with non-elderly patients on reduced dabigatran (173.4 ± 116.2 vs 116.1 ± 19.1 ng/mL; p < 0.01). No significant differences in dabigatran trough and peak levels were found when comparing elderly patients on reduced dabigatran with non-elderly patients on standard dabigatran therapy. This pilot study demonstrated that elderly patients on reduced dabigatran exhibit significantly higher dabigatran levels than younger individuals on a reduced regimen, and similar levels compared with younger individuals on standard dabigatran.

Travel Patterns and Characteristics of Elderly Subpopulation in New York State

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hwang, Ho-Ling; Wilson, Daniel W.; Reuscher, Tim

With the increasing demographic shift towards a larger population of elderly (individuals 65 years and older), it is essential for policy makers and planners to have an understanding of transportation issues that affect the elderly. These issues include livability of the community, factors impacting travel behavior and mobility, transportation safety, etc. In this study, Oak Ridge National Laboratory was tasked by the New York State (NYS) Department of Transportation to conduct a detailed examination of travel behaviors, and identify patterns and trends of the elderly within NYS. The National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) was used as the primary data sourcemore » to analyze subjects and address questions such as: Are there differences in traveler demographics between the elderly population and those of younger age groups who live in various NYS regions; e.g., New York City, other urban areas of NYS, or other parts of the country? How do they compare with the population at large? Are there any regional differences (e.g., urban versus rural)? Gender differences? Do any unique travel characteristics or patterns exist within the elderly group? In addition to analysis of NHTS data, roadway travel safety concerns associated with elderly travelers were also investigated in this study. Specifically, data on accidents involving the elderly (including drivers, passengers, and others) as captured in the Fatal Analysis Reporting System (FARS) database was analyzed to examine elderly driver and elderly pedestrian travel safety issues in NYS. The analyses of these data sets provide a greater understanding of the elderly within NYS and their associated transportation issues. Through this study, various key findings on elderly population size, household characteristics, and travel patterns were produced and are report herein this report.« less

Role of social support in cognitive function among elders.

PubMed

Zhu, Shuzhen; Hu, Jie; Efird, Jimmy T

2012-08-01

To examine cognitive function and its relationships to demographic characteristics and social support among elders in central China. Cognitive decline is prevalent among elders. Few studies have explored the relationship between social support and cognitive function among elders. A cross-sectional, descriptive correlational study. A quasi-random, point of reference sample of 120 elders residing in central China was recruited for study. Instruments used included a: Socio-demographic Questionnaire, the Multidimensional Scale on Perceived Social Support and the Mini-Mental State Examination. Hierarchical multiple regression was performed to examine the relationships among demographic variables, social support and cognitive function. Age, education and social support accounted for 45·2% of the variance in cognitive function. Family support was the strongest predictor of cognitive function. Elders who had higher educational levels and more family support had better cognitive function. Relevance to clinical practice.  Community healthcare providers should consolidate social support among elders in China and use family support interventions to reduce or delay cognitive decline, especially among those of increased age who are illiterate. Elders who had higher educational level and more family support had better cognitive function levels. Interventions that include family support are needed to improve cognitive function among elders in China. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Caregiver Abuse of Chicago Chinese Older Adults in a Community-Dwelling Population

PubMed Central

Dong, Xin Qi; Li, Ge

2016-01-01

Objectives This study aimed to examine the prevalence and correlates of elder abuse reported by adult children among U.S Chinese populations. Method A community-based participatory research approach was implemented. A total of 548 Chinese adult children aged 21 years and over participated in this study. Elder abuse reported by adult children was assessed using Caregiver Abuse Screen (CASE). Results This study found a prevalence of 59.8%for elder abuse among 548 adult children. Younger age (r = −0.10, p < .05), higher level of education (r = 0.20, p < .001), higher income (r = 0.14, p < .01), more years in the U.S. (r = 0.12, p < .05), not born in Mainland China (r = −0.13, p < .01), and English-speaking (r = 0.16, p < .001) were positively correlated with elder abuse reported by adult children. Discussion Elder abuse by adult children is prevalent among U.S. Chinese populations. It is necessary for researchers, health care providers and policy makers to put more attention on elder abuse by adult children. Longitudinal research is needed to explore the risk factors associated with elder abuse by adult children. Health care providers should improve detection of elder abuse and support at-risk caregivers. Policy makers may consider cultural sensitive approaches to address elder abuse. PMID:27606358

Elder mistreatment and the Elder Justice Act.

PubMed

Falk, Nancy L; Baigis, Judith; Kopac, Catharine

2012-09-01

Elder mistreatment is unrecognized, hidden, and underreported. Studies show that health professionals, nurses among them, are largely unaware of the various forms of elder mistreatment that take place and of the proper course of action to pursue when mistreatment is suspected. In this article, we describe elder mistreatment policies, examining them in the light of the United States national elder abuse policies with a focus on important provisions of the Elder Justice Act. Next, we review the various types of abuse, the identification of abuse, and the nurses role in addressing elder mistreatment. We present an example of a case of physical abuse and conclude by discussing nurses' advocacy role and issuing a call to action, challenging nurses to ‘"act now" to protect the well being of elders.

Perceptions of Elder Abuse From Community-Dwelling Older Persons and Professionals Working in Western Switzerland.

PubMed

Roulet Schwab, Delphine; Wangmo, Tenzin

2017-09-01

Older persons' perspectives regarding elder abuse remain little studied. However, definitions of elder abuse and effective prevention strategies require adaptation to the needs and cultures of targeted populations. This study explored the views of older persons and professionals to evaluate their converging and diverging perspectives toward elder abuse and its prevention. The study employed a qualitative approach where six focus groups were held in Western Switzerland (the French-speaking part of the country). Four focus groups with 25 older persons from varying socioeconomic backgrounds, and the other two focus groups were carried out with 16 professionals working in the field of elder abuse prevention. For the focus groups, we used the technique of free associations to begin the discussions and vignette-like statements to explore participants' attitudes toward elder abuse. These were followed by open-ended questions. The transcripts from the focus groups were analyzed thematically and resulted in four main themes: (a) varied associations of the term "abuse," (b) judging elder abuse situations in terms of abuse and severity, (c) self-identification with elder abuse, and (d) prevention of elder abuse. Study findings demonstrated that older persons hold views that are partly different from the views of professionals. Furthermore, perceptions of older persons could be stratified based on the socioeconomic status of the participants. These diverging perspectives reflect the heterogeneity of the senior citizen population and highlight the need for research cognizant of these differences. The results of this study provide strategies for improved targeting of preventive measures, underline the importance of integrating the perspectives of older persons, and reveal the need to expand the commonly accepted definitions of elder abuse so that they better reflect the affected individuals.

Elderly peoples' meals. A comparative study between elderly living in a nursing home and frail, self-managing elderly.

PubMed

Engelheart, S; Lammes, E; Akner, G

2006-01-01

Sweden is one of few countries that have specific recommendations regarding mealtime habits. The importance of mealtime habits for health outcome is inadequately studied in elderly subjects. The aim of this study was to investigate the distribution of the daily meals/energy intake; the number of eating episodes per day and subjectively estimated meal-dependent variables (appetite, motivation to eat, sense of taste and sense of smell) and compare the results of elderly living in a nursing home with frail, self-managing elderly living at home. Explorative study. All analyses of energy intake were based on food records; weighed in the nursing home and estimated in the frail, self-managing elderly. Participants or contact persons estimated the subjective variables using a 10-point VAS scale. On average there were 4-5 daily eating episodes in both groups. The eating episodes were much more widespread over the day in the self-managing elderly, and their length of fasting at night was significantly shorter. The subjects estimated appetite and sense of smell was reduced in about 30-40% in both groups. Sense of taste was reduced in 40 % of the males and 10-20 % of the females. Energy intake was similar in both groups, 25 kcal/kg body weight/day, with more than a threefold variation among individual subjects. Energy intake/kg body weight correlated with a shorter length of fasting at night in the nursing home residents, however, did not correlate with ADL, number of eating episodes per day, appetite, motivation to eat, or senses of taste or smell. The self-managing elderly had more widespread eating episodes than the elderly in the nursing home, indicating that self-managing elderly exhibit larger variations in food intake preferences, however, without affecting mean energy intake. The lack of correlation between energy intake and estimated appetite, taste and smell is in line with previous findings in elderly.

American Indian family caregivers' experiences with helping elders.

PubMed

Jervis, Lori L; Boland, Mathew E; Fickenscher, Alexandra

2010-12-01

In recent years, a vast literature has accumulated on the negative effects on family caregivers of providing care to elders, while relatively little research has explored caregiving as a positive experience. Only a handful of studies have examined any aspect of informal caregiving among American Indians. This mixed methods study explores the negative and positive aspects of providing elder care among 19 northern plains American Indian family members. These caregivers described low levels of burden and high levels of reward, attributable to cultural attitudes toward elders and caregiving, collective care provision, strong reciprocal relationships with elders, enjoyment of elders, and relatively low levels of care provision. Caregiving manifested as part of a complex exchange of assistance rather than a unidirectional provision of assistance from the family member to the elder. That caregiving emerged as such an overwhelmingly positive experience in a community faced with poverty, alcohol disorders, trauma, and cultural traumatization is testimony to the important roles that elders often continue to play in these communities.

Association Between Depression and Elder Abuse and the Mediation of Social Support: A Cross-Sectional Study of Elder Females in Mexico City.

PubMed

Vilar-Compte, Mireya; Giraldo-Rodríguez, Liliana; Ochoa-Laginas, Adriana; Gaitan-Rossi, Pablo

2018-04-01

We assessed the association between depression and elder abuse, and the mediation effect of social support among elder women in Mexico City. A total of 526 noninstitutionalized elder women, residing in Mexico City and attending public community centers were selected. Logistic regressions and structural equation models (SEM) were estimated. One fifth of the elderly women were at risk of depression, one third suffered some type of abuse in the past 12 months, and 82% reported low social support. Logistic models confirmed that depression was statistically associated with elder abuse and vice versa (odds ratio [OR] = 1.97 and 1.96, respectively). In both models, social support significantly reduced the association between these variables leading to study these associations through SEM. This approach highlighted that social support buffers the association between depression and elder abuse. Findings underline the relevance of programs and strategies targeted at increasing social support among urban older adults.

The prevalence and correlates of elder abuse and neglect in a rural community of Negeri Sembilan state: baseline findings from The Malaysian Elder Mistreatment Project (MAESTRO), a population-based survey.

PubMed

Sooryanarayana, Rajini; Choo, Wan Yuen; Hairi, Noran N; Chinna, Karuthan; Hairi, Farizah; Ali, Zainudin Mohamad; Ahmad, Sharifah Nor; Razak, Inayah Abdul; Aziz, Suriyati Abdul; Ramli, Rohaya; Mohamad, Rosmala; Mohammad, Zaiton Lal; Peramalah, Devi; Ahmad, Noor Ani; Aris, Tahir; Bulgiba, Awang

2017-09-01

As Malaysia is fast becoming an ageing nation, the health, safety and welfare of elders are major societal concerns. Elder abuse is a phenomenon recognised abroad but less so locally. This paper presents the baseline findings from the Malaysian Elder Mistreatment Project (MAESTRO) study, the first community-based study on elder abuse in Malaysia. Cross-sectional study, analysing baseline findings of a cohort of older adults. Kuala Pilah district, Negeri Sembilan state, Malaysia. To determine the prevalence of elder abuse among community dwelling older adults and its associated factors. A total of 2112 community dwelling older adults aged 60 years and above were recruited employing a multistage sampling using the national census. Elder abuse, measured using a validated instrument derived from previous literature and the modified Conflict Tactic Scales, similar to the Irish national prevalence survey on elder abuse with modification to local context. Factors associated with abuse and profiles of respondents were also examined. The prevalence of overall abuse was reported to be 4.5% in the past 12 months. Psychological abuse was most common, followed by financial, physical, neglect and sexual abuse. Two or more occurrences of abusive acts were common, while clustering of various types of abuse was experienced by one-third of abused elders. Being male (adjusted OR (aOR) 2.15, 95% CI 1.23 to 3.78), being at risk of social isolation (aOR 1.96, 95% CI 1.07 to 3.58), a prior history of abuse (aOR 3.28, 95% CI 1.40 to 7.68) and depressive symptomatology (aOR 7.83, 95% CI 2.88 to 21.27) were independently associated with overall abuse. Elder abuse occurred among one in every 20 elders. The findings on elder abuse indicate the need to enhance elder protection in Malaysia, with both screening of and interventions for elder abuse. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

The prevalence and correlates of elder abuse and neglect in a rural community of Negeri Sembilan state: baseline findings from The Malaysian Elder Mistreatment Project (MAESTRO), a population-based survey

PubMed Central

Choo, Wan Yuen; Hairi, Noran N; Chinna, Karuthan; Hairi, Farizah; Ali, Zainudin Mohamad; Ahmad, Sharifah Nor; Razak, Inayah Abdul; Aziz, Suriyati Abdul; Ramli, Rohaya; Mohamad, Rosmala; Mohammad, Zaiton Lal; Peramalah, Devi; Ahmad, Noor Ani; Aris, Tahir; Bulgiba, Awang

2017-01-01

Background As Malaysia is fast becoming an ageing nation, the health, safety and welfare of elders are major societal concerns. Elder abuse is a phenomenon recognised abroad but less so locally. This paper presents the baseline findings from the Malaysian Elder Mistreatment Project (MAESTRO) study, the first community-based study on elder abuse in Malaysia. Design Cross-sectional study, analysing baseline findings of a cohort of older adults. Setting Kuala Pilah district, Negeri Sembilan state, Malaysia. Objectives To determine the prevalence of elder abuse among community dwelling older adults and its associated factors. Participants A total of 2112 community dwelling older adults aged 60 years and above were recruited employing a multistage sampling using the national census. Primary and secondary outcome measures Elder abuse, measured using a validated instrument derived from previous literature and the modified Conflict Tactic Scales, similar to the Irish national prevalence survey on elder abuse with modification to local context. Factors associated with abuse and profiles of respondents were also examined. Results The prevalence of overall abuse was reported to be 4.5% in the past 12 months. Psychological abuse was most common, followed by financial, physical, neglect and sexual abuse. Two or more occurrences of abusive acts were common, while clustering of various types of abuse was experienced by one-third of abused elders. Being male (adjusted OR (aOR) 2.15, 95% CI 1.23 to 3.78), being at risk of social isolation (aOR 1.96, 95% CI 1.07 to 3.58), a prior history of abuse (aOR 3.28, 95% CI 1.40 to 7.68) and depressive symptomatology (aOR 7.83, 95% CI 2.88 to 21.27) were independently associated with overall abuse. Conclusion Elder abuse occurred among one in every 20 elders. The findings on elder abuse indicate the need to enhance elder protection in Malaysia, with both screening of and interventions for elder abuse. PMID:28864485

A cross-sectional study on quality of life among the elderly in non-governmental organizations' elderly homes in Kuala Lumpur.

PubMed

Onunkwor, Obinna Francis; Al-Dubai, Sami Abdo Radman; George, Philip Parikial; Arokiasamy, John; Yadav, Hemetram; Barua, Ankur; Shuaibu, Hassana Ojonuba

2016-01-12

There is a rapid increase in the population of the elderly globally, and Malaysia is anticipated to become an ageing nation in 2030. Maintaining health, social participation, reducing institutionalization, and improving quality of life of the elderly are public health challenges of the 21(st) century. Quality of life among elderly in Elderly Homes in Malaysia is under researched. This study aims to determine the quality of life and its associated factors among the Elderly in Elderly Homes in Kuala Lumpur. This was a cross-sectional study among 203 residents aged 60 years or more in eight randomly selected Elderly Homes in Kuala Lumpur in September 2014. Stratified simple random sampling was used to select participants. Study instruments included World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire-Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF), Multidimensional Scale for Perceived Social Support, and a questionnaire for Socio-demographic variables. Data collection was by face to face interview. Univariate and Multivariate analysis were used to determine associations, and P-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. The mean (Standard deviation) for the physical domain was 14.3 (±2.7), 13.7 (±2.5) for the psychological domain, 10.8 (±3.4) for the social domain, and 13.0 (±2.5) for the environment domain. Factors significantly associated with quality of life included age, gender, level of education, economic status, outdoor leisure activity, physical activity, duration of residence, type of accommodation, co-morbidities, and social support. This study confirms that multiple factors are associated with quality of life among elderly in elderly homes. Social support, chronic co-morbidities, gender and outdoor leisure activity were significantly associated with all the domains of quality of life. Among the four domains of quality of life, the physical domain had the highest score while the social domain had the lowest score. This emphasizes the need for more social support-related interventions in these homes.

The usefulness and actual use of wearable devices among the elderly population.

PubMed

Kekade, Shwetambara; Hseieh, Chung-Ho; Islam, Md Mohaimenul; Atique, Suleman; Mohammed Khalfan, Abdulwahed; Li, Yu-Chuan; Abdul, Shabbir Syed

2018-01-01

Elderly populations are more prone to diseases and need continuous monitoring of parameters to ensure good health. Wearable devices (WDs) can be helpful in the early detection and management of medical conditions. However, less is known about the use of currently available WDs among elderly populations. The objectives of this study were to determine the usefulness and actual use of wearable devices among the elderly population. Our methodology was based on a systematic review and a survey questionnaire. In the systematic review, search was conducted in four databases PubMed, MDPI, Sage, and Scopus with search terms "wearable device" and "elderly", "wearable sensor" and "elderly". The inclusion criteria were the studies which described health-related wearable devices, its use as the outcome, conducted on a minimum of ten participants and published in the last five years. The survey was conducted on the MOOCs (Massive Open Online Course) platform. The questionnaire was related to the use of technology, intention to use, security and privacy concerns, and willingness to pay. The review identified 4915 articles, of which, 31 studies eventually met the inclusion criteria. All studies reported positive impacts after assessing devices, despite certain drawbacks. The majority of the samples were males. The survey revealed responses from 233 individuals out of the 1100 participants of the course. The survey results were categorized into two age groups: 54.3% were elderly (>65 years) and 45.49% were non-elderly (≤65 years). Very few elderly people were currently using WD. More than 60% of elderly people were interested in the future use of wearable devices, and preferred future use to improve physical and mental activities. A majority of the respondents were female. This study suggests awareness should be created among elderly populations regarding the use of WDs for the early detection and prevention of complications and emergencies. Elderly populations are more prone to benefits from using WDs. The review concluded that devices should be tested on elderly groups as well, considering sex equality, and on both healthy and sick participants for better insights. The survey determined the elderly as frequent users of technology, but lack of knowledge of WD and demonstrated female interest in the use of WD. In future research on WDs, it is suggested that clinical studies be conducted for longer durations, and standard protocols such as age and sex equality should be considered. Requirements from both users and physicians should be acknowledged for better cognizance of WDs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Survey of Key Informants on Elder Abuse and Neglect: Report to the Texas Senate Select Subcommittee on Elder Abuse, 70th Legislative Session.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Jeffrey M.; Theiss, John T.

This document reports the findings of a study conducted for the Texas legislature to use in evaluating alternatives for dealing with elder abuse. The described study analyzed experiences with elder abuse of 1,653 Texas professionals in the fields of health and medicine, the judiciary, financial services, law enforcement, and social services. The…

A systematic review on community-based interventions for elder abuse and neglect.

PubMed

Fearing, Gwendolyn; Sheppard, Christine L; McDonald, Lynn; Beaulieu, Marie; Hitzig, Sander L

2017-03-01

Elder abuse and neglect is a societal issue that requires prevention and intervention strategies at the practice and policy level. A systematic review on the efficacy of community-based elder abuse interventions was undertaken to advance the state of knowledge in the field. The peer-reviewed literature between 2009 and December 2015 were searched across four databases. Two raters independently reviewed all articles, assessed their methodological quality, and used a modified Sackett Scale to assign levels of evidence. Four thousand nine hundred and five articles were identified; nine were selected for inclusion. Although there was Level-1 evidence for psychological interventions (n = 2), only one study on strategies for relatives (START) led to a reported decrease in elder abuse. There was Level-4 evidence for conservatorship, an elder abuse intervention/prevention program (ECARE), and a multidisciplinary intervention (n = 4), in which one study yielded significant decreases in elder abuse and/or neglect. The remaining three were classified as Level-5 evidence (n = 3) for elder mediation and multidisciplinary interventions. There are limited studies with high levels of evidence for interventions that decrease elder abuse and neglect. The scarcity of community-based interventions for older adults and caregivers highlights the need for further work to elevate the quality of studies.

Effect of Oral Health Care Program on Oral Health Status of Elderly People Living in Nursing Homes: a Quasi-experimental Study.

PubMed

Ildarabadi, Es-Hagh; Armat, Mohammad Reza; Motamedosanaye, Vahideh; Ghanei, Farzaneh

2017-12-01

Oral health of elderly people plays a major role in their overall health and quality of life, and is an integral part of personal care. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of implementing the oral health care program (OHCP) on oral health status of elderly people resident in nursing homes. This quasi-experimental study was carried out using a pretest-posttest design on 101 elderly people (46 in the intervention group and 55 in the control group) resident in two randomly selected nursing homes in Mashhad, Iran. In the intervention group, the OHCP was carried out by caregivers for 8 weeks. The control group received routine care. Using the oral health assessment tool, the oral health status of elderly people was assessed in both groups at three times; onset of the study, 4th, and 8th week after the start of the study. The oral health status of the elderly people in both groups was not statistically significantly different at baseline, but it changed significantly at the 4 th , and 8 th weeks (p<.001). The implementation of the OHCP for elderly people resident in nursing homes may improve their oral health status after 4 weeks. It is recommended that OHCP be included in care plans of all nursing homes to improve the elderly people's oral health status.

Factors Related to Physical Activity Among the Elderly Population in Rural Thailand.

PubMed

Ethisan, Plernta; Somrongthong, Ratana; Ahmed, Jamil; Kumar, Ramesh; Chapman, Robert S

2017-04-01

Physical activity in later years of life is not only essential to healthy aging and independent functioning, but it also helps prevent chronic diseases. We aimed this cross-sectional study to assess the prevalence of physical activity and associated factors among rural elderly Thais. We conducted this study on a sample of 300 elderly in 2 rural districts of Phranakornsiayutthaya province in Thailand. The mean age of participants were 67.5±6 years and 42% of them did not perform physical activity. Prevalence of vigorous and moderate intensity physical activity was 43.7% and 48.7%, respectively. About 43.7% elderly used any active transport and spent 2.81 hours on sedentary activities, daily. Females and those with enough income were 3.64 and 0.59 times, respectively, less likely to be physically active ( P < .05). Our study concluded that almost half of the rural Thai elderly were physically inactive. Also male and wealthy elderly were less likely to be engaged in physical activity. We recommend for improved efforts to involve rural Thai elderly in physical activity by offering them opportunities for locally relevant recreational and leisure time physical activities, with special focus on males and higher income elderly.

Burns in patients over 90: a fifteen-year series from a regional burns centre.

PubMed

Shariff, Zakir; Rodrigues, Jeremy N; Anwar, Umair; Austin, Orla; Phipps, Alan

2015-03-01

The elderly constitute an expanding subgroup within society, and may have differences in health needs compared to younger patients. The specific needs and outcomes of elderly patients with burns have been widely studied. However, the definition of elderly often used in previous studies is a cut off of 65 years old. Within this broadly defined group, the very elderly may have distinct health care needs and issues. This study investigated aetiology, management and outcome of burns in those over 90 years treated at a single UK burns service over a period of 15 years between 1998 and 2013, and compares these data to published data describing 'younger' elderly burns patients. Twenty two patients were included, with a 2:1 female:male ration, and a mean 9%TBSA burn. Six of the 22 died during their admission, and those who survived averaged 8 days inpatient stay per %TBSA. The very elderly with burns may fare worse than younger elderly patients. Although burns in the very elderly are relatively infrequent events, they require significant resource. Further work to optimise their outcome is required. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

Comparative study on perceived abuse and social neglect among rural and urban geriatric population.

PubMed

Kaur, Jaspreet; Kaur, Jasbir; Sujata, N

2015-01-01

Elder abuse and social neglect are unrecognized problem. Many forms of elder abuse exist including physical, psychological, financial, sexual and social neglect. Social neglect is experienced by elderly through loss of friends and family members. Comparison of perceived abuse and social neglect among elderly residing in selected rural and urban areas. Study setting was a rural area Pohir and urban area Jamalpur of district Ludhiana. A sample of 200 subjects (100 subjects each from rural and urban area respectively) of age 60 years and above was drawn by cluster sampling technique and interview method was used to collect data by using Likert scale. Descriptive and inferential statistics were carried out with SPSS package. Results of the present study revealed that perceived physical abuse (25%) was higher among elderly residing in rural and it was found significantly higher among female elderly who were illiterate, widow/widower and partially dependent on caregiver whereas perceived psychological abuse (71%), financial abuse (37%) and social neglect (74%) were higher among elderly residing in urban. A significant association was found between psychological abuse and educational status, which inferred that as the level of education increases perception of psychological abuse also increases. The perceived financial abuse was significantly higher among male elderly who were financially independent. It was concluded that social neglect was most common, followed by psychological abuse and financial abuse among elderly residing in urban whereas physical abuse was more prevalent among elderly residing in rural.

[The relationship between depressive symptoms and family functioning in institutionalized elderly].

PubMed

de Oliveira, Simone Camargo; dos Santos, Ariene Angelini; Pavarini, Sofia Cristina Iost

2014-02-01

The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between family functioning and depressive symptoms among institutionalized elderly. This is a descriptive, cross-sectional study of quantitative character. A total of 107 institutionalized elderly were assessed using a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Geriatric Depression Scale (to track depressive symptoms) and the Family APGAR (to assess family functioning). The correlation coefficient of Pearson's, the chi-square test and the crude and adjusted logistic regression were used in the data analysis with a significance level of 5 %. The institutionalized elderly with depressive symptoms were predominantly women and in the age group of 80 years and older. Regarding family functioning, most elderly had high family dysfunctioning (57 %). Family dysfunctioning was higher among the elderly with depressive symptoms. There was a significant correlation between family functioning and depressive symptoms. The conclusion is that institutionalized elderly with dysfunctional families are more likely to have depressive symptoms.

Elderly people's interaction with advanced technology.

PubMed

Blažun, Helena; Vošner, Janez; Kokol, Peter; Saranto, Kaija; Rissanen, Sari

2014-01-01

Aging of population is an inevitable process by which the number of elderly people is increasing. Rapid development of information and communication technology (ICT) is changing basic needs of elderly people; therefore society should ensure opportunities for elderly to learn and use ICT in a way to manage their daily life activities and in this way enable them participation in the information and knowledge society. The purpose of the study was to find out whether elderly are acquainted with the advanced technology and to what extent they use it or they desire to use it. Within the single point study we interviewed 100 randomly selected elderly people from different geographical regions in Slovenia. Results showed the differences in the use of advanced technology by Slovenian regions; therefore in the future activities should be focused on organizing promotional and demonstrational activities including ICT courses to increase elderly's motivation for ICT interaction.

Research on the Design of Public Space Environment for Aging Society

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, Gu; Soo, Kim Chul

2018-03-01

This paper studies the living space environment suitable for the elderly, because the elderly and the disabled have become increasingly prominent social problems. Through the discussion of the humanistic environment design method of the elderly and the disabled, the paper puts forward a new environment design which has the traditional characteristics and adapts to the new society to care for the elderly (the disabled).By studying and analyzing the background of social aging, the theory of public space environment design and the needs of the elderly, it is pointed out that the design of public space environment in the aged society needs to be implemented in detail design. The number of elderly people in public space will increase, give full attention to the public space outdoor environment quality, for the elderly to provide a variety of environmental facilities have long-term significance.

Perceived health, life satisfaction, and cardiovascular risk factors among elderly Korean immigrants and elderly Koreans.

PubMed

Sin, Mo-Kyung; Chae, Young-Ran; Choe, Myoung-Ae; Murphy, Patrick; Kim, Jeungim; Jeon, Mi-Yang

2011-03-01

Acknowledging that changes in sociocultural environment influence health status, the purpose of this study was to compare perceived health, life satisfaction, and cardiovascular health in elderly Korean immigrants and elderly Koreans. In this cross-sectional study, a convenience sample of 88 elderly Korean immigrants and 295 elderly Koreans 65 and older were recruited from Korean communities in the United States and Korea. Respondents' perceived health was measured by self-assessment; life satisfaction was self-assessed using a dichotomous scale of general satisfaction with life; and cardiovascular health status was surveyed by self-report of major diagnosed cardiovascular risk factors (i.e., hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus) and body mass index measurement for obesity. Despite having better perceived health and life satisfaction, elderly Korean immigrants also had higher prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors. The findings provide health care providers with useful information for effective health assessment of minority immigrants. Copyright 2011, SLACK Incorporated.

Social-relational risk factors for predicting elder physical abuse: an ecological bi-focal model.

PubMed

von Heydrich, Levente; Schiamberg, Lawrence B; Chee, Grace

2012-01-01

Annually in the United States, 1 to 5 million older adults, 65 and above, are physically or sexually injured or mistreated by their caregivers in family settings. This study examined the prevalence and risk factors involved in elder physical abuse by adult child caregivers, moving from the immediate elderly parent/adult child relationship context to more distal social support contexts, utilizing a subsample of 203 elderly participants from the Midlife Development in the United States study (MIDUS II, 2004-2006). LISREL modeling examined causal pathways between elderly demographic characteristics, physical/emotional health, and behavioral and contextual characteristics from an ecological perspective. Data modeling was accomplished using Mplus, PAXW, and SYSTAT statistical software packages. Results indicate that latent factors including older adult health, social isolation of the older adult, and adult child characteristics were significantly associated with elder physical abuse, as mediated by the quality of the elderly parent/adult child relationship.

Association between Reported Elder Abuse and Rates of Admission to the Skilled Nursing Facilities: Findings from a Longitudinal Population-Based Cohort Study

PubMed Central

Dong, XinQi; Simon, Melissa A.

2013-01-01

Background Elder abuse is common and is a frank violation of an older adult’s fundamental rights to be safe and free of violence. Our prior study indicates elder abuse is independently associated with mortality. This study aims to quantify the relationship between overall elder abuse and specific subtypes of elder abuse and rate of admission to skilled nursing facilities (SNF). Methods A prospective population-based study is conducted in Chicago of community-dwelling older adults who participated in the Chicago Health and Aging Project (CHAP). Of the 6,674 participants in the CHAP study, 106 participants were reported to social services agency for elder abuse. The primary predictor was elder abuse reported to social services agency. The outcome of interest was the annual rate of admission to SNF obtained from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Poisson regression models were used to assess these longitudinal relationships. Results The average annual rate of SNF for those without elder abuse was 0.14(0.58) and for those with elder abuse was 0.66(1.63). After adjusting for sociodemographic, socioeconomic variables, medical commorbidities, cognitive and physical function, and psychosocial wellbeing, older adults who have been abused had higher rates of SNF admission (RR, 4.60 (2.85–7.42)). Psychological abuse (RR, 2.31(1.17–4.56)), physical abuse (RR, 2.36(1.19–4.66)), financial exploitation (RR, 2.81(1.53–5.17)) and caregiver neglect (RR, 4.73(3.03–7.40)) were associated with increased rates of admission to SNF, after considering the same confounders. Elder abuse is associated with higher rate of SNF stay of great than 30 days (RR, 6.27(3.68–10.69). Conclusion Elder abuse was associated with increased rates of admission to SNF in this community population. Specific subtypes of elder abuse had differential association with increased rate of admission to SNF. PMID:23816799

Increased gait unsteadiness in community-dwelling elderly fallers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hausdorff, J. M.; Edelberg, H. K.; Mitchell, S. L.; Goldberger, A. L.; Wei, J. Y.

1997-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that quantitative measures of gait unsteadiness are increased in community-dwelling elderly fallers. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective, case-control study. SETTING: General community. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-five community-dwelling elderly subjects older than 70 years of age who were capable of ambulating independently for 6 minutes were categorized as fallers (age, 82.2 +/- 4.9 yrs [mean +/- SD]; n = 18) and nonfallers (age, 76.5 +/- 4.0 yrs; n = 17) based on history; 22 young (age, 24.6 +/- 1.9 yrs), healthy subjects also participated as a second reference group. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Stride-to-stride variability (standard deviation and coefficient of variation) of stride time, stance time, swing time, and percent stance time measured during a 6-minute walk. RESULTS: All measures of gait variability were significantly greater in the elderly fallers compared with both the elderly nonfallers and the young subjects (p < .0002). In contrast, walking speed of the elderly fallers was similar to that of the nonfallers. There were little or no differences in the variability measures of the elderly nonfallers compared with the young subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Stride-to-stride temporal variations of gait are relatively unchanged in community-dwelling elderly nonfallers, but are significantly increased in elderly fallers. Quantitative measurement of gait unsteadiness may be useful in assessing fall risk in the elderly.

An exploratory discrete-time multilevel analysis of the effect of social support on the survival of elderly people in China

PubMed Central

Feng, Zhixin; Jones, Kelvyn; Wang, Wenfei Winnie

2015-01-01

This study undertakes a survival analysis of elderly persons in China using Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey 2002–2008. Employing discrete-time multilevel models, we explored the effect of social support on the survival of elderly people in China. This study focuses on objective (living arrangements and received support) and subjective activities (perceived support) of social support, finding that the effect of different activities of social support on the survival of elderly people varies according to the availability of different support resources. Specifically, living with a spouse, financial independence, perceiving care support from any resource is associated with higher survival rates for elderly people. Separate analysis focusing on urban elderly and rural elderly revealed broadly similar results. There is a larger difference between those perceiving care support from family or social service and not perceiving care support in urban areas comparing to those in rural areas. Those who cannot pay medical expenses are the least likely to survive. The higher level of economic development in province has no significant effect on the survival of elderly people for the whole sample model and the elderly people in urban areas; however, there is a negative influence on the survival of the rural elderly people. PMID:25703671

Knowledge, perceptions and preferences of elderly regarding protein-enriched functional food.

PubMed

van der Zanden, Lotte D T; van Kleef, Ellen; de Wijk, René A; van Trijp, Hans C M

2014-09-01

Promoting protein consumption in the elderly population may contribute to improving the quality of their later years in life. Our study aimed to explore knowledge, perceptions and preferences of elderly consumers regarding protein-enriched food. We conducted three focus groups with independently living (ID) elderly (N = 24, Mage = 67 years) and three with elderly living in a residential home (RH) (N = 18, Mage = 83 years). Both the ID and RH elderly were predominantly sceptical about functional food in general. Confusion, distrust and a perceived lack of personal relevance were main perceived barriers to purchasing and consuming these products, although a majority of the participants did report occasionally consuming at least one type of functional food. For the ID elderly, medical advice was an important facilitator that could overcome barriers to purchasing and consuming protein-enriched food, indicating the importance of personal relevance for this group. For the RH elderly, in contrast, sensory appeal of protein-enriched foods was a facilitator. Carrier preferences were similar for the two groups; the elderly preferred protein-enriched foods based on healthy products that they consumed frequently. Future studies should explore ways to deal with the confusion and distrust regarding functional food within the heterogeneous population of elderly. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Future research: a prospective longitudinal study of elder self-neglect.

PubMed

Dyer, Carmel Bitondo; Franzini, Luisa; Watson, Mary; Sanchez, Luis; Prati, Laura; Mitchell, Stacy; Wallace, Robert; Pickens, Sabrina

2008-11-01

In almost every U.S. jurisdiction, elder self-neglect is the most common allegation addressed by Adult Protective Service (APS) agencies. Not only is self-neglect common, but this form of mistreatment is an independent risk factor for death. A lack of understanding of the precipitating factors and root causes and of the effect on social and medical systems persists in this field. Research in this area has been limited, because the needs of these vulnerable elderly people are complex and diverse. Moreover, these factors encompass interrelated medical, psychiatric, economic, social, and functional problems. In 2004, the National Institutes of Health Interdisciplinary Roadmap Initiative provided the means for preliminary exploration of elder self-neglect through the formation of the Consortium for Research in Elder Self-neglect of Texas (CREST). The goals of CREST include to conduct pilot studies, form interdisciplinary working groups, convene a national research conference, and appoint a national external advisory board. CREST orchestrated the work of 35 interdisciplinary investigators to achieve these goals. CREST researchers have begun to characterize the population of vulnerable elderly people who were reported to APS for neglecting themselves. The pilot studies provided a snapshot of 100 elderly people who had neglected themselves. A proposed next phase could involve a prospective longitudinal study of elderly people with severe self-neglect. This study of the clinical course, the death rate, the causes of death, the occurrence of acute and chronic medical or mental illness, and the costs to the healthcare and social systems would greatly inform the field of elder mistreatment.

Relationship between Plasma Ghrelin Levels and Sarcopenia in Elderly Subjects: A Cross-Sectional Study.

PubMed

Serra-Prat, M; Papiol, M; Monteis, R; Palomera, E; Cabré, M

2015-06-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between plasma ghrelin levels and sarcopenia in elderly people. Cross-sectional study. Health consortium medical centers in the Maresme region, Barcelona (Spain). Two groups of subjects: persons ≥70 years (elderly group) and persons 25-65 years (young adults). Sarcopenia, diagnosed according to the EWGSOP definition, fasting and postprandial plasma ghrelin levels, body composition, hand grip, Barthel score, and frailty using Fried criteria. Fifty-five elderly subjects and 33 young adults were recruited. In both age groups, mean ghrelin levels were significantly higher in women than in men. However, mean ghrelin levels were similar in elderly and young men (716 vs. 752 pg mL-1, P = 0.763) as well as in elderly and young women (859 vs. 995 pg mL-1, P = 0.190). In the elderly group, subjects with sarcopenia showed significantly lower ghrelin levels than those without sarcopenia (650 vs. 899 pg mL-1, P = 0.036), but these differences disappeared when stratifying by gender. Elderly subjects without sarcopenia had the same ghrelin levels as young adults (899.3 vs. 899.6 pg mL-1). In young women, ghrelin levels correlated with fat free mass (rs = 0.58, P = 0.007) and muscular mass (rs = 0.54, P = 0.015) but these correlations were not observed in men nor in elderly women. This cross-sectional study does not allow a definitive conclusion about the relationship between ghrelin levels and sarcopenia. Further large prospective studies are needed to test this hypothesis.

Hearing in the elderly. Relation of hearing loss, loneliness, and self-esteem.

PubMed

Chen, H L

1994-06-01

1. The prevalence of hearing impairment increases with age. Hearing handicap resulting from hearing loss may lead to psychosocial problems in elders. 2. Previous studies have shown relations among hearing handicap, loneliness and low self-esteem, but those studies focused on populations other than elders. 3. Early detection of hearing handicap and appropriate interventions promote increased independence and preserve the ability of elders to interact with their environment.

Family factors in end-of-life decision-making: family conflict and proxy relationship.

PubMed

Parks, Susan Mockus; Winter, Laraine; Santana, Abbie J; Parker, Barbara; Diamond, James J; Rose, Molly; Myers, Ronald E

2011-02-01

Few studies have examined proxy decision-making regarding end-of-life treatment decisions. Proxy accuracy is defined as whether proxy treatment choices are consistent with the expressed wishes of their index elder. The purpose of this study was to examine proxy accuracy in relation to two family factors that may influence proxy accuracy: perceived family conflict and type of elder-proxy relationship. Telephone interviews with 202 community-dwelling elders and their proxy decision makers were conducted including the Life-Support Preferences Questionnaire (LSPQ), and a measure of family conflict, and sociodemographic characteristics, including type of relationship. Elder-proxy accuracy was associated with the type of elder-proxy relationship. Adult children demonstrated the lowest elder-proxy accuracy and spousal proxies the highest elder-proxy accuracy. Elder-proxy accuracy was associated with family conflict. Proxies reporting higher family conflict had lower elder-proxy accuracy. No interaction between family conflict and relationship type was revealed. Spousal proxies were more accurate in their substituted judgment than adult children, and proxies who perceive higher degree of family conflict tended to be less accurate than those with lower family conflict. Health care providers should be aware of these family factors when discussing advance care planning.

Past Taurine Intake Has a Positive Effect on Present Cognitive Function in the Elderly.

PubMed

Bae, Mi Ae; Gao, Ranran; Kim, Sung Hoon; Chang, Kyung Ja

2017-01-01

This study investigated the associations between dietary history of past taurine intake and cognitive function in the elderly. Subjects of this study were 40 elderly persons with dementia (men 14, women 26) and 37 normal elderly persons (men 5, women 32). Data were collected using questionnaires by investigator-based interview to the elderly and family caregivers. We examined their general characteristics, anthropometric data, cognitive function, and taurine index. Cognitive function was measured using MMSE-DS and higher score means better cognitive function. As dietary history of past taurine intake, taurine index was evaluated by scoring the intake frequency of 41 kinds of taurine-containing foods. Part correlation analysis (sex, age, and school educational period correction) was used to analyze associations between taurine index and cognitive function. The analysis of all data was carried out by the SPSS 20.0 program for windows. The age, height, weight, and BMI of elderly with dementia showed no statistical significance compared to normal elderly. The elderly with dementia had significantly higher school education period (7.4 years) than the normal elderly (4.8 years) (p < 0.01). Nevertheless, the average total score of cognitive function (MMSE-DS) of the elderly with dementia (18.1 points) was significantly lower than score of the normal elderly (21.7 points) (p < 0.05). The average taurine index of the elderly with dementia (104.7 points) was significantly lower than average taurine index of the normal elderly (123.7 points) (p < 0.01). There were positive correlations between total taurine index and total score of cognitive function in all the elderly subjects (p < 0.05). In particular, as taurine index was higher, there were significantly higher scores of cognitive function such as 'time orientation' and 'judgement and abstract thinking' (p < 0.01). In conclusion, these results suggest that past taurine intake may have a positive effect on present cognitive function in the elderly.

Recent trends in elderly suicide rates in England and Wales.

PubMed

Hoxey, K; Shah, A

2000-03-01

The proportion of elderly in the population is increasing due to increased life expectancy and falling birth rate, and suicide rates increase with age. This study examined the following in England and Wales: (i) recent trends in the elderly suicide rate; (ii) recent trends in method-specific elderly suicide rate; (iii) the relationship between elderly population size and elderly suicide rate in recent years; and (iv) the sex difference in overall and method-specific elderly suicide rate. Data on the various suicide variables were ascertained from the annually published mortality data for years 1985 to 1996. The main findings of this study were: (i) there is a trend towards decline in the overall pure and combined suicide rates for elderly men and women over the 12 year study period; (ii) the main contributors to this decline are suicides due to poisoning by solid and liquid substances (E950), hanging, strangulation and suffocation (E953), drowning (E954), firearms and explosives (E955), and jumping from high places (E957); (iii) the overall pure and combined suicide rates and that for most categories of suicide was higher in men compared to women; and (iv) suicide rates decreased with an increase in the elderly population size. Suicide rates can decline due to a number of reasons. The challenge now is to ensure further decline in suicide rates to meet the Our Healthier Nations target.

Self-Esteem Among the Elderly Visiting the Healthcare Centers in Kermanshah-Iran (2012).

PubMed

Jafari, Franak; Khatony, Alireza; Mehrdad, Malek

2015-04-15

Self-esteem is viewed the most decisive factor in the psychological development of the elderly. This study was performed to assess self-esteem among the elderly referring to the elderly consulting unit of the healthcare centers in Kermanshah, Iran. A cross-sectional study was completed with 201 elderly respondents visiting the consulting unit of the healthcare services in Kermanshah, Iran. The samples were selected through convenience sampling. Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (RSC) was used to gather the required data. Data were analyzed by using both descriptive (frequency, mean, median and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (chi-square and independent t-test). The findings showed a mean of 35.63±5.25 for self-esteem, indicating a high level of self-esteem (66.2%) among the elderly. A statistically significant difference was reported between the mean of self-esteem and career (p<0.001), marital status (p<0.04), history of health problems (p<0.04), residence (p<0.001), education (p<0.001) and income (p<0.001). The findings of this study indicated that approximately one third of the elderly had a low self-esteem, which is indicative of the need to promote the self-esteem of the elderly in order to reduce their physical, psychological and social problems. Thus, it is necessary for the healthcare authorities to provide the elderly with financial, social and psychological support.

Outcome and cost of trauma among the elderly: a real-life model of a single-payer reimbursement system.

PubMed

Young, J S; Cephas, G A; Blow, O

1998-10-01

As our population ages, the number of elderly trauma patients (age > or = 65 years) increases. Studies have demonstrated increased mortality and cost for a given injury severity in the elderly compared with younger patients. The financial viability of trauma centers in the United States has been an area of concern for many years. As reimbursement diminishes for privately insured patients, the ability to finance the care of the indigent is jeopardized. Medicare, the single-payer insurance plan for the elderly, reimburses at a lower rate than standard private insurance carriers. We examined the differences in outcome and cost between the elderly and younger patients and the financial burden imposed by care for elderly trauma. Our hypothesis was that elderly trauma patients would have poorer outcomes, higher cost, and generate greater financial losses than younger patients. All patients admitted to the University of Virginia Trauma Service from July 1, 1994, to July 1, 1997 were included. Trauma registry and patients records were examined. Patients with incomplete financial data (cost, reimbursement, and payer source) were excluded. Patients were grouped by age (18-64 and > or =65 years), Injury Severity Score, and payer source. One thousand one hundred twenty-seven patients met the entry criteria. One hundred forty patients had incomplete financial or patient data and were excluded. Nine hundred eighty-seven patients were included in the study, of which 159 were elderly and 828 were 18 to 64 years of age. Injury Severity Scores were significantly higher in the elderly group. Only 2% of elderly patients were uninsured (76% were insured by Medicare), whereas 25% of younger patients were uninsured. Medicare reimbursement rates actually exceeded those of all other carriers (114% of costs). Elderly patients had a higher mortality rate, but the z score did not reach significance. The W score, however, indicated that there were more unexpected, negative outcomes among elderly patients. As injury severity increased, profit per case increased in the elderly and decreased in the younger group. Despite higher injury severity and lower survival probability for the elderly, the length of hospital and intensive care unit stays, as well as the percentage of admissions to the intensive care unit, were similar. The per capita cost of hospital care for the elderly was lower than for younger patients, whereas reimbursement was higher, primarily because 98% of elderly patients were insured. Medicare, the single-payer insurance plan for the elderly, adequately reimburses for elderly trauma care. This implies that universal insurance coverage for all trauma patients would be desirable, even if reimbursement rates decreased significantly. The increased mortality in the elderly requires continued study and diligence.

A decade of road traffic fatalities among the elderly in north-West Iran.

PubMed

Sadeghi-Bazargani, Homayoun; Samadirad, Bahram; Moslemi, Farnaz

2018-01-08

Iran has a uniquely catastrophic status for road traffic injury incidence and fatality. The elderly account for a substantial number of the hospitalizations and fatalities due to traffic injuries. The aim of this study was to investigate the crash mechanisms and medical outcomes of traffic fatalities among the elderly in East Azerbaijan province of Iran during the period 2006-2016. A total of 9435 fatalities registered in East Azerbaijan forensic medicine database, Iran, during 2006-2016, were investigated. Of these, 1357 were elderly persons (age > 65). Both victim- and crash-related variables were compared for the elderly and other age groups. Bivariate and multivariate analysis methods were applied using Stata statistical software package version 13. Of the 9435 fatalities, 1357 victims (14.4%) were elderly persons. The mean age of the elderly traffic fatalities was 75.3(SD = 6.2) years. About 78% of the elderly versus 80% of those in other age groups were males. A decreasing trend of fatal traffic accidents was observed over the study period both for the elderly and other age groups. The elderly were nearly seven times more likely to die as a pedestrian compared to other age groups. By exclusively analyzing pedestrians, it was found that motorcycles were responsible for pedestrian deaths in 9.1% of the fatalities while this figure was 5.5% for pedestrians in other age groups killed in a traffic accident (P < 0.05). About 56% (N = 761) of the elderly died in hospital which was higher than the proportion for other age groups (39%). Ambulance was the main vehicle for transferring the injured victims in four-fifths of the cases both for the elderly and other age groups. Although, in the present study, head injuries were the most common type of injury regardless of the age group, the elderly had a lower percentage of head injuries and a higher percentage of injuries to the torso, pelvis and limbs compared to younger victims. Pedestrian inner-city crashes in East Azerbaijan province of Iran are a major cause of road injury fatalities among the elderly and should be considered as a priority in road safety interventions.

Differences in the clinical presentation and the frequency of complications between elderly and non-elderly scrub typhus patients.

PubMed

Jang, Mi-Ok; Kim, Ji Eun; Kim, Uh Jin; Ahn, Joon Hwan; Kang, Seung-Ji; Jang, Hee-Chang; Jung, Sook-In; Park, Kyung-Hwa

2014-01-01

Age can affect the clinical features and severity of infectious disorders, such as scrub typhus. We performed this study to examine differences between elderly and non-elderly scrub typhus patients, and to identify risk factors predictive of disease outcomes. This retrospective study included patients admitted to a tertiary hospital with scrub typhus between 2001 and 2011. A total of 615 patients were enrolled in this study, 328 of which were >65 years of age. Of the elderly patients, 46.0% (151/328) experienced at least one complication compared to only 23.0% (66/287) in younger patients. A linear trend was observed between age and complication rates (p=0.002). The most common complication in elderly patients was acute kidney injury (75, 22.9%). Treatment failure was reported in 10 elderly patients (3.0%) compared to one non-elderly patient (0.3%). Mental confusion and dyspnea of clinical manifestations at admission were common in elderly patients. Frequency of fever, rash, and eschar were similar in both groups. The following four factors were significantly associated with severe scrub typhus in elderly patients: (1) white blood cell (WBC) counts>10,000/mm(3) (OR=2.569, CI=1.298-5.086), (2) MDRD GFR<60mL/min (OR=3.525, CI=1.864-6.667), (3) albumin≤3.0g/dL (OR=4.976, CI=2.664-9.294), and (4) acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) score>10 points (OR=3.304, CI=1.793-60.87). Complications and mortality were more common in elderly patients, often associated with delays in diagnosis and treatment. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

PARTICULATE MATTER AND HEART RATE VARIABILITY AMONG ELDERLY RETIREES: THE BALTIMORE 1998 PM STUDY

EPA Science Inventory

This study investigates the reported relationship between ambient fine particle pollution and impaired cardiac autonomic control in the elderly. Heart rate variability (HRV) among 56 elderly (mean age 82) nonsmoking residents of a retirement center in Baltimore County, Maryland,...

Spatiotemporal characteristics of elderly population’s traffic accidents in Seoul using space-time cube and space-time kernel density estimation

PubMed Central

Cho, Nahye; Son, Serin

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study is to analyze how the spatiotemporal characteristics of traffic accidents involving the elderly population in Seoul are changing by time period. We applied kernel density estimation and hotspot analyses to analyze the spatial characteristics of elderly people’s traffic accidents, and the space-time cube, emerging hotspot, and space-time kernel density estimation analyses to analyze the spatiotemporal characteristics. In addition, we analyzed elderly people’s traffic accidents by dividing cases into those in which the drivers were elderly people and those in which elderly people were victims of traffic accidents, and used the traffic accidents data in Seoul for 2013 for analysis. The main findings were as follows: (1) the hotspots for elderly people’s traffic accidents differed according to whether they were drivers or victims. (2) The hourly analysis showed that the hotspots for elderly drivers’ traffic accidents are in specific areas north of the Han River during the period from morning to afternoon, whereas the hotspots for elderly victims are distributed over a wide area from daytime to evening. (3) Monthly analysis showed that the hotspots are weak during winter and summer, whereas they are strong in the hiking and climbing areas in Seoul during spring and fall. Further, elderly victims’ hotspots are more sporadic than elderly drivers’ hotspots. (4) The analysis for the entire period of 2013 indicates that traffic accidents involving elderly people are increasing in specific areas on the north side of the Han River. We expect the results of this study to aid in reducing the number of traffic accidents involving elderly people in the future. PMID:29768453

Spatiotemporal characteristics of elderly population's traffic accidents in Seoul using space-time cube and space-time kernel density estimation.

PubMed

Kang, Youngok; Cho, Nahye; Son, Serin

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study is to analyze how the spatiotemporal characteristics of traffic accidents involving the elderly population in Seoul are changing by time period. We applied kernel density estimation and hotspot analyses to analyze the spatial characteristics of elderly people's traffic accidents, and the space-time cube, emerging hotspot, and space-time kernel density estimation analyses to analyze the spatiotemporal characteristics. In addition, we analyzed elderly people's traffic accidents by dividing cases into those in which the drivers were elderly people and those in which elderly people were victims of traffic accidents, and used the traffic accidents data in Seoul for 2013 for analysis. The main findings were as follows: (1) the hotspots for elderly people's traffic accidents differed according to whether they were drivers or victims. (2) The hourly analysis showed that the hotspots for elderly drivers' traffic accidents are in specific areas north of the Han River during the period from morning to afternoon, whereas the hotspots for elderly victims are distributed over a wide area from daytime to evening. (3) Monthly analysis showed that the hotspots are weak during winter and summer, whereas they are strong in the hiking and climbing areas in Seoul during spring and fall. Further, elderly victims' hotspots are more sporadic than elderly drivers' hotspots. (4) The analysis for the entire period of 2013 indicates that traffic accidents involving elderly people are increasing in specific areas on the north side of the Han River. We expect the results of this study to aid in reducing the number of traffic accidents involving elderly people in the future.

The Study of Smartphone Usage Competency Assessment and Training for the Elderly.

PubMed

Lu, Sheng-Chieh; Wen, Tzu-Ning; Chang, Po-Lun

2017-01-01

This study aimed at developing an assessment of smartphone usage competence and constructing a training program for the elderly. A list of smartphone usage competencies with 34 items was defined through expert survey and panel. Based on the competence and previous literature, a training program and learning aids were designed in this study. There were 41 participants in our program. The results of self-administrated smartphone usage ability questionnaire indicated that all competencies were significantly improved after training. However, the results also demonstrated that some items were still difficult for the elderly to comprehend. Overall, this study provided a first exploration of defining smartphone usage competency and built a training program for the elderly. With strong suggestion, future mobile health (mHealth) services can follow this study to insure the smartphone usage ability of the elderly.

America's Elderly at Risk. A Report Presented by the Chairman of the Select Committee on Aging. House of Representatives, Ninety-Ninth Congress, First Session.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. House Select Committee on Aging.

This report examines the health risks and related financial risks faced by America's elderly. Documentation of the elderly's increased financial risk is presented which is based on data from a case study of the elderly in Massachusetts and on an analysis of the elderly's out-of-pocket health care costs using data from the Health Care Financing…

Stereotactic body radiotherapy for very elderly patients (age, greater than or equal to 85 years) with stage I non-small cell lung cancer.

PubMed

Hayashi, Shinya; Tanaka, Hidekazu; Kajiura, Yuuichi; Ohno, Yasushi; Hoshi, Hiroaki

2014-06-16

Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is primarily a treatment option for medically inoperable patients, who are often elderly. However, few studies report the effects of SBRT in elderly patients. Thus, we retrospectively analyzed clinical outcomes and feasibility following treatment of very elderly patients (age ≥ 85 years) with stage Ι NSCLC and younger patients (age < 85 years) with SBRT in our institution. From January 2006 to December 2012, 81 patients (20 very elderly; median age, 80 years; age range 64-93 years) with stage Ι NSCLC received SBRT. Prescription doses of 48 Gy were delivered in 4 fractions over 2 weeks or doses of 60 Gy were delivered in 10 fractions over 3 weeks. Local control was achieved in 91.8% of all patients at 3 years (83.1% and 93.8% of very elderly and younger patients, respectively), and the 3-year overall survival (OS) rate was 69.4% (40.7% and 75.0% of very elderly and younger patients, respectively). OS rates were significantly shorter for the very elderly group than for the younger group, with a 3-year cause-specific survival (CSS) rate of 77.9% (50.4% and 81.6% of very elderly and younger patients, respectively) and a 3-year progression-free survival (PFS) rate of 59.5% (44.7% and 63.5% in very elderly and younger groups, respectively). Multivariate analysis revealed a significant correlation between T stage and OS. Grades 2 and 3 radiation pneumonitis (RP) occurred in 7 (8.6%) and 2 (2.5%) patients, respectively. Among patients of very elderly and younger groups, grade 2 RP occurred in 4 (20%) and 3 (4.9%) patients, and grade 3 occurred in 2 (10%) and 0 (0%) patients, respectively. No grade 4 or 5 toxicity was observed, RP was significantly more severe among very elderly patients. SBRT for stage Ι NSCLC was well tolerated and feasible in very elderly patients. The efficacy of SBRT was comparable to that achieved in younger patients, although very elderly patients experienced significantly more severe RP. Although this study cohort included only 20 very elderly patients, the present data suggest that decreasing volumes of normal lung tissues exposed to ≥ 20 Gy and mean lung doses reduces the risk of RP in very elderly patients. The present data warrant studies of larger very elderly cohorts.

Stereotactic body radiotherapy for very elderly patients (age, greater than or equal to 85 years) with stage I non-small cell lung cancer

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is primarily a treatment option for medically inoperable patients, who are often elderly. However, few studies report the effects of SBRT in elderly patients. Thus, we retrospectively analyzed clinical outcomes and feasibility following treatment of very elderly patients (age ≥ 85 years) with stage Ι NSCLC and younger patients (age < 85 years) with SBRT in our institution. Methods From January 2006 to December 2012, 81 patients (20 very elderly; median age, 80 years; age range 64–93 years) with stage Ι NSCLC received SBRT. Prescription doses of 48 Gy were delivered in 4 fractions over 2 weeks or doses of 60 Gy were delivered in 10 fractions over 3 weeks. Results Local control was achieved in 91.8% of all patients at 3 years (83.1% and 93.8% of very elderly and younger patients, respectively), and the 3-year overall survival (OS) rate was 69.4% (40.7% and 75.0% of very elderly and younger patients, respectively). OS rates were significantly shorter for the very elderly group than for the younger group, with a 3-year cause-specific survival (CSS) rate of 77.9% (50.4% and 81.6% of very elderly and younger patients, respectively) and a 3-year progression-free survival (PFS) rate of 59.5% (44.7% and 63.5% in very elderly and younger groups, respectively). Multivariate analysis revealed a significant correlation between T stage and OS. Grades 2 and 3 radiation pneumonitis (RP) occurred in 7 (8.6%) and 2 (2.5%) patients, respectively. Among patients of very elderly and younger groups, grade 2 RP occurred in 4 (20%) and 3 (4.9%) patients, and grade 3 occurred in 2 (10%) and 0 (0%) patients, respectively. No grade 4 or 5 toxicity was observed, RP was significantly more severe among very elderly patients. Conclusions SBRT for stage Ι NSCLC was well tolerated and feasible in very elderly patients. The efficacy of SBRT was comparable to that achieved in younger patients, although very elderly patients experienced significantly more severe RP. Although this study cohort included only 20 very elderly patients, the present data suggest that decreasing volumes of normal lung tissues exposed to ≥ 20 Gy and mean lung doses reduces the risk of RP in very elderly patients. The present data warrant studies of larger very elderly cohorts. PMID:24935216

Emotional reactivity assessment of healthy elderly with an emotion-induction procedure.

PubMed

Fajula, Claire; Bonin-Guillaume, Sylvie; Jouve, Elisabeth; Blin, Olivier

2013-01-01

BACKGROUND/STUDY CONTEXT: No emotion-induction procedure is clearly recommended to assess the emotional reactivity in the elderly. This study aimed to validate an emotional reactivity procedure in healthy old patients. Nineteen healthy elders (age range: 66-91 years old) were compared with 19 education- and sex-matched young adults (age range: 20-33 years old) using a cross-sectional design. The main outcome measure was the evaluation of emotional reactivity to commercial film excerpts used as stimuli (joy, anger, fear, sadness, disgust, or neutral state) according to Philippot's procedure and using a 5-point questionnaire assessing 10 emotion dimensions (Differential Emotions Scale, DES). In the elderly sample, targeted emotions of fear, disgust, anger, and sadness were significantly induced compared with the baseline status. The global emotional reactivity to each film showed that the elderly subjects rated the DES in the same manner as the young adults, but with significantly higher global intensity for the excerpts inducing fear, anger, disgust, and sadness. The Philippot procedure is accurate for studying emotional reactivity in healthy elderly. The simplicity and rapidity of this procedure makes it suitable for emotion studies in different elderly populations.

Suicide Risk in the Hospitalized Elderly in Turkey and Affecting Factors.

PubMed

Avci, Dilek; Selcuk, Kevser Tari; Dogan, Selma

2017-02-01

This study aimed to investigate the suicide risk among the elderly hospitalized and treated because of physical illnesses, and the factors affecting the risk. The study has a cross-sectional design. It was conducted with 459 elderly people hospitalized and treated in a public hospital between May 25, 2015 and December 4, 2015. Data were collected with the Personal Information Form, Suicide Probability Scale and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. For the analysis, descriptive statistics, the chi-square test, Fisher's exact test and logistic regression analysis were used. In the study, 24.0% of the elderly were at high risk for suicide. Suicide risk was even higher among the elderly in the 60-74 age group, living alone, drinking alcohol, perceiving his/her religious beliefs as weak, being treated for cancer, having the diagnosis 11 years or over, having a history of admission to a psychiatry clinic, and being at risk for anxiety and depression. In the study, approximately one out of every four elderly people was at high risk for suicide. Therefore, older people should be assessed for suicide risk and programs targeting to prevent the elderly from committing suicide should be organized. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sociodemographic predictors of elderly's psychological well-being in Malaysia.

PubMed

Momtaz, Yadollah A; Ibrahim, Rahimah; Hamid, Tengku A; Yahaya, Nurizan

2011-05-01

Psychological well-being as one of the most important indicators of successful aging has received substantial attention in the gerontological literature. Prior studies show that sociodemographic factors influencing elderly's psychological well-being are multiple and differ across cultures. The aim of this study was to identify significant sociodemographic predictors of psychological well-being among Malay elders. The study included 1415 older Malays (60-100 years, 722 women), randomly selected through a multistage stratified random method from Peninsular Malaysia. WHO-Five well-being index was used to measure psychological well-being. Data analysis was conducted using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 13.0. Using multiple regression analysis a significant model emerged (F(7, 1407) = 20.14, p ≤ 0.001), where age, sex, marital status, and household income were significant predictor variables of psychological well-being among Malay elders. However, level of education, employment status, and place of residence failed to predict psychological well-being. This study showed that the oldest old, elderly women, unmarried, and the poor elderly people are at risk for experiencing low psychological well-being. Therefore, they need special attention from family, policy makers, and those who work with elderly people.

Verbal fluency in elderly with and without hypertension and diabetes from the FIBRA study in Ermelino Matarazzo

PubMed Central

Morelli, Nathalia Lais; Cachioni, Meire; Lopes, Andrea; Batistoni, Samila Sathler Tavares; Falcão, Deusivania Vieira da Silva; Neri, Anita Liberalesso; Yassuda, Monica Sanches

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT. Background: There are few studies on the qualitative variables derived from the animal category verbal fluency test (VF), especially with data originating from low-income samples of community-based studies. Objective: To compare elderly with and without hypertension (HTN) and diabetes mellitus (DM) regarding the total number of animals spoken, number of categories, groups and category switches on the VF test. Methods: We used the database of the FIBRA (Frailty in Brazilian Elderly) community-based study. The variables number of Categories, Groups and Category Switches were created for each participant. The total sample (n = 384) was divided into groups of elderly who reported having HTN, DM, both HTN and DM, or neither of these conditions. Results: There were no significant differences between the groups with and without these chronic diseases for VF total score or for the qualitative variables. Conclusion: Among independent community-dwelling elderly, the qualitative variables derived from the VF animal category may not add information regarding the cognitive profile of elderly with chronic diseases. Total VF score and the qualitative variables Category, Group and Switching did not differentiate elderly with and without HTN and DM. PMID:29354222

Association between Elder Abuse and Metabolic Syndromes: Findings from the Chicago Health and Aging Project.

PubMed

Dong, XinQi; Simon, Melissa

2015-01-01

Elder abuse and metabolic syndromes are both important public health issues and are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to examine the associations between elder abuse and risk for metabolic syndromes. The Chicago Health and Aging Project (CHAP) cohort is a population-based study (n = 4,586). We identified 676 participants with some form of elder abuse reported to a social services agency. The primary independent variable was elder abuse reported to a social services agency. Outcomes were metabolic syndrome as categorized by World Health Organization (WHO), American Heart Association (AHA) and International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria. Bivariate and logistic regression analyses were used to assess the association between elder abuse and different definitions of metabolic syndromes. In the bivariate analyses, elder abuse victims were more likely than those without elder abuse to have metabolic syndromes [22.4 vs. 10.7% (WHO), 50.7 vs. 40.0% (AHA) and 47.7 vs. 33.5% (IDF)]. After adjusting for potential confounding factors, elder abuse was associated with an increased risk for metabolic syndromes according to WHO [OR, 3.95 (2.86-5.47)], AHA [OR, 2.03 (1.56-2.64)] and IDF [OR, 2.55 (1.97-3.29)] criteria. Interaction term analyses indicate that the association between elder abuse and metabolic syndromes may be moderated by sociodemographic characteristics but not by health-related or psychosocial factors. Elder abuse is associated with an increased risk for metabolic syndromes. Research is needed to examine the association between elder abuse and cardiovascular disease.

Association Between Elder Abuse and Metabolic Syndromes: Findings from the Chicago Health and Aging Project

PubMed Central

Dong, XinQi; Simon, Melissa

2014-01-01

Background Elder abuse and metabolic syndromes are both important public health issues and are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to examine the associations between elder abuse and risk for metabolic syndromes. Methods Chicago Health and Aging Project (CHAP) cohort is a population-based study (N=4,586). We identified 676 participants with some form of elder abuse reported to a social services agency. The primary independent variable was elder abuse reported to a social services agency. Outcomes were metabolic syndrome as categorized by World Health Organization (WHO), American Heart Association (AHA) and International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria. Bivariate and logistic regression analyses were used to assess the association between elder abuse and different definitions of metabolic syndromes. Results In the bivariate analyses, elder abuse victims were more likely than those without elder abuse to have metabolic syndromes (22.4% vs. 10.7% [WHO], 50.7% vs. 40.0% [AHA], and 47.7% vs. 33.5% [IDF]). After adjusting for potential confounding factors, elder abuse was associated with increased risk for metabolic syndromes according to WHO (OR, 3.95 (2.86-5.47), AHA (OR, 2.03 (1.56-2.64) and IDF (OR, 2.55 (1.97-3.29) criteria. Interaction term analyses indicate that the association between elder abuse and metabolic syndromes may be moderated by sociodemographic characteristics, but not by health related or psychosocial factors. Conclusion Elder abuse is associated with increased risk for metabolic syndromes. Research is needed to examine the association between elder abuse and cardiovascular disease. PMID:25471532

Elder Abuse: Systematic Review and Implications for Practice.

PubMed

Dong, Xin Qi

2015-06-01

This article is based on the lecture for the 2014 American Geriatrics Society Outstanding Scientific Achievement for Clinical Investigation Award. Elder abuse is a global public health and human rights problem. Evidence suggests that elder abuse is prevalent, predictable, costly, and sometimes fatal. This review will highlight the global epidemiology of elder abuse in terms of its prevalence, risk factors, and consequences in community populations. The global literature in PubMed, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, BIOSIS, Science Direct, and Cochrane Central was searched. Search terms included elder abuse, elder mistreatment, elder maltreatment, prevalence, incidence, risk factors, protective factors, outcomes, and consequences. Studies that existed only as abstracts, case series, or case reports or recruited individuals younger than 60; qualitative studies; and non-English publications were excluded. Tables and figures were created to highlight the findings: the most-detailed analyses to date of the prevalence of elder abuse according to continent, risk and protective factors, graphic presentation of odds ratios and confidence intervals for major risk factors, consequences, and practical suggestions for health professionals in addressing elder abuse. Elder abuse is common in community-dwelling older adults, especially minority older adults. This review identifies important knowledge gaps, such as a lack of consistency in definitions of elder abuse; insufficient research with regard to screening; and etiological, intervention, and prevention research. Concerted efforts from researchers, community organizations, healthcare and legal professionals, social service providers, and policy-makers should be promoted to address the global problem of elder abuse. © 2015, Copyright the Author Journal compilation © 2015, The American Geriatrics Society.

Frequent use of opioids in patients with dementia and nursing home residents: A study of the entire elderly population of Denmark.

PubMed

Jensen-Dahm, Christina; Gasse, Christiane; Astrup, Aske; Mortensen, Preben Bo; Waldemar, Gunhild

2015-06-01

Pain is believed to be undertreated in patients with dementia; however, no larger studies have been conducted. The aim was to investigate prevalent use of opioids in elderly with and without dementia in the entire elderly population of Denmark. A register-based cross-sectional study in the entire elderly (≥65 years) population in 2010 was conducted. Opioid use among elderly with dementia (N = 35,455) was compared with elderly without (N = 870,645), taking age, sex, comorbidity, and living status into account. Nursing home residents (NHRs) used opioids most frequently (41%), followed by home-living patients with dementia (27.5%) and home-living patients without dementia (16.9%). Buprenorphine and fentanyl (primarily patches) were commonly used among NHRs (18.7%) and home-living patients with dementia (10.7%) but less often by home-living patients without dementia (2.4%). Opioid use in the elderly Danish population was frequent but particularly in patients with dementia and NHR, which may challenge patient safety and needs further investigation. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Elderly Koreans who consider suicide: Role of healthcare use and financial status.

PubMed

Park, Sang-Mi; Moon, Sang-Sik

2016-10-30

This study investigated associations between the use of healthcare services and financial status and suicidal ideation (SI) in the past year among elderly people. Additionally, this study explored gender differences in such associations. Cross-sectional data of 1743 elderly people aged 65 years and above, who participated in the 2009 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, were analyzed. The results showed that lack of preventive care and failure to obtain necessary healthcare services during the last 12 months had a significant effect on SI, especially among elderly women. Low financial status (i.e., receipt of National Basic Livelihood Security (NBLS) assistance) was significantly associated with SI among elderly men. The findings of this study emphasize the need for community-based suicide intervention services, especially for elderly men who receive NBLS and elderly women who do not undergo medical checkups and fail to obtain necessary medical services. Multiple intervention approaches, including the provision of community-based geriatric psychiatric services, improved social support, links with general hospital services, and local monitoring programs, are likely to be useful. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Study deviance-type scale in the development of Korean elder.

PubMed

Cho, Gun-Sang; Yi, Eun-Surk; Hwang, Hee-Jeong

2015-12-01

This research aims to develop a questionnaire of deviant behavior for the Korean elderly people which may make a big contribution to the examination of deviance behavior of the elderly people and may play an important role in providing a methodological basis. In order to accomplish the purpose of the this study, there were three different stages; (a) making preliminary question items, (b) refining the items of the scale through a plot study, and (c) finalizing question items by a main survey. In the first stage, 43 question items were developed using the open-ended questionnaire and structural inquiry of succession from 137 elderly people who are over 65 yr. In the second phase, based on data collected by the 200 elderly people pilot testing was performed through exploratory factor analysis and reliability test. The scale is a 27-item self-report questionnaire. In the main survey conducted by 184 elderly people, 21 items, which consisted of four subfactors, were finalized in order to measure deviance behaviors of the Korean elderly people: social deviance (n=8), economic deviance (n=5), psychological deviance (n=5), and physical deviance (n=3).

Elder abuse in Chinese populations: a global review.

PubMed

Dong, XinQi

2015-01-01

This review focuses on the epidemiology of elder abuse in the global Chinese population with respect to its prevalence, risk factors, and consequences, as well as the perceptions of elder abuse. Evidence revealed that elder abuse and its subtypes are common among the global Chinese population with prevalence ranging from 0.2% to 64%. Younger age, lower income levels, depression, cognitive impairment, and lack of social support were consistently associated with self-reported elder abuse. Caregiver burden was a constant risk factor for the proclivity to elder abuse by caregivers. The adverse health outcomes of elder abuse included suicidal ideation and psychological stress. Some primary research gaps exist: such as, lack of consistency in measurements and recall periods, insufficient studies on the causal relationships between potential risk factors and elder abuse, consequences of elder abuse, and possible interventions. In order to reduce the risk of elder abuse in the global Chinese population, collaboration is encouraged among researchers, health care professionals, social service providers, and policy makers.

Profile of psychiatric disorders and life events in medically ill elderly: experiences from geriatric clinic in Northern India.

PubMed

Prakash, Om; Gupta, L N; Singh, V B; Singhal, A K; Verma, K K

2007-11-01

Morbidity among elderly people has an important influence on their psychological well-being. Evaluation of the morbidity profile and its determinants, which have implications for management of medical problems of elderly people, are scarce in developing countries. Even the physicians' detection rate of mental distress in elderly populations is low in medical outpatient clinics. This could be due to the large caseloads and also, importantly, underestimation of psychological concerns of the elderly. The objective of this study was to study the psychiatric co-morbidity and life events among elderly medical outpatients. One hundred medically ill elderly (>60 years) patients attending the Geriatric Clinic at Bikaner (North India) constituted the study population. The physical diagnosis was made by a physician based on reported illness, clinical examination and medical records. Psychiatric diagnosis was made by detailed clinical psychiatric interview using ICD-10 guidelines. Life events were assessed by the Indian adaptation of Presumptive Stressful Life Events Scale. Hypertension was the most commonly reported physical diagnosis (50%), other specific medical illnesses were osteoarthritis (15%), diabetes (13%) and constipation (8%). The study found 18% subjects had depression and 11% had other mental disorders. Patients with mental disorders had suffered more recent stressful life events. Among life events, conflicts in family (16%); unemployment of self or children (9%) was reported by elderly psychiatric patients. Other reported life events in psychiatric diagnosed elderly were conflict in family (7%), illness of self (6%) or family members (5%) and death of family members (5%) or close relatives (4%). Mental disorders are common among medically ill elderly patients, but they are poorly recognized and treated. Assessment of the psychiatric morbidity will help in strengthening psycho-geriatric services and thus, improve the quality of life of the elderly. Copyright 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Prefrontal Model Revisited: Double Dissociations Between Young Sleep Deprived and Elderly Subjects on Cognitive Components of Performance

PubMed Central

Tucker, Adrienne M.; Stern, Yaakov; Basner, Robert C.; Rakitin, Brian C.

2011-01-01

Study Objectives: The prefrontal model suggests that total sleep deprivation (TSD) and healthy aging produce parallel cognitive deficits. Here we decompose global performance on two common tasks into component measures of specific cognitive processes to pinpoint the source of impairments in elderly and young TSD participants relative to young controls and to each other. Setting: The delayed letter recognition task (DLR) was performed in 3 studies. The psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) was performed in 1 of the DLR studies and 2 additional studies. Subjects: For DLR, young TSD (n = 20, age = 24.60 ± 0.62 years) and young control (n = 17, age = 24.00 ± 2.42); elderly (n = 26, age = 69.92 ± 1.06). For the PVT, young TSD (n = 18, age = 26.65 ± 4.57) and young control (n = 16, age = 25.19 ± 2.90); elderly (n = 21, age = 71.1 ± 4.92). Measurements and Results: Both elderly and young TSD subjects displayed impaired reaction time (RT), our measure of global performance, on both tasks relative to young controls. After decomposing global performance on the DLR, however, a double dissociation was observed as working memory scanning speed was impaired only in elderly subjects while other components of performance were impaired only by TSD. Similarly, for the PVT a second double dissociation was observed as vigilance impairments were present only in TSD while short-term response preparation effects were altered only in the elderly. Conclusions: The similarity between TSD and the elderly in impaired performance was evident only when examining global RT. In contrast, when specific cognitive components were examined double dissociations were observed between TSD and elderly subjects. This demonstrates the heterogeneity in those cognitive processes impaired in TSD versus the elderly. Citation: Tucker AM; Stern Y; Basner RC; Rakitin BC. The prefrontal model revisited: double dissociations between young sleep deprived and elderly subjects on cognitive components of performance. SLEEP 2011;34(8):1039-1050. PMID:21804666

Factors Associated with Emergency Department Use among the Rural Elderly

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fan, Lin; Shah, Manish N.; Veazie, Peter J.; Friedman, Bruce

2011-01-01

Context: Emergency Department (ED) use among the rural elderly may present a different pattern from the urban elderly, thus requiring different policy initiatives. However, ED use among the rural elderly has seldom been studied and is little understood. Purpose: To characterize factors associated with having any versus no ED use among the rural…

The Geographic Accessibility and Inequality of Community-Based Elderly Learning Resources: A Remodeling Assessment, 2009-2017

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tseng, Ming-Hseng; Wu, Hui-Ching

2018-01-01

Continuous elderly learning activities not only empower elderly populations' knowledge about health but also enhance these populations' social connections and social abilities, which can enhance their overall quality of life. Geographic accessibility is a determinant factor for elderly participation in social activities. In this study, we proposed…

Elder Abuse: What's a Clinician To Do?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reis, Bruce E.

Incidence rates are critically examined in light of varying definitions of what constitutes elder abuse. It is suggested that the clinician's position of mandatory reporting is an unrealistic response in many cases of elder abuse due to the lack of adequate support services for either the abuser or the elder. Outcome studies are used to support…

Elder Abuse Awareness Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morrow, Marilyn J.; Doyle, Kathleen

The Elder Abuse Awareness Project was developed to determine the incidence of abuse and neglect of elderly people in several rural counties in central Illinois. A primary purpose of the study was to survey service providers as to their actual encounters with elder abuse and neglect. Each provider was asked about warning signs or cues that were…

Attitudes of elderly Korean patients toward death and dying: an application of Q-methodology.

PubMed

Yeun, Eunja

2005-11-01

The aim of this study was to identify the attitudes of elderly Korean patients toward death and dying using Q-methodology to aid in the development of basic strategies for nursing care of elderly Koreans. Thirty participants at a university hospital sorted 40 selected Q-statements on a nine-point scale. Data analysis identified three types of attitudes toward death and dying in elderly patients in Korea: religion-dependent, science-adherent, and sardonic. Religion-dependent elders are highly dependent upon religion as evidenced by their reply that they would like to rely on God and a minister the most. Science-adherent elders have great affection for life and believe in modern medical advancements. The sardonic elders regard death as the dispensation of nature so there is no need to be afraid of death and dying. This study will contribute to the understanding that nurses and other health professionals have of the perceptions of elderly Koreans about death and dying. Also, the findings may provide the basis for the development of more appropriate strategies to improve death and dying education programs of health professionals.

[Dependency, abuse, and depression by gender in widowed elderly].

PubMed

Kim, Ok-Soo; Yang, Kyoung-Mi; Kim, Kye-Ha

2005-04-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of dependency and abuse on depression according to gender in widowed elderly. A convenient sample consisted of 246 widowed elderly who were more than 65 years old in four cities. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire from August to September, 2002. A dependency Scale developed by Ahn (1999) was used to measure the level of dependency. Emotional abuse and physical abuse were measured by 10 items for emotional abuse and 7 items for physical abuse selected out of the Conditions Scale of Elder Abuse. The level of depression was measured by the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). The SPSS WIN 11.0 version program was used for data analysis. In male widowed elderly, dependency affected depression indirectly through emotional abuse. While in female widowed elderly, dependency affected depression directly and affected emotional abuse indirectly. The study showed that dependency was the most explainable variable on depression in widowed female elderly. Therefore, it dependency should be assessed first in nursing intervention to relieve depression of widowed elderly.

Cough in the Elderly Population: Relationships with Multiple Comorbidity

PubMed Central

Song, Woo-Jung; Morice, Alyn H.; Kim, Min-Hye; Lee, Seung-Eun; Jo, Eun-Jung; Lee, Sang-Min; Han, Ji-Won; Kim, Tae Hui; Kim, Sae-Hoon; Jang, Hak-Chul; Kim, Ki Woong; Cho, Sang-Heon; Min, Kyung-Up; Chang, Yoon-Seok

2013-01-01

Background The epidemiology of cough in the elderly population has not been studied comprehensively. The present study aimed to investigate the epidemiology of cough in a community elderly population, particularly in relation with their comorbidity. Methods A cross-sectional analysis was performed using a baseline dataset from the Korean Longitudinal Study on Health and Aging, a community-based elderly population cohort study. Three types of cough (frequent cough, chronic persistent cough, and nocturnal cough) were defined using questionnaires. Comorbidity was examined using a structured questionnaire. Health-related quality of life was assessed using the Short Form 36 questionnaire. Results The prevalence was 9.3% for frequent cough, 4.6% for chronic persistent cough, and 7.3% for nocturnal cough. In multivariate logistic regression analyses, smoking, asthma and allergic rhinitis were found to be risk factors for cough in the elderly. Interestingly, among comorbidities, constipation and uncontrolled diabetes mellitus (HbA1c ≥ 8%) were also found to have positive associations with elderly cough. In the Short Form 36 scores, chronic persistent cough was independently related to impairment of quality of life, predominantly in the mental component. Conclusions Cough has a high prevalence and is detrimental to quality of life in the elderly. Associations with smoking, asthma and rhinitis confirmed previous findings in younger populations. Previously unrecognised relationships with constipation and uncontrolled diabetes mellitus suggested the multi-faceted nature of cough in the elderly. PMID:24205100

Tablet-Based Well-Being Check for the Elderly: Development and Evaluation of Usability and Acceptability

PubMed Central

Ariani, Arni; Kapadia, Vasvi

2017-01-01

Background Many elderly people prefer to live at home independently. One of the major concerns raised by the family members is the safety and well-being of their elderly family members when living independently in a home environment. To address this issue, assistive technology solutions have been available in the market. Despite their availability and proliferation, these types of solutions are not popular with the elderly due to their intrusive nature, privacy-related issues, social stigma, and fear of losing human interaction. This study shares the experience in the development of a digital photo frame system that helps family members to check the well-being of the elderly, exploiting their desire to remain socially connected. Objectives The aim of this study was to iteratively design, implement, and assess the usability, user friendliness, and acceptability of a tablet-based system to check the well-being of the elderly. Methods Our study methodology comprises three separate stages: initial system development, contextual assessment, and comparative case study evaluation. Results In the first stage, requirements were elicited from the elderly to design a well-being check prototype. In the second stage, areas for improvements (eg, privacy features) were identified. Also, additional features (such as medication prompts or food reminders) were suggested to help aged and health care service providers with effective but subtle monitoring of the elderly. These would lower their operating cost by reducing visits by care providers to the homes of the elderly. In the third stage, the results highlighted the difference (between users in India and Australia) in the levels of familiarity of the elderly with this technology. Some elderly participants at the Kalyani Institute for Study, Planning and Action for Rural Change, India latched onto this technology quickly while a few refused to use the system. However, in all cases, the support of family members was crucial for their willingness to use the technology. Conclusions This project has three major outcomes. First, a picture frame prototype was tested with the elderly to leverage the benefits of social communication. Second, the project helped us test and implement the “Silvercare” model for supporting the elderly through young retired people residing in the area. Finally, the project helped formalize the agile three-stage design methodology to develop information technology solutions for the elderly. Also, the project contributed to an ongoing European Union Project called Victoryahome, which involves more than 50 sites across 5 countries (Norway, Sweden, Netherlands, Portugal, and Australia) to assess the use of telepresence robots, wearable fall detectors, and medication dispensers for the elderly living independently. PMID:28500017

Tablet-Based Well-Being Check for the Elderly: Development and Evaluation of Usability and Acceptability.

PubMed

Ray, Pradeep; Li, Junhua; Ariani, Arni; Kapadia, Vasvi

2017-05-12

Many elderly people prefer to live at home independently. One of the major concerns raised by the family members is the safety and well-being of their elderly family members when living independently in a home environment. To address this issue, assistive technology solutions have been available in the market. Despite their availability and proliferation, these types of solutions are not popular with the elderly due to their intrusive nature, privacy-related issues, social stigma, and fear of losing human interaction. This study shares the experience in the development of a digital photo frame system that helps family members to check the well-being of the elderly, exploiting their desire to remain socially connected. The aim of this study was to iteratively design, implement, and assess the usability, user friendliness, and acceptability of a tablet-based system to check the well-being of the elderly. Our study methodology comprises three separate stages: initial system development, contextual assessment, and comparative case study evaluation. In the first stage, requirements were elicited from the elderly to design a well-being check prototype. In the second stage, areas for improvements (eg, privacy features) were identified. Also, additional features (such as medication prompts or food reminders) were suggested to help aged and health care service providers with effective but subtle monitoring of the elderly. These would lower their operating cost by reducing visits by care providers to the homes of the elderly. In the third stage, the results highlighted the difference (between users in India and Australia) in the levels of familiarity of the elderly with this technology. Some elderly participants at the Kalyani Institute for Study, Planning and Action for Rural Change, India latched onto this technology quickly while a few refused to use the system. However, in all cases, the support of family members was crucial for their willingness to use the technology. This project has three major outcomes. First, a picture frame prototype was tested with the elderly to leverage the benefits of social communication. Second, the project helped us test and implement the "Silvercare" model for supporting the elderly through young retired people residing in the area. Finally, the project helped formalize the agile three-stage design methodology to develop information technology solutions for the elderly. Also, the project contributed to an ongoing European Union Project called Victoryahome, which involves more than 50 sites across 5 countries (Norway, Sweden, Netherlands, Portugal, and Australia) to assess the use of telepresence robots, wearable fall detectors, and medication dispensers for the elderly living independently. ©Pradeep Ray, Junhua Li, Arni Ariani, Vasvi Kapadia. Originally published in JMIR Human Factors (http://humanfactors.jmir.org), 12.05.2017.

Forgiveness, Ego-Integrity, and Depressive Symptoms in Community-Dwelling and Residential Elderly Adults.

PubMed

Dezutter, Jessie; Toussaint, Loren; Leijssen, Mia

2016-09-01

This study aimed first, to investigate the relation between forgivingness and depressive symptoms in elderly individuals and second, to explore whether the developmental task of integrity/despair is a possible underlying process in this relation. Both aims were studied in a sample of community-dwelling elderly individuals as well as in a sample of residential elderly individuals. Community-dwelling elderly individuals (n = 280, M = 75.98 years) and residential elderly individuals (n = 205, M = 83.20 years) in Belgium filled out questionnaires on forgivingness, depressive symptoms, and the developmental task of integrity/despair. Structural equation modeling was used to test the mediational role of integrity/despair in the relation between forgivingness and depression in both samples. Furthermore, multigroup analyses tested the convergence of the mediational models in the community-dwelling elderly individuals and the residential elderly individuals. Forgivingness and depression were negatively associated in both residential elderly individuals and community-dwelling elderly individuals. The developmental task of finding integrity and avoiding despair showed to be a significant mediator in this relationship. Framed within a life-span perspective, we showed that the developmental task of finding a balance between integrity and despair is an important intrapersonal mechanism through which forgivingness is related with depressed feelings for residential as well as community-dwelling elderly individuals. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

A Comparative Study of Health Status and Quality of Life of Elderly People Living in Old Age Homes and within Family Setup in Raigad District, Maharashtra.

PubMed

Amonkar, Priyanka; Mankar, Madhavi Jogesh; Thatkar, Pandurang; Sawardekar, Pradeep; Goel, Rajesh; Anjenaya, Seema

2018-01-01

The traditional concept of family in India to provide support to the elderly is changing soon with disintegration of joint families. In this scenario the concept of old age homes (OAHs) is gaining momentum and the number of people seeking OAH care is rapidly increasing. However, not much is known about the quality of life (QOL) of Indian elderly staying in the OAH setup. To assess and compare the Health status, Quality of Life and Depression in elderly people living in OAHs & within family using WHOQOL -OLD questionnaire & Geriatric Depression Scale. A cross sectional study was conducted in elderly aged above 60 years of age. After taking a written consent and matching for age and sex & socioeconomic status, 60 elderly from OAHs & 120 elderly living within family setup were selected randomly. The WHOQOL-OLD standard questionnaire & GDS were used to assess quality of life & depression in elderly. The QOL of elderly in domains of autonomy, past present & future activities, social participation and intimacy was better in family setup (60.62, 70.62, 66.14 and 58.43) as compared to OAHs (51.35, 62.91, 59.47and 41.16) (p<0.05). There was statistically significant difference in mean geriatric depression scores of both the group (3.96 within family setup and 5.76 in OAH's). Quality of life of elderly within family setup was better as compared to elderly in OAHs.

Comparative study on perceived abuse and social neglect among rural and urban geriatric population

PubMed Central

Kaur, Jaspreet; Kaur, Jasbir; Sujata, N.

2015-01-01

Context: Elder abuse and social neglect are unrecognized problem. Many forms of elder abuse exist including physical, psychological, financial, sexual and social neglect. Social neglect is experienced by elderly through loss of friends and family members. Aim: Comparison of perceived abuse and social neglect among elderly residing in selected rural and urban areas. Settings and Design: Study setting was a rural area Pohir and urban area Jamalpur of district Ludhiana. Subjects and Methods: A sample of 200 subjects (100 subjects each from rural and urban area respectively) of age 60 years and above was drawn by cluster sampling technique and interview method was used to collect data by using Likert scale. Statistical Analysis: Descriptive and inferential statistics were carried out with SPSS package. Results: Results of the present study revealed that perceived physical abuse (25%) was higher among elderly residing in rural and it was found significantly higher among female elderly who were illiterate, widow/widower and partially dependent on caregiver whereas perceived psychological abuse (71%), financial abuse (37%) and social neglect (74%) were higher among elderly residing in urban. A significant association was found between psychological abuse and educational status, which inferred that as the level of education increases perception of psychological abuse also increases. The perceived financial abuse was significantly higher among male elderly who were financially independent. Conclusion: It was concluded that social neglect was most common, followed by psychological abuse and financial abuse among elderly residing in urban whereas physical abuse was more prevalent among elderly residing in rural. PMID:26816425

Risk factors associated with in-hospital mortality in elderly patients admitted to a regional trauma center after sustaining a fall.

PubMed

Cartagena, L J; Kang, A; Munnangi, S; Jordan, A; Nweze, I C; Sasthakonar, V; Boutin, A; George Angus, L D

2017-06-01

Falls are a significant cause of mortality in the elderly patients. Despite this, the literature on in-hospital mortality related to elderly falls remains sparse. Our study aims to determine the risk factors associated with in-hospital mortality in elderly patients admitted to a regional trauma center after sustaining a fall. All elderly case records with fall-related injuries between 2003 and 2013 were retrospectively analyzed for demographic characteristics, injury severities, comorbidity factors and clinical outcomes. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the risk factors associated with in-hospital mortality. In total, 1026 elderly patients with fall-related injuries were included in the study. The average age of patients was 80.94 ± 8.16 years. Seventy seven percent of the patients had at least one comorbid condition. Majority of the falls occurred at home. More than half of the patients fell from ground level. Overall, the in-hospital mortality rate was 16 %. Head injury constituted the most common injury sustained in patients who died (77 %). In addition to age, ISS, GCS, ICU admission and anemia were significantly (P < 0.05) associated with in-hospital deaths in elderly fall patients. Ground-level falls in the elderly can be devastating and carry a significant mortality rate. Elderly patients with anemia were two times more likely to die in the hospital after sustaining a fall in our study population. Increased focus on anemia which is often underappreciated in elderly fall patients can be beneficial in improving outcomes and reducing in-hospital mortality.

Global Prevalence of Elder Abuse: A Meta-analysis and Meta-regression.

PubMed

Ho, C Sh; Wong, S Y; Chiu, M M; Ho, R Cm

2017-06-01

Elder abuse is increasingly recognised as a global public health and social problem. There has been limited inter-study comparison of the prevalence and risk factors for elder abuse. This study aimed to estimate the pooled and subtype prevalence of elder abuse worldwide and identify significant associated risk factors. We conducted a meta-analysis and meta-regression of 34 population-based and 17 non-population-based studies. The pooled prevalences of elder abuse were 10.0% (95% confidence interval, 5.2%-18.6%) and 34.3% (95% confidence interval, 22.9%-47.8%) in population-based studies and third party- or caregiver-reported studies, respectively. Being in a marital relationship was found to be a significant moderator using random-effects model. This meta-analysis revealed that third parties or caregivers were more likely to report abuse than older abused adults. Subgroup analyses showed that females and those resident in non-western countries were more likely to be abused. Emotional abuse was the most prevalent elder abuse subtype and financial abuse was less commonly reported by third parties or caregivers. Heterogeneity in the prevalence was due to the high proportion of married older adults in the sample. Subgroup analysis showed that cultural factors, subtypes of abuse, and gender also contributed to heterogeneity in the pooled prevalence of elder abuse.

Tools for assessing fall risk in the elderly: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Park, Seong-Hi

2018-01-01

The prevention of falls among the elderly is arguably one of the most important public health issues in today's aging society. The aim of this study was to assess which tools best predict the risk of falls in the elderly. Electronic searches were performed using Medline, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, CINAHL, etc., using the following keywords: "fall risk assessment", "elderly fall screening", and "elderly mobility scale". The QUADAS-2 was applied to assess the internal validity of the diagnostic studies. Selected studies were meta-analyzed with MetaDisc 1.4. A total of 33 studies were eligible out of the 2,321 studies retrieved from selected databases. Twenty-six assessment tools for fall risk were used in the selected articles, and they tended to vary based on the setting. The fall risk assessment tools currently used for the elderly did not show sufficiently high predictive validity for differentiating high and low fall risks. The Berg Balance scale and Mobility Interaction Fall chart showed stable and high specificity, while the Downton Fall Risk Index, Hendrich II Fall Risk Model, St. Thomas's Risk Assessment Tool in Falling elderly inpatients, Timed Up and Go test, and Tinetti Balance scale showed the opposite results. We concluded that rather than a single measure, two assessment tools used together would better evaluate the characteristics of falls by the elderly that can occur due to a multitude of factors and maximize the advantages of each for predicting the occurrence of falls.

Risk of falls in Brazilian elders with and without low back pain assessed using the Physiological Profile Assessment: BACE study

PubMed Central

Rosa, Nayza M. B.; Queiroz, Bárbara Z.; Lopes, Renata A.; Sampaio, Natalia R.; Pereira, Daniele S.; Pereira, Leani S. M.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Background Low back pain (LBP) is a common musculoskeletal condition among elders and is associated with falls. However, the underlying biological risk factors for falling among elders with LBP has been poorly investigated. The Physiological Profile Assessment (PPA) is a validated fall-risk assessment tool that involves the direct assessment of sensorimotor abilities and may contribute to the understanding of risk factors for falls among elders with LBP. Objective To assess fall risk using the PPA in elders with and without LBP. Method This is an observational, comparative, cross-sectional study with elders aged ≥65 years. The present study was conducted with a subsample of participants from the Back Complaints in the Elders (BACE) - Brazil study. Fall risk was assessed using the PPA, which contains five tests: visual contrast sensitivity, hand reaction time, quadriceps strength, lower limb proprioception, and postural sway. Results Study participants included 104 individuals with average age of 72.3 (SD=4.0) years, divided into two groups: GI) 52 participants with LBP; GII) 52 participants without LBP. The participants with LBP had a significantly higher fall risk (1.10 95% CI 0.72 to 1.48), greater postural sway (49.78 95% CI 13.54 to 86.01), longer reaction time (58.95 95% CI 33.24 to 84.65), and lower quadriceps strength (–4.42 95% CI –8.24 to –0.59) compared to asymptomatic participants. There was no significant difference for vision and proprioception tests between LBP and non-LBP participants. Conclusion Elders with LBP have greater risk for falls than those without LBP. Our results suggest fall-risk screening may be sensible in elders with LBP. PMID:27683833

Use of potentially inappropriate medications by the elderly at home.

PubMed

Lopes, Lázara Montezano; Figueiredo, Tácita Pires de; Costa, Soraya Coelho; Reis, Adriano Max Moreira

2016-11-01

The goal of this study was to assess how often potentially inappropriate medicines are used by the elderly at home, and analyze its clinical significance. This is a retrospective cross-sectional study, a segment of a study on the use of medication conducted at a public hospital. Inappropriate medication was classified according to the three criteria in the 2012 Beers List. 190 elderly were included in this study; the prevalence of the use of inappropriate medicines was 44.2%. The therapeutic classes of most often used inappropriate medicines were non-steroid anti-inflammatories, cardiovascular agents, benzodiazepines and antidepressants. We found a positive association between the use of inappropriate medicines and polypharmacy, polypathology and hypertension. The 2013 Rename identified 35 inappropriate drugs (34.3%). The study showed a high prevalence of using inappropriate medicines by the elderly. The clinical consequences of using inappropriate medicines are important for public health due to the risk of adverse events and a negative impact on elderly functionality. When it comes to caring for the elderly, it is important to develop measures to foster the rational use of medication.

Effects of compound music program on cognitive function and QOL in community-dwelling elderly

PubMed Central

Fujita, Takaaki; Ito, Akemi; Kikuchi, Nana; Kakinuma, Tomohiro; Sato, Yoshihisa

2016-01-01

[Purpose] Interventions using music, physical exercise, and reminiscence therapy are widely used both for rehabilitation and care of the elderly. This study aimed to investigate the effect of structured interventions comprising music, physical exercise, and reminiscence therapy on cognitive function and quality of life of the community-dwelling elderly. [Subjects and Methods] The study included 15 community-dwelling elderly people who used a day-care center. Participants underwent sessions comprising the following three factors: 1) singing songs familiar to the elderly; 2) physical exercise to music; and 3) observation of historical pictures. Sessions were conducted once or twice per week, 30 to 40 min per day, for 10 weeks. Pre and post interventions of the Mini Mental State Examination, the Behavioral Rating Scale for the Elderly, and the SF-8 were compared. [Results] No significant difference was observed between pre- and post-intervention scores on the Mini Mental State Examination and the Behavioral Rating Scale for the Elderly. However, the post intervention physical component summary of SF-8 was significantly higher than the pre intervention summary. [Conclusion] This study suggests that interventions comprising music, physical exercise, and reminiscence therapy may contribute toward the improvement of elderly individuals’ health-related quality of life, especially physical health. PMID:27942151

Social workers' roles in addressing the complex end-of-life care needs of elders with advanced chronic disease.

PubMed

Kramer, Betty J

2013-01-01

This study examined social workers' roles in caring for low-income elders with advanced chronic disease in an innovative, community-based managed care program, from the perspective of elders, family, team members, and social workers. The results are drawn from a larger longitudinal, multimethod case study. Sources of data include survey reports of needs addressed by social workers for 120 deceased elders, five focus groups with interdisciplinary team members, and in-depth interviews with 14 elders and 10 of their family caregivers. A thematic conceptual matrix was developed to detail 32 distinctive social work roles that address divergent needs of elders, family, and team members. Distinctive perceptions of social workers' roles were identified for the different stakeholder groups (i.e., elders, family caregivers, team members, and social workers). Findings from this study may inform supervisors and educators regarding training needs of those preparing to enter the rapidly growing workforce of gerontological social workers who may be called upon to care for elders at the end of life. Training is particularly warranted to help social workers gain the skills needed to more successfully treat symptom management, depression, anxiety, agitation, grief, funeral planning, and spiritual needs that are common to the end of life.

Aging gracefully in Greater Beirut: are there any gender-based differences?

PubMed

Mitri, Rosy N; Boulos, Christa M; Adib, Salim M

2017-06-01

The implications of rapid aging of the Lebanese population are under-researched. No national studies have so far investigated the living conditions and the health status of urban Lebanese elderly across gender. This was a cross-sectional study involving 905 randomly selected community dwelling elderly aged ≥65 years living in Greater Beirut. Gender differences were assessed among participants who completed a standardized questionnaire on socio-demographic factors, nutritional, health, and functional characteristics. The sample included 533 men (59%) and 372 women (41%). Elderly were regrouped into 'younger elderly' (≤70 years), and 'older elderly' (>70 years) which represented respectively 44.3% and 55.7% of the total population. Women, regardless of their age, were less educated and more likely to live alone. Moreover, poor nutritional status, self-perceived health, absence of physical activity, comorbidity, polymedication and depression were significantly higher among women. 'Older elderly' women became significantly more functionally disabled compared with men of their age. This study evidenced that Lebanese elderly women were disadvantaged regarding their socio-economic, health and functional status. It is requested a nationwide effort to improve the socio-economic status and the health of Lebanese elderly, especially women. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

The Nutrition, Aging, and Memory in Elders (NAME) study: design and methods for a study of micronutrients and cognitive function in a homebound elderly population.

PubMed

Scott, Tammy M; Peter, Inga; Tucker, Katherine L; Arsenault, Lisa; Bergethon, Peter; Bhadelia, Rafeeque; Buell, Jennifer; Collins, Lauren; Dashe, John F; Griffith, John; Hibberd, Patricia; Leins, Drew; Liu, Timothy; Ordovas, Jose M; Patz, Samuel; Price, Lori Lyn; Qiu, Wei Qiao; Sarnak, Mark; Selhub, Jacob; Smaldone, Lauren; Wagner, Carey; Wang, Lixia; Weiner, Daniel; Yee, Jacqueline; Rosenberg, Irwin; Folstein, Marshal

2006-06-01

Micronutrient status can affect cognitive function in the elderly; however, there is much to learn about the precise effects. Understanding mediating factors by which micronutrient status affects cognitive function would contribute to elders' quality of life and their ability to remain in the home. The Nutrition, Aging, and Memory in Elders (NAME) Study is designed to advance the current level of knowledge by investigating potential mediating factors by which micronutrient status contributes to cognitive impairment and central nervous system abnormalities in the elderly. NAME targets homebound elders because they are understudied and particularly at risk for poor nutritional status. Subjects are community-based elders aged 60 and older, recruited through area Aging Services Access Points. The NAME core data include demographics; neuropsychological testing and activities of daily living measures; food frequency, health and behavioral questionnaires; anthropometrics; gene status; plasma micronutrients, homocysteine, and other blood determinants. A neurological examination, psychiatric examination, and brain MRI and volumetric measurements are obtained from a sub-sample. Preliminary data from first 300 subjects are reported. These data show that the NAME protocol is feasible and that the enrolled subjects are racially diverse, at-risk, and had similar basic demographics to the population from which they were drawn. The goal of the NAME study is to evaluate novel relationships between nutritional factors and cognitive impairment. These data may provide important information on potential new therapeutic strategies and supplementation standards for the elderly to maintain cognitive function and potentially reduce the public health costs of dementia.

Happiness among the elderly in communities: a study in senior clubs of Chonburi Province, Thailand.

PubMed

Sumngern, Chommanard; Azeredo, Zaida; Subgranon, Rarchaneeporn; Sungvorawongphana, Narirat; Matos, Eduarda

2010-06-01

To study the levels of happiness perception in the elderly in different regions, and determine the reasons affecting it. The Thai Happiness Indicators: THI-15; 2001 were used in this study of 306 participants (> or =60 years) in different regions: rural, suburban, and urban. The elderly were chosen by chance from those belonging to Thai senior clubs in opportunistic random. The elderly perceived their happiness as good, fair, and poor, respectively, 12.4%, 37.9%, and 49.7%. There was a difference in happiness perception among the regions: poor happiness perception (64.5%, 61.2%, and 22.8% in rural, suburban, and urban areas, respectively) (P < 0.001). We also verified that there was a difference in poor happiness perception between males (57.9%) and females (42.2%) (P < 0.01). There were differences in the happiness perception among people with different levels of education (chi(2) (4, N = 306) = 14.15, P = 0.007). There was also a difference between happiness perceptions as related to occupation: the results showed elderly who were not working had a better score of happiness perception than the elderly who had to work. Although we cannot generalize from the results the happiness of all Thai elderly, the present study found that formal education, geographical areas, and gender can influence happiness. Health-care providers should be concerned about and provide the proper intervention and/or activities in order to alleviate the mental health problems among the elderly in communities, especially the elderly who are identified with poor happiness.

A Cross-National Study of the Relationship between Elderly Suicide Rates and Urbanization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shah, Ajit

2008-01-01

There is mixed evidence of a relationship between suicide rates in the general population and urbanization, and a paucity of studies examining this relationship in the elderly. A cross-national study with curve estimation regression model analysis, was undertaken to examine the a priori hypothesis that the relationship between elderly suicide…

State tax incentives for person giving informal care of the elderly.

PubMed

Hendrickson, M C

1988-12-01

Programs for informal caregivers of frail elderly can be adopted by States to address some of the problems associated with an expanding and costly long-term care system. In this article, highlights are given from a 3-year study of Idaho and Arizona tax incentive programs. Characteristics of informal caregivers and elderly participants are described, and elderly participants are compared with elderly nonparticipants and with the general elderly population. Tax incentives were positively related to the level of service and financial support provided by informal caregivers. Data were inadequate to determine whether the induced informal help substituted for public expenditures.

[Characteristics of elderly leaders volunteering to participate in a fall prevention programme].

PubMed

Shimanuki, Hideki; Ueki, Shouzoh; Ito, Tunehisa; Honda, Haruhiko; Takato, Jinro; Kasai, Toshiyuki; Sakamoto, Yuzuru; Niino, Naoakira; Haga, Hiroshi

2005-09-01

This study was conducted to assess characteristics of elderly leaders volunteering to participate in a fall prevention programme. We surveyed 1,503 individuals (75 elderly leaders volunteering to participate in a fall prevention programme and 1,428 non-leader elderly) among the elderly population living in a rural community, Miyagi Prefecture. Subjects were aged 70-84 years. The questionnaire covered socio-demographic factors, as well as physical, psychology and social variables. To analyze the characteristics of the elderly leaders volunteering to participate in this programme, the relationships of socio-demographic, physical, psychology and social factors to whether the elderly were leaders in the programme were analyzed using logistic regression. As a result of multiple logistic regression analysis, the characteristics of elderly leaders volunteering to participate in the fall prevention programme were as follows; 1) being male (OR = 0.25, 95%CI 0.14-0.44); 2) young age (OR=0.43, 95%CI 0.25-0.73); 3) having a high intellectual activity (OR = 2.72, 95%CI 1.65-4.48); 4) being well satisfied with their health (OR = 1.45, 95%CI 1.02-2.07), and 5) having a high IKIGAI (OR = 1.06, 95%CI 1.01-1.13). Only elderly individuals capable of high-level intellectual activities can fill the roles of elderly volunteer group leaders discussed in this study.

Barriers in detecting elder abuse among emergency medical technicians.

PubMed

Reingle Gonzalez, Jennifer M; Cannell, M Brad; Jetelina, Katelyn K; Radpour, Sepeadeh

2016-09-02

Elder abuse and neglect are highly under-reported in the United States. This may be partially attributed to low incidence of reporting among emergency medical technicians' (EMTs), despite state-mandated reporting of suspected elder abuse. Innovative solutions are needed to address under-reporting. The objective was to describe EMTs' experience detecting and reporting elder abuse. Qualitative data were collected from 11 EMTs and 12 Adult Protective Services (APS) caseworkers that participated in one of five semi-structured focus groups. Focus group data were iteratively coded by two coders. Findings suggest a number of barriers prevent EMTs from reporting elder abuse to APS. Participants suggested that limited training on elder abuse detection or reporting has been provided to them. EMTs suggested that training, creation of an automated reporting system or brief screening tool could be used to enhance EMT's ability to detect and communicate suspected cases of elder abuse to APS. Results from the present study suggest that EMTs may be uniquely situated to serve as elder abuse and neglect surveillance personnel. EMTs are eager to work with APS to address the under-reporting of elder abuse and neglect, but training is minimal and current reporting procedures are time-prohibitive given their primary role as emergency healthcare providers. Future studies should seek to translate these findings into practice by identifying specific indicators predictive of elder abuse and neglect for inclusion on an automated reporting instrument for EMTs.

Losartan/hydrochlorothiazide combination is safe and effective for morning hypertension in Very-Elderly patients.

PubMed

Uchiwa, Hiroki; Kai, Hisashi; Iwamoto, Yoshiko; Anegawa, Takahiro; Kajimoto, Hidemi; Fukuda, Kenji; Imaizumi, Tsutomu; Fukumoto, Yoshihiro

2018-01-01

Morning hypertension is an independent risk for cerebrovascular and cardiovascular events. Although the prevalence of morning hypertension increases with age, treatment of morning hypertension has not been established, particularly in Very-Elderly patients. We compared the safety and efficacy of a losartan/hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) combination in controlling morning hypertension between Very-Elderly (≥75 years) and Young/Elderly patients (<75 years). This study was a subanalysis of the Morning Hypertension and Angiotensin Receptor Blocker/Hydrochlorothiazide Combination Therapy study, in which patients with morning hypertension (≥135/85 mmHg) received a 50-mg losartan/12.5-mg HCTZ combination tablet (combination therapy) or 100-mg losartan (high-dose therapy) for 3 months. High adherence rates and few adverse effects were observed in Very-Elderly patients receiving combination (n = 32) and high-dose (n = 34) therapies and in Young/Elderly patients receiving combination (n = 69) and high-dose (n = 66) therapies. Baseline morning systolic BP (SBP) was similar in both age groups receiving either therapy. Morning SBP was reduced by 20.2 and 18.1 mmHg with combination therapy and by 7.1 and 9.1 mmHg with high-dose therapy in the Very-Elderly and Young/Elderly patients, respectively. Morning BP target (<135/85 mmHg) was achieved in 40.6% and 55.1% by combination therapy and in 14.7% and 24.2% by high-dose therapy in the Very-Elderly and Young/Elderly patients, respectively. Neither therapy changed renal function and serum potassium in Very-Elderly patients. In conclusion, the losartan/HCTZ combination was safe and effective in controlling morning hypertension in Very-Elderly as well as Young/Elderly patients. In addition, combination therapy was also superior to high-dose therapy for lowering morning SBP in Very-Elderly patients.

Social support among elderly in Khon Kean Province, Thailand.

PubMed

Kuhirunyaratn, Piyathida; Pongpanich, Sathirakorn; Somrongthong, Ratana; Love, Edgar J; Chapman, Robert Sedgwick

2007-09-01

The purpose of this research was to assess perceived social support and its factors among the elderly. The study group included 734 elders who were aged 60 years old or more, and living in eight villages in Khon Kaen Province, Thailand. A structured questionnaire was used to collect the information, and perceived social support was measured by PRQ85. This study found a high level of social support was perceived among the elderly. According to the PRQ85, the highest dimension of social support was the availability of information, emotional, and material support; while the lowest dimension was being an integral part of a group. Results from multiple regressions indicate that education level, number of close friend, knowing community health staff, working status, elderly club member, and religious activities were statistically significantly related to perceived social support. In conclusion, the elderly had a high level of social support. Close friends and community health staff are important sources of support among the elderly.

The Impact of Mass Communication on Consumer Decision-Making among the Elderly.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Ruth; And Others

Elderly residents of a large southern city were surveyed in a study designed to examine the effects of media advertising on the elderly's perceptions. The 91 subjects completed a questionnaire on social factors such as the subjects' self-image, their perceptions of the elderly as portrayed by the mass media, product brand preferences, sex role…

Concept of Care, Caring Expectations, and Caring Frustrations of the Elderly Suffering from Chronic Illness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Guzman, Allan B.; Santos, Charisse Izobelle Q.; Santos, Ivan Benedict A.; Santos, Jedda A.; Santos, Justin E.; Santos, Justo Martin S.; Santos, Vincent Emmanuelle E.

2012-01-01

While it is true that elderly concepts of care and caring expectations have been ascertained in previous literatures, little is known about how the elderly population views caring frustrations--particularly that of the Filipino elderly. This study purports to surface the lebenswelt of healthcare expectations and frustrations based on the…

Disrespect and Isolation: Elder Abuse in Chinese Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tam, Sandra; Neysmith, Sheila

2006-01-01

Based on a qualitative study of home care workers, this paper aims to understand elder abuse of Chinese Canadians. The findings show disrespect is the key form elder abuse takes in the Chinese community. As a culturally specific form of abuse, disrespect remains invisible under categories of elder abuse derived from a Western cultural perspective.…

Elder Abuse and Neglect Content in Higher Education Programs on Aging.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stein, Karen F.

This study sought to: (1) investigate the degree to which course content on elder abuse and neglect is a part of higher education curriculums in aging; (2) determine which specific elder abuse and neglect course content is included in required and elective coursework; and (3) describe the attitudes of instructors toward including elder abuse and…

Characterizing User Behaviours and Products in an Online Educational Community: A Comparison between Novices and Elders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yuan, Min; Recker, Mimi

2014-01-01

This study focuses on two user types in an online educational community--novices and elders--and explores the characteristics of their behaviours and contributed products by analyzing usage logs. Results show that novices and elders have different behavioural trajectories. In addition, the products created by elders attract more views.

Perceived neighborhood safety and incident mobility disability among elders: the hazards of poverty.

PubMed

Clark, Cheryl R; Kawachi, Ichiro; Ryan, Louise; Ertel, Karen; Fay, Martha E; Berkman, Lisa F

2009-05-28

We investigated whether lack of perceived neighborhood safety due to crime, or living in high crime neighborhoods was associated with incident mobility disability in elderly populations. We hypothesized that low-income elders and elders at retirement age (65 - 74) would be at greatest risk of mobility disability onset in the face of perceived or measured crime-related safety hazards. We conducted the study in the New Haven Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (EPESE), a longitudinal cohort study of community-dwelling elders aged 65 and older who were residents of New Haven, Connecticut in 1982. Elders were interviewed beginning in 1982 to assess mobility (ability to climb stairs and walk a half mile), perceptions of their neighborhood safety due to crime, annual household income, lifestyle characteristics (smoking, alcohol use, physical activity), and the presence of chronic co-morbid conditions. Additionally, we collected baseline data on neighborhood crime events from the New Haven Register newspaper in 1982 to measure local area crime rates at the census tract level. At baseline in 1982, 1,884 elders were without mobility disability. After 8 years of follow-up, perceiving safety hazards was associated with increased risk of mobility disability among elders at retirement age whose incomes were below the federal poverty line (HR 1.56, 95% CI 1.02 - 2.37). No effect of perceived safety hazards was found among elders at retirement age whose incomes were above the poverty line. No effect of living in neighborhoods with high crime rates (measured by newspaper reports) was found in any sub-group. Perceiving a safety hazard due to neighborhood crime was associated with increased risk of incident mobility disability among impoverished elders near retirement age. Consistent with prior literature, retirement age appears to be a vulnerable period with respect to the effect of neighborhood conditions on elder health. Community violence prevention activities should address perceived safety among vulnerable populations, such as low-income elders at retirement age, to reduce future risks of mobility disability.

Perceived neighborhood safety and incident mobility disability among elders: the hazards of poverty

PubMed Central

Clark, Cheryl R; Kawachi, Ichiro; Ryan, Louise; Ertel, Karen; Fay, Martha E; Berkman, Lisa F

2009-01-01

Background We investigated whether lack of perceived neighborhood safety due to crime, or living in high crime neighborhoods was associated with incident mobility disability in elderly populations. We hypothesized that low-income elders and elders at retirement age (65 – 74) would be at greatest risk of mobility disability onset in the face of perceived or measured crime-related safety hazards. Methods We conducted the study in the New Haven Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (EPESE), a longitudinal cohort study of community-dwelling elders aged 65 and older who were residents of New Haven, Connecticut in 1982. Elders were interviewed beginning in 1982 to assess mobility (ability to climb stairs and walk a half mile), perceptions of their neighborhood safety due to crime, annual household income, lifestyle characteristics (smoking, alcohol use, physical activity), and the presence of chronic co-morbid conditions. Additionally, we collected baseline data on neighborhood crime events from the New Haven Register newspaper in 1982 to measure local area crime rates at the census tract level. Results At baseline in 1982, 1,884 elders were without mobility disability. After 8 years of follow-up, perceiving safety hazards was associated with increased risk of mobility disability among elders at retirement age whose incomes were below the federal poverty line (HR 1.56, 95% CI 1.02 – 2.37). No effect of perceived safety hazards was found among elders at retirement age whose incomes were above the poverty line. No effect of living in neighborhoods with high crime rates (measured by newspaper reports) was found in any sub-group. Conclusion Perceiving a safety hazard due to neighborhood crime was associated with increased risk of incident mobility disability among impoverished elders near retirement age. Consistent with prior literature, retirement age appears to be a vulnerable period with respect to the effect of neighborhood conditions on elder health. Community violence prevention activities should address perceived safety among vulnerable populations, such as low-income elders at retirement age, to reduce future risks of mobility disability. PMID:19476610

A case control study on factors that influence depression among the elderly in Kuala Lumpur Hospital and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Hospital.

PubMed

Salimah, O; Rahmah, M A; Rosdinom, R; Azhar, S Shamsul

2008-12-01

Depressive illness is common among the aged population. A case control study was conducted, focusing on risk factors influencing depression among the elderly. This study involved 130 elderly patients diagnosed to have depressive illness from the psychiatric clinics of Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL) and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Hospital (HUKM). Another group of 130 elderly patients with no history of depressive illness were recruited from the medical specialist clinics. The majority of cases were female (75.4%), aged 60-74 years (92.3%) and from Chinese ethnic group (59.2%). Non-Malay elderly has three times risk (AOR 2.537, 95% CI 1.439-4.471) of suffering the depressive illness compared to the Malay elderly, the elderly with chronic health problems are more likely to be depressed compared to those who do not suffer from any chronic illness (p trend <0.001). Other risk factors identified were family history of depression with four times risk (AOR 4.225, 95% CI 2.017-8.848) and lower social support with eight times risk (AOR 7.949, 95% CI 2.588-24.417). Social support is not only important in encouraging the elderly to practice healthy life style but proven to influence the risk of getting depression among them. Hence, it is very crucial that the elderly is given total attention, respect and love from all parties to ensure prosperity and meaningfulness in life.

Self-Esteem Among the Elderly Visiting the Healthcare Centers in Kermanshah-Iran (2012)

PubMed Central

Franak, Jafari; Alireza, Khatony; Malek, Mehrdad

2015-01-01

Background and Objective: Self-esteem is viewed the most decisive factor in the psychological development of the elderly. This study was performed to assess self-esteem among the elderly referring to the elderly consulting unit of the healthcare centers in Kermanshah, Iran. Methods: A cross-sectional study was completed with 201 elderly respondents visiting the consulting unit of the healthcare services in Kermanshah, Iran. The samples were selected through convenience sampling. Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (RSC) was used to gather the required data. Data were analyzed by using both descriptive (frequency, mean, median and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (chi-square and independent t-test). Results: The findings showed a mean of 35.63±5.25 for self-esteem, indicating a high level of self-esteem (66.2%) among the elderly. A statistically significant difference was reported between the mean of self-esteem and career (p<0.001), marital status (p<0.04), history of health problems (p<0.04), residence (p<0.001), education (p<0.001) and income (p<0.001). Conclusion: The findings of this study indicated that approximately one third of the elderly had a low self-esteem, which is indicative of the need to promote the self-esteem of the elderly in order to reduce their physical, psychological and social problems. Thus, it is necessary for the healthcare authorities to provide the elderly with financial, social and psychological support. PMID:26156932

Rib and sternum fractures in the elderly and extreme elderly following motor vehicle crashes.

PubMed

Bansal, Vishal; Conroy, Carol; Chang, David; Tominaga, Gail T; Coimbra, Raul

2011-05-01

As the population ages, the need to protect the elderly during motor vehicle crashes becomes increasingly critical. This study focuses on causation of elderly rib and sternum fractures in seriously injured elderly occupants involved in motor vehicle crashes. We used data from the Crash Injury Research and Engineering Network (CIREN) database (1997-2009). Study case criteria included occupant (≥ 65 years old) drivers (sitting in the left outboard position of the first row) or passengers (sitting in the first row right outboard position) who were in frontal or side impacts. To avoid selection bias, only occupants with a Maximum Abbreviated Injury Scale (MAIS) 3 (serious) or greater severity injury were included in this study. Odds ratios were used as a descriptive measure of the strength of association between variables and Chi square tests were used to determine if there was a statistically significant relationship between categorical variables. Of the 211 elderly (65-79 years old) occupants with thoracic injury, 92.0% had rib fractures and 19.6% had sternum fractures. For the 76 extreme elderly (80 years or older) with thoracic injury, 90.4% had rib fractures and 27.7% had sternum fractures. Except for greater mortality and more rib fractures caused by safety belts, there were no differences between the extreme elderly and the elderly occupants. Current safety systems may need to be redesigned to prevent rib and sternum fractures in occupants 80 years and older. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prevalence of depression and its associated factors among elderly patients in outpatient clinic of Universiti Sains Malaysia Hospital.

PubMed

Imran, A; Azidah, A K; Asrenee, A R; Rosediani, M

2009-06-01

Depression among elderly primary care patients is a serious problem with significant morbidity and mortality. This is a cross sectional study to determine the prevalence of depression and its associated factors among the elderly patients attending the outpatient clinic, Universiti Sains Malaysia Hospital. This study utilized Malay version Geriatric Depression Scale 14 (M-GDS 14) to screen for elderly depression among Malaysian population. It also looked into associated risk factors for elderly depression using sociodemographic, family dynamics, and medically related questionnaires. Out of 244 subjects, 34 or 13.9% were found to have depression. Three variables were found to be significantly associated with depression. Elderly patient with any illness that limits the patient's activity or mobility has more risk of developing depression (OR 2.68 CI 1.15 - 6.24). Elderly patients who were satisfied with their personal incomes (OR 0.29 CI 0.10 - 0.85), and who had children or son/daughter-in-law to take care of them when they are sick (OR 0.10 CI 0.01 - 0.83) have a lower chance of having depression. Screening the elderly for depression, would help in diagnosing the elderly depression better and offer them the treatment needed.

The Association between Elder Mistreatment and Suicidal Ideation among Community-Dwelling Chinese Older Adults in the U.S

PubMed Central

Dong, XinQi; Chen, Ruijia; Wu, Bei; Zhang, Ning Jackie; Mui, Ada Chan Yuk-Sim; Chi, Iris

2015-01-01

Background Elder mistreatment and suicidal ideation are important public health concerns among aging populations. However, very few studies have been conducted to explore the association between elder mistreatment and suicidal ideation. Objectives To examine the association between elder mistreatment and suicidal ideation among Chinese older adults in the U.S. Methods Guided by a community-based participatory research approach, this study conducted in-person interviews with Chinese older adults aged 60 years and older in the Greater Chicago Area from 2011–2013. Elder mistreatment was assessed by a 10-item instrument derived from the Hwalek-Sengstok Elder Abuse Screening Test (H-S/EAST) and the Vulnerability to Abuse Screening Scale (VASS). Suicidal ideation was assessed by the ninth item of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and the Geriatric Mental State Examination-Version A (GMS-A). Results Overall, 3,159 Chinese older adults participated in this study and the mean age was 72.8. After controlling for age, gender, education, income, medical comorbidities, depressive symptoms, and social support, elder mistreatment was significantly associated with increased risk for 2-week suicidal ideation (OR 2.46, 95% CI 1.52 – 4.01) and 12-month suicidal ideation (OR 2.46, 95% CI 1.62 – 3.73). With respect to gender differences, the study found that the association remained significant in older women but not in older men after adjusting for all confounding factors. Conclusion As the largest epidemiology study conducted among Chinese older adults in the U.S., this study suggests that elder mistreatment was a risk factor for 2-week and 12-month suicidal ideation in older women but not in older men. Longitudinal studies should be conducted to explore the mechanisms through which elder mistreatment links with suicidal ideation. PMID:26336817

The impact of elder abuse education on young adults.

PubMed

Hayslip, Bert; Reinberg, Julie; Williams, Jennifer

2015-01-01

The present study examined the effectiveness of educational interventions in altering tolerance for and behavioral intentions of elder abuse among college student young adults. Participants were 225 undergraduates who were assigned to one of four educational groups: Elder Abuse Education, Aging Education, Family Education, and a Pre- and Posttest only condition. While the Elder Abuse Education group reported less tolerance and intentions for elder abuse compared to the other groups at the immediate posttest, a decrement in such positive changes at 1-month follow-up was observed in such persons. These mixed findings suggest that while specific interventions may reduce elder abuse tolerance, supplemental educational efforts over time may be necessary to maintain intervention-specific gains in intentions and behaviors particular to elder abuse.

[Social representations of elders' quality of life].

PubMed

Silva, Luípa Michele; Silva, Antonia Oliveira; Tura, Luiz Fernando Rangel; Moreira, Maria Adelaide Silva Paredes; Rodrigues, Rosalina Aparecida Partezani; Marques, Maria do Céu

2012-03-01

This study aimed to identify elders' social representations of quality of life. This is an exploratory study with a sample of 240 elders, of both sexes. For data collection we used a Free Association Test with Words, using the inductive stimulus 'quality of life" and sociodemographic variables. The interviews were analyzed with the software Alceste. Of the 240 studied eslders, 167 were women, with the dominant age from 60 to 69 years, income between two and three minimum wages, most of the married and with catholicism as the predominant religion. The results from Alceste pointed towards seven hierarchical classes: accessibility, work, activity, support affection, care and interactions. Social representations of quality of life by elders can support professionals in understanding the adhesion to preventive practices for the elderly and in strengthening policies directed to this population.

[Evaluation of mental and communication functions in mapuche and non mapuche elderly subjects in rural communities in Southern Chile].

PubMed

Mella, Rebeca; Alvear, María; Carrillo, Berta; Caire, Victor

2003-11-01

The main predictors of functional impairment in the elderly are alterations in mental or communication functions. To study mental and communication functions in rural elderly subjects of Mapuche and non Mapuche origin. Elderly subjects coming from a rural Mapuche community and a non Mapuche community were studied. Subjects were interviewed at their homes. The communication and mental function assessments of the Functional Autonomy Measurement System were applied. Fifty one Mapuche and 49 non Mapuche subjects with a mean age of 71 +/- 7 and 74 +/- 8 years respectively, were studied. Fifty four percent were female and 31% were illiterate. Twenty six percent had impairment in mental functions. The item with the highest difficulty was memory. The visual function was the most severely impaired among communication items. Mapuche elderly subjects had significantly higher degrees of impairment in mental and communication functions. There is a higher degree of mental and communication impairment among rural Mapuche elderly subjects than in their non Mapuche counterparts.

Are elder siblings helpers or competitors? Antagonistic fitness effects of sibling interactions in humans

PubMed Central

Nitsch, Aïda; Faurie, Charlotte; Lummaa, Virpi

2013-01-01

Determining the fitness consequences of sibling interactions is pivotal for understanding the evolution of family living, but studies investigating them across lifetime are lacking. We used a large demographic dataset on preindustrial humans from Finland to study the effect of elder siblings on key life-history traits. The presence of elder siblings improved the chances of younger siblings surviving to sexual maturity, suggesting that despite a competition for parental resources, they may help rearing their younger siblings. After reaching sexual maturity however, same-sex elder siblings' presence was associated with reduced reproductive success in the focal individual, indicating the existence of competition among same-sex siblings. Overall, lifetime fitness was reduced by same-sex elder siblings' presence and increased by opposite-sex elder siblings' presence. Our study shows opposite effects of sibling interactions depending on the life-history stage, and highlights the need for using long-term fitness measures to understand the selection pressures acting on sibling interactions. PMID:23173210

Correlation between hypertension and cognitive function in elderly

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fitri, F. I.; Rambe, A. S.

2018-03-01

Hypertension and cognitive impairment are common disorders among elderly adults, and their prevalences tend to rise as the population ages. This study aimed to determine the correlation between hypertension and cognitive function in elderly. It was a cross-sectional study involving 62 elderly subjects. All subjects underwent physical and neurologic examination and Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Indonesian Version (MoCA-INA) to assess cognitive function. This study included 62 subjects consisted of 26 males (41.9%) and 36 females (58.1%). There were 24 subjects (38.2%) with hypertension and 38 (61.3%) normal elderly subjects. The mean age was 65.71±4.49 years old. There were no significant differences in demographic characteristics, total MoCA-INA scores, and scores based on cognitive domains between two groups, except for visuospatial and executive function (p=0.026). There was a significant correlation between hypertension and visuospatial and executive function (r=0.301, p=0.017). Hypertension is correlated with cognitive impairment mainly on visuospatial and executive function in elderly.

"Coming Out" of Prison: An Exploratory Study of LGBT Elders in the Criminal Justice System.

PubMed

Maschi, Tina; Rees, Jo; Klein, Eileen

2016-09-01

This two-phase qualitative study explores the experiences of 10 formerly incarcerated LGBT elders' experiences prior to, during, and after release from prison. A core theme of self and the social mirror emerged from the data that represented LGBT elders ongoing coming-out process of unearthing their "true selves" despite managing multiple stigmatized identities or social locations, such as being LGBT, elderly, HIV positive, formerly incarcerated, and a racial/ethnic minority. These findings further our awareness of an overlooked population of LGBT who are older and involved in the criminal justice system. Recommendations that incorporate suggestions from formerly incarcerated LGBT elders for services and policy reform are presented.

Risk of malnutrition among Brazilian institutionalized elderly: a study with the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) questionnaire.

PubMed

Pereira Machado, R S; Santa Cruz Coelho, M A

2011-08-01

Brazilian population has passed for a process of demographic transition throughout latest years, characterized for the increase of the elderly population. Malnutrition is a serious problem to frail elderly. The objective of this study was o evaluate the risk of malnutrition among institutionalized elderly resident in municipal shelters in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, using the tool Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA). 344 institutionalized elderly aged over 60 years old were tested in a cross-sectional study using MNA. This tool classifies the nutricional status of the elderly in three groups: malnutrition (score < 17), risk of malnutrition (score 17 - 23,5) and well-nourished (score > = 24). Anthropometric measurements such as calf circumference (CC), mid-arm circumference (MAC) and Body mass index (BMI) were also evaluated. The variables were evaluated using the chi-square or ANOVA test. To correlate it was used Pearson's Correlation Coefficient (r). Mean age were 75.4 (+- 9.4) years old. Most of the elderly were female gender (59.6%). According to MNA 8.3% were with malnutrition, 55.6% at risk of malnutrition and 36.1% well-nourished. BMI classified 10.0% of the elderly as underweight. CC classified 10.0 % of them as inadequate in muscular mass. MNA was well correlated to BMI (r=0.412 p=0.000), age (r=-0.124 p=0.031), CC (r=0.399 p = 0.000) and MAC (r=0.391 p=0.000). Risk of malnutrition was high among the institutionalized elderly from public shelters in Rio de Janeiro - Brazil. MNA is a useful diagnostic tool for the identification on the frail elderly at risk of malnutrition.

Tactile Intervention as a Novel Technique in Improving Body Stability in Healthy Elderly and Elderly with Diabetes

PubMed Central

Alshammari, Faris S.; Daher, Noha; Alzoghbieh, Eman S.; Dehom, Salem O.; Laymon, Michael S.

2014-01-01

Abstract Background: Body sway increases in the elderly because of normal aging and high incidence of disease such as diabetes. Prevalence of sway is greater in the elderly with diabetes because of damage to the central and peripheral nervous systems. Increase in body sway is associated with an elevated risk of falling. Falling is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in the elderly. The purpose of this study was to develop a new technique to improve body stability and decrease body sway in the elderly people with or without diabetes. Subjects and Methods: Twenty-two subjects—12 elderly (mean age, 75.5±7.3 years) and 10 age-matched elderly with diabetes (mean age, 72.5±5.3 years)—were recruited for this study. Subjects received tactile feedback as a tingling sensation resulting from electrical stimulation triggered by body sway. Results: The results showed a significant reduction in body sway in the elderly while standing on foam with eyes open (1.0±0.31 vs. 1.9±0.8; P=0.006) and eyes closed (1.8±0.7 vs. 3.3±1.5; P=0.001). In the group with diabetes, there was a significant reduction in body sway while standing on foam with eyes closed (1.4±0.5 vs. 2.3±0.8; P=0.045) but not with eyes open. Conclusions: In this small study, this technique offers a new tool for training people with diabetes and elderly people to improve body stability and balance. PMID:25299792

Factors Predictive Of Alcohol Consumption Among Elderly People In A Rural Community: A Case Study In Phayao Province Thailand.

PubMed

Hongthong, Donnapa; Somrongthong, Ratana; Wongchaiya, Pimpimon; Kumar, Ramesh

2016-01-01

Alcohol consumption is recognized as a public health issue. Study objectives were to identify factors predictive of alcohol consumption among elderly people in Phayao province Thailand, where there was high prevalence of alcohol consumption. This was a cross-sectional study. Four hundred elderly people participated in a survey. Data was collected by face-to-face interviews. Chi-square and multivariate logistic regression were used to determine the factors predictive of alcohol consumption among the study subjects. One thirds of elderly (31.7%) had consumed alcohol in their lifetime, and (15.7%) of them were current drinkers. Following univariate analysis, seven factors included gender, working, sickness, smoking, quality of life (QOL), daily activities and economic recession - were identified as being significantly associated with drinking (p<0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed four factors to be predictive of alcohol among elderly people: gender (OR=6.02, 95% CI=3.58-10.13), smoking (OR=4.34, 95% CI=2.57-7.34), economic recession (OR=2.79, 95%, CI=1.66-4.71), and QOL (OR=1.86, 95%, CI=1.09-3.16). Gender (male) and smoking were strongly predictive factors of elderly alcohol consumption. Hence, an effort to reduce alcohol consumption should be placed on male elderly and those who smoke.

A Real-World Observational Study of Time to Treatment Intensification Among Elderly Patients with Inadequately Controlled Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

PubMed

Ajmera, Mayank; Raval, Amit; Zhou, Steve; Wei, Wenhui; Bhattacharya, Rituparna; Pan, Chunshen; Sambamoorthi, Usha

2015-12-01

Among elderly patients, the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is complicated by population heterogeneity and elderly-specific complexities. Few studies have been done to understand treatment intensification among elderly patients failing multiple oral antidiabetic drugs (OADs). To examine the association between time to treatment intensification of T2DM and elderly-specific patient complexities. In this observational, retrospective cohort study, elderly (aged ≥ 65 years) Medicare beneficiaries (n = 16,653) with inadequately controlled T2DM (hemoglobin A1c ≥ 8.0% despite 2 OADs) were included. Based on the consensus statement for diabetes care in elderly patients published by the American Diabetes Association and the American Geriatric Society, elderly-specific patient complexities were defined as the presence or absence of 5 geriatric syndromes: cognitive impairment; depression; falls and fall risk; polypharmacy; and urinary incontinence. Overall, 48.7% of patients received intensified treatment during follow-up, with median time to intensification 18.5 months (95% CI = 17.7-19.3). Median time to treatment intensification was shorter for elderly patients with T2DM with polypharmacy (16.5 months) and falls and fall risk (12.7 months) versus those without polypharmacy (20.4 months) and no fall risk (18.6 months). Elderly patients with urinary incontinence had a longer median time to treatment intensification (18.6 months) versus those without urinary incontinence (14.6 months). The median time to treatment intensification did not significantly differ by the elderly-specific patient complexities that included cognitive impairment and depression. However, after adjusting for demographic, insurance, clinical characteristics, and health care utilization, we found that only polypharmacy was associated with time to treatment intensification (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.10; 95% CI = 1.04-1.15; P = 0.001). Less than half of elderly patients with inadequately controlled T2DM received treatment intensification. Elderly-specific patient complexities were not associated with time to treatment intensification, emphasizing a positive effect of the integrated health care delivery model. Emerging health care delivery models that target integrated care may be crucial in providing appropriate treatment for elderly T2DM patients with complex conditions.

Prevalence and Correlates of Elder Mistreatment in South Carolina: The South Carolina Elder Mistreatment Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amstadter, Ananda B.; Zajac, Kristyn; Strachan, Martha; Hernandez, Melba A.; Kilpatrick, Dean G.; Acierno, Ron

2011-01-01

The purposes of this study were to (a) derive prevalence estimates for elder mistreatment (emotional, physical, sexual, neglectful, and financial mistreatment of older adults [age 60 +]) in a randomly selected sample of South Carolinians; (b) examine correlates (i.e., potential risk factors) of mistreatment; and (c) examine incident…

Mental Health Characteristics of Elderly Black Urban Dwellers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Penn, Nolan E.

This study reports the initial results from a study designed to assess the perceived needs for mental health services and other types of services in a group of elderly black women who participated in an urban, federally subsidized luncheon program. The two hypotheses tested were: (l) that the majority of elderly persons participating in this…

Social Relationships and Suicidal Ideation Among the Elderly Who Live Alone in Republic of Korea: A Logistic Model

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

With population aging and change in family structure, the number of the elderly who live alone is rapidly increasing in Korea. The aim of this study was to explore the association between social relationships—especially newly formed formal social relationships (FSRs)—and suicidal ideation among Korean elderly who live alone. The elderly who live alone (N = 2509) from the 2014 Survey of Living Conditions and Welfare Needs of Older Koreans were analyzed using logistic regression. This study found that informal social relationships (ISRs) (eg, children, friends and neighbors) of the elderly who live alone had statistically significant association with suicidal ideation, whereas FSRs (eg, formal helper and social participation) did not have significant association with suicidal ideation. The findings of this study suggest that the Korean Government needs to strengthen public system for alleviating social isolation of the elderly living alone. Therefore, this study proposed 2 strategic approaches to maintain and strengthen ISRs and to develop different types of FSRs (eg, the measures to combine FSRs with ISRs, gatekeepers, etc). PMID:29756503

Social Relationships and Suicidal Ideation Among the Elderly Who Live Alone in Republic of Korea: A Logistic Model.

PubMed

Kwon, Hyun-Jung; Jeong, Ji-Ung; Choi, Mihyang

2018-01-01

With population aging and change in family structure, the number of the elderly who live alone is rapidly increasing in Korea. The aim of this study was to explore the association between social relationships-especially newly formed formal social relationships (FSRs)-and suicidal ideation among Korean elderly who live alone. The elderly who live alone (N = 2509) from the 2014 Survey of Living Conditions and Welfare Needs of Older Koreans were analyzed using logistic regression. This study found that informal social relationships (ISRs) (eg, children, friends and neighbors) of the elderly who live alone had statistically significant association with suicidal ideation, whereas FSRs (eg, formal helper and social participation) did not have significant association with suicidal ideation. The findings of this study suggest that the Korean Government needs to strengthen public system for alleviating social isolation of the elderly living alone. Therefore, this study proposed 2 strategic approaches to maintain and strengthen ISRs and to develop different types of FSRs (eg, the measures to combine FSRs with ISRs, gatekeepers, etc).

Study deviance-type scale in the development of Korean elder

PubMed Central

Cho, Gun-Sang; Yi, Eun-Surk; Hwang, Hee-Jeong

2015-01-01

This research aims to develop a questionnaire of deviant behavior for the Korean elderly people which may make a big contribution to the examination of deviance behavior of the elderly people and may play an important role in providing a methodological basis. In order to accomplish the purpose of the this study, there were three different stages; (a) making preliminary question items, (b) refining the items of the scale through a plot study, and (c) finalizing question items by a main survey. In the first stage, 43 question items were developed using the open-ended questionnaire and structural inquiry of succession from 137 elderly people who are over 65 yr. In the second phase, based on data collected by the 200 elderly people pilot testing was performed through exploratory factor analysis and reliability test. The scale is a 27-item self-report questionnaire. In the main survey conducted by 184 elderly people, 21 items, which consisted of four subfactors, were finalized in order to measure deviance behaviors of the Korean elderly people: social deviance (n=8), economic deviance (n=5), psychological deviance (n=5), and physical deviance (n=3). PMID:26730382

Anthropometry for design for the elderly.

PubMed

Kothiyal, K; Tettey, S

2001-01-01

This paper presents anthropometric data on elderly people in Australia. Data were collected in the metropolitan city of Sydney, NSW, Australia. In all 171 elderly people (males and females, aged 65 years and above) took part in the study. Mean values, standard deviations, medians, range, and coefficients of variation for the various body dimensions were estimated. Correlation coefficients were also calculated to determine the relationship between different body dimensions for the elderly population. The mean stature of elderly Australian males and females were compared with populations from other countries. The paper discusses design implications for elderly people and provides several examples of application of the anthropometric data.

State tax incentives for persons giving informal care to the elderly

PubMed Central

Hendrickson, Michael C.

1988-01-01

Programs for informal caregivers of frail elderly can be adopted by States to address some of the problems associated with an expanding and costly long-term care system. In this article, highlights are given from a 3-year study of Idaho and Arizona tax incentive programs. Characteristics of informal caregivers and elderly participants are described, and elderly participants are compared with elderly nonparticipants and with the general elderly population. Tax incentives were positively related to the level of service and financial support provided by informal caregivers. Data were inadequate to determine whether the induced informal help substituted for public expenditures. PMID:10312965

Analysis of elder abuse statutes across the United States, 2011-2012.

PubMed

Jirik, Stacey; Sanders, Sara

2014-01-01

The purpose of this article is to describe the state elder abuse statutes in the United States and Washington DC during 2011-2012. The last review of elder abuse statutes occurred in 2001; thus, a reexamination is warranted given the increased awareness of elder abuse at the state and national level and the growing number of older adults in the United States. This descriptive study analyzed the following components of elder or dependent abuse statutes: definitions, reporting requirements, training, and consequences for failure to report. It was determined that differences remain in how states respond to elder abuse at the community-based level.

Social Support, Psychological Well-Being, and Health among the Elderly

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Portero, Cristina Fernandez; Oliva, Alfredo

2007-01-01

This article is based on the influence that participation in the Third Age University Program has on the health and well-being of the elderly and with the mediation of social support. The data were obtained from a longitudinal study of 147 elderly students of the Third Age University of Seville (Spain). The hypothesis was that the elders who…

Holding Abusers Accountable: An Elder Abuse Forensic Center Increases Criminal Prosecution of Financial Exploitation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Navarro, Adria E.; Gassoumis, Zachary D.; Wilber, Kathleen H.

2013-01-01

Purpose: Despite growing awareness of elder abuse, cases are rarely prosecuted. The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of an elder abuse forensic center compared with usual care to increase prosecution of elder financial abuse. Design and Methods: Using one-to-one propensity score matching, cases referred to the Los Angeles County…

Preventive Care for the Elderly

PubMed Central

Mallery, Laurie; Rockwood, Kenneth

1992-01-01

The practice of preventive medicine in the elderly population needs to be revitalized. A review of the existing literature of preventive medicine for recommendations for the elderly uncovers two problems: most screening studies have had few elderly subjects, and the focus has been mainly on early disease detection and prevention of mortality. Prevention of morbidity and of functional impairment should receive more emphasis. PMID:21221297

Efficacy and safety of febuxostat in elderly female patients.

PubMed

Mizuno, Tomohiro; Hayashi, Takahiro; Hikosaka, Sayo; Shimabukuro, Yuka; Murase, Maho; Takahashi, Kazuo; Hayashi, Hiroki; Yuzawa, Yukio; Nagamatsu, Tadashi; Yamada, Shigeki

2014-01-01

Maintenance of low serum urate levels is important for the management of gout. Achieving the recommended serum urate levels of less than 6.0 mg/dL is difficult in elderly (65 years of age or older) patients with renal impairment. Xanthine oxidase inhibitors allopurinol and febuxostat are used for this purpose. Although febuxostat had been shown to be efficacious in elderly patients, its safety and efficacy in elderly female patients with hyperuricemia remain unclear. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of febuxostat in elderly female patients. We studied a retrospective cohort study. The study included elderly Japanese patients (65 years of age or older) who were treated with febuxostat at Fujita Health University Hospital from January 2012 to December 2013. The treatment goal was defined as achievement of serum urate levels of 6.0 mg/dL or lower within 16 weeks; this was the primary endpoint in the present study. Adverse events of febuxostat were defined as more than twofold increases in Common Terminology Criteria for adverse events scores from baseline. We evaluated 82 patients treated with febuxostat during the observation period and classified them into male (n=53) and female (n=29) groups. The mean time to achievement of the treatment goal was significantly shorter in the female group (53 days) than in the male group (71 days). There were no significant differences in adverse events between the 2 groups. Our findings suggest that the efficacy of febuxostat in elderly female patients is superior to that in elderly male patients and that the safety is equivalent.

The relation between insulin-like growth factor I levels and cognition in healthy elderly: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Arwert, L I; Deijen, J B; Drent, M L

2005-12-01

Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) levels and cognitive functioning decrease with aging. Several studies report positive correlations between IGF-I levels and cognitive functioning in healthy elderly. However, because of controversial data no definitive conclusions can be drawn concerning the relation between IGF-I and cognition. Therefore, we carried out a meta-analysis on studies that report on the relation between IGF-I and cognition in healthy elderly. We searched the electronic databases for articles about IGF-I and cognition. Studies from 1985 to January 2005 are included. Two reviewers independently extracted data on study design and cognitive outcomes. Thirteen studies on IGF-I and cognition in elderly, with a total number of 1981 subjects, met the inclusion criteria. On the data from these studies meta-analyses were carried out by means of the program Comprehensive Meta-analysis using a random effects model. Pooled effects show that IGF-I levels in healthy elderly have a positive correlation with cognitive functioning, which appeared to be mainly measured with the mini mental state examination (MMSE). The effect size is 0.6, which indicates the presence of a large positive relationship between IGF and cognition in healthy elderly. These meta-analyses showed an overall relationship between IGF-I levels and cognitive functioning in healthy elderly. Further studies should be performed to clarify the role of IGF-I substitution in preserving cognitive functions with aging.

A qualitative study of the current situation of elderly care in Iran: what can we do for the future?

PubMed

Goharinezhad, Salime; Maleki, Mohammadreza; Baradaran, Hamid Reza; Ravaghi, Hamid

2016-01-01

With the successful improvement of global health systems and social security in societies, the world is now advancing toward aging. All countries have to face the phenomenon of population aging sooner or later depending on their degree of development; however, elderly care is predicted to soon become a major concern for developing countries such as Iran. This study was conducted to identify the challenges of elderly care in Iran and to help policymakers develop roadmaps for the future through providing a clearer image of the current state of affairs in this area of healthcare. This study has adopted a framework approach to qualitative data analysis. For this purpose, 37 semi-structured interviews were conducted in 2015 with a number of key informants in elderly care who were familiar with the process at macro-, meso-, and micro-levels. Maximum variation purposive sampling was performed to select the study samples. A conceptual framework was designed using a review of the literature, and key issues were then identified for data analysis. The elderly care process yielded five major challenges, including policymaking, access, technical infrastructure, integrity and coordination, and health-based care services. According to the stakeholders of elderly care in Iran, the current care system is not well-suited for meeting the needs of the elderly, as the elderly tend to receive the services they need sporadically and in a non-coherent manner. Given the rapid growth of the elderly population in the coming decades, it is the authorities' job to concentrate on the challenges faced by the health system and to use foresight methods for the comprehensive and systematical management of the issue.

The Impact of Different Diagnostic Criteria on the Prevalence of Sarcopenia in Healthy Elderly Participants and Geriatric Outpatients.

PubMed

Reijnierse, Esmee M; Trappenburg, Marijke C; Leter, Morena J; Blauw, Gerard Jan; Sipilä, Sarianna; Sillanpää, Elina; Narici, Marco V; Hogrel, Jean-Yves; Butler-Browne, Gillian; McPhee, Jamie S; Gapeyeva, Helena; Pääsuke, Mati; de van der Schueren, Marian A E; Meskers, Carel G M; Maier, Andrea B

2015-01-01

A consensus on the diagnostic criteria for sarcopenia, a common syndrome in the elderly, has not been reached yet. Prevalence rates vary between studies due to the use of different criteria encompassing different measures, correction factors and cutoff points. This study compared prevalence rates of sarcopenia using nine sets of diagnostic criteria applied in two different elderly populations. The study population encompassed 308 healthy elderly participants (152 males, 156 females; mean age 74 years) and 123 geriatric outpatients (54 males, 69 females; mean age 81 years). Diagnostic criteria included relative muscle mass, absolute muscle mass, muscle strength and physical performance. Prevalence rates of sarcopenia varied between 0 and 15% in healthy elderly participants and between 2 and 34% in geriatric outpatients. This study clearly demonstrates the dependency of sarcopenia prevalence rates on the applied diagnostic criteria. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Quality of life in elders living alone in Taiwan.

PubMed

Lin, Pao-Chen; Yen, Miaofen; Fetzer, Susan Jane

2008-06-01

The aim of this study was to identify and describe predictors of QOL of elders who live alone in Taiwan. Despite a growing population of elders who live alone, research on their quality of life, important for policy decisions and health care provider interventions is virtually absent. A descriptive correlational design surveyed 192 Taiwanese elders living alone, selected at random from urban and rural areas. During home visits elders completed the WHO-QOL-BREF, Social Support Scale and Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) in addition to providing demographic data. Multiple linear regressions showed that six variables predicted physical health and the psychological wellbeing QOL domains, accounting for 74.5 and 60.1% of the variance, respectively. Four variables predicted 46.7 and 34.3% of the environmental and the social relationship QOL domains, respectively. Elders who live alone in rural areas and suffer from depression are at high risk for a low quality of life. However, elders living alone reported a better quality of life than their institutionalized counterparts. Interventional research and policy decisions focused on treatment for depression and providing social support networks, as these elders age, will be particularly important. By understanding variables associated with elders' quality of life, nurses can coordinate interventions to improve their quality of life. Poorly educated rural women who live alone are particularly vulnerable. Nursing assessment of quality of life indicators and implementation of strategies for increased social support are needed for high-risk elders.

Zinc Absorption from Representative Diet in a Chinese Elderly Population Using Stable Isotope Technique.

PubMed

Li, Ya Jie; Li, Min; Liu, Xiao Bing; Ren, Tong Xiang; Li, Wei Dong; Yang, Chun; Wu, Meng; Yang, Lin Li; Ma, Yu Xia; Wang, Jun; Piao, Jian Hua; Yang, Li Chen; Yang, Xiao Guang

2017-06-01

To determine the dietary zinc absorption in a Chinese elderly population and provide the basic data for the setting of zinc (Zn) recommended nutrient intakes (RNI) for Chinese elderly people. A total of 24 elderly people were recruited for this study and were administered oral doses of 3 mg 67Zn and 1.2 mg dysprosium on the fourth day. The primary macronutrients, energy, and phytic acid in the representative diet were examined based on the Chinese National Standard Methods. Fecal samples were collected during the experimental period and analyzed for zinc content, 67Zn isotope ratio, and dysprosium content. The mean (± SD) zinc intake from the representative Chinese diet was 10.6 ± 1.5 mg/d. The phytic acid-to-zinc molar ratio in the diet was 6.4. The absorption rate of 67Zn was 27.9% ± 9.2%. The RNI of zinc, which were calculated by the absorption rate in elderly men and women, were 10.4 and 9.2 mg/d, respectively. This study got the dietary Zn absorption in a Chinese elderly population. We found that Zn absorption was higher in elderly men than in elderly women. The current RNI in elderly female is lower than our finding, which indicates that more attention is needed regarding elderly females' zinc status and health. Copyright © 2017 The Editorial Board of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences. Published by China CDC. All rights reserved.

Depression in the elderly: Does family system play a role? A cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Taqui, Ather M; Itrat, Ahmed; Qidwai, Waris; Qadri, Zeeshan

2007-01-01

Background The most common geriatric psychiatric disorder is depression. The role of family systems in depression among the elderly has not been studied extensively. It has been suggested that urbanization promotes nucleation of family systems and a decrease in care and support for the elderly. We conducted this study in Karachi, a large urban city of Pakistan, to determine the relationship between the type of family system and depression. We also determined the prevalence of depression in the elderly, as well as correlation of depression with other important socio-demographic variables. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out in the premises of a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. Questionnaire based interviews were conducted among the elderly people visiting the hospital. Depression was assessed using the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale. Results Four hundred subjects aged 65 and above were interviewed. The age of majority of the subjects ranged from 65 to 74 years. Seventy eight percent of the subjects were male. The prevalence of depression was found to be 19.8%. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that the following were significant (p < 0.05) independent predictors of depression: nuclear family system, female sex, being single or divorced/widowed, unemployment and having a low level of education. The elderly living in a nuclear family system were 4.3 times more likely to suffer from depression than those living in a joint family system (AOR = 4.3 [95% CI = 2.4–7.6]). Conclusion The present study found that residing in a nuclear family system is a strong independent predictor of depression in the elderly. The prevalence of depression in the elderly population in our study was moderately high and a cause of concern. The transition in family systems towards nucleation may have a major deleterious effect on the physical and mental health of the elderly. PMID:17961255

Chemotherapy-induced (febrile) neutropenia prophylaxis with biosimilar filgrastim in elderly versus non-elderly cancer patients: Patterns, outcomes, and determinants (MONITOR-GCSF study).

PubMed

Aapro, Matti; Bokemeyer, Carsten; Ludwig, Heinz; Gascón, Pere; Boccadoro, Mario; Denhaerynck, Kris; Gorray, Michael; Krendyukov, Andriy; MacDonald, Karen; Abraham, Ivo

2017-03-01

Myelotoxic chemotherapy is associated with chemotherapy-induced (febrile) neutropenia (CIN/FN). The MONITOR-GCSF study evaluated biosimilar filgrastim (Zarzio®) prophylaxis patterns, associated outcomes, and determinants. We performed stratified analyses comparing elderly and non-elderly patients. Comparative (elderly/non-elderly) analysis of demographics and clinical status, prophylaxis, associated CIN/FN outcomes (CIN grade 4 [CIN4], FN, CIN/FN-related hospitalizations and chemodisturbances, composite), and, per hierarchical modeling, determinants thereof evaluated at the patient- and cycle-level. There were no significant differences between both cohorts in prophylaxis initiation/duration and associated outcomes, but proportionately more elderly patients were correctly-prophylacted and fewer over-prophylacted. Common determinants of poor CIN/FN outcomes included concomitant antibiotic prophylaxis, impaired performance status, and any grade CIN in a previous cycle, whereas common determinants of good outcomes included over-prophylaxis and prophylaxis initiation within 24-72h. In the elderly, female gender, liver/renal/cardiovascular disease, secondary prophylaxis, and under-prophylaxis were associated with poorer outcomes. In the non-elderly, CIN4 at baseline or in a prior cycle was associated with poorer CIN/FN outcomes, and higher biosimilar filgrastim dose and, perhaps counter-intuitively, under-prophylaxis with better outcomes. Adequate GCSF support is essential for all patients, but especially for elderly patients with serious chronic disease, certainly, if concomitant antibiotic prophylaxis is indicated and if a CIN4 episode occurred in a prior cycle. The potential impact of impaired performance status, especially ECOG≥2 at chemotherapy start or a worsening to such during chemotherapy; under-prophylaxis, including inadequate secondary prophylaxis, should be considered in elderly patients. Timely GCSF initiation and over-prophylaxis is associated with lower rates of adverse CIN/FN events in elderly and non-elderly patients, and should be further evaluated in prospective randomized trials. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Prevalence and Predictors of Unmet Needs among the Elderly Residents of the Rural Field Practice Area of a Tertiary Care Centre from Northern India

PubMed Central

Singh, Abhishek; Bairwa, Mohan; Goel, Shewtank; Bypareddy, Ravi; Mithra, Prassana

2016-01-01

Background Surrogate markers simple enough to be used by primary care workers have not been closely investigated by the community experts in rural Uttar Pradesh. We assessed the physical disabilities in activities of daily living (ADL) and unmet need in physical disabilities among rural elderly. Predictors of unmet needs in physical disabilities among the elderly were also identified. Methods A community based cross-sectional study was conducted among elderly residents of the rural field practice area of a tertiary care centre in rural Uttar Pradesh. Three hundred and thirty five (335) participants aged 60 years and above from 9 villages were selected using the Probability Proportional to Size (PPS) sampling technique. Study tools were the proforma regarding socio-demographic details, socio-economic status and Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify predictors of unmet needs. Results 185 (55.2%) had physical disability in one or more activity limitation. Gender wise elderly females had more physical disability in one or more ADL categories than elderly males (66.8% vs. 42.0%). Almost one third (32.5%) of subjects had unmet need for one or more physical disabilities. the predictors of unmet needs that were identified in the study were female gender (P = 0.046), elderly aged 70 years and above (P = 0.032), those living alone (P = 0.035), low monthly family income (P = 0.044), financially fully dependent elderly (P = 0.0002), and those having 3 or more physical disabilities (P = 0.033). Conclusions The findings of the study highlight that large number of needs of the disabled are still unmet. Greater, targeted efforts are needed to identify at-risk elderly people living in the community. These predictors would act as surrogate markers and can be easily used by primary care workers to plan and provide services to the elderly people in rural communities. PMID:27904424

Predictors of nursing workload in elderly patients admitted to intensive care units.

PubMed

Sousa, Cleber Ricardo de; Gonçalves, Leilane Andrade; Toffoleto, Maria Cecília; Leão, Karine; Padilha, Kátia Grillo

2008-01-01

The age of patients is a controversial issue in admission to intensive care unit (ICU). The aim of this study was to compare severity and nursing workload of elderly patients with 60-69, 70-79, and e"80 years of age and to identify predictors of nursing workload in elderly patients. A cross sectional study was performed with a sample of 71 elderly patients admitted to three ICU in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil from October to November 2004. Data were prospectively collected using Nursing Activities Score (NAS) and Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (SAPS II). There was no significant difference in nursing workload among the elderly patients age subgroups (p=0.84). Multiple regression analysis indicated that the independent risk factors of high nursing workload were severity, age e"70 years, and to be a surgical ICU patient. Age as an isolated factor should not be discriminative for elderly patients admission to ICU.

Five-year all-cause mortality rates across five categories of substantiated elder abuse occurring in the community.

PubMed

Burnett, Jason; Jackson, Shelly L; Sinha, Arup K; Aschenbrenner, Andrew R; Murphy, Kathleen Pace; Xia, Rui; Diamond, Pamela M

2016-01-01

Elder abuse increases the likelihood of early mortality, but little is known regarding which types of abuse may be resulting in the greatest mortality risk. This study included N = 1,670 cases of substantiated elder abuse and estimated the 5-year all-cause mortality for five types of elder abuse (caregiver neglect, physical abuse, emotional abuse, financial exploitation, and polyvictimization). Statistically significant differences in 5-year mortality risks were found between abuse types and across gender. Caregiver neglect and financial exploitation had the lowest survival rates, underscoring the value of considering the long-term consequences associated with different forms of abuse. Likewise, mortality differences between genders and abuse types indicate the need to consider this interaction in elder abuse case investigations and responses. Further mortality studies are needed in this population to better understand these patterns and implications for public health and clinical management of community-dwelling elder abuse victims.

Elder Abuse: Global Situation, Risk Factors, and Prevention Strategies

PubMed Central

Pillemer, Karl; Burnes, David; Riffin, Catherine; Lachs, Mark S.

2016-01-01

Purpose: Elder mistreatment is now recognized internationally as a pervasive and growing problem, urgently requiring the attention of health care systems, social welfare agencies, policymakers, and the general public. In this article, we provide an overview of global issues in the field of elder abuse, with a focus on prevention. Design and Methods: This article provides a scoping review of key issues in the field from an international perspective. Results: By drawing primarily on population-based studies, this scoping review provided a more valid and reliable synthesis of current knowledge about prevalence and risk factors than has been available. Despite the lack of scientifically rigorous intervention research on elder abuse, the review also identified 5 promising strategies for prevention. Implications: The findings highlight a growing consensus across studies regarding the extent and causes of elder mistreatment, as well as the urgent need for efforts to make elder mistreatment prevention programs more effective and evidence based. PMID:26994260

Assessment of Walking Stability of Elderly by Means of Nonlinear Time-Series Analysis and Simple Accelerometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ohtaki, Yasuaki; Arif, Muhammad; Suzuki, Akihiro; Fujita, Kazuki; Inooka, Hikaru; Nagatomi, Ryoichi; Tsuji, Ichiro

This study presents an assessment of walking stability in elderly people, focusing on local dynamic stability of walking. Its main objectives were to propose a technique to quantify local dynamic stability using nonlinear time-series analyses and a portable instrument, and to investigate their reliability in revealing the efficacy of an exercise training intervention for elderly people for improvement of walking stability. The method measured three-dimensional acceleration of the upper body, and computation of Lyapunov exponents, thereby directly quantifying the local stability of the dynamic system. Straight level walking of young and elderly subjects was investigated in the experimental study. We compared Lyapunov exponents of young and the elderly subjects, and of groups before and after the exercise intervention. Experimental results demonstrated that the exercise intervention improved local dynamic stability of walking. The proposed method was useful in revealing effects and efficacies of the exercise intervention for elderly people.

Stereotypes of the elderly in U.S. television commercials from the 1950s to the 1990s.

PubMed

Miller, Darryl W; Leyell, Teresita S; Mazachek, Juliann

2004-01-01

Critics have charged that American advertisers have often portrayed the elderly with negative stereotypes. These negative portrayals, they suggest, not only offend elderly consumers but also contribute to ageism. This study examined whether American advertisers have indeed used a great deal of negative stereotyping of the elderly, as the critics have suggested. Employing a concept of stereotypes found in cognitive psychology, the authors examined trends in the portrayal of the elderly in television commercials produced in the United States from the 1950s through the 1990s. Results of the study do not support the contentions of the critics. Very little negative stereotyping was discovered. Analysis indicated trends in the appearance of several positive stereotypes, and differences in the stereotyping of gender groups and age segments within the elderly group. Results are interpreted from both marketing and social science perspectives.

Catastrophic health expenditures and its inequality in elderly households with chronic disease patients in China.

PubMed

Wang, Zhonghua; Li, Xiangjun; Chen, Mingsheng

2015-01-20

Although numerous studies examine catastrophic health expenditures (CHE) worldwide, most focus on whole populations rather than specific vulnerable groups. This study analyzes the extent, associated factors and inequality of CHE in elderly household with chronic disease patients in China. Data were obtained from a nationally representative elderly household survey-the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study-that was conducted by the National School of Development of Peking University in 2011. An elderly household with chronic disease patients is defined by ≥ 1 chronic disease patient who is ≥ 45 years of age. CHE was measured according to the proportion of out-of-pocket health payments to non-food household expenditures. The associated factors of CHE were estimated using ordinary least square and logistic regression modeling. CHE inequality was measured according to the concentration index (CI) and its decomposition. CHE incidence and intensity were relatively high among elderly households with chronic disease patients. The main associated factors of CHE include household size, having members > 65 years, having members with ≥ 2 chronic diseases, per capita income, and elderly household members demonstrating healthcare-seeking behaviors. Healthcare insurance did not significantly affect CHE risk. Disproportionate concentration of CHE was noted among elderly households, and poor elderly households demonstrated a higher probability of experiencing CHE. Factors such as household size, per capita income, having members > 65 years, and having members with ≥ 2 chronic diseases are major and positive contributors to CHE inequality. Some inpatient and outpatient services are negatively contributed to CHE inequality,suggesting that the unequal usage of such services reduces CHE inequality among elderly households with chronic disease patients. Policy efforts should focus on improving financial protection and relieving the economic burden of disease in elderly households. The government should increase income subsidies and optimize social health insurance programs, thereby reducing CHE and alleviating CHE inequality among elderly households in China.

Safety, Effectiveness, and Treatment Persistence of Golimumab in Elderly Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis in Real-World Clinical Practice in Japan.

PubMed

Okazaki, Masateru; Kobayashi, Hisanori; Shimizu, Hirohito; Ishii, Yutaka; Yajima, Tsutomu; Kanbori, Masayoshi

2018-06-01

Golimumab has been proven as an effective treatment for rheumatoid arthritis in clinical trials. However, there is a scarcity of data regarding its use in elderly patients in a real-world setting. This study aims to evaluate the safety, effectiveness, and treatment persistence of golimumab in elderly Japanese patients (≥ 75 years) with rheumatoid arthritis. This study was a post hoc analysis of post-marketing surveillance data on 5137 Japanese patients with active rheumatoid arthritis who received golimumab for 24 weeks. The study population was divided into two age groups (younger: < 75 years and elderly: ≥ 75 years), and the safety, effectiveness, and treatment persistence of golimumab were assessed. Also, the reasons for discontinuing golimumab treatment were analyzed by multi-logistic regression. During golimumab treatment over 24 weeks, younger and elderly groups exhibited comparable improvement of disease activity as measured by EULAR response criteria with similar overall rates of adverse events. However, the survival curve of golimumab for elderly patients was significantly different from that for younger patients due largely to the discontinuation at 4 weeks. The most common reason for discontinuation in elderly patients was patient choice, while it was disease progression in younger patients. Analysis of elderly patients who discontinued treatment by their own decision identified EULAR good response as a factor associated with continuation of golimumab treatment whereas no predictive factor associated with discontinuation was identified. The safety and effectiveness of golimumab treatment in elderly Japanese patients aged 75 years or older were comparable to those in younger patients in real-world clinical practice. Analysis of the survival curves suggested that continuous use of golimumab might further improve clinical benefit of golimumab in elderly patients, underpinning the importance of effective communication between physicians and elderly patients based on the treat-to-target strategy. Janssen Pharmaceutical K.K. and Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation.

Plasma TNF-α Is Associated with Inflammation and Nutrition Status in Community-Dwelling Japanese Elderly.

PubMed

Oe, Yukiko; Mochizuki, Kazuki; Miyauchi, Rie; Misaki, Yasumi; Kasezawa, Nobuhiko; Tohyama, Kazushige; Goda, Toshinao

2015-01-01

Inflammation has been suggested to play an important role in age-related chronic diseases and disability, and it is associated with nutritional status including obesity and malnutrition. While numerous studies have examined the validity of inflammatory markers in the population studies in Caucasian elderly people, very little information is available for the factors affecting inflammatory markers in Asian elderly people. Among inflammatory markers frequently used for the studies of aging, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) is produced mainly by macrophages, and contributes to production of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP), thus directing a chronic inflammatory process in the body. In the present study, we examined the associations between plasma TNF-α level and several factors related to nutrition status, including BMI, albumin, and energy intake in community-dwelling Japanese elderly. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 390 men and women aged 70-86 y (average 73.5 y), who participated in health check-ups. Associations between plasma TNF-α levels, other clinical parameters, and lifestyle factors were analyzed using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient analysis and multiple linear regression analysis. In elderly men, plasma TNF-α level was positively associated with age, white blood cell count, monocyte count, plasma CRP level, serum creatinine, ureic acid, and triacylglycerol levels, and negatively associated with albumin/globulin ratio, eGFR, and serum HDL-cholesterol level. In elderly women, plasma TNF-α level was positively associated with age, plasma CRP level, and serum triacylglycerol level, and negatively associated with serum albumin and HDL-cholesterol levels. The results of this study suggest that plasma TNF-α is associated with inflammation and insulin resistance in both Japanese elderly men and women, and a prominent association of TNF-α with malnutrition status was observed in elderly women.

Perceived family and friend support and the psychological well-being of American and Chinese elderly persons.

PubMed

Poulin, John; Deng, Rong; Ingersoll, Travis Sky; Witt, Heather; Swain, Melanie

2012-12-01

This study examines two sources of informal support-perceived family and friend support-and the psychological well-being-self-esteem, depression and loneliness-of 150 Chinese and 145 American elders. There were no significant differences between the elderly American and Chinese persons' mean scores on family and friend support. The multiple linear regression analyses with interaction terms (country x family support and country x friend support), however, indicated that the relationship between family support and depression and family support and loneliness was stronger for the Chinese elderly than the US elderly. Conversely, the relationship between friend support and depression and friend support and loneliness is stronger for US elderly than Chinese elderly. The implications of these findings for social work practice in both countries is discussed.

Elder Abuse and Help-Seeking Behavior in Elderly Chinese.

PubMed

Yan, Elsie

2015-09-01

Elder abuse is a prevalent phenomenon resulting in physical, emotional, and social costs to individuals, families, and society. Timely and effective intervention is crucial because victims are often involved in relationships where re-victimization is common. Most elder abuse victims, however, are reluctant to seek help from outside their families. The aim of the present study is to explore factors associated with help-seeking behaviors among mistreated elders in Hong Kong. In-depth interviews were conducted with 40 elder abuse survivors. Although almost all of the participants could provide some examples of elder abuse, most denied that their own experience was abusive. Personal and professional social networks were important determinants of help seeking. Social isolation, cultural barriers, self-blame, and lack of knowledge were major barriers to help seeking. © The Author(s) 2014.

A case of anorexia nervosa in an elderly man.

PubMed

Malik, Fahd; Wijayatunga, Uditha; Bruxner, George M

2014-06-01

To explore aspects of anorexia nervosa occurring in older populations, especially men, by reviewing the literature and presenting a case study of an elderly man with unexplained vomiting and weight loss. The literature is reviewed and an illustrative case study of an elderly man with unexplained vomiting and weight loss is described. Anorexia nervosa is an uncommon cause of unexplained weight loss in the elderly, but may be under-recognized and associated with a high level of mortality. © The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 2014.

Evaluation of vulnerable PM2.5-exposure individuals: a repeated-measure study in an elderly population.

PubMed

Chu, Haiyan; Xin, Junyi; Yuan, Qi; Zhang, Xu; Pan, Wang; Zeng, Xinying; Chen, Yaoyao; Ma, Gaoxiang; Ge, Yuqiu; Du, Mulong; Tong, Na; Li, Xiaobo; Zhang, Zhengdong; Wang, Meilin

2018-04-01

Numerous studies have shown that elderly people are susceptible to high-level particles with aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 μm (PM 2.5 ) exposure. However, not all elderly people exposed to PM 2.5 suffer from diseases. In this study, we aim to establish a method to predict the vulnerable PM 2.5 -exposure individuals among elderly population. Fourteen elderly people were recruited from May 8 to July 4, 2016, in Nanjing, China. Ten physiological indicators were repeatedly measured for 15 times. Liner mixed-effects model, principal component analysis (PCA), and PM 2.5 lag score were used to estimate the effects of PM 2.5 on blood pressure, pulse, and lung function. As a result, each quartile increase of ambient PM 2.5 was significantly associated with increased pulse (P < 0.05 for lag0, 1, 4, 0-1, 0-2, 0-3, and 0-5 days), decreased blood pressure (P < 0.05 for lag4 and 0-3 days), and decreased lung function (P < 0.05 for lag0, 1, 0-1, and 0-2 days) among the 14 elderly people. In terms of pulse or lung function, three elderly people were considered as vulnerable PM 2.5 -exposure individuals. No vulnerable individual was found for blood pressure. Blood pressure, pulse, and lung function could be affected by high-level PM 2.5 exposure in elderly people. This method for screening three elderly people may provide a new insight on identifying the vulnerable PM 2.5 -exposure individuals.

Rumination and Loneliness Independently Predict Six-Month Later Depression Symptoms among Chinese Elderly in Nursing Homes.

PubMed

Gan, Pei; Xie, Yan; Duan, Wenjie; Deng, Qing; Yu, Xiuli

2015-01-01

Previous studies conducted in Western countries independently demonstrated that loneliness and rumination are remarkable risk factors of depression among the elderly in both community and nursing homes. However, knowledge on the relationship between these three constructs among the elderly in Eastern countries is scarce. The current study aims to determine the relationship between loneliness, rumination, and depression among Chinese elderly in nursing homes. A total of 71 elderly participants with an average age of 82.49 years completed this six-month longitudinal study. Physical reports indicated that none of the participants were clinically depressed before the study. At Time 1, their loneliness and rumination were measured using UCLA-8 Loneliness Scale and Ruminative Responses Scale. Six months later, the participants completed the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale to assess depressive symptoms (Time 2). Multiple regression analysis revealed that both loneliness and rumination at Time 1 were the predictors of depression symptoms at Time 2 among the Chinese elderly in nursing homes. However, in the mediation analysis using PROCESS, the indirect effect between loneliness at Time 1 and depression symptoms at Time 2 was insignificant. Results suggest that previous loneliness and rumination thinking are predictors of future depression symptoms among the Chinese elderly in nursing homes. However, the insignificant mediation further suggests that the differences between loneliness and rumination should be explored in future studies. Findings have important implications for mental health professionals in nursing homes in China.

Rumination and Loneliness Independently Predict Six-Month Later Depression Symptoms among Chinese Elderly in Nursing Homes

PubMed Central

Gan, Pei; Xie, Yan; Duan, Wenjie; Deng, Qing; Yu, Xiuli

2015-01-01

Background Previous studies conducted in Western countries independently demonstrated that loneliness and rumination are remarkable risk factors of depression among the elderly in both community and nursing homes. However, knowledge on the relationship between these three constructs among the elderly in Eastern countries is scarce. The current study aims to determine the relationship between loneliness, rumination, and depression among Chinese elderly in nursing homes. Methods A total of 71 elderly participants with an average age of 82.49 years completed this six-month longitudinal study. Physical reports indicated that none of the participants were clinically depressed before the study. At Time 1, their loneliness and rumination were measured using UCLA-8 Loneliness Scale and Ruminative Responses Scale. Six months later, the participants completed the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale to assess depressive symptoms (Time 2). Results Multiple regression analysis revealed that both loneliness and rumination at Time 1 were the predictors of depression symptoms at Time 2 among the Chinese elderly in nursing homes. However, in the mediation analysis using PROCESS, the indirect effect between loneliness at Time 1 and depression symptoms at Time 2 was insignificant. Conclusions Results suggest that previous loneliness and rumination thinking are predictors of future depression symptoms among the Chinese elderly in nursing homes. However, the insignificant mediation further suggests that the differences between loneliness and rumination should be explored in future studies. Findings have important implications for mental health professionals in nursing homes in China. PMID:26334298

Dietary assessment in elderly people: experiences gained from studies in the Netherlands.

PubMed

de Vries, J H M; de Groot, L C P G M; van Staveren, W A

2009-02-01

In selecting a dietary assessment method, several aspects such as the aim of the study and the characteristics of the target population should be taken into account. In elderly people, diminished functionality and cognitive decline may hamper dietary assessment and require tailored approaches to assess dietary intake. The objective of this paper is to summarize our experience in dietary assessment in a number of different studies in population groups over 65 years of age in the Netherlands, and to discuss this experience in the perspective of other nutrition surveys in the elderly. In longitudinal studies, we applied a modified dietary history; in clinical nursing home studies, trained staff observed and recorded food consumption; and in a controlled trial in healthy elderly men, we used a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). For all methods applied in the community-dwelling elderly people, validation studies showed a similar underestimation of intake of 10-15% compared with the reference value. In the care-depending elderly, the underestimation was less: 5% according to an observational method. The methods varied widely in the resources required, including burden to the participants, field staff and finances. For effective dietary assessment in older adults, the major challenge will be to distinguish between those elderly who are able to respond correctly to the less intensive methods, such as 24-h recalls or FFQ, and those who are not able to respond to these methods and require adapted techniques, for example, observational records.

Acceptability of the Components of a Loneliness Intervention among Elderly Dutch People: A Qualitative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Honigh-de Vlaming, R.; Haveman-Nies, A.; Ziylan, C.; Renes, R. J.

2013-01-01

Background: Healthy Ageing is a complex intervention aimed at reducing the prevalence of loneliness among elderly Dutch people. Purpose: This study aimed to assess how mass media communication materials, information meetings, and psychosocial courses were received by elderly people at high risk of loneliness. Methods: Face-to-face interviews with…

Planning for the Elderly Without Architecture Is Like Architecture for the Elderly Without Planning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bednar, Michael; And Others

1977-01-01

A joint project between the separate divisions of planning and architecture at the UVA School of Architecture was conducted to allow graduate students to study the environmental needs of the elderly. The case-study approach was undertaken in Lynchburg, Virginia, and the year-long project was seen as a "real World" problem. (LBH)

Salt reduction in vegetable soup does not affect saltiness intensity and liking in the elderly and children

PubMed Central

Gonçalves, Carla; Monteiro, Sérgio; Padrão, Patrícia; Rocha, Ada; Abreu, Sandra; Pinho, Olívia; Moreira, Pedro

2014-01-01

Study background Reduction of added salt levels in soups is recommended. We evaluated the impact of a 30% reduction of usual added salt in vegetable soups on elderly and children's saltiness and liking evaluation. Methods Subjects were elderly and recruited from two public nursing homes (29 older adults, 79.7±8.9 years), and preschool children recruited from a public preschool (49 children, 4.5±1.3 years). This study took place in institutional lunchrooms. Through randomization and crossover, the subjects participated in two sensory evaluation sessions, on consecutive days, to assess perceived saltiness intensity (elderly sample) and liking (elderly and children samples) of a vegetable soup with baseline salt content and with a 30% salt reduction. Elderly rated perceived liking through a 10 cm visual analogue scale [‘like extremely’ (1) to ‘dislike extremely’ (10)] and children through a five-point facial scale [‘dislike very much’ (1) to ‘like very much’ (5)]. Results After 30% added salt reduction in vegetable soup, there were no significant differences in saltiness noted by the elderly (p=0.150), and in perceived liking by children (p=0.160) and elderly (p=0.860). Conclusions A 30% salt reduction in vegetable soup may be achieved without compromising perceived saltiness and liking in children and the elderly. PMID:25317121

[Nutrition and frail elderly at risk].

PubMed

Barrière-Arnoux, Cécile

2015-01-01

Good health for elderly people depends on some extent on their nutritional status. During the completion of a master's degree in nursing sciences, a study highlighted the need to develop measuring tools for screening for undernutrition in the elderly in community nursing practice. A programme for raising awareness of the consequences of undernutrition in elderly people is an area to develop through broader frailty screening in primary care.

Influenza Vaccination Uptake and Associated Factors among Elderly Population in Hong Kong: The Application of the Health Belief Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mo, P. K. H.; Lau, J. T. F.

2015-01-01

The impact of influenza on elderly can be severe and fatal. Influenza vaccination (IV) has been shown to be effective in reducing influenza-related complications, but the IV uptake among elderly in Hong Kong remains low. This study investigated the prevalence and factors associated with IV among Chinese elderly in Hong Kong using the Health Belief…

Evaluation of Walkers for Elderly People

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-10-25

speed, acceleration, electromyogram I. INTRODUCTION Walking is a basic everyday activity. In an aging society, elderly people need to walk to promote...their health and independence. By retaining ambulatory independence, elderly people increase their quality of life and reduce the costs of both...II. METHODOLOGY Six elderly people aged between 70 and 91 years (average 82±7.9 years) participated in the study. Before the experiment, written

Resource Integration Strategies for Elder Education Organizations: A Case Study in Taichung, Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tien, Chi Hu; Tsai, Wen Chi

2013-01-01

Dealing with the aging problem has been a global issue. One of the keys to help successful aging is to implement elder education. The government in Taiwan has invested a lot of budget in elder education, but in practice, there are two independent and diversified elder education systems in Taiwan, which had led to a lack of resource integration, in…

Elder Physical Abuse and Failure to Report Cases: Similarities and Differences in Case Type and the Justice System's Response

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Payne, Brian K.

2013-01-01

Treated initially as a social problem, elder abuse has only recently been criminalized. The criminalization of elder abuse involves penalizing offenders for actively abusing offenders as well as for violating mandatory reporting laws. Mandatory reporting laws exist to encourage professionals to report suspected cases of elder abuse. In this study,…

Risk factors in road crossing among elderly pedestrians and readiness to adopt safe behavior in socio-economic comparison.

PubMed

Rosenbloom, Tova; Sapir-Lavid, Yael; Perlman, Amotz

2016-08-01

This research examines the Health Promotion Behavior (HPB) models regarding elderly pedestrians' behaviors and attitudes. We studied cognitive-psychological variables, such as risk estimation, self-efficacy and demographic variables and compared elderly pedestrians' attitudes and behaviors in a city with higher socio-economic level (Tel Aviv) versus a city with low socio-economic level (Beer Sheva). We expected to find more problematic behaviors among elderly pedestrians in the low socio-economic city compared to the high socio-economic city, and also less feeling of self-efficacy, and lessened awareness of the risks, that leads to lessened willingness to adopt preventive behaviors. The research was conducted in two studies. The first study was based on observations on 2591 pedestrians in six similar crosswalks in both cities. It revealed that pedestrians in the high socio-economic city demonstrated safer road crossing patterns than in the low socio-economic city and that elderly pedestrians reveal safer crossing patterns than younger pedestrians. We found an interaction of location and age due to greater gap of safe behaviors of elderly and young pedestrians in the high socio-economic city than in the low socio-economic city. In Tel Aviv elderly adhere to the crossing rules much more than the young while in Beer Sheva elderly and young people are almost similar in their crossing patterns. The second study used questionnaires that have been completed by 143 elderly in both cities. The questionnaires referred to (a) demographic variables such as gender, age, marital status, education, socio-economic level, (b) variables related to the affiliation to the main culture such as migration, date of migration, knowledge in Hebrew (local language) and connectivity to media and (c) cognitive as well as psychological variables related to the decline to adopt healthy behaviors based on Schwarzer and Fuchs (1995). This part also indicated that elderly in Tel Aviv have higher awareness of risk factors on the road and their limitations as elderly pedestrians. The HPB (Pender, 1996) emphasizes the role of risk perception as a predictor of willingness to adopt preventive strategies. Moreover, elderly pedestrians in Beer Sheva compared to those in Tel Aviv estimated their ability to cross safely the streets as higher. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

To What Extent Is Long-term Care Representative of Elderly Care? A Case Study of Elderly Care Financing in Lombardy, Italy

PubMed Central

Brenna, Elenka; Gitto, Lara

2017-01-01

The ageing of European population has been rapidly increasing during the last decades, and the problem of elderly care financing has become an issue for policy-makers. Long-term care (LTC) financing is considered a suitable proxy of the resources committed to elderly care by each government, but the preciseness of this approximation depends on the extent to which LTC is representative of elderly care within each country. Since there is a broad heterogeneity in LTC funding, organization and setting among European States, it is difficult to find a common parameter representing the public resources destined to the elderly care. We address these topics employing as a case study an Italian region, Lombardy, which in terms of population, dimension, healthcare organization and economic development could be compared to other European countries. The method we suggest, which consists basically in a careful estimate of all the public resources employed in the provision of services exclusively destined to the elderly, could be applied, with the due differences, to other European countries or regions. PMID:28812846

Anthropometry of Algerian elderly.

PubMed

Bouabdallah, L

2012-01-01

In Algeria, a lot of attention is given to the elderly by both the government and private institutions. On the government side, two ministries participate in caring for the elderly. These are the ministry of social development and the Ministry of public health. On the private side, a lot of effort is given to the elderly through many societies and centres. If the elderly is to live independently and self-efficiently, whether at home or in social care institutions, equipment, tools, environment, daily-use items, and personal-use items should be designed for them, so that their needs are entirely satisfied, and abilities and limitations are carefully considered. Therefore, this study was carried out to provide anthropometric data of the elderly in Algeria, so that it may be used either to design equipment for them or to evaluate it in order that its use is efficient, and safe. Therefore, An anthropometric study of Algerian elderly was carried out. 29 body dimensions were measured. Mean, variation measures, and percentiles, were calculated. Body dimensions results were presented in one table so that they can easily be used by designers.

Mental health is the most important factor influencing quality of life in elderly left behind when families migrate out of rural China.

PubMed

Xie, Jian-fei; Ding, Si-qing; Zhong, Zhu-qing; Yi, Qi-feng; Zeng, Sai-nan; Hu, Jun-hua; Zhou, Jian-da

2014-01-01

to investigate the quality of life and the associated factors on left behind elderly in rural China. the research was conducted cluster sampling to select 456 elderly left behind when family members migrated out of rural China to participate in a cross-sectional study by completing a general data questionnaire and Quality of Life questionnaire. 91.5% of the elderly requested psychological counseling and education. For the elderly, scores for mental health (39.56±13.73) were significantly lower compared with Chinese standard data (61.6±13.7) (P<0.001). Age, chronic disease type, gender, residence pattern and economic support from children were the main psychological factors influencing this population. mental health is the most important factor influencing quality of life of elderly left behind when family members migrated out of rural China. Our study suggested a need to widely establish a general practitioner team for psychological intervention for improving rural elderly people's Quality of Life level, especially in the psychological domain.

Depression in elderly women resident in a long-stay nursing home

PubMed Central

Lampert, Melissa Agostini; Rosso, Ana Luiza Pereira

2015-01-01

Depression is the most common psychiatric disorder among the elderly: it is present in 23-40% of community-dwelling elderly and in 25-80% of institutionalized elderly. Depressive symptoms are most prevalent in elderly women because they more readily seek healthcare services, are more vulnerable to stress and live longer than men. Objective To investigate the prevalence of depression and its comorbidities in a long-stay nursing home (NH). Methods This retrospective, descriptive, epidemiological study was performed at a NH in southern Brazil and comprised the first part of a larger project to determine depression and its relationship with psychosocial factors in NH residents. Sociodemographic and medical data were obtained through the examination of medical files from November 2012 to January 2013. Depression was defined as the diagnosis reported by physicians in medical files and scores on the Geriatric Depression Scale (15-item version) above 5. Other clinical and psychiatric diagnoses were obtained from medical files. Results Out of a total of 142 elderly women, 51.4% had at least one psychiatric disorder, the most common being depression, affective bipolar disorder and mental retardation. Almost one third (32.3%) of the elderly women were depressed. The ward containing the highest number of cognitively and physically independent women contained 41.3% of the total depressed elderly. A total of 52.1% of all depressed elderly had other associated clinical or psychiatric disorders, with mental retardation and hypothyroidism being the most frequent. Conclusion The prevalence of dementia was high in this NH. Further studies evaluating the psychosocial factors involved in depressed elders should be conducted in an effort to prevent depression and promote mental health in institutionalized elders. PMID:29213945

Depression in elderly women resident in a long-stay nursing home.

PubMed

Lampert, Melissa Agostini; Rosso, Ana Luiza Pereira

2015-01-01

Depression is the most common psychiatric disorder among the elderly: it is present in 23-40% of community-dwelling elderly and in 25-80% of institutionalized elderly. Depressive symptoms are most prevalent in elderly women because they more readily seek healthcare services, are more vulnerable to stress and live longer than men. To investigate the prevalence of depression and its comorbidities in a long-stay nursing home (NH). This retrospective, descriptive, epidemiological study was performed at a NH in southern Brazil and comprised the first part of a larger project to determine depression and its relationship with psychosocial factors in NH residents. Sociodemographic and medical data were obtained through the examination of medical files from November 2012 to January 2013. Depression was defined as the diagnosis reported by physicians in medical files and scores on the Geriatric Depression Scale (15-item version) above 5. Other clinical and psychiatric diagnoses were obtained from medical files. Out of a total of 142 elderly women, 51.4% had at least one psychiatric disorder, the most common being depression, affective bipolar disorder and mental retardation. Almost one third (32.3%) of the elderly women were depressed. The ward containing the highest number of cognitively and physically independent women contained 41.3% of the total depressed elderly. A total of 52.1% of all depressed elderly had other associated clinical or psychiatric disorders, with mental retardation and hypothyroidism being the most frequent. The prevalence of dementia was high in this NH. Further studies evaluating the psychosocial factors involved in depressed elders should be conducted in an effort to prevent depression and promote mental health in institutionalized elders.

Prevalence of under-nutrition, associated factors and perceived nutritional status among elderly in a rural area of Puducherry, South India.

PubMed

Kalaiselvi, S; Arjumand, Yousuf; Jayalakshmy, R; Gomathi, Ramaswamy; Pruthu, Thekkur; Palanivel, C

2016-01-01

Under-nutrition among elderly goes undetected, despite their nature of vulnerability to it. Majority of the available literature assessed under nutrition in the facility based settings. We aimed to determine the prevalence of under-nutrition and its associated factors among elderly, in a rural setting. A community based cross sectional survey was conducted among elderly in one of the randomly selected sub centre catchment area in rural Puducherry, south India. Information on socio demographic characteristics, morbidities and perception on their nutritional status were obtained. Anthropometric measures such as weight and arm span were measured by trained medical graduate as per the standard guidelines. Bodymass index (BMI) less than 18.5kg/m(2) was considered as under-nutrition. Of total 296 elderly in the study setting, 271 (92%) participated in the study. The prevalence of under nutrition among the elderly was 24.8% (95% CI: 19.7-30.3). More than half of the elderly (58.7%) perceived their nutritional status as poor; of them 28.9% were actually under-nourished. Mean (SD) BMI scores were higher for elderly women compared to that of men [elderly women vs men: 22 (4.6)kg/m(2) vs 21 (3.8)kg/m(2), p=0.03]. In multivariate analysis, being an elderly male, age more than 70 years and per capita income less than 1000 INR were found to be significantly associated with under-nutrition. In this rural area, one fourth of elderly were under nourished. Urgent inter-sectoral measures including food security programs are required to address this huge nutritional problem in this vulnerable group. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Nutritional status and dietary intake of institutionalized elderly in Turkey: a cross-sectional, multi-center, country representative study.

PubMed

Ongan, Dilek; Rakıcıoğlu, Neslişah

2015-01-01

To evaluate the nutritional status and dietary intake of institutionalized elderly in Turkey. Cross-sectional study. 25 institutions in 19 cities throughout Turkey. Elderly residents aged 65 years and older (n=554). Nutritional status using Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), food consumption with 24-h dietary recall and anthropometric measurements (body weight, height, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference, waist/hip ratio, mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC)). The mean age of the elderly was 76.1±7.3 years. BMI of elderly men and women were found to be 26.59±4.58kg/m(2) and 30.07±6.32kg/m(2), respectively. WC of elderly men and women were found to be 98.90±1.33cm and 100.62±1.34cm, respectively. Most of the elderly were overweight based on BMI and at risk of metabolic diseases based on WC. According to MNA, 44.2% had normal nutritional status, 49.1% were at risk of malnutrition, 6.7% had malnutrition. All nutrients intake was favorable according to requirements, except for calcium and magnesium. Energy, protein, carbohydrate, fat, vitamins A, E, B1, B2, B6, C folat, iron, zinc intake of elderly who had normal nutritional status, who were at risk of malnutrition and malnourished were significantly different. Energy and nutrients intake of elderly who had normal nutritional status was found to be better than the others. Nutritional status should be periodically screened in the institutionalized elderly to prevent malnutrition. Also, it was noted that adequate energy and nutrients intake of the elderly played a crucial role in maintaining nutritional status and preventing malnutrition within residential homes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The ED use and non-urgent visits of elderly patients.

PubMed

Gulacti, Umut; Lok, Ugur; Celik, Murat; Aktas, Nurettin; Polat, Haci

2016-12-01

To evaluate the use of the emergency department (ED) by elderly patients, their non-urgent visits and the prevalence of main disease for ED visits. This cross-sectional study was conducted on patients aged 65 years and over who visited the ED of a tertiary care university hospital in Turkey between January 2015 and January 2016 retrospectively. A total of 36,369 elderly patients who visited the ED were included in the study. The rate of ED visits by elderly patients was higher than their representation within the general population (p < 0.001). While the rate of elderly patients visiting polyclinics was 15.8%, the rate of elderly patients visiting the ED was 24.3% (p < 0.001). For both genders, the rates of ED visits for patients between 65 and 74 years old was higher than for other elderly age groups (p < 0.001). The prevalence of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) was the highest within the elderly population (17.5%, CI: 17.1-17.9). The proportion of ED visits for non-urgent conditions was 23.4%. Most of the ED visits were during the non-business hours (51.1%), and they were highest in the winter season (25.9%) and in January (10.2%). The hospitalization rate was 9.4%, and 37.9% of hospitalized patients were admitted to intensive care units. The proportion of ED visits by elderly patients was higher than their representation within the general population. Elderly patients often visited the ED instead of a polyclinic. The rate of inappropriate ED use by elderly patients in this hospital was higher than in other countries.

Nutrition knowledge, attitudes and dietary restriction behaviour of Taiwanese elderly.

PubMed

Lin, Wei; Lee, Ya-Wen

2005-01-01

The purpose of this study is to understand knowledge about and general attitudes towards nutrition, dietary restriction attitudes, and dietary restriction behavior in the Taiwanese elderly, and the relationship of these various components to each other. Data from the Elderly Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan (1999-2000) were used for analysis and included 1937 elderly persons aged over 65. The results indicated that the elderly had poor nutrition knowledge, especially about the relationship between nutrition and disease. Elderly nutrition attitudes were fair; they tended to disagree with misconceptions about "healthy" or functional foods and also had quite positive general eating attitudes. However, the Taiwanese elderly hold quite strong attitudes influenced by Chinese traditional or food-texture-related dietary restrictions. Elderly people frequently avoid eating foods considered unhealthy by modern medical science (e.g. high fat/cholesterol foods) as well as foods forbidden by Chinese traditional medicine (e.g. "heating" foods, "cooling" foods). Most of the elderly regularly eat three meals a day, however, they seldom pay attention to dietary and nutrition information. The most important sources of nutrition information are offspring or family members, TV, and medical practitioners. In general, elderly men with a higher educational level and living in less remote areas had better nutrition knowledge, held more positive nutrition attitudes, and kept to dietary restrictions less frequently. Elderly people's nutrition knowledge was positively related to their health-care attitudes, general eating attitudes, high- fat or high-cholesterol food restriction behavior, fermented or pickled food restriction behavior, attention to nutrition information, and regularity of meals. However, nutrition knowledge was inversely related to Chinese traditional or food-texture-related dietary restriction behaviors. The results of this study suggest that education of elderly people about nutrition is important, and the design of such nutrition education programs should consider the low educational levels of the elderly. Children or other family members may also be included in the program. The use of TV as a medium for nutrition education of the elderly may also be important for nutrition educators.

Interventions for preventing abuse in the elderly.

PubMed

Baker, Philip R A; Francis, Daniel P; Hairi, Noran N; Othman, Sajaratulnisah; Choo, Wan Yuen

2016-08-16

Maltreatment of older people (elder abuse) includes psychological, physical, sexual abuse, neglect and financial exploitation. Evidence suggests that 10% of older adults experience some form of abuse, and only a fraction of cases are actually reported or referred to social services agencies. Elder abuse is associated with significant morbidity and premature mortality. Numerous interventions have been implemented to address the issue of elder maltreatment. It is, however, unclear which interventions best serve to prevent or reduce elder abuse. The objective of this review was to assess the effectiveness of primary, secondary and tertiary intervention programmes used to reduce or prevent abuse of the elderly in their own home, in organisational or institutional and community settings. The secondary objective was to investigate whether intervention effects are modified by types of abuse, types of participants, setting of intervention, or the cognitive status of older people. We searched 19 databases (AgeLine, CINAHL, Psycinfo, MEDLINE, Embase, Proquest Central, Social Services Abstracts‎, ASSIA, Sociological Abstracts, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global, Web of Science, LILACS, EPPI, InfoBase, CENTRAL, HMIC, Opengrey and Zetoc) on 12 platforms, including multidisciplinary disciplines covering medical, health, social sciences, social services, legal, finance and education. We also browsed related organisational websites, contacted authors of relevant articles and checked reference lists. Searches of databases were conducted between 30 August 2015 and 16 March 2016 and were not restricted by language. We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs), cluster-randomised trials, and quasi-RCTs, before-and-after studies, and interrupted time series. Only studies with at least 12 weeks of follow-up investigating the effect of interventions in preventing or reducing abuse of elderly people and those who interact with the elderly were included. Two review authors independently extracted data and assessed the studies' risk of bias. Studies were categorised as: 1) education on elder abuse, 2) programmes to reduce factors influencing elder abuse, 3) specific policies for elder abuse, 4) legislation on elder abuse, 5) programmes to increase detection rate on elder abuse, 6) programmes targeted to victims of elder abuse, and 7) rehabilitation programmes for perpetrators of elder abuse. All studies were assessed for study methodology, intervention type, setting, targeted audience, intervention components and intervention intensity. The search and selection process produced seven eligible studies which included a total of 1924 elderly participants and 740 other people. Four of the above seven categories of interventions were evaluated by included studies that varied in study design. Eligible studies of rehabilitation programmes, specific policies for elder abuse and legislation on elder abuse were not found. All included studies contained a control group, with five of the seven studies describing the method of allocation as randomised. We used the Cochrane 'Risk of bias' tool and EPOC assessment criteria to assess risk of bias. The results suggest that risk of bias across the included body of research was high, with at least 40% of the included studies judged as being at high risk of bias. Only one study was judged as having no domains at high risk of bias, with two studies having two of 11 domains at high risk. One study was judged as being at high risk of bias across eight of 11 domains.All included studies were set in high-income countries, as determined by the World Bank economic classification (USA four, Taiwan one, UK two). None of the studies provided specific information or analysis on equity considerations, including by socio-economic disadvantage, although one study was described as being set in a housing project. One study performed some form of cost-effectiveness analysis on the implementation of their intervention programmes, although there were few details on the components and analysis of the costing.We are uncertain whether these interventions reduce the occurrence or recurrence of elder abuse due to variation in settings, measures and effects reported in the included studies, some of which were very small and at a high risk of bias (low- and very low-quality evidence).Two studies measured the occurrence of elder abuse. A high risk of bias study found a difference in the post-test scores (P value 0.048 and 0.18). In a low risk of bias study there was no difference found (adjusted odds ratio (OR) =0.48, 95% 0.18 to 1.27) (n = 214). For interventions measuring abuse recurrence, one small study (n = 16) reported no difference in post-test means, whilst another found higher levels of abuse reported for the intervention arms (Cox regression, combined intervention hazard ratio (HR) = 1.78, alpha level = 0.01).It is uncertain whether targeted educational interventions improve the relevant knowledge of health professionals and caregivers (very low-quality evidence), although they may improve detection of resident-to-resident abuse. The concept of measuring improvement in detection or reporting as opposed to measuring the occurrence or recurrence of abuse is complicated. An intervention of public education and support services aimed at victims may also improve rates of reporting, however it is unclear whether this was due to an increase in abuse recurrence or better reporting of abuse.The effectiveness of service planning interventions at improving the assessment and documentation of related domains is uncertain. Unintended outcomes were not reported in the studies. There is inadequate trustworthy evidence to assess the effects of elder abuse interventions on occurrence or recurrence of abuse, although there is some evidence to suggest it may change the combined measure of anxiety and depression of caregivers. There is a need for high-quality trials, including from low- or middle-income countries, with adequate statistical power and appropriate study characteristics to determine whether specific intervention programmes, and which components of these programmes, are effective in preventing or reducing abuse episodes among the elderly. It is uncertain whether the use of educational interventions improves knowledge and attitude of caregivers, and whether such programmes also reduce occurrence of abuse, thus future research is warranted. In addition, all future research should include a component of cost-effectiveness analysis, implementation assessment and equity considerations of the specific interventions under review.

Effect of a creative-bonding intervention on Taiwanese nursing students' self-transcendence and attitudes toward elders.

PubMed

Chen, Shiue; Walsh, Sandra M

2009-04-01

Nursing students worldwide have little interest in caring for a growing elder population. The purpose of this study, based on self-transcendence theory, was to test the effectiveness of a creative-bonding intervention (CBI) to promote self-transcendence and positive attitudes towards elders in Taiwanese nursing students. A quasi-experimental design was used to compare a CBI group (n = 100) with a friendly visit (FV) control group (n = 94). ANCOVA results indicated that after the intervention, the CBI group had significantly more positive attitudes towards elders than the FV group. Nursing school faculty may want to promote art-making activities between students and elders to foster students' interest in elder care.

Viral hepatitis in the elderly.

PubMed

Carrion, Andres F; Martin, Paul

2012-05-01

As life expectancy continues to rise, elderly adults represent a rapidly growing proportion of the population. The likelihood of complications of acute and chronic liver disease and overall mortality are higher in elderly populations. Several physiological changes associated with aging, greater prevalence of co-morbid conditions, and cumulative exposure to hepatotropic viruses and environmental hepatotoxins may contribute to worse outcomes of viral hepatitis in the elderly. Although pharmacotherapy for hepatitis B and C continues to evolve, the efficacy, tolerability, and side effects of these agents have not been studied extensively in elderly adults. Immunization against hepatitis A and B in naïve elderly adults is an important public health intervention that needs to be revised and broadened.

Positive ageing perceptions among migrant Turkish and native Dutch older people: a matter of culture or resources?

PubMed

Cramm, Jane M; Nieboer, Anna P

2017-07-21

This study examined ethnic differences in ageing perceptions of migrant Turkish and native Dutch elders residing in Rotterdam, and explored whether such differences could be attributed to culture or resources (personal, physical, economic and/or social). This study was based on combined data from two research projects focusing on the health and well-being of community-dwelling elderly people in Rotterdam. The first dataset contained data from 994 native Dutch elders aged 70-99 years. The Rotterdam municipal register was used to randomly sample respondents, stratified by age group (70-74, 75-79, 80-84, and ≥85 years) and neighbourhood. Of the 2593 eligible respondents, 1075 returned filled-in questionnaires (41% response rate). Of these 1075 respondents a total of 994 were natives which is the sample we selected for the current study. The second dataset contained data from 680 Turkish migrants aged 65-90 years. All Turkish people aged ≥65 years were identified using the Rotterdam municipal register and invited to participate. In total, 680 Turkish respondents returned filled-in questionnaires (32% response rate; out of 2350). Ageing perceptions were measured using the 21-item Ageing Perceptions Questionnaire-Short (APQ-S). Respondents were additionally asked about their current general health, income, education, marital status, age and gender. The results of this study clearly reveal the importance of culture for all ageing perceptions among Turkish and Dutch elders. We found that age, health, and education were also important factors. For Turkish elders, health and education were the most important resources; for Dutch elders, age and health were most important in relation to ageing perceptions. Ageing perceptions were generally more negative among Turkish than among Dutch elders. Turkish elders reported more negative awareness of ageing, felt less in control of their ageing processes, and had more negative emotional reactions to ageing. They also believed more firmly that their ageing processes would have both negative and positive effects on their lives. Results revealed poorer health, lower income and educational levels among Turkish than among Dutch elders. In addition, many more Dutch than Turkish elders were single/widowed/divorced. Physical and personal resources, in addition to culture, are most important for positive ageing perceptions among native Dutch and migrant Turkish elders residing in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. These resources are health and education for Turkish elders, and health and age for Dutch elders. Overall, ethnicity remained a significant predictor of ageing perceptions when other resources were taken into account.

An ecological systems examination of elder abuse: a week in the life of adult protective services.

PubMed

Wangmo, Tenzin; Teaster, Pamela B; Grace, James; Wong, Wilson; Mendiondo, Marta S; Blandford, Caitlin; Fisher, Steve; Fardo, David W

2014-01-01

Using Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems model, this study examined allegations of elder abuse made to Kentucky Adult Protective Services (APS) and the investigation that followed, in order to understand how APS addressed the needs of abused elders. Elder abuse allegations made to APS during the study week were collected using 3 study tools. Allegations and resulting investigations were analyzed. During the study week, APS received 1,002 calls alleging elder abuse. Of these, 483 were categorized as reports needing protective services, with 177 reports screened in for investigation and 167 actually investigated. Results describe characteristics of abuse calls, investigations, victims, perpetrators, and total investigation times. Substantiation ratio, recidivism, and whether investigation increased or decreased the risk of abuse were also assessed. An examination of APS casework through the lens of nested systems frames the study findings and discussion. Such an examination has the potential to improve the quality of services provided to older adults.

Biologic and Conventional Systemic Therapies Show Similar Safety and Efficacy in Elderly and Adult Patients With Moderate to Severe Psoriasis.

PubMed

Garber, Caren; Plotnikova, Natalia; Au, Shiu-chung; Sorensen, Eric P; Gottlieb, Alice

2015-08-01

Despite the aging population, few studies have documented the treatment of geriatric psoriasis. The purpose of this study is to compare the efficacy, safety, and prescribing patterns of biologics and conventional systemic medications in elderly versus adult psoriasis. All patient visits coded for psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis (ICD-9 696.1 or 696.0) at the Tufts Medical Center General Dermatology Clinic from January 1, 2008, to March 1, 2015 were included in this retrospective cohort study. The outcome measure used was the validated simple-measure for assessing psoriasis activity (S-MAPA), the product of the physician's global assessment and the body surface area. 194 patients who underwent 278 treatment courses were included in the study. 48 patients were included in the elderly cohort (≥ 65 years old) and 146 in the adult cohort (18-64 years old). There was no significant difference in S-MAPA improvement at 12 weeks between the two cohorts when treated with biologics (42.92% improvement in adults, 48.77% in elderly; P=0.498) or conventional systemics (43.96% and 51.82%, respectively; P=0.448). Within the elderly cohort, there was no significant difference in efficacy of biologics versus conventional systemics at any time point. Topical prescription rates were significantly higher in the elderly cohort ( P=0.004) while biologic prescription rates were significantly lower ( P=0.014) despite the same baseline S-MAPA in both age groups. For both biologics and conventional systemics, there was no statistically significant intergroup difference in the rate of adverse events ( P=0.322 for biologics; P=0.581 for conventional systemics) or infection ( P=0.753 for biologics; P=0.828 for conventional systemics). Within the elderly cohort, there was a higher rate of adverse events with conventional systemic treatment than with biologic treatment ( P=0.033). This study provides preliminary evidence to suggest that biologic and conventional systemic therapies are similarly safe and effective in the elderly and non-elderly cohorts. Within the elderly population, biologics may be a safer option than conventional systemic agents.

Integrated care for frail elderly compared to usual care: a study protocol of a quasi-experiment on the effects on the frail elderly, their caregivers, health professionals and health care costs.

PubMed

Fabbricotti, Isabelle Natalina; Janse, Benjamin; Looman, Wilhelmina Mijntje; de Kuijper, Ruben; van Wijngaarden, Jeroen David Hendrikus; Reiffers, Auktje

2013-04-12

Frail elderly persons living at home are at risk for mental, psychological, and physical deterioration. These problems often remain undetected. If care is given, it lacks the quality and continuity required for their multiple and changing problems. The aim of this project is to improve the quality and efficacy of care given to frail elderly living independently by implementing and evaluating a preventive integrated care model for the frail elderly. The design is quasi-experimental. Effects will be measured by conducting a before and after study with control group. The experimental group will consist of 220 elderly of 8 GPs (General Practitioners) who will provide care according to the integrated model (The Walcheren Integrated Care Model). The control group will consist of 220 elderly of 6 GPs who will give care as usual. The study will include an evaluation of process and outcome measures for the frail elderly, their caregivers and health professionals as well as a cost-effectiveness analysis. A concurrent mixed methods design will be used. The study population will consist of elderly 75 years or older who live independently and score a 4 or higher on the Groningen Frailty Indicator, their caregivers and health professionals. Data will be collected prospectively at three points in time: T0, T1 (3 months after inclusion), and T2 (12 months after inclusion). Similarities between the two groups and changes over time will be assessed with t-tests and chi-square tests. For each measure regression analyses will be performed with the T2-score as the dependent variable and the T0-score, the research group and demographic variables as independent variables. A potential obstacle for this study will be the willingness of the elderly and their caregivers to participate. To increase willingness, the request to participate will be sent via the elders' own GP. Interviewers will be from their local region and gifts will be given. A successful implementation of the integrated model is also necessary. The involved parties are members of a steering group and have contractually committed themselves to the project. Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN05748494.

Indications, complications and outcomes of elderly patients undergoing retrievable inferior vena cava filter placement.

PubMed

Rottenstreich, Amihai; Kleinstern, Geffen; Bloom, Allan I; Klimov, Alexander; Kalish, Yosef

2017-10-01

The utilization of inferior vena cava filter placement for pulmonary embolism prevention in elderly patients has not been well characterized. The present study aimed to review indications, complications and follow-up data of elderly patients undergoing inferior vena cava filter placement. A retrospective review was carried out of consecutive admitted patients who underwent inferior vena cava filter insertion at a large university hospital with a level I trauma center. Overall, 455 retrievable filters were inserted between 2009 and 2014. A total of 133 patients (29.2%) were aged ≥70 years. Elderly patients were less likely to have their filter retrieved compared with non-elderly patients (5.3% vs 21.4%, P < 0.001). Filter-related complications occurred in 13% of non-elderly patients and 14.3% of elderly patients (P = 0.72), most of them occurring in the first 3 months after filter placement. Survival among elderly patients with no evidence of active malignancy was similar to the non-elderly patients with a 1-year survival rate of 76.3% versus 82% in non-elderly patients (P = 0.22), and a 2-year survival rate of 73.1% versus 78.6% in non-elderly patients (P = 0.27). Although decreased, survival rates among elderly patients with active cancer were still substantial, with a 1-year survival rate of 45% and 2-year survival rate of 40%. Elderly patients had significantly lower rates of filter retrieval with similar complication rate. Survival rates among elderly patients were substantial, and in elderly patients with no active cancer were even comparable with non-elderly patients. When feasible, filter retrieval should be attempted in all elderly patients in order to prevent filter-related complications. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 1508-1514. © 2016 Japan Geriatrics Society.

Evaluate the Usability of the Mobile Instant Messaging Software in the Elderly.

PubMed

Wen, Tzu-Ning; Cheng, Po-Liang; Chang, Po-Lun

2017-01-01

Instant messaging (IM) is one kind of online chat that provides real-time text transmission over the Internet. It becomes one of the popular communication tools. Even it is currnetly an era of smartphones, it still a great challenge to teach and promote the elderly to use smart phone. Besides, the acceptance of the elderly to use IM remains unknown. This study describes the usability and evaluates the acceptance of the IM in the elderly, who use the smartphone for the first time. This study is a quasi-experimental design study. The study period started from October, 2012 to December, 2013. There were totally 41 elderly recruited in the study. All of them were the first time to use LINE app on the smartphones. The usability was evaluated by using the Technology Acceptance Model which consisted of four constructs: cognitive usability, cognitive ease of use, attitude and willingness to use. Overall, the elderly had the best "attitude" for LINE APP communication software, with the highest rating averaging 4.07 points on four constructs, followed by an average of 4 points on "cognitive usefulness". The socres of "cognitive ease of use" and "willingness to use" scores were equal which are an average score of 3.86. It can be interpreted that (1) the elders thought that the LINE APP as an excellent communication tool for them; (2) they found the software is useful (3) it was convenient for them to communicate. However, it was necessary to additionally assist and explain the certain functions such as the options. It would play a great role in the "willingness to use". The positive acceptance of LINE APP in elderly refer to the probable similar acceptance for them to use other communication software. Encouraging the willingness the elderly to explore more technology products and understanding their behavior will be the basic knowledge to develop further software.

Surgical Outcome and Hepatic Regeneration after Hepatic Resection for Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Elderly Patients.

PubMed

Inoue, Yoshihiro; Tanaka, Ryo; Fujii, Kensuke; Kawaguchi, Nao; Ishii, Masatsugu; Masubuchi, Shinsuke; Yamamoto, Masashi; Hirokawa, Fumitoshi; Hayashi, Michihiro; Uchiyama, Kazuhisa

2018-05-14

The rising proportion of elderly patients (aged 80 yearsor above) in our population means that more elderly patients are undergoing hepatectomy. Five-hundred and thirty patients who underwent hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were retrospectively analyzed with respect to their preoperative status and perioperative results, including remnant liver regeneration. The remnant liver volume was postoperatively measured with multidetector CT on postoperative day 7 and 1, 2, 5, and 12 months after surgery. An elderly group (aged 80 or older) was compared with a non-elderly group (aged less than 80 years). Underlying diseases of the cardiovascular system were significantly more common in the elderly group (57.8%, p = 0.0008). The postoperative incidence of Clavien-Dindo Grade IIIa or higher complications was 20.0% in the elderly group and 24.3% in the non-elderly group, and this difference was not significant. As for regeneration of the remnant liver after resection, this was not morphologically delayed compared to the non-elderly group. In this study, we have demonstrated that safe, radical hepatectomy, similar to procedures performed on non-elderly patients, can be performed on patients with HCC aged 80 and older with sufficient perioperative care. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Principles of practice parameters for the treatment of sleep disordered breathing in the elderly and frail elderly: the consensus of the International Geriatric Sleep Medicine Task Force.

PubMed

Netzer, Nikolaus C; Ancoli-Israel, Sonia; Bliwise, Donald L; Fulda, Stephany; Roffe, Christine; Almeida, Fernanda; Onen, Hakki; Onen, Fannie; Raschke, Friedhart; Martinez Garcia, Miguel Angel; Frohnhofen, Helmut

2016-10-01

Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is a leading cause of morbidity worldwide. Its prevalence increases with age. Due to the demographic changes in industrial societies, pulmonologists and sleep physicians are confronted with a rapidly growing number of elderly SDB patients. For many physicians, it remains unclear how current guidelines for SDB management apply to elderly and frail elderly patients. The goal of this consensus statement is to provide guidance based on published evidence for SDB treatment in this specific patient group.Clinicians and researchers with expertise in geriatric sleep medicine representing several countries were invited to participate in a task force. A literature search of PubMed from the past 12 years and a systematic review of evidence of studies deemed relevant was performed.Recommendations for treatment management of elderly and frail elderly SDB patients based on published evidence were formulated via discussion and consensus.In the last 12 years, there have been surprisingly few studies examining treatment of SDB in older adults and even fewer in frail older adults. Studies that have been conducted on the management of SDB in the older patient population were rarely stratified for age. Studies in SDB treatment that did include age stratification mainly focused on middle-aged and younger patient groups. Based on the evidence that is available, this consensus statement highlights the treatment forms that can be recommended for elderly SDB patients and encourages treatment of SDB in this large patient group. Copyright ©ERS 2016.

A Community Health Worker-Based Program for Elderly People With Hypertension in Indonesia: A Qualitative Study, 2013.

PubMed

Rahmawati, Riana; Bajorek, Beata

2015-10-15

Hypertension is prevalent in the elderly, but treatment is often inadequate, particularly in developing countries. The objective of this study was to explore the role of a community-based program in supporting patients with hypertension in an Indonesian rural community. A qualitative study comprising observation and in-depth interviews was conducted in an Integrated Health Service Post for the Elderly (IHSP-Elderly) program in Bantul district (Yogyakarta province). Eleven members of IHSP-Elderly program (ie, hypertensive patients), 3 community health workers (CHWs), and 1 district health staff member were interviewed to obtain their views about the role of the IHSP-Elderly program in hypertension management. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. CHWs played a prominent role as the gatekeepers of health care in the rural community. In supporting hypertension management, CHWs served members of the IHSP-Elderly program by facilitating blood pressure checks and physical exercise and providing health education. Members reported various benefits, such as a healthier feeling overall, peer support, and access to affordable health care. Members felt that IHSP-Elderly program could do more to provide routine blood pressure screening and improve the process of referral to other health care services. CHWs have the potential to liaise between rural communities and the wider health care system. Their role needs to be strengthened through targeted organizational support that aims to improve delivery of, and referral to, care. Further study is needed to identify the key factors for effective CHW-based programs in rural communities and the incorporation of these programs into the health care system.

An exploration of antecedents of positive affect among the elderly: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Lee, Sunwoo

2016-02-01

Positive affect contributes to the healthy life style, which, in turn, explains life satisfaction and psychological well-being among the elderly. Existent literature has reinforced that physical activity participation influences development of positive affect for the elderly. Because of the increased life constraints and physical problems, however, maintenance of positive affect might be challenging for elderly people. Data were drawn from a sample of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe. A total sample of 3845 males and 3912 females aged between 65 and 103 years from 16 European countries was analyzed. Perception of life constraints, health problems, physical activity engagement and positive affect were measured by a structured questionnaire. Confirmatory factor analysis and a technique of structural equation modelling were employed using Amos 18 to examine the hypothesized relationships between study variables. Perceived life constraints and physical problems significantly affected the acquisition of positive affect among the elderly. Physical activity was found to have a significant path coefficient towards the measure of positive attitude and emotion. Physical activity was also a significant mediator between physical problems and positive affect. This study extended our understanding of how the perception of life constraints and health problems influence the elderly's daily experience. Study finding reinforced the goodness of physical activity participation to enhance positive affect among the elderly. We should administer sustainable and evidence-based physical activity including interventions and infrastructure to improve positive affect and psychological well-bing among the elderly. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

Tooth wear in the elderly population in South East Local Government area in Ibadan, Nigeria.

PubMed

Taiwo, J O; Ogunyinka, A; Onyeaso, C O; Dosumu, O O

2005-12-01

It is the aim of this study to determine the pattern and degree of tooth wear in the elderly population in the South East Local Government Area in Ibadan. The study was carried out on 690 elderly individuals who were 65 years old and above, living in various wards in South East Local Government Area, in Ibadan. A multistage sampling technique was used to select elderly individuals for the study. Two interviewers, 2-record clerks and 2 examiners were trained for the study and the examiners were calibrated. The index of Eccles J.D was used to determine the severity of tooth wear. The results highlight the high prevalence of tooth wear, mainly attrition in the elderly in this local government area. Six hundred and forty (92.8%) of the elderly had tooth wear. Of these 58.59% were males and 41.41% females. Attrition was observed in 618 (89.6%) elderly individuals. The mandible exhibited a higher prevalence of tooth wear than the maxilla and was statistically significant. Severe tooth wear was observed in only 5.74% of the teeth whilst moderate and mild tooth wear were observed in 26.91% and 30.88% respectively. Unlike the Western European countries, attrition being the most common type of tooth wear in these elderly individuals suggests that the aetiological factors responsible for tooth wear are different. Common habits such as crushing of bones and chewing of sticks for routine oral hygiene care could be contributing factors to tooth wear in this environment.

Comparative study of adverse events after yellow fever vaccination between elderly and non-elderly travellers: questionnaire survey in Japan over a 1-year period.

PubMed

Tanizaki, Ryutaro; Ujiie, Mugen; Hori, Narumi; Kanagawa, Shuzo; Kutsuna, Satoshi; Takeshita, Nozomi; Hayakawa, Kayoko; Kato, Yasuyuki; Ohmagari, Norio

2016-03-01

A live attenuated yellow fever (YF) vaccination is required of all travellers visiting countries where YF virus is endemic. Although the risk of serious adverse events (AEs) after YF vaccination is known to be greater in elderly people than in younger people, information about other AEs among elderly travellers is lacking. A prospective observational questionnaire study was conducted to investigate the occurrence of AEs after YF vaccination in travellers who attended a designated YF vaccination centre in Tokyo, Japan, from 1 November 2011 to 31 October 2012. A questionnaire enquiring about any AEs experienced in the 2 weeks following YF vaccination was distributed to all vaccinees enrolled in this study, and responses were collected subsequently by mail or phone. For child vaccinees, their parents were allowed to respond in their stead. Of the 1298 vaccinees who received the YF vaccine, 1044 (80.4%) were enrolled in the present study and 666 (63.8%) responded to the questionnaire. Of these 666 respondents, 370 (55.6%) reported AEs, of which 258 (38.7%) were systemic and 230 (34.5%) were local. No severe AEs associated with YF vaccination were reported. Elderly vaccinees (aged ≥60 years) reported fewer total AEs than those aged <60 years (42.9% vs 60.3%;P < 0.001). Our study showed that fewer general AEs after yellow vaccination reported among elderly vaccinees than among non-elderly vaccinees. These results could provide supplementary information for judging the adaptation of vaccination in elderly travellers. © International Society of Travel Medicine, 2016. All rights reserved. Published by Oxford University Press. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Efficacy and safety of febuxostat in elderly female patients

PubMed Central

Mizuno, Tomohiro; Hayashi, Takahiro; Hikosaka, Sayo; Shimabukuro, Yuka; Murase, Maho; Takahashi, Kazuo; Hayashi, Hiroki; Yuzawa, Yukio; Nagamatsu, Tadashi; Yamada, Shigeki

2014-01-01

Background Maintenance of low serum urate levels is important for the management of gout. Achieving the recommended serum urate levels of less than 6.0 mg/dL is difficult in elderly (65 years of age or older) patients with renal impairment. Xanthine oxidase inhibitors allopurinol and febuxostat are used for this purpose. Although febuxostat had been shown to be efficacious in elderly patients, its safety and efficacy in elderly female patients with hyperuricemia remain unclear. Objective The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of febuxostat in elderly female patients. Methods We studied a retrospective cohort study. The study included elderly Japanese patients (65 years of age or older) who were treated with febuxostat at Fujita Health University Hospital from January 2012 to December 2013. The treatment goal was defined as achievement of serum urate levels of 6.0 mg/dL or lower within 16 weeks; this was the primary endpoint in the present study. Adverse events of febuxostat were defined as more than twofold increases in Common Terminology Criteria for adverse events scores from baseline. Results We evaluated 82 patients treated with febuxostat during the observation period and classified them into male (n=53) and female (n=29) groups. The mean time to achievement of the treatment goal was significantly shorter in the female group (53 days) than in the male group (71 days). There were no significant differences in adverse events between the 2 groups. Conclusion Our findings suggest that the efficacy of febuxostat in elderly female patients is superior to that in elderly male patients and that the safety is equivalent. PMID:25214776

Elderly peoples’ experiences of nursing homes in Bam city: A qualitative study

PubMed Central

Mohammadinia, Neda; Rezaei, Mohammad Ali; Atashzadeh-Shoorideh, Foroozan

2017-01-01

Background With the increasing number of elderly, especially in recent decades, transfer to nursing homes and the number of centers has also increased but experiences and problems of elders in these centers is less considered. So, the goal of this study is to explore the Elderly peoples’ experiences of nursing homes. Methods The current research was performed using a phenomenological approach in 2016. Participation in the study is comprised of the elderly residents in a nursing home in Bam city who were selected based on an objective-oriented approach. The sampling was done until data saturation. Data collection methods were observation and an unstructured and in-depth interview. Data were analyzed using seven-stage Colaizzi process. Results In total, fifteen 68 – 82 years old people participated in our study and 52 primary and conceptual codes that were eventually categorized in five main themes (sense of rejection, sense of daily routine, impaired of communications, sense of hardship and mental obsession) and ten sub-themes emerged. Conclusion Overall, most of the elders were not satisfied with the conditions. It seems that helpful, community and family education to acculturate respect for the elderly in the community, teach proper coping strategies, use the elderly’s experiences, and consultation with them could be a way to maintain a sense of usefulness, independence and to prevent them from sensing monotonous and routine rhythm of life. PMID:28979736

Estimation of prevalence of sarcopenia by using a new bioelectrical impedance analysis in Chinese community-dwelling elderly people.

PubMed

Wang, Hui; Hai, Shan; Cao, Li; Zhou, Jianghua; Liu, Ping; Dong, Bi-Rong

2016-12-28

The aim of the present study was to validate the usefulness of the new octapolar multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) for assessment of appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) by comparing it with that of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and to investigate the prevalence of sarcopenia in Chinese community-dwelling elderly according to Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) definition. A cross-sectional study was conducted in communities of Chengdu, China. A total of 944 community-dwelling elderly adults aged ≥60 years were included. ASM was measured by using DXA as a criterion method to validate a standing eight-electrode multifrequency BIA (InBody 720), followed by a further estimation of the prevalence of sarcopenia according the AWGS definition. In the Bland-Altman analysis, no significant difference was found between DXA and BIA based on the ASM measurements. The prevalence of AWGS-defined sarcopenia was 12.5% in the elderly women and 8.2% in the elderly men. BIA is suitable for body composition monitoring (ASM) in elderly Chinese as a fast, noninvasive, and convenient method; therefore, it may be a better choice in large epidemiological studies in the Chinese population. The prevalence of AWGS-defined sarcopenia was approximately 10.4% and increased with age in the Chinese community-dwelling elderly in this study.

Predictors of asthma control in elderly patients.

PubMed

Ban, Ga-Young; Trinh, Tu H K; Ye, Young-Min; Park, Hae-Sim

2016-06-01

We are in the era of rapid aging of the global population. Elderly asthmatic patients have an increased frequency of hospitalization and a high mortality rate. In this review, we focus on comorbidities and treatment issues in terms of the predictors of asthma control in the elderly. Some frequent comorbidities, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic sinusitis, obesity, and depression, are associated with uncontrolled asthma in elderly asthmatic patients. Smoking status in elderly asthmatic patients was associated with more frequent exacerbations. Management of comorbidities should be taken into account when we treat elderly asthmatic patients. Low treatment adherence, which is common in elderly asthmatic patients, predicts poor asthma control status. A poor knowledge about asthma, cognitive function impairment, and inappropriate inhaler technique result in low treatment adherence. Polypharmacy is associated with low treatment adherence, adverse drug reactions, and drug-drug interactions, and it is supposed to be a predictor of asthma control. Multifactorial assessments, including comorbidities, treatment adherence, and polypharmacy, are important for better asthma control in elderly asthmatic patients. Further studies on the strategy for the management of elderly asthmatic patients in a real-world setting are warranted.

The confounded effects of age and exposure history in response to influenza vaccination

PubMed Central

Höpping, Ana Mosterín; McElhaney, Janet; Fonville, Judith M.; Powers, Douglas C.; Beyer, Walter E.P.; Smith, Derek J.

2016-01-01

Numerous studies have explored whether the antibody response to influenza vaccination in elderly adults is as strong as it is in young adults. Results vary, but tend to indicate lower post-vaccination titers (antibody levels) in the elderly, supporting the concept of immunosenescence – the weakening of the immunological response related to age. Because the elderly in such studies typically have been vaccinated against influenza before enrollment, a confounding of effects occurs between age, and previous exposures, as a potential extrinsic reason for immunosenescence. We conducted a four-year study of serial annual immunizations with inactivated trivalent influenza vaccines in 136 young adults (16 to 39 years) and 122 elderly adults (62 to 92 years). Compared to data sets of previously published studies, which were designed to investigate the effect of age, this detailed longitudinal study with multiple vaccinations allowed us to also study the effect of prior vaccination history on the response to a vaccine. In response to the first vaccination, young adults produced higher post-vaccination titers, accounting for pre-vaccination titers, than elderly adults. However, upon subsequent vaccinations the difference in response to vaccination between the young and elderly age groups declined rapidly. Although age is an important factor when modeling the outcome of the first vaccination, this term lost its relevance with successive vaccinations. In fact, when we examined the data with the assumption that the elderly group had received (on average) as few as two vaccinations prior to our study, the difference due to age disappeared. Our analyses therefore show that the initial difference between the two age groups in their response to vaccination may not be uniquely explained by immunosenescence due to ageing of the immune system, but could equally be the result of the different pre-study vaccination and infection histories in the elderly. PMID:26667611

The confounded effects of age and exposure history in response to influenza vaccination.

PubMed

Mosterín Höpping, Ana; McElhaney, Janet; Fonville, Judith M; Powers, Douglas C; Beyer, Walter E P; Smith, Derek J

2016-01-20

Numerous studies have explored whether the antibody response to influenza vaccination in elderly adults is as strong as it is in young adults. Results vary, but tend to indicate lower post-vaccination titers (antibody levels) in the elderly, supporting the concept of immunosenescence-the weakening of the immunological response related to age. Because the elderly in such studies typically have been vaccinated against influenza before enrollment, a confounding of effects occurs between age, and previous exposures, as a potential extrinsic reason for immunosenescence. We conducted a four-year study of serial annual immunizations with inactivated trivalent influenza vaccines in 136 young adults (16 to 39 years) and 122 elderly adults (62 to 92 years). Compared to data sets of previously published studies, which were designed to investigate the effect of age, this detailed longitudinal study with multiple vaccinations allowed us to also study the effect of prior vaccination history on the response to a vaccine. In response to the first vaccination, young adults produced higher post-vaccination titers, accounting for pre-vaccination titers, than elderly adults. However, upon subsequent vaccinations the difference in response to vaccination between the young and elderly age groups declined rapidly. Although age is an important factor when modeling the outcome of the first vaccination, this term lost its relevance with successive vaccinations. In fact, when we examined the data with the assumption that the elderly group had received (on average) as few as two vaccinations prior to our study, the difference due to age disappeared. Our analyses therefore show that the initial difference between the two age groups in their response to vaccination may not be uniquely explained by immunosenescence due to ageing of the immune system, but could equally be the result of the different pre-study vaccination and infection histories in the elderly. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Deep venous thrombosis in elderly patients as a surgical emergency at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

PubMed Central

Alanazi, Reham Muqbil; Alanazi, Ashjan Aqeel; Alenezi, Ibtihaj Qaseem; Alsulobi, Anwar Matar; Almutairy, Abdulrhman Fahad; Ali, Wafaa Mohamed Bakr; Alanazi, Mohammed Abdullah; Alkhidhr, Mohammed Abdullah; Elfetoh, Nagah Mohamed Abo; Ali, Abdalla Mohamed Bakr

2017-01-01

Background Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) is a condition that occurs frequently among surgical, as well as acutely ill hospitalized medical patients, and is responsible for significant morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients. Risk factors include older age, surgery and immobilization (as with bed rest, orthopedic casts, and sitting on long flights. Objective This study was conducted to identify the frequency and factors associated with occurrence of DVT among elderly patients referred to King Abdulaziz University (KAU) Hospital, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Methods The current study is a hospital based cross sectional study. The emergency, inpatients and outpatients’ departments at KAU hospital were reviewed. We studied all the referred elderly subjects during the study period. All elderly patients (540) referred to or admitted to the hospital departments and who were clinically suspected to have DVT and subjected to Doppler examination were included in the study. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi square test. Results Based on the results of Doppler examination, DVT was detected in 97 (18.0%) of the studied elderly population. There were no significant differences in gender between patients who developed DVT and those who were negative by Doppler examination (p=0.018). Other comorbidities as diabetes, IHD and hypertension were significantly associated with the occurrence of DVT among the participants (p=0.05, 0.05 and 0.04 respectively). Furthermore, the other investigated factors such as being bed ridden, cancer, orthopedic cast and previous DVT were not significantly associated with the development of DVT among the studied elderly patients (p=0.42, 0.16, 0.45 and 0.75 respectively). Conclusion DVT has high prevalence in Jeddah; KSA. Thrombophilia screening should be regular for elderly patients with diabetes, hypertension and bed-ridden patients with recurrent DVT or patients with other risk factors. Knowing the most common risk factors and their significance in developing DVT is essential for early detection of DVT to prevent unwanted complications for elderlies. PMID:29403615

A study on the social behavior and social isolation of the elderly Korea.

PubMed

Yi, Eun-Surk; Hwang, Hee-Joung

2015-06-01

This study aimed at presenting what factors are to predict the social isolation of the elderly as an element to prevent the problem of why various matters related to old people are inevitably taking place by carefully examining the meaning of social isolation and the conditions of social isolation that the South Korean senior citizens go through after working on previous studies. This section discusses the results obtained through document analysis. First, the aspects of the elderly's social isolation arising from the changes of the South Korean society are changes of family relationship, the social structure, the economic structure and the culture. Second, the social isolation and social activity of the elderly are problems (suicide, criminals, dementia, depression and medical costs) of the elderly, change trend of the elderly issues related to social isolation and prediction factors that personal and regional. Lastly, as a role and challenges of the field of rehabilitation exercise aimed at resolving social isolation should be vitalized such as the development and provision of various relationship-building programs.

Leisure activities and attitude of institutionalized elderly people: a basis for nursing practice.

PubMed

de Castro, Vivian Carla; Carreira, Lígia

2015-01-01

to identify the leisure activities performed in Long-Stay Institutions for the Elderly (LSIEs), registered in the city of Maringá-PR, Brazil, and to analyze the attitude of the elderly people toward leisure promoted by the institutions. this was a descriptive and transversal study with a quantitative approach, carried out with 97 elderly people, through the establishment of the socio-demographic profile and the application of the Leisure Attitude Scale. The data was subjected to descriptive statistical analysis, association tests (chi-square or Fisher's) and Spearman's correlation. males, aged 80 or over, widowed, with one to eight years of study, who had a monthly income were predominant. Age group and income were significantly associated with the performance of leisure activities. The results reflected the positive attitude of the elderly people in relation to leisure activities, except in the behavioral component. the findings of this study indicate the need for further investigation into the difficulties linked to the attitude toward leisure in the behavioral component, considering aspects such as individual concepts of leisure and the health status of the elderly people.

Older persons' definitions and explanations of elder abuse in the Netherlands.

PubMed

Mysyuk, Yuliya; Westendorp, Rudi G J; Lindenberg, Jolanda

2016-01-01

In this article we explore older persons' definitions of and explanations for elder abuse in the Netherlands by means of interviews with older persons. A qualitative study was conducted based on semistructured interviews with 35 older persons who had no experience with abuse. Our findings show that older persons participating in our study define elder abuse foremost as physical violence that is performed intentionally. The study participants explain elder abuse as a result of the dependency and vulnerability of older persons, of changing norms and values, and of changes in the position of older persons in society, which result in disrespect toward older persons and a lack of social control and responsibility. The older persons' explanations for the occurrence of abuse mainly focus on societal changes; older persons seem to regard elder abuse primarily as a societal problem. This understanding of, and explanation for, elder abuse may influence their detection and reporting behavior, as they may tend to acknowledge only severe cases of intentional physical violence that leave clear and therefore physically detectable evidence.

Home Away from Home: Acclimatization of Filipino Elderly from Being Home to a Sense of Being "at Home" in an Elderly Institution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Guzman, Allan B.; Guevara, Katrina Illyana J.; Guiang, Frances Jane B.; Gutierez, Anton Lorenzo I.; Habaluyas, Alayne S.; Hizon, Marc Alison P.; Idanan, Shalaine G.

2012-01-01

This grounded study examined the process of acclimatization or the process of changing perspectives of a person so as to get used to or feel "at home" among a select group of Filipino elderly in a nursing care facility. As institutionalization of the elderly is not typical in the Philippine context, varied responses were analyzed to…

Crimes against the elderly in Italy, 2007-2014.

PubMed

Terranova, Claudio; Bevilacqua, Greta; Zen, Margherita; Montisci, Massimo

2017-08-01

Crimes against the elderly have physical, psychological, and economic consequences. Approaches for mitigating them must be based on comprehensive knowledge of the phenomenon. This study analyses crimes against the elderly in Italy during the period 2007-2014 from an epidemiological viewpoint. Data on violent and non-violent crimes derived from the Italian Institute of Statistics were analysed in relation to trends, gender and age by linear regression, T-test, and calculation of the odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval. Results show that the elderly are at higher risk of being victimized in two types of crime, violent (residential robbery) and non-violent (pick-pocketing and purse-snatching) compared with other age groups during the period considered. A statistically significant increase in residential robbery and pick-pocketing was also observed. The rate of homicide against the elderly was stable during the study period, in contrast with reduced rates in other age groups. These results may be explained by risk factors increasing the profiles of elderly individuals as potential victims, such as frailty, cognitive impairment, and social isolation. Further studies analysing the characteristics of victims are required. Based on the results presented here, appropriate preventive strategies should be planned to reduce crimes against the elderly. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

Preservation of perceptual integration improves temporal stability of bimanual coordination in the elderly: an evidence of age-related brain plasticity.

PubMed

Blais, Mélody; Martin, Elodie; Albaret, Jean-Michel; Tallet, Jessica

2014-12-15

Despite the apparent age-related decline in perceptual-motor performance, recent studies suggest that the elderly people can improve their reaction time when relevant sensory information are available. However, little is known about which sensory information may improve motor behaviour itself. Using a synchronization task, the present study investigates how visual and/or auditory stimulations could increase accuracy and stability of three bimanual coordination modes produced by elderly and young adults. Neurophysiological activations are recorded with ElectroEncephaloGraphy (EEG) to explore neural mechanisms underlying behavioural effects. Results reveal that the elderly stabilize all coordination modes when auditory or audio-visual stimulations are available, compared to visual stimulation alone. This suggests that auditory stimulations are sufficient to improve temporal stability of rhythmic coordination, even more in the elderly. This behavioural effect is primarily associated with increased attentional and sensorimotor-related neural activations in the elderly but similar perceptual-related activations in elderly and young adults. This suggests that, despite a degradation of attentional and sensorimotor neural processes, perceptual integration of auditory stimulations is preserved in the elderly. These results suggest that perceptual-related brain plasticity is, at least partially, conserved in normal aging. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Gender discrimination in the elderly and its impact on the elderly health.

PubMed

Keskinoglu, Pembe; Ucuncu, Tugba; Yildirim, Idris; Gurbuz, Turgut; Ur, Ismail; Ergor, Gul

2007-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine gender discrimination and risk factors in the elderly population and to assess the impact of that discrimination on elderly health. One hundred and sixty-eight elderly individuals who were selected from the records by simple randomized sampling were enrolled in the study. Data were obtained by face-to-face interviews at the residence of the elderly individuals. Chi(2)-Analysis, t-test, Mann-Whitney U-test, and logistic regression were used for data analysis. 81.1% of the elderly were married and 40.5% were middle or high school graduates, and 93.9% of the subjects had at least one living child. It was determined that 51.7% of the females, and 21.3% of the males were exposed to negative gender discrimination. This discrimination was higher among women in all sub-groups. In fact, older women and elderly individuals with only primary school education or less were significantly more exposed to gender discrimination (p=0.008 and p=0.043, respectively). It was found that only economical variables were related to poor health status, without gender discrimination. Despite the fact that the freedom has been obtained in some areas such as participation in household decision-making and dressing, the patriarchal family structure and sexual inequality continue in older age.

Ageing and Learning: What Do They Mean to Elders Themselves?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tam, Maureen; Chui, Ernest

2016-01-01

This paper is about a quantitative study which has examined and elucidated the conceptualizations of ageing and learning by a group of elders in Hong Kong. In more specific terms, the study has investigated how this group of older people understood the meaning of successful ageing and elder learning in the context of their later lives. Based on…

The Role of Social Work Services in Improving the Living Standards of the Elderly in Kuwait: An Empirical Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Dhafiri, Abdulwahab Mohammad

2014-01-01

Background: To what extent is there a significant difference between the elderly's demographic data and their attitudes toward the role of social welfare services in improving their lives? Employed Method: This study used a descriptive method to investigate the activities/services and programs provided by social care homes for the elderly, both…

Bridging Community Generational Gaps through Experiential Learning: A College Nursing Student Practicum for Elderly Patients

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pate, Jane D.

2013-01-01

At the study site, an elder care practicum was adopted after nursing students demonstrated a lack of interest in the well-being of elderly patients. The purpose of the study was to determine if there was a change in college nursing students' attitudes toward nursing home residents as a result of increased intergenerational exposure following an…

A Multivariate Examination of Explanations for the Occurrence of Elder Abuse

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Litwin, Howard; Zoabi, Sameer

2004-01-01

The goal of the study was to determine the relative strength of four major explanations for the rise of elder abuse among a population in transition from traditional to modern culture. The study compared a sample of 120 abused elderly Arab Israelis with a control group of 120 nonabused older adults from the same background. The abuse status…

The Effectiveness of Psychological and Social Services for the Elderly in Their Own Institutions from Their Perspective in Jordan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

AL-Momani, Fackri Falha

2016-01-01

This study aimed to identify the effectiveness of psychological, social, health and recreational services provided for the elderly in their own institutions from their point of view. The study sample consisted of 50 elderly of both sexes living in the "White family Association" and "the Association of Irbid for hosting the…

Are elderly dependency ratios associated with general population suicide rates?

PubMed

Shah, Ajit

2011-05-01

The elderly population size is increasing worldwide due to falling birth rates and increasing life expectancy. It has been hypothesized that as the elderly dependency ratio (the ratio of those over the age of 65 years to those under 65) increases, there will be fewer younger people available to care for older people and this, in turn, will increase the burden on younger carers with increased levels of psychiatric morbidity leading to an increase in general population suicide rates. A cross-national study examining the relationship between elderly dependency ratios and general population suicide rates was conducted using data from the World Health Organization and the United Nations websites. The main findings were of a significant and independent positive correlation between elderly dependency ratios and general population suicide rates in both genders. The contribution of cross-national differences in psychiatric morbidity in younger carers on general population suicide rates requires further study. The prevalence of psychiatric morbidity in younger carers of older people should be examined by: (i) cross-national studies using standardized measures of psychiatric morbidity that are education-free, culture-fair and language-fair; and (ii) within-country longitudinal studies with changing elderly dependency ratios over time.

Health Blief Model-based intervention to improve nutritional behavior among elderly women.

PubMed

Iranagh, Jamileh Amirzadeh; Rahman, Hejar Abdul; Motalebi, Seyedeh Ameneh

2016-06-01

Nutrition is a determinant factor of health in elderly people. Independent living in elderly people can be maintained or enhanced by improvement of nutritional behavior. Hence, the present study was conducted to determine the impact of Health Belief Model (HBM)-based intervention on the nutritional behavior of elderly women. Cluster-random sampling was used to assess the sample of this clinical trial study. The participants of this study attended a 12-week nutrition education program consisting of two (2) sessions per week. There was also a follow-up for another three (3) months. Smart PLS 3.5 and SPSS 19 were used for structural equation modeling, determination of model fitness, and hypotheses testing. The findings indicate that intervention had a significant effect on knowledge improvement as well as the behavior of elderly women. The model explained 5 to 70% of the variance in nutritional behavior. In addition, nutritional behavior was positively affected by the HBM constructs comprised of perceived susceptibility, self-efficacy, perceived benefits, and barriers after the intervention program. The results of this study show that HBM-based educational intervention has a significant effect in improving nutritional knowledge and behavior among elderly women.

Vitamin D and muscle function in the elderly: the elixir of youth?

PubMed

Girgis, Christian M

2014-11-01

Circumstantial evidence suggests that vitamin D deficiency may contribute to age-related changes in skeletal muscle. This review discusses recent clinical trials examining effects of vitamin D on muscle function in the elderly, and poses the important question: can vitamin D reverse muscle ageing? Observational studies report an association between vitamin D and muscle atrophy/weakness in elderly subjects. Interventional studies suggest that frail, elderly subjects may benefit from vitamin D supplementation by displaying reduced falls, improved muscle function and increased muscle fibre size. However, meta-analyses do not report convincing effects of vitamin D in the elderly. This may be because of multiple factors including lack of standardized endpoints for muscle function, variable study design and different doses of vitamin D supplementation amongst these studies. The evidence base is therefore inconsistent. Vitamin D deficiency may exacerbate ageing of skeletal muscle. However, current evidence that vitamin D supplementation reverses age-related muscle dysfunction is equivocal and does not justify stringent vitamin D targets in the elderly. Until these issues are clarified, the safest option is to aim for conservative vitamin D targets that are sufficient for normal calcium homeostasis.

[Social representations of eating and nutrition by residents of homes for the elderly in São Paulo, Brazil].

PubMed

Santelle, Odete; Lefèvre, Ana Maria Cavalcanti; Cervato, Ana Maria

2007-12-01

This study analyzed social representations of institutional eating and nutritional patterns among residents of long-term homes for the elderly, in order to identify conditioning factors for eating behavior that may interfere in their nutritional status. A qualitative exploratory study was performed in five homes for the elderly in São Paulo, Brasil, including 40 elderly participants of both sexes, without cognitive disorders, residing in these institutions for at least six months. The study selected 20 subjects who were undernourished or at risk of malnutrition and 20 without risk of malnutrition. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and the data were analyzed according to the collective subject discourse technique. As perceived by these elderly, the institutional eating routine, the routine menus, and insufficient supply of fruits and vegetables have a negative interference on their eating. They also recognize that balanced nutrition improves health and quality of life. They report that lack of appetite among some residents is related to unpleasing meals, health problems, and inadequate help during meals. This study identified psychological and social factors that may lead to malnutrition among the elderly in institutions.

Comparison of oral health status and daily nutrient intake between elders who live alone and elders who live with family: Based on the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES VI) (2013-2015).

PubMed

Kim, Eun-Jeong; Jin, Bo-Hyoung

2018-06-01

To compare the nutritional factors and oral status of elders living alone and elders living with their families in Korea. Numerous studies have found that the presence of fewer remaining teeth is associated with decreased nutrient intake; however, there is no study comparing the nutritional status and oral status of elders living alone with that of elders living with family based on a nationally representative sample. A sample of 2904 individuals who participated in the sixth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey was reviewed (65-84 years of age). Living status was defined according to the participants' self-reported questionnaire, and a nutrient intake questionnaire was designed as an open questionnaire and used during the face-to-face interviews. The number of existing teeth was used to determine oral status. A complex-sample general linear analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to evaluate the association between the number of teeth and nutrient intake among elders living with family and elders living alone after adjusting for confounders. Elders living alone were significantly older and tended to have the following characteristics: women, lower household income, lower educational level, poor perceived health status, non-smokers, non-drinkers and lack of physical activity. Elders living alone had a poorer perceived oral health status, had not received an oral examination in the past year, had chewing problems and had fewer existing teeth (P < .05). Elders living with family showed better oral health and nutrient intake status. Participants who had many existing teeth had higher nutrient intake than the participants who had fewer existing teeth. For healthy lives at old age, family support or additional social support for elders living alone should be considered. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons A/S and The Gerodontology Association. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Does Eating Out Make Elderly People Depressed? Empirical Evidence from National Health and Nutrition Survey in Taiwan.

PubMed

Chang, Hung-Hao; Saeliw, Kannika

2017-06-01

This study investigates the association between eating out and depressive symptoms among elderly people. Potential mediators that may link to elderly eating out and depressive symptoms are also discussed. A unique dataset of 1,184 individuals aged 65 and older was drawn from the National Health and Nutrition Survey in 2008 in Taiwan. A bivariate probit model and an instrumental variable probit model were estimated to account for correlated, unmeasured factors that may be associated with both the decision and frequency of eating out and depressive symptoms in the elderly. An additional analysis is conducted to check whether the nutrient intakes and body weights can been seen as mediators that link the association between eating out and depressive symptoms of the elderly. Elderly people who eat out are 38 percent points more likely to have depressive symptoms than their counterparts who do not eat out, after controlling for socio-demographic characteristics and other factors. A positive association between the frequency of eating out and the likelihood of having depressive symptoms of the elderly is also found. It is evident that one addition meal away from home is associated with an increase of the likelihood of being depressed by 3.8 percentage points. With respect to the mediations, we find that nutrient intakes and body weight are likely to serve as mediators for the positive relationship between eating out and depressive symptoms in the elderly. Our results show that elderly who eat out have a higher chance of having depressive symptoms. To prevent depressive symptoms in the elderly, policy makers should be aware of the relationship among psychological status, physical health and nutritional health when assisting the elderly to better manage their food consumption away from home. Our study have some caveats. First, the interpretation of our results on the causality issue calls for caution in that our analysis relies on a cross-sectional survey. Second, other measures to define elderly depression, such as the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CES-D) score, can be used to check the robustness of our findings. Finally, the availability of food outlets in the local area and family characteristics are possibly associated with food away from home of the elderly. If data permit, the relationship between eating out and elderly depressive symptoms can be better identified after controlling for variables related to food facilities and family characteristics.

[Social support and living conditions in poor elderly people in urban Mexico].

PubMed

Pelcastre-Villafuerte, Blanca Estela; Treviño-Siller, Sandra; González-Vázquez, Tonatiuh; Márquez-Serrano, Margarita

2011-03-01

The aim of this paper was to analyze social support and living conditions among poor elderly people in Mexican cities. A qualitative study with eight focus groups was carried out in Guadalajara, Cuernavaca, Chilpancingo, and Culiacan, Mexico, in 2005. Forty men and 63 women participated in the study. The main support for the elderly in daily living came from their immediate family and in some cases from neighbors. Social support was basically material and economic, in addition to providing company and transportation for medical appointments. Daily emotional support, companionship, and social inclusion were minimal or absent. The study identified a significant lack of support from government and religious or civil society organizations. The family is still the main source of support for the elderly. Increased government collaboration is dramatically needed to combat the misconception that the needs of the elderly are the individual family's responsibility rather than a collaborative effort by society.

Identification of elderly drivers whose crash involvement risks are alleviated by passenger presence.

PubMed

Nakagawa, Yoshinori; Park, Kaechang

2014-01-01

It is essential to find measures to compensate for the decline in elderly drivers' driving ability in order to meet their mobility needs and ensure their safety when driving. Although it has been well documented that elderly drivers' risks of crash involvement are alleviated by the presence of passengers, few studies have investigated whether the protective effect of passengers is influenced by driver characteristics including the degree of cognitive impairment. This study aimed to identify subgroups of elderly drivers whose crash involvement risks are more effectively alleviated by passenger presence. After dividing elderly drivers into three levels of cognitive impairment, as measured by the Short-Memory Questionnaire, and two gender groups, the present study found that only male drivers in the middle cognitive level benefited from passenger presence. The effectiveness of passenger presence may be more successfully achieved by proper selection of the appropriate range of cognitive decline and gender.

[Psycho-social context of health self-esteem in elderly ex-smokers].

PubMed

Kwapisz, Urszula; Baczyk, Grazyna

2012-01-01

Tobacco smoking remains still as dominating and essential risk factor of morbidity and mortality of cancer, especially in elderly people. Advanced age presents difficulties, because of changes in social status level of physical fitness, and decreased problem-solving abilities. The aim of the study was to self-evaluation of health in elderly ex-smokers post hospitalization. The study was conducted on 48 elderly ex-smokers (37 women, 11 men), using a general version of FACT-G questionnaire from USA. The analysis of the results was accomplished through Mann-Whitney and Spearman tests. Statistical differences were observed in tested subjects, with relativity level of 0,05, which related to states of physical fitness and social functions. Decreased physical and psychological abilities associated with process of aging, create a need for monitoring the finding of the study to life style, in order to achieve independence and effective smoking cessation among elderly patients.

The use of the functional independence measure in elderly.

PubMed

Ribeiro, Dâmarys Kohlbeck de Melo Neu; Lenardt, Maria Helena; Lourenço, Tânia Maria; Betiolli, Susanne Elero; Seima, Marcia Daniele; Guimarães, Carlos Alberto

2018-06-07

To analyze in scientific publications how the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) has been employed to evaluate the elderly. Integrative review of periodical publications between 2011 and 2015, available online in full-text in Portuguese, English and Spanish. 129 articles were found; after the application of the criteria, they resulted in 21. The studies were categorized into two groups: A) follow or compare scores in FIM (cohort studies, case-control, clinical trials), focusing on rehabilitation, evaluation of programs and changes in the functional level after procedures/interventions; and B) measure/associate the functionality of the elderly (cross-sectional studies), focused on evaluation protocols in elderly health and associations to the caregiver burden, hospital stay, balance, satisfaction with life, cognition and clinical/socio-demographic aspects. The FIM was used in several scenarios of healthcare for the elderly, particularly in rehabilitation and outpatient clinics or health centers.

Comparative Study on Subjective Experience of Elder Abuse Between Older Korean Immigrants in the United States and Older Koreans in Korea.

PubMed

Chang, Miya

2018-01-01

This study examines the prevalence of elder abuse and the relationship between sociodemographic factors and elder abuse among older Koreans in the United States and Korea. Survey data from older Koreans aged between 60 and 79 years from the two countries ( n = 480) were analyzed descriptively and in binary logistic regressions. This study found a similar prevalence of elder abuse in the two samples, with 26% of older Korean immigrants in the United States reporting abuse and 23% of older Koreans in Korea reporting abuse. However, there were significant differences in the types of emotional abuse experienced by older Koreans in both countries. Reports of some types of emotional abuse, such as 'name calling' and 'silent treatment,' were significantly higher in the United States than in Korea. These findings expand our knowledge of the experience of elder abuse among older Koreans in both countries.

Long-term care policy for the elderly in the Zaporozhye region of Ukraine: a case study of social development following the collapse of Communism.

PubMed

Palley, Howard A; Romanenkova, Lyudmyla A

2004-01-01

In this paper, we review the status of social policy for the elderly in Ukraine since the fall of Communism and the breakup of the Soviet Union. We specifically address the problem of "rebuilding" an income and services policy for the at-risk elderly after the unraveling of the system that existed prior to the fall of Communism. Also, we address some existing problems faced by the elderly in the health care system. Within this context, we present a case study of the current status of long-term care policy for the elderly in one province of Ukraine, the eastern province of Zaporozhye, encompassing the industrial city of Zaporozhye on the Dnieper River. This case study particularly pays attention to current attempts to promote a social development process of long-term care services for the elderly. It examines recent developments with respect to public sector organizations and voluntary sector organizations that are trying to provide necessary services to the needy elderly. With respect to the voluntary sector, the paper pays particular attention to the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) model of a largely externally funded NGO that provides comprehensive and integrated social supports, while emphasizing local empowerment and the use of volunteers, for the needy Jewish population in the province of Zaporozhye. Based on our findings, we make some proposals regarding the improvement of income and services policy with respect to the elderly in Zaporozhye and Ukraine.

Is somatic comorbidity associated with more somatic symptoms, mental distress, or unhealthy lifestyle in elderly cancer survivors?

PubMed

Grov, Ellen Karine; Fosså, Sophie D; Dahl, Alv A

2009-06-01

The associations of lifestyle factors, somatic symptoms, mental distress, and somatic comorbidity in elderly cancer survivors have not been well studied. This study examines these associations among elderly cancer survivors (age >or=65 years) in a population-based sample. A cross-sectional comparative study of Norwegian elderly cancer survivors. Combining information from The Norwegian Cancer Registry, and by self-reporting, 972 elderly cancer survivors were identified, of whom 632 (65%) had somatic comorbidity and 340 did not. Elderly cancer survivors with somatic comorbidity had significantly higher BMI, more performed minimal physical activity, had more somatic symptoms, used more medication, and had more frequently seen a medical doctor than survivors without somatic comorbidity. In multivariable analyses, unhealthy lifestyle and higher somatic symptoms scores were significantly associated with cancer cases with somatic comorbidity. In univariate analyses those with somatic comorbidity were significantly older, had lower levels of education, higher proportions of BMI >or= 30, less physical activity, poorer self-rated health, higher somatic symptoms score, more mental distress, had more frequently seen a medical doctor last year, and more frequently used daily medication. Our outcome measures of lifestyle, somatic symptoms and mental distress were all significantly associated with somatic comorbidity in elderly cancer survivors, however only lifestyle and somatic symptoms were significant in multivariable analyses. In elderly cancer survivors not only cancer, but also somatic comorbidity, deserve attention. Such comorbidity is associated with unhealthy lifestyles, more somatic symptoms and mental distress which should be evaluated and eventually treated.

Determinants of undergraduate nursing students' care willingness towards the elderly in China: Attitudes, gratitude and knowledge.

PubMed

Zhang, Shuai; Liu, Yan-Hui; Zhang, Hong-Fu; Meng, Li-Na; Liu, Peng-Xi

2016-08-01

An aging population has become a serious problem in China. Improving the nursing students' care willingness is a critical way to solve this dilemma. Few studies reveal the relationship between the knowledge, care willingness, attitude towards the elderly and gratitude. This research has found that the attitude towards the elderly, the knowledge about aging, and gratitude showed correlation with care willingness. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationships among knowledge about aging, care willingness, attitude towards the elderly and gratitude. A cross-sectional descriptive design has been used. From November to December 2015, a total of 382 undergraduate nursing students in China completed the questionnaires. The response rate was 95.5%. Four questionnaires including Care Willingness to the Elderly Scale (CW), Kogan's Attitudes towards Old People scale (KAOP), the Facts on Aging Quiz (FAQ), and the Gratitude Scale. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to explore the relationship among those variables in this study. For Chinese nursing students, the care willingness of elderly was in medium-high level. Their attitude towards the elderly and gratitude were at the medium degree, while the knowledge about aging was at a lower level. The attitude towards older people, knowledge about aging, and gratitude were significantly correlated with care willingness. The knowledge about aging has no relationship with the attitude. Gratitude plays a mediation role between the knowledge about aging and care willingness. The experience of caring the elderly could lead to a positive impact in care willingness. The nursing students' knowledge about aging had a direct influence on their care willingness. Gratitude plays a mediating role between the knowledge about aging and care willingness to the elderly. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Influence of Skill Development Training Program for Spiritual Care of Elderly Individual on Elderly Care Technician Students' Perception of Spiritual Support.

PubMed

Bulduk, Serap; Usta, Esra; Dinçer, Yeliz

2017-06-01

Spiritual care means helping an individual protect, maintain and gain all the dimensions of his/her existence. Elderly care technicians face numerous cases or crisis situations in which elderly individuals from different backgrounds question the meaning and value of life. Elderly care technicians must acknowledge that the spirituality is an important element in the way an elderly individual receives healthcare and they must be equipped for this matter. This study was conducted in order to examine the influence of "Skill Development Training Program for Spiritual Care of Elderly Individual," which was carried out with students from elderly care program, on the perception of spirituality support in a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental study design with control group. As the data collection form, "Spiritual Support Perception" (SSP) scale was used. The mean scores of the intervention group after the training and after one month are 50.39 ± 5.34 and 51.13 ± 4.98, respectively, and those of the control group are 43.16 ± 4.83 and 42.72 ± 4.48. A statistically significant difference was found between the mean scores of the intervention group from the pretest and the posttests immediately after the training and one month after the training (f = 94.247, p = 0.001). In the control group, however, there was no significant change in the SSP mean scores (f = 0.269, p = 0.77). As a result, this study pointed out the necessity of such training programs for healthcare professionals to make a distinction between their professional duties and their own personalities in order to offer spiritual care to the elderly individual.

Prevalence of Types of Cancers in the Elderly Covered by Insurance of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting Company in 2015 - Comparison with Younger Groups.

PubMed

Roshani, Zahra; Akbari Kamrani, Ahmad Ali; Shati, Mohsen; Sahaf, Robab

2016-01-01

Presently, the world population of the elderly is growing. By improving health hygiene and welfare indicators, mortality and birth rates decrease and life expectancy increases, making the present century the century of elderly. Aging is one of the main risk factors for development of cancer, which itself is the second cause of death in old people. This study was conducted to assess the prevalence of cancer in the elderly covered by the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) insurance program and to obtain suitable programs for cancer screening and early detection, increase patient survival, improve elderly care and to reclaim the cost of treatment in comparison to the national and international statistics. This is a cross-sectional study conducted on all elderly patients diagnosed with malignancy based on their pathology reports. In this study, of the total 75,500 patients covered by IRIB insurance, 17.2% belonged to the elderly group, males accounting for 53.3%. The most common cancers in old men were prostatic cancer (61.3%), colon cancer (10.3%) cancer of the hematologic system, bladder cancer (9.6%), lung cancer (9.1%), thyroid cancer (3.9%) and brain tumors (1.3%). In the elderly women, the most common cancers were breast cancer (80.1%), colon cancer (5.1%), thyroid cancers (4.4%), bladder and hematologic system malignancies (3.6), lung cancer (2.9%) and brain tumors (0.7%). In addition, the prevalence of cancer was almost the same as national and international statistics. With the exception of non-melanoma skin cancer no difference was shown in prevalence of cancer between IRIB elderly patients and the other groups of cancer patients in Iran.

Frequency and outcomes of painful physical symptoms in a naturalistic population with major depressive disorder: an analysis of pooled observational studies focusing on subjects aged 65 years and over.

PubMed

Brnabic, A; Raskin, J; Alev, L; Serap Monkul, E; Lowry, A

2012-12-01

To estimate the frequency of painful physical symptoms (PPS) in elderly subjects (≥ 65 years) with major depressive disorder (MDD) in real-world clinical conditions and to establish whether PPS are associated with poor depression outcomes, including more severe depression and worse health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Observational studies of MDD that included assessment of PPS and elderly subjects were screened. Measures of PPS were based on the Somatic Symptom Inventory (SSI) or Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Data from a variety of depressive symptom severity and HRQoL scales were used. Analysis cohorts were based on age [aged ≥ 65 years (elderly) or < 65 years (younger)] and/or PPS status (presence or absence); five subsets were used to examine specific outcomes in matched elderly subjects. Data from seven studies (representing 26 countries) were collated. Of the 11,477 subjects, 14% were aged ≥ 65 years and 71% were classified as having PPS (PPS+). PPS were more frequent in elderly subjects (74% vs. 70% of younger subjects) and were positively associated with being female and Hispanic, and negatively associated with being East Asian in the elderly. The presence of PPS was associated with more severe clinical symptomatology and comparatively poorer HRQoL in elderly subjects. PPS, although frequent in younger MDD patients, were slightly more frequent in elderly MDD patients and associated with comparatively poorer clinical and functional outcomes. As elderly patients report somatic symptoms more readily than emotional symptoms, physicians should consider depression in addition to physical causes when PPS are present. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Geriatric forensics - Part 2 "Prevalence of elder abuse and their potential forensic markers among medical and dental patients".

PubMed

Mattoo, Khurshid A; Garg, Rishabh; Kumar, Shalabh

2015-01-01

This study is a continuation of the earlier studies and has been extended to investigate the potential forensic markers of elder abuse. To determine the prevalence of elder abuse in various outpatient departments (OPDs). To study the associated parameters related to the abuser and the abused. To determine the existence of potential forensic markers of elder abuse. The subjects were randomly selected from the medical and the dental OPDs of the university. Eight hundred and thirty two elderly subjects in the age range 40-60 years were interviewed using a questionnaire to determine the existence of elder abuse. The subjects were investigated and examined for weight, nutrition and hydration, vital signs, habits, existing visual and auditory capabilities, medications, disclosure of wills/deeds, signs of depression, and documented cleanliness. The mini-mental state examination, the Geriatric Depression Scale, the Clock drawing test, and the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale were used to determine the potential forensic markers. Mean values in percentage were determined by dividing the number of determined subjects by the total number of subjects for that parameter. About 37% in medical and 41% in dental OPDs were found to have suffered from abuse, mostly in the age group 60-70 years. Females received more abuse and a combination of son and daughter-in-law constituted most abusers. Various potential markers of elder abuse and neglect investigated among the elder abuse victims included depression (89%), signs of improper feeding (83%), changes in personal hygiene (69%), need for medical/dental treatment (78%), medication misuse (67%), changes in wills/deeds (26%), decubiti (10%), bruises (17%), skin tears (27%), and confusion (23%). Elder abuse exists in one or more forms in both medical and dental OPDs among both males and females in all age groups.

Prevalence of falls in elderly women

PubMed Central

Vitor, Priscila Regina Rorato; de Oliveira, Ana Carolina Kovaleski; Kohler, Renan; Winter, Gabriele Regiane; Rodacki, Cintia; Krause, Maressa Priscila

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To verify prevalence of falls and fear of falling, and to compare functional fitness among elderly women fallers and non-fallers. METHODS: Seventy-eight elderly women participated in this study. Cases of falls and the fear of falling were self-reported by the elderly women, while the functional fitness was measured by a set of functional tests. Mean and standard deviation were used to describe the sample. Independent t-test was used to compare functional fitness between groups. RESULTS: The prevalence of falls in this sample was 32.4%. Among women fallers, 40% self-reported a high fear of falling. CONCLUSION: It is recommended that functional and resistance exercises are included in the preventive strategies for reducing risk factors for falls and its determinants in elderly women. Level of Evidence II, Prognostic-Prospective Study. PMID:26207095

Prevalence of Financial Fraud and Scams Among Older Adults in the United States: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Burnes, David; Henderson, Charles R; Sheppard, Christine; Zhao, Rebecca; Pillemer, Karl; Lachs, Mark S

2017-08-01

The financial exploitation of older adults was recently recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a serious public health problem. Knowledge of the prevalence of elder financial exploitation is mostly limited to the category of financial abuse, which occurs in relationships involving an expectation of trust. Little is known about the other major category of elder financial exploitation-elder financial fraud and scams, which is perpetrated by strangers. A valid estimate of elder financial fraud-scam prevalence is necessary as a foundation for research and prevention efforts. To estimate the prevalence of elder financial fraud-scam victimization in the United States based on a systematic review and meta-analysis. Multiple investigators independently screened titles and abstracts and reviewed relevant full-text records from PubMed, Medline, PsycINFO, Criminal Justice Abstracts, Social Work Abstracts, and AgeLine databases. To maximize the validity and generalizability of prevalence estimation, we restricted eligibility to general population-based studies (English speaking, 1990 onward) using state- or national-level probability sampling and collecting data directly from older adults. Information on elder financial fraud-scam prevalence and study-level characteristics was extracted independently by 2 investigators. Meta-analysis of elder financial fraud-scam prevalence used generalized mixed models with individual studies as levels of a random classification factor. We included 12 studies involving a total of 41 711 individuals in the meta-analysis. Overall pooled elder financial fraud-scam prevalence (up to 5-year period) across studies was 5.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 4.0%, 7.8%), with a 1-year period prevalence of 5.4% (95% CI = 3.2%, 7.6%). Studies using a series of questions describing specific fraud-scam events to measure victimization found a significantly higher prevalence (7.1%; 95% CI = 4.8%, 9.4%) than studies using a single, general-question self-report assessment approach (3.6%; 95% CI = 1.8%, 5.4%). Elder financial fraud and scams is a common problem, affecting approximately 1 of every 18 cognitively intact, community-dwelling older adults each year; it requires further attention from researchers, clinicians, and policymakers. Elder financial fraud-scam prevalence findings in this study likely underestimate the true population prevalence. We provide methodological recommendations to limit older adult participation and reporting bias in future population-based research. Public Health Implications. Elder financial exploitation victimization is associated with mortality, hospitalization, and poor physical and mental health. Health care professionals working with older adults likely routinely encounter patients who are fraud-scam victims. Validation of instruments to screen for elder financial fraud and scams in clinical settings is an important area of future research. Without effective primary prevention strategies, the absolute scope of this problem will escalate with the growing population of older adults.

Family support for the elderly in Korea: continuity, change, future directions, and cross-cultural concerns.

PubMed

Sung, K T

2001-01-01

This article discusses major issues and concerns regarding family support for parents and elderly people in industrialized and urbanized Korea. It summarizes new trends in family support for elderly members, continuing influences of the traditional value of family support (filial piety), growing needs for public services for elderly people and their families, urgent calls for the state to assume greater responsibilities for providing social security and services for the elderly, needs for cross-cultural studies of family support, and certain cultural similarities and differences to be considered. The article concludes with some suggestions for future research.

Treatment considerations for the elderly person with cancer.

PubMed

Simpson, Jennifer K; Rosenzweig, Margaret Quinn

2002-02-01

In an aging population, the number of patients with cancer continues to rise. Little research has focused on the treatment of cancer in the elderly. Therefore, the treatment for various cancers differs across the healthcare system. A uniform approach in assessing the elderly person with cancer is lacking. This article describes two case studies in the elderly population, focusing on two common cancers: acute myelogenous leukemia and breast cancer. Common side effects of treatment and determinants of treatment options are discussed. It is important that the elderly receive appropriate screening, early detection, treatment, and management of comorbidities.

Experiences of coexisting with chronic illnesses among elderly women in communities.

PubMed

Chang, Yu-Mei; Tsao, Lee-Ing; Huang, Min-His

2014-01-01

Based on the increasing numbers of women in the aging population, the health of women will become critical in the future. Our purpose in this study was to analyze the experiences of elderly women with chronic illness. Twelve elderly Taiwanese women participated in in-depth interviews. "Using my own power out of the disease shackle" was the core category referring to elderly women who coexist with chronic illnesses. Elderly women should be provided with individually targeted plans for disease management and health maintenance to enable them to participate in health care decisions at the onset of chronic diseases.

Physical therapy in the postoperative of proximal femur fracture in elderly. Literature review

PubMed Central

Carneiro, Mariana Barquet; Alves, Débora Pinheiro Lédio; Mercadante, Marcelo Tomanik

2013-01-01

The proximal femoral fracture in the elderly is a serious public health problem. Surgical treatment of this fracture is used to reduce morbidity, together with postoperative physical therapy. The objective was to conduct a systematic review of physical therapy protocols in postoperative for fractures of the proximal femur in elderly. We selected randomized controlled trials in elderly in the past 10 years, in Portuguese and English. There were 14 articles in the literature. Physical therapy has an important role in functional recovery of the elderly. Level of Evidence I, Systematic Review RCTs (Study results were homogenous). PMID:24453665

Pharmacokinetic study of aniracetam in elderly patients with cerebrovascular disease.

PubMed

Endo, H; Tajima, T; Yamada, H; Igata, A; Yamamoto, Y; Tsuchida, H; Nakashima, Y; Suzuki, Y; Ikari, H; Iguchi, A

1997-02-01

The clinical pharmacokinetics of the cognitive enhancer, aniracetam (200 mg), was studied in elderly patients with cerebrovascular disease (CVD) and compared with those of young healthy volunteers. Six female hospitalized patients (mean age 84.5 years) were used in this study. The serum level of anisic acid and p-methoxyhippuric acid, major metabolites of aniracetam, reached a peak at 2 h after oral administration, and returned to basal level by 6 h. Mean creatinine clearance was 20-30 ml/min. The t1/2 of metabolites was increased by 4- to 7-fold in the elderly patients compared with young volunteers. This study showed that tmax, t1/2, and AUC were enlarged in the elderly; however, no clinical side effects were observed.

The effect of music therapy on depression and physiological parameters in elderly people living in a Turkish nursing home: a randomized-controlled trial.

PubMed

Gök Ugur, Hacer; Yaman Aktaş, Yeşim; Orak, Oya Sevcan; Saglambilen, Okan; Aydin Avci, İlknur

2017-12-01

This study was carried out in an effort to determine the effect of music therapy on depression and physiological parameters in elderly people who were living in a nursing home. The study was a randomized controlled trial. The study sample consisted of 64 elderly people who complied with the criteria of inclusion for the study. The data were collected using the 'Elderly Information Form' and 'Geriatric Depression Scale'. The music group listened to music three days in a week during 8 weeks. The depression levels were assessed at baseline (week 0) and follow-up in the eight week. It was found that the difference between post-test depression scores of the two groups was found to be statistically significant (t = -2.86, p <.01). The mean scores of post-test systolic blood pressure in the music group were found to be significantly lower than those of the control group (t = -3.11, p < .05). It was concluded that music therapy decreased the depression level and systolic blood pressure in elderly people. The study results implies that music therapy can be an effective practice for public health and home care nurses attempting to reduce depression and control physiological parameters of elderly people.

[A study of factors related to activities of daily living (ADL) of the elderly receiving in-home service longitudinal study using functional independence measures].

PubMed

Suzuki, Ikuko; Yanagi, Hisako; Tomura, Shigeo

2007-02-01

We conducted a longitudinal study using Functional Independence Measures to clarify factor related to independence of activities of daily living of elderly receiving in-home service under the long-term care insurance system Fifty-four elderly users of the in-home service of Ibaraki Prefecture assented to participate in this study and were analyzed. A researcher conducted survey at the baseline and after follow-up by visiting the elderly at each home. The evaluation standards used here were the Japanese version of Functional Independence Measure (FIM), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15). The FIM score (mean+/-SD) was decreased 83.6+/-36.4 to 81.7+/-37.4 during the 112+/-22.2 day follow up period. Thirty-nine elderly demonstrated improvement or no change in FIM and 15 had declining scores. To clarify independent factors related to FIM change, we conducted a step-wise multifactor logistic regression analysis, and the results suggested importance for "in-home service availability" and "home care period less than one year". Our study suggested that it is important for maintenance or improvement of ADL in home care elderly to provide sufficient home .care services from the beginning under the long-term care insurance system.

Developing an In-depth Understanding of Elderly Adult's Vulnerability to Climate Change.

PubMed

Rhoades, Jason L; Gruber, James S; Horton, Bill

2018-05-08

Recent reports highlight the vulnerability of elderly adults to climate change, yet limited research has focused on this topic. To address this, the purpose of this study was to develop an in-depth understanding of elderly adult's vulnerability to climate change within the context of a specific community. A case study methodology utilizing a community-based action research approach was employed to engage elderly participants living in Bridgeport, CT, in exploring their vulnerability to current and predicted climate stressors with a focus on extreme heat, flooding and storms, and air pollution. This research identifies personal characteristics that interact with contextual factors to influence elderly adult's vulnerability to climate change. Personal characteristics include health, economic, and social considerations. Contextual factors include the adequacy of emergency preparedness measures, transportation resources, and coping and recovery resources. As a result of the interplay of these characteristics and factors, predicted climate changes could have serious consequences for Bridgeport's elderly adults. This research provides a contextualized and detailed illustration of how climate change could overwhelm elderly adult's adaptive capacity and highlights the need for support services to provide safeguards. The issues and concerns raised may bear similarities to other locations, especially urban settings facing similar climate stressors with similar socioeconomic conditions. The findings suggest a need for further research to improve our understanding and serve as the basis for collaborative adaptation planning that engages elderly communities with local governments and a broad coalition of partners to keep elders safe.

Financial abuse in elderly Korean immigrants: mixed analysis of the role of culture on perception and help-seeking intention.

PubMed

Lee, Hee Yun; Eaton, Charissa K

2009-07-01

This study aims to evaluate how elderly Korean immigrants perceive and respond to a hypothetical incident of financial abuse on the basis of their cultural background. By using a quota sampling strategy, 124 elderly Korean immigrants were recruited. A mixed-method approach was employed to explore the role of culture on elderly immigrants' view of financial abuse and the construct of independent and interdependent self-construal was adopted to theoretically guide the study. Mixed-method analysis confirmed considerable influence of culture, particularly in responding to the abusive situation. Although the vast majority of the elders (92%) perceived financial abuse as elder mistreatment, only two-thirds (64%) intended to seek help. Five major themes for not seeking help were produced. These are: (a) issues related to family problems, (b) tolerance of the abuse, (c) shame, (d) victim blame, and (e) mistrust toward third party intervention. A series of binary logistic regressions revealed (a) a lower likelihood of seeking formal types of help with those who had higher level of adherence to traditional values and (b) the profile of vulnerable elderly Koreans who are at higher risk of being financially abused: male and less educated. This article also discusses implications for social work practice and elder mistreatment policy, particularly focusing on how to work with elderly Korean immigrants who are vulnerable to this problem and who tend to use collectivistic cultural values in responding to financial abuse.

Effectiveness of a community-based program for suicide prevention among elders with early-stage dementia: A controlled observational study.

PubMed

Kim, Jong-Pill; Yang, Jinhyang

The purpose of this study was to develop a small-group-focused suicide prevention program for elders with early-stage dementia and to assess its effects. This was a quasi-experimental study with a control group pretest-posttest design. A total of 62 elders diagnosed with early-stage dementia who were receiving care services at nine daycare centers in J City Korea participated in this study. The experimental group participated in the suicide prevention program twice a week for 5 weeks with a pretest and two posttests The developed suicide prevention program had a significant effect on the perceived health status, social support, depression, and suicidal ideation of elders with early-stage dementia. Nurses should integrate risk factors such as depression and protective factors such as health status and social support into a suicide prevention program. This community-based program in geriatric nursing practice can be effective in preventing suicide among elders with early-stage dementia. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Spatiotemporal study of elderly suicide in Korea by age cohort.

PubMed

Joo, Y

2017-01-01

This study analyzed the spatiotemporal pattern and spatial diffusion of elderly suicide by age cohort, in Korea. The research investigated the elderly suicide rates of the 232 municipal units in South Korea between 2001 and 2011. The Gi* score, which is a spatially weighted indicator of area attributes, was used to identify hot spots and the spatiotemporal pattern of elderly suicide in the nation during the last 10 years. The spatial Markov matrix and spatial dynamic panel data model were employed to identify and estimate the diffusion effect. The suicide rate among elderly individuals 75 years and older was substantially higher than the rate for those between 65 and 74 years of age; however, the spatial patterns of the suicide clusters were similar between the two groups. From 2001 to 2011, the spatial distribution of elderly suicide hot spots differed each year. For both age cohorts, elderly suicide hot spots developed around the north area of South Korea in 2001 and moved to the mid-east area and the mid-western coastal area over 10 years. The spatial Markov matrix indicates that the change in the suicide rate of one area was affected by the suicide rates of neighbouring areas from the previous year, which suggests that suicide increase in one area inflates a neighbouring area's suicide rate over time. Using a spatial dynamic panel data model, elderly suicide diffusion effects were found to be statistically significant for both age cohorts even after economic and demographic indicators and a time variable are included. For individuals 75 years and older, the diffusion effect appeared to be larger. This study demonstrates that elderly suicide can spread spatially over time in both age cohorts. Thus, it is necessary to design a place-based and age-differentiated intervention policy that precisely considers the spatial diffusion of elderly suicide. Copyright © 2016 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Earlier and greater hand pre-shaping in the elderly: a study based on kinematic analysis of reaching movements to grasp objects.

PubMed

Tamaru, Yoshiki; Naito, Yasuo; Nishikawa, Takashi

2017-11-01

Elderly people are less able to manipulate objects skilfully than young adults. Although previous studies have examined age-related deterioration of hand movements with a focus on the phase after grasping objects, the changes in the reaching phase have not been studied thus far. We aimed to examine whether changes in hand shape patterns during the reaching phase of grasping movements differ between young adults and the elderly. Ten healthy elderly adults and 10 healthy young adults were examined using the Simple Test for Evaluating Hand Functions and kinetic analysis of hand pre-shaping reach-to-grasp tasks. The results were then compared between the two groups. For kinetic analysis, we measured the time of peak tangential velocity of the wrist and the inter-fingertip distance (the distance between the tips of the thumb and index finger) at different time points. The results showed that the elderly group's performance on the Simple Test for Evaluating Hand Functions was significantly lower than that of the young adult group, irrespective of whether the dominant or non-dominant hand was used, indicating deterioration of hand movement in the elderly. The peak tangential velocity of the wrist in either hand appeared significantly earlier in the elderly group than in the young adult group. The elderly group also showed larger inter-fingertip distances with arch-like fingertip trajectories compared to the young adult group for all object sizes. To perform accurate prehension, elderly people have an earlier peak tangential velocity point than young adults. This allows for a longer adjustment time for reaching and grasping movements and for reducing errors in object prehension by opening the hand and fingers wider. Elderly individuals gradually modify their strategy based on previous successes and failures during daily living to compensate for their decline in dexterity and operational capabilities. © 2017 Japanese Psychogeriatric Society.

Decline in Physical Function and Risk for Elder Abuse Reported to Social Services in a Community-Dwelling Population of Older Adults

PubMed Central

Dong, XinQi; Simon, Melissa; Evans, Denis

2012-01-01

Objectives Elder abuse is an important public health and human rights issue and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to examine the longitudinal association between decline in physical function and the risk for elder abuse. Design Prospective population-based study Setting Geographically defined community in Chicago. Participants Chicago Health and Aging Project (CHAP) is a population-based study (N=6,159), and we identified 143 CHAP participants who had elder abuse reported to social services agency from 1993–2010. Participants The primary independent variable was objectively assessed physical function using decline in physical performance testing (Tandem stand, measured walk and chair stand). Secondary independent variables were assessed using the decline in self-reported Katz, Nagi, and Rosow-Breslau scales. Outcomes were reported and confirmed elder abuse and specific subtypes of elder abuse (physical, psychological, caregiver neglect and financial exploitation). Logistic regression models were used to assess the association of decline in physical function measures and risk for elder abuse. Results After adjusting for potential confounders, every 1 point decline in physical performance testing (OR, 1.13(1.06–1.19)), Katz impairment (OR, 1.29(1.15–1.45)), Nagi impairment (OR, 1.30(1.13–1.49)) and Rosow Breslau impairment (OR, 1.42(1.15–1.74)) were associated with increased risk for elder abuse. Lowest tertiles of physical performance testing (OR, 4.92 (1.39–17.46), highest tertiles of Katz impairment (OR, 3.99 (2.18–7.31), Nagi impairment (OR, 2.37 (1.08–5.23), and Rosow Breslau impairment (2.85 (1.39–5.84) were associated with increased risk for elder abuse. Conclusion Decline in objectively assessed physical function and self-reported physical function are associated with increased risk for elder abuse. PMID:23002901

Homicide in the Canadian Prairies: elderly and nonelderly killings.

PubMed

Ahmed, A G; Menzies, Robin P D

2002-11-01

To examine the psychosocial and clinical characteristics of male perpetrators of elderly and nonelderly homicides in the Canadian Prairies. We examined data drawn from a study of 901 adult homicide offenders who were incarcerated or on parole between 1988 and 1992 in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Of those studied, 67 men were convicted of homicide involving 79 elderly victims, and 671 were convicted of homicide involving 675 nonelderly victims. Most perpetrators were single and engaged in irregular patterns of employment at the time of their index offence. Fourteen (20.8%) offenders with elderly victims had a history of psychiatric treatment, compared with 98 (14.6%) offenders with nonelderly victims; however, this difference was not statistically significant. Approximately 30% of both groups were diagnosed with personality disorders. A comparison of the index- offence characteristics showed no significant differences between the 2 groups. Our findings suggest that elderly individuals are more likely to be killed in their own homes by strangers. Social isolation appears to be a significant risk factor in cases of elderly homicide.

Enhancing vestibular function in the elderly with imperceptible electrical stimulation.

PubMed

Serrador, Jorge M; Deegan, Brian M; Geraghty, Maria C; Wood, Scott J

2018-01-10

Age-related loss of vestibular function can result in decrements in gaze stabilization and increased fall risk in the elderly. This study was designed to see if low levels of electrical stochastic noise applied transcutaneously to the vestibular system can improve a gaze stabilization reflex in young and elderly subject groups. Ocular counter-rolling (OCR) using a video-based technique was obtained in 16 subjects during low frequency passive roll tilts. Consistent with previous studies, there was a significant reduction in OCR gains in the elderly compared to the young group. Imperceptible stochastic noise significantly increased OCR in the elderly (Mean 23%, CI: 17-35%). Increases in OCR gain were greatest for those with lowest baseline gain and were negligible in those with normal gain. Since stimulation was effective at low levels undetectable to subjects, stochastic noise may provide a new treatment alternative to enhance vestibular function, specifically otolith-ocular reflexes, in the elderly or patient populations with reduced otolith-ocular function.

Polypharmacy among the elderly in the Republic of Srpska: extent and implications for the future.

PubMed

Marković-Peković, Vanda; Škrbić, Ranko; Petrović, Aleksandar; Vlahović-Palčevski, Vera; Mrak, Jana; Bennie, Marion; Fadare, Joseph; Kwon, Hye-Young; Schiffers, Krijn; Truter, Ilse; Godman, Brian

2016-10-01

The prescribing of medicines is a fundamental component of care for the elderly; however, there is increasing concern with polypharmacy and its impact on morbidity, mortality and costs. As a result, long-term prescription-medicine use and the prevalence of polypharmacy in the elderly in the Republic of Srpska were analyzed. The findings were subsequently used to suggest potential future measures. A retrospective study of all elderly patients during 2005-2010 stratified by age group (three groups), sex and long-term medicine use was performed. Polypharmacy (five or more medicines) increased from 1.4% of the elderly taking medicines long-term to 3.6% by 2010, with 53.6% of elderly taking two or more medicines long-term. The most prevalent diseases were cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Most prescriptions were in accordance with recent guidelines; however, there was a concern with appreciable prescribing of digoxin and aminophylline. Whilst polypharmacy rates are low in the Republic, the increasing rate is a concern. Further studies are planned.

Abuse against elderly in India – The role of education

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Abuse against the elderly is recognized as an important challenge to elderly health, but its determinants are not yet well understood. We present findings from a new dataset which covers a representative sample of the population aged 60 years and above from seven Indian states across India – all of which have a higher proportion aged 60 plus compared to the national average. Earlier studies suggest that schooling levels can be relevant in determining the level of abuse against seniors. This study focuses on the role of education on the prevalence of elderly abuse in India. Methods We conduct an analysis of cross sectional primary data that contains information on elderly abuse. The households in the sample were randomly selected from the seven demographically oldest states in India. These states are Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. A total of 9852 elderly from 8329 households were interviewed. The statistical analysis is based on logistic regression to understand the independent relation of education with abuse against the elderly. Results Our findings reveal that 11% of 60+ year olds have experienced at least one type of elderly abuse (Physical 5.3%, Verbal 10.2%, Economic 5.4%, Disrespect 6%, Neglect 5.2%). The most common perpetrator is the son, who is reported to be responsible for the abuse among 41% of male victims and 43% of female victims. Formal education among elderly beyond a certain level (8 years) has a strong relation with reduced violence against elderly. Conclusions Our findings suggest that level of schooling among elderly is strongly negatively related to abuse against them. More members in the household reduces the chance of abuse while having a greater number of children increases the chance of abuse (neglect and verbal abuse). We find that education even after controlling for wealth and other relevant variables is the factor that most consistently lowers elderly abuse. However, the relation of education to abuse is limited to those with more than 8 years of schooling. This suggests that the ongoing educational expansion beyond the basic schooling years in India may lead to a decline in the incidence of elderly abuse. PMID:24717052

Demand of elderly people for residential care: an exploratory study

PubMed Central

van Bilsen, PMA; Hamers, JPH; Groot, W; Spreeuwenberg, C

2006-01-01

Background Because of the rapid aging population, the demand for residential care exceeds availability. This paper presents the results of a study that focuses on the demand of elderly people for residential care and determinants (elderly people's personal characteristics, needs and resources) that are associated with this demand. Furthermore, the accuracy of the waiting list as a reflection of this demand has been examined. Methods 67 elderly people waiting for admission into a home for the elderly, are subjected to semi-structured interviews. The data are analyzed by using multivariate statistics. Results Elderly people who indicate that they would refuse an offer of admission into a home for the elderly feel healthier (p = 0.02), have greater self-care agency (p = 0.02) and perceive less necessity of admission (p < 0.01), compared to those who would accept such an offer. Especially the inability to manage everyday activities and the lack of a social network are highly associated with the elderly people's demand for residential care. Furthermore, it is evident that waiting lists for homes for the elderly do not accurately reflect the demand for residential care, since 35% of the elderly people on a waiting list did not actually experience an immediate demand for residential care and stated that they would not accept an offer of admission. Quite a lot of respondents just registered out of a sense of precaution; a strategic decision dictated by current shortages in care provision and a vulnerable health status. Conclusion The results contribute to the understanding of waiting lists and the demand for residential care. It became apparent that not everybody who asks for admission into a home for the elderly, really needed it. The importance of elderly people's resources like social networks and the ability to manage everyday activities in relation to the demand for care became clear. These findings are important because they indicate that resources also play a role in predicting elderly people's demand and as a result can guide the development and the (re)design of adequate health care services. PMID:16566822

Abuse against elderly in India--the role of education.

PubMed

Skirbekk, Vegard; James, K S

2014-04-09

Abuse against the elderly is recognized as an important challenge to elderly health, but its determinants are not yet well understood. We present findings from a new dataset which covers a representative sample of the population aged 60 years and above from seven Indian states across India - all of which have a higher proportion aged 60 plus compared to the national average. Earlier studies suggest that schooling levels can be relevant in determining the level of abuse against seniors. This study focuses on the role of education on the prevalence of elderly abuse in India. We conduct an analysis of cross sectional primary data that contains information on elderly abuse. The households in the sample were randomly selected from the seven demographically oldest states in India. These states are Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. A total of 9852 elderly from 8329 households were interviewed. The statistical analysis is based on logistic regression to understand the independent relation of education with abuse against the elderly. Our findings reveal that 11% of 60+ year olds have experienced at least one type of elderly abuse (Physical 5.3%, Verbal 10.2%, Economic 5.4%, Disrespect 6%, Neglect 5.2%). The most common perpetrator is the son, who is reported to be responsible for the abuse among 41% of male victims and 43% of female victims. Formal education among elderly beyond a certain level (8 years) has a strong relation with reduced violence against elderly. Our findings suggest that level of schooling among elderly is strongly negatively related to abuse against them. More members in the household reduces the chance of abuse while having a greater number of children increases the chance of abuse (neglect and verbal abuse). We find that education even after controlling for wealth and other relevant variables is the factor that most consistently lowers elderly abuse. However, the relation of education to abuse is limited to those with more than 8 years of schooling. This suggests that the ongoing educational expansion beyond the basic schooling years in India may lead to a decline in the incidence of elderly abuse.

The immigration experience among elderly Korean immigrants.

PubMed

Lee, Y-M

2007-06-01

The purpose of this preliminary, qualitative study was to describe elderly Korean immigrants' perception of stressors they experienced through immigration and the acculturation process. The methodology used was naturalistic inquiry, a descriptive approach used to elicit the elderly immigrants' own perception of their immigration and acculturation experiences. The six elderly Korean immigrants were interviewed via a semi-structured, open-ended interview guide. The main stressors identified by the subjects as a result of adjusting to life in the United States were language barriers, isolation and loneliness, fear of dependence upon their children, fear of being a burden, financial problems, transportation problems, discrimination, and fear of death. These Korean elders also perceived changes in the traditional family values of respect for elders and support for the aged. The results of this research help to provide an understanding of the immigration and acculturation experiences of elderly Korean immigrants.

Endometrial cancer in elderly women: Which disease, which surgical management? A systematic review of the literature.

PubMed

Bourgin, C; Saidani, M; Poupon, C; Cauchois, A; Foucher, F; Leveque, J; Lavoue, V

2016-02-01

Endometrial cancer primarily affects elderly women. The aim of the present literature review is to define the population of elderly women with this disease and to define the characteristics of this cancer in elderly people as well as its surgical treatment. A systematic review of the English-language literature of the last 20 years indexed in the PubMed database. Endometrial cancer is more aggressive in elderly women. However, surgical staging performed in elderly patients is often not concomitant with the disease's aggressiveness in this group. Mini-invasive surgery is performed less often, for no obvious reason. Of note, oncogeriatric evaluation was not usually ruled out to determine the most appropriate surgical modality. Studies are needed to evaluate surgical management of endometrial cancer in elderly women, notably with the aid of oncogeriatric scores to predict surgical morbidity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Abuse Intervention Model: A Pragmatic Approach to Intervention for Elder Mistreatment.

PubMed

Mosqueda, Laura; Burnight, Kerry; Gironda, Melanie W; Moore, Alison A; Robinson, Jehni; Olsen, Bonnie

2016-09-01

Ten percent of older adults experience elder mistreatment, and it is much more common in older adults with dementia. It is associated with higher rates of psychological distress, hospitalization, and death and, in the United States, costs billions of dollars each year. Although elder mistreatment is relatively common and costly, it is estimated that fewer than 10% of instances of elder mistreatment are reported. Given these data, there is a great need for research on interventions to mitigate elder mistreatment and for a practical model or framework to use in approaching such interventions. Although many theories have been proposed, adapted, and applied to understand elder mistreatment, there has not been a simple, coherent framework of known risk factors of the victim, perpetrator, and environment that applies to all types of abuse. This article presents a new model to examine the multidimensional and complex relationships between risk factors. Theories of elder mistreatment, research on risk factors for elder mistreatment, and 10 years of experience of faculty and staff at an Elder Abuse Forensics Center who have investigated more than 1,000 cases of elder mistreatment inform this model. It is hoped that this model, the Abuse Intervention Model, will be used to study and intervene in elder mistreatment. © 2016, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2016, The American Geriatrics Society.

Effects of 8 Weeks of Balance or Weight Training for the Independently Living Elderly on the Outcomes of Induced Slips

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Sukwon; Lockhart, Thurmon

2010-01-01

The study was conducted to evaluate whether the balance or weight training could alter gait characteristics of elderly contributing to a reduction in the likelihood of slip-induced falls. A total of 18 elderly were evaluated for the study. The results indicated decreases in heel contact velocities and the friction demand characteristics after 8…

Stories of pain and health by elderly Pakistani women in Norway.

PubMed

Sverre, Beate Lie; Solbrække, Kari Nyheim; Eilertsen, Grethe

2014-11-01

This ethnographic study investigates the stories of elderly Pakistani women living in Norway. Migration studies indicate that elderly migrant women are passive, ill victims caught in a marginalized position due to age, ethnicity and gender, and thus have little access to opposition and agency. To broaden the picture it is necessary to develop an innovative approach to understand what is implicated in the process of migration. The importance of considering life conditions that surrounds potential health promotion behaviors of immigrants is stressed by several researchers. However, up to now limited research guided by this perspective has been done in Norway. Therefore, this study explored how elderly Pakistani women in Norway promote their health and well-being through some distinct social interactions. The intention is to bring awareness to how health, even by so-called disadvantaged social groups, may take place. These practices are important to take into consideration when developing health-promoting policies for elderly immigrants. An ethnographic study of 15 Pakistani women, aged 53-75, was carried out in a multisided fieldwork in Oslo using participant observation and ethnographic interviews. The analytical approach was inspired by the constructivist theoretical framework of narrative ethnography. The elderly Pakistani women in Norway construct stories of living in-between cultures and experiences of acculturative stress caused by being elderly, immigrants and women. However, this analysis also suggests that through distinct social relationships, primarily in the context of a voluntary organization, elderly Pakistani women do health by the way they interact and construct a repertoire of social identities. The healing practices taking place among elderly Pakistani women may counteract the negative health outcomes associated with age, migration and gender implications for immigrant health-promoting policy in Norway may be to increase the establishment and allocate funds to sustain voluntary organizations run by and for immigrants. © 2014 the Nordic Societies of Public Health.

Construct validity of the Groningen Frailty Indicator established in a large sample of home-dwelling elderly persons: Evidence of stability across age and gender.

PubMed

Peters, L L; Boter, H; Burgerhof, J G M; Slaets, J P J; Buskens, E

2015-09-01

The primary objective of the present study was to evaluate the validity of the Groningen Frailty Indicator (GFI) in a sample of Dutch elderly persons participating in LifeLines, a large population-based cohort study. Additional aims were to assess differences between frail and non-frail elderly and examine which individual characteristics were associated with frailty. By December 2012, 5712 elderly persons were enrolled in LifeLines and complied with the inclusion criteria of the present study. Mann-Whitney U or Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to assess the variability of GFI-scores among elderly subgroups that differed in demographic characteristics, morbidity, obesity, and healthcare utilization. Within subgroups Kruskal-Wallis tests were also used to examine differences in GFI-scores across age groups. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to assess associations between individual characteristics and frailty. The GFI discriminated between subgroups: statistically significantly higher GFI-median scores (interquartile range) were found in e.g. males (1 [0-2]), the oldest old (2 [1-3]), in elderly who were single (1 [0-2]), with lower socio economic status (1 [0-3]), with increasing co-morbidity (2 [1-3]), who were obese (2 [1-3]), and used more healthcare (2 [1-4]). Overall age had an independent and statistically significant association with GFI scores. Compared with the non-frail, frail elderly persons experienced statistically significantly more chronic stress and more social/psychological related problems. In the multivariate logistic regression model, psychological morbidity had the strongest association with frailty. The present study supports the construct validity of the GFI and provides an insight in the characteristics of (non)frail community-dwelling elderly persons participating in LifeLines. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Validation of the UCLA loneliness scale in an elderly population that live alone].

PubMed

Velarde-Mayol, C; Fragua-Gil, S; García-de-Cecilia, J M

2016-04-01

This article examines the growing social phenomenon of elderly people living alone from 2 points of view: the objective loneliness of living alone and the subjective loneliness of feeling lonely. To validate the UCLA loneliness scale as a tool for the overall measurement of loneliness and to determine the social profile in elderly people living alone. Observational study carried out over 2 years (2012-2013) to identify elderly people living alone; case-control study to validate the UCLA loneliness scale. The sample was taken from 3 surgeries belonging to 2 Primary Care health centres from urban and rural areas. We studied construct validity, discriminant validity and sensitivity analysis were analysed. Of the elderly population studied 22.3% live alone, 61.7% due to loss of spouse, with a mean age of 70.7 years, and 82.7% women; 17.3% have no family ties and 63.2% feel lonely. UCLA loneliness scale has a construct validity with a high correlation between items. The discriminant validity was confirmed in relation to the elderly who do not live alone, with Cronbach alpha of 0.95, and it is sensitive to change. One in 4-5 elderly live alone, mainly due to the loss of spouse. There are 3 times as many women as men who live alone. Two out of 3 experience the feeling of loneliness. The UCLA loneliness scale has proved to be a useful and sensitive tool to measure loneliness in the elderly population. Copyright © 2015 Sociedad Española de Médicos de Atención Primaria (SEMERGEN). Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

The influence of incontinence on the characteristic properties of the skin in bedridden elderly subjects.

PubMed

Fujimura, Tsutomu; Makino, Mayumi; Takagi, Miyuki; Maki, Kumiko; Murakami, Emiko; Tasaka, Yoshiko; Sato, Noriko; Akiba, Shunichi; Hotta, Mitsuyuki; Kitahara, Takashi; Ando, Kikue

2016-05-01

The mechanisms of skin breakdown induced by incontinence have been proposed from a variety of experimental studies. However, studies on the influence of skin properties caused by incontinence of bedridden subjects are very limited. This work was conducted to reveal how incontinence influences skin properties by comparing bedridden incontinent elderly subjects with age-matched healthy continent elderly and middle-aged subjects. Bedridden incontinent elderly subjects (n = 35, 83.5 ± 9.7 years, mean age ± SD), healthy continent elderly (n = 41, 75.9 ± 5.6 years), and middle-aged (n = 20, 41.3 ± 2.8 years) were recruited for this study. Skin surface pH, capacitance/hydration, transepidermal water loss, and bacteria on forearm and buttock skin were measured. Hydration and transepidermal water loss values between healthy elderly subjects and incontinent elderly subjects were significantly different on buttock skin. Significant differences between those two groups were also observed regarding pH and total bacteria levels on buttock skin. The forearm skin showed no significant difference in these parameters. No significant influence was observed between with and without urination at the measurement time except for the pH of buttock skin. No significant correlation was observed except between pH and bacteria levels on buttock skin of incontinent elderly subjects. In this study, we clarified the characteristic features of skin induced by incontinence. Our results indicate that these parameters are adequate not only to evaluate the characteristic skin features of bedridden incontinent subjects but also to develop new diapers to avoid the diaper dermatitis caused by incontinence. © 2015 The International Society of Dermatology.

A Community Health Worker–Based Program for Elderly People With Hypertension in Indonesia: A Qualitative Study, 2013

PubMed Central

Bajorek, Beata

2015-01-01

Introduction Hypertension is prevalent in the elderly, but treatment is often inadequate, particularly in developing countries. The objective of this study was to explore the role of a community-based program in supporting patients with hypertension in an Indonesian rural community. Methods A qualitative study comprising observation and in-depth interviews was conducted in an Integrated Health Service Post for the Elderly (IHSP-Elderly) program in Bantul district (Yogyakarta province). Eleven members of IHSP-Elderly program (ie, hypertensive patients), 3 community health workers (CHWs), and 1 district health staff member were interviewed to obtain their views about the role of the IHSP-Elderly program in hypertension management. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results CHWs played a prominent role as the gatekeepers of health care in the rural community. In supporting hypertension management, CHWs served members of the IHSP-Elderly program by facilitating blood pressure checks and physical exercise and providing health education. Members reported various benefits, such as a healthier feeling overall, peer support, and access to affordable health care. Members felt that IHSP-Elderly program could do more to provide routine blood pressure screening and improve the process of referral to other health care services. Conclusion CHWs have the potential to liaise between rural communities and the wider health care system. Their role needs to be strengthened through targeted organizational support that aims to improve delivery of, and referral to, care. Further study is needed to identify the key factors for effective CHW-based programs in rural communities and the incorporation of these programs into the health care system. PMID:26469948

Brain biochemical correlates of the plasma homocysteine level: a proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy study in the elderly subjects.

PubMed

Chen, Cheng-Sheng; Kuo, Yu-Ting; Tsai, Hui-Yi; Li, Chun-Wei; Lee, Chen-Chang; Yen, Cheng-Fang; Lin, Hsiu-Fen; Ko, Chih-Hung; Juo, Suh-Hang Hank; Yeh, Yi-Chun; Liu, Gin-Chung

2011-07-01

An elevated plasma homocysteine level has been reported to be associated with various neuropsychiatric diseases. However, little is known about the brain biochemical changes associated with the higher plasma homocysteine level. The main goal of this study was to examine the sex difference in brain biochemical concentrations using brain proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (H MRS), and to elucidate the biochemical changes associated with plasma homocysteine levels by sex in healthy elderly subjects. Seventy elderly subjects without any clinical psychiatric and neurological disease underwent 3-T brain H MRS. MRS spectra were acquired from voxels placed on the left side of the basal ganglia, frontal lobe, and hippocampus. Brain biochemical concentrations were compared between the elderly male and female participants. Correlations between these biochemical concentrations and plasma homocysteine levels by sex were analyzed. Female participants had significantly higher levels of choline in the left frontal lobe and hippocampus, and lower creatine and myo-inositol, in the left basal ganglia than did males. A higher homocysteine level was correlated with a lower N-acetylaspartate (NAA) concentration in the left hippocampus in elderly women (r = -0.44; p = 0.03) but not in elderly men. This study found that there was a sex difference in brain biochemical concentrations in the elderly participants. A higher plasma homocysteine level was associated with a lower NAA in the hippocampus of elderly women. The sex difference in association between brain biochemical concentrations and plasma homocysteine levels needs further investigation. We speculate that after menopause, women lose protection of estrogen from the neurotoxic effects of homocysteine in the hippocampus. Future studies are required to examine this speculation.

Prevalence of Sarcopenia and Associated Factors in Chinese Community-Dwelling Elderly: Comparison Between Rural and Urban Areas.

PubMed

Gao, Langli; Jiang, Jiaojiao; Yang, Ming; Hao, Qiukui; Luo, Li; Dong, Birong

2015-11-01

To compare the prevalence of sarcopenia in urban and rural Chinese elderly adults and to identify the risk factors related to sarcopenia. A cross-sectional study. Urban and rural communities in western China. A total of 887 community-dwelling elderly adults aged 60 years or older. Sarcopenia was defined according to the recommended algorithm of the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS). Cognitive function, depression, and nutrition status were assessed using the Chinese version of the Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE), the Chinese version of the 30-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-30), and the revised Mini Nutritional Assessment short-form (MNA-SF), respectively. A total of 612 individuals aged 70.6 ± 6.7 years (range, 60-91 years) were included in this study. The prevalence of sarcopenia in the study population was 9.8% (women, 12.0%; men, 6.7%; P = .031). The prevalence of sarcopenia was 13.1% in rural elders and 7.0% in urban elders (P = .012). Age (odds ratio [OR] 1.22; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.15-1.29), women (OR 1.71; 95% CI 1.20-5.65), malnutrition or at risk for malnutrition (OR 3.53; 95% CI 1.68-7.41), rural residence (OR 2.15; 95% CI 1.33-4.51), and the number of medications (OR 1.23; 95% CI 1.06-1.44) were independently associated with sarcopenia. Rural elders are more vulnerable to sarcopenia than urban elders in a sample of western China's elderly population. More attention should focus on rural populations in future sarcopenia studies. Copyright © 2015 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Prevalence of Sarcopenia and Its Association with Socioeconomic Status among the Elderly in Tehran.

PubMed

Dorosty, Ahmadreza; Arero, Godana; Chamar, Maryam; Tavakoli, Sogand

2016-07-01

Sarcopenia is a syndrome characterized by progressive and generalized loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength. It imposes significant costs on health care systems. Socioeconomic status is also the root cause of healthy challenges among the elderly. Therefore, investigating the association between sarcopenia and socioeconomic status is very important to improve healthy ageing of the elderly. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of sarcopenia and its association with socioeconomic status among the elderly in Tehran. Cross-sectional and case-control studies were conducted from August 2014-July 2015 among 310 men and 334 women elderly (60 and over years old) in Tehran health centers. Randomization, restriction and matching were setting during study design to minimize selection bias. Then study participants were recruited via phone call. Participants' phone numbers were already recorded in a telephone book electronically. When there were two elderly people in the same house, only one person was invited randomly. Association between sarcopenia and socio-economic status was analyzed by SPSS version 22. The overall prevalence of sarcopenia in the elderly was 16.5%. Prevalenceamong the low-income elderly was relatively higher than (20.5%) that among those with middle income status (18.2%) while in the higher income, the proportion of sarcopenia was very low (12.8%). The findings indicated that 339(52.6%) were in low-income status, 304(47.1%) were in middle-income status and 1(.2%) in high-income class. There was a significant association between socioeconomic status and sarcopenia (P-value <0.001). The odd risk of sarcopenia was 0.97 times more likely higher in low socioeconomic class than those who were in middle and high income classes.

[Nutritional status and risk factors for malnutrition in low-income urban elders].

PubMed

Hyun, Hye Sun; Lee, Insook

2014-12-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the nutritional status of low-income urban elders by diversified ways, and to analyze the risk factors for malnutrition. The participants in this study were 183 low-income elders registered at a visiting healthcare facility in a public health center. Data were collected using anthropometric measurements, and a questionnaire survey. For data analysis, descriptive statistics, χ²-test, t-test, Fisher's exact test, multiple logistic regression analysis were performed using SPSS 20.0. Regarding the nutritional status of low-income elders as measured by the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), 10.4% of the elders were classified as malnourished; 57.4% as at high risk for malnutrition; and 32.2% as having normal nutrition levels. The main factors affecting malnutrition for low-income elders were loss of appetite (OR=3.34, 95% CI: 1.16~9.56) and difficulties in meal preparation (OR=2.35, 95% CI: 1.13~4.88). In order to effectively improve nutrition in low-income urban elders, it is necessary to develop individual intervention strategies to manage factors that increase the risk of malnutrition and to use systematic approach strategies in local communities in terms of a nutrition support system.

The study of a space configuration using space syntax analysis Case study: an elderly housing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mariana, Yosica; Triwardhani, Arindra J.; Isnaeni Djimantoro, Michael

2017-12-01

The improvement in various aspect leads to prolong the life span of human life, which increasing the number of elderly in the urban areas in return. But the increasing population is not supported by the provision of adequate housing facilities for them. Most of the elderly house in Jakarta, is designed just like for common people without relizing thatthey had physical and mentally degradation following the age. Therefore, the elderly house need to design with special attention to their daily activity mobility which applied in effective room configuration. The connectivity between the activities is most important element to order the room configuration. This research conduct to search the room configuration in elderly house which can improve their productivity and live quality by using the space syntax theory. The research methods by using the syntactic plug-in in Grasshooper software and analyse the integration, choice, control value and entrophy in the activity configuration. The result show that the effective and efficient for elderly house is cluster centralized pattern. The lobby and reception take the important role as the integration aspect and the spatial awareness according to elderly activity.

Elders' Experiences During Return Visits to the Emergency Department: A Phenomenographic Study in Taiwan.

PubMed

Han, Chin-Yen; Lin, Chun-Chih; Goopy, Suzanne; Hsiao, Ya-Chu; Barnard, Alan

Elders often experience multiple chronic diseases associated with frequent early return visits to emergency departments (EDs). There is limited knowledge of the experiences and concerns of elders during ED return visits. The purpose of the research was to explore the experiences of elders during ED return visits, with a view toward identifying factors that contribute to return visits. The qualitative approach of phenomenography was used. Data were collected at one ED in a 3,000-bed medical center in Taiwan. Inclusion criteria were aged 65 or above and return visits to the ED within 72 hours of discharge from an index ED visit. The seven steps of qualitative data analysis for a phenomenographic study were employed to develop understanding of participants' experiences. Thirty return-visit elders were interviewed in 2014. Four categories of description were established from the participants' accounts. These were "being tricked by ED staff," "doctor shopping," "a sign of impending death," and "feeling fatalistic." The outcome space of elders with early return visits to ED was characterized as "seeking the answer." Index ED visits are linked to return visits for Taiwanese elders through physiological, psychological, and social factors.

Predicting cognitive function of the Malaysian elderly: a structural equation modelling approach.

PubMed

Foong, Hui Foh; Hamid, Tengku Aizan; Ibrahim, Rahimah; Haron, Sharifah Azizah; Shahar, Suzana

2018-01-01

The aim of this study was to identify the predictors of elderly's cognitive function based on biopsychosocial and cognitive reserve perspectives. The study included 2322 community-dwelling elderly in Malaysia, randomly selected through a multi-stage proportional cluster random sampling from Peninsular Malaysia. The elderly were surveyed on socio-demographic information, biomarkers, psychosocial status, disability, and cognitive function. A biopsychosocial model of cognitive function was developed to test variables' predictive power on cognitive function. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS (version 15.0) in conjunction with Analysis of Moment Structures Graphics (AMOS 7.0). The estimated theoretical model fitted the data well. Psychosocial stress and metabolic syndrome (MetS) negatively predicted cognitive function and psychosocial stress appeared as a main predictor. Socio-demographic characteristics, except gender, also had significant effects on cognitive function. However, disability failed to predict cognitive function. Several factors together may predict cognitive function in the Malaysian elderly population, and the variance accounted for it is large enough to be considered substantial. Key factor associated with the elderly's cognitive function seems to be psychosocial well-being. Thus, psychosocial well-being should be included in the elderly assessment, apart from medical conditions, both in clinical and community setting.

The Experience of Counseling Among a Singaporean Elderly Population: A Qualitative Account of What Clients Report as Beneficial.

PubMed

Mathews, Mathew

2016-09-01

Adjustments that accompany ageing pose a challenge to the mental health of the elderly. Psychologically based counseling has been documented in Western societies as an appropriate intervention for elderly persons with depressive episodes. There is however very little research documenting how Asian elderly populations experience and benefit from counseling. This study addresses this research gap through a qualitative study based on post-counseling interviews with a sample of 41 elderly persons who received counseling at a dedicated organisation catering to the elderly in Singapore. The qualitative data revealed that clients benefitted from counseling through better emotional management - they received emotional support, found emotional healing and learnt to deal with the emotions associated with grief and loss. Clients also reported that counseling assisted them in decision making processes - older persons were able to conceive of alternatives to their predicament, obtained insights to embark on change, were enabled to take the perspective of others and found validation for their decisions. While many elderly clients greatly appreciated and benefitted from this service, citing demonstrable changes, among the very old such changes were uncommon. Cultural explanations for these differential reports and possible directions for much needed future research are provided.

ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SELF-CARE BEHAVIORS AND SELF-ESTEEM OF RURAL ELDERLIES; NECESSITY OF HEALTH PROMOTION.

PubMed

Bagheri-Nesami, Masoumeh; Goudarzian, Amir Hossein; Mirani, Hesam; Jouybari, Sina Sabourian; Nasiri, Davoud

2016-02-01

Changes in the modern medical science caused significant reduction of mortality and every day increase of the elderly in the world. According to prevalence of physical and mental problems in elderly, it is necessary to take some actions. Self care in one of the best way to improve elderly health and life satisfaction that seems have a relation to self-esteem. This descriptive and analytical study was performed on 180 elderly in rural areas of the Sari city. Elderly selected by multi-stage randomize sampling method. Data were gathered by using standard questionnaires of self-care and Rosenberg self-esteem. Data were analyzed by Spearman and Pearson's correlation using SPSS software (V16). The mean±SD of the ages of the elderly were 66.85±7.661. The score of self-care varies between 99 to 155 and most of them (66.7%) had good level of self-care. Also, most of elderly (52.2%) had high level of self-esteem. Also there was a significant relationship, between self-care and self-esteem (P<0.001, r=0.426). According to significant relationship between self-care and self-esteem of elderly, by the planning for improving the self care of elderly, can increase their health and significantly reduce from physical and mental complications.

[Vitamin D supplementation in the elderly: guidelines and practice].

PubMed

Chel, V G M; Elders, P J M; Tuijp, M L M; van den Berg, H H; van Drongelen, K I; Siedenburg, R C; Ooms, M E; Lips, P T A

2013-01-01

In 2008, the Health Council of the Netherlands published an advice on vitamin D supplementation for the elderly. Nevertheless, suspicion arose at the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport and the Netherlands Nutrition Centre that vitamin D supplementation in the elderly is still insufficient. We aimed to determine the extent to which general practitioners and elderly care physicians actually followed the advice of the Health Council. Questionnaire study. Brief questionnaires were sent to all elderly care physicians in the Netherlands. Some questions were also posed to general practitioners at a network meeting of the Academic Network of GP Practices of the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam. More than two-thirds of the respondents, both elderly care physicians and general practitioners, are familiar with the guidelines of the Health Council of the Netherlands on vitamin D supplementation in the elderly, but about half do not prescribe vitamin D when the guideline advises to do so. When supplementation is prescribed, about half of the elderly care physicians and a fifth of the general practitioners uses an insufficient dose. The guidelines of the Health Council of the Netherlands on vitamin D supplementation in the elderly are not sufficiently followed by elderly care physicians and general practitioners. Awareness of and support for the vitamin D supplementation guidelines among health care providers is still limited.

Outdoor Programming for Older Adults Who Are Frail.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buettner, Linda; Kennison, Judith

1993-01-01

Discusses the benefits of outdoor nature-oriented activities for very old, frail elderly, and institutionalized elderly persons with regard to exercising to increase mobility, spiritual development, sensory stimulation, and social interaction. A study of elderly participants in a "back to nature" experience suggests that modified camping…

Dietary intake and anthropometry of Korean elderly people: a literature review.

PubMed

Park, Young-Hee; de Groot, Lisette C P G M; van Staveren, Wija A

2003-01-01

The health status of elderly people is an important issue in Korea due to the expansion of the elderly population. However, data on their nutritional status are limited. This review aims to give an overview of the dietary intake and anthropometry of Korean elderly people based on studies published, mainly in local journals in Korea. In total 18 studies were reviewed. Mean calcium and vitamin A intakes were inadequate, namely less than 67% of the Korean recommended daily allowances, in all groups of Korean elderly people. The intake of both nutrients was lower in urban elderly with a low income and in rural elderly (200-496 g/day of calcium and 117-281 retinol equivalents/day). In particular, "low income" urban elderly people had a low energy intake (less than 5300 kJ/day) with an inadequate intake of iron, thiamin, riboflavin and niacin in addition to calcium and vitamin A. In urban areas underweight (body mass index <20 kg/m2) occurred in 7-31% of "all income" groups, whereas it occurred in 15-42% of "low income" groups. Rural elderly people showed a higher proportion of underweight (37% for men and 38% for women) as well as the lowest body mass index (21.0 kg/m2 for men and 21.3 kg/m2 for women). In conclusion, an inadequate intake of several micronutrients in old age, mostly calcium and vitamin A, is a matter of concern in Korea. This was observed most frequently in elderly people with a low income. In this group an inadequate intake of micronutrients is likely to be caused by a low energy intake.

Outcome of elderly patients undergoing awake-craniotomy for tumor resection.

PubMed

Grossman, Rachel; Nossek, Erez; Sitt, Razi; Hayat, Daniel; Shahar, Tal; Barzilai, Ori; Gonen, Tal; Korn, Akiva; Sela, Gal; Ram, Zvi

2013-05-01

Awake-craniotomy allows maximal tumor resection, which has been associated with extended survival. The feasibility and safety of awake-craniotomy and the effect of extent of resection on survival in the elderly population has not been established. The aim of this study was to compare surgical outcome of elderly patients undergoing awake-craniotomy to that of younger patients. Outcomes of consecutive patients younger and older than 65 years who underwent awake-craniotomy at a single institution between 2003 and 2010 were retrospectively reviewed. The groups were compared for clinical variables and surgical outcome parameters, as well as overall survival. A total of 334 young (45.4 ± 13.2 years, mean ± SD) and 90 elderly (71.7 ± 5.1 years) patients were studied. Distribution of gender, mannitol treatment, hemodynamic stability, and extent of tumor resection were similar. Significantly more younger patients had a better preoperative Karnofsky Performance Scale score (>70) than elderly patients (P = 0.0012). Older patients harbored significantly more high-grade gliomas (HGG) and brain metastases, and fewer low-grade gliomas (P < 0.0001). No significantly higher rate of mortality, or complications were observed in the elderly group. Age was associated with increased length of stay (4.9 ± 6.3 vs. 6.6 ± 7.5 days, P = 0.01). Maximal extent of tumor resection in patients with HGG was associated with prolonged survival in the elderly patients. Awake-craniotomy is a well-tolerated and safe procedure, even in elderly patients. Gross total tumor resection in elderly patients with HGG was associated with prolonged survival. The data suggest that favorable prognostic factors for patients with malignant brain tumors are also valid in elderly patients.

Efficacy and Safety of Secukinumab in Elderly Subjects with Moderate to Severe Plaque Psoriasis: A Pooled Analysis of Phase III Studies.

PubMed

Körber, Andreas; Papavassilis, Charis; Bhosekar, Vaishali; Reinhardt, Maximilian

2018-02-01

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease, affecting patients of a wide age range, including elderly patients. Elderly patients can respond differently to drug treatments and can be more vulnerable to adverse reactions. There are limited data on biologic therapies for psoriasis in elderly subjects. Secukinumab, a fully human monoclonal antibody that selectively neutralizes IL-17A, has proven significant efficacy in the treatment of moderate to severe psoriasis. A post-hoc analysis of three phase III trials (ERASURE, FIXTURE and CLEAR) was performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of secukinumab in elderly subjects. Studies were multicentre, randomized, parallel-group, double-blind, 52-week phase III trials in subjects with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. For efficacy analyses, 67 elderly subjects (≥ 65 years) treated with secukinumab 300 mg were compared with 841 younger subjects (18-64 years). Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), Dermatological Life Quality Index (DLQI) and safety were analysed. Elderly subjects had higher baseline frequencies of cardiovascular and metabolic disorders. Secukinumab efficacy in elderly subjects was comparable to that in younger subjects throughout 52 weeks of treatment. PASI 75 response was reached by 81.8% of elderly subjects and 79.4% of younger subjects at Week 52. Similar rates of DLQI 0/1 response were observed. The total rate of adverse events was similar between elderly and younger subjects. Secukinumab at the recommended dose (300 mg) is effective and acceptably safe in subjects aged ≥ 65 years with moderate to severe psoriasis, with quality-of-life benefits, despite an increased prevalence of cardiovascular and metabolic comorbidities in this population.

Prevalence of depressive disorders in the elderly.

PubMed

Barua, Ankur; Ghosh, Mihir Kumar; Kar, Nilamadhab; Basilio, Mary Anne

2011-01-01

Community-based mental health studies have revealed that the point prevalence of depressive disorders in the elderly population of the world varies between 10% and 20%, depending on cultural situations. A retrospective study based on analysis of various study reports was conducted, to determine the median prevalence rates of depressive disorders in the elderly population of India and various other countries in the world. All the studies that constituted the sample were conducted between 1955 and 2005. Included are only community-based, cross-sectional surveys and some prospective studies that had not excluded depression at baseline. These studies were conducted on a homogenous community of the elderly population in the world, who were selected by a simple random sampling technique. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria on published and indexed articles, 74 original research studies that surveyed a total of 487,275 elderly individuals, in the age group of 60 years and above, residing in various parts of the world, were included for the final analysis. The median prevalence rate and its corresponding interquartile range were calculated. The chi-square test and chi-square for linear trend were applied. A P value of <.05 was considered as statistically significant. The median prevalence rate of depressive disorders in the world for the elderly population was determined to be 10.3% (interquartile range [IQR], 4.7%-16.0%). The median prevalence rate of depression among the elderly Indian population was determined to be 21.9% (IQR, 11.6%-31.1%). Although there was a significant decrease in the trend of world prevalence of geriatric depression, it was significantly higher among Indians, in recent years, than the rest of the world.

Confronting Challenges in Intervention Research with Ethnically Diverse Older Adults: The USC Well Elderly II Trial

PubMed Central

Jackson, Jeanne; Mandel, Deborah; Blanchard, Jeanine; Carlson, Mike; Cherry, Barbara; Azen, Stanley; Chou, Chih-Ping; Jordan-Marsh, Maryalice; Forman, Todd; White, Brett; Granger, Douglas; Knight, Bob; Clark, Florence

2011-01-01

Background Community-dwelling older adults are at risk for declines in physical health, cognition, and psychosocial well-being. However, their enactment of active and health-promoting lifestyles can reduce such declines. Purpose The purpose of this article is to describe the USC Well Elderly II study, a randomized clinical trial designed to test the effectiveness of a healthy lifestyle program for elders, and document how various methodological challenges were addressed during the course of the trial. Methods In the study, 460 ethnically diverse elders recruited from a variety of sites in the urban Los Angeles area were enrolled in a randomized experiment involving a crossover design component. Within either the first or second six month phase of their study involvement, each elder received a lifestyle intervention designed to improve a variety of aging outcomes. At 4–5 time points over an 18–24 month interval, the research participants were assessed on measures of healthy activity, coping, social support, perceived control, stress-related biomarkers, perceived physical health, psychosocial well-being, and cognitive functioning to test the effectiveness of the intervention and document the process mechanisms responsible for its effects. Results The study protocol was successfully implemented, including the enrollment of study sites, the recruitment of 460 older adults, administration of the intervention, adherence to the plan for assessment, and establishment of a large computerized data base. Limitations Methodological challenges were encountered in the areas of site recruitment, participant recruitment, testing, and intervention delivery. Conclusions The completion of clinical trials involving elders from numerous local sites requires careful oversight and anticipation of threats to the study design that stem from: (a) social situations that are particular to specific study sites; and (b) physical, functional, and social challenges pertaining to the elder population. PMID:19254939

Confronting challenges in intervention research with ethnically diverse older adults: the USC Well Elderly II Trial.

PubMed

Jackson, Jeanne; Mandel, Deborah; Blanchard, Jeanine; Carlson, Mike; Cherry, Barbara; Azen, Stanley; Chou, Chih-Ping; Jordan-Marsh, Maryalice; Forman, Todd; White, Brett; Granger, Douglas; Knight, Bob; Clark, Florence

2009-02-01

Community-dwelling older adults are at risk for declines in physical health, cognition, and psychosocial well-being. However, their enactment of active and health-promoting lifestyles can reduce such declines. The purpose of this article is to describe the USC Well Elderly II study, a randomized clinical trial designed to test the effectiveness of a healthy lifestyle program for elders, and document how various methodological challenges were addressed during the course of the trial. In the study, 460 ethnically diverse elders recruited from a variety of sites in the urban Los Angeles area were enrolled in a randomized experiment involving a crossover design component. Within either the first or second 6-month phase of their study involvement, each elder received a lifestyle intervention designed to improve a variety of aging outcomes. At 4-5 time points over an 18-24 month interval, the research participants were assessed on measures of healthy activity, coping, social support, perceived control, stress-related biomarkers, perceived physical health, psychosocial well-being, and cognitive functioning to test the effectiveness of the intervention and document the process mechanisms responsible for its effects. The study protocol was successfully implemented, including the enrollment of study sites, the recruitment of 460 older adults, administration of the intervention, adherence to the plan for assessment, and establishment of a large computerized data base. Methodological challenges were encountered in the areas of site recruitment, participant recruitment, testing, and intervention delivery. The completion of clinical trials involving elders from numerous local sites requires careful oversight and anticipation of threats to the study design that stem from: (a) social situations that are particular to specific study sites; and (b) physical, functional, and social challenges pertaining to the elder population.

[Validation of a scale of attitudes towards sexuality in a sample of Puerto Rican elderly].

PubMed

Rodríguez Benítez, Rosa Janet; Rodríguez Gómez, José; Sayers Montalvo, Sean

2010-01-01

The literature indicates that elderly population is at high risk that affects their sexual activity; however, this is not the end of sexuality expression in this population. Elderly (people 65 years and older) who are healthy and active has more opportunities of sexual expression and activity in all forms, (including masturbation, and oral sex), and these activities can continue until 74 years or older. This study tries to explore if the Scale of Attitudes towards Sexuality Behavior in the Elderly develop in Puerto Rico, is a valid and reliable instrument to measure attitudes towards the sexuality in an elderly sample. In addition, the research tries to contribute to the progress and development of instruments that measure, and screen, sexuality aspects and risk behaviors that focus in the elderly population. This may help to promote future studies and the development of preventive programs that help to fulfill specific necessities in elderly. The research subjects consist of a secondary database sample of 265 adults of 65 years or older. The design of this study was an ex post facto type. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and factorial analyses to establish an association between the study variables (i.e., attitudes towards the sexuality and sexuality) using SPSS-X program version 14; also was concluded that the instrument is a valid and reliable (Alpha Cronbach = 0.95), which is considered adequate. It's expected that the scale will be valuable for future research in this area.

Cross-cultural comparison of attitudes and preferences for care of the elderly among Australian and Chinese nursing students.

PubMed

Xiao, Lily Dongxia; Shen, Jun; Paterson, Jan

2013-10-01

The aim of this study was to compare Australian and Chinese nursing students' attitudes and intentions to care for the elderly and the factors affecting these intentions. A cross-sectional design employed two questionnaires to survey 256 Australian nursing students and 204 Chinese nursing students within the first weeks of their nursing curriculum.Factor analysis and logistical regression analysis were performed to identify predictors of intent to care for the elderly. The percentage of students more likely to care for the elderly was significantly higher among the Chinese group (72.1%) than the Australian group (45.3%). Work experience with older people and being under the age of 20 were found to be positive predictors, whereas factors such as prejudice toward the elderly and beliefs that elders should live in separate housing were negatively associated with an intention to care for the elderly. The collectivist culture has a more positive influence on nursing students' attitudes toward the elderly compared with the individualist culture. It is highly recommended that elderly care settings should be incorporated in clinical placements and further research is needed to explore how clinical experience affects students' career choice.

Pushed, pulled, or blocked? The elderly and the labor market in post-Soviet Russia.

PubMed

Gerber, Theodore P; Radl, Jonas

2014-05-01

Russia provides an interesting context for studying the labor market experiences of the elderly because of its experience with market transition, its looming growth in the elderly dependency ratio, and its unusual pension policies that do not penalize pensioners for working. We use data from twenty surveys of the Russian population conducted from February 1991 to November 2007 to analyze the labor market participation and earnings of elderly Russians following market transition. Economic desperation, exacerbated by low pension levels, pushed some elderly to seek employment for income on the labor market. Elderly Russians with more education had more opportunities to work, and education differentials increased as market reforms progressed. The correlates of earnings operate similarly for retirement- and pre-retirement age Russians, with several exceptions: unobserved factors favoring employment are negatively associated with earnings for the elderly, occupation mediates most of the effects of education, and patterns of change over time differ somewhat. Elderly Russians are not disproportionately blocked from employment following market reforms. Following the initial transition shock, their labor market activity increased. Overall, both push and pull factors shape the employment and earnings of the elderly, affecting different segments of them. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The process of aging: A case study approach implementing an ergonomics evaluation of the built environment for the elderly in Brazil.

PubMed

Paiva, Marie; Ferrer, Nicole; Villarouco, Vilma

2015-01-01

The phenomenon of aging is increasing worldwide. Various problems accompany it since aging makes the elderly undergo a decline in their natural functions. As such, senility can present itself as a barrier for everyday activities. This article presents a research that deals with the study of collective residences for the elderly. It seeks to identify configurations of these homes by seeking shortcomings and/or successful solutions. The Ergonomic Methodology for the Built Environment was applied. The method of the approach is qualitative and consists of multi-case study. Through the methodological approach, conflicts in the environment created by missing or inadequate elements were identified. Also, the opinions and suggestions from the elderly were analyzed, which shows their perception of the environment in use. The situations detected in this study indicate the occurrence of problems, exacerbated by the multiple deficiencies found in the user population of the environments analyzed. Thus it highlights the importance of there being future studies that are better targeted on designing environments for the elderly.

Mental Health and the Elderly: Recommendations for Action. The Reports of the President's Commission on Mental Health: Task Panel on the Elderly and the Secretary's Committee on Mental Health and Illness of the Elderly.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Administration on Aging (DHEW), Washington, DC. Federal Council on the Aging.

This publication contains the reports of two major public advisory bodies which studied and conducted hearings on mental health needs of the elderly and developed recommendations for public policy to address these needs. The first report reviews current mental health needs and considers the projected needs for dealing with emotional stress during…

Designing an Elderly Assistance Program Based-on Home Care

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Umusya'adah, L.; Juwaedah, A.; Jubaedah, Y.; Ratnasusanti, H.; Puspita, R. H.

2018-02-01

PKH (Program Keluarga Harapan) is a program of Indonesia’s Government through the ministry of social directorate to accelerate the poverty reduction and the achievement of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) target as well as the policies development in social protection and social welfare domain or commonly referred to as Indonesian Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) Program. This research is motivated that existing participants of the family expectation program (PKH) that already exist in Sumedang, Indoensia, especially in the South Sumedang on the social welfare components is only limited to the health checking, while for assisting the elderly based Home Care program there has been no structured and systematic, where as the elderly still need assistance, especially from the family and community environment. This study uses a method of Research and Development with Model Addie which include analysis, design, development, implementation and evaluation. Participants in this study using purposive sampling, where selected families of PKH who provide active assistance to the elderly with 82 participants. The program is designed consists of program components: objectives, goals, forms of assistance, organizing institutions and implementing the program, besides, program modules include assisting the elderly. Form of assistance the elderly cover physical, social, mental and spiritual. Recommended for families and companions PKH, the program can be implemented to meet the various needs of the elderly. For the elderly should introspect, especially in the health and follow the advice recommended by related parties

Association of Personality Traits with Elder Self-Neglect in a Community Dwelling Population

PubMed Central

Dong, XinQi; Simon, Melissa; Wilson, Robert; Beck, Todd; McKinell, Kelly; Evans, Denis

2010-01-01

Objective Elder self-neglect is an important public health issue. However, little is known about the association between personality traits and risk of elder self-neglect among community-dwelling populations. The objectives of this study are: 1) to examine the association of personality traits with elder self-neglect and 2) to examine the association of personality traits with elder self-neglect severity. Methods Population-based study conducted from 1993–2005 of community-dwelling older adults (N=9,056) participating in the Chicago Health Aging Project (CHAP). Subsets of the CHAP participants (N=1,820) were identified for suspected self-neglect by social services agency, which assessed the severity. Personality traits assessed included neuroticism, extraversion, rigidity and information processing. Logistic and linear regressions were used to assess these associations. Results In the bivariate analyses, personality traits (neuroticism, extraversion, information processing, and rigidity) were significantly associated with increased risk of elder self-neglect. However, after adjusting for potential confounders, the above associations were no longer statistically significant. In addition, personality traits were not associated with increased risk of greater self-neglect severity. Furthermore, interaction term analyses of personality traits with health and psychosocial factors were not statistically significant with elder self-neglect outcomes. Conclusion Neuroticism, extraversion, rigidity and information processing were not associated with significantly increased risk of elder self-neglect after consideration of potential confounders. PMID:21788924

A proposed power assisted system of manual wheelchair based on universal design for eldery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Susmartini, Susy; Pryadhitama, Ilham; Herdiman, Lobes; Wahyufitriani, Cindy

2017-11-01

Difficulties in walking is high percentage case in the limitations mobility of the elderly. An assisted technology commonly used to help the elderly who have walking difficulty is a manual wheelchair. However, the elderly frequently experiences difficulties in operating manual wheelchair due to gradually degradation of their physical condition. Preliminary study results showed that the average grip strength of the hands of seven elderly subjects was 13.8 ± 6.96 kg and the value is relatively weak. In addition, the mean maximum speed of 7 elderly subjects when doing to round the wheelchair is 0.6 ± 0.2m / s. This value is only 56.4% compared with an average speed of 20-23-year age group (8 males), which is 1.1 ± 0.1 m / s. This shows that the elderly who have walking difficulty have low grip strength and speed in operating a wheelchair. On the other hand, manual wheelchairs suffer an inadequate technology solution to solve the problem. Therefore, an assistive technology is proposed to create mobility aid to accommodate the elderly needs. One approach used is Universal Design. This paper proposes a system of intervention in the manual wheelchair through the 7 principles of Universal Design approach. The preliminary principle has not been able to accommodate the needs of the elderly will become a reference in the proposed design of this study.

Meaningful lives: elders in treatment for depression.

PubMed

Ragan, Meredith; Kane, Catherine F

2010-12-01

Depression among elderly persons is common. Major depression is disabling, highly prevalent, and adversely affects daily function and quality of life. Although studies have demonstrated that interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) and medication can relieve the symptoms of depression, many elders do not seek treatment. Of those elders who do participate in treatment experience, 20% to 50% do not experience partial or full relief from depressive symptoms. Improvements in treatment strategies are needed to better serve this population. In this study, 20 elders in treatment for depression with IPT and medication were interviewed to better understand their day-to-day lives. These interviews provided insights and perspectives to inform clinical practice and improve treatment strategies. The major themes identified were independence, spirituality, family, depression, medical comorbidities, and motivation. Potential treatment strategies were derived from these themes. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Quality of life of elderly live kidney donors.

PubMed

Klop, Karel W J; Dols, Leonienke F C; Weimar, Willem; Dooper, Ine M; IJzermans, Jan N M; Kok, Niels F M

2013-10-15

Expanding the use of elderly live donors may help meet the demand for kidney transplants. The aim of this study was to quantify the effect of the surgical procedure on the quality of life (QOL) of elderly donors compared with younger donors. Alongside three prospective studies (two randomized) running between May 2001 and October 2010, we asked 501 live donors to fill out the Short Form-36 questionnaire preoperatively and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. We defined live donors 60 years or older as elderly. Between-group analyses regarding QOL were adjusted for baseline values and gender. One hundred thirty-five donors were older and 366 donors were younger than 60 years. The response rate was high, with 87% at 12 months postoperatively. Elderly donors less often scored as American Society of Anaesthesiology classification 1 (60% vs. 81%; P<0.001) indicating a higher rate of minor comorbidity. At 1 month postoperatively, between-group analysis showed a significant advantage in QOL in favor of the elderly group regarding the dimensions "bodily pain" (7 points; P=0.001), "role physical" (18 points; P<0.001), and "vitality" (5 points; P=0.008). At 3 months, "bodily pain" (3 points, P=0.04) and "role physical" (8 points, P=0.02) were still in favor of the older group. At 6 and 12 months, "physical function" was in favor of the younger group (3 and 5 points, respectively; P=0.04 and P<0.001). This study demonstrates that elderly donors recover relatively fast. The perspective of excellent postoperative QOL may help convince elderly individuals to donate.

Chronic pain and pattern of health care utilization among Malaysian elderly population: National Health and Morbidity Survey III (NHMS III, 2006).

PubMed

Mohamed Zaki, Lily R; Hairi, Noran N

2014-12-01

The aims of this study were to report prevalence of chronic pain and to examine whether chronic pain influence healthcare usage among elderly Malaysian population. This was a sub-population analysis of the elderly sample in the Malaysia's Third National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS III) 2006, a nation-wide population based survey. A subset of 4954 elderly aged 60 years and above was used in the analysis. Chronic pain, pain's interference and outcome variables of healthcare utilization (hospital admission and ambulatory care service) were all measured and determined by self-report. Prevalence of chronic pain among elderly Malaysian was 15.2% (95% CI: 14.5, 16.8). Prevalence of chronic pain increased with advancing age, and the highest prevalence was seen among the old-old group category (21.5%). Across young-old and old-old groups, chronic pain was more prevalent among females, Indian ethnicity, widows/widowers, rural residency and those with no educational background. Our study showed that chronic pain alone increased hospitalization but not visits to ambulatory facilities. Presence of chronic pain was significantly associated with the frequency of hospitalization (aIRR 1.11; 95% CI 1.02, 1.38) but not ambulatory care service. Chronic pain is a prevalent health problem among the elderly in Malaysia and is associated with higher hospitalization rate among the elderly population. This study provides insight into the distribution of chronic pain among the elderly and its relationship with the patterns of healthcare utilization. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Is the useful field of view a good predictor of at-fault crash risk in elderly Japanese drivers?

PubMed

Sakai, Hiroyuki; Uchiyama, Yuji; Takahara, Miwa; Doi, Shun'ichi; Kubota, Fumiko; Yoshimura, Takayoshi; Tachibana, Atsumichi; Kurahashi, Tetsuo

2015-05-01

Although age-related decline in the useful field of view (UFOV) is well recognized as a risk factor for at-fault crash involvement in elderly drivers, there is still room to study its applicability to elderly Japanese drivers. In the current study, we thus examined the relationship between UFOV and at-fault crash history in an elderly Japanese population. We also explored whether potential factors that create awareness of reduced driving fitness could be a trigger for the self-regulation of driving in elderly drivers. We measured UFOV and at-fault crash history from 151 community-dwelling Japanese aged 60 years or older, and compared UFOV of at-fault crash-free and crash-involved drivers. We also measured self-evaluated driving style using a questionnaire. UFOV in crash-involved drivers was significantly lower than that in crash-free drivers. No significant difference was found in self-evaluated driving style between crash-free and crash-involved drivers. In addition, there was no significant association between UFOV and self-evaluated driving style. The present study showed that UFOV is a good predictor of at-fault crash risk in elderly Japanese drivers. Furthermore, our data imply that it might be difficult for elderly drivers to adopt appropriate driving strategies commensurate with their current driving competence. © 2014 Japan Geriatrics Society.

Adverse effects of outdoor pollution in the elderly

PubMed Central

Baldacci, Sandra; Maio, Sara; Cerrai, Sonia; Sarno, Giuseppe; Viegi, Giovanni

2015-01-01

With fewer newborns and people living longer, older people are making up an increasing fraction of the total population. Epidemiological evidence shows that older-age-related health problems affect a wide and expanding proportion of the world population. One of the major epidemiological trends of this century is the rise of chronic diseases that affect more elderly than younger people. A total of 3.7 million premature deaths worldwide in 2012 are attributable to outdoor air pollution; the susceptibility to adverse effects of air pollution is expected to differ widely between people and within the same person, and also over time. Frailty history, a measure of multi-system decline, modifies cumulative associations between air pollution and lung function. Moreover, pre-existing diseases may determine susceptibility. In the elderly, due to comorbidity, exposure to air pollutants may even be fatal. Rapid and not-well-planned urbanization is associated with high level of ambient air pollution, mainly caused by vehicular exhausts. In general, there is sufficient evidence of the adverse effects related to short-term exposure, while fewer studies have addressed the longer-term health effects. Increased pollution exposures have been associated with increased mortality, hospital admissions/emergency-room visits, mainly due to exacerbations of chronic diseases or to respiratory tract infections (e.g., pneumonia). These effects may also be modulated by ambient temperature and many studies show that the elderly are mostly vulnerable to heat waves. The association between heat and mortality in the elderly is well-documented, while less is known regarding the associations with hospital admissions. Chronic exposure to elevated levels of air pollution has been related to the incidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic bronchitis (CB), asthma, and emphysema. There is also growing evidence suggesting adverse effects on lung function related to long-term exposure to ambient air pollution. Few studies have assessed long-term mortality in the elderly. It is still unclear what are the pollutants most damaging to the health of the elderly. It seems that elderly subjects are more vulnerable to particulate matter (PM) than to other pollutants, with particular effect on daily cardio-respiratory mortality and acute hospital admissions. Not many studies have targeted elderly people specifically, as well as specific respiratory morbidity. Most data have shown higher risks in the elderly compared to the rest of the population. Future epidemiological cohort studies need to keep investigating the health effects of air pollutants (mainly cardiopulmonary diseases) on the elderly. PMID:25694816

Adverse effects of outdoor pollution in the elderly.

PubMed

Simoni, Marzia; Baldacci, Sandra; Maio, Sara; Cerrai, Sonia; Sarno, Giuseppe; Viegi, Giovanni

2015-01-01

With fewer newborns and people living longer, older people are making up an increasing fraction of the total population. Epidemiological evidence shows that older-age-related health problems affect a wide and expanding proportion of the world population. One of the major epidemiological trends of this century is the rise of chronic diseases that affect more elderly than younger people. A total of 3.7 million premature deaths worldwide in 2012 are attributable to outdoor air pollution; the susceptibility to adverse effects of air pollution is expected to differ widely between people and within the same person, and also over time. Frailty history, a measure of multi-system decline, modifies cumulative associations between air pollution and lung function. Moreover, pre-existing diseases may determine susceptibility. In the elderly, due to comorbidity, exposure to air pollutants may even be fatal. Rapid and not-well-planned urbanization is associated with high level of ambient air pollution, mainly caused by vehicular exhausts. In general, there is sufficient evidence of the adverse effects related to short-term exposure, while fewer studies have addressed the longer-term health effects. Increased pollution exposures have been associated with increased mortality, hospital admissions/emergency-room visits, mainly due to exacerbations of chronic diseases or to respiratory tract infections (e.g., pneumonia). These effects may also be modulated by ambient temperature and many studies show that the elderly are mostly vulnerable to heat waves. The association between heat and mortality in the elderly is well-documented, while less is known regarding the associations with hospital admissions. Chronic exposure to elevated levels of air pollution has been related to the incidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic bronchitis (CB), asthma, and emphysema. There is also growing evidence suggesting adverse effects on lung function related to long-term exposure to ambient air pollution. Few studies have assessed long-term mortality in the elderly. It is still unclear what are the pollutants most damaging to the health of the elderly. It seems that elderly subjects are more vulnerable to particulate matter (PM) than to other pollutants, with particular effect on daily cardio-respiratory mortality and acute hospital admissions. Not many studies have targeted elderly people specifically, as well as specific respiratory morbidity. Most data have shown higher risks in the elderly compared to the rest of the population. Future epidemiological cohort studies need to keep investigating the health effects of air pollutants (mainly cardiopulmonary diseases) on the elderly.

The Elderly on Television: Changing Stereotypes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bell, John

A study examined the visual presentation of characters on five prime time network dramas, popular with the elderly, which star elderly actors. The title sequences of each show ("Murder, She Wrote,""The Golden Girls,""Matlock,""Jake and the Fatman," and "In the Heat of the Night") were analyzed. Results indicated seven significant interrelated…

75 FR 24963 - Notice of Proposed Information Collection for Public Comment: 202 Demonstration Planning Grant...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-06

... subcontractor, VIVA Consulting LLC, a study of the Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly Demonstration Planning Grant Program. The Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly program provides capital advances and operating funds to nonprofit organizations (``sponsors'') to develop affordable elderly...

The Living Arrangement Dynamics of Sick, Elderly Individuals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dostie, Benoit; Leger, Pierre Thomas

2005-01-01

We model the dynamics associated with living-arrangement decisions of sick elderly individuals. Using the Panel Study of Income Dynamics? Parental Health Supplement, we construct the complete living-arrangement histories of elderly individuals in need of care. We use a simultaneous random-effects competing-risks model to analyze the impact of…

Congruence between Disabled Elders and Their Primary Caregivers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horowitz, Amy; Goodman, Caryn R.; Reinhardt, Joann P.

2004-01-01

Purpose: This study examines the extent and independent correlates of congruence between disabled elders and their caregivers on several aspects of the caregiving experience. Design and Methods: Participants were 117 visually impaired elders and their caregivers. Correlational analyses, kappa statistics, and paired t tests were used to examine the…

Cognitive Changes among Institutionalized Elderly People

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Navarro, Jose I.; Menacho, Inmaculada; Alcalde, Concepcion; Marchena, Esperanza; Ruiz, Gonzalo; Aguilar, Manuel

2009-01-01

The efficiency of different cognitive training procedures in elderly people was studied. Two types of methods to train cognitive and memory functions were compared. One method was based on new technologies and the other one on pencil-and-paper activities. Thirty-six elderly institutionalized people aged 68-94 were trained. Quantitative and memory…

Perceiving Elder Caregivers: Effects of Gender, Employment and Caregiving Hours.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Etaugh, Claire; Laumann, Lisa

Family care of elderly parents is increasing. The typical caregiver is a married middle-aged daughter who often has additional employment and family responsibilities. Not surprisingly, female caregivers of the elderly report more stress than male caregivers. This study examined perceptions of the nurturance, professional competence and stresses of…

Designing for the Elderly User: Internet Safety Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Appelt, Lianne C.

2016-01-01

The following qualitative study examines the usability of a custom-designed Internet safety tutorial, targeted at elderly individuals who use the Internet regularly, for effectively conveying critical information regarding online fraud, scams, and other cyber security. The elderly population is especially at risk when it comes to fraudulent…

Household characteristics and influenza vaccination uptake in the community-dwelling elderly: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Chan, Denise P.C.; Wong, Ngai Sze; Wong, Eliza L.Y.; Cheung, Annie W.L.; Lee, Shui Shan

2015-01-01

Elderly people are at higher risk of influenza diseases. The morbidity benefit of vaccination is often offset by its low and variable coverage in elderly people in the community. To assess household and individual factors associated with influenza vaccination uptake in the community-dwelling elderly of age ≥ 65, data from a cross-sectional Thematic Household Survey conducted in 2011/12 in Hong Kong were analysed, using vaccination in the past 12 months as the outcome variable. Households comprising an elderly person living with non-elderly member(s) of age ≤ 64 were also evaluated. Data fields included socio-demographics, household structures, health status, eligibility to financial subsidy, and subscription to health insurance. The influenza vaccination rate was 27% in 4204 elderly persons from 3224 households. Being male, being economically active, attaining primary education, having smoking behaviours were negatively associated with vaccination, while chronic illness and age ≥ 70 were positively associated factors. Elderly people living alone gave a variable rate of vaccination ranging from 16.4% in males of age 65–69 to 36.3% in females ≥ 70. Household size per se was not associated with vaccination, but a positive correlation could be seen if the household was composed of vaccinated non-elderly member(s). Influenza vaccination uptake in the community-dwelling elderly is dependent on both individual and household characteristics, the latter including the influence of vaccinated non-elderly member(s). The low vaccination coverage of “younger” (age 65–69) elderly men living alone is particularly worrisome. Interventions focusing on vulnerable elderly people and their social networks would be desirable. PMID:26844153

Orofacial pain symptoms and associated disability and psychosocial impact in community-dwelling and institutionalized elderly in Hong Kong.

PubMed

Wan, K Y; McMillan, A S; Wong, M C M

2012-03-01

The study investigated the experience of orofacial pain (OFP) symptoms and associated disability and psychosocial impact in community dwelling and institutionalized elderly people in Hong Kong. A community-based cross-sectional survey involving elders aged 60 years and above. Participants were recruited at social centres for the elderly and homes for the aged throughout Hong Kong. Elders who reported OFP symptoms in the previous four weeks took part. Standard questions were asked about OFP conditions in the previous month and the Manchester Orofacial Pain Disability Scale (MOPDS), the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) were administered. The MOPDS was translated and validated for use in Chinese elders. 200 community dwelling and 200 institutionalized elders participated. Toothache was the most common symptom (62.0%) and burning sensation in the tongue was least common (0.5%). The distribution of pain symptoms, pain duration and severity and pain ratings were similar in both groups. The MOPDS (Chinese elders version) had good reliability and construct validity. The MOPDS and OHIP-14 summary scores was significantly higher in the institutionalized elderly (p < 0.001 and p < 0.013, respectively). Psychological distress (GHQ-12 score > or = 4) was more common among the institutionalized elderly (11%) than the community dwelling elderly (4.0%, p = 0.002). Orofacial pain symptoms were associated with significant disability and had a detrimental impact on psychological distress level and quality of life, particularly in the institutionalized elderly. There is a need to improve access to professional care and health-related outreach services generally for elderly people in Hong Kong.

[Images of the elderly in printed advertisements in a time change perspective].

PubMed

Röhr-Sendlmeier, U M; Ueing, S

2004-02-01

This content analytical study investigates the changes of image of the elderly in printed advertisements. A total of 364 advertisements published in 1999 and 2000 involving elderly models were analyzed. A positive image of older age is generally transported in advertisements addressing all consumers, whereas physical and cognitive deficits occurring with age are expressed in some verbal elements of advertisements addressing primarily the elderly themselves. However, such deficits are not visually depicted, since health, full energy and activity provide positive orientation. Compared with advertisements in the 1970s and 1980s, the elderly are shown as more attractive, active and socially appreciated today. In spite of their improved image, the elderly, especially older women, are still not represented in printed advertisement in proportion to their number in the population.

Study on the foot shape characteristics of the elderly in China.

PubMed

Luo, Xiang Dong; Xue, Chao-Hua; Li, Yan

2017-12-01

With aging, the feet of the elderly above 60 years old in China present degenerative changes, deformities, and diseases, which significantly affect their daily activities. The authors aimed to study the morphological characteristics of the feet and identify the foot type according to size (length and width) and defect characteristics of elderly feet in China. A convenient sample of 1000 subjects above 60 years old was recruited mainly in the regions of Shanghai, Shaanxi, Henan, Hebei, and Sichuan in China. Foot images were collected, and 800 (male 398, female 402) valid questionnaires were recovered. A total of 800 elderly subjects as the test group were invited to measure their foot sizes by means of a Footprint Collector (Tong Yuan Tang Health Management Limited, Qingdao in Shandong province). The foot type of the elderly was compared with that of the general adult Chinese population as the control group using the t-test for independent samples. Hallux valgus (46.9%) and flat foot (50.0%) were the most common foot shape deformities. The most frequent foot diseases were foot scaling (91.2%) and calluses (96.3%). The medial width of the first metatarsal-toe joint of the elderly was significantly higher (elderly female, 44.95±4.86mm; elderly male, 48.55±4.94mm) than that of the general adult population (adult female, 40.18±3.43mm; adult male, 43.22±3.20mm) (p<0.01). The foot length of the elderly was not significantly different from that of the general adult Chinese population. The width of the first metatarsal-toe joint in the forefoot of the elderly was significantly higher than that of the general adult Chinese population, which was consistent with the result that a high proportion of elderly subjects presented hallux valgus. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Circles of Tobacco Wisdom: learning about traditional and commercial tobacco with Native elders.

PubMed

Nadeau, Melanie; Blake, Norby; Poupart, John; Rhodes, Kristine; Forster, Jean L

2012-11-01

Circles of Tobacco Wisdom (CTW) was an elder-led, community-based project that aimed to enhance tobacco control in the American Indian community. Its goal was to provide elders with the knowledge, opportunities, and support to enable them to assume leadership of a tobacco control movement that was grounded in the ceremonial traditions of tobacco use. The purpose of this study was to test the effects of the pilot intervention on participants. The design of this pilot study intervention was a single group, pre-post comparison, with a pre-post survey, monthly check-ins, and a post-1-year focus group. Twelve elders were included in the pre- and post-analyses. All twelve elders were women who self-identified as American Indian (mean age = 64). The CTW elders participated in monthly talking circles, quarterly learning sessions, and a post-1-year focus group, and took part in other learning, support, and community action opportunities. Data were collected from December 2008 through November 2009 and analyzed throughout the process. American Indian Elders' tobacco-related knowledge, perceptions, beliefs, and behaviors were measured while participating in the CTW project. Knowledge, perceptions, beliefs, and behavior changes were seen with cigarette smoking, secondhand smoke, and ceremonial tobacco use and risk perception. After 6 months, the number of people the elders had talked with about tobacco increased, elders were more likely to have a discussion on tobacco at a community event, and their comfort level talking about commercial and traditional tobacco also increased. A number of themes also were identified in the focus group: feeling more comfortable talking about tobacco issues, learning a lot about traditional and commercial tobacco, and realizing the dangers of smoking. Elders increased their knowledge about commercial and traditional tobacco and changed related attitudes as a result of CTW. Further, American Indian Elders perceived that CTW was effective. Copyright © 2012 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Stress, loneliness, and depression in Taiwanese rural community-dwelling elders.

PubMed

Wang, J J; Snyder, M; Kaas, M

2001-06-01

This study examined the stressors and stress levels, loneliness, and depression experienced by Taiwanese rural elders and determine if differences in the level of stress were associated with specific person-environmental characteristics. The relationship between stress and depression was also explored. A total of 201 older rural community residents participated in the study. Findings showed that rural elders experienced a number of stressors related to health and family issues. Differences in the degree of stressfulness of individuals differed by gender, educational level, living arrangement, and socioeconomic status (SES). Findings in this study also showed that there was a high association among stress level, depressive symptoms, and mood status. The findings of this study will assist community health policy-makers in determining the need for health-related services for rural elders experiencing these problems.

Variance of foot biomechanical parameters across age groups for the elderly people in Romania

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deselnicu, D. C.; Vasilescu, A. M.; Militaru, G.

2017-10-01

The paper presents the results of a fieldwork study conducted in order to analyze major causal factors that influence the foot deformities and pathologies of elderly women in Romania. The study has an exploratory and descriptive nature and uses quantitative methodology. The sample consisted of 100 elderly women from Romania, ranging from 55 to over 75 years of age. The collected data was analyzed on multiple dimensions using a statistic analysis software program. The analysis of variance demonstrated significant differences across age groups in terms of several biomechanical parameters such as travel speed, toe off phase and support phase in the case of elderly women.

QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE METHODS OF SUICIDE RESEARCH IN OLD AGE.

PubMed

Ojagbemi, A

2017-06-01

This paper examines the merits of the qualitative and quantitative methods of suicide research in the elderly using two studies identified through a free search of the Pubmed database for articles that might have direct bearing on suicidality in the elderly. The studies have been purposively selected for critical appraisal because they meaningfully reflect the quantitative and qualitative divide as well as the social, economic, and cultural boundaries between the elderly living in sub-Saharan Africa and Europe. The paper concludes that an integration of both the qualitative and quantitative research approaches may provide a better platform for unraveling the complex phenomenon of suicide in the elderly.

Spilling over strain between elders and their caregivers in Hong Kong.

PubMed

Cheung, Chau-Kiu; Chow, Esther Oi-wah

2006-01-01

According to the dialectical model, the well-being of the older care recipient, the informal caregiver, and the professional care provider mutually affect each other. Particularly, the caregiver's strain can affect the care recipient's well-being both positively and negatively. Moreover, the task-specific model suggests that as social workers are responsible for maintaining elders' well-being, the workers' strain would be particularly influential on the elders' well-being. To clarify these dialectic relationships, the present study surveyed the three parties involved in home help or home care services in Hong Kong over two successive waves using a panel design. This study reveals the significant negative effect the professional care provider's earlier strain has on the elder's later well-being. Moreover, the social worker's earlier strain was particularly detrimental to the elder's later well-being. In contrast, the effect of the informal caregiver's earlier strain was not significant. Additionally, the elder's well-being had no significant impact on the strain of either the professional care provider or the informal caregiver. Findings of this study support the qualification of the dialectical model by the task-specific model to yield a model of channeled spillover. Accordingly, dialectical influence requires a channel to materialize the spillover effect.

Leisure activities and attitude of institutionalized elderly people: a basis for nursing practice1

PubMed Central

de Castro, Vivian Carla; Carreira, Lígia

2015-01-01

Aim: to identify the leisure activities performed in Long-Stay Institutions for the Elderly (LSIEs), registered in the city of Maringá-PR, Brazil, and to analyze the attitude of the elderly people toward leisure promoted by the institutions. METHOD: this was a descriptive and transversal study with a quantitative approach, carried out with 97 elderly people, through the establishment of the socio-demographic profile and the application of the Leisure Attitude Scale. The data was subjected to descriptive statistical analysis, association tests (chi-square or Fisher's) and Spearman's correlation. RESULTS: males, aged 80 or over, widowed, with one to eight years of study, who had a monthly income were predominant. Age group and income were significantly associated with the performance of leisure activities. The results reflected the positive attitude of the elderly people in relation to leisure activities, except in the behavioral component. CONCLUSION: the findings of this study indicate the need for further investigation into the difficulties linked to the attitude toward leisure in the behavioral component, considering aspects such as individual concepts of leisure and the health status of the elderly people. PMID:26039302

Effectiveness of the mHealth technology in improvement of healthy behaviors in an elderly population-a systematic review.

PubMed

Changizi, Maryam; Kaveh, Mohammad H

2017-01-01

Demographic changes in the 21st century, increased population of the elderly and high prevalence of related diseases call for new healthcare strategies that can change the behavior and lifestyle of elderly individuals. Innovative information and communication technology, such as mobile health (mHealth), can play a significant role. The present study was conducted aiming to assess the effectiveness of mHealth in improving health behaviors among an elderly population. This paper presents a systematic review involving a search of PubMed, Web of Science (ISI), Scopus, Science Direct and Embase databases from [2012-2016]. Our search resulted after initial evaluations 12 articles. Inclusion criteria mostly revolved around interventional studies, other studies were excluded because of their methodology, non-elderly target groups and irrelevant to the subject. Findings showed that mHealth can improve care, self-management, self-efficacy, behavior promotion (quality of sleep, diet, physical activity mental health) and medication adherence. The mHealth technology has proven effective for disease prevention, lifestyle changes, management of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and is a suitable tool for elderly people. In conclusion, it seems that mHealth can facilitate behavioral changes; although, further research is necessary in this regard.

Health status of elderly based on daily activities living, cholesterol and uric acid profile in Medan city

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amelia, R.; Harahap, J.; Wahyuni, A. S.; Pratama, A.

2018-03-01

Health problems in the elderly come from declining body cells, so the function and body endurance decreased along with increased risk factors for diseases. This study aimed to determine the elderly health status in Public Health Center of Tuntungan Medan. Health status includes measurement of daily activities living (DAL),and health parameter include blood pressure, blood sugar level (BSL), cholesterol level and uric acid level. The study design was descriptive with cross-sectional approach. The study population was the entire elderly population residing in the service area of public health center of Tuntungan Medan (55 subjects). The elderly who had a reasonable level of independence were 47 subjects (85.5%), the majority of elderly were in the category of hypertension stage I (20 subjects; 36.4%) with a mean systolic blood pressure level was 143mmHg. Most of them have BSL that exceeded the standard limit (42 subjects; 76.4%) with BSL mean value was 177mg/dL.Uric acid levels were in the high category (34 subjects; 61.98%) with a mean value of 7.0mm/dL, and most of them have normal cholesterol (43 subjects; 78.2%).

The Effect of Smoking on the Physical Fitness of Elderly Male Subjects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eroglu, Hüseyin; Yüksek, Selami

2018-01-01

Introduction: This study was conducted to analyze the effect of the smoking habit on the physical fitness of elderly male subjects. Material and Method: The study was conducted on 849 (age 68.7 ± 6.1 years, height 169.4 ± 6.4 cm, 76.4 ± 11.00 kg) elderly male volunteers who could independently perform their daily activities and did not suffer from…

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use by african american (AA) and caucasian american (CA) older adults in a rural setting: a descriptive, comparative study

PubMed Central

Cuellar, Norma; Aycock, Teresa; Cahill, Bridgett; Ford, Julie

2003-01-01

Background The use of CAM is at an all time high. There is very little research that compares the use of CAM in elders by ethnicity in rural settings. The purpose of the study was to determine if there was a difference between African American and Caucasian American rural elders on use of CAM and self-reported satisfaction with CAM. Methods The design was a descriptive, comparative study of 183 elders who reported the number of CAM used and satisfaction with CAM. A convenience sample was recruited through community service organizations in the state of Mississippi. The availability of elders through the support groups, sampling bias, subject effect, and self-report were limitations of the study. Results The commonest examples of CAM used by rural elders were prayer, vitamins, exercise, meditation, herbs, chiropractic medicine, glucosamine, and music therapy. Significant findings on SES and marital status were calculated. Differences on ethnicity and demographic variables were significant for age, education, and the use of glucosamine. Conclusions Health care providers must be aware that elders are using CAM and are satisfied with their use. Identifying different uses of CAM by ethnicity is important for health care practitioners, impacting how health care is provided. PMID:14622445

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use by African American (AA) and Caucasian American (CA) older adults in a rural setting: a descriptive, comparative study.

PubMed

Cuellar, Norma; Aycock, Teresa; Cahill, Bridgett; Ford, Julie

2003-11-18

The use of CAM is at an all time high. There is very little research that compares the use of CAM in elders by ethnicity in rural settings. The purpose of the study was to determine if there was a difference between African American and Caucasian American rural elders on use of CAM and self-reported satisfaction with CAM. The design was a descriptive, comparative study of 183 elders who reported the number of CAM used and satisfaction with CAM. A convenience sample was recruited through community service organizations in the state of Mississippi. The availability of elders through the support groups, sampling bias, subject effect, and self-report were limitations of the study. The commonest examples of CAM used by rural elders were prayer, vitamins, exercise, meditation, herbs, chiropractic medicine, glucosamine, and music therapy. Significant findings on SES and marital status were calculated. Differences on ethnicity and demographic variables were significant for age, education, and the use of glucosamine. Health care providers must be aware that elders are using CAM and are satisfied with their use. Identifying different uses of CAM by ethnicity is important for health care practitioners, impacting how health care is provided.

The effect of 12-week Pilates exercises on wellness in the elderly.

PubMed

Roh, Su Yeon

2016-04-01

The purpose of this study is to examine the efficiency of 12-week Pilates exercises on wellness in the elderly. Before Pilates exercises training, the 88 elderly (63 females, 25 males) were given and completed a Wellness Scale. Then, the elderly participated in Pilates exercises and completed the same scale afterwards. Results of paired t-test showed that participants in 12-week Pilates exercises experienced significant improvement in physical (t=2.762, P<0.01), social (t=3.362, P<0.001), spiritual (t=2.307, P<0.05), and emotional wellness (t=2.489, P<0.05). Consequently, Pilates exercises helped improve wellness of the elderly.

Health-related quality of life of elderly living in the rural community and homes for the elderly in a district of India. Application of the short form 36 (SF-36) health survey questionnaire.

PubMed

Varma, G R; Kusuma, Y S; Babu, B V

2010-08-01

The present investigation aimed to assess the health-related QoL (HRQoL) of elderly people living in two settings: (i) rural community and (ii) homes for the elderly in a district of South India. The data are drawn from elderly (>60 years of age) sampled from both settings. The short form 36-item health survey (SF-36) was administered to all respondents. The average scores for several domains, including total physical health, total mental health and overall health (total SF-36 score) were around 50, which can be interpreted as a moderate level of health-related QoL. Residents living in a home for the elderly scored better in all domains except for role-physical and role-emotional. Though univariate analysis revealed some associations between characteristics of elderly SF-36 scores, the multiple regression analysis indicated that working status yields a significant but negative coefficient for total SF-36 score among community dwelling elderly. The elderly report that their lives are better when they are staying in homes for the elderly. Hence, despite the socio-economic conditions, provision of a better and conducive environment by setting up more charity-based homes for the elderly may be one of the options for relative betterment of the QoL of the elderly, particularly those who are socially and economically deprived. Finally, the study warrants the need of normative values of SF-36 for various population groups in India.

Rural-urban difference in the use of annual physical examination among seniors in Shandong, China: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Ge, Dandan; Chu, Jie; Zhou, Chengchao; Qian, Yangyang; Zhang, Li; Sun, Long

2017-05-23

Regular physical examination contributes to early detection and timely treatment, which is helpful in promoting healthy behaviors and preventing diseases. The objective of this study is to compare the annual physical examination (APE) use between rural and urban elderly in China. A total of 3,922 participants (60+) were randomly selected from three urban districts and three rural counties in Shandong Province, China, and were interviewed using a standardized questionnaire. We performed unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression models to examine the difference in the utilization of APE between rural and urban elderly. Two adjusted logistic regression models were employed to identify the factors associated with APE use in rural and urban seniors respectively. The utilization rates of APE in rural and urban elderly are 37.4% and 76.2% respectively. Factors including education level, exercise, watching TV, and number of non-communicable chronic conditions, are associated with APE use both in rural and urban elderly. Hospitalization, self-reported economic status, and health insurance are found to be significant (p < 0.05) predictors for APE use in rural elderly. Elderly covered by Urban Resident Basic Medical Insurance (URBMI) (p < 0.05, OR = 1.874) are more likely to use APE in urban areas. There is a big difference in APE utilization between rural and urban elderly. Interventions targeting identified at-risk subgroups, especially for those rural elderly, are essential to reduce such a gap. To improve health literacy might be helpful to increase the utilization rate of APE among the elderly.

Pathophysiologic Response to Burns in the Elderly☆

PubMed Central

Jeschke, Marc G.; Patsouris, David; Stanojcic, Mile; Abdullahi, Abdikarim; Rehou, Sarah; Pinto, Ruxandra; Chen, Peter; Burnett, Marjorie; Amini-Nik, Saeid

2015-01-01

Over the last decades advancements have improved survival and outcomes of severely burned patients except one population, elderly. The Lethal Dose 50 (LD50) burn size in elderly has remained the same over the past three decades, and so has morbidity and mortality, despite the increased demand for elderly burn care. The objective of this study is to gain insights on why elderly burn patients have had such a poor outcome when compared to adult burn patients. The significance of this project is that to this date, burn care providers recognize the extreme poor outcome of elderly, but the reason remains unclear. In this prospective translational trial, we have determined clinical, metabolic, inflammatory, immune, and skin healing aspects. We found that elderly have a profound increased mortality, more premorbid conditions, and stay at the hospital for longer, p < 0.05. Interestingly, we could not find a higher incidence of infection or sepsis in elderly, p > 0.05, but a significant increased incidence of multi organ failure, p < 0.05. These clinical outcomes were associated with a delayed hypermetabolic response, increased hyperglycemic and hyperlipidemic responses, inversed inflammatory response, immune-compromisation and substantial delay in wound healing predominantly due to alteration in characteristics of progenitor cells, p < 0.05. In summary, elderly have substantially different responses to burns when compared to adults associated with increased morbidity and mortality. This study indicates that these responses are complex and not linear, requiring a multi-modal approach to improve the outcome of severely burned elderly. PMID:26629550

Increased collagenase and dipeptidyl peptidase I activity in leucocytes from healthy elderly people

PubMed Central

Llorente, L; Richaud-Patin, Y; Díaz-Borjón, A; Jakez-Ocampo, J; Alvarado-De La Barrera, C

1999-01-01

The incidence of infectious diseases increases with ageing. The enzymatic activity of leucocytes may have a relevant role in the morbidity and mortality due to infections in the elderly. In this study we have compared the activity of enzymes involved in the inflammatory response in leucocytes from young and elderly women. A total of 35 healthy females was studied, 20 volunteers aged 78–98 years (mean 89.1 years) and 15 young controls aged 19–34 years (mean 26 years). All of them were in good clinical condition, without any acute or chronic disease. Intracellular enzyme activity was analysed by flow cytometry in leucocytes from young and elderly women. The enzyme substrates employed were for oxidative burst, l-aminopeptidase, collagenase, cathepsin B, C, D and, G and dipeptidyl peptidase I. The intracellular enzyme activity assessed by flow cytometry in leucocytes from young and elderly women was similar, as far as oxidative burst, l-aminopeptidase, cathepsin B, C, D and G are concerned. An increased collagenase activity was detected in granulocytes from elders. The mean fluorescence channels for this enzyme corresponded to 86 ± 23 and 60 ± 15 in cells from elders and controls, respectively (P = 0.01224). An increased dipeptidyl peptidase I activity was detected in lymphocytes from elderly women. The corresponding values for this enzyme in elders and the young were 65.9 ± 43.3 and 17.3 ± 5, respectively (P = 0.0036). The proper functional activity of intracellular enzymes involved in inflammatory responses is likely to be determinant for successful ageing. PMID:10361229

[Role of the social support network which influences age of death and physical function of elderly people: study of trends in and outside of Japan and future problems].

PubMed

Kishi, Reiko; Horikawa, Naoko

2004-02-01

Concerning associations between the social support network and physical health of the elderly, longitudinal studies have been conducted using various measurement indexes. The studies indicated that the support network influences on physical function and life expectancy. In this study we compared research papers from Japan and elsewhere that appeared after 1980, from the viewpoint of 1) social support effects, and 2) social network effects, to examine potential problems in the future. The main knowledge obtained was that the receipt of emotional support, wide network size, and participation in social activities reduced the risk of early death and decrease in physical function of elderly people. Sex differences were indicated, and in many cases, the effects were more remarkable in men than women. In addition the positive influence of receiving help from a support network, a major subject of conventional research, the effects of offering help to others and negative findings were also examined. It has been indicated that participation in volunteer groups and offer of support to other people can prevent decrease in physical function or early death. As negative effects, improper instrumental support rather disturbs the mental and physical independence of elderly people. As future issues, it is necessary to focus on both positive/negative and receipt/offer effects of support network, and to clarify how to provide example which best match the life of elderly people by comparing sexes and regions. It is also important to actually apply the knowledge gained from observational studies to prevent the elderly from becoming a condition requiring care, and to develop intervention studies which can increase the social contacts of elderly people at the same time as conducting health education and medical treatment.

Radiologists' Training, Experience, and Attitudes About Elder Abuse Detection.

PubMed

Rosen, Tony; Bloemen, Elizabeth M; Harpe, Jasmin; Sanchez, Allen M; Mennitt, Kevin W; McCarthy, Thomas J; Nicola, Refky; Murphy, Kieran; LoFaso, Veronica M; Flomenbaum, Neal; Lachs, Mark S

2016-12-01

Elder abuse is underrecognized, and identification of subtle cases requires a high index of suspicion among all health care providers. Because many geriatric injury victims undergo radiographic imaging, diagnostic radiologists may be well positioned to identify injury patterns suggestive of abuse. Little is known about radiologists' experience with elder abuse. Our goal was to describe knowledge, attitudes, training, and practice experience in elder abuse detection among diagnostic radiologists. We conducted 19 interviews with diagnostic radiologists at a large urban academic medical center using a semistructured format. Data from these sessions were coded and analyzed to identify themes. Only two radiologists reported any formal or informal training in elder abuse detection. All subjects believed they had missed cases of elder abuse. Even experienced radiologists reported never having received a request from a referring physician to assess images for evidence suggestive of elder abuse. All subjects reported a desire for additional elder abuse training. Also, subjects identified radiographic findings or patterns potentially suggestive of elder abuse, including high-energy injuries such as upper rib fractures, injuries in multiple stages of healing, and injuries inconsistent with reported mechanism. Radiologists are uniquely positioned to identify elder abuse. Though training in detection is currently lacking, providers expressed a desire for increased knowledge. In addition, radiologists were able to identify radiographic findings suggestive of elder abuse. On the basis of these findings, we plan to conduct additional studies to define pathognomonic injury patterns and to explore how to empower radiologists to incorporate detection into their practice.

[A phenomenological study of suicide attempts in elders].

PubMed

Im, Mi Young; Kim, Yun Jeong

2011-02-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the meaning and essence of suicide for elderly people who had previously attempted suicide as an older person. Giorgi's descriptive phenomenology was used for analysis. The researchers carried out in-depth interviews, recordings and memos individually with four elders. The elders were individuals who had attempted suicide sometime in the past 5 yr. They were interviewed from 5 to 10 times using open-ended questions and a semi-structural format. Demographic data were also collected. The meaning of suicide before a suicide attempt in older people had four core components: conflict with family, powerlessness and despair in their life with a drop in self-esteem, using internal and external resources to resolve their troubles and awareness of imminent crisis. These results of this study will increase understanding of suicide in older people by defining their subjective experience of suicide attempts and applying grounded data in the development of programs that provide concrete intervention strategies to prevent suicide in elderly people.

[Nutritional status of elderly Brazilians: a multilevel approach].

PubMed

Pereira, Ingrid Freitas da Silva; Spyrides, Maria Helena Constantino; Andrade, Lára de Melo Barbosa

2016-06-03

The objectives of this study were to diagnose the nutritional status of the elderly Brazilian population and to identify associated factors. The study used data from the Brazilian Household Budget Survey (2008/2009) for 20,114 elderly, whose nutritional status was assessed by body mass index (BMI). Associated factors were tested with the Pearson chi-square test and multilevel linear models. The hierarchical analysis showed a significant effect of state of Brazil on BMI variance (p-value = 0.001). The individual level showed a negative association (p-value < 0.001) with Asian-descendant race, male gender, living alone, and older age and a positive association with per capita income. Underweight was more prevalent among elderly in rural areas (26.3%) and in the Northeast (23.7%) and Central regions (20.9%), and obesity was more prevalent in the South (45.1%) and Southeast (38.3%) and in cities (39%). The study suggests the importance of further in-depth research on nutritional status of elderly based on contextual variables.

Older persons' views and experience of elder abuse in South Western Nigeria: a community-based qualitative survey.

PubMed

Cadmus, Eniola Olubukola; Owoaje, Eme Theodora; Akinyemi, Oluwaseun Oladapo

2015-06-01

Conventionally, existing information on elder abuse has been institution based, professionally driven, and in high-income countries. This study addresses the prevailing gap in knowledge through direct consultation of older persons in the community about their perceptions of elder abuse. Eight focus group discussions were carried out among males and females aged 60 years and above in a rural and an urban community in south western Nigeria. Data were transcribed and analyzed based on emergent themes. Findings from the study show that the perception of abuse by the respondents included the standard typologies except sexual abuse as well as societal issues such as disrespect and lack of recognition. Our study revealed a high level of awareness and experience of elder abuse among the participants in both communities. Effective social welfare and health services aided by targeted government policies are needed to improve the quality of life of the elderly. © The Author(s) 2014.

[Motivational orientation and depressive symptoms in the elderly].

PubMed

Altintas, E; Guerrien, A

2009-04-01

This article is focused on motivation and depression in later life. For about 20 years, research on the motivation of elders has underlined the importance of the cognitive evaluation of life contexts, notably in terms of self-determination. This cognitive evaluation determines the motivational orientation for daily activities (notably the levels of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation). The purpose of this research was specifically to study the relationships between the existence of four types of motivation (intrinsic, self-determined extrinsic, nonself-determined extrinsic and amotivation) and the consequences for adaptation and well-being. The study, therefore, focused on the possible links between motivation and geriatric-depression level and explored the nature of this link. Forty persons aged 60 or over (31 women: 80.48+/-9.24; nine men: 80.56+/-9.48) who live in nursing homes (20 elderly) or in their own homes (20 elderly) were enrolled. Elderly persons were assessed with specific and standardized tools: the Elderly Motivation Scale (EMS, in the French version: EMPA) and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). For the statistical analyses of the results, correlations and Mann-Whitney test were used. We found that in elderly people, the motivational styles (the four types of motivation) can be reliably measured and are related to geriatric depression. First, significant positive links were noticed between intrinsic motivation and depression scores and between self-determined extrinsic motivation and depression scores. Conversely, significant negative links were noticed between nonself-determined extrinsic motivation and depression scores and between amotivation and depression scores. The most self-determined elders presented low-depression levels, whereas the more nonself-determined elders showed high-depression levels. Moreover, motivational styles significantly differed in the two groups (depressive or not depressive). The most depressive elders showed significantly lower-intrinsic and self-determined motivation levels. Our results support the hypothesis that motivational styles are related to important aspects (adaptation, well-being and depression) of the life of elderly people. Self-determination theory appears of high interest in research on aging and especially on the determinants of well-being in the elders.

The ‘apparent clearance’ of free phenytoin in elderly vs. younger adults

PubMed Central

Wright, Daniel F B; Begg, Evan J

2010-01-01

AIMS To test the hypothesis that the ‘apparent clearance’ of free phenytoin is reduced in elderly patients. METHODS Two separate studies were conducted comparing free phenytoin ‘apparent clearance’ in elderly vs. younger adults. The first study was a retrospective analysis of free phenytoin concentrations measured at Christchurch Hospital from 1997 to 2006. In the second study free phenytoin concentrations were measured prospectively in ambulatory subjects who were taking phenytoin regularly. RESULTS In the retrospective study (n = 29), free phenytoin ‘apparent clearance’ was 0.27 ± 0.04 l kg−1 day−1 (95% CI 0.19, 0.34) in the elderly cohort vs. 0.37 ± 0.06 l kg−1 day−1 (95% CI 0.22, 0.52) in younger adults, but the difference was not statistically significant. In the prospective study, free phenytoin ‘apparent clearance’ showed a non-significant trend to being reduced in the elderly patients (0.12 ± 0.02 l kg−1 day−1, 95% CI 0.07, 0.17) compared with the younger cohort (0.18 ± 0.07 l kg−1 day−1, 95% CI 0.09, 0.26) in those not taking interacting drugs (n = 21). CONCLUSIONS This research does not prove the hypothesis that the ‘apparent clearance’ of free phenytoin is reduced in the elderly. However, the trends found in these two studies are supported by trends in the same direction in other published studies, suggesting an age effect. PMID:20642556

Prevalence of overweight and obesity in non-institutionalized people aged 65 or over from Spain: the elderly EXERNET multi-centre study.

PubMed

Gomez-Cabello, A; Pedrero-Chamizo, R; Olivares, P R; Luzardo, L; Juez-Bengoechea, A; Mata, E; Albers, U; Aznar, S; Villa, G; Espino, L; Gusi, N; Gonzalez-Gross, M; Casajus, J A; Ara, I

2011-08-01

Coupled with the growth of the older population, an increase in the prevalence of overweight and obesity in this age group has occurred in the last decades. The main aims of the present study were (i) to provide an updated prevalence of overweight and obesity in a representative sample of the Spanish elderly population; (ii) to calculate the prevalence of sarcopenic obesity (SO) and (iii) to analyse the relationships between adiposity measurements and lifestyle. A cross-sectional study was carried out in a sample of 3136 persons representative of the non-institutionalized population ≥65 years of age. Anthropometric measurements were obtained using standardized techniques and equipment. Overall, 84% of the population can be categorized as overweight and/or obese. The present study indicates that 67% of the Spanish elderly population has an increased percentage of fat mass and more than 56% suffer from central obesity. Moreover, SO is present in 15% of the Spanish elderly population. Finally, a strong relationship between both physically active and sedentary lifestyles and the level of adiposity was found. Prevalence of overweight and obesity among elderly people in Spain is very high and is still increasing. Lifestyle seems to be a determinant factor in the development of obesity among elderly people. © 2011 The Authors. obesity reviews © 2011 International Association for the Study of Obesity.

The Impacts of Social Support and Cognitive Function on Depression among Community-Dwelling Older Japanese Americans.

PubMed

Kim, Bum Jung; Nakaoka, Susan; Underwood, Charna

2017-02-17

Research has demonstrated a relationship between social support, cognitive function, and depression among older adults, yet fewer studies have explored this association with Japanese American elders. This study aims to examine depression and describe its relationship with social support, cognitive function, and socioeconomic condition among Japanese American elders. A cross-sectional study of 205 Japanese American elders was conducted in Honolulu and Los Angeles County. A hierarchical regression model was used with depression as a dependent variable and with independent variables such as social support, cognitive function, and socioeconomic status. The study found that social support and cognitive function were significantly associated with depression for Japanese American elders. Also age and education were significantly associated with depression. Based on the findings, the study indicates the importance of developing preventive strategies to reduce the depression issue using culturally tailored programs to the study population.

Registered nurses' perceptions of their professional work in nursing homes and home-based care: a focus group study.

PubMed

Carlson, Elisabeth; Rämgård, Margareta; Bolmsjö, Ingrid; Bengtsson, Mariette

2014-05-01

In Sweden, as well as in most industrialised countries, an increasing older population is expected to create a growing demand for health care staff. Previous studies have pointed to lack of proficient medical and nursing staff specialised in geriatric care, which poses serious threats to the care of a vulnerable population. At the same time, there are studies describing elderly care as a low-status career choice, attracting neither nurses nor student nurses. Judging from previous research it was deemed important to explore how nurses in elderly care perceive their work, thus possibly provide vital knowledge that can guide nurse educators and unit managers as a means to promote a career in elderly care. The aim of the present study was to illuminate how nurses, working in nursing homes and home-based care, perceived their professional work. This was a qualitative study using focus groups. 30 registered nurses in seven focus groups were interviewed. The participants worked in nursing homes and home-based care for the elderly in rural areas and in a larger city in southern Sweden. The interviews were analysed in line with the tradition of naturalistic inquiry. Our findings illustrate how nurses working in elderly care perceived their professional work as holistic and respectful nursing. Three categories of professional work emerged during analysis: (1) establishing long-term relationships, (2) nursing beyond technical skills, and (3) balancing independence and a sense of loneliness. The findings are important as they represent positive alternatives to the somewhat prevailing view on elderly care as depressing and undemanding. Nurse educators might use the key aspects as good examples, thus influencing student nurses' attitudes towards elderly care in a positive way. Elderly care agencies might find them helpful when recruiting and retaining nurses to a much needed area. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Effect of Information Communication Technology Interventions on Reducing Social Isolation in the Elderly: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Chen, Yi-Ru Regina; Schulz, Peter J

2016-01-28

The aging of the population is an inexorable change that challenges governments and societies in every developed country. Based on clinical and empirical data, social isolation is found to be prevalent among elderly people, and it has negative consequences on the elderly's psychological and physical health. Targeting social isolation has become a focus area for policy and practice. Evidence indicates that contemporary information and communication technologies (ICT) have the potential to prevent or reduce the social isolation of elderly people via various mechanisms. This systematic review explored the effects of ICT interventions on reducing social isolation of the elderly. Relevant electronic databases (PsycINFO, PubMed, MEDLINE, EBSCO, SSCI, Communication Studies: a SAGE Full-Text Collection, Communication & Mass Media Complete, Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Digital Library, and IEEE Xplore) were systematically searched using a unified strategy to identify quantitative and qualitative studies on the effectiveness of ICT-mediated social isolation interventions for elderly people published in English between 2002 and 2015. Narrative synthesis was performed to interpret the results of the identified studies, and their quality was also appraised. Twenty-five publications were included in the review. Four of them were evaluated as rigorous research. Most studies measured the effectiveness of ICT by measuring specific dimensions rather than social isolation in general. ICT use was consistently found to affect social support, social connectedness, and social isolation in general positively. The results for loneliness were inconclusive. Even though most were positive, some studies found a nonsignificant or negative impact. More importantly, the positive effect of ICT use on social connectedness and social support seemed to be short-term and did not last for more than six months after the intervention. The results for self-esteem and control over one's life were consistent but generally nonsignificant. ICT was found to alleviate the elderly's social isolation through four mechanisms: connecting to the outside world, gaining social support, engaging in activities of interests, and boosting self-confidence. More well-designed studies that contain a minimum risk of research bias are needed to draw conclusions on the effectiveness of ICT interventions for elderly people in reducing their perceived social isolation as a multidimensional concept. The results of this review suggest that ICT could be an effective tool to tackle social isolation among the elderly. However, it is not suitable for every senior alike. Future research should identify who among elderly people can most benefit from ICT use in reducing social isolation. Research on other types of ICT (eg, mobile phone-based instant messaging apps) should be conducted to promote understanding and practice of ICT-based social-isolation interventions for elderly people.

ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SELF-CARE BEHAVIORS AND SELF-ESTEEM OF RURAL ELDERLIES; NECESSITY OF HEALTH PROMOTION

PubMed Central

Bagheri-Nesami, Masoumeh; Goudarzian, Amir Hossein; Mirani, Hesam; Jouybari, Sina Sabourian; Nasiri, Davoud

2016-01-01

Introduction: Changes in the modern medical science caused significant reduction of mortality and every day increase of the elderly in the world. According to prevalence of physical and mental problems in elderly, it is necessary to take some actions. Self care in one of the best way to improve elderly health and life satisfaction that seems have a relation to self-esteem. Methods: This descriptive and analytical study was performed on 180 elderly in rural areas of the Sari city. Elderly selected by multi-stage randomize sampling method. Data were gathered by using standard questionnaires of self-care and Rosenberg self-esteem. Data were analyzed by Spearman and Pearson’s correlation using SPSS software (V16). Findings: The mean±SD of the ages of the elderly were 66.85±7.661. The score of self-care varies between 99 to 155 and most of them (66.7%) had good level of self-care. Also, most of elderly (52.2%) had high level of self-esteem. Also there was a significant relationship, between self-care and self-esteem (P<0.001, r=0.426). Conclusion: According to significant relationship between self-care and self-esteem of elderly, by the planning for improving the self care of elderly, can increase their health and significantly reduce from physical and mental complications. PMID:27047266

Living arrangements and the role of caregivers among the elderly in Latin America.

PubMed

Trujillo, Antonio J; Mroz, Thomas A; Angeles, Gustavo

2007-04-01

Using the SABE(1) data set, this paper describes the support that the elderly receive from family members, siblings, friends and the community where they live in four Latin American cities. It also reports the activities that the elderly do for their family members. In the four distinct cities included in the study, we find similar trends in terms of living arrangements, the role of caregivers and the type of activities that elderly people provide for their family members. Our findings indicate the elderly without any support tend to be in better health and socio-economic conditions than elderly persons with family or community support; this is likely because healthier individuals need less assistance. Surprisingly, most of the elderly without any help from family members do not receive support from the community either. Daughters inside the household are the most likely caregivers and receive most assistance from the elderly in return. The exchange of services and activities within the household reflects the higher gains that female caregivers receive from taking care of elderly relatives, or the lower wages and consequently their lower cost of providing care. Among the providers of money, sons and daughters share similar characteristics. A significant number of caregivers are in the productive years of their life. A discussion of the policy options to increase elderly health and to improve the role of caregivers is included.

[The perception of the young and long-lived elderly 'Gauchos' (from the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil) about the public spaces they live in Resumo].

PubMed

Navarro, Joel Hirtz do Nascimento; Andrade, Francini Porcher; Paiva, Tiago Sousa; da Silva, Diovana Ourique; Gessinger, Cristiane Fernanda; Bós, Ângelo José Gonçalves

2015-02-01

By 2050, the number of Brazilians living in urban areas will be over 200 million and 29% of the population will be elderly. The long-lived elderly are 80 or more years old and the young elderly are between 60 and 79 years of age. The scope of this article was to verify the difference in perception between the young elderly and the long-lived elderly from Rio Grande do Sul (RS) about the urban environment they live in. This is a population-based, observational, descriptive, retrospective study with a quantitative analysis paradigm. Data was analyzed from Elderly Profile research in RS conducted by the Geriatric and Gerontological Institute of PUCRS in partnership with the RS School of Public Health. The sample consisted of 6913 questionnaires answered by the elderly from 59 cities. Data analysis was performed for each age group and independent variables were processed using the Chi-square test, with p under 0.05. Results showed that the perception of difficulties such as a lack of park benches and safety strips, short traffic light times for pedestrians, high steps and bad-smelling public toilets was greater among the young elderly. The long-lived elderly noticed these facts less, though they admitted that they frequent community environments less often.

[Relationship of the elderly nutrition knowledge and their education level in Nanjing].

PubMed

Liu, Chen; Su, Yamei; Jin, Bangquan

2013-07-01

To study the relationship of the elderly nutrition knowledge, eating behavior and BMI status with their education level. A questionnaire was designed to investigate 1367 elders in 26 nursing homes and communities of Nanjing. Accoording to the education lever, elders nutrition knowledge in college and high school was more than that in middle and primary school, significantly (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Elders in college and high school groups could obtain much more informations via diversification, such as book, journal or magazine, interpersonal communication and TV or radio. While, 50% elders in lower education groups (middle and primary school) usually watch TV or lisen to the radio get knowledge. The higher education level, the higher income for elders. For this reason, their dietary structure and eating behavior were tending to be reasonable. Compared with the education lever, age and BMI, the effect of age on BMI was more than education lever. The ratio of weight loss and obesity in 75 years old was clearly increased, their nutrition supplment needs more care. elderly education lever was a key factor on their nutrition knowledge and eating behavior (P = 0.00). In college and high school groups, elders nutrition knowledge and income were better than lower education level. However, the age was closed relative to BMI. When elders was over 75 years old, their body weight tend to loss or over and need more nutritional attention.

Relationships between ground reaction force parameters during a sit-to-stand movement and physical activity and falling risk of the elderly and a comparison of the movement characteristics between the young and the elderly.

PubMed

Yamada, Takayoshi; Demura, Shin-ichi

2009-01-01

This study aimed to examine the relationships between ground reaction force during a sit-to-stand (STS) movement and physical activity and falling risk of the elderly and the difference of the movement characteristics between the young and the elderly. Sixty elderly females who can achieve a STS movement by themselves and 30 healthy young females were measured for ground reaction force during STS movement from a chair, adjusted for lower leg length height. The elderly's physical activity and falling risk were also assessed. Physical activity and falling risk significantly correlated with parameters on force exertion during hip lift-off and knee-hip joint extension phases (|r|=0.26-0.41). Significant differences were found in ground reaction force parameters of all phases between the young and the elderly and STS movement of the elderly was suggested to result in poor force exertion and slowing down. The above tendency was noticeable in the hip lift-off and knee-hip joint extension phases. In conclusion, force exertion in hip lift-off and knee-hip joint extension phases of STS movement is related to physical activity and falling risk in the elderly. These phases may be useful to evaluate the elderly's physical activity and falling risk.

[Association between supporting child and elder abuse in China].

PubMed

Wen, X; Hu, Y K; He, P; Wang, Z J; Zheng, X Y

2017-04-10

Objective: To examine the association between child-supporting from their folks and elder abuse in China so as to provide evidence for prevention and control of elder abuse. Methods: Based on the third survey on the Status of Chinese women, organized by the All-China Women's Federation and the National Bureau of Statistics, 7 159 residents aged 65 and older were included and general information on supporting child and elder abuse were gathered. Chi-square test and logistic regression were used to investigate the association between supporting child from elderly and elder abuse. Results: The overall prevalence of elder abuse was 6.71 % . Risks of elder people being abused by family numbers varied from different supporting child situations. After adjusting for potential confounding factors, ORs for the elderly appeared as follows: OR =1.99 (95 %CI : 1.56-2.54) for those who only providing support to male children; OR =2.07 (95 %CI : 1.51-3.79) for those only providing support to the female offspring and OR =2.32 (95 % CI : 1.72-3.13) for those who did not support their children regardless of their sex identity. Elderly who provided support to their children on both sexes were exposed to lower risk of being abused than those who only supporting their male offspring. There was no significant difference appearing on the risk of elder abuse between those elderly who only supporting the male ( OR =1.00) or the female offspring ( OR =1.04, 95 % CI : 0.63-1.71), among all the participants in our study. However, such associations were different in urban and rural areas. Conclusions: High prevalence of abuse was seen in China. The pattern of supporting child was associated with risk of elder abuse. Elderly who showed poor support to their children were under higher risk of being abused by their family members.

Social support and its correlation with loneliness: a cross-cultural study of Nepalese older adults.

PubMed

Chalise, Hom Nath; Kai, Ichiro; Saito, Tami

2010-01-01

The aim of this study was to analyze the situation of social support exchange among elderly men and women and to study the cross-cultural validity of predictors of loneliness in two Nepalese castes/ethnicities of older adults. Data for this study were taken from a cross-sectional study of the elderly at least 60 years old living in one ward of Kathmandu City, conducted in 2005. Loneliness was measured using a three-item loneliness scale based on the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale. Sources of social support were classified as spouse, children living with their elders, children living apart, and friends/neighbors. Study findings indicate that the main social support exchange for the elderly was with adult children living together, spouse, and friends/neighbors. Results also show gender difference in social support. Significant variables of loneliness were social support received from spouse, social support provided to spouse, and children living together with both elderly parents. This finding shows there is a high degree of cross-cultural invariance in the predictor sources of social support on loneliness among two Nepalese castes/ethnicities older adults.

Developmental and Contextual Correlates of Elders' Anticipated End-of-Life Treatment Decisions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Decker, Ilene M.; Reed, Pamela G.

2005-01-01

The purpose of this study was to gain insight into developmental and contextual correlates of the aggressiveness in treatment that community-based elders anticipate they will desire at the end of life. Elders completed questionnaires to measure 4 developmental factors (integrated moral reasoning, self-transcendence, past experience with…

A Hierarchy of Medicine: Health Strategies of Elder Khmer Refugees in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Denise C.

2007-01-01

This study addresses ways Khmer refugee elders utilize traditional herbal medicine with Western biomedicine in the treatment and prevention of illnesses. Methods include semi-structured and informal interviews with elders and family members, semi-structured interviews with local health care providers and Khmer physicians, and participant…

Education Is Associated with Physical Activity among American Indian Elders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sawchuk, Craig N.; Bogart, Andy; Charles, Steve; Goldberg, Jack; Forquera, Ralph; Roy-Byrne, Peter; Buchwald, Dedra

2008-01-01

Although educational attainment and physical activity levels tend to be positively associated in majority populations, this relationship has not been investigated in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) elders. This study examined the association between education and physical activity among AI/AN elders (N = 107) using self-report and…

Teacher Candidates' Metaphorical Perceptions of Older Family Members

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gültekin, Filiz; Aricioglu, Ahu

2017-01-01

This study was conducted on teacher candidates who had the opportunity to work with children, adolescents, young adults, adults and the elderly. We believed that determining the relationship between teacher candidates and their elders and their perceptions would help to plan classes and events for the elderly target group. For this purpose, the…

Social Effects of Mass Media Advertising on the Elderly.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Ruth B.; And Others

A study examined the effects of media advertising on the elderly to determine whether they use the media to help combat social disengagement, whether they perceived the elderly as positively portrayed in advertising, whether they perceive their role as consumer as declining, whether television advertising reinforced sex roles, and whether the…

[Prevalence and aetiopathogenesis of neuropathic pain in elderly cancer patients].

PubMed

Cabezón-Gutiérrez, Luis; Custodio-Cabello, Sara; Khosravi-Shahi, Parham

2016-01-01

The prevalence of neuropathic pain is difficult to estimate as most studies evaluating chronic pain do not differentiate neuropathic from nociceptive pain. There are only a few studies of neuropathic pain in the elderly, specifically in the oncology population. This article is a non-systematic review of the relevant evidence on the prevalence and aetiopathogenesis of neuropathic cancer pain in the elderly. Copyright © 2015 SEGG. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Cross-cultural application of the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS): performances of elderly Chinese Singaporeans.

PubMed

Lim, May-Li; Collinson, Simon Lowes; Feng, Lei; Ng, Tze-Pin

2010-01-01

There is a paucity of normative studies outside of North America and on elderly populations with very low education level. In the present study we examined the performance of poorly educated elderly on the Repeatable Battery Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) with 352 cognitively normal elderly Chinese persons living in the community in Singapore who were enrolled in the Singapore Longitudinal Ageing Study (SLAS). Those with no formal education performed significantly less well than those with some years of formal education across four of five RBANS indices as well as the Total Scale score. Age- and education-adjusted normative data for the RBANS were established for the sample. The means and standard deviations of each of 12 subtests raw scores, five Index scores and the Total Scale score were calculated and stratified by age and education. Data from the present study should considerably advance the clinical utility of the RBANS in Chinese geriatric evaluations in Singapore, and can serve as a reference source for poorly educated elderly Chinese from around the region and beyond.

Total and central obesity in elderly associated with a marker of undernutrition in early life - sitting height-to-stature ratio: A nutritional paradox.

PubMed

Silveira, Erika Aparecida; Ferreira, Carla Cristina da Conceição; Pagotto, Valéria; Santos, Annelisa Silva E Alves de Carvalho; Velasquez-Melendez, Gustavo

2017-05-06

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether sitting height-to-stature ratio (SHSR) is associated with total and central obesity in the elderly. This was a cross-sectional study with 133 noninstitutionalized elderly. High SHSR (≥ 1SD above the mean) was used as a marker of undernutrition (MU) in early life. Poisson's multiple regression was used to determine the association between variables. The prevalence of high SHSR was 21.0%, total obesity 43.6% and central obesity 50.4%. Elderly with high SHSR presented a statistically significant association with total obesity (PR 1.50; 95% CI 1.04-2.18) and central obesity (PR 1.42; 95% CI 1.03-1.95) after adjustment for sex, age, educational level and income in the multivariate analysis. The occurrence of total and central obesity in the elderly was associated with a MU in early life. This result indicates that nutritional deficiencies in childhood may increase the risk of obesity in the elderly, a nutritional paradox. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[Affective touch and self esteem in the elderly].

PubMed

Boudreault, Andréa; Ntetu, Antoine Lutumba

2006-09-01

The hospital is an environment which accomodates the elderly persons and in which these last have to make trainings at one time when they are not in full possession with all their physical, psychological and cognitive capacities. They can then live there humiliating situations which generate feelings of discomfort, embarrassment and shame. The presence of interveners not very warm, lacking compassion lack and impressed negative prejudices towards the elderly patients, is another factor which is added to lead them not to feel at ease, involving, inter alia, consequences a fall of their self-esteem. However the affective touch is a strategy which would have the potential to act on the personal value of the elderly patients and to thus improve their self-esteem. It is with a view to popularize the use of the affective touch in practice nurse that a study was carried out in order to check its effects on the self-esteem of the elderly patients. The results confirm that the emotional touch influences positively the self-esteem of the elderly patients. The authors of the study thus recommend the systematization of the affective touch in nursing practice.

The Elderly Perceived Meanings and Values of Virtual Reality Leisure Activities: A Means-End Chain Approach.

PubMed

Lin, Cheng-Shih; Jeng, Mei-Yuan; Yeh, Tsu-Ming

2018-04-03

This study uses means-end chain (MEC) techniques to examine the awareness, decision-making procedure, and personal values of the elderly with regard to virtual reality leisure activities. The results of the study show that elderly respondents value virtual reality leisure activities that are fun, safe, and easy. In terms of outcome benefits, elderly respondents value feeling physically and mentally healthy, firsthand experience, and satisfied curiosity. In value terms, elderly respondents hope that their chosen virtual reality leisure activities improve not only their relationships with others, but also their enjoyment, quality of life, and sense of belonging. The results show that, while consumers with different awarenesses of virtual reality leisure activities have different decision-making processes, they share creating "good memories" as the terminal value with the most significant effect. This presents a potential opportunity to promote virtual reality leisure activities. Relevant bodies or enterprises can seek to create good memories in consumers by developing activities that are safe and fun, promote good health, and provide good service, thereby attracting the interest of elderly consumers.

The Elderly Perceived Meanings and Values of Virtual Reality Leisure Activities: A Means-End Chain Approach

PubMed Central

Lin, Cheng-Shih; Jeng, Mei-Yuan

2018-01-01

This study uses means-end chain (MEC) techniques to examine the awareness, decision-making procedure, and personal values of the elderly with regard to virtual reality leisure activities. The results of the study show that elderly respondents value virtual reality leisure activities that are fun, safe, and easy. In terms of outcome benefits, elderly respondents value feeling physically and mentally healthy, firsthand experience, and satisfied curiosity. In value terms, elderly respondents hope that their chosen virtual reality leisure activities improve not only their relationships with others, but also their enjoyment, quality of life, and sense of belonging. The results show that, while consumers with different awarenesses of virtual reality leisure activities have different decision-making processes, they share creating “good memories” as the terminal value with the most significant effect. This presents a potential opportunity to promote virtual reality leisure activities. Relevant bodies or enterprises can seek to create good memories in consumers by developing activities that are safe and fun, promote good health, and provide good service, thereby attracting the interest of elderly consumers. PMID:29614012

[Public policies for the elderly in Brazil: an integrative review].

PubMed

Andrade, Luana Machado; Sena, Edite Lago da Silva; Pinheiro, Gleide Magali Lemos; Meira, Edmeia Campos; Lira, Lais Santana Santos Pereira

2013-12-01

This paper is an integrative review analyzing the scientific production and legal documents regarding public policies for the elderly in Brazil. Research was conducted in the Virtual Health Library and Scopus databases, examining publications since 2003. Data were collected from June to September of 2011 using the following key words: "elderly" (idosos), "public policies" (políticas públicas), "elderly person" (pessoa idosa), "aging" (envelhecimento) and "civic participation" (participação cidadã). The search resulted in the selection of 15 articles and six legal documents targeted at the elderly in Brazil that were submitted to content analysis by categorization. The results revealed that aging in Brazil has occurred in the midst of adaptations entrenched in cultural biases, social, economic and educational discrepancies and the implementation of public welfare policies. There were few studies that indicated the importance of strengthening social movements that elicit discussion related to the elderly in Brazil. The conclusion reached is that the study will provide material for reflection about the construction of a new reality about aging in Brazil.

Health-Related Quality of Life and Preferred Health-Seeking Institutions among Rural Elderly Individuals with and without Chronic Conditions: A Population-Based Study in Guangdong Province, China

PubMed Central

Zhou, Zhiheng; Wang, Caixia; Yang, Huajie; Wang, Xiang; Zheng, Chanjiao; Wang, Jiaji

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to examine health-related quality of life (HRQL) as measured by SF-36 and to identify these factors and the preferred health-seeking institutions of 12,800 persons aged 60 and older with and without chronic conditions in rural areas of Guangdong Province by multistage stratified cluster sampling method. HRQL among rural elderly subjects with chronic conditions was lower than that of elderly subjects with no chronic conditions. Multiple linear regression showed that marital status, living with children, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, cataract disease, and mental disease were the main affecting factors of HRQL. The main preferred health-seeking institutions selected by the rural elderly were community/town health service institutions, district hospitals, or secondary hospitals. Our findings indicate that the elderly in rural areas of Guangdong Province have a poor HRQL and incorrect health-seeking pathway. The healthcare policymakers should emphasize the need of developing effective and targeted community services strategies to improve the elderly individuals' HRQL in rural areas of China. PMID:24949425

Elder Abuse: Global Situation, Risk Factors, and Prevention Strategies.

PubMed

Pillemer, Karl; Burnes, David; Riffin, Catherine; Lachs, Mark S

2016-04-01

Elder mistreatment is now recognized internationally as a pervasive and growing problem, urgently requiring the attention of health care systems, social welfare agencies, policymakers, and the general public. In this article, we provide an overview of global issues in the field of elder abuse, with a focus on prevention. This article provides a scoping review of key issues in the field from an international perspective. By drawing primarily on population-based studies, this scoping review provided a more valid and reliable synthesis of current knowledge about prevalence and risk factors than has been available. Despite the lack of scientifically rigorous intervention research on elder abuse, the review also identified 5 promising strategies for prevention. The findings highlight a growing consensus across studies regarding the extent and causes of elder mistreatment, as well as the urgent need for efforts to make elder mistreatment prevention programs more effective and evidence based. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

A Survey of the Elderly in Regional Cities on their Attitudes toward Driving and Giving Up Driving

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nihei, Misato; Kamata, Minoru

Elderly drivers are increasing every year in Japan. However, physical depression caused by aging is also a cause of traffic accidents and they will all have to give up driving one day. The aim of this study is to clarify the effects of car dependency and the impact of having to stop driving among the elderly. And to propose alternative transportation options for elderly after having surrendered their driver's licenses. We carried out a questionnaire survey and a focus group interview. During this study, we sent 1338 questionnaires to people over 60 years old in regional cities that included areas with convenient access and inconvenient access to public transit. From our survey, we found that, over half of the elderly drive every day, the older people lower drive frequency. License holder of elderly with feelings of decreased motor skills awareness a decrease in driving ability. Moreover it is clarified that issue of alternative mobility are "mobility devices to maintain social and personal relationships" and "mobility devices as an extension of walking" and "use the existing public transport environment".

Mini-trampoline exercise related to mechanisms of dynamic stability improves the ability to regain balance in elderly.

PubMed

Aragão, Fernando Amâncio; Karamanidis, Kiros; Vaz, Marco Aurélio; Arampatzis, Adamantios

2011-06-01

Falls have been described by several studies as the major cause of hip and femur fractures among the elderly. Therefore, interventions to reduce fall risks, improve dynamic stability and the falling recovery strategies in the elderly population are highly relevant. This study aimed at investigating the effects of a 14-week mini-trampoline exercise intervention regarding the mechanisms of dynamic stability on elderly balance ability during sudden forward falls. Twenty-two elderly subjects participated on mini-trampoline training and 12 subjects were taken as controls. The subjects of the experimental group were evaluated before and after the 14-week trampoline training (exercised group), whereas control subjects were evaluated twice in the forward fall task with a three-month interval. The applied exercise intervention increased the plantarflexors muscle strength (∼10%) as well as the ability to regain balance during the forward falls (∼35%). The 14-week mini-trampoline training intervention increased elderly abilities to recover balance during forward falls; the improvement was attributed to the higher rate of hip moment generation. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Productive activity and life satisfaction in Korean elderly women.

PubMed

Kim, Ju-Hyun

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study is to explain the effect of participation in productive activities on life satisfaction and its implications for social evaluation of productive aging. This study uses data collected from 1,250 elderly women living in urban areas. The regression model was used to examine the influence of elderly women's participation in productive activities on their life satisfaction. Elderly women who participate in volunteer work, learning, and social group activities commonly recognized their activities as meaningful, feeling like worthwhile members of society, and evaluated such activities as very positive. In contrast, elderly women who participated in household chores and family care activities expressed a negative life satisfaction. The difference in life satisfaction regarding productive activities stems not only from the physical and environmental differences but also from the gap between the official social value underpinned by the recognition of surrounding people, their support, and the value of productive activities.

[Effect of family cohesion, subjective happiness and other factors on death anxiety in Korean elders].

PubMed

Jo, Kae Hwa; Song, Byung Sook

2012-10-01

The purposes of this study were to explore the effects of family cohesion and subjective happiness on death anxiety of Korean elders and to identify other factors contributing to death anxiety. The participants were 280 elders who lived in P metropolitan city. Data were collected between November 5, 2011 and January 12, 2012 using the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (SPMSQ), Family Cohesion Evaluation Scale, Subjective Happiness Scale, and Fear of Death Scale (FODS). Data were analyzed using the SPSS/WIN 19.0 program. Family cohesion, marital status, religious activity, perceived health status, and subjective happiness were included in the factors affecting death anxiety of Korean elders. These variables explained 50.1% of death anxiety. The results of the study indicate that these variables should be considered in developing nursing intervention programs to decrease death anxiety and increase family cohesion and subjective happiness for life integration in Korean elders.

[Who told you to grow old and live on the streets?].

PubMed

Brêtas, Ana Cristina Passarella; Marcolan, João Fernando; Rosa, Anderson da Silva; Fernandes, Flávia Saraiva Leão; Raizer, Milena Veiga

2010-06-01

This qualitative case study is part of another study: Aging, health and work. The objective of this excerpt was to identify the meaning of aging on the streets for the elderly living on the street. The subjects' statements were analyzed under the light of the following themes: history of aging and history of life on the streets. It was understood that the streets are usually a hostile environment for the elderly. It does not guarantee the basic life conditions, affecting the mental health of people who are forced to live on the streets, particularly the elderly. The street does not offer any way out and, together with to the life conditions of the elderly living on the streets leads to the gradual loss of self-esteem, significantly affecting self-care. In addition to these issues, we found that compromised functional capacity puts the life/survival of the elderly living on the streets at risk.

Urinary Incontinence in Hospitalised Elderly Patients: Do Nurses Recognise and Manage the Problem?

PubMed Central

Zürcher, Sabin; Saxer, Susi; Schwendimann, René

2011-01-01

This study examined to what extent nurses recognize urinary incontinence (UI) in elderly hospital patients, what UI interventions nurses realize, and if elderly inpatients are willing to raise the topic during their hospital stay. A convenience sample of 78 elderly inpatients in a Swiss hospital were screened for UI and asked if they were willing to be questioned about UI during hospitalisation. Nursing records were analysed as to whether UI had been recognized, and to collect data on interventions. Forty-one patients (51%) screened positive for UI, of whom 10 (24%) were identified as such in their nursing records. The single intervention documented was the use of incontinence pads. Only 5 patients preferred not to be asked about UI at hospital. Nurses in the study hospital should systematically ask elderly patients about UI and provide them with information on interventions. PMID:21994838

Social networks: a profile of the elderly who self-neglect.

PubMed

Burnett, Jason; Regev, Tziona; Pickens, Sabrina; Prati, Laura Lane; Aung, Koko; Moore, Jenny; Dyer, Carmel Bitondo

2006-01-01

Self-neglect is an independent risk factor for early mortality in older people and has been linked to depression and the occurrence of mental and physical decline. Sound social networks have been shown to slow the process of decline in the elderly, and currently little is known about the social networks associated with elder self-neglect. The aim of this study was to explore the social networks associated with elder self-neglect compared with a matched-control group. Ninety-one Adult Protective Services-validated cases of elder self-neglect were compared on formal and informal social network factors with 91controls matched for age, race, gender, and socio-economic status. Elders in the self-neglect group were significantly less likely to (1) Live with a spouse, (2) Live with others, (3) Have weekly contact with children or siblings, (4) Visit with neighbors and friends and (5) Participate in religious activities. Less adequate social resources related to family, friends, and religious affiliations are significantly associated with elder self-neglect.

INFLUENCE OF AGE ON NEUROMUSCULAR CONTROL DURING A DYNAMIC WEIGHT BEARING TASK

PubMed Central

Madhavan, Sangeetha; Burkart, Sarah; Baggett, Gail; Nelson, Katie; Teckenburg, Trina; Zwanziger, Mike; Shields, Richard K.

2009-01-01

Neuromuscular control strategies may change with age and predispose elderly to knee joint injury. The purposes of this study were to determine if long latency responses (LLR), muscle activation patterns, and movement accuracy differs between the young and elderly during a novel single limb squat (SLS) task. Ten young and ten elderly subjects performed a series of resistive SLS (~0–30 degrees) while matching a computer-generated sinusoidal target. The SLS device provided a 16% body weight resistance to knee movement. Both young and elderly showed significant overshoot error when the knee was perturbed (p < 0.05). Accuracy of the tracking task was similar between the young and elderly (p=0.34), but the elderly required more muscle activity compared to the younger subjects (p < 0.05). The elderly group had larger long latency responses (LLRs) than the younger group (p < 0.05). These results support that neuromuscular control of the knee changes with age, and may contribute to injury. PMID:19799103

The Role of Meaning in Life for the Quality of Life of Community-Dwelling Chinese Elders With Low Socioeconomic Status

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Objectives: There is limited research on the meaning in life among Chinese elders. This study aims to examine the association among functional disabilities, meaning in life, social network, and quality of life in community-dwelling Chinese elders with low socioeconomic status. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was used to collect data from 339 poor community-dwelling Chinese elders aged 60 and above. Results: The results showed that meaning in life and social network were significantly related to quality of life. Moreover, social network was a mediator to the relationship between functional disability and quality of life, and meaning in life was a partial mediator to the relationship between social network and quality of life. Conclusion: Workshops should be organized by the elderly service providers for Chinese elders facing deterioration in health and activity levels to learn to live intentionally and purposefully. A social network among elders should also be fostered in the community. PMID:29780856

Using single leg standing time to predict the fall risk in elderly.

PubMed

Chang, Chun-Ju; Chang, Yu-Shin; Yang, Sai-Wei

2013-01-01

In clinical evaluation, we used to evaluate the fall risk according to elderly falling experience or the balance assessment tool. Because of the tool limitation, sometimes we could not predict accurately. In this study, we first analyzed 15 healthy elderly (without falling experience) and 15 falling elderly (1~3 time falling experience) balance performance in previous research. After 1 year follow up, there was only 1 elderly fall down during this period. It seemed like that falling experience had a ceiling effect on the falling prediction. But we also found out that using single leg standing time could be more accurately to help predicting the fall risk, especially for the falling elderly who could not stand over 10 seconds by single leg, and with a significant correlation between the falling experience and single leg standing time (r = -0.474, p = 0.026). The results also showed that there was significant body sway just before they falling down, and the COP may be an important characteristic in the falling elderly group.

The Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) review of the literature--What does it tell us?

PubMed

Guigoz, Y

2006-01-01

To review the literature on the MNA to Spring 2006, we searched MEDLINE, Web of Science and Scopus, and did a manual search in J Nutr Health Aging, Clin Nutr, Eur J Clin Nutr and free online available publications. The MNA was validated against two principal criteria, clinical status and comprehensive nutrition assessment using principal component and discriminant analysis. The MNA shortform (MNA-SF) was developed and validated to allow a 2-step screening process. The MNA and MNA-SF are sensitive, specific, and accurate in identifying nutrition risk. The prevalence of malnutrition in community-dwelling elderly (21 studies, n = 14149 elderly) is 2 +/- 0.1% (mean +/- SE, range 0- 8%) and risk of malnutrition is 24 +/- 0.4% (range 8-76%). A similar pattern is seen in out-patient and home care elderly (25 studies, n = 3119 elderly) with prevalence of undernutrition 9 +/- 0.5% (mean +/- SE, range 0-30%) and risk of malnutrition 45 +/- 0.9% (range 8-65%). A high prevalence of undernutrition has been reported in hospitalized and institutionalized elderly patients: prevalence of malnutrition is 23 +/- 0.5% (mean +/- SE, range 1- 74%) in hospitals (35 studies, n = 8596) and 21 +/- 0.5% (mean +/- SE, range 5-71%) in institutions (32 studies, n = 6821 elderly). An even higher prevalence of risk of malnutrition was observed in the same populations, with 46 +/- 0.5% (range 8-63%) and 51 +/- 0.6% (range 27-70%), respectively. In cognitively impaired elderly subjects (10 studies, n = 2051 elderly subjects), detection using the MNA, prevalence of malnutrition was 15 +/- 0.8% (mean +/- SE, range 0-62%), and 44 +/- 1.1% (range 19-87%) of risk of malnutrition. The large variability is due to differences in level of dependence and health status among the elderly. In hospital settings, a low MNA score is associated with an increase in mortality, prolonged length of stay and greater likelihood of discharge to nursing homes. Malnutrition is associated with functional and cognitive impairment and difficulties eating. The MNA(R) detects risk of malnutrition before severe change in weight or serum proteins occurs. Intervention studies demonstrate that timely intervention can stop weight loss in elderly at risk of malnutrition or undernourished and is associated with improvements in MNA scores. The MNA can also be used as a follow up assessment tool. The MNA is a screening and assessment tool with a reliable scale and clearly defined thresholds, usable by health care professionals. It should be included in the geriatric assessment and is proposed in the minimum data set for nutritional interventions.

An ergonomic garment design for elderly Turkish men.

PubMed

Civitci, S Sule

2004-05-01

This paper presents an ergonomic garment design for elderly Turkish men. The purpose of this study was to determine elderly men's demands, needs and problems in regard to clothing and to design an ergonomic garment in the light of this knowledge. The sample consisted of 120 elderly men living in Ankara, the capital city of Turkey, and its province. A questionnaire was prepared and given to these people in order to determine their clothing demands and needs. It was established that most of our subjects need functional garments. An ergonomic garment has been designed using the obtained data. It was found that the design of clothing for the elderly requires attention to bodily changes from aging in order to facilitate and raise the quality of life. Specific suggestions are made to elderly people and to the ready-to-wear sector.

Cross-cultural comparison of successful aging definitions between Chinese and Hmong elders in the United States.

PubMed

Nguyen, Annie L; Seal, David W

2014-06-01

The purpose of the study was to elicit the definitions of successful aging according to Chinese and Hmong elders living in Milwaukee, WI. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 44 elders (Hmong n = 21 and Chinese n = 23). Findings show some similarities in the Chinese and Hmong elders' definitions though specific cultural differences exist. Chinese elders emphasized physical health and mobility, mental health, positive attitudes, shedding responsibilities, positive family relationships, financial stability, social engagement, religious faith, and accomplishments and volunteer work. Hmong elders emphasized physical health and mobility, mental health, harmonious relationships, positive family relationships, tangible family support, financial stability, social engagement, and religious faith. Cross-cultural comparisons of the findings highlight the cultural heterogeneity between these two subgroups. Implications for practice are discussed.

Electroconvulsive Therapy in the Elderly: New Findings in Geriatric Depression.

PubMed

Geduldig, Emma T; Kellner, Charles H

2016-04-01

This paper reviews recent research on the use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in elderly depressed patients. The PubMed database was searched for literature published within the past 4 years, using the search terms: "electroconvulsive elderly," "electroconvulsive geriatric," "ECT and elderly," and "ECT elderly cognition." The studies in this review indicate excellent efficacy for ECT in geriatric patients. Adverse cognitive effects of ECT in this population are usually transient and not typically severe. In addition, continuation/maintenance ECT (C/M-ECT) may be a favorable strategy for relapse prevention in the elderly after a successful acute course of ECT. ECT is an important treatment option for depressed geriatric patients with severe and/or treatment-resistant illness. New data add to the evidence demonstrating that ECT is a highly effective, safe, and well-tolerated antidepressant treatment option for geriatric patients.

Lifestyle and Genetic Predictors of Stiffness Index in Community-dwelling Elderly Korean Men and Women.

PubMed

Park, Kyung-Ae; Park, Yeon-Hwan; Suh, Min-Hee; Choi-Kwon, Smi

2015-09-01

Differing lifestyle, nutritional, and genetic factors may lead to a differing stiffness index (SI) determined by quantitative ultrasound in elderly men and women. The purpose of this study was to determine SI and the gender-specific factors associated with low SI in a Korean elderly cohort. This was a cross-sectional descriptive study identifying the gender-specific factors related to SI in 252 men and women aged 65 years and greater from local senior centers in Seoul, Korea between January and February 2009. The mean SI of elderly men was significantly higher than that of the women's. A multiple regression analysis reveals that age, nutritional status, and physical activity were predictive factors of lower SI in men, whereas age, alcohol consumption, educational level, and genetic polymorphism were predictive factors for elderly women. Low SI was common in both elderly men and women. We found gender differences in factors linked to low SI. In multiple regression analysis, nutritional status and physical activity were more important factors in men, whereas alcohol consumption, educational level, and genetic polymorphism were significant factors predicting low SI in women. Gender-specific modifiable risk factors associated with low SI should be considered when developing osteoporosis prevention programs for the elderly. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

The Impact of Audio Book on the Elderly Mental Health.

PubMed

Ameri, Fereshteh; Vazifeshenas, Naser; Haghparast, Abbas

2017-01-01

The growing elderly population calls mental health professionals to take measures concerning the treatment of the elderly mental disorders. Today in developed countries, bibliotherapy is used for the treatment of the most prevalent psychiatric disorders. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of audio book on the elderly mental health of Retirement Center of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. This experimental study was conducted on 60 elderly people participated in 8 audio book presentation sessions, and their mental health aspects were evaluated through mental health questionnaire (SCL-90-R). Data were analyzed using SPSS 24. Data analysis revealed that the mean difference of pretest and posttest of control group is less than 5.0, so no significant difference was observed in their mental health, but this difference was significant in the experimental group (more than 5.0). Therefore, a significant improvement in mental health and its dimensions have observed in elderly people participated in audio book sessions. This therapeutic intervention was effective on mental health dimensions of paranoid ideation, psychosis, phobia, aggression, depression, interpersonal sensitivity, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive and somatic complaints. Considering the fact that our population is moving toward aging, the obtained results could be useful for policy makers and health and social planners to improve the health status of the elderly.

The Role of the Social Network in Access to Psychosocial Services for Migrant Elderly-A Qualitative Study.

PubMed

Schoenmakers, Daphne; Lamkaddem, Majda; Suurmond, Jeanine

2017-10-11

Abstract : Background: Despite high prevalence of mental problems among elderly migrants in The Netherlands, the use of psychosocial care services by this group is low. Scientific evidence points at the crucial role of social support for mental health and the use of psychosocial services. We therefore explored the role of social networks in the access to psychosocial care among elderly migrants in The Netherlands. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured group interviews and individual interviews. The eight group and eleven individual interviews (respectively n = 58 and n = 11) were conducted in The Netherlands with Turkish, Moroccan, Surinamese, and Dutch elderly. The data were analysed through coding and comparing fragments and recognizing patterns. Results: Support of the social network is important to navigate to psychosocial care and is most frequently provided by children. However, the social network of elderly migrants is generally not able to meet the needs of the elderly. This is mostly due to poor mental health literacy of the social network, taboo, and stigma around mental illness and the busy lives of the social network members. Conclusion s : Strategies to address help-seeking barriers should consider mental health literacy in elderly migrants as well as their social networks, and counteract taboos and stigma of mental health problems.

Adaptation problems with nursing home application for elderly persons: an application of the Roy adaptation nursing model.

PubMed

Farkas, L

1981-09-01

This study sought to identify adaptation problems on the part of elderly persons and significant others that were associated with nursing home applications for elderly persons. Within the framework of the Roy Adaptation Nursing Model, an ex post facto research design was utilized to identify these adaptation problems. The four adaptive modes in this model are: physiological, self-concept, role function, and interdependence. The study group (n = 22) and a control group of elderly persons living in Calgary, as well as their significant others, were administered a structured questionnaire. Five hypotheses relating to overall adaptation problems, powerlessness, role reversal, guilt, and knowledge and utilization of services were formulated and tested. Only the hypothesis indicating role reversal on the part of the significant others was accepted. Adaptation problems encountered by the elderly which were associated with nursing home applications occurred in the self-concept and interdependence adaptive modes. The adaptation problems perceived by the significant others, which were associated with nursing home applications for their elderly, occurred in the self-concept, role function, and interdependence modes. Adaptation problems from the significant others' perception rather than from the elderly persons' perception appear to be more significantly associated with nursing home applications.

Balance, executive functions and falls in elderly with Alzheimer's disease (AD): a longitudinal study.

PubMed

Pedroso, Renata Valle; Coelho, Flávia Gomes de Melo; Santos-Galduróz, Ruth Ferreira; Costa, José Luiz Riani; Gobbi, Sebastião; Stella, Florindo

2012-01-01

Elderly individuals with AD are more susceptible to falls, which might be associated with decrements in their executive functions and balance, among other things. We aimed to analyze the effects of a program of dual task physical activity on falls, executive functions and balance of elderly individuals with AD. We studied 21 elderly with probable AD, allocated to two groups: the training group (TG), with 10 elderly who participated in a program of dual task physical activity; and the control group (CG), with 11 elderly who were not engaged in regular practice of physical activity. The Clock Drawing Test (CDT) and the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) were used in the assessment of the executive functions, while the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and the Timed Up-and-Go (TUG)-test evaluated balance. The number of falls was obtained by means of a questionnaire. We observed a better performance of the TG as regards balance and executive functions. Moreover, the lower the number of steps in the TUG scale, the higher the scores in the CDT, and in the FAB. The practice of regular physical activity with dual task seems to have contributed to the maintenance and improvement of the motor and cognitive functions of the elderly with AD. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Impact of Audio Book on the Elderly Mental Health

PubMed Central

Ameri, Fereshteh; Vazifeshenas, Naser; Haghparast, Abbas

2017-01-01

Introduction: The growing elderly population calls mental health professionals to take measures concerning the treatment of the elderly mental disorders. Today in developed countries, bibliotherapy is used for the treatment of the most prevalent psychiatric disorders. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of audio book on the elderly mental health of Retirement Center of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. Methods: This experimental study was conducted on 60 elderly people participated in 8 audio book presentation sessions, and their mental health aspects were evaluated through mental health questionnaire (SCL-90-R). Data were analyzed using SPSS 24. Results: Data analysis revealed that the mean difference of pretest and posttest of control group is less than 5.0, so no significant difference was observed in their mental health, but this difference was significant in the experimental group (more than 5.0). Therefore, a significant improvement in mental health and its dimensions have observed in elderly people participated in audio book sessions. This therapeutic intervention was effective on mental health dimensions of paranoid ideation, psychosis, phobia, aggression, depression, interpersonal sensitivity, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive and somatic complaints. Conclusion: Considering the fact that our population is moving toward aging, the obtained results could be useful for policy makers and health and social planners to improve the health status of the elderly. PMID:29167723

Mini Nutritional Assessment and Mortality after Hip Fracture Surgery in the Elderly.

PubMed

van Wissen, J; van Stijn, M F M; Doodeman, H J; Houdijk, A P J

2016-01-01

Hip fracture surgery in elderly patients is associated with a poor postoperative outcome and a high mortality. Malnutrition is a frequent problem in elderly patients and may be associated with mortality after hip fracture surgery. The Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) is a valuable tool to identify malnourished patients and those at risk for malnutrition. To evaluate the association between the preoperative MNA score and mortality after surgery for hip fractures in elderly patients. Patients with a hip fracture and an indication for surgery were included in our study. This study was part of a randomized trial on the effect of taurine on postoperative outcome in elderly hip fracture patients. The MNA was assessed on admission before surgery. Length of stay, postoperative complications and mortality were documented. The association of the MNA score on postoperative outcome and mortality was analyzed using Cox regression analysis. The one-year survival rate in 226 elderly hip fracture patients was 79%. In-hospital mortality rates and 1-year mortality were 27% and 46% in malnourished patients, 12% and 26% in patients at risk for malnutrition and 7% and 17% in well-nourished patients as assessed by MNA. Preoperative malnutrition measured by the MNA is associated with mortality in elderly hip fracture patients.

Post-recurrence survival of elderly patients 75 years of age or older with surgically resected non-small cell lung cancer.

PubMed

Takenaka, Tomoyoshi; Inamasu, Eiko; Yoshida, Tsukihisa; Toyokawa, Gouji; Nosaki, Kaname; Hirai, Fumihiko; Yamaguchi, Masafumi; Seto, Takashi; Takenoyama, Mitsuhiro; Ichinose, Yukito

2016-04-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of elderly patients 75 years of age or older with recurrent non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A total of 1237 consecutive patients with NSCLC underwent pulmonary resection at our institution. Of these patients, 280 experienced postoperative recurrence. The rate of the post-recurrence survival and predictors were analyzed independently in a group of younger patients (<75 years) and a group of elderly patients (≥75 years). There were 215 younger patients (<75 years) and 65 elderly (≥75 years) patients at the time of diagnosis of recurrence. The median post-recurrence survival time and the five-year survival rate of all cases were 25 months and 20.8%, respectively. There were no significant survival differences between the younger and elderly groups (p = 0.20). A univariate analysis determined that gender, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, smoking status, histological type and epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation status were factors influencing the post-recurrence survival among the elderly patients. In addition, a multivariate analysis determined the EGFR mutation status to be an independent prognostic factor for the post-recurrence survival. Elderly patients 75 years of age or older in this study achieved satisfactory long-term outcomes.

Meanings and expressions of care and caring for elders in urban Namibian families: a transcultural nursing study.

PubMed

Leuning, C J; Small, L F; van Dyk, A

2000-09-01

Since Namibia's Independence in 1990, the population of elders--persons 65 years old and older--in urban communities is growing steadily. As such, requests for home health care, health counselling, respite care and residential care for aging members of society are overwhelming nurses and the health care system. This study expands transcultural nursing knowledge by increasing understanding of generic (home-based) patterns of elder care that are practised and lived by urban Namibian families. Guided by Madeleine Leininger's theory of culture care diversity and universality and the ethnonursing research method, emic (insider) meanings and expressions of care and caring for elders in selected urban households have been transposed into five substantive themes. The themes, which depict what carring for elders means to urban families, include: 1 nurturing the health of the family, 2 trusting in the benevolence of life as lived, 3 honouring one's elders, 4 sustaining security and purpose for life amid uncertainty, and 5 living with rapidly changing cultural and social structures. These findings add a voice from the developing world to the evolving body of transcultural nursing knowledge. Synthesis of findings with professional care practices facilitates the creation of community-focussed models for provisioning culturally congruent nursing care to elders and their families in urban Namibia.

Socioeconomic conditions of elderly people in Kosovo: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Jerliu, Naim; Toçi, Ervin; Burazeri, Genc; Ramadani, Naser; Brand, Helmut

2012-07-09

Kosovo is the newest state in Europe facing a particularly difficult socioeconomic and political transition. The available evidence on socioeconomic conditions and quality of life of elderly people in Kosovo is scarce notwithstanding the ageing trend due to lowering of fertility rates and a higher life-expectancy. In this context, the aim of our study was to assess the socioeconomic conditions of elderly people in post-war Kosovo. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Kosovo in January-March 2011 including an age- sex-and residence (urban vs. rural)-stratified sample of 1,890 individuals (83.5% response) aged 65 years and over. A structured questionnaire included assessment of socio-demographic and socioeconomic characteristics including educational level and self-perceived poverty. Binary logistic regression was used to assess the association of self-perceived poverty with socio-demographic and socioeconomic factors. The educational level in this representative sample of elderly people in Kosovo was quite low, particularly among women. About 47% of respondents perceived themselves as poor, or extremely poor (41% of men and 52% of women). In multivariable-adjusted models, self-perceived poverty was higher among older women, low educated individuals, urban residents, and elderly individuals living alone. Findings from this study indicate that the socioeconomic situation of the elderly population in Kosovo is rather challenging. Demographic trends coupled with the economic and political transition raise serious concerns about increasing needs for socioeconomic support of elderly people in Kosovo. Specific policies and actions should be considered by a number of stakeholders, including government and civil society in transitional Kosovo.

Socioeconomic conditions of elderly people in Kosovo: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Kosovo is the newest state in Europe facing a particularly difficult socioeconomic and political transition. The available evidence on socioeconomic conditions and quality of life of elderly people in Kosovo is scarce notwithstanding the ageing trend due to lowering of fertility rates and a higher life-expectancy. In this context, the aim of our study was to assess the socioeconomic conditions of elderly people in post-war Kosovo. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in Kosovo in January-March 2011 including an age- sex-and residence (urban vs. rural)-stratified sample of 1,890 individuals (83.5% response) aged 65 years and over. A structured questionnaire included assessment of socio-demographic and socioeconomic characteristics including educational level and self-perceived poverty. Binary logistic regression was used to assess the association of self-perceived poverty with socio-demographic and socioeconomic factors. Results The educational level in this representative sample of elderly people in Kosovo was quite low, particularly among women. About 47% of respondents perceived themselves as poor, or extremely poor (41% of men and 52% of women). In multivariable-adjusted models, self-perceived poverty was higher among older women, low educated individuals, urban residents, and elderly individuals living alone. Conclusions Findings from this study indicate that the socioeconomic situation of the elderly population in Kosovo is rather challenging. Demographic trends coupled with the economic and political transition raise serious concerns about increasing needs for socioeconomic support of elderly people in Kosovo. Specific policies and actions should be considered by a number of stakeholders, including government and civil society in transitional Kosovo. PMID:22776197

An exploration of antecedents of positive affect among the elderly: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Abstract Background: Positive affect contributes to the healthy life style, which, in turn, explains life satisfaction and psychological well-being among the elderly. Existent literature has reinforced that physical activity participation influences development of positive affect for the elderly. Because of the increased life constraints and physical problems, however, maintenance of positive affect might be challenging for elderly people. Methods : Data were drawn from a sample of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe. A total sample of 3845 males and 3912 females aged between 65 and 103 years from 16 European countries was analyzed. Perception of life constraints, health problems, physical activity engagement and positive affect were measured by a structured questionnaire. Confirmatory factor analysis and a technique of structural equation modelling were employed using Amos 18 to examine the hypothesized relationships between study variables. Results: Perceived life constraints and physical problems significantly affected the acquisition of positive affect among the elderly. Physical activity was found to have a significant path coefficient towards the measure of positive attitude and emotion. Physical activity was also a significant mediator between physical problems and positive affect. Conclusions: This study extended our understanding of how the perception of life constraints and health problems influence the elderly’s daily experience. Study finding reinforced the goodness of physical activity participation to enhance positive affect among the elderly. We should administer sustainable and evidence-based physical activity including interventions and infrastructure to improve positive affect and psychological well-bing among the elderly. PMID:25829500

Effects of GSTM1/GSTT1 gene polymorphism and fruit & vegetable consumption on antioxidant biomarkers and cognitive function in the elderly: a community based cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Yuan, Linhong; Ma, Weiwei; Liu, Jinmeng; Meng, Liping; Liu, Jixia; Li, Shuang; Han, Jing; Liu, Quanri; Feng, Lingli; Wang, Chao; Xiao, Rong

2014-01-01

It was reported that Glutathione S-transferase (GST) gene polymorphism and fruit and vegetable (FV) intake were associated with body antioxidant capacity. The oxidative/anti-oxidative imbalance played an important role in the pathogenesis of AD. However, the association of GST genotype, dietary FV consumption with body antioxidant biomarkers and cognitive function in the elderly is not clear. The aim of the present study was to determine the association of GST genotype, and dietary FV intake, with antioxidant biomarkers and cognitive function in the elderly. Food frequency questionnaire was used to collect data of dietary FV intakes in 504 community dwelling elderly aged from 55 to 75 years old. GSTM1 and GSTT1 genotypes were determined by using multiple-PCR method. Plasma and erythrocyte antioxidant biomarkers were measured. Cognitive function was measured by using Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Statistical analysis was applied for exploring the association of GST genotype and FV intake with antioxidant biomarkers level and cognitive function in the elderly. Individual GSTM1 or GSTT1 gene deletion affects body antioxidant biomarkers levels, including erythrocyte GST activity, plasma total antioxidant capacity, and glutathione levels. GSTM1and/or GSTT1 gene deletion have no effects on cognitive function in the surveyed participants. The effect of GST genotype on antioxidant biomarkers are FV intake dependent. There is interaction of FV intake and GST genotype on cognitive function in the elderly. GST genotype or daily FV consumption impact body antioxidant biomarkers, but not cognitive function in the elderly. There were combined effects of GST genotype and FV consumption on cognitive function in the elderly population. Large scale perspective population study is required to explore the association of GST genetic polymorphism, FV consumption and antioxidant biomarkers and cognitive function in the elderly.

Rural-Urban Differences in the Long-Term Care of the Disabled Elderly in China

PubMed Central

Li, Mei; Zhang, Yang; Zhang, Zhenyu; Zhang, Ying; Zhou, Litao; Chen, Kun

2013-01-01

Background In China, the rapid rate of population aging and changes in the prevalence of disability among elderly people could have significant effects on the demand for long-term care. This study aims to describe the urban-rural differences in use and cost of long-term care of the disabled elderly and to explore potential influencing factors. Methods This study uses data from a cross-sectional survey and a qualitative investigation conducted in Zhejiang province in 2012. The participants were 826 individuals over 60 years of age, who had been bedridden or suffered from dementia for more than 6 months. A generalized linear model and two-part regression model were applied to estimate costs, with adjustment of covariates. Results Pensions provide the main source of income for urban elderly, while the principal income source for rural elderly is their family. Urban residents spend more on all services than do rural residents. Those who are married spend less on daily supplies and formal care than the unmarried do. Age, incapacitation time, comorbidity number, level of income, and bedridden status influence spending on medical care (β=-0.0316, -0.0206, 0.1882, 0.3444, and -0.4281, respectively), but the cost does not increase as the elderly grow older. Urban residents, the married, and those with a higher income level tend to spend more on medical equipment. Urban residence and living status are the two significant factors that affect spending on personal hygiene products. Conclusions The use of long-term care services varies by living area. Long-term care of the disabled elderly imposes a substantial burden on families. Our study revealed that informal care involves huge opportunity costs to the caregivers. Chinese policy makers need to promote community care and long-term care insurance to relieve the burden of families of disabled elderly, and particular attention should be given to the rural elderly. PMID:24224025

Rural-urban differences in the long-term care of the disabled elderly in China.

PubMed

Li, Mei; Zhang, Yang; Zhang, Zhenyu; Zhang, Ying; Zhou, Litao; Chen, Kun

2013-01-01

In China, the rapid rate of population aging and changes in the prevalence of disability among elderly people could have significant effects on the demand for long-term care. This study aims to describe the urban-rural differences in use and cost of long-term care of the disabled elderly and to explore potential influencing factors. This study uses data from a cross-sectional survey and a qualitative investigation conducted in Zhejiang province in 2012. The participants were 826 individuals over 60 years of age, who had been bedridden or suffered from dementia for more than 6 months. A generalized linear model and two-part regression model were applied to estimate costs, with adjustment of covariates. Pensions provide the main source of income for urban elderly, while the principal income source for rural elderly is their family. Urban residents spend more on all services than do rural residents. Those who are married spend less on daily supplies and formal care than the unmarried do. Age, incapacitation time, comorbidity number, level of income, and bedridden status influence spending on medical care (β=-0.0316, -0.0206, 0.1882, 0.3444, and -0.4281, respectively), but the cost does not increase as the elderly grow older. Urban residents, the married, and those with a higher income level tend to spend more on medical equipment. Urban residence and living status are the two significant factors that affect spending on personal hygiene products. The use of long-term care services varies by living area. Long-term care of the disabled elderly imposes a substantial burden on families. Our study revealed that informal care involves huge opportunity costs to the caregivers. Chinese policy makers need to promote community care and long-term care insurance to relieve the burden of families of disabled elderly, and particular attention should be given to the rural elderly.

Health care seeking and financial behaviours of the elderly during wartime in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo

PubMed Central

Kwalya, Timothée M.; Kasagila, Eric K.; Watongoka, L. Hubert; Mupenda, Bavon W.

2010-01-01

ABSTRACT Background Health and social services utilisation is seen to be more closely related to age than to other socio-demographic characteristics. Many health problems are known to increase with age and this demographic trend may lead to an increase in the absolute number of health conditions in this population. However, questions are still emerging as to how the elderly seek care in response to their needs in the context of a war-torn region. Objectives The aim of this study was to determine the behaviour of the elderly in seeking care during a time of conflict. Method A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in the health district Goma, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), using a multistage sampling of 500 senior citizens. Eight trained field-workers were deployed in the field where they administered a structured questionnaire. Results The public health sector was well known and preferred by 186 participants (37.2%), but only used by 16 (3.2%) participants. Financial support received by the elderly came from their own relatives and fellow believers in 33.5% and 20.2% of cases, respectively. Almost 71% of monetary support is the result of begging and unknown sources – there is no government involvement whatsoever. Much of the external support that the elderly receive involves support in the form of food. Disease expenses remain a main concern of the elderly themselves. Conclusion Government support for the elderly in the DRC is non-existent. There is an overuse of private sector and traditional medicine, despite the preference indicated for the public health sector. As a recommendation, a general increase in income-related activities could contribute to alleviating the health state of the elderly in a war situation. Further studies might explore in future the contribution of those results on the health of elders.

[Serum sodium imbalance in the bedridden elderly. Part One: Realities and problem of management].

PubMed

Sasaki, A; Kogure, D; Ogawa, K; Sakurai, H; Katsunuma, H; Maehata, Y; Takasaki, M

1996-06-01

Symptoms and other abnormalities associated with serum sodium imbalance were studied in bedridden elderly and healthy elderly subjects. 1. A significantly higher number of the bedridden elderly suffered from chronic wasting disease. 2. The average serum sodium concentration in bedridden elderly subjects was significantly lower than in healthy subjects, as was the sodium intake and the sodium content in urine, which indicate that the bedridden elderly subjects suffered from chronic sodium deficiency. 3. The bedridden elderly subjects had high levels of plasma PRA and antidiuretic hormone, and their aldosterone levels were low, which indicate that their condition was associated with a decrease in available circulating plasma, hypersecretion of antidiuretic hormone, and a decline in the ability to retain sodium. 4. Measurement of 24-hr creatinine clearance, albumin, and beta 2-microglobulin in urine revealed that bedridden elderly subjects had high levels of renal dysfunction, the result of which may a disturbance in water excretion. Abnormalities in serum sodium levels in the bedridden elderly subjects were related to a chronic deficiency in sodium intake, which reduced their ability to maintain sodium levels and impaired their renal function. Iatrogenic factors are likely to play an important role in the genesis of this condition, and should be taken into account in during management.

Measurement of special access to home visit nursing services among Japanese disabled elderly people: using GIS and claim data.

PubMed

Naruse, Takashi; Matsumoto, Hiroshige; Fujisaki-Sakai, Mahiro; Nagata, Satoko

2017-05-30

Home care service demands are increasing in Japan; this necessitates improved service allocation. This study examined the relationship between home visit nursing (HVN) service use and the proportion of elderly people living within 10 min' travel of HVN agencies. The population of elderly people living within reach of HVN agencies for each of 17 municipalities in one low-density prefecture was calculated using public data and geographic information systems. Multilevel logistic analysis for 2641 elderly people was conducted using medical and long-term care insurance claims data from October 2010 to examine the association between the proportion of elderly people reachable by HVNs and service usage in 13 municipalities. Municipality variables included HVN agency allocation appropriateness. Individual variables included HVN usage and demographic variables. The reachable proportion of the elderly population ranged from 0.0 to 90.2% in the examined municipalities. The reachable proportion of the elderly population was significantly positively correlated with HVN use (odds ratio: 1.938; confidence interval: 1.265-2.967). Residents living in municipalities with a lower reachable proportion of the elderly population are less likely to use HVN services. Public health interventions should increase the reachable proportion of the elderly population in order to improve HVN service use.

Salt reduction in vegetable soup does not affect saltiness intensity and liking in the elderly and children.

PubMed

Gonçalves, Carla; Monteiro, Sérgio; Padrão, Patrícia; Rocha, Ada; Abreu, Sandra; Pinho, Olívia; Moreira, Pedro

2014-01-01

Reduction of added salt levels in soups is recommended. We evaluated the impact of a 30% reduction of usual added salt in vegetable soups on elderly and children's saltiness and liking evaluation. Subjects were elderly and recruited from two public nursing homes (29 older adults, 79.7±8.9 years), and preschool children recruited from a public preschool (49 children, 4.5±1.3 years). This study took place in institutional lunchrooms. Through randomization and crossover, the subjects participated in two sensory evaluation sessions, on consecutive days, to assess perceived saltiness intensity (elderly sample) and liking (elderly and children samples) of a vegetable soup with baseline salt content and with a 30% salt reduction. Elderly rated perceived liking through a 10 cm visual analogue scale ['like extremely' (1) to 'dislike extremely' (10)] and children through a five-point facial scale ['dislike very much' (1) to 'like very much' (5)]. After 30% added salt reduction in vegetable soup, there were no significant differences in saltiness noted by the elderly (p=0.150), and in perceived liking by children (p=0.160) and elderly (p=0.860). A 30% salt reduction in vegetable soup may be achieved without compromising perceived saltiness and liking in children and the elderly.

The relationship between accessibility of healthcare facilities and medical care utilization among the middle-aged and elderly population in Taiwan.

PubMed

Yang, Ya-Ting; Iqbal, Usman; Ko, Hua-Lin; Wu, Chia-Rong; Chiu, Hsien-Tsai; Lin, Yi-Chieh; Lin, Wender; Elsa Hsu, Yi-Hsin

2015-06-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between accessibility of healthcare facilities and medical care utilization among the middle-aged and elderly population in Taiwan. Cross-sectional study from 2007 Taiwan Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TLSA) survey. Community-based study. A total of 4249 middle-aged and elderly subjects were recruited. None. Outpatient visits within 1 month, and hospitalization, emergency visits as well as to shop in pharmacy stores within 1 year, respectively. Adjusting for important confounding variables, the middle-aged and elderly with National Health Insurance (NHI) and commercial insurance compared with those with NHI alone tended to have outpatient visits. The middle-aged and elderly with longer time to access healthcare facilities were less likely to shop in pharmacy stores compared with those with <30 min. The middle-aged and elderly who perceived inconvenient to access health care tended to shop in pharmacy stores compared with those with perceived convenience. Our study of Taiwan's experience could provide a valuable lesson for countries that are planning to launch universal health insurance system, locate budgets in health care and transportation. The middle-aged and elderly who were facing more challenges in accessing health care, no matter in perceived accessibility or real time to access health care, had less outpatient visits and more drug stores shopping. Strategic policies are needed to improve accessibility in increasing patients' perception on access and escalating convenience of transportation system for improving accessibility. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press in association with the International Society for Quality in Health Care; all rights reserved.

Current status of systemic chemotherapy for octogenarians with advanced urothelial cancer in Japan: a Japanese multi-institutional study (CURE study).

PubMed

Matsui, Yoshiyuki; Ogawa, Osamu; Ishitsuka, Ryutaro; Miyazaki, Jun; Inoue, Takamitsu; Kageyama, Susumu; Sugimoto, Mikio; Mitsuzuka, Koji; Shiraishi, Yusuke; Kinoshita, Hidefumi; Wakeda, Hironobu; Nomoto, Takeshi; Kikuchi, Eiji; Fujie, Keiko; Keino, Naoto; Nishiyama, Hiroyuki

2016-12-01

The standard regimen of systemic chemotherapy for patients with advanced urothelial cancer (UC) changed from methotrexate, vinblastine, adriamycin, and cisplatin (MVAC) to gemcitabine and cisplatin (GC) in 2008 when the use of gemcitabine for UC began to be reimbursed by public health insurance in Japan. We examined its influence on the chemotherapy trend in elderly patients aged ≥80 years. Among 345 patients included in our previous multicenter retrospective cohort study (chemotherapy for urothelial carcinoma: renal function and efficacy study; CURE study), the outcome of 30 patients aged ≥80 years was reviewed before and after 2008 and compared with 315 young patients. There were only 7 (4.6 %) elderly individuals among all registered patients before 2008, whereas the number increased to 23 (12 %) after 2008. Before 2008, only one elderly patient received MVAC, while GC (whose rate was similar to the rate in young patients) was administered to 13 patients (56.5 %) after 2008. The chemotherapeutic effect and overall survival (OS) rate was not significantly different between young and elderly patients. In the elderly treated with the GC regimen, the renal impairment rate after the first cycle was significantly higher, and the presence of distant metastases and renal impairment were independent prognostic factors in a multivariate analysis. Since GC was approved as the standard regimen for first-line chemotherapy in UC, selected elderly patients have been able to safely receive systemic chemotherapy like young patients. The clinical response rate and OS rate were similar to the young, but we need to monitor changes in renal function more closely in the elderly treated with GC.

The Isfahan Comprehensive Elderly Study: Objectives, research design, methodology, and preliminary results.

PubMed

Heidari, Zahra; Feizi, Awat

2017-01-01

This paper presents the objectives, research design, methodology, and primary findings of the Isfahan Comprehensive Elderly Study (ICES). In this cross-sectional study, 603 elderly persons (aged 60 and over) were selected by multistage cluster sampling method from Isfahan, Iran, in 2016 comprehensive questionnaires along with a detailed interview were used to collect information on personal, family, socioeconomic, health and social services characteristics, life styles, physical illnesses and chronic diseases, mental, emotional and cognition disorders, quality of life, disabilities, sleep quality, social supports, life satisfaction, self-efficacy, and of participants. The mean ± standard deviation (SD) age of participants was 69.66 ± 6.31 years, consisting of 50.75% females. About 23% of elderly persons were at the risk of malnutrition and 4.5% were current smoker. Severe and mild depression were documented in 9.3% and 30.2% among included study subjects, respectively. About half of the participants had hypertension, and 26.8% suffered from cardiovascular disease. The mean ± SD of total score of Geriatric Depression Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, Older People's Quality of Life, Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly and Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index was 8.84 ± 6.79, 14.76 ± 5.92, 133.99 ± 10.55, 142.04 ± 120.53, and 6.17 ± 3.44, respectively. Elderly males had significantly higher life satisfaction and self-efficacy and better cognitive function than females ( P < 0.01). The findings of current study provided a comprehensive overview of the current health status and lifestyle of older adults in Isfahan city. The ICES could help policy makers to design appropriate prevention and interventional programs and policies to cover the specific needs of the elderly population.

The Isfahan Comprehensive Elderly Study: Objectives, research design, methodology, and preliminary results

PubMed Central

Heidari, Zahra; Feizi, Awat

2017-01-01

Background: This paper presents the objectives, research design, methodology, and primary findings of the Isfahan Comprehensive Elderly Study (ICES). Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 603 elderly persons (aged 60 and over) were selected by multistage cluster sampling method from Isfahan, Iran, in 2016 comprehensive questionnaires along with a detailed interview were used to collect information on personal, family, socioeconomic, health and social services characteristics, life styles, physical illnesses and chronic diseases, mental, emotional and cognition disorders, quality of life, disabilities, sleep quality, social supports, life satisfaction, self-efficacy, and of participants. Results: The mean ± standard deviation (SD) age of participants was 69.66 ± 6.31 years, consisting of 50.75% females. About 23% of elderly persons were at the risk of malnutrition and 4.5% were current smoker. Severe and mild depression were documented in 9.3% and 30.2% among included study subjects, respectively. About half of the participants had hypertension, and 26.8% suffered from cardiovascular disease. The mean ± SD of total score of Geriatric Depression Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, Older People's Quality of Life, Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly and Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index was 8.84 ± 6.79, 14.76 ± 5.92, 133.99 ± 10.55, 142.04 ± 120.53, and 6.17 ± 3.44, respectively. Elderly males had significantly higher life satisfaction and self-efficacy and better cognitive function than females (P < 0.01). Conclusion: The findings of current study provided a comprehensive overview of the current health status and lifestyle of older adults in Isfahan city. The ICES could help policy makers to design appropriate prevention and interventional programs and policies to cover the specific needs of the elderly population. PMID:28919912

Prevalence and determinants of depression among elderly persons in a rural community from northern India.

PubMed

Behera, Priyamadhaba; Sharan, Pratap; Mishra, Ashwani Kumar; Nongkynrih, Baridalyne; Kant, Shashi; Gupta, Sanjeev Kumar

2016-01-01

Globally, more than 350 million people of all ages suffer from depression. Elderly persons are more vulnerable to depression. We conducted this study to estimate the prevalence of depression, and to study the association of depression with sociodemographic and clinical variables among elderly persons in a rural community. We conducted a community-based cross-sectional study among 395 randomly selected elderly persons aged 60 years and above in a rural area of Ballabgarh, Haryana, India. The participants were screened by using the Geriatric Depression Scale, and diagnosis was confirmed by the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Multivariate analysis was done for independent predictors of depression. The prevalence of depression was 11.4% (95% CI 8.6%-14.9%). Living in a nuclear family (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 8.98, 95% CI 3.40-23.71), lack of physical activity (AOR 4.95, 95% CI 2.00-12.27), whole-time involvement in household work (AOR 4.47, 95% CI 1.18-16.93), presence of two or more chronic diseases (AOR 4.45, 95% CI 1.60-12.35), having no role in family decision-making (AOR 2.77, 95% CI 1.19-6.42), sleep problems in past one year (AOR 2.97, 95% CI 1.32-6.69) and bilateral hearing impairment (AOR 4.00, 95% CI 1.80-8.88) were factors associated with depression in elderly persons. Depression is common among elderly persons in rural areas. Individuals providing healthcare to elderly persons need to be trained to identify depression and take appropriate action; elderly persons with chronic diseases and hearing impairment deserve special attention.

Previous cerebrovascular disease is an important predictor of clinical outcomes in elderly patients with percutaneous coronary interventions: The Nobori-Biolimus eluting stent prospective multicenter 1-year observational registry in South Korea

PubMed Central

Kim, Yong Hoon; Her, Ae-Young; Kim, Byeong-Keuk; Shin, Dong-Ho; Kim, Jung-Sun; Ko, Young-Guk; Choi, Donghoon; Hong, Myeong-Ki; Jang, Yangsoo

2017-01-01

Objective: The appropriate selection of elderly patients for revascularization has become increasingly important because these subsets of patients are more likely to experience a major cardiac or cerebrovascular event—percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The objective of this study was to determine important independent risk factor for predicting clinical outcomes in the elderly patients after successful PCI, particularly in a series of South Korean population. Methods: This study is prospective, multicenter, observational cross-sectional study. A total of 1,884 consecutive patients who underwent successful PCI with Nobori® Biolimus A9-eluting stents were enrolled between April 2010 and December 2012. They were divided into two groups according to the age: patients <75 years old (younger patient group) and ≥75 years old (elderly patient group). The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular events (MACCE) at 1-year after index PCI. Results: The 1-year cumulative incidence of MACCE (12.9% vs. 4.3%, p<0.001) and total death (7.1% vs. 1.5%, p<0.001) was significantly higher in the elderly group than in younger group. Previous cerebrovascular disease was significantly correlated with MACCE in elderly patients 1-year after PCI (hazard ratio, 2.804; 95% confidence interval, 1.290–6.093 p=0.009). Conclusion: Previous cerebrovascular disease is important independent predictor of the MACCE in elderly patients at 1-year after PCI with Nobori® Biolimus A9-eluting stents especially in a series of South Korean population. Therefore, careful PCI with intensive monitoring and management can improve major clinical outcomes after successful PCI in elderly patients with previous cerebrovascular disease compared with younger patients. PMID:28554989

Informal and formal support among community-dwelling Japanese American elders living alone in Chicagoland: an in-depth qualitative study.

PubMed

Lau, Denys T; Machizawa, Sayaka; Doi, Mary

2012-06-01

A key public health approach to promote independent living and avoid nursing home placement is ensuring that elders can obtain adequate informal support from family and friends, as well as formal support from community services. This study aims to describe the use of informal and formal support among community-dwelling Nikkei elders living alone, and explore perceived barriers hindering their use of such support. We conducted English and Japanese semi-structured, open-ended interviews in Chicagoland with a convenience sample of 34 Nikkei elders age 60+ who were functionally independent and living alone; 9 family/friends; and 10 local service providers. According to participants, for informal support, Nikkei elders relied mainly on: family for homemaking and health management; partners for emotional and emergency support; friends for emotional and transportation support; and neighbors for emergency assistance. Perceived barriers to informal support included elders' attitudinal impediments (feeling burdensome, reciprocating support, self-reliance), family-related interpersonal circumstances (poor communication, distance, intergenerational differences); and friendship/neighbor-related interpersonal situations (difficulty making friends, relocation, health decline/death). For formal support, Nikkei elders primarily used adult day care/cultural programs for socializing and learning and in-home care for personal/homemaking assistance and companionship. Barriers to formal support included attitudinal impediments (stoicism, privacy, frugality); perception of care (incompatibility with services, poor opinions of in-home care quality); and accessibility (geographical distance, lack of transportation). In summary, this study provides important preliminary insights for future community strategies that will target resources and training for support networks of Nikkei elders living alone to maximize their likelihood to age in place independently.

The role of diabetes and aging in the determinism of hypertension and the related cerebrovascular complications.

PubMed

Malaguarnera, Michele; Vacante, Marco; Frazzetto, Paola Mariangela; Motta, Massimo

2012-01-01

Epidemiological studies carried out on a large sample (3191 elderly and 640 centenarians) with identical criteria and applying the actual diagnostic standards, have evidenced a high, statistically significant prevalence of diabetes mellitus type 2 (DMT2) (18.84%) in the elderly, as compared to the centenarians (7.50%). This aspect is correlated with the major frequency of maturity onset diabetes in elderly (MODE), compared to the centenarians, correlated also to the mortality of diabetes mellitus (DM) of long duration. The DMT2 and the aging interact in the determinism of vascular alterations, i.e., of the hypertension, and related cardio-cerebrovascular complications. The most frequently occurring hypertension in both the elderly and centenarians was always the systolic-isolated one. The prevalence of hypertension and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) was statistically significantly higher in diabetics, compared to the normoglycemic patients, in both the elderly and the centenarians. In addition, in a group of 914 elderly patients, being diabetics or normoglycemic at the start of the studies, but having neither AMI nor stroke at the baseline studies, after 5 years, these complications were more prevalent, significantly in statistical terms, in the diabetic subjects, compared to the normoglycemic ones. The increase of life-span causes an increase of the age when the aging phenomena appear, resulting in that the equal-age elderly people today are of better clinical conditions, compared to the previous periods. The increased life span with a consequent progressive aging of the population causes a worse general clinical state of the elderly population, characterized by polypathologies, frailty, and appearance of cognitive deficits or incapabilities for performing manual or instrumental activities. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Higher estimates of daily dietary net endogenous acid production (NEAP) in the elderly as compared to the young in a healthy, free-living elderly population of Pakistan

PubMed Central

Alam, Iftikhar; Alam, Ibrar; Paracha, Parvez I; Pawelec, Graham

2012-01-01

Dietary intake has been shown to influence the acid–base balance in human subjects; however, this phenomenon is poorly understood and rarely reported for the least well-studied segment of older people in a developing country. The aims of the present study were to: (1) quantify estimates of daily net endogenous acid production (NEAP) (mEq/d) in a sample of otherwise healthy elderly aged 50 years and above; and (2) compare NEAP between the elderly and young to determine the effects of aging, which could contribute to changes in the acid–base balance. Analyses were carried out among 526 elderly and 131 young participants (aged 50–80 and 23–28 years, respectively), all of whom were free of discernible disease, nonsmokers, and not on any chronic medication. Selected anthropometric factors were measured and 24-hour dietary recall was recorded. We used two measures to characterize dietary acid load: (1) NEAP estimated as the dietary potential renal acid load plus organic acid excretion, the latter as a multiple of estimated body surface area; and (2) estimated NEAP based on protein and K. For the young and elderly, the ranges of NEAP were 12.1–67.8 mEq/d and 2.0–78.3 mEq/d, respectively. Regardless of the method used, the mean dietary acid–base balance (NEAP) was significantly higher for the elderly than the young (P = 0.0035 for NEAP [elderly, 44.1 mEq/d versus young 40.1 mEq/d]; and P = 0.0035 for the protein:potassium ratio [elderly, 1.4 mEq/d versus young 1.1 mEq/d]). A positive and significant correlation was found between NEAP and energy, protein, and phosphorus (P < 0.05 for all trends). The findings from this study provide evidence of the relatively higher production of NEAP in older people, possibly as an effect of higher consumption of certain acid-producing foods by the elderly. PMID:23271903

Prevalence of elder abuse and neglect in seniors with psychiatric morbidity - example from central moravia, czech republic.

PubMed

Luzny, Jan; Jurickova, Lubica

2012-01-01

Elder abuse and neglect (EAN) comprises emotional, financial, physical, and sexual abuse, neglect by other individuals, and self-neglect. Elder abuse and neglect in seniors with psychiatric morbidity was not monitored in the Czech Republic at all, despite the literature shows mental morbidity as one of the important risk factor for developing elder abuse and neglect. We designed comparative cross sectional study comprising 305 seniors hospitalized in Mental Hospital Kromeriz in June 2011 - group of 202 seniors hospitalized due to mental disorder in psychogeriatric ward and group of 103 seniors hospitalized due to somatic disorder in internal ward. Content analysis of medical records was done in both groups of seniors, with regards to symptoms of elder abuse. Then, we discussed the topic of elder abuse with 30 nurses of psychogeriatric ward in focus group interview. Between two compared groups of seniors we detected statistically higher prevalence of elder abuse in seniors with psychiatric morbidity (48 cases, 23.8% prevalence of EAN), compared to somatically ill seniors (3 cases, 2.9%). As for nursing staff, 5 from 30 nurses (16.7%) have never heard about symptoms of elder abuse and neglect, 10 from 30 nurses (33.3%) had just a partial knowledge about elder abuse and neglect and its symptoms, the rest of nurses (15 from 30 nurses, 50.0%) had good knowledge about elder abuse and neglect and its symptoms. Elder abuse and neglect seems to be a relevant problem in senior population with mental disorders. Development of educational programs for nursing and medical staff about Elder abuse and neglect (symptoms of EAN, early detection of EAN, knowledge how to report cases of EAN) could improve the situation and help mentally ill seniors to better quality of life.

Development of demi-span equations for predicting height among the Malaysian elderly.

PubMed

Ngoh, H J; Sakinah, H; Harsa Amylia, M S

2012-08-01

This study aimed to develop demi-span equations for predicting height in the Malaysian elderly and to explore the applicability of previous published demi-span equations derived from adult populations to the elderly. A cross-sectional study was conducted on Malaysian elderly aged 60 years and older. Subjects were residents of eight shelter homes in Peninsular Malaysia; 204 men and 124 women of Malay, Chinese and Indian ethnicity were included. Measurements of weight, height and demi-span were obtained using standard procedures. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 18.0. The demi-span equations obtained were as follows: Men: Height (cm) = 67.51 + (1.29 x demi-span) - (0.12 x age) + 4.13; Women: Height (cm) = 67.51 + (1.29 x demi-span) - (0.12 x age). Height predicted from these new equations demonstrated good agreement with measured height and no significant differences were found between the mean values of predicted and measured heights in either gender (p>0.05). However, the heights predicted from previous published adult-derived demi-span equations failed to yield good agreement with the measured height of the elderly; significant over-estimation and underestimation of heights tended to occur (p>0.05). The new demi-span equations allow prediction of height with sufficient accuracy in the Malaysian elderly. However, further validation on other elderly samples is needed. Also, we recommend caution when using adult-derived demi-span equations to predict height in elderly people.

Use, perceived effectiveness, and gender differences of pain relief strategies among the community-dwelling elderly in Taiwan.

PubMed

Yu, Hsing-Yi; Tang, Fu-In; Yeh, Ming-Chen; Kuo, Benjamin Ing-Tiau; Yu, Shu

2011-03-01

Pain is a common problem among the elderly. The entire scope of chronic pain relief strategies used by community elderly is still unclear. A limited number of studies have investigated this issue from diverse culture perspectives. In the present study, we investigated the use and perceived effectiveness of pain relief strategies adopted by the elderly; gender differences between frequently used relief strategies were also explored. Two hundred nineteen participants living in Taiwan City, Taiwan, were recruited by a random sampling method and interviewed face to face. The prevalence of chronic pain among the elderly was 42.0% (n = 92). The elderly tended to adopt multiple strategies (mean ± SD = 9.08 ± 3.56; range = 2-18) to relieve their chronic pain. In three domains of pain relief strategies, conventional medicine was used more frequently than complementary and alternative medicine and psychologic approaches. Most pain relief strategies were ineffective. Among the 22 strategies used, no strategy was reported as "much improved" by a majority of users. The top five pain relief strategies used by men and women were the same. Elderly women tended to adopt more psychologic approaches, such as acceptance and ignoring to relieve pain, than men. The findings suggest that nurses should pay more attention to the issue of chronic pain relief and provide the elderly with more effective pain relief strategies. Copyright © 2011 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Prevalence of malnutrition in free living elderly people in Iran: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Aliabadi, Maliheh; Kimiagar, Masood; Ghayour-Mobarhan, Majid; Shakeri, Mohammad Taghi; Nematy, Mohsen; Ilaty, Ali Akbar; Moosavi, Ahmad-Reza; Lanham-New, Sue

2008-01-01

The elderly are a particularly vulnerable group. Malnutrition is common and increases an old person's vulnerability to disease. We determine the prevalence of malnutrition in free living elderly people and its relationship with nutritional status and some socioeconomic conditions. Nutritional status and its relationship with socioeconomic conditions were evaluated using Mini Nutritional Assessment in free-living elderly people (n=1962 using cluster sampling, 917 male/1045 female, aged>60). Among the population, 42.7% were well nourished, 12.0% malnourished and 45.3% at risk of malnutrition. There was more malnutrition in females compared to males (13% vs. 10.8%; p<0.001), rural than urban (14.8% vs. 9.9%; p<0.001), non educated than educated (13.3% vs 6.9%; p<0.001), lonely than living with family (17.5% vs. 10.3%; p<0.001), unemployed than employed (13.3% vs. 6.3%; p<0.05), elderly on income support (Behsisty charity) compared with elderly on retirement salary, (41.7% vs. 3.3%; p<0.05). Total Mini Nutritional Assessment scores correlated significantly with length of education, age, waist circumference, and body mass index (r =0.426, -0.142, 0.355 and 0.269 respectively). This study revealed a 12% malnutrition prevalence in this elderly group, with higher percentages in special socioeconomic conditions. Health care providers need to be aware of this problem and its scope. These results reinforce the need to screen, monitor and support elderly people.

Prevalence of and Risk Factors for Elder Abuse and Neglect in the Community: A Population-Based Study.

PubMed

Burnes, David; Pillemer, Karl; Caccamise, Paul L; Mason, Art; Henderson, Charles R; Berman, Jacquelin; Cook, Ann Marie; Shukoff, Denise; Brownell, Patricia; Powell, Mebane; Salamone, Aurora; Lachs, Mark S

2015-09-01

To estimate past-year prevalence and identify risk and protective factors of elder emotional abuse, physical abuse, and neglect. Cross-sectional, population-based study using random-digit-dial sampling and direct telephone interviews. New York State households. Representative (race, ethnicity, sex) sample (N = 4,156) of English- or Spanish-speaking, community-dwelling, cognitively intact individuals aged 60 and older. The Conflict Tactics Scale was adapted to assess elder emotional and physical abuse. Elder neglect was evaluated according to failure of a responsible caregiver to meet an older adult's needs using the Duke Older Americans Resources and Services (OARS) scale. Caseness thresholds were based on mistreatment behavior frequencies and elder perceptions of problem seriousness. Past-year prevalence of elder emotional abuse was 1.9%, of physical abuse was 1.8%, and of neglect was 1.8%, with an aggregate prevalence of 4.6%. Emotional and physical abuse were associated with being separated or divorced, living in a lower-income household, functional impairment, and younger age. Neglect was associated with poor health, being separated or divorced, living below the poverty line, and younger age. Neglect was less likely in older adults of Hispanic ethnicity. Elder abuse and neglect are common problems, with divergent risk and protective factor profiles. These findings have direct implications for public screening and education and awareness efforts designed to prevent elder mistreatment. © 2015, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2015, The American Geriatrics Society.

A review on the prevalence and measurement of elder abuse in the community.

PubMed

Sooryanarayana, Rajini; Choo, Wan-Yuen; Hairi, Noran N

2013-10-01

Aging is a rising phenomenon globally and elder abuse is becoming increasingly recognized as a health and social problem. This review aimed to identify the prevalence of elder abuse in community settings, and discuss issues regarding measurement tools and strategies to measure elderly abuse by systematically reviewing all community-based studies conducted worldwide. Articles on elder abuse from 1990 to 2011 were reviewed. A total of 1,832 articles referring to elders residing at home either in their own or at relatives' houses were searched via CINAHL and MEDLINE electronic databases, in addition to a hand search of the latest articles in geriatric textbooks and screening references, choosing a total of 26 articles for review. Highest prevalence was reported in developed countries, with Spain having 44.6% overall prevalence of suspicion of abuse and developing countries exhibiting lower estimates, from 13.5% to 28.8%. Physical abuse was among the least encountered, with psychological abuse and financial exploitation being the most common types of maltreatment reported. To date, there is no single gold standard test to ascertain abuse, with numerous tools and different methods employed in various studies, coupled with varying definitions of thresholds for age. Current evidences show that elder abuse is a common problem in both developed and developing countries. It is important that social, health care, and legal systems take these findings into consideration in screening for abuse or reforming existing services to protect the health and welfare of the elderly.

Welfare reform and elderly immigrants' health insurance coverage: the roles of federal and state medicaid eligibility rules.

PubMed

Nam, Yunju

2011-11-01

Immigrants' access to federally-funded Medicaid became limited after welfare reform imposed restrictive noncitizen eligibility rules. This study used a representative sample from the Current Population Survey (N = 105,873) and state-level data to examine the effects of these policy changes on elderly immigrants. Triple difference-in-differences analyses show that federal restriction of eligibility had a significantly negative association with elderly immigrants' Medicaid coverage, and generous state eligibility had significantly positive relationships with Medicaid and any health insurance coverage. Findings indicate the important role of eligibility on elderly immigrants' health insurance coverage. Results call for social workers' actions to expand elderly immigrants' Medicaid eligibility.

The effect of 12-week Pilates exercises on wellness in the elderly

PubMed Central

Roh, Su Yeon

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study is to examine the efficiency of 12-week Pilates exercises on wellness in the elderly. Before Pilates exercises training, the 88 elderly (63 females, 25 males) were given and completed a Wellness Scale. Then, the elderly participated in Pilates exercises and completed the same scale afterwards. Results of paired t-test showed that participants in 12-week Pilates exercises experienced significant improvement in physical (t=2.762, P<0.01), social (t=3.362, P<0.001), spiritual (t=2.307, P<0.05), and emotional wellness (t=2.489, P<0.05). Consequently, Pilates exercises helped improve wellness of the elderly. PMID:27162774

e-Learning for the elderly on drug utilization: A pilot study.

PubMed

Throfast, Victoria; Hellström, Lina; Hovstadius, Bo; Petersson, Göran; Ericson, Lisa

2017-05-01

This study explores the attitudes of elderly people to the use of electronic educational technology (e-learning) on drug utilization, with particular emphasis on the layout, usability, content, and level of knowledge in the tool. e-Learning modules were evaluated by a group of elderly people (aged ⩾65 years, n = 16) via a questionnaire comprising closed and open-ended questions. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses of the responses showed mostly positive reviews. The results indicate that the e-learning modules are a suitable tool for distributing information and education and that they can be managed by elderly individuals who are familiar with computers, allowing them to learn more about medication use.

Heroes of their own stories: expressions of aging in international cinema.

PubMed

Yahnke, Robert E

2005-01-01

This study of 14 international feature-length films (1988- 2003) is aimed at providing gerontologists with models of successful aging that portray elders as being valued within the context of community. Elders serve as role models and mentors for the young, and they resolve mid-life crises for the middle-aged. Elders complete their life's work in the context of community (aging in place), where they struggle to maintain abiding values and draws others to the community. The study concludes with examples of key visual metaphors utilized at the endings of selected films that affirm the role of elders as catalysts for change for the young, the middle-aged, and even their communities.

The interaction model of client health behavior: application to the study of community-based elders.

PubMed

Cox, C L

1986-10-01

The Interaction Model of Client Health Behavior (IMCHB) was used to direct a systematic and comprehensive description of community-based elders. The abstract concepts, constructs, factors, and variables described by one element of the model were able to account for 54% of the variance in elders' health status and 47% of the variance in their well-being. The model, as operationalized in this study, pointed to clear demographic, social, and health profiles that identified the elder at risk for decreased health, well-being, and self-care potential. The IMCHB would appear to be a useful framework with which to establish an empirical base on which nursing interventions could be developed.

Evidence-based dietary guidance and the role of dairy products for appropriate nutrition in the elderly.

PubMed

van Staveren, Wija A; de Groot, Lisette C P G M

2011-10-01

Food consumption surveys in the elderly come to the general conclusions that most elderly people outside institutions eat reasonably well. There is, however, tremendous variation in health status between older adults. The aging process is complex and influenced not only by factors intrinsic to the individual but also by extrinsic factors. The latter includes nutrition. In the various phases in the aging process, nutritional status and thus appropriate nutrition differ. Undernutrition is a great concern. In community-dwelling people older than 70 years, 5%-10% are undernourished, and for institutionalized elderly, this is up to 30%-65%. The cause is often inappropriate food consumption, and treatment is not always evidence based. National evidence-based dietary guidelines are mainly for healthy elderly people and vary between regions and even between institutes within the same region. To understand these differences, insight is required into the paradigm applied for nutritional science and the designs, selection of the older population, methodology, and endpoints of studies supplying the science behind the guidelines. A European project (Eurecca) compiles and harmonizes dietary guidelines. These activities underpin the need for sound evidence to improve the nutrition of older adults in different health phases. For frail elderly, there is also a plea to take into account results of studies on food satisfaction. First studies in this field show the effectiveness of an adapted social context for meals, appropriate nutritional care, and availability of tasty drinks and foods for selected groups of older adults. Because of the nutrient richness of dairy products and their good taste, these foods are helpful in the diet of healthy as well as frail elderly people. Key teaching points: Most elderly people eat reasonably well. There are, however, large differences in health status between elderly people and therefore also in nutrient requirements. Undernutrition is a main concern. In community-dwelling people older than 70 years, 5%-10% are undernourished, and for institutionalized elderly, this is up to 30%-65%. Evidence-based dietary guidelines are developed mainly for healthy elderly people and vary between regions. Harmonization will improve public health as well as clinical nutritional strategies. Given the nutrient density of dairy products, these products are included in balanced dietary advice for older adults.

Association of sarcopenia with depressive symptoms and functional status among ambulatory community-dwelling elderly.

PubMed

Kilavuz, Asli; Meseri, Reci; Savas, Sumru; Simsek, Hatice; Sahin, Sevnaz; Bicakli, Derya Hopanci; Sarac, Fulden; Uyar, Mehmet; Akcicek, Fehmi

Sarcopenia, functional disability, and depression are common problems in the elderly. Sarcopenia is associated with physical disability, functional impairment, depression, cardiometabolic diseases, and even mortality. This study aims to determine the association of sarcopenia with depression and functional status among ambulatory community-dwelling elderly aged 65 years and older. The sample of this cross-sectional study consisted of 28,323 people, aged 65 years and older, living in Bornova, Izmir. Multi-stage sample selection was performed to reach 1007 individuals. However, 966 elderly people could be reached, and 861 elderly people who can walk were included in the study. The data were collected by the interviewers at home through face-to-face interview. The mean age was 72.2 ± 5.8 (65-100) years. The prevalence of functional disability, depressive symptoms, and sarcopenia were 21.7%, 25.2%, and 4.6%, respectively. In multivariate analysis depression was associated with sarcopenia, being illiterate and divorced, perception of the economic situation as poor/moderate, increased number of chronic diseases, and having at least one physical disability. IADL associated functional disability with sarcopenia, being illiterate/literate and female, increased age and number of medications, and the BMI. Sarcopenia in ambulatory community-dwelling elderly is significantly associated with depressive symptoms and functional disability. Elderly people at high risk of sarcopenia should be screened for functional disability and depression. Appropriate interventions should also be implemented. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Priming of disability and elderly stereotype in motor performance: similar or specific effects?

PubMed

Ginsberg, Frederik; Rohmer, Odile; Louvet, Eva

2012-04-01

In three experimental studies, the effects of priming participants with the disability stereotype were investigated with respect to their subsequent motor performance. Also explored were effects of activating two similar stereotypes, persons with a disability and elderly people. In Study 1, participants were primed with the disability stereotype versus with a neutral prime, and then asked to perform on a motor coordination task. In Studies 2 and 3, a third condition was introduced: priming participants with the elderly stereotype. Results indicated that priming participants with the disability stereotype altered their motor performance: they showed decreased manual dexterity and performed slower than the non-primed participants. Priming with the elderly stereotype decreased only performance speed. These findings underline that prime-to-behavior effects may depend on activation of specific stereotype content.

The elderly in the shopping centers: the usability study of semipublic spaces as attractiveness generator.

PubMed

Bittencourt, Maria Cristina; do Valle Pereira, Vera Lúcia Duarte; Pacheco, Waldemar

2012-01-01

This article aims to study the importance of the attributes of usability and attractiveness for the semi-public spaces of Shopping Centers considering the elderly users, the psycho-cognitive and bio-physiological changes resulting from the aging process, as well as their expectations of the built space. Through a qualitative study of theoretical review with a multidisciplinary focus in architecture, ergonomics, gerontology, environmental psychology and management, the conditions of the elderly users were identified, and also the attributes related to usability and attractiveness, collected in order to understand and organize their interrelationships, to suggest recommendations about the drafting of Shopping Centers, aiming to generate projects and environments that should promote the efficient and satisfactory use for elderly and may also create a competitive advantage for these enterprises.

Measuring safety climate in elderly homes.

PubMed

Yeung, Koon-Chuen; Chan, Charles C

2012-02-01

Provision of a valid and reliable safety climate dimension brings enormous benefits to the elderly home sector. The aim of the present study was to make use of the safety climate instrument developed by OSHC to measure the safety perceptions of employees in elderly homes such that the factor structure of the safety climate dimensions of elderly homes could be explored. In 2010, surveys by mustering on site method were administered in 27 elderly homes that had participated in the "Hong Kong Safe and Healthy Residential Care Home Accreditation Scheme" organized by the Occupational Safety and Health Council. Six hundred and fifty-one surveys were returned with a response rate of 54.3%. To examine the factor structure of safety climate dimensions in our study, an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) using principal components analysis method was conducted to identify the underlying factors. The results of the modified seven-factor's safety climate structure extracted from 35 items better reflected the safety climate dimensions of elderly homes. The Cronbach alpha range for this study (0.655 to 0.851) indicated good internal consistency among the seven-factor structure. Responses from managerial level, supervisory and professional level, and front-line staff were analyzed to come up with the suggestion on effective ways of improving the safety culture of elderly homes. The overall results showed that managers generally gave positive responses in the factors evaluated, such as "management commitment and concern to safety," "perception of work risks and some contributory influences," "safety communication and awareness," and "safe working attitude and participation." Supervisors / professionals, and frontline level staff on the other hand, have less positive responses. The result of the lowest score in the factors - "perception of safety rules and procedures" underlined the importance of the relevance and practicability of safety rules and procedures. The modified OSHC safety climate tool provided better evidence of structural validity and reliability for use by elderly homes' decision makers as an indicator of employee perception of safety in their institution. The findings and suggestions in the study provide useful information for the management, supervisors/professionals and frontline level staff to cultivate the safety culture in the elderly home sector. Most important, elderly homes can use the modified safety climate scale to identify problem areas in their safety culture and safety management practices and then target these for intervention. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Depression among Low-Income Female Muslim Uyghur and Kazakh Informal Caregivers of Disabled Elders in Far Western China: Influence on the Caregivers' Burden and the Disabled Elders' Quality of Life.

PubMed

Wang, Meiyan; He, Bin; Wang, Yuhuan; Wu, Fuchen; Chen, Xuefeng; Wang, Wenting; Yang, Xue

2016-01-01

Paying attention to and improving the mental health of the informal caregivers of disabled elders has become a global public health priority. This study focused on low-income female Uyghur and Kazakh informal caregivers of disabled elders residing in China's far west. It investigated the prevalence of and the major related factors of depressive emotion. A cross-sectional study was performed from September 2013 to January 2014 in Shawan Prefectures, Tuokexun Prefectures, Bole Prefecture and Urumchi city. Shawan Prefecture has the highest proportion of Kazakhs, whereas Tuokexun Prefectures, Bole Prefecture and Urumchi city have the highest proportion of Uyghurs in Muslim ethnic Uygur and Kazakh communities. Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region is located in remote western China; this area is approximately 3,105 km (1,929 miles) away from Beijing. A total of 444 female Uyghur and Kazakh informal caregivers of disabled elders participated in this study. The self-rating depression scale, the Zarit burden interview, and the SF-36 questionnaire were used to evaluate the state of caregiver depression, caregiver burden, and quality of life (QOL), respectively. Statistical analyses were performed using multivariate logistic regression analyses, correlation with Spearman's rho and independent-sample t-tests; a P-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Up to 38.5% (n = 217) of informal caregivers reported having depression, whereas 61.5% (n = 273) of them reported a lack of depression. Age of disabled elders more than 60 years old, total hours spent on caring daily≥8h, duration of caring≥5 years, negative self-evaluation of health condition, having caregiver burden, elders' medium degree of disability and elders' heavy degree of disability had a higher risk of caregiver depression. By contrast, daughter/daughter-in-law of disabled elders; unemployed carers, family's per capita income >US$235.48(1500 yuan), high social support, and high QOL of disabled elders were each associated with a lower risk of depressive emotion. Moreover, informal caregivers with depression obtained high care burden scores; at the same time, disabled elders who were looked after by caregivers with depression obtained low QOL scores. Our findings suggest that the demographics characteristics of informal caregivers, and caregiver burden, and the disabled elders' degree of disability and QOL had the most significant correlation with depressive emotion among women informal caregivers. The results had a enlighten that these variables should be considered while planning interventions to improve depression of informal caregivers.

Elder mistreatment in a community dwelling population: the Malaysian Elder Mistreatment Project (MAESTRO) cohort study protocol

PubMed Central

Choo, Wan Yuen; Hairi, Noran Naqiah; Sooryanarayana, Rajini; Yunus, Raudah Mohd; Hairi, Farizah Mohd; Ismail, Norliana; Kandiben, Shathanapriya; Mohd Ali, Zainudin; Ahmad, Sharifah Nor; Abdul Razak, Inayah; Othman, Sajaratulnisah; Tan, Maw Pin; Mydin, Fadzilah Hanum Mohd; Peramalah, Devi; Brownell, Patricia; Bulgiba, Awang

2016-01-01

Introduction Despite being now recognised as a global health concern, there is still an inadequate amount of research into elder mistreatment, especially in low and middle-income regions. The purpose of this paper is to report on the design and methodology of a population-based cohort study on elder mistreatment among the older Malaysian population. The study aims at gathering data and evidence to estimate the prevalence and incidence of elder mistreatment, identify its individual, familial and social determinants, and quantify its health consequences. Methods and analysis This is a community-based prospective cohort study using randomly selected households from the national census. A multistage sampling method was employed to obtain a total of 2496 older adults living in the rural Kuala Pilah district. The study is divided into two phases: cross-sectional study (baseline), and a longitudinal follow-up study at the third and fifth years. Elder mistreatment was measured using instrument derived from the previous literature and modified Conflict Tactic Scales. Outcomes of elder mistreatment include mortality, physical function, mental health, quality of life and health utilisation. Logistic regression models are used to examine the relationship between risk factors and abuse estimates. Cox proportional hazard regression will be used to estimate risk of mortality associated with abuse. Associated annual rate of hospitalisation and health visit frequency, and reporting of abuse, will be estimated using Poisson regression. Ethics and dissemination The study has been approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the University of Malaya Medical Center (MEC Ref 902.2) and the Malaysian National Medical Research Register (NMRR-12-1444-11726). Written consent was obtained from all respondents prior to baseline assessment and subsequent follow-up. Findings will be disseminated to local stakeholders via forums with community leaders, and health and social welfare departments, and published in appropriate scientific journals and presented at conferences. PMID:27225651

Geriatric study in Europe on health effects of air quality in nursing homes (GERIE study) profile: objectives, study protocol and descriptive data.

PubMed

Annesi-Maesano, Isabella; Norback, Dan; Zielinski, Jan; Bernard, Alfred; Gratziou, Cristina; Sigsgaard, Torben; Sestini, Piersante; Viegi, Giovanni

2013-11-21

Indoor air pollution (IAP) constitutes a major global public health problem requiring increasing efforts in research and policymaking that may have special significance for elderly that are likely to spend most of their day indoors and appear to be particularly susceptible to adverse effects of chemical pollutants and bio-contaminants. Yet, evidence existing on the effects of IAP in elderly is scanty. The Geriatric study in Europe on health effects of air quality in nursing homes (GERIE) study aimed to assess health effects of major indoor air pollutants and thermal conditions in elderly (> 70 years) living stably in nursing homes (NH) across Europe. Respiratory effects were particularly considered as airways and lung constitute the first target of air pollutants. We describe here the rationale and the methods of the GERIE Study. 8 nursing homes were randomly selected in 7 European countries. Twenty individuals were randomly selected in each nursing home. Major indoor and outdoor air chemical pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, PM0.1, formaldehyde, NO2; O3, VOC, CO2) and bio-contaminants (moulds, allergens) were assessed objectively with standardized procedures. Major health status indicators were assessed through a standardized questionnaire, non-invasive clinical tests and blood and urine biomarkers as well as saliva for ADN. The GERIE study has given the opportunity to publish two reviews on respiratory health effects of indoor and outdoor air pollution in elderly. In addition it has provided the inventory of air quality and thermal conditions in 50 nursing homes across Europe and data on respiratory health status in 600 elderly aged 82 years in mean. Major future results will include the relationships between NH environment and health in elderly. The main long-term purpose of the GERIE study is to improve the health of elderly who permanently reside in nursing homes or of those who are exposed to indoor air pollution because of reduced mobility.

The Aging Game: improving medical students' attitudes toward caring for the elderly.

PubMed

Varkey, Prathibha; Chutka, Darryl S; Lesnick, Timothy G

2006-05-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a modified aging game to enhance medical students' attitudes toward caring for elderly patients, enhance empathy for elderly patients, and improve general attitudes toward the elderly. Preintervention and postintervention study All 84 students from 2 first-year medical school classes The aging game takes place over a period of 3 hours with a group of 10 to 12 students and 5 to 6 facilitators, and includes experiential learning about polypharmacy, medication cost, loss of functional status, semi-independent living, and living in a long-term care facility. Scores obtained through a modified Maxwell and Sullivan questionnaire, and the Aging Semantic Differential (ASD). There was a statistically significant improvement in 6 of the 8 attitudes toward caring for elderly and a statistically significant increase in empathy towards elderly patients following the aging game. There was a statistically significant change on 23 out of 32 ASD questions. There was no evidence of differences in the scores from pre-course to post-course by gender age group, interest in Family/Internal Medicine, or prior geriatric experience. Following the game, 77 (93%) of the students said they would take the course if not mandatory (P = .0001). A majority stated the aging game added significantly (61.5%) or moderately (37.3%) to their knowledge and skills in patient care for the elderly. A simulation experience like the aging game is an effective method of increasing the empathy and attitudes toward caring for the elderly early in the medical school curriculum. Longitudinal assessment of the effect of the aging game in maintaining the positive effect on empathy and attitudes toward caring for the elderly and especially in clinical practice needs to be done.

Nutritional situation of a Chinese community.

PubMed

Suriah, A R; Chong, T J; Yeoh, B Y

1998-08-01

To evaluate the anthropometric measurements and dietary intake of the free-living elderly in a Chinese community. A survey was carried out on 48 male and female subjects aged 60 to 96 years using anthropometric, dietary intake and questionnaire techniques. The study indicated female subjects to have more health problems, like pain at the joints (33%), hypertension (17%) and diabetes (27%) as compared to the male subjects. Dietary intake analysis showed the Chinese male subjects to have a higher energy intake (1,623 kcal) compared to the females (1,197 kcal) even though they did not fulfill the recommended dietary intake. The intake for energy, fats and carbohydrates, was found to be significantly different (p < 0.05) between both sexes. Anthropometric measurements indicated male elderly subjects to be significantly heavier (p < 0.05, 55.4 kg) and taller (161.8 cm) than female elderly subjects (49.5 kg; 146.2 cm respectively). About half of the elderly were normal in their BMI (male 55.6%; female 50%) and only 6.6% of the female subjects were obese. More male subjects were found to be underweight (33%) compared to female subjects (17%). Waist hip ratio was 0.92 for male and 0.87 for female. Our study showed that female elderly subjects had more health problems compared to male elderly subjects. On the whole, the elderly did not fulfill the recommended amount for energy intake while the percentage for carbohydrates, fats and protein from the total calorie intake were not in accordance with the healthy diet guidelines. Anthropometrically, male subjects were heavier and taller than female subjects. Looking at body mass index, most of the male elderly subjects were in the normal to underweight range. With these results, more research is warranted to give a clearer picture of the Chinese elderly in the country.

[Factors affecting subjective satisfaction with verbal communication among the disabled elderly and their family caregivers].

PubMed

Miura, Hiroko; Arai, Yumiko; Yamasaki, Kiyoko

2005-05-01

The aims of the present study were to investigate satisfaction with verbal communication among the disabled elderly and their family caregivers; and to find the significantly influential factors of satisfaction with verbal communication. The subjects were 85 disabled elderly and 85 family caregivers. For the disabled elderly, satisfaction with verbal communication, demographic, and physical factors were examined using an interview survey. For the caregivers, satisfaction with verbal communication, demographic factors, and some factors related caregiving were examined using a self-administered questionnaire. In the disabled elderly, 82.4% were satisfied with their verbal communication while 55.3% of family caregivers were satisfied. Satisfaction with verbal communication between the disabled elderly and their caregivers showed low agreement (kappa = 0.17). Bivariate analysis revealed that satisfaction with verbal communication of the disabled elderly was significantly related to ADL (p < 0.01), dysphagia risk (p < 0.05), and ability of comprehension (p < 0.05) while satisfaction with verbal communication of caregivers was significantly related to the gender of the disabled elderly and caregivers' burden. Furthermore, multiple regression analysis showed that the factor most related to satisfaction with verbal communication for the disabled elderly was ability of comprehension (p value = 0.032, odds ratio = 2.960), and the most related factor for their caregivers was the burden evaluated by J-ZBI_8 (p value = 0.004, odds ratio = 0.842). These results suggest that satisfaction with verbal communication of the disabled elderly disagrees with that of the family caregivers, and that some related factors for the disabled elderly are different from those in their family caregivers.

Radiologists’ Training, Experience, and Attitudes About Elder Abuse Detection

PubMed Central

Rosen, Tony; Bloemen, Elizabeth M.; Harpe, Jasmin; Sanchez, Allen M.; Mennitt, Kevin W.; McCarthy, Thomas J.; Nicola, Refky; Murphy, Kieran; LoFaso, Veronica M.; Flomenbaum, Neal; Lachs, Mark S.

2017-01-01

OBJECTIVE Elder abuse is underrecognized, and identification of subtle cases requires a high index of suspicion among all health care providers. Because many geriatric injury victims undergo radiographic imaging, diagnostic radiologists may be well positioned to identify injury patterns suggestive of abuse. Little is known about radiologists’ experience with elder abuse. Our goal was to describe knowledge, attitudes, training, and practice experience in elder abuse detection among diagnostic radiologists. SUBJECTS AND METHODS We conducted 19 interviews with diagnostic radiologists at a large urban academic medical center using a semistructured format. Data from these sessions were coded and analyzed to identify themes. RESULTS Only two radiologists reported any formal or informal training in elder abuse detection. All subjects believed they had missed cases of elder abuse. Even experienced radiologists reported never having received a request from a referring physician to assess images for evidence suggestive of elder abuse. All subjects reported a desire for additional elder abuse training. Also, subjects identified radiographic findings or patterns potentially suggestive of elder abuse, including high-energy injuries such as upper rib fractures, injuries in multiple stages of healing, and injuries inconsistent with reported mechanism. CONCLUSION Radiologists are uniquely positioned to identify elder abuse. Though training in detection is currently lacking, providers expressed a desire for increased knowledge. In addition, radiologists were able to identify radiographic findings suggestive of elder abuse. On the basis of these findings, we plan to conduct additional studies to define pathognomonic injury patterns and to explore how to empower radiologists to incorporate detection into their practice. PMID:27732066

Religiosity, social support, and life satisfaction among elderly Korean immigrants.

PubMed

Park, Jisung; Roh, Soonhee; Yeo, Younsook

2012-10-01

The present study tested Smith's (2003. Theorizing religious effects among American adolescents. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 42, 17-30. doi:10.1111/1468-5906.t01-1-00158) theory of religious effects to explore the relationship of religiosity, social support, and life satisfaction among elderly Korean immigrants. The study investigated the mediating role of social support to the relationship between religiosity and life satisfaction. We hypothesized that religiosity would be positively associated with life satisfaction and that the relationship between religiosity and life satisfaction would be mediated by social support. Structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed hypotheses with a sample of 200 Korean immigrant older adults in New York City (mean age = 72.5, range = 65-89). We found that greater religiosity was related to greater life satisfaction and that social support partially explained the positive relationship between religiosity and life satisfaction. Results indicated that religious engagement and social support could be significant factors to improve the quality of life among elderly Korean immigrants. Social services that facilitate religiosity and social support may be beneficial for Korean elders' life satisfaction. Future studies are invited to replicate this study for diverse ethnic groups of elderly immigrants.

Differences in trunk accelerometry between frail and non-frail elderly persons in functional tasks

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Physical conditions through gait and other functional task are parameters to consider for frailty detection. The aim of the present study is to measure and describe the variability of acceleration, angular velocity and trunk displacement in the ten meter Extended Timed Get-Up-and-Go test in two groups of frail and non-frail elderly people through instrumentation with the iPhone4® smartphone. Secondly, to analyze the differences and performance of the variance between the study groups (frail and non-frail). This is a cross-sectional study of 30 subjects aged over 65 years, 14 frail subjects and 16 non-frail subjects. Results The highest difference between groups in the Sit-to-Stand and Stand-to-Sit subphases was in the y axis (vertical vector). The minimum acceleration in the Stand-to-Sit phase was -2.69 (-4.17 / -0.96) m/s2 frail elderly versus -8.49 (-12.1 / -5.23) m/s2 non-frail elderly, p < 0.001. In the Gait Go and Gait Come subphases the biggest differences found between the groups were in the vertical axis: -2.45 (-2.77 /-1.89) m/s2 frail elderly versus -5.93 (-6.87 / -4.51) m/s2 non-frail elderly, p < 0.001. Finally, with regards to the turning subphase, the statistically significant differences found between the groups were greater in the data obtained from the gyroscope than from the accelerometer (the gyroscope data for the mean maximum peak value for Yaw movement angular velocity in the frail elderly was specifically 25.60°/s, compared to 112.8°/s for the non-frail elderly, p < 0.05). Conclusions The inertial sensor fitted in the iPhone4® is capable of studying and analyzing the kinematics of the different subphases of the Extended Timed Up and Go test in frail and non-frail elderly people. For the Extended Timed Up and Go test, this device allows more sensitive differentiation between population groups than the traditionally used variable, namely time. PMID:24559490

Arriving old: A qualitative study of elder refugee women's self-perceptions of the first year of resettlement.

PubMed

Dubus, Nicole

2018-01-01

This qualitative study examines eight elder women's experiences of resettling with their family and the protective factors that enhanced their resiliency. The implications for social work include the need to assess elder refugees' strengths, resilience, pre-resettlement functioning instead of services that might encourage integration into the dominant culture and community, and that the refugee experience is a lifelong experience that shapes and informs various stages of life.

Understanding loneliness in the lived experiences of Iranian elders.

PubMed

Heravi-Karimooi, Majideh; Anoosheh, Monireh; Foroughan, Mahshid; Sheykhi, Mohammad Taghi; Hajizadeh, Ebrahim

2010-06-01

Elderly people are especially vulnerable to loneliness. Loneliness as an important phenomenon is correlated with a variety of emotional, physical and health-related complications. However, a few studies have investigated the experience of loneliness from the perspectives of elderly people living in communities. The aim of this study was to explore the lived experiences of Iranian elders of loneliness. A qualitative study using phenomenological approach was employed with four men and nine women living in their own houses. In-depth interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using hermeneutic methods. The emerged themes were 'an aversive emotional state', 'isolated from intimate relationships', 'being deprived from social and external support systems' and 'being abused and neglected'. Our study findings support the view that the experience of loneliness creates an aversive emotional state which is associated with negative and painful feelings. In addition, it was revealed that lack of access to intimate relationships and supportive systems as well as the experience of being abused and neglected were major factors contributing to the feelings of loneliness among Iranian elders. In terms of recommendation for practice, worldwide nurses are expected to be knowledgeable about the factors which increase feelings of loneliness. Alternatively, they should develop coping mechanisms among elders with the cooperation of their family members; also, attract community attention in order to improve social services in both quality and quantity.

Factors Influencing the Successful Aging of Iranian Old Adult Women

PubMed Central

Javadi Pashaki, Nazila; Mohammadi, Farahnaz; Jafaraghaee, Fateme; Mehrdad, Neda

2015-01-01

Background: Aging is an irreversible natural process characterized by a decline in both the physical and mental status of individuals. Because of multiple factors, this process and its consequences vary greatly between individuals. A successful aging (SA) is the target of current health policies and well-being of individuals. Knowing the factors that contribute to SA and its barriers would translate in measurements that increase the quality of life of elderly and reduce health costs. Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore barriers and facilitators to Iranian elderly women’s SA. Patients and Methods: A purposive sample of 16 elderly women, aged 61 - 96 years, was recruited for this qualitative content analysis study. Study data were collected during 2012 -.2013 by conducting 16 face-to-face semi-structured in-depth interviews. We continued the data collection until reaching saturation. Study data were analyzed concurrently with data collection, by using the conventional qualitative content analysis approach. Results: Barriers and facilitators to Iranian elderly women’s SA fell into five main categories, including availability of support systems, state of health, personal capabilities, personality characteristics, and lifestyle. Conclusions: Availability of support systems, state of health, personal capabilities, personality characteristics, and lifestyle were the main interrelated factors affecting Iranian elderly women’s SA. Accordingly, providing elderly women with strong educational, emotional, financial, cultural, and social supports can help facilitate their SA. PMID:26421171

Prevalence of sexually transmitted infections and the sexual behavior of elderly people presenting to health examination centers in Korea.

PubMed

Choe, Hyun-Sop; Lee, Seung-Ju; Kim, Chul Sung; Cho, Yong-Hyun

2011-08-01

Sexually transmitted infections are diseases provoking a great social and economic burden as well as health-related problems, and with the aging of society and the extension of life expectancy sexually transmitted infections in the elderly have drawn more attention these days. For the management of sexually transmitted infections in this population, basic epidemiological data need to be established. In this study, 1,804 persons from the general population aged over 60 years visiting health examination centers were tested for syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia, and interviewed about the patterns of sexual behavior of elderly people through questionnaires. The prevalence rates of syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia recorded were 0.222% (4/1804), 0 (none), and 0.776% (14/1804), respectively. The results of the survey showed that the sexual life of the elderly people was currently active, and the sexual behavior of chlamydia patients was distinguished in some characteristics from that of the general participants. Political management to prevent sexually transmitted infections needs to be continued in elderly people as it is in other age groups. More detailed follow-up studies are necessary to determine the incidence and prevalence rates of the diseases in the elderly population in future, and the results of this study are considered to be useful as basic data for such studies.

Periodontal health status in the elderly with different levels of education: a 5-year follow-up study.

PubMed

Siukosaari, Päivi; Ajwani, Shilpi; Ainamo, Anja; Wolf, Juhani; Närhi, Timo

2012-06-01

To assess the association between the periodontal health status and level of education over a 5-year period among the elderly aged 75 years and older. Oral health among the higher educated is known to be better than among the less-well educated. On the other hand, the prevalence and severity of periodontal disease has been found to grow with increasing age. The participants were derived from a population-based Helsinki Aging Study, a random sample of 76-, 81- and 86-year-old elderly. The 170 dentate elderly who underwent clinical oral examinations at baseline and 71 who participated in the follow-up were included in this study. The data was collected from intraoral and radiological examinations and from a structured questionnaire. Subjects with a higher level of education had more retained teeth than subjects with a lower level of education. According to CPITN index, better-educated participants had more healthy sextants, but they also had more sextants with periodontal pockets. Radiographic examination showed similar results. Level of education has a clear effect on the periodontal health status in the elderly. More treatment need seems to polarise into those elderly who are better educated as they retain more teeth into old age. © 2011 The Gerodontology Society and John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Optimization of impedance spectroscopy techniques for measuring cutaneous micropore formation after microneedle treatment in an elderly population.

PubMed

Kelchen, Megan N; Holdren, Grant O; Farley, Matthew J; Zimmerman, M Bridget; Fairley, Janet A; Brogden, Nicole K

2014-12-01

The objective of this study was to optimize a reproducible impedance spectroscopy method in elderly subjects as a means to evaluate the effects of microneedles on aging skin. Human volunteers were treated with microneedles at six sites on the upper arm. Repeated impedance measurements were taken pre- and post-microneedle insertion. Two electrode types were evaluated (dry vs. gel), using either light or direct pressure to maintain contact between the electrode and skin surface. Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) was measured as a complementary technique. Five control subjects and nine elderly subjects completed the study. Microneedle insertion produced a significant decrease in impedance from baseline in all subjects (p < 0.05, regardless of electrode type or pressure application), confirming micropore formation. This was supported by a complementary significant increase in TEWL (p < 0.05). The gel*direct condition produced the lowest variability between measurements, as demonstrated by a coefficient of variation of 3.8% and 3.5% (control and elderly subjects, respectively). This was lower than variation between TEWL measurements at the same sites: 19.8% and 21.6% (control and elderly subjects, respectively). Impedance spectroscopy reproducibly measures micropore formation in elderly subjects, which will be essential for future studies describing microneedle-assisted transdermal delivery in aging populations.

Use of Seasonal Influenza Vaccination and Its Associated Factors among Elderly People with Disabilities in Taiwan: A Population-Based Study.

PubMed

Chang, Yu-Chia; Tung, Ho-Jui; Hsu, Shang-Wei; Chen, Lei-Shin; Kung, Pei-Tseng; Huang, Kuang-Hua; Chiou, Shang-Jyh; Tsai, Wen-Chen

2016-01-01

Influenza immunization among elderly people with disabilities is a critical public health concern; however, few studies have examined the factors associated with vaccination rates in non-Western societies. By linking the National Disability Registration System and health service claims dataset from the National Health Insurance program, this population-based study investigated the seasonal influenza vaccination rate among elderly people with disabilities in Taiwan (N = 283,172) in 2008. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to adjust for covariates. Nationally, only 32.7% of Taiwanese elderly people with disabilities received influenza vaccination. The strongest predictor for getting vaccinated among older Taiwanese people with disabilities was their experience of receiving an influenza vaccination in the previous year (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 6.80, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 6.67-6.93). Frequent OPD use (AOR = 1.85, 95% CI: 1.81-1.89) and undergoing health examinations in the previous year (AOR = 1.66, 95% CI: 1.62-1.69) also showed a moderate and significant association with receiving an influenza vaccination. Although free influenza vaccination has been provided in Taiwan since 2001, influenza immunization rates among elderly people with disabilities remain low. Policy initiatives are required to address the identified factors for improving influenza immunization rates among elderly people with disabilities.

Social Support and Leisure-Time Physical Activity Among the Elderly: A Population-Based Study.

PubMed

Böhm, Andrea Wendt; Mielke, Grégore Iven; da Cruz, Maurício Feijó; Ramirez, Virgílio Viana; Wehrmesister, Fernando C

2016-06-01

Physical inactivity in elderly is a public health problem. The purpose of this study is to describe and test the association between social support and leisure-time physical activity among the elderly. A cross-sectional, population-based study with 1,285 subjects (60+ years old) living in a city in southern Brazil was carried out in 2014. Physical activity practice was measured using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire [leisure domain: at least 150 minutes per week of walking + moderate physical activity + 2(vigorous physical activity)], while social support was measured using the Physical Activity Social Support Scale. The prevalence of elderly who reached the recommendations of leisure-time physical activity was 18.4%. The elderly persons who had the company of family or friends to walk had a 2.45 times higher prevalence of reaching the recommendations of physical activity in leisure than those who did not. Those who had company of friends to practice moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) were 3.23 times more likely to reach physical activity recommendations than their counterparts. The least common social support was the joint practice for walking and for MVPA. Strategies that incentivize family members and friends to provide social support to the elderly for physical activity focusing on joint practice must be encouraged.

Parenting style, resilience, and mental health of community-dwelling elderly adults in China.

PubMed

Zhong, Xue; Wu, Daxing; Nie, Xueqing; Xia, Jie; Li, Mulei; Lei, Feng; Lim, Haikel A; Kua, Ee-Heok; Mahendran, Rathi

2016-07-08

Given the increasing elderly population worldwide, the identification of potential determinants of successful ageing is important. Many studies have shown that parenting style and mental resilience may influence mental health; however, little is known about the psychological mechanisms that underpin this relationship. The current study sought to explore the relationships among mental resilience, perceptions of parents' parenting style, and depression and anxiety among community-dwelling elderly adults in China. In total, 439 community-dwelling elderly Chinese adults aged 60-91 years completed the Personal and Parents' Parenting Style Scale, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale, and Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale. Elderly adults whose parents preferred positive and authoritative parenting styles had higher levels of mental resilience and lower levels of depression and anxiety. Elderly adults parented in the authoritarian style were found to have higher levels of depression and anxiety, with lower mental resilience. The findings of this study provide evidence related to successful ageing and coping with life pressures, and highlight the important effects of parenting on mental health. The results suggest that examination of the proximal determinants of successful ageing is not sufficient-distal factors may also contribute to the 'success' of ageing by modifying key psychological dispositions that promote adaptation to adversity.

Serum inflammatory markers in the elderly: are they useful in differentiating sepsis from SIRS?

PubMed

Talebi-Taher, Mahshid; Babazadeh, Shahin; Barati, Mitra; Latifnia, Maryam

2014-01-01

Differentiating sepsis from other noninfectious causes of systemic inflammation is often difficult in the elderly. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of C-reactive protein (CRP), Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR), procalcitonin (PCT), and Interleukin-6 (IL-6) to identify elderly patients with sepsis. In this single center prospective observational study, we included all consecutive elderly patients admitted with suspected sepsis and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) in an emergency department. Blood samples for measuring CRP, PCT, IL-6, ESR and white blood cells (WBC) count were taken at first day of admission. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were calculated for each inflammatory markers being studied. A total of 150 elderly patients aged 65 and older, 50 with sepsis and 50 with SIRS, and fifty individuals in a normal health status were included. CRP exhibited the greatest sensitivity (98%) and negative predictive value (98.6%) and performed best in differentiating patients with sepsis from those with SIRS. In a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, IL-6 performed best in distinguishing between SIRS and the control group (AUC 0.75, 95% CI). On the other hand, both CRP and ESR appeared to be a more accurate diagnostic parameter for differentiating sepsis from SIRS among elderly patients.

Socioeconomic inequalities in morbidity among the elderly; a European overview.

PubMed

Huisman, Martijn; Kunst, Anton E; Mackenbach, Johan P

2003-09-01

There is some evidence on socioeconomic inequality in morbidity among elderly people, but this evidence remains fragmentary. This study aims to give a comprehensive overview of educational and income inequalities in morbidity among the elderly of eleven European countries. Data from the first wave of 1994 of the European Community Household Panel were used. The study population comprised a total of 14,107 men and 17,243 women, divided into three age groups: 60-69, 70-79 and 80+. Three health indicators were used: self-assessed health, cut down in daily activities due to a physical or mental problem, and long-term disability. The results indicate that socioeconomic inequalities in morbidity by education and income exist among the elderly in Europe, in all the countries in this study and all age groups, including the oldest old. Inequalities decline with age among women, but not always among men. Greece, Ireland, Italy and The Netherlands most often show large inequalities among men, and Greece, Ireland and Spain do so among women. To conclude, inequalities in morbidity decrease with age, but a substantive part persists in old age. To improve the health of elderly people it is important that the material, social and cultural resources of the elderly are improved.

Evaluation of the Costs of Caring for the Senile Demented Elderly: A Pilot Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hu, Teh-wei; And Others

1986-01-01

Evaluated economic costs for nursing home patients and elderly living in their own homes. Using time records compiled by nurses or family members, the costs incurred annually in caring for a senile demented elderly person at home were estimated to average $11,735, and in a nursing home, $22,458. (Author/BL)

The Relationship between Health Professionals and the Elderly Patient Facing Drug Prescription: A Qualitative Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lefevre, Fernando; Teixeira, Jorge Juarez Vieira; Lefevre, Ana Maria Cavalcanti; de Castro, Lia Lusitana Cardozo; Spinola, Aracy Witt de Pinho

2004-01-01

Aiming at identifying the relationship between the elderly patient facing drug prescription and health professionals, an exploratory and descriptive study of a qualitative cut was carried out using semi-structured interviews. To this end, the Collective Subject Discourse analysis technique was employed. Thirty elderly patients living in the urban…

Anthropometric data of elderly people in Australia.

PubMed

Kothiyal, K; Tettey, S

2000-06-01

An anthropometric data set on 171 elderly people in Australia has been presented. The data set consists of 22 body dimensions relevant to design of living facilities, equipment and workplaces for the elderly people. The study was carried out in metropolitan Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. A comparative analysis with other populations indicates significant differences in the body dimensions.

Perceived Self-Efficacy and Its Role in Education-Related Cognitive Performance in Latino American Elderly

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alders, Amanda

2011-01-01

This article describes the methodology, data analysis, and results for a pilot study investigating perceived self-efficacy of cognitive performance among Latino American elderly. The sample included 24 Latino American elderly. A 12-week quasi-experimental design was utilized. Participants were provided with weekly 2-hr art education sessions…

A Cross-Country Exploration: Dietetic Students' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Intentions to Provide Services to the Elderly

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cha, Myeonghwa; Seo, Sunhee

2009-01-01

This study identified dietetic students' knowledge of aging, attitudes, and intentions to provide services to the elderly and compared the cross-cultural differences between the United States and South Korea. The results show that knowledge about aging and the elderly, coursework experiences, and internship experiences are much greater among…

Elderly Korean Learners' Participation in English Learning through Lifelong Education: Focusing on Motivation and Demotivation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Tae-Young; Kim, Yoon-Kyoung

2015-01-01

This study explores motivational and demotivational factors in English learning among elderly learners attending a lifelong education institute located in Seoul, South Korea. A total of 420 elderly learners with limited English learning experience responded to a questionnaire with 47 five-point Likert-type items. In order to investigate what…

Distinctive Features of Spatial Perspective-Taking in the Elderly

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watanabe, Masayuki

2011-01-01

This study aimed to ascertain the characteristics of spatial perspective-taking ability--assumed to be a form of imaginary body movement in three-dimensional space--in the elderly. A new task was devised to evaluate the development of this function: 20 children, 20 university students, and 20 elderly people (each group comprising 10 men and 10…

Semantic Behavior Therapy and Psychosocial Variables in the Treatment of Chronic Pain in the Elderly.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dietrich, Coralie; And Others

This study explored the efficacy of semantic behavior therapy in the management of chronic osteoarthritis pain in elderly patients as well as the relationships among pain, physical health, personality, and social characteristics in this population. The sample consisted of 8 elderly persons who had osteoarthritis of the knee, and 11 healthy elderly…

Educational Support Group in Changing Caregivers' Psychological Elder Abuse Behavior toward Caring for Institutionalized Elders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsieh, Hsiu-Fang; Wang, Jing-Jy; Yen, Maiofen; Liu, Tzu-Ti

2009-01-01

Institutionalized elderly who are frail and dependent are vulnerable to be abused by overwhelmed caregivers especially caregiver psychological abusive behavior is a growing but hidden problem with few evidence-based interventions. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of an educational support group in alleviating caregiver's…

Noninvasive quantification of ascorbate and glutathione concentration in the elderly human brain

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In this study, Ascorbate (Asc) and glutathione (GSH) concentrations were non-invasively quantified using double edited 1H MRS at 4T in the occipital cortex of healthy young(age 18 – 22 years, N = 22) and elderly (age 70 – 89 years, N = 22) human subjects. Elderly subjects had a lower GSH concentrati...

Sources of Stereotypes and Misconceptions of Aging: A Comparative Study of Cohort Differences.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kluge, Nancy A.; And Others

Traditional stereotypes and attitudes about the elderly are of interest to both researchers and health care providers. Misconceptions about the elderly and the sources of these misconceptions were examined in undergraduates (N=150) and in elderly subjects (N=50). Subjects completed the Miller-Dodder revision of Palmore's Facts on Aging Quiz One…

Using a Geriatric Mentoring Narrative Program to Improve Medical Student Attitudes towards the Elderly

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duke, Pamela; Cohen, Diane; Novack, Dennis

2009-01-01

This study examined first-year medical student attitudes concerning the elderly before and after instituting a geriatric mentoring program. The program began and ended with a survey designed to assess students' attitudes toward the elderly. During the mentoring program, students visited the same senior for four visits throughout the academic year.…

Food Habits and Future Time: An Exploratory Study of Age-Appropriate Food Habits Among the Elderly.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shifflett, Peggy A.; McIntosh, William A.

1987-01-01

Examined future time perspective and its association with change in food habits among elderly persons (N=805). Findings suggest that the elderly change food habits and that there is an association of positive or negative food habit changes with a positive or negative future time perspective. (Author/NB)

The Social Determinants of Depression in Elderly Korean Immigrants in Canada: Does Acculturation Matter?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Wooksoo; Chen, Ya-Ling

2011-01-01

Depression in old age significantly decreases the quality of life and may lead to serious consequences, such as suicide. Existing literature indicates that elderly Korean immigrants may experience higher levels of depression than other racial ethnic group elders. The purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate factors that influence…

The Co-Residence of Elderly People with Their Children and Grandchildren

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Latorre Postigo, Jose Miguel; Lopez Honrubia, Rigoberto

2010-01-01

As a result of the increase in life expectancy in Western societies, the need for elderly people to live with their families (coresidence) is on the rise. The main objectives of this study were to determine the social perception of the advantages and drawbacks of coresidence with elderly people and establish the differences in this perception…

An Evaluation of the Nutrition Services for the Elderly. Volume I. Executive Summary.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kirschner Associates, Inc., Albuquerque, NM.

This document is part of a five-volume nationwide study of Nutrition Services operations and elderly citizens participating in congregate dining and home delivery services authorized by Title III-C of the Older Americans' Act. The Nutrition Services address a number of problems faced by the nation's elderly, such as dietary inadequacy, declining…

Health Behavior among the Elderly in Turkey: An Early Evaluation of the Geroatlas Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tufan, Ismail

2009-01-01

Scientific investigations have revealed that behaviors about health and illness states are related to socioeconomic status, gender, and cultural factors. Chronic diseases and comorbidity are common in elderly people when compared to the rest of the population. Major problems of the elderly in Turkey are related to health behaviors, financial…

How Elders Guided the Evolution of the Modern Human Brain, Social Behavior, and Culture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coe, Kathryn; Palmer, Craig T.

2009-01-01

In this article the authors revisit the earlier studies of the role and importance of elders and pursue various lines of evidence--biological, archaeological, and cross-cultural/ethnographic--to build the fundamental argument that elders and the knowledge they have acquired from their ancestors, through social learning, have played a key role in…

Organization of Functional Postural Responses Following Perturbations in Multiple Directions in Elderly Fallers Standing Quietly

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matjacic, Zlatko; Sok, David; Jakovljevic, Miroljub; Cikajlo, Imre

2013-01-01

The objective of the study was to assess functional postural responses by analyzing the center-of-pressure trajectories resulting from perturbations delivered in multiple directions to elderly fallers. Ten elderly individuals were standing quietly on two force platforms while an apparatus delivered controlled perturbations at the level of pelvis…

Design of a Behavior of Robot That Attracts the Interest of the Mildly Demented Elderly.

PubMed

Nihei, Misato; Sakuma, Natsuki; Yabe, Hiroyuki; Kamata, Minoru; Inoue, Takenobu

2017-01-01

In this study, using the unexpected intervention overturning the interaction amount of the field and the mental model, an interaction of a robot system that enables sustained nonverbal communication with the mildly demented elderly was proposed and its effectiveness was shown in the group home of the mildly demented elderly.

The Investigation and Outcome of Reported Cases of Elder Abuse: The Forsyth County Aging Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shiferaw, Beletshachew; And Others

1994-01-01

Summarized outcome of all investigations of elder abuse conducted in Forsyth County, North Carolina, during three-year period ending December 1991. Of 123 cases investigated, 23 were confirmed as elder abuse. Found no statistically significant differences in age, sex, race, living arrangements, mental status, mobility, or source of report between…

Influence of social support on cognitive function in the elderly.

PubMed

Yeh, Shu-Chuan Jennifer; Liu, Yea-Ying

2003-05-30

Social support is important in daily activities of the elderly. This study tests the hypothesis that there is an association between social support and cognitive function among the elderly in a community setting. Face-to-face interviews were conducted in a cross-sectional stratified random sample of 4,993 elderly (> or =65 years) city residents. Using multiple regression analysis, we investigated the influence of social support on cognitive function. 12% were over 80 years old. 53.28% were men. 67.14% were married. Higher Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (SPMSQ) scores (higher score means better cognitive function) were associated with strong social support, as measured by marital status and perceived positive support from friends. Lower cognitive function was associated with older and with female respondents. Only instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) were statistically and negatively related to SPMSQ. Lower functional status was associated with lower cognitive function. Elders with grade school educations had lower SPMSQ scores than did elders with high school educations. In Taiwan, higher cognitive function in community-living elderly was associated with increased social support. Life-style management should provide social activities for the elderly to promote a better quality of life.

Nonexercise movement in elderly compared with young people.

PubMed

Harris, Ann M; Lanningham-Foster, Lorraine M; McCrady, Shelly K; Levine, James A

2007-04-01

The association between free-living daily activity and aging is unclear because nonexercise movement and its energetic equivalent, nonexercise activity thermogenesis, have not been exhaustively studied in the elderly. We wanted to address the hypothesis that free-living nonexercise movement is lower in older individuals compared with younger controls matched for lean body mass. Ten lean, healthy, sedentary elderly and 10 young subjects matched for lean body mass underwent measurements of nonexercise movement and body posture over 10 days using sensitive, validated technology. In addition, energy expenditure was assessed using doubly labeled water and indirect calorimetry. Total nonexercise movement (acceleration arbitrary units), standing time, and standing acceleration were significantly lower in the elderly subjects; this was specifically because the elderly walked less distance per day despite having a similar number of walking bouts per day compared with the young individuals. The energetic cost of basal metabolic rate, thermic effect of food, total daily energy expenditure, and nonexercise activity thermogenesis were not different between the elderly and young groups. Thus, the energetic cost of walking in the elderly may be greater than in the young. Lean, healthy elderly individuals may have a biological drive to be less active than the young.