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Sample records for elderly population living

  1. Renal Transplantation from Elderly Living Donors

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    Jacob A. Akoh

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Acceptance of elderly living kidney donors remains controversial due to the higher incidence of comorbidity and greater risk of postoperative complications. This is a review of publications in the English language between 2000 and 2013 about renal transplantation from elderly living donors to determine trends and effects of donation, and the outcomes of such transplantation. The last decade witnessed a 50% increase in living kidney donor transplants, with a disproportionate increase in donors >60 years. There is no accelerated loss of kidney function following donation, and the incidence of established renal failure (ERF and hypertension among donors is similar to that of the general population. The overall incidence of ERF in living donors is about 0.134 per 1000 years. Elderly donors require rigorous assessment and should have a predicted glomerular filtration rate of at least 37.5 mL/min/1.73 m2 at the age of 80. Though elderly donors had lower glomerular filtration rate before donation, proportionate decline after donation was similar in both young and elderly groups. The risks of delayed graft function, acute rejection, and graft failure in transplants from living donors >65 years are significantly higher than transplants from younger donors. A multicentred, long-term, and prospective database addressing the outcomes of kidneys from elderly living donors is recommended.

  2. Design of Eco-Smart Homes For Elderly Independent Living

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    Zhang, Yiran; Liu, Xiaohui

    2015-01-01

    The aging of the world population has increased dramatically during the past century. The rapid increase of elderly population is putting a heavy strain on healthcare and social welfare. Living conditions and service provision for elderly people have thus become an increasingly hot topic worldwide. In this paper, we address this problem by presenting a conceptual model of an integrated and personalized system for an eco-smart home for elderly independent living. This approach was inspired by ...

  3. IDENTIFYING DEMENTIA IN ELDERLY POPULATION : A CAMP APPROACH

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    Anand P

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Dementia is an emerging medico social problem affecting elderly, and poses a challenge to clinician and caregivers. It is usually identified in late stage where management becomes difficult. AIM: The aim of camp was to identify dementia in elderly population participating in screening camp. MATERIAL AND METHODS : The geriatric clinic and department of psychiatry jointly organised screening camp to detect dementia in elderly for five days in September 2014 to commemorate world Alzheimer’s day. The invitation regarding camp was sent to all senio r citizen forums and also published in leading Kannada daily newspaper. Mini Mental Status Examination and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4 th edition criteria (DSM IV was used to identify dementia. RESULTS: Elderly male participate d in camp in more number than females and dementia was identified in 36% elderly with education less than 9 th standard. Dementia was found in 18% in our study population. CONCLUSION: The camp help identify elderly suffering from dementia and also created a wareness about it. Hypertension and diabetes mellitus were common co morbidity in study population. Our study suggested organising screening camp will help identify elderly living with dementia.

  4. A Study of Daily Living Dependency Status among Elderly in an Urban Slum area of Dehradun

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    Puneet Ohri

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Background: Population aging is observed world-wide. As per Census 2011, elderly constitutes 7.4% population of India. It is expected to increase to 20% in 2050. This segment of population faces multiple medical and psychological problems. To address and solve these problems great effort from the country and the community is required. Objective: To assess the daily living dependency status among elderly. Method:  A cross sectional study was conducted in Dehradun, among 215 elderly people, using a pre-structured questionnaire. Their activities of daily living (ADL and Instrumental activities of daily living (IADL were recorded by observation and interviewing them with their families. Results: Out of total, 93% individuals were independent in their ADLs, with more dependence in the very old elderly. Maximum inability was found in Bathing and dressing. 70.7% elderly were dependent on one or more IADLs, female elderly being more dependent than male (p<0.05. However there was no significant difference of dependence in the male and female elderly in performing ADLs. Education and socio-economic status had a positive effect on independence in IADLs. Among all IADLs male elderly showed a maximum dependency for cooking and laundry while females showed a greater dependency in using telephone, managing money and travelling.

  5. A Study of Daily Living Dependency Status among Elderly in an Urban Slum area of Dehradun

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    Puneet Ohri

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Background: Population aging is observed world-wide. As per Census 2011, elderly constitutes 7.4% population of India. It is expected to increase to 20% in 2050. This segment of population faces multiple medical and psychological problems. To address and solve these problems great effort from the country and the community is required. Objective: To assess the daily living dependency status among elderly. Method:  A cross sectional study was conducted in Dehradun, among 215 elderly people, using a pre-structured questionnaire. Their activities of daily living (ADL and Instrumental activities of daily living (IADL were recorded by observation and interviewing them with their families. Results: Out of total, 93% individuals were independent in their ADLs, with more dependence in the very old elderly. Maximum inability was found in Bathing and dressing. 70.7% elderly were dependent on one or more IADLs, female elderly being more dependent than male (p<0.05. However there was no significant difference of dependence in the male and female elderly in performing ADLs. Education and socio-economic status had a positive effect on independence in IADLs. Among all IADLs male elderly showed a maximum dependency for cooking and laundry while females showed a greater dependency in using telephone, managing money and travelling.

  6. [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].

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    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.

  7. Relationship Between Visual Constructive Abilities and Activity of Daily Living in Home Dwelling Elderly Population

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    Negin Chehrehnegar

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: Increasing life expectancy and decreasing birthrates have significantly contributed to an increased aging population throughout the world. This sudden change is a global phenomenon often resulting in biological changes that may have various consequences, such as reduced life power and coping skills in the elderly population. Cognitive deficits are one of the most severe impairments in the elderly people. Deficits in cognitive abilities, especially visual constructive skills, can have a considerable impact on the independency of the daily living skills of the elderly people. Self-care by individuals to maintain their life and wellbeing is a key element for their independency. The activity of daily living (ADL can support personal life independency, and is considered as a morbidity index. In the present cross-sectional study, we assessed the visual abilities and ADL in older subjects to determine whether cognitive impairment is associated with changes in self-care behavior. Methods & Materials: This study employed random sampling technique to select and recruit forty seven individuals aged between 60 to 80 years from Jahandidegan club in Shiraz, Iran. They were evaluated through "visual constructive ability" sub-scale from Loewenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment (LOTCA battery and "Katz Index", which were used to assess their associated skill and ADL, respectively. Data was collected through observation and interviews. Data analysis was performed through Pearson's correlation test using SPSS. Results: The mean age of the participants (9 women and 38 men was 69.94±4.66 years. Lower scores in cognitive domains predicted functional decline in some scales. There was a significant correlation between visual constructive ability and eating; however, no significant correlation was found between this sub-scale with bathing, moving, toileting, and bowel control. Conclusion: In summary, a significant correlation was noted

  8. Comparing Sleep Quality and General Health Among the Elderly Living at Home and at Nursing Home

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    Mansour Beyrami

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: Survey about the issues and problems related to elderly in order to improve their quality of life of this increasing population has become a universal concern.This study was performed by the purpose of comparing the sleep quality and general health among the Elderly Residing at Home and Old People's Homes. Methods & Materials: This study is descriptive-analytic type. Population of this investigation consisted of elderly men and women (upper than 60 years old living at personal home and at nursing home in Tabriz. Sample group composed of 100 elderly (50 men and 50 women 50 living at home and 50 living at nursing home who were selected through available sampling method. For collecting data, Goldberg General Health Questionnaire and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index were used. Data were analyzed by Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA. Results: Findings showed that In terms of general health and its components (Physical symptoms, anxiety, social dysfunction and depression and Sleep quality and its components (Subjective quality of sleep, time for sleep, total sleep time, sleep efficiency, routine, sleep disorders, sleep medications and daily dysfunction there were significant differences between nursing home residents and elderly residents in nursing homes (P=0.001. Conclusion: Findings indicated that elderly residents in nursing home are experiencing more symptoms of anxiety, depression, physical symptoms and social dysfunction Compared with the elderly whom resident at home. Also the results showed that the elderly residents of nursing homes have poor sleep quality than ones whom residents at home. On the other hand Future development of elderly care institution is inevitable. Therefore, more attention to the living conditions of elderly residents of institutions seems necessary.

  9. Assessing the functional disability of rural elderly population from North-West India using activity of daily living scale: A cross-sectional survey

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    Parveen Singh

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Aging is associated with both physical impairment and functional disability. One of the areas of concerns is a derangement in the activities of daily living (ADL where the elderly people are unable to perform their basic personal care tasks. The present study was planned with the aim to evaluate functional impairment among rural elderly using ADL scale. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted as a cross-sectional population-based survey using multistage randomized sampling technique from August 2015 to October 2015 in Miran Sahib Health Zone of R S Pura health block in Jammu District in North-West India. The study involved 418 elderly individuals above 60 years of age. Results: A higher proportion of elderly (378/418; 90.43% were classified as functionally independent. Among the study participants 9.54% (40/418 were found to have some had some impairment. Among the elderly impaired individuals, 5.26% (22/418 were moderately impaired while 2.64% (11/418 were severely impaired. However, importantly only a small proportion (7/418; 1.67% of elderly individuals was completely dependent on others. Conclusion: The total impairment prevalence reported among the geriatrics in the current study was 9.5%. With the increase in the geriatric population expected in near future, this number will be significant. Policies with a clear focus on geriatric health-care need to be developed to reduce the dependency among elderly.

  10. Health and Loneliness Status of the Elderly Living in Nursing Homes Versus Those Living with Their Families

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    Ghorban Hemmati Alamdarlou

    2008-07-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: As attention of the elderly is progressing rapidly in developing countries in recent years, special attention to their mental and physical needs are necessary. The aim of this study was to comparing general health and loneliness between two groups of the elderly, one who live with their families versus those who live in nursing homes in north part of Tehran, Iran. Methods & Materials: This is a cross-comparative research. Sample consisted one hundred eighty elderly, age 65 and over (96 male, 84 female, 103 living in nursing homes and 77 living with their families with average of 73 years old and standard deviation 8 were selected. The sample was drawn by means of available method. General Health Question (GHQ and loneliness questionnaires were administered. Data were analyzed by means of two way analysis of variance. Results: Findings showed that there were significant difference between general health of two groups. (F(1.176=19.53, P=0.0001 (General health of the elderly living in nursing homes was significantly lower than the elderly living with their families.  Results: results showed that there were significant difference between loneliness of two groups (F(1.176=105.5, P=0.0001. Loneliness of the elderly living in nursing homes were significantly more than the elderly living with their families. Moreover results showed that there was a significant difference between males and females in loneliness (F(1.176=15.84, P=0.0001, also analysis showed that the male elderly had lonely feelings more than the female elderly. Conclusion: Results of this study showed that living with member’s family has positive effect on physical and mental health of the elderly. With respect to psycho-cultural situation of the elderly in Tehran, Iran, living with their family, may be considered as a better place in obtaining a better health and psychological values.

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

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    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).

  12. Does self-reported sleep quality predict poor cognitive performance among elderly living in elderly homes?

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    Amer, Motassem S; Hamza, Sarah A; El Akkad, Rania M; Abdel Galeel, Yamen I I

    2013-01-01

    Sleep complaints are common among elderly, especially institutionalized elderly, as they experience poorer sleep quality and higher use of sedative hypnotics, when compared to community-dwelling elderly. Recent findings suggest that there may be a relationship between poor quality of sleep and cognitive deficits. This study aimed at studying the relation between sleep quality and cognitive performance in older adults living in elderly homes. 100 elderly living in an elderly home in El Mansoura, Egypt, were recruited in this study, 50 cases with subjective poor quality of sleep and 50 controls with subjective good quality of sleep as assessed by Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI). Each participant went through comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA), including geriatric depression scale (GDS), assessment of cognitive function by mini mental state examination (MMSE). 52% of poor sleepers showed impaired MMSE, while only 24% of good sleepers had impaired MMSE. Both orientation and (attention and calculation) were more affected (P = 0.027 and 0.035, respectively). Linear correlation coefficient between PSQI and different variables revealed significant negative correlation with total MMSE score, attention and calculation. Poor quality of sleep is related to cognitive impairment among elderly living in elderly homes and this problem should be taken in consideration among this group of elders.

  13. The effect of loneliness on malnutrition in elderly population.

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    Ramic, Enisa; Pranjic, Nurka; Batic-Mujanovic, Olivera; Karic, Enisa; Alibasic, Esad; Alic, Alma

    2011-01-01

    The clinical and epidemiological data show that proper nutrition plays an important role in maintaining health and combating the danger of developing some chronic diseases in the elderly population. Nutrition is an important factor in many physiological and pathological changes that accompany the aging process. More than 50% of elderly patients are suffering from malnutrition which is information that concerns. Due to various factors, older people are potentially vulnerable groups at risk of malnutrition. Loneliness, isolation from society and neglect of parents by children is a big problem to many people in old age. To determine differences in nutritional status of elderly people living alone compared to those who live in family surroundings. The study was conducted in the municipality of Tuzla in 2009-2010, in outpatient family medicine Simin Han. The survey covered a total of 200 elderly subjects (age >65 years). Subject group consisted of 45% of people living alone, and 55% control group consisted of elderly patients who live in traditional family surroundings. Questionnaires used in this study are General geriatric assessment questionnaire and Mini nutritional status. The average age (+/- SD) was 75.4 +/- 6.2 years in subject group, while the same in the control group was 74.9 +/- 5.6 years. In subject group significantly more patients are on the verge of poverty. There are significant differences in the classification of financial status, according to the groups (p = 0.043). Members of subject groups have significantly lower BMI categories (p = 0.03) compared with the control group. In our study, people who live alone are at increased risk of malnutrition (p = 0030), have reduced the number of daily meals, significantly lower daily intake of protein, fruits and vegetables in the diet in relation to persons living in a family environment. Significantly more patients with loss of appetite live alone. According to the existence of self-reported food problems

  14. Prevalence of risk factors for falls among elderly people living in long-term care homes

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    Pradnya Dhargave, PhD; Ragupathy Sendhilkumar, MSc, MPT

    2016-01-01

    Background: Falls are common among the geriatric population, causing frequent morbidity and mortality. There is an increased risk of fall among older people living in long-term care homes. Identifying risk factors for falls among older people living in old-age homes can help in the care and prevention of falls in this population. Aim: To evaluate the prevalence of various risk factors for falls among older people living in long-term care homes. Methods: A total of 163 elderly men and wo...

  15. Quality of life of elderly live kidney donors.

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    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%; Pvitality" (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.

  16. [Consumption of nutrients among the elderly living in Porto Alegre in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil: a population-based study].

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    Venturini, Carina Duarte; Engroff, Paula; Sgnaolin, Vanessa; El Kik, Raquel Milani; Morrone, Fernanda Bueno; da Silva Filho, Irenio Gomes; De Carli, Geraldo Attilio

    2015-12-01

    A cross-sectional, population-based study was conducted on a random sample of 427 elderly individuals living in Porto Alegre, Brazil, to establish the nutrient consumption profile and verify its association with sociodemographic and health variables. Dietary intake was assessed using the 24-hour Food Recall Survey and the Dietetic Research Investigation technique. Seventy percent of the elderly respondents were women: 48.5% were between 60 and 69 years old; 68.8% had less than 8 years of schooling; 39% had a family income of between 2 and 5 minimum wages and 58.4% took no physical exercise. Hypertension was the most prevalent disease among the elderly and 54.9% were underweight. Men consumed more calories, protein, fiber, minerals and vitamins than women. Carbohydrate and calcium intake increases with advancing age, while zinc intake decreases. Physical exercise increased the intake of calories, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus. The higher the schooling the greater the intake of vitamins B6 and B12; the higher the family income, the greater the consumption of vitamin B6 and folic acid. The results show that there are nutritional deficiencies in the daily diet of the Brazilian elderly population, especially among women and individuals over 80 years of age.

  17. A Comparison Between the Level of Happiness Among the Elderly Living at Home and That of Senior Home Residents

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    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: The present study was designed to compare the level of happiness among the elderly population living at home with that of senior home residents. Methods & Materials: This was a causative-comparative study. The statistical population consisted of all 60 plus men and women residing at home and senior homes in the city of Tabriz, from whom 100 samples were selected in two groups of 50 individuals (25 females and 25 males using an availability non-random sampling method. The oxford happiness questionnaire was used in order to collect data, which were then analyzed using an independent t-test. Results: Results showed that the level of happiness among the elderly living at home was significantly higher than that of senior home residents. Furthermore, among indicators of happiness, life satisfaction levels, psychological health, positive mood, and efficiency were significantly higher among the elderly living at home. However, there was no significant difference between the two in terms of self-esteem. Conclusion: Findings indicate that, due to better social and family support, the level of happiness among the elderly living at home is significantly higher than that of senior home residents. Conversely, residing at senior homes consequent to financial and family conditions, for those who would otherwise live with family, leads to depressed mood, dissatisfaction with life, and ultimately lack of happiness.

  18. [Functional dependency and falls in elderly living in poverty in Mexico].

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    Manrique-Espinoza, Betty; Salinas-Rodríguez, Aarón; Moreno-Tamayo, Karla; Téllez-Rojo, Martha M

    2011-01-01

    To determine the prevalence of functional dependency (FD) on Mexican elderly living in extreme poverty conditions and to estimate the association between falls and FD. A survey was conducted with three stages for selection, stratified by type of locality (rural or urban) and nationally representative of the 2006 Oportunidades Program. The target population was composed of individuals 70 years of age and older who were beneficiaries of the Oportunidades Program. A total of 30.9% of the elderly presented FD. The gender stratified logistic regression model resulted in an odds ratio (OR) for women of 1.25 (I.C:1.13-1.39) for the association between the increase in the number of falls and FD and OR=1.12 (I.C:0.97-1.29) for men. Given the vulnerable conditions in which these older adults live, specific interventions need to be implemented to prevent falls in order to reduce the risk of functional dependency.

  19. The relationship of the elderly toward their home and living environment

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    Boštjan Kerbler

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Housing is a basic human good and right. It plays a versatile role, allowing people to fulfil a number of needs, and it is not limited only to one’s immediate living space, but also includes an individual’s wider living environment. People’s relationship toward housing and their living environment changes over the course of their lives. Especially in old age, housing becomes more important. Research shows that the elderly want to remain in their home environments as long as possible because they are closely attached to them. In order to determine whether these findings also apply to Slovenia, this article analyses how attached the elderly in Slovenia are to their homes and wider living environment and how satisfied they are with living there. The elderly’s views were obtained with a survey, and a statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS software, based on the calculation of various statistical correlation tests. The analysis confirmed the assumption that the Slovenian elderly are also very attached to their homes or home environments and are satisfied with living there. In addition, the analysis showed some differences among the elderly in this regard depending on their age, where they live and how long they have been living in their current homes.

  20. Demographic transition and population ageing in India: Implications on the elderly of the future

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    Shradha Mathur

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Ageing population of India will transform into the elderly in future. The issue of health of the elderly population in India has arrested the attention of health policy makers and the researchers, in the recent past. Demographic structure, quality of life, healthcare services and government planning have serious implications on the ageing population. The objective of the research article is to systematically and critically evaluate the impact of demographic transition, projected demographic indicators and changing population characteristics on the health status of the elderly persons living in India in the coming decades. Analysis and discussions are based on secondary data published by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of the Government of India. The results indicate that India will be an ageing nation in the coming years and improvements in health, education and government planning are likely to enhance the life expectancy of the elderly, while the share of children will reduce, suggesting an increase in dependency of the older persons on the adult population. The article provides insights into workable solutions and suggests key recommendations to attain faster demographic dividend. India would be competing with the pressure of a dramatic demographic bulge in future.

  1. Assisted Living Systems for Elderly and Disabled People: A Short Review

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    Ivo Iliev

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available The number of elderly people living alone in their homes is permanently growing in the whole western world. Because of the deteriorating capabilities to sense and interact with the environment, such as memory, eye sight, hearing and mobility, the ageing populations often live with significantly degraded life quality. Many also suffer from chronic diseases that require medical treatment and periodical examinations. Different Assisted Living Systems have been proposed to cope with the problems. The goal is to enable the elderly people to live longer in their preferred environment, to enhance the quality of their live and to reduce the expenses of the public health care. The Assisted Living Systems are based on a lot of sensors, actuators and multimedia equipment, providing for the autonomy of people and assisting them in carrying out their daily activities together with available interaction with remote relatives and friends. The applied approaches and implementations are specific that limit the dissemination of the results between the object oriented groups. Besides, most of the projects require considerable funding for implementation. For the time being and especially for some countries with lower Gross Domestic Product, the efforts may be directed to creation of low-cost assistive systems performing some basic tasks, related to the need and health status of the living alone adults or disabled people, e.g. automatic fall detection and signalization, as well as instantaneous monitoring the photo-pletismographic signals together with permanently available communication interface between the caregiver and the user.

  2. A STUDY OF ELDERLY LIVING IN OLD AGE HOMES AND FAMILY IN PUNE DISTRICT OF MAHARASHTRA

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    Mahendra KrishnaAhiwale

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND The older generation is caught between the decline in traditional values on one hand and the absence of adequate social security system on the other. The elderly citizens are in need of urgent attention. They don’t need our pity, but the understanding, love and care of their fellow human beings. It is our duty to see that they don’t spend the twilight years of their life in isolation, pain and misery. MATERIALS AND METHODS This study was undertaken in elderly living in two old age homes and some families of general population living in Pune, in July-2017. The data was collected from a sample of hundred and twenty elderly people, after a random selection, sixty from old-age homes (OAHs and sixty were from the families. These data were collected from two OAHs using a specially designed Interview schedule and observation technique through a house to house survey for those residing in the family. These informations thus obtained were collected, analysed, tabulated, and finally presented in the form of numbers and percentages. RESULTS Our present study shows that out of total 60 respondents taken from families, 33.3% belongs to 60-65 yrs. of age group, 47% from 65-70 yrs., 13.3% from 70-75 yrs., and 6.6% were from above 75 yrs. of age group. Out of other 60 respondents living in OAHs, these data were 3.3%, 16.6%, 47%, and 33.3% respectively. Majority of the respondents (43.3% living in the families preferred a company with their family members. Majority of the elderly (53.3% were more comfortable to make their social relationship with their inmates. Among those elderly living in OAHs, 86.6% were visiting religious places, and 3.3% were resorting to meditation. CONCLUSION It could be concluded from our present study that the general feelings of the elderly living in the families had better position than that of the elderly living in OAHs. Older persons are in need of vital support that will keep important aspects of their lifestyles

  3. Elder abuse in Chinese populations: a global review.

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    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.

  4. Food security for community-living elderly people in Beijing, China.

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    Cheng, Yang; Rosenberg, Mark; Yu, Jie; Zhang, Hua

    2016-11-01

    Food security has been identified as an important issue for elderly people's quality of life and ageing in place. A food security index composed of three indicators (food intake, food quality and food affordability) was developed to measure the food security status of community-living elderly people. Food security was then examined among community-living elderly in the central urban districts of Beijing, China. Data were collected by a questionnaire survey in the summer of 2013 and the response rate was 78.5%. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression were applied to analyse food security and the associations between food security and demographic and socioeconomic factors. The results showed that 54.2% of the surveyed elderly experienced food security. Participants with better education (OR = 1.68) and better health (OR = 1.47) were more likely to experience food security. The young-old were less likely to experience food security than the older old (OR = 0.94). Elderly people who lived with their children were less likely to experience food security than those who lived alone (OR = 0.43). The results of impact factors on food security highlight both similarities with studies from more developed countries and the unique challenges faced in a rapidly changing China with its unique social, cultural and political systems. The food security index we developed in this study is a simple and effective measure of food security status, which can be used in surveys for evaluating the food security status of elderly people in the future. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  5. [The life of elderly women living alone].

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    Kim, Chunmi; Ko, Moon Hee; Kim, Moon Jeong; Kim, Joohyun; Kim, Hee Ja; Moon, Jin Ha; Baek, Kyoung Seon; Son, Haeng-Mi; Oh, SangEun; Lee, YoungAe; Choi, Jung-Sook

    2008-10-01

    This study aimed to uncover the fundamental nature of living alone in female elderly. The phenomenological research approach developed by van Manen was adopted. The theme was 'taking a firm stand alone on the edges of life'. The composition elements of living alone experienced by elderly women were as follows: 1) Corporeality: participants perceived their bodies by their health status. Unhealthy participants were suffering with diseases and dependant on other persons, while healthy participants were free from family responsibility and kept on moving. 2) Spatiality: participants felt both freedom and loneliness while they stayed home. 3) Relationality: participants felt pity and yearning for their bereaved husband and sometimes talked to his picture. According to their children's filial piety, participants were pleased or displeased. However, they incessantly devoted themselves to their children. 4) Temporality: participants considered the rest of their life as extra-time which was proceeding to death, and tried to keep themselves busy before they died. A nurse should understand the multifarious aspects of elderly women's life, and then intervene to consolidate their strengths for self-supporting the final years of life.

  6. The AMEL study, a cross sectional population-based survey on aging and malnutrition in 1200 elderly Lebanese living in rural settings: protocol and sample characteristics.

    OpenAIRE

    Boulos , Christa; Salameh , Pascale; Barberger-Gateau , Pascale

    2013-01-01

    International audience; BACKGROUND: Lebanon is faced with a particular challenge because of large socioeconomic inequality and accelerated demographic transition. Rural residents seem more vulnerable because of limited access to transport, health and social services. No information is available regarding health, nutrition and living conditions of this specific population. The purpose of the AMEL (Aging and Malnutrition in Elderly Lebanese) study is to assess the nutritional status of communit...

  7. Investigation on nursing service satisfaction of the elderly living in nursing home and influencing factors--Taking Zhengzhou City as an example

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    Xing Wenhui

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective: Investigate the status quo of the elderly living in the nursing home and their satisfaction and needs of nursing services, and analyze the service needs of the elderly living in the nursing home of Zhengzhou City. Methods: Randomly select 312 elderly people from 84 nursing homes for questionnaire survey and in-depth interview. Results: More than 60% of the respondents show their satisfaction on the current life in the nursing home. Sex, occupation, physical condition, dietary level, accommodation level, service level and health care conditions of the nursing home have a significant impact on the satisfaction of the elderly. Conclusion: With the growth of the aging of population, improving the level of service for the elderly and improve the service facilities is an essential way to improve the satisfaction and urgent needs of the elderly.

  8. 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).

    Science.gov (United States)

    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 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.

  9. Stress and optimism of elderlies who are caregivers for elderlies and live with children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oliveira, Nathalia Alves de; Souza, Érica Nestor; Luchesi, Bruna Moretti; Inouye, Keika; Pavarini, Sofia Cristina Iost

    2017-01-01

    to evaluate the relation between stress and optimism of elderlies who are informal caregivers for elderlies and live with children. cross-sectional study on 50 elderlies who provide care to elderlies, live with children, and are registered in the primary health care. The interviews occurred in the participant's residence and we evaluated characteristics of the care-dependent elderly and of the children, sociodemographic characteristics, stress through the Perceived Stress Scale and optimism through the Pinto and Pais-Ribeiro Spirituality Scale, in the elderly caregiver. For statistical analysis we used the Spearman correlation test. the mean level of stress was 23.9 points and of optimism was 3.3 points. Correlation analysis showed that the higher the level of optimism the significantly lower the level of perceived stress of elderlies who provided care to elderlies and lived with children. inversely proportional correlation was identified between stress and optimism. avaliar a relação entre estresse e otimismo de idosos cuidadores informais de idosos e que residem com crianças. Método: estudo transversal com 50 idosos cuidadores de idosos que residem com crianças e são cadastrados na atenção básica. As entrevistas ocorreram no domicílio do participante e foram avaliadas características do idoso dependente de cuidados e das crianças, características sociodemográficas, estresse por meio da Escala de Estresse Percebido e o otimismo por meio da Escala de Espiritualidade de Pinto e Pais-Ribeiro, no idoso cuidador. Para análise estatística foi utilizado o teste correlação de Spearman. o nível médio de estresse foi de 23,9 pontos e de otimismo foi de 3,3 pontos. A análise de correlação mostrou que quanto maior o nível de otimismo significativamente menor foi o nível de estresse percebido dos idosos cuidadores de idosos que residiam com crianças. foi identificada correlação inversamente proporcional entre estresse e otimismo.

  10. Prevalence and predictors of depression and anxiety among the elderly population living in geriatric homes in Cairo, Egypt.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmed, Dalia; El Shair, Inas Helmi; Taher, Eman; Zyada, Fadia

    2014-12-01

    Anxiety and depression are common in the elderly and affect their quality of life. The rates of depression and anxiety are higher among those living in institutional settings and are usually undiagnosed. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence and predictors of depression, anxiety and mixed form (i.e. depression and anxiety) in the elderly living at geriatric homes. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 240 elderly participants from four randomly selected geriatric homes in Cairo. A pretested interview questionnaire was used to collect data. A short version of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15), the Hamilton Anxiety Scale, the Katz scale for Activity of Daily living, the three-item loneliness scale and the Personal Wellbeing Index Scale were used. The prevalence of depression, anxiety and mixed disorder among the studied group were 37.5, 14.2 and 30%, respectively. Old age and the presence of comorbidities were predictors for depression and/or anxiety. Female sex, a lower social class, insufficient income, partial independence and loneliness feeling are significant predictors for depression. Being married and loneliness feeling are significant predictors for anxiety, whereas the functional status is a significant predictor for mixed depression and anxiety. Depression and/or anxiety were found in more than 80% of the studied group. An older age, female sex, insufficient income, a lower social class, a partially independent functional status, the presence of comorbidities, more frequent loneliness feeling and being married or divorced were found to be significant predictors for these problems. This study reflects the need for the screening of the elderly in geriatric homes for depression and/or anxiety, especially among high-risk groups, and developing interventions to prevent and control such problems.

  11. Prevalence and correlates of fear of falling among elderly population in urban area of Karnataka, India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mane, Abhay B; Sanjana, T; Patil, Prabhakar R; Sriniwas, T

    2014-07-01

    Falls are a major public health problem in the elderly population. Fear of falling (FOF) among elderly persons can compromise quality of life by limiting mobility, diminished sense of well-being and reduced social interactions. India is undergoing a demographic transitional phase with urban elderly population of 6.72% in 2001. The major challenge would be on the prevention of falls among them. Hence there is a need to highlight the problems related to fall faced by the elderly in India. To study the prevalence of FOF and its correlates among the elderly population in urban area. 250 elderly subjects above 60 years were randomly selected from urban area and interviewed for FOF using Short Fall Efficacy Scale-I (FES-I), history of falls and risk factors. The prevalence of FOF among the elderly was 33.2%. The significant correlates of FOF were educational status, family type, associated health problems, history of fall in past 6 months, worried of fall again among fallers, fearfulness of fall again among fallers, restriction of daily activities and depression among them. The insignificant correlates were gender and socio-economic status. FOF is a health problem among the elderly living in urban India needs urgent attention. It represents a significant threat to socialization, independence and morbidity or mortality. Knowledge of correlates of FOF may be useful in developing multidimensional strategies to reduce it among elderly.

  12. Analysis of Home Safety of the Elderly Living in City and Rural Areas

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    Nihal Buker

    2008-08-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Physiological changes and chronic diseases arising during aging process increase risk of accident of the elderly, especially the elderly living alone at their homes. Home accidents are the most commonly health problem in the elderly. This study was carried out to describe home safety of the elderly living in a city or rural area using a home safety checklist. MEDHODS: 512 living in Turkey (330 in city; 182 in rural area were evaluated via face-to-face interview using a home safety checklist during a period between December and March in 2007. In addition to sociodemographics, a questionnaire including home characteristics and life style of participants was applied. To describe home safety level, Home Safety Checklist was used. RESULTS: 51.8% of the participants living in a city and 42.8% living in rural area were aged 65-69 years. Of the participants living in a city, 59.4% were living with their partners (61.5% of the participants living in rural area. While 63.9% of the participants living in a city reported that they had a private room in their homes, 53.8% of the participants living in rural area reported that they had a private room in their homes. 2.1% of participants living in a city had an excellent home safety score. Percentage for participants living in rural area was 0.5. CONCLUSION: The results obtained from this study show that majority of houses of the elderly living in Turkey were unsafe and hazardous. Therefore, health providers and architects should work together to prevent home accidents. [TAF Prev Med Bull 2008; 7(4.000: 297-300

  13. Implications of changes in households and living arrangements for future home-based care needs and costs for disabled elders in China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeng, Yi; Chen, Huashuai; Wang, Zhenglian; Land, Kenneth C

    2015-04-01

    To better understand future home-based care needs and costs for disabled elders in China. To further develop and apply the ProFamy extended cohort-component method and the most recent census and survey data. (a) Chinese disabled elders and the annual growth rate of the percentage of national gross domestic product (GDP) devoted to home-based care costs for disabled elders will increase much more rapidly than the growth of total elderly population; (b) home-based care needs and costs for disabled oldest-old aged 80+ will increase much faster than that for disabled young-old aged 65-79 after 2030; (c) disabled unmarried elders living alone and their home-based care costs increase substantially faster than those disabled unmarried elders living with children; (d) percent of rural disabled oldest-old will be substantially higher than that of rural population after 2030; (e) sensitivity analyses show that possible changes in mortality and elderly disability status are the major direct factors affecting home-based care needs and costs; (f) caregivers resources under the universal two-child policy will be substantially better than that under the rigorous fertility policy unchanged. We discuss policy recommendations concerning pathways to healthy aging with relatively reduced care costs, including reductions of the prevalence of disability, gender equality, the universal two-child policy and resources of caregivers, encouragements of rural-to-urban family migration and elder's residential proximity to their adult children, and remarriages of not-married elders. © The Author(s) 2014.

  14. LIVED EXPERIENCES OF HEALTH PROBLEMS OF ELDERLY RESIDING IN URBAN AREAS, KATHMANDU: PILOT STUDY

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    Bista Archana, Joshi Sarala

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Globally, number of old age population is increasing with advancement of biomedical technology. Old age is the time associated with biological, psychological and social changes which situate elderly to acquire different health related problems. Objectives: To find out lived experiences of elderly regarding their health problems residing in homes of Kathmandu city. Methods: Qualitative hermeneutic phenomenology approach was adopted. Researcher selected purposively four elderly residing in an urban area of Kathmandu Valley as the study participants. In-depth interview was conducted by using in-depth interview guideline, as well as medical records, field notes and observation clues were recorded. Interview was conducted in Nepali Language and was audio taped. The recording was transcribed by the researcher herself, and the data were analyzed thematically. Finally, different sources of data were triangulated. Results: The four main themes identified were physical health problems, impaired functional abilities, psychological and social problems. Experienced physical health problems were joint pain, hearing and vision deficit, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, gastritis and fall injury. Impaired Functional abilities in performing activities of daily living was commonly experienced problems. Loneliness and decreased recent memory power were the psychological problems. Being neglected by family members, financial constraints for treatment and improper care during illness were the discerned social problems. Conclusion: Elderly are suffering from different physical health problems, impaired functional abilities, as well as various psycho-social problems. Thus, health promotional activities need to be promoted for decreasing morbidity of elderly. Family members need to be focused in the care of elderly through national policy.

  15. LIVED EXPERIENCES OF THE ABUSED ELDERLY

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    Joel Rey U. Acob

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Aim: The study determined individual lived experiences of the abused elderly in the provinces of Leyte and Biliran. Methods: The study utilized qualitative phenomenology. Interviews are made and recorded, then later transcribed verbatim. Collaizi’s method is used as method of analysis to obtain themes of the lived experiences of the ten abused key informants. Results: Based from results, most of the abused entities are female, widowed aging 6o to 65 years old, earning less than 2000 pesos per month and are dependently living in a nuclear family structure for 40 years. Based on their responses to the open-ended guide questions, key informants revealed emotional mistreatment being the most extensive type of abuse. Physical and sexual maltreatment are also evident amidst their old age. Family members and employers are the main identified perpetrators of the elderly. Bruises on most covered areas in their body, rope burns, torn undergarments, being touched without consent are some of the objective indicators of abuse. Themes such as family violence and workplace mistreatment are the most common form of abuse experienced. Conclusion: Based from the findings, it is recommended that the local government and concerned stakeholders to timely review existing rules protecting vulnerable adults especially its implementation.

  16. Risk factors of falls among elderly living in urban Suez--Egypt.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kamel, Mohammed Hany; Abdulmajeed, Abdulmajeed Ahmed; Ismail, Sally El-Sayed

    2013-01-01

    Falling is one of the most common geriatric syndromes threatening the independence of older persons. Falls result from a complex and interactive mix of biological or medical, behavioral and environmental factors, many of which are preventable. Studying these diverse risk factors would aid early detection and management of them at the primary care level. This is a cross sectional study about risk factors of falls was conducted to 340 elders in Urban Suez. Those are all patients over 60 who attended two family practice centers in Urban Suez. When asked about falling during the past 12 months, 205 elders recalled at least one incident of falling. Of them, 36% had their falls outdoors and 24% mentioned that stairs was the most prevalent site for indoor falls. Falls were also reported more among dependant than independent elderly. Using univariate regression analysis, almost all tested risk factors were significantly associated with falls in the studied population. These risk factors include: living alone, having chronic diseases, using medications, having a physical deficit, being in active, and having a high nutritional risk. However, the multivariate regression analysis proved that the strongest risk factors are low level of physical activity with OR 0.6 and P value 0.03, using a cane or walker (OR 1.69 and P value 0.001) and Impairment of daily living activities (OR 1.7 and P value 0.001). Although falls is a serious problem among elderly with many consequences, it has many preventable risk factors. Health care providers should advice people to remain active and more research is needed in such an important area of Family Practice.

  17. Risk factors of falls among elderly living in Urban Suez - Egypt

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kamel, Mohammed Hany; Abdulmajeed, Abdulmajeed Ahmed; Ismail, Sally El-Sayed

    2013-01-01

    Introduction Falling is one of the most common geriatric syndromes threatening the independence of older persons. Falls result from a complex and interactive mix of biological or medical, behavioral and environmental factors, many of which are preventable. Studying these diverse risk factors would aid early detection and management of them at the primary care level. Methods This is a cross sectional study about risk factors of falls was conducted to 340 elders in Urban Suez. Those are all patients over 60 who attended two family practice centers in Urban Suez. Results When asked about falling during the past 12 months, 205 elders recalled at least one incident of falling. Of them, 36% had their falls outdoors and 24% mentioned that stairs was the most prevalent site for indoor falls. Falls were also reported more among dependant than independent elderly. Using univariate regression analysis, almost all tested risk factors were significantly associated with falls in the studied population. These risk factors include: living alone, having chronic diseases, using medications, having a physical deficit, being in active, and having a high nutritional risk. However, the multivariate regression analysis proved that the strongest risk factors are low level of physical activity with OR 0.6 and P value 0.03, using a cane or walker (OR 1.69 and P value 0.001) and Impairment of daily living activities (OR 1.7 and P value 0.001). Conclusion Although falls is a serious problem among elderly with many consequences, it has many preventable risk factors. Health care providers should advice people to remain active and more research is needed in such an important area of Family Practice. PMID:23504298

  18. [The contribution of living arrangements in the provision of care for elderly persons with functional impairments in São Paulo, Brazil].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duarte, Yeda Aparecida de Oliveira; Lebrão, Maria Lúcia; Lima, Fernão Dias de

    2005-01-01

    To describe the functional performance, need for assistance, and living arrangements of elderly persons in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, as part of a project called Health, Well-being, and Aging in Latin America and the Caribbean (the "SABE project"). In 2000, 2 143 individuals 60 years of age or older were interviewed, using the standardized SABE questionnaire. The sample was obtained in two stages, using census sectors with replacement and probability proportional to population. To have the desired number of respondents 75 or older, additional homes close to the selected census sectors were found, with weighting of the final results. The functional performance of the elderly persons was measured in terms of their ability to perform basic activities of daily living (walking across a room, eating, lying down on a bed and getting up from it, using the bathroom, dressing and undressing, and bathing) and to carry out instrumental activities of daily living (buying and preparing food, performing light and heavy household chores, using the telephone, taking medications, and handling money). Functional impairment was defined as the need for assistance in performing at least one of the basic or instrumental activities. There were 66 types of living arrangements (household composition) identified and grouped into seven categories, according to with whom an elderly person lived and whether the other residents of the household were relatives or not. Of the individuals interviewed, 19.2% presented a functional impairment in basic activities and 26.5% in instrumental activities. The impairments were more common among women and among persons 75 or older. The proportion of elderly persons with an impairment who received help with basic activities ranged from 25.6% (lying down on the bed and getting up) to 70.5% (eating). With instrumental activities, the proportion receiving assistance ranged from 79.7% (light domestic chores) to 97.8% (buying food). With respect to living

  19. 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.

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  20. Public transfers and living alone among the elderly: A case study of Korea's new income support program

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    Erin Hye-Won Kim

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Background: Despite the significant implications of older adults' living arrangements for their well-being, it is not clear whether public transfers for the elderly will increase or decrease their independent living. A few natural experiments in the U.S. show that such support increases elders' living alone owing to their preferences for privacy. There has been little quasi-experimental evidence in Asia, where multigenerational coresidence is prevalent and norms and preferences for that form of living arrangement remain strong. Objective: In 2008 the Korean government introduced the Basic Old-Age Pension (BOAP, a means-tested income support program for elders. This article examines how the program affects unmarried Korean elders' likelihood of living alone. Methods: I analyze the 2005, 2007, 2009, and 2011 waves of the Korean Retirement and Income Study, a longitudinal survey of nationally representative Koreans. The analysis takes a difference-in-difference approach, which compares changes in the living arrangements of two elderly groups, one that received BOAP benefits and the other that did not. Results: Overall, the program has a negative, not positive, impact on elders' living alone. A closer look reveals that the transfers helped non-coresident elders to continue living alone and prevented coresident elders from forming one-person households. Conclusions: Ambivalent attitudes towards living alone in the transitional Korean society, together with the modest amount of BOAP benefits, appear to explain the mixed results. These findings are particularly relevant to other rapidly changing societies where public elder-support systems are expanding and norms of familial elder support are weakening.

  1. Service tailoring: a method and tool for user-centric creation of integrated IT-based homecare services to support independent living of elderly

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zarifi Eslami, Mohammed

    2013-01-01

    This thesis addresses the problem of supporting independent living of elderly people through IT-based homecare services. Independent living is seen as one way to deal with the consequences of an aging population (especially in industrialized countries), which include rising healthcare expenditures

  2. Interactive CaringTV® supporting elderly living at home.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lehto, Paula

    2013-01-01

    Interactive CaringTV® is a Finnish innovation that was developed by Laurea University of Applied Sciences in 2006. CaringTV was developed through action research during three research projects. The aim of interactive CaringTV is to support the health and well-being of elderly people living in their own homes. The Safe Home project was based on action research, userdriven methods, and a case study. User-driven methods were applied in planning, implementing and evaluating the programme and eServices e.g. testing and evaluating peer support, including eConsultation as the methods for supporting clients´ coping with life in their own homes. Costeffectiveness and process modelling were studied through the case study. The user-driven approach and the collected data formed the basis for the interactive programme. The online CaringTV programme included content to: support everyday life for the elderly, safety, and activities of daily living, support social relationships, participate in rehabilitation and physical exercises, manage self-care, and health issues. Active participation in the CaringTV programme provided functional ability and everyday coping as well as a meaningful activity in everyday life. CaringTV is an interactive platform to support elderly in their everyday life and help them cope at home. User-driven methods enable participants´ active involvement in planning interactive and online programmes and eServices via CaringTV. The ultimate goal of the CaringTV is to support elderly´s health, wellbeing and interaction. CaringTV empowers elderly people to take responsibility for their own health care as part of healthy ageing.

  3. Elder Abuse and Neglect in Israel: A Comparison between the General Elderly Population and Elderly New Immigrants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iecovich, Esther

    2005-01-01

    The present study investigated differences between the general elderly population and elderly new immigrants from former Soviet Union countries in regard to the incidence of elder abuse and neglect, victims' characteristics, and perpetrators' characteristics. In addition, the study sought to examine predictors of various types of abuse and…

  4. Health status of elderly based on daily activities living, cholesterol and uric acid profile in Medan city

    Science.gov (United States)

    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%).

  5. Socio-demographic aspects and cognitive performance of elderly adults living in rural areas

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    Darlene Mara dos Santos Tavares

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To compare sociodemographic variables to error rate in categories of Mini-Mental State Examination (mmse among elderly adults both with and without cognitive impairment. Methodology: This is an analytical, cross-sectional study, conducted with 955 elderly adults living in rural areas of Minas Gerais municipality, Brazil. A descriptive analysis was carried out and the chi-square test was applied (p < 0.05. Results: No association was found between sex and cognitive impairment. For its part, cognitive impairment was associated with a wider age range, a lower educational level, and widowhood. With regard to mmse, categories most affected were Attention and Calculation, Visual Capacity Building and Memory Recall. Conclusion: The results from our study put emphasis on the need to carry out health activities in order to prevent cognitive impairment, and to improve functions related to patients’ cognitive performance. Descriptors: Health of the Elderly; Cognition; Rural Population (source: decs, bireme.

  6. Activities of daily living (ADL) of single elderly individuals using social assistive programs in a rural community.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yokokawa, Yoshiharu; Miyoshi, Kei; Kai, Ichiro

    2017-01-01

    Objectives The proportion of elderly individuals living alone is increasing in Japan. Matsumoto city office provides social assistive programs such as home help, lunch delivery, life advice, and safety check telephone calls. The purpose of this study was to compare the level of ADL between the elderly using social assistive programs (the use group) and those who did not (the non-use group).Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study at Shiga district of Matsumoto city in September 2014. A total of 128 elderly individuals participated in this study. Health volunteers asked these subjects to complete a questionnaire without assistance. Measurement items included lifestyle variables and social support networks. With respect to the frequency of use, we used questions that inquired about the use of the social assistive program. We included a set of instruments commonly used in the health assessment of elderly populations: functional capacity (Instrumental ADL, Intellectual Activity, Social Role), social support, nutrition (Mini Nutrition Assessment [MNA]) and depressive symptoms (Geriatric Depression Scale [GDS]).Results The use group consisted of 24 elderly individuals participating in the social support program. The non-use group consisted of 89 elderly individuals living alone without programs. The mean age of those who completed the survey was 83.9±4.2 years for the use group and 82.3±4.3 years for the non-use group. Comparisons between the two groups did not show significant difference in terms of their intellectual activity, social role, emotional social support, and MNA or GDS scores. The use group was more likely to use the public transfer service and receive instrumental social support from children and relatives.Conclusions By means of utilizing the public transfer service, and receiving family support, the elderly living alone who used social assistive programs could live independently. These findings suggest a need for improvement in the public

  7. Health care utilization in the elderly Mexican population: Expenditures and determinants

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    García-Peña Carmen

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Worldwide population aging has been considered one of the most important demographic phenomena, and is frequently referred as a determinant of health costs and expenditures. These costs are an effect either of the aging process itself (social or because of the increase that comes with older age (individual. Objective To analyze health expenditures and its determinants in a sample of Mexican population, for three dimensions acute morbidity, ambulatory care and hospitalization focusing on different age groups, particularly the elderly. Methods A secondary analysis of the Mexican National Health and Nutrition Survey (ENSANUT, 2006 was conducted. A descriptive analysis was performed to establish a health profile by socio-demographic characteristics. Logistic regression models were estimated to determine the relation between acute morbidity, ambulatory care, hospitalization and age group; to establish the determinants of hospitalization among the population 60 years and older; and to determine hospitalization expenditures by age. Results Higher proportion of elderly reporting health problems was found. Average expenditures of hospitalization in households were $240.6 am dlls, whereas in households exclusively with elderly the expenditure was $308.9 am dlls, the highest among the considered age groups. The multivariate analysis showed higher probability of being hospitalized among the elderly, but not for risks for acute morbidity and ambulatory care. Among the elderly, older age, being male or living in a city or in a metro area implied a higher probability of hospitalization during the last year, with chronic diseases playing a key role in hospitalization. Conclusions The conditions associated with age, such as chronic diseases, have higher weight than age itself; therefore, they are responsible for the higher expenditures reported. Conclusions point towards a differentiated use and intensity of health services depending on age

  8. Health care utilization in the elderly Mexican population: expenditures and determinants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    González-González, César; Sánchez-García, Sergio; Juárez-Cedillo, Teresa; Rosas-Carrasco, Oscar; Gutiérrez-Robledo, Luis M; García-Peña, Carmen

    2011-03-29

    Worldwide population aging has been considered one of the most important demographic phenomena, and is frequently referred as a determinant of health costs and expenditures. These costs are an effect either of the aging process itself (social) or because of the increase that comes with older age (individual). To analyze health expenditures and its determinants in a sample of Mexican population, for three dimensions acute morbidity, ambulatory care and hospitalization focusing on different age groups, particularly the elderly. A secondary analysis of the Mexican National Health and Nutrition Survey (ENSANUT), 2006 was conducted. A descriptive analysis was performed to establish a health profile by socio-demographic characteristics. Logistic regression models were estimated to determine the relation between acute morbidity, ambulatory care, hospitalization and age group; to establish the determinants of hospitalization among the population 60 years and older; and to determine hospitalization expenditures by age. Higher proportion of elderly reporting health problems was found. Average expenditures of hospitalization in households were $240.6 am dlls, whereas in households exclusively with elderly the expenditure was $308.9 am dlls, the highest among the considered age groups. The multivariate analysis showed higher probability of being hospitalized among the elderly, but not for risks for acute morbidity and ambulatory care. Among the elderly, older age, being male or living in a city or in a metro area implied a higher probability of hospitalization during the last year, with chronic diseases playing a key role in hospitalization. The conditions associated with age, such as chronic diseases, have higher weight than age itself; therefore, they are responsible for the higher expenditures reported. Conclusions point towards a differentiated use and intensity of health services depending on age. The projected increase in hospitalization and health care needs for this

  9. Validity and reliability of a Malay version of the Lawton instrumental activities of daily living scale among the Malay speaking elderly in Malaysia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kadar, Masne; Ibrahim, Suhaili; Razaob, Nor Afifi; Chai, Siaw Chui; Harun, Dzalani

    2018-02-01

    The Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale is a tool often used to assess independence among elderly at home. Its suitability to be used with the elderly population in Malaysia has not been validated. This current study aimed to assess the validity and reliability of the Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale - Malay Version to Malay speaking elderly in Malaysia. This study was divided into three phases: (1) translation and linguistic validity involving both forward and backward translations; (2) establishment of face validity and content validity; and (3) establishment of reliability involving inter-rater, test-retest and internal consistency analyses. Data used for these analyses were obtained by interviewing 65 elderly respondents. Percentages of Content Validity Index for 4 criteria were from 88.89 to 100.0. The Cronbach α coefficient for internal consistency was 0.838. Intra-class Correlation Coefficient of inter-rater reliability and test-retest reliability was 0.957 and 0.950 respectively. The result shows that the Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale - Malay Version has excellent reliability and validity for use with the Malay speaking elderly people in Malaysia. This scale could be used by professionals to assess functional ability of elderly who live independently in community. © 2018 Occupational Therapy Australia.

  10. Field study of visual and biological light conditions of independently-living elderly people

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Aarts, M.P.J.; Westerlaken, A.C.

    2005-01-01

    A field study was carried out to learn more about the influence of light on the lives of elderly people . The results should lead to the development and design of a light concept for elderly people that will improve their everyday health and well-being. Methods: Ninetyone independently-living

  11. Falls among the elderly: risk factors in a population-based study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodrigues, Iara Guimarães; Fraga, Gustavo Pereira; Barros, Marilisa Berti de Azevedo

    2014-01-01

    The aim of the present study was to identify factors associated with the occurrence of falls among elderly adults in a population-based study (ISACamp 2008). A population-based cross-sectional study was carried out with two-stage cluster sampling. The sample was composed of 1,520 elderly adults living in the urban area of the city of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil. The occurrence of falls was analyzed based on reports of the main accident occurred in the previous 12 months. Data on socioeconomic/demographic factors and adverse health conditions were tested for possible associations with the outcome. Prevalence ratios (PR) were estimated and adjusted for gender and age using the Poisson multiple regression analysis. Falls were more frequent, after adjustment for gender and age, among female elderly participants (PR = 2.39; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.47 - 3.87), elderly adults (80 years old and older) (PR = 2.50; 95% CI 1.61 - 3.88), widowed (PR = 1.74; 95% CI 1.04 - 2.89) and among elderly adults who had rheumatism/arthritis/arthrosis (PR = 1.58; 95% CI 1.00 - 2.48), osteoporosis (PR = 1.71; 95% CI 1.18 - 2.49), asthma/bronchitis/emphysema (PR = 1,73; 95% CI 1.09 - 2.74), headache (PR = 1.59; 95% CI 1.07 - 2.38), mental common disorder (PR = 1.72; 95% CI 1.12 - 2.64), dizziness (PR = 2.82; 95% CI 1.98 - 4.02), insomnia (PR = 1.75; 95% CI 1.16 - 2.65), use of multiple medications (five or more) (PR = 2.50; 95% CI 1.12 - 5.56) and use of cane/walker (PR = 2.16; 95% CI 1.19 - 3,93). The present study shows segments of the elderly population who are more prone to falls through the identification of factors associated with this outcome. The findings can contribute to the planning of public health policies and programs addressed to the prevention of falls.

  12. Falls among the elderly: risk factors in a population-based study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Iara Guimarães Rodrigues

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: The aim of the present study was to identify factors associated with the occurrence of falls among elderly adults in a population-based study (ISACamp 2008. Methods: A population-based cross-sectional study was carried out with two-stage cluster sampling. The sample was composed of 1,520 elderly adults living in the urban area of the city of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil. The occurrence of falls was analyzed based on reports of the main accident occurred in the previous 12 months. Data on socioeconomic/demographic factors and adverse health conditions were tested for possible associations with the outcome. Prevalence ratios (PR were estimated and adjusted for gender and age using the Poisson multiple regression analysis. Results: Falls were more frequent, after adjustment for gender and age, among female elderly participants (PR = 2.39; 95% confidence interval (95%CI 1.47 - 3.87, elderly adults (80 years old and older (PR = 2.50; 95%CI 1.61 - 3.88, widowed (PR = 1.74; 95%CI 1.04 - 2.89 and among elderly adults who had rheumatism/arthritis/arthrosis (PR = 1.58; 95%CI 1.00 - 2.48, osteoporosis (PR = 1.71; 95%CI 1.18 - 2.49, asthma/bronchitis/emphysema (PR = 1,73; 95%CI 1.09 - 2.74, headache (PR = 1.59; 95%CI 1.07 - 2.38, mental common disorder (PR = 1.72; 95%CI 1.12 - 2.64, dizziness (PR = 2.82; 95%CI 1.98 - 4.02, insomnia (PR = 1.75; 95%CI 1.16 - 2.65, use of multiple medications (five or more (PR = 2.50; 95%CI 1.12 - 5.56 and use of cane/walker (PR = 2.16; 95%CI 1.19 - 3,93. Conclusion: The present study shows segments of the elderly population who are more prone to falls through the identification of factors associated with this outcome. The findings can contribute to the planning of public health policies and programs addressed to the prevention of falls.

  13. The Future E-Living for Elderly: The Use of Remote Controlled Devices

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sanches Lam

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available Elderly populations are growing globally, the need for assistive technologies to facilitate ageing-in-place becomes more prominent for researchers and legislators. Understanding the use of remote controlled devices is crucial to optimize design and application strategies that may reduce caregiver burden, extend healthy ageing in place, and minimize demands on the health care system. This paper will establish strategies for assistance to the elderly in ageing-in-place for the future e-living environment. This research study is to explore attitudes, opinions, and preferences of older adults concerning the use of online technology to support and extend their ability to “ageing in place.” Four major themes emerged as important for older adults to age in place: safety and independence, social interaction, use of technology in the past, and the desire for support.

  14. Home-Living Elderly People's Views on Food and Meals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ellinor Edfors

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. The aim of the study was to describe home-living elderly people's views on the importance of food and meals. Methods. Semistructured interviews with twelve elderly people. The interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Results. Respondents described how their past influenced their present experiences and views on food and meals. Increased reliance on and need of support with food and meals frequently arose in connection with major changes in their life situations. Sudden events meant a breaking point with a transition from independence to dependence and a need for assistance from relatives and/or the community. With the perspective from the past and in the context of dependency, respondents described meals during the day, quality of food, buying, transporting, cooking, and eating food. Conclusions. Meeting the need for optimal nutritional status for older people living at home requires knowledge of individual preferences and habits, from both their earlier and current lives. It is important to pay attention to risk factors that could compromise an individual's ability to independently manage their diet, such as major life events and hospitalisation. Individual needs for self-determination and involvement should be considered in planning and development efforts for elderly people related to food and meals.

  15. Which activities threaten independent living of elderly when becoming problematic: inspiration for meaningful service robot functionality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bedaf, Sandra; Gelderblom, Gert Jan; Syrdal, Dag Sverre; Lehmann, Hagen; Michel, Hervé; Hewson, David; Amirabdollahian, Farshid; Dautenhahn, Kerstin; de Witte, Luc

    2014-11-01

    In light of the increasing elderly population and the growing demand for home care, the potential of robot support is given increasing attention. In this paper, an inventory of activities was made that threaten independent living of elderly when becoming problematic. Results will guide the further development of an existing service robot, the Care-O-bot®. A systematic literature search of PubMed was performed, focused on the risk factors for institutionalization. Additionally, focus group sessions were conducted in the Netherlands, United Kingdom and France. In these focus group sessions, problematic activities threatening the independence of elderly people were discussed. Three separate target groups were included in the focus group sessions: (1) elderly persons (n = 41), (2) formal caregivers (n = 40) and (3) informal caregivers (n = 32). Activities within the International Classification of Functioning domains mobility, self-care, and interpersonal interaction and relationships were found to be the most problematic. A distinct set of daily activities was identified that may threaten independent living, but no single activity could be selected as the main activity causing a loss of independence as it is often a combination of problematic activities that is person-specific. Supporting the problematic activities need not involve a robotic solution.

  16. Impact of living environment on 2-year mortality in elderly maintenance hemodialysis patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Wen-Hung; Lin, Ja-Liang; Lin-Tan, Dan-Tzu; Chen, Kuan-Hsing; Hsu, Ching-Wei; Yen, Tzung-Hai

    2013-01-01

    Studies on risk factors of mortality in elderly patients with hemodialysis usually focus on comorbidities, nutrition, and inflammation. Discussion on the correlation between living environment and mortality of these patients is limited. A total of 256 elderly hemodialysis patients participated in this 2-year prospective observational study. The subjects were divided into 2 subgroups based on whether they were living in Taipei Basin (n = 63) or not (n = 193). Demographic, hematological, nutritional, inflammatory, biochemical, and dialysis-related data were obtained for cross-sectional analysis. Causes of death and mortality rates were also analyzed for each subgroup. Patients in the basin group had a higher incidence of combined protein-energy wasting and inflammation than those in the around basin group. At the end of the 2-year follow-up, 68 patients had died. Univariate binary logistic regression analysis revealed that a very advanced age, basin group, serum albumin levels, serum creatinine levels, non-anuria, and the complications of stroke and CAD were associated with 2-year mortality. Meanwhile, log high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels were not associated with 2-year mortality. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that basin group, serum albumin levels, and the complications of stroke and CAD were significant risk factors for 2-year mortality in these patients. The results of this study indicate that factors such as living in the Taipei Basin with higher air pollutant levels in elderly hemodialysis patients is associated with protein-energy wasting and inflammation, as well as 2-year mortality. These findings suggest that among this population, living environment is as important as comorbidities and nutrition. Furthermore, air pollution should be getting more attention especially in the overcrowding Basin topography.

  17. Impact of living environment on 2-year mortality in elderly maintenance hemodialysis patients.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wen-Hung Huang

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Studies on risk factors of mortality in elderly patients with hemodialysis usually focus on comorbidities, nutrition, and inflammation. Discussion on the correlation between living environment and mortality of these patients is limited. METHODS: A total of 256 elderly hemodialysis patients participated in this 2-year prospective observational study. The subjects were divided into 2 subgroups based on whether they were living in Taipei Basin (n = 63 or not (n = 193. Demographic, hematological, nutritional, inflammatory, biochemical, and dialysis-related data were obtained for cross-sectional analysis. Causes of death and mortality rates were also analyzed for each subgroup. RESULTS: Patients in the basin group had a higher incidence of combined protein-energy wasting and inflammation than those in the around basin group. At the end of the 2-year follow-up, 68 patients had died. Univariate binary logistic regression analysis revealed that a very advanced age, basin group, serum albumin levels, serum creatinine levels, non-anuria, and the complications of stroke and CAD were associated with 2-year mortality. Meanwhile, log high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP levels were not associated with 2-year mortality. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that basin group, serum albumin levels, and the complications of stroke and CAD were significant risk factors for 2-year mortality in these patients. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that factors such as living in the Taipei Basin with higher air pollutant levels in elderly hemodialysis patients is associated with protein-energy wasting and inflammation, as well as 2-year mortality. These findings suggest that among this population, living environment is as important as comorbidities and nutrition. Furthermore, air pollution should be getting more attention especially in the overcrowding Basin topography.

  18. [Use of new antidiabetics in the elderly population].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Besse, Sarah; Besse, Arun; Jornayvaz, François R

    2016-06-01

    Over the last few years, we have noticed the arrival on the market of new antidiabetic treatments. These represent an potential advantage because of the increase in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes, particularly in the elderly population. Nevertheless, elderly patients have a number of frailties that should be considered in the treatment of this condition. There is a lack of literature in this population as elderly are frequently excluded from randomized controlled trials. Therefore, guidelines were developed based on the consensus of experts in geriatrics and diabetology for this specific population. We have to consider the potential benefits and adverse effects of the new antidiabetics in older patients.

  19. Survival strategies – living with an elderly person suffering from dementia

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lauritzen, Jette; Suzhen, Liu; Bro Aaen, Karen

    College, School of Nursing, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China. Background: In China and Denmark the numbers of elderly demented citizens are rising. Therefore the contact between the Primary Health Care nurses and relatives of elderly demented persons has increased, in order to enable the elderly to stay...... groups of relatives, living in China and Denmark, has been performed. Preliminary Results: A thematic analysis of the interview transcripts identified themes such as the use of strategies in form of harassment of the elderly demented and fighting loneliness as a caregiver by using the Primary Health Care...

  20. Magnitude of depression and its correlates among elderly population in a rural area of Maharashtra: A cross-sectional study

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    Sourav Goswami

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Depression is the most common psychiatric disorder among elderly population in India, yet, it is commonly misdiagnosed and undertreated. The exact burden of depression among the elderly population in rural India was not known. Objectives: To study the magnitude of depression among the elderly masses in rural Maharashtra and to find its correlates. Material and Methods: This is a cross sectional study, carried out among the elderly (≥60 years population of both sexes residing in the field practice area of the department of community medicine. Geriatric depression scale was used for screening depression among the study population. Data collection was completed within 2 months using convenience sampling. Ethical approval was taken before beginning the study. Magnitude was expressed in percentage along with its 95% confidence interval (CI. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was carried out to study associated correlates. Odds ratio and 95% CI was used to express association. Results: The magnitude of depression among the elderly population was found to be 41.7% (95% CI 36.1–47.4. We got the significant positive association of female sex, living without spouse, lacking in decision making capability, a victim of abuse or neglect, or suffering from chronic illnesses with depression among elderly population in univariate analysis that did not hold good in the multivariate logistic regression. Our study showed the prevalence of mild depression among elderly to be 26.72% and that of severe depression to be 15.17%. Conclusion: To deal with this huge social problem of depression among the elderly population, more enthusiastic steps should be undertaken.

  1. Assisted-living elderly and the mealtime experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahadevan, M; Hartwell, H J; Feldman, C H; Ruzsilla, J A; Raines, E R

    2014-04-01

    Although there is increasing evidence of barriers to nutritional health among elderly assisted-living residents, there has not been the same emphasis when examining the ways in which these individuals experience their mealtimes, as well as the factors that they perceive as contributing to their overall sense of health and well-being. Mealtimes may be disregarded as being particularly unimportant or hurried and overlooked, especially for those residents who may be lonely and have feelings of isolation, ultimately leading to a reduced food intake and poor nutrition. A convenience sample of 38 men and women, aged ≥65 years, were selected from four assisted-living facilities in and around Montclair, NJ, USA, to participate in focus group discussions. Data were analysed using content analysis procedures. Participants described their experiences of mealtimes, and the factors contributing to an overall sense of well-being during these occasions. The ability to make healthy food choices, socialise, interact with staff, friends and family members, and enjoy a tasty meal in a warm and inviting dining environment, may provide a dignity that is unmatched by other services. The findings of the present study highlight the importance of maintaining the health of elderly assisted-living residents through strategies that enhance their mealtime experiences. Listening to the food voice of elderly through research such as that carried out in the present study will help policy makers develop a plan that will effectively deal with systemic barriers prevalent in these facilities, and incorporate strategies to motivate and encourage their residents to increase their food intake and improve their health and well-being. © 2013 The Authors Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics © 2013 The British Dietetic Association Ltd.

  2. Case Management Promotion of Social Media for the Elderly Who Live Alone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hashi, Ilham

    2016-01-01

    Professional case managers advocate patient access to necessary and appropriate services, while educating the patient and family and/or caregiver about resource availability within practice settings. The purpose of this article is to explain the role case managers can have to promote the use of social media by the elderly, as a means to decrease their loneliness and isolation. The promotion of the use of social media will take place in the community setting, involving willing and competent elderly patients who live alone. It is framed as one strategy to help combat loneliness. The primary target audiences for this initiative are case managers who work in the community, as they are the ones who have contact with this population. However, hospital case managers could also benefit, as they need to be aware of ways to help discharged elderly patients feel more connected to their community; the use of social media is one way to achieve this outcome. The elderly population experience changes brought on by their longer life. One of those changes or undesirable effects is an increase in social isolation and experiencing loneliness. There are many factors that contribute to loneliness and social isolation in the elderly such as a change in financial situations, death, divorce, or migration. Utilizing the capabilities of the internet, coupled with the use of social media (e.g., Facebook), can facilitate opening up a virtual world where the elderly can communicate with family and friends, make new friends, or occupy their time with the many interactive games that are available online. Case managers should increase their awareness to identify patients who are socially isolated; the outcome is to decrease the risk of developing a major depressive disorder. Community case managers might at times be the only professional health care givers who are visiting patients in their home; therefore, they should also be aware of the signs and symptoms of depression so they can encourage

  3. Technologies for participatory medicine and health promotion in the elderly population

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nieto-Riveiro, Laura; Groba, Betania; Miranda, M. Carmen; Concheiro, Patricia; Pazos, Alejandro; Pousada, Thais; Pereira, Javier

    2018-01-01

    Abstract Introduction: The progressive aging of the population is a socio-demographic phenomenon experienced by most countries in the world in recent decades, especially in Japan and in many European Union countries. During this process, so-called “geriatric syndromes” frequently occur. The focus of this study is the quality of life of the elderly in relation to these 3 factors: risk of falls, urinary incontinence, and insomnia. Objective: The main purpose is to determine the impact of a multifactorial intervention program implemented with institutionalized elderly people. The program is focused on the treatment of the aforementioned factors. Methods and Analysis: The study will be carried out with elderly people living in three residences for the elderly in A Coruña Province (Galicia, Spain).It is a prospective and longitudinal study, with a temporary series design of a “quasi-experimental” type that evaluates the effect of an intervention in 1 given population by doing assessments pre- and post-intervention, but there is no comparison with a control group. The intervention will be based on a multifactorial program, including the following phases: the use of wearable devices (wearable fitness trackers to register physical activity and sleep), the use of an App on a Tablet to record the participants’ occupations and activities, counseling about performance in activities of daily living, the implementation of a physical activity program, and the treatment of the pelvic floor (according to each research line). The Quality of Life (QoL) will be assessed before and after the intervention, with the use of the questionnaire EuroQol-5D-5L. Data analysis will be applied with all registered variables through a quantitative perspective. Ethics and Dissemination: The protocol has been approved by the host institution's ethics committee (Research Ethics Committee of Galicia) under the number 2017/106. Results will be disseminated via peer-reviewed journal articles

  4. Elderly Who Live Alone: An Overview Based on the 1991 and 2001 Censuses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pau Miret Gamundi

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available This article analyses the development of single-person living arrangements amongst unmarried people aged between 65 and 84 years old who did not live with a partner between 1991 and 2001 in seven European countries (Spain, France, Greece, Hungary, Portugal, Romania and Switzerland. To do so, census micro data provided by IPUMS (Integrated Public Use Microdata Series were used. The role of fi ve variables with regard to the probability of living alone versus living with others was examined. It was investigated whether the observed development was due to changes in the population composition. Logistic regression was used as a standardisation technique with the census data. Results showed that, after controlling for all the variables, the observed regional patterns remain the same, and that the proportion of elderly living alone increased in 2001 in all countries but Romania where, if the population composition had not changed, this proportion would have diminished. The demographic structure (by gender, age and marital status did not signifi cantly modify the observed proportions either over time or at a regional level. In contrast, the variations of the structure regarding the socio-economic variables (educational level and employment status were key to explain part of the observed change.

  5. The Role of Physical Therapists in Living Environment Maintenance of the Home-bound Elderly Disabled.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takemasa, Seiichi; Abe, Yoko; Nagao, Toru; Murakami, Masahito; Koeda, Hideki; Naruse, Susumu; Gotou, Makoto; Uesugi, Masayuki; Inoue, Yuri; Nanba, Yoshihumi

    2013-07-01

    [Purpose] This study explored the roles of physical therapists (PTs) in living environment maintenance, which is essential for living securely and stably at home, and examines how physical therapists can fulfill these roles more efficiently and effectively. [Subjects and Methods] A questionnaire on living environment maintenance was given to PTs working at randomly selected hospitals, health care facilities for the elderly requiring long-term care, home-visit nursing stations, and other such facilities and directly providing physical therapy to the home-bound elderly disabled. The subjects of the study were 77 PTs who returned valid responses. [Results] For awareness of systems for living environment maintenance, PTs were more aware of the system based on the Long-Term Care (LTC) Insurance Act than the system based on the Act on Welfare for the Home-Bound Elderly Disabled. PTs who have worked at two or more types of medical, welfare, and intermediate institutions were more aware of such systems than PTs who have worked at only one type. For PTs handling living environment maintenance for the home-bound elderly disabled, approximately 80% of respondents answered that they have handled some living environment maintenance, and PTs with longer clinical experience have handled more living environment maintenance cases. [Conclusion] The results demonstrated that PTs understand their living environment maintenance work well and handle the work. The results, however, also suggested that educational and operational improvements are urgently required for PTs handling living environment maintenance essential for the lives of the home-bound elderly disabled.

  6. Recommendations for the Use of ICT in Elderly Populations with Affective Disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gros, Auriane; Bensamoun, David; Manera, Valeria; Fabre, Roxane; Zacconi-Cauvin, Anne-Marie; Thummler, Susanne; Benoit, Michel; Robert, Philippe; David, Renaud

    2016-01-01

    Objective : Affective disorders are frequently encountered among elderly populations, and the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) could provide an added value for their recognition and assessment in addition to current clinical methods. The diversity and lack of consensus in the emerging field of ICTs is however a strong limitation for their global use in daily practice. The aim of the present article is to provide recommendations for the use of ICTs for the assessment and management of affective disorders among elderly populations with or without dementia. Methods : A Delphi panel was organized to gather recommendations from experts in the domain. A set of initial general questions for the use of ICT in affective disorders was used to guide the discussion of the expert panel and to analyze the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) of employing ICT in elderly populations with affective disorders. Based on the results collected from this first round, a web survey was sent to local general practitioners (GPs) and to all interns in psychiatry in France. Results : The results of the first round revealed that ICT may offer very useful tools for practitioners involved in the diagnosis and management of affective disorders. However, the results of the web survey showed the interest to explain better to current and upcoming practitioners the utility of ICT especially for people living with dementia.

  7. Recommendations for the Use of ICT in Elderly Populations with Affective Disorders

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gros, Auriane; Bensamoun, David; Manera, Valeria; Fabre, Roxane; Zacconi-Cauvin, Anne-Marie; Thummler, Susanne; Benoit, Michel; Robert, Philippe; David, Renaud

    2016-01-01

    Objective: Affective disorders are frequently encountered among elderly populations, and the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) could provide an added value for their recognition and assessment in addition to current clinical methods. The diversity and lack of consensus in the emerging field of ICTs is however a strong limitation for their global use in daily practice. The aim of the present article is to provide recommendations for the use of ICTs for the assessment and management of affective disorders among elderly populations with or without dementia. Methods: A Delphi panel was organized to gather recommendations from experts in the domain. A set of initial general questions for the use of ICT in affective disorders was used to guide the discussion of the expert panel and to analyze the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) of employing ICT in elderly populations with affective disorders. Based on the results collected from this first round, a web survey was sent to local general practitioners (GPs) and to all interns in psychiatry in France. Results: The results of the first round revealed that ICT may offer very useful tools for practitioners involved in the diagnosis and management of affective disorders. However, the results of the web survey showed the interest to explain better to current and upcoming practitioners the utility of ICT especially for people living with dementia. PMID:27877126

  8. Progress in ambient assisted systems for independent living by the elderly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Shaqi, Riyad; Mourshed, Monjur; Rezgui, Yacine

    2016-01-01

    One of the challenges of the ageing population in many countries is the efficient delivery of health and care services, which is further complicated by the increase in neurological conditions among the elderly due to rising life expectancy. Personal care of the elderly is of concern to their relatives, in case they are alone in their homes and unforeseen circumstances occur, affecting their wellbeing. The alternative; i.e. care in nursing homes or hospitals is costly and increases further if specialized care is mobilized to patients' place of residence. Enabling technologies for independent living by the elderly such as the ambient assisted living systems (AALS) are seen as essential to enhancing care in a cost-effective manner. In light of significant advances in telecommunication, computing and sensor miniaturization, as well as the ubiquity of mobile and connected devices embodying the concept of the Internet of Things (IoT), end-to-end solutions for ambient assisted living have become a reality. The premise of such applications is the continuous and most often real-time monitoring of the environment and occupant behavior using an event-driven intelligent system, thereby providing a facility for monitoring and assessment, and triggering assistance as and when needed. As a growing area of research, it is essential to investigate the approaches for developing AALS in literature to identify current practices and directions for future research. This paper is, therefore, aimed at a comprehensive and critical review of the frameworks and sensor systems used in various ambient assisted living systems, as well as their objectives and relationships with care and clinical systems. Findings from our work suggest that most frameworks focused on activity monitoring for assessing immediate risks, while the opportunities for integrating environmental factors for analytics and decision-making, in particular for the long-term care were often overlooked. The potential for

  9. Elder mistreatment in a community dwelling population: the Malaysian Elder Mistreatment Project (MAESTRO) cohort study protocol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    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

    2016-05-25

    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. 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. 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

  10. Health smart home for elders - a tool for automatic recognition of activities of daily living.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Le, Xuan Hoa Binh; Di Mascolo, Maria; Gouin, Alexia; Noury, Norbert

    2008-01-01

    Elders live preferently in their own home, but with aging comes the loss of autonomy and associated risks. In order to help them live longer in safe conditions, we need a tool to automatically detect their loss of autonomy by assessing the degree of performance of activities of daily living. This article presents an approach enabling the activities recognition of an elder living alone in a home equipped with noninvasive sensors.

  11. Bacterial Pneumonia in Elderly Japanese Populations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Naoya Miyashita

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Bacterial pneumonia is one of the most important infectious diseases in terms of incidence, effect on quality of life, mortality, and impact on society. Pneumonia was the third leading cause of death in Japan in 2011. In 2016, 119 650 Japanese people died of pneumonia, 96% of whom were aged 65 years and above. The symptoms of pneumonia in elderly people are often atypical. Aspiration pneumonia is seen more frequently than in young people because of swallowing dysfunction in the elderly. The mortality rate is also higher in the elderly than in young people. In Japan, the population is aging at an unprecedented rate, and pneumonia in the elderly will be increasingly important in medicine and medical economics in the future. To manage pneumonia in the elderly, it is important to accurately evaluate its severity, administer appropriate antibiotic treatment, and implement effective preventive measures.

  12. Smart home for urban Chinese elderly living

    OpenAIRE

    Cheng, J. (Jingwen)

    2014-01-01

    Abstract The purpose of this thesis is to design a new smart home for urban Chinese elderly people in home living environment. This new smart home design has to be integrated all the ICT solutions which based on a literature review was proposed and also with a functional back-end system for data collection, analysis and storage. The literature review p...

  13. Restless Legs Syndrome in a Nigerian Elderly Population

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fawale, Michael B.; Ismaila, Isiaka Alani; Mustapha, Adekunle F.; Komolafe, Morenikeji A.; Adedeji, Tewogbade A.

    2016-01-01

    Study Objectives: The prevalence of restless legs syndrome (RLS) is highest in the elderly in Caucasian populations; the prevalence of RLS in elderly Africans is not known. This study aimed at determining the frequency and associations of RLS in a Nigerian elderly population. Methods: The study population comprised of 633 consecutive elderly individuals aged 65–105 years attending the general outpatient clinic of the State Hospital, Ilesa, for minor complaints and routine check-up. The diagnosis of RLS was made using the 2003 minimal criteria of the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group. Relevant sociodemographic and clinical data, including sleep duration, were also obtained. Results: Restless legs syndrome was found in 3.5% of the study population with a male-female ratio of 2:1. There was no significant age (p = 0.427) or gender (p = 0.178) influence on the prevalence of RLS except in the 75- to 84-year age group where there was significant male preponderance (p = 0.044). A strong independent association between RLS and sleep duration (OR, 3.229; 95% CI, 1.283–8.486; p = 0.013) and past history of head injury (OR, 4.691; 95% CI, 1.750–12.577; p = 0.002) was found. Conclusions: Our finding support previous reports of a possible lower prevalence of RLS in Africans. Restless legs syndrome independently increases the odds of habitual sleep curtailment in elderly individuals. Head injury may be a risk factor for future RLS; this requires further investigation as indirect evidence for a possible link between RLS and traumatic brain injury exists. Citation: Fawale MB, Ismaila IA, Mustapha AF, Komolafe MA, Adedeji TA. Restless legs syndrome in a Nigerian elderly population. J Clin Sleep Med 2016;12(7):965–972. PMID:27070251

  14. Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and its associated factors among the urban elderly population in Hyderabad metropolitan city, South India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suryanarayana, Palla; Arlappa, Nimmathota; Sai Santhosh, Vadakattu; Balakrishna, Nagalla; Lakshmi Rajkumar, Pondey; Prasad, Undrajavarapu; Raju, Banavath Bhoja; Shivakeseva, Kommula; Divya Shoshanni, Kondru; Seshacharyulu, Madabushi; Geddam, Jagjeevan Babu; Prasanthi, Prabhakaran Sobhana; Ananthan, Rajendran

    2018-03-01

    Deficiency of vitamin D has been associated with various health conditions. However, vitamin D deficiency (VDD) and factors associated with VDD are not well studied, especially among the urban elderly population of India. To assess the prevalence of VDD and its associated factors among the urban free-living elderly population in Hyderabad. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 298 urban elderly (≥60 years) by adapting a random sampling procedure. Demographic particulars were collected. Blood pressure and anthropometric measurements were recorded using standard equipment. Fasting glucose, lipid profile and 25-hydroxy vitamin D [25(OH) D] were estimated in plasma samples. The mean ± SE plasma vitamin D and the prevalence of VDD among the urban elderly population were 19.3 ± 0.54 (ng/ml) and 56.3%, respectively. The prevalence of VDD was significantly associated with education, high body mass index (BMI), hypertension (HT) and metabolic syndrome (MS). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed HT as a significant predictor of vitamin D deficiency and the risk of VDD was double among the elderly with hypertension. The prevalence of VDD was high among the urban elderly population in the south Indian city of Hyderabad. High BMI, MS, HT and education are significant associated factors of VDD.

  15. Spiritual Needs of Elderly Living in Residential/Nursing Homes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nora-Beata Erichsen

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available While the research on spiritual needs of patients with chronic and life-threatening diseases increases, there is limited knowledge about psychosocial and spiritual needs of elderly living in residential/nursing homes. We were interested in which needs were of relevance at all, and how these needs are related to life satisfaction and mood states. For that purpose we enrolled 100 elderly living in residential/nursing homes (mean age years, 82% women and provided standardized questionnaires, that is, Spiritual Needs Questionnaire (SpNQ, Brief Multidimensional Life Satisfaction Scale (BMLSS, Quality of Life in Elders with Multimorbidity (FLQM questionnaire, and a mood states scale (ASTS. Religious needs and Existential needs were of low relevance, while inner peace needs were of some and needs for giving/generativity of highest relevance. Regression analyses revealed that the specific needs were predicted best by religious trust and mood states, particularly tiredness. However, life satisfaction and quality of life were not among the significant predictors. Most had the intention to connect with those who will remember them, although they fear that there is limited interest in their concerns. It remains an open issue how these unmet needs can be adequately supported.

  16. PA5 Elderly population in bangladesh: coping with society in transition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chanda, Sanchoy Kumar; Wara, Kahful; Das, Sankar Narayan

    2015-04-01

    Bangladesh has a long tradition of looking after the elderly by offspring or family. But rapid socio-economic transformations, changing social values have broken down the traditional extended family system. Many elderly people now stay in old age homes, mainly based in Dhaka, run by non-government organisations or as a charity. This paper explores the scenario of the elderly's reasons for living in old age homes, coping with new environments and satisfaction about old age homes, and to sensitise the policy makers for designing and implementing appropriate programs for the elderly in Bangladesh. Elderly (65+ years) living in two old age homes (n = 56) in Dhaka were interviewed. Reasons for staying in home and satisfaction etc. along with socio-demographic information were collected. Almost all came from better off families, 47% male and 53% female. 68% of men and 36% of women were retired mid and high level officials. Reasons for coming to elderly home were problems with kin (63%) or with children (9%), children living in abroad (5%), no one to take care of them at home (67%), burden on the family (24%), properties occupied by others (27%). Children or relatives visit them (87%). 92% are satisfied with overall management of old age home. Elderly people living in old age homes are mainly from better off urban middle-class and rich families. It does not reflect the real situation of the elderly in the society. The old age home is a new idea or one answer of the elderly in a society in transition. It demands further wide ranged research; however findings reflect the indication of the growing rift between generations. © 2015, Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

  17. Classification of Support Needs for Elderly Outpatients with Diabetes Who Live Alone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miyawaki, Yoshiko; Shimizu, Yasuko; Seto, Natsuko

    2016-02-01

    To investigate the support needs of elderly patients with diabetes and to classify elderly patients with diabetes living alone on the basis of support needs. Support needs were derived from a literature review of relevant journals and interviews of outpatients as well as expert nurses in the field of diabetes to prepare a 45-item questionnaire. Each item was analyzed on a 4-point Likert scale. The study included 634 elderly patients with diabetes who were recruited from 3 hospitals in Japan. Exploratory factor analysis was performed to determine the underlying structure of support needs, followed by hierarchical cluster analysis to clarify the characteristics of patients living alone (n=104) who had common support needs. Exploratory factor analysis suggested a 5-factor solution with 23 items: (1) hope for class and gatherings, (2) hope for personal advice including emergency response, (3) supportlessness and hopelessness, (4) barriers to food preparation, (5) hope of safe medical therapy. The hierarchical cluster analysis of subjects yielded 7 clusters, including a no special-support needs group, a collective support group, a self-care support group, a personal-support focus group, a life-support group, a food-preparation support group and a healthcare-environment support group. The support needs of elderly patients with diabetes who live alone can be divided into 2 categories: life and self-care support. Implementation of these categories in outpatient-management programs in which contact time with patients is limited is important in the overall management of elderly patients with diabetes who are living alone. Copyright © 2015 Canadian Diabetes Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Chronic morbidity and health care seeking behaviour amongst elderly population in rural areas of Uttarakhand

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    Surekha Kishore

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Background: Ageing is a natural process, always associated with physiological and biological decline. Global population is ageing; the proportion of older persons has been rising steadily, from 7% in 1950 to 11% in 2007, with an expected rise to reach 22 % in 2050. With improving knowledge and awareness the health care seeking behavior has shown an increasingly positive trend. With increasing age, morbidity,   especially those arising from chronic diseases also increases. On the contrary, health care delivered at household level has definitely   gone down due to financial constraints and increasing cost of living, thus posing a problem for the elderly.  Aims & Objective: To find out the prevalence of chronic morbidity and health care seeking behaviour amongst the elderly in rural areas of Uttarakhand. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in rural areas of Uttarakhand to assess the chronic morbidity amongst elderly population. All the persons above the age group of 60 years of the eight villages were interviewed using a pre-defined, pre-tested, semi-structured and indigenously developed questionnaire. Results: The study group suffered from various chronic morbidities like hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases. Men were greater in number (158, 62.2%. Participants belonging mostly to nuclear families (156, 61.9%. Below the poverty line were (98, 38.9%. Half of the study population had one or the other chronic morbid condition. Majority of the elderly men contacted the health care facility whereas majority of the elderly women chose to use remedies. Conclusion: There is definitely a need of   provision of health care services for poor geriatric population. In addition to this government should take up some program for social security of this population along with creating an awareness about the same.

  19. Live Fish Impaction in Hypopharynx in an Elderly Patient

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    Subramanian Senthilkumaran

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Successful removal of a live fish impacted in the hypopharynx of a 65-year-old male is reported to emphasize the importance of the speed with which it has to be recognized and intervened. The present report also highlights the altered sensory perception in the oral cavity of elderly people as a potential risk factor for airway obstruction due to a foreign body. Moreover, the possibility of a foreign body has to be suspected, if an elderly patient without any cardiorespiratory illness presents with an acute onset of progressive respiratory distress.

  20. Body mass index, life-style, and healthy status in free living elderly people in Menorca Island.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferra, A; Bibiloni, M Del Mar; Zapata, M E; Pich, J; Pons, A; Tur, J A

    2012-04-01

    To assess the BMI, life-style, and healthy status, and explore relationships between these parameters, among Menorca's free living elderly people. A cross-sectional survey carried out in Menorca Island in 2009. A random sample (n=450) of the elderly population (≥65 years) was interviewed. Anthropometric measurements and a general questionnaire incorporating questions related to socio-demographic and life-style factors and health status were used. Approximately five per cent of elders were underweight and 60% overweight or obese. Underweight were positively and overweight and obesity negatively affected by age. The prevalence of central obesity, according to the WC cut-off points, was 66.8% in men and 85.1% in women. Low education, socioeconomic status and physical activity were risk factors for malnutrition and overweight/obesity. A possible cognitive impairment was found among elderly persons with BMIrelation between BMI and diabetes mellitus, arthritis, and chronic bronchitis, and an inverted J-shape between BMI and gastric ulcer, osteoporosis and bone fractures, cancer, and prostatitis (in men) were found. Both low and high BMI are associated with a wide range of prevalent conditions and diseases in Menorca elderly men and women.

  1. Prediction of critical illness in elderly outpatients using elder risk assessment: a population-based study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Biehl M

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Michelle Biehl,1 Paul Y Takahashi,2 Stephen S Cha,3 Rajeev Chaudhry,2 Ognjen Gajic,1 Bjorg Thorsteinsdottir2 1Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, 2Division of Primary Care Internal Medicine, 3Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA Rationale: Identifying patients at high risk of critical illness is necessary for the development and testing of strategies to prevent critical illness. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between high elder risk assessment (ERA score and critical illness requiring intensive care and to see if the ERA can be used as a prediction tool to identify elderly patients at the primary care visit who are at high risk of critical illness. Methods: A population-based historical cohort study was conducted in elderly patients (age >65 years identified at the time of primary care visit in Rochester, MN, USA. Predictors including age, previous hospital days, and comorbid health conditions were identified from routine administrative data available in the electronic medical record. The main outcome was critical illness, defined as sepsis, need for mechanical ventilation, or death within 2 years of initial visit. Patients with an ERA score of 16 were considered to be at high risk. The discrimination of the ERA score was assessed using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. Results: Of the 13,457 eligible patients, 9,872 gave consent for medical record review and had full information on intensive care unit utilization. The mean age was 75.8 years (standard deviation ±7.6 years, and 58% were female, 94% were Caucasian, 62% were married, and 13% were living in nursing homes. In the overall group, 417 patients (4.2% suffered from critical illness. In the 1,134 patients with ERA >16, 154 (14% suffered from critical illness. An ERA score ≥16 predicted critical illness (odds ratio 6.35; 95% confidence interval 3.51–11.48. The area under the

  2. Enhancing resiliency for elderly populations : Shelter-in-place planning and training at facilities serving elderly populations through the Rhode Island Senior Resiliency Project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Richard; Mozzer, Michael; Albanese, Joseph; Paturas, James; Gold, Julia

    2017-06-01

    Elderly populations are disproportionately affected by disasters. In part, this is true because for many older adults, special assistance is needed to mitigate the consequences of disasters on their health and wellbeing. In addition, many older adults may reside in diverse living complexes such as long-term care facilities, assisted living facilities and independent-living senior housing complexes. Planning for each type of facility is different and the unique features of these facilities must be considered to develop readiness to deal with disasters. Based on this, the Rhode Island Department of Health established the Senior Resiliency Project to bolster the level of resiliency for the types of living facilities housing older adults. The project involves performing onsite assessments of energy resources, developing site-specific sheltering-inplace and energy resiliency plans, and educating and training facility employees and residents on these plans and steps they can take to be better prepared. Based on the feasibility of conducting these activities within a variety of facilities housing older adults, the project is segmented into three phases. This paper describes survey findings, outcomes of interventions, challenges and recommendations for bridging gaps observed in phases 1 and 2 of the project.

  3. Are elderly dependency ratios associated with general population suicide rates?

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  4. Prevalence of and Risk Factors for Elder Abuse and Neglect in the Community: A Population-Based Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  5. Does Population Aging Drive Up Pro-Elderly Social Spending?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vanhuysse, Pieter

    -elderly biased. It then points out that population ageing actually cannot explain very much of this pro-elderly bias variance. For instance, countries such as Denmark, Finland and Sweden are demographically old societies, yet they boast among the lowest pro-elderly spending biases in the OECD world, due...... to their greater commitment to family-friendly policies, active labour market policies and similar pro-young policies. The essay reviews a series of similarly counter-intuitive findings about generational politics and policies as published in Ageing Populations in Post-Industrial Democracies (Vanhuysse and Goerres......, 2012) and makes a plea for institutionally and historically richly informed explanations of the political consequences and the policy feedback effects arising from population ageing....

  6. Vulnerability Risk Index Profile for Elder Abuse in Community-Dwelling Population

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dong, XinQi; Simon, Melissa A.

    2013-01-01

    Objectives Elder abuse is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. This study aims to develop a vulnerability index for elder abuse in a community-dwelling population. Design Population-based study Setting Geographically defined community in Chicago. Participants A population-based study was conducted in Chicago of community-dwelling older adults who participated in the Chicago Health and Aging Project (CHAP). Of the 8,157 participants in the CHAP study, 213 participants were reported to social services agency for suspected elder abuse. Measurements A vulnerability index for elder abuse was constructed from sociodemographic, health-related, and psychosocial factors. The outcomes of interest were reported and confirmed elder abuse. Logistic regression models were used to determine the accuracy of the index with respect to elder abuse outcomes. Results Out of the selected risk index for elder abuse, every one point increase in the 9 item vulnerability index items, there was a two fold increase in the risk for reported elder abuse (OR, 2.19 (2.00–2.40) and confirmed elder abuse (OR, 2.19 (1.94–2.47). Compared to the reference group, older adults with 3–4 vulnerability index items had increased risk for reported elder abuse (OR, 2.98 (1.98–4.49) and confirmed elder abuse (OR, 3.90, (2.07–7.36); and older adults with 5 or more risk index items, there was an 18 fold increase in risk for reported elder abuse (OR, 18.46 (12.15–28.04) and confirmed elder abuse (OR, 26.79 (14.18–50.61). Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) statistically derived curves for identifying reported elder abuse ranged between 0.77–0.84 and for predicting confirmed elder abuse ranged between 0.79–0.86. Conclusion The vulnerability risk index demonstrates value for identifying individuals at risk for elder abuse. Additional studies are needed to validate this index in other community dwelling populations. PMID:25180376

  7. IDENTIFYING DEMENTIA IN ELDERLY POPULATION : A CAMP APPROACH

    OpenAIRE

    Anand P; Chaukimath; Srikanth; Koli

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Dementia is an emerging medico social problem affecting elderly, and poses a challenge to clinician and caregivers. It is usually identified in late stage where management becomes difficult. AIM: The aim of camp was to identify dementia in elderly population participating in screening camp. MATERIAL AND METHODS : The geriatric clinic and department of psychiatry jointly organised screening camp to detect dementia in elderly for five days in Sept...

  8. Prevalence of pressure ulcers among the elderly living in long-stay institutions in São Paulo

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Julieta Maria Ferreira Chacon

    Full Text Available CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: The prevalence of pressure ulcers varies according to geographic region and population group, such as the institutionalized elderly. The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of pressure ulcers among elderly people living in long-stay institutions. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional study in six long-stay institutions for the elderly in São Paulo, Brazil. METHODS: Demographic and clinical data were collected in six long-stay institutions on two visits to each institution between May and August 2007, during which all elderly patients with pressure ulcers were evaluated. The Braden scale was used to identify the risk of developing pressure ulcers and the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP stages for classifying the pressure ulcers. Statistical analysis was performed using the chi-square test, Student's t-test and Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the results between visits. The population was 181 elderly people in May and 184 in August: 23 had pressure ulcers in May (prevalence of 12.7% and 17 in August (prevalence of 9.2%. The mean age at the two times was 84 years, and the average length of stay was 32 months. Pressure ulcers were found mainly in the sacral region (mean, 71.5%, and most commonly in stage II (mean, 41%. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of pressure ulcers was 10.95%. These data provide background information that may aid in developing protocols for applying best practices for prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers, consequently reducing the prevalence.

  9. Both deterioration and improvement in activities of daily living are related to falls: a 6-year follow-up of the general elderly population study Good Aging in Skåne

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stenhagen M

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Magnus Stenhagen, Henrik Ekström, Eva Nordell, Sölve Elmståhl Department of Health Sciences, Division of Geriatric Medicine, Lund University, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden Objectives: To determine the relationship between long-term change in activities of daily living (ADL and falls in the elderly and to identify characteristics of groups at risk for falls.Methods: This was a 6-year, prospective cohort study using data from the Good Aging in Skåne study in southern Sweden, involving 1,540 elderly subjects, including the oldest-old (age, 60–93 years. The subjects were recruited from the general population. ADL was measured at a baseline and follow-up assessment, using Sonn and Åsberg’s revised scale and the ADL staircase. Falls were recorded in a period of 6 months before the follow-up assessment. The association between falls and change in ADL was calculated using adjusted, multiple logistic regression analysis and presented in odds ratios (ORs.Results: Thirteen percent of the study population reported one or several falls in the measured period. Over the course of 6 years, one in four participants changed their ADL status, and parts of this category had an increased risk for falls compared with those who stayed independent in ADL or who had no change in the ADL staircase. Groups with different characteristics had a prominent risk for falls: those with a reduction of two to eight steps in the ADL staircase (OR, 4.05; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.62–10.11 and those becoming independent from dependency in instrumental ADL (OR, 4.13; 95% CI, 1.89–9.00. The former group had advanced age with a greater burden of cognitive impairment, gait disability, arrhythmia, and fall risk medications. The latter group had a higher prevalence of ischemic heart disease and low walking speed. Conclusion: Both deterioration and improvement in ADL over the course of 6 years increased the risk for falls in a general elderly population

  10. Normal lymphocyte immunophenotype in an elderly population

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    Sâmia Macedo Queiroz Mota Castellão Tavares

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: The aim of this work was to evaluate the lymphocyte immunophenotype in an elderly population.METHODS: This study enrolled 35 over 60-year-old volunteers and a control group composed of 35 young adults. The study included elderly without diseases that might affect the functioning of the immune system. These individuals were consulted by doctors and after a physical examination, laboratory tests were performed using a Beckman Coulter (r flow cytometer. The GraphPad Prism computer program was employed for statistical analysis with the level of significance being set for p-values <0.05.RESULTS: There is a statistically significant reduction in the number of lymphocytes (CD8 +, CD2 + and CD3 + cells in the elderly compared to young adults. These low rates are explained by changes attributed to aging and may be partly responsible for the reduction in the cellular immune response, lower proliferative activity and the low cytotoxicity of lymphocytes.CONCLUSION: These parameters showed greater impairment of adaptive immunity in the elderly population and can therefore explain the greater fragility of the aged body to developing diseases.

  11. The impact of a discrepancy between actual and preferred living arrangements on life satisfaction among the elderly in China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guan, Jinqun; Li, Hui; Sun, Hong; Wang, Ting; Wu, Weiping

    2015-09-01

    To explore the effects of a discrepancy between actual and preferred living arrangements on the relationship between living arrangements and life satisfaction among the elderly in China. Secondary analysis of the 2005 dataset of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey was performed. A binary logistic regression model was used to analyze the relationship between life satisfaction and living arrangements. Among those with concordant actual and preferred living arrangements, living in a nursing home increased the likelihood of life satisfaction, whereas living alone and living with a spouse decreased the likelihood of life satisfaction compared to living with the next generation and a spouse. Among those with discordant living arrangements, there were no differences in life satisfaction between the various living arrangements, except that living with a spouse increased life satisfaction compared to living with the next generation and a spouse. A discrepancy between actual and preferred living arrangements modifies the relationship between life satisfaction and actual living arrangement. Living in a nursing home is a good option for Chinese elder care only if the older individual emotionally accepts it. Living alone or with a spouse is not a good arrangement for elder care, even though it is often preferred by the elderly. Those with discordant living arrangements are more satisfied living with their spouses.

  12. Fall risk in an active elderly population

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Læssøe, Uffe; Hoeck, Hans C.; Simonsen, Ole

    2007-01-01

    risk can be assessed by testing balance performance. In this study a test battery of physiological parameters related to balance and falls was designed to address fall risk in a community dwelling elderly population. RESULTS: Ninety-four elderly males and females between 70 and 80 years of age were...... assessment in which the physiological performance is evaluated in relation to the activity profile of the individual. Udgivelsesdato: 2007-null...

  13. Ageing in place, an overview for the elderly in Malaysia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tobi, S. U. Mohd; Fathi, M. S.; Amaratunga, D.

    2017-10-01

    Population ageing is a worldwide phenomenon experienced by developed and developing countries. It occurs when the median age of a country rises and shifts the distribution of that country's population towards older ages. Malaysia is experiencing a dramatic increase in the number of elderly people. Recent medical advances and improvements in hygiene and food supply have led to the people of Malaysia having a longer life expectancy. This paper comprehensively reviews articles and journals to discover the concepts, definitions and issues regarding the ageing population globally and in Malaysia, particularly looking at how elderly people can age in place. The concern over ageing is not just about the size of the old age population but, more importantly, about their health, welfare, care and living arrangements as well as the implications for infrastructure, housing, income and economic growth. The built environment plays a role in defining the conditions for people to live healthy lives, and older people require high-quality built environments that suit their needs across the whole life course - a building stock and infrastructure that supports independent living and enhances quality of life for the ageing population. Lifetime houses which fulfil the desires and vital requirement of most households whilst considering the changing essentials of households with elderly and aged people require careful consideration. This paper will review the key areas of housing for elderly people to support the concept of ageing in place as an independent living lifestyle.

  14. Suicidal Ideation among the Chinese Elderly and Its Correlates: A Comparison between the Rural and Urban Populations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jianwen Wei

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Background: As China is going through a profound aging process, the mental health of the elderly is becoming an issue. As in many other societies, the elderly in China is a population at high risk of suicide; Methods: Data for the study were taken from the Sample Survey of the Aged Population in Urban/Rural China (SSAPUR accomplished in 2010 by the China Ministry of Civil Affairs. The valid sample for this study was composed of 18,683 individuals, including 9416 urban residents and 9267 rural residents both aged 60 or more years; Results: Logistic regression analyses showed that household income and expenditure, the number of children, chronic diseases, disability of daily living, depression, the frequency of visiting neighbors and having friends or relatives who can help or not had remarkable effects on the suicidal ideation among urban and rural old people. Gender, education, political affiliation, marital status and self-rated health status did not work on the dependent variable. However, some risk factors for suicidal ideation among the Chinese elderly were different between rural and urban regions; Conclusions: We should take different measures when facing the different groups of the elderly.

  15. Living with Stigma: Depressed Elderly Persons’ Experiences of Physical Health Problems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anne Lise Holm

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to deepen the understanding of depressed elderly persons’ lived experiences of physical health problems. Individual in-depth interviews were conducted with 15 depressed elderly persons who suffer from physical health problems. A hermeneutic analysis was performed, yielding one main theme, living with stigma, and three themes: longing to be taken seriously, being uncertain about whether the pain is physical or mental, and a sense of living in a war zone. The second theme comprised two subthemes, feeling like a stranger and feeling dizzy, while the third had one subtheme: afraid of being helpless and dependent on others. Stigma deprives individuals of their dignity and reinforces destructive patterns of isolation and hopelessness. Nurses should provide information in a sensitive way and try to avoid diagnostic overshadowing. Effective training programmes and procedures need to be developed with more focus on how to handle depressive ill health and physical problems in older people.

  16. Preventive Care Use among the Belgian Elderly Population: Does Socio-Economic Status Matter?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sarah Hoeck

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To analyze the association between influenza and pneumococcus vaccination and blood cholesterol and blood sugar measurement by Belgian elderly respondents (≥65 years and socio-demographic characteristics, risk factors, health status and socio-economic status (SES. Methods: A cross-sectional study based on 4,544 non-institutionalized elderly participants of the Belgian Health Interview Surveys 2004 and 2008. Multivariate logistic regression models were constructed to examine the independent effect of socio-demographic characteristics, risk factors, health status and SES on the four preventive services. Results: After adjustment for age, sex, region, survey year, living situation, risk factors (body mass index, smoking status, physical activity and health status (self-assessed health and longstanding illness lower educated elderly were significantly less likely to report a blood cholesterol and blood sugar measurement. For instance, elderly participants with no degree or only primary education were less likely to have had a cholesterol and blood sugar measurement compared with those with higher education. Pneumococcus vaccination was not related to educational level, but lower income groups were more likely to have had a pneumococcus immunization. Influenza vaccination was not significantly related to SES. Conclusion: The results highlight the need to promote cholesterol and blood sugar measurement for lower SE groups, and pneumococcus immunization for the entire elderly population. Influenza immunization seems to be equally spread among different SE groups.

  17. Comprehensive Comparison between Empty Nest and Non-Empty Nest Elderly: A Cross-Sectional Study among Rural Populations in Northeast China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ye Chang

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available This study aimed to comprehensively compare the general characteristics, lifestyles, serum parameters, ultrasonic cardiogram (UCG parameters, depression, quality of life, and various comorbidities between empty nest and non-empty nest elderly among rural populations in northeast China. This analysis was based on our previous study which was conducted from January 2012 to August 2013, using a multistage, stratified, random cluster sampling scheme. The final analyzed sample consisted of 3208 participants aged no less than 60 years, which was further classified into three groups: non-empty nest group, empty nest group (living as a couple, and empty nest group (living alone. More than half of the participants were empty nest elderly (60.5%. There were no significant statistical differences for serum parameters, UCG parameters, lifestyles, dietary pattern, and scores of Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9 and World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire, abbreviated version (WHOQOL-BREF among the three groups. Empty nest elderly showed no more risk for comorbidities such as general obesity, abdominal obesity, hyperuricemia, hyperhomocysteinemia, diabetes, dyslipidemia, left atrial enlargement (LAE, and stroke. Our study indicated that empty nest elderly showed no more risk for depression, low quality of life and comorbidities such as general obesity, abdominal obesity, hyperuricemia, hyperhomocysteinemia, diabetes, dyslipidemia, LAE, and stroke among rural populations in northeast China.

  18. The impact of a discrepancy between actual and preferred living arrangements on life satisfaction among the elderly in China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jinqun Guan

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: To explore the effects of a discrepancy between actual and preferred living arrangements on the relationship between living arrangements and life satisfaction among the elderly in China. METHODS: Secondary analysis of the 2005 dataset of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey was performed. A binary logistic regression model was used to analyze the relationship between life satisfaction and living arrangements. RESULTS: Among those with concordant actual and preferred living arrangements, living in a nursing home increased the likelihood of life satisfaction, whereas living alone and living with a spouse decreased the likelihood of life satisfaction compared to living with the next generation and a spouse. Among those with discordant living arrangements, there were no differences in life satisfaction between the various living arrangements, except that living with a spouse increased life satisfaction compared to living with the next generation and a spouse. CONCLUSIONS: A discrepancy between actual and preferred living arrangements modifies the relationship between life satisfaction and actual living arrangement. Living in a nursing home is a good option for Chinese elder care only if the older individual emotionally accepts it. Living alone or with a spouse is not a good arrangement for elder care, even though it is often preferred by the elderly. Those with discordant living arrangements are more satisfied living with their spouses.

  19. Disability and handicap among elderly Singaporeans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yadav, S S

    2001-08-01

    Singapore's elderly population has been growing rapidly and is expected to constitute more than 25 percent of the total population by the year 2030. The ageing process brings with it a host of health problems. Here the question arises--Are the increasing years of life going to create a high proportion of sick and disabled elderly people, or a rich human resource of healthy senior citizens? Since more women are living longer than men, who would face a higher risk of disability and handicap? These questions are yet to be answered in Singapore. This paper seeks answers to these questions. The study is based on a sample survey of 1209 elderly Singaporeans living in Kampong Glam, Kreta Ayer and Bukit Merah parliamentary constituencies which have some of the highest proportions of the aged population. The results revealed that more than half of the aged had a disability and the rate of disability was significantly higher among the women as compared to the men. More than one-third of the elderly had a handicap and the rate of handicap among the women was twice as much as that among the men. Severity of handicap was directly correlated with age.

  20. Formal and informal care for disabled elderly living in the community: an appraisal of French care composition and costs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paraponaris, Alain; Davin, Bérengère; Verger, Pierre

    2012-06-01

    Choices between formal and informal care for disabled elderly people living at home are a key component of the long-term care provision issues faced by an ageing population. This paper aims to identify factors associated with the type of care (informal, formal, mixed or no care at all) received by the French disabled elderly and to assess the care's relative costs. This paper uses data from a French survey on disability; the 3,500 respondents of interest lived at home, were aged 60 and over, had severe disability and needed help with activities of daily living. We use a multinomial probit model to determine factors associated with type of care. We also assess the cost of care with the help of the proxy good method. One-third of disabled elderly people receive no care. Among those who are helped, 55% receive informal, 25% formal, and 20% mixed care. Low socioeconomic status increases difficulties in accessing formal care. The estimated economic value of informal care is 6.6 billion euro [95% CI = 5.9-7.2] and represents about two-thirds of the total cost of care. Public policies should pay more attention to inequalities in access to community care. They also should better support informal care, through respite care or workplace accommodations (working hours rescheduling or reduction for instance) not detrimental for the career of working caregivers.

  1. Assessment of risk of falls in elderly living at home

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    Adriana de Azevedo Smith

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Objective: to assess the risk of falls in elderly, by comparing the sociodemographic and cognitive factors, history of falls and self-reported comorbidities. Method: cross-sectional and quantitative study with 240 elderly. Data were collected based on the social profile, through the instrument of risk of falls and assessment of falls, by univariate analysis, bivariate and multiple logistic regression. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS version 19 was used for statistical analysis. Results: there was a significant association of the risk of falls, as measured by the Fall Risk Score, with sex (<0.001, age (0.054, cognitive status (<0.001 and history of falls (<0.001. All variables were statistically significant and contributed to the occurrence of falls. In logistic regression, the variables that showed association with risk of falls were: fall, with whom they live, hypertension and visual impairment. Conclusion: female gender, older elderly (over 80 years old, with low cognitive status and occurrence of previous falls in the last six months are factors that increase the prevalence of falls. In logistic regression, the variables that were associated with risk of falls were: fall, with whom they live, visual impairment and rheumatologic diseases.

  2. Mortality in relation to the type of household among elderly people living in a community.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakanishi, N; Nakura, I; Nagano, K; Yoneda, H; Takatorige, T; Shinsho, F; Tatara, K

    1998-03-01

    The objective of this study was to determine whether there is an association of mortality with the type of household in elderly people. A cohort of 1,352 elderly people aged 65 years and over at baseline in October 1992 was followed for 42 months. Follow-up was completed for 1,266 (93.6%) (172 deceased and 1,094 alive). From the analysis using the Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test, male sex, older age group (75 years and over), no satisfaction with present dwelling, disability, no use of health checks, no practices of daily preventive health promotion, no participation in social activities, and no finding life worth living (no Ikigai) were univariately statistically significantly related to mortality. Furthermore, elderly people living with their spouse only or living alone had higher survival rates than those living with their spouse and children or living with their children, and the curves among the four subclasses of household were significantly different. From the Cox proportional hazards model, living with a spouse only remained as an independent predictor for survival, and living alone was not an increased risk factor for mortality, controlling for sex, age, housing conditions, disability, use of health management, and psychosocial conditions.

  3. [Evaluation of the situation of the elderly who live alone in a health zone].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vázquez-Sánchez, María de los Angeles; Gastelu-Cantero, María del Carmen; Casals-Sánchez, José Luís

    2008-01-01

    To determine the needs of elderly individuals living alone and with some degree of dependency for activities of daily live. We performed a cross-sectional descriptive study in an urban health center (San Andrés-Torcal in Málaga, Spain). Persons aged more than 65 years old who lived alone and had some degree of dependency were studied. The sample was composed of 64 elderly individuals, 58 women and 6 men. The mean age was 83.3 years (SD 4.13). Sixteen people (25%) were independent for daily living when aided by others, while 48 (75%) had one or more needs that were not covered. The most frequent nursing diagnoses were: impaired physical mobility in 58, risk of falls in 54, diversional activity deficit in 48, impaired urinary elimination in 38, and social isolation or deterioration in social interaction in 36. Fifty-six individuals had family. Half had no contact with neighbors, 12 (18.8%), did not receive visits, and 26 (40.6%) had nobody to whom they could tell their problems. Architectonic barriers to the house were identified in 48 individuals and access barriers to the home were found in 29. The total sample received a pension of between 301 and 600 euros. The persons evaluated showed numerous areas of dependency and there was a high proportion whose basic needs were not suitably covered. Because of the multiple and distinct problems identified, we believe that active screening should be performed in this vulnerable population. In addition, special attention should be paid to these individuals and the required help should be offered so that they have information and access to the available health and social resources.

  4. Indoor air quality, ventilation and respiratory health in elderly residents living in nursing homes in Europe

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bentayeb, Malek; Norback, Dan; Bednarek, Micha

    2015-01-01

    cough. Elderly subjects aged ≥80 years were at higher risk. Pollutant effects were more pronounced in the case of poor ventilation. Even at low levels, indoor air quality affected respiratory health in elderly people permanently living in nursing homes, with frailty increasing with age. The effects were......Few data exist on respiratory effects of indoor air quality and comfort parameters in the elderly. In the context of the GERIE study, we investigated for the first time the relationships of these factors to respiratory morbidity among elderly people permanently living in nursing homes in seven...... European countries. 600 elderly people from 50 nursing homes underwent a medical examination and completed a standardised questionnaire. Air quality and comfort parameters were objectively assessed in situ in the nursing home. Mean concentrations of air pollutants did not exceed the existing standards...

  5. Housing for the elderly in Denmark, life conditions today and future scenarios

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Welling, Helen

    2004-01-01

    in the population profile will increase the need for housing and facilities for the elderly. At the same time the number of working taxprayers will be relatively less. The life conditions of the elderly have changed through time. The elderly in Denmark are not any longer belonging to the weakest social population......Living and housing conditions for the elderly have become one of society's major problems - socially, culturally and economically. Today there are approximately one million people in Denmark at the age over 60 years. Too many of the older citizens live in out-of-date housing. The changes occurring...... group. The first part of this paper focus on an outline of 20th Century major trends with special reference to building for the elderly. The second part describes new developments in elderly housing and the third part introduces to studies of future housing needs for the elderly. Paper presented...

  6. IBD in the elderly population: results from a population-based study in Western Hungary, 1977-2008.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lakatos, Peter Laszlo; David, Gyula; Pandur, Tunde; Erdelyi, Zsuzsanna; Mester, Gabor; Balogh, Mihaly; Szipocs, Istvan; Molnar, Csaba; Komaromi, Erzsebet; Kiss, Lajos S; Lakatos, Laszlo

    2011-02-01

    Limited data are available on the incidence and disease course of IBD in the elderly population. Our aim was to analyze the incidence and disease course of IBD according to the age at diagnosis in the population-based Veszprem province database, which included incident patients diagnosed between January 1, 1977 and December 31, 2008. Data of 1420 incident patients were analyzed (UC: 914, age at diagnosis: 38.9 SD 15.9 years; CD: 506, age at diagnosis: 31.5 SD 13.8 years). Both hospital and outpatient records were collected and comprehensively reviewed. 106 (11.6%) of UC patients and 21 (4.2%) of CD patients were diagnosed with >60 years of age. In UC, the incidence increased from 1.09 to 10.8/10(5) in the elderly, while CD increased to 3.04/10(5) in 2002-2007. In CD, colonic location (elderly: 61.9% vs. pediatric: 24.3%, p=0.001, and adults: 36.8%, p=0.02) and stenosing disease (elderly: 42.9% vs. pediatric: 14.9%, p=0.005, and adults: 19.5%, p=0.01) were more frequent in the elderly. A change in disease behavior was absent in the elderly, while in pediatric and adult CD population it was 20.3% (p=0.037), 19.8% (p=0.036) after 5 years. In UC, extensive disease was more frequent in pediatric patients compared to the elderly (p=0.003, OR: 2.73, 95%CI: 1.38-5.41). In addition, pediatric (57.3%, p<0.001, OR: 6.58; 95%CI: 3.22-12.9) and adult (39.8%, p<0.001, OR: 3.24; 95%CI: 1.91-5.49) patients required more often systemic steroids during follow-up compared to the elderly (17%). Proximal extension at 10 years was 11.6%, but time to extension was not different according to the age at onset. Elderly patients represent an increasing proportion of the IBD population. Stenosing and colon-only disease were characteristic for elderly CD patients, while the disease course in UC was milder. Copyright © 2010 European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Mood disorders in elderly population: neurostimulative treatment possibilities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosenberg, Oded; Shoenfeld, Netta; Kotler, Moshe; Dannon, Pinhas N

    2009-06-01

    Treatment of mood disorders is one of the most challenging territories in elderly. Effectiveness of different treatment strategies could be related to age, sex and physical conditions. The side effect profile in this population also affects pharmacological interventions. Our review includes the neurostimulative treatment strategies in elderly. However, possible treatment strategies such as electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) and deep brain stimulation (DBS) were less studied in elderly. ECT was found to be an effective treatment procedure in mood disorders. Few double-blind sham controlled studies were conducted and demonstrated effectiveness of TMS. DBS has lack of double-blind studies. ECT seems to be the golden standard for the treatment resistant elderly patients, yet side effect profile of ECT in elderly will be discussed. Double -blind sham controlled studies with larger samples are necessary to confirm preliminary results with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), magnetic seizure therapy (MST) and VNS, DBS.

  8. Nasopharyngeal Carriage of Streptococcus Pneumoniae and Serotypes Indentified among Nursing Home Residents in Comparison to the Elderly and Patients Younger than 65 Years Living in Domestic Environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kolšek-Šušteršič, Maja; Beg Krasnič, Andreja; Mioč, Verica; Paragi, Metka; Rifel, Janez

    2017-09-01

    In Slovenia, there is little data available on pneumococcal vaccination rates and no data on asymptomatic NPCR and serotypes in the population of nursing home residents in comparison to the elderly living in domestic environment, therefore the goal was to gain these data. A cross sectional epidemiological study was performed. Nasopharyngeal swabs from 151 nursing home residents, 150 elderly living in domestic environment, and 38 adults less than 65 years old were collected twice (in two consecutive years). The swabs were analysed for pneumococcal identification and serotyping. Patient data were collected from medical files and medical history. No statistically significant differences in NPCR were seen between compared groups in two consecutive years. An average NPCR in two consecutive years in nursing home residents was 1.45%, in the elderly living in domestic environment 0.85%, and in adults less than 65 years old 7.05%. Serotypes identified among nursing home residents were 6B and 9N, among the group of elderly living in domestic environment, 6A and among adults less than 65 years old, 35F, 18C and 3. Pneumococcal vaccination rates were low (3.3% in nursing home residents, 6% in the elderly from domestic environment and 0% in the group of adults less than 65 years old). Our data suggests that NPCR and the proportion of people vaccinated with pneumococcal vaccine among the elderly are low. We identified different serotypes in all groups, only one person was a chronic carrier (serotype 35F).

  9. Population at high-risk of indoor heatstroke: the usage of cooling appliances among urban elderlies in Japan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kondo, Masahide; Ono, Masaji; Nakazawa, Kouichi; Kayaba, Momoko; Minakuchi, Emiko; Sugimoto, Kazutoshi; Honda, Yasushi

    2013-05-01

    Heatstroke due to a heat wave during the summer is one of the commonly known health impacts of climate change in Japan. The elderly are particularly at high-risk of developing indoor heatstroke with poor prognosis. This study aims to describe the population among elderlies at high-risk of indoor heatstroke by focusing on the usage of cooling appliances. We conducted a web-based household survey in eight urban areas during the winter season of 2011. Households with a person aged 65 and over were selected as samples from panel members of a research firm, and the oldest member of the household was queried about his/her usage of cooling appliances. The population at high-risk of indoor heatstroke is defined as the elderly staying in a room without cooling appliances, or not using the installed cooling appliances, or turning the cooling appliances on only when the room temperature is above 28 °C. 15.4 and 19.1 % of the elderlies living in urban areas of Japan are identified as at high-risk of indoor heatstroke during activity time and sleeping time, respectively, according to the definition of high-risk of indoor heatstroke in this study. These figures are not negligible since the consequences of heatstroke are grave, but its risk can be eliminated by an appropriate usage of cooling appliances. The preventive interventions are needed to protect the elderlies at high-risk of heatstroke.

  10. Measurement of special access to home visit nursing services among Japanese disabled elderly people: using GIS and claim data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  11. Literature review on monitoring technologies and their outcomes in independently living elderly people.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peetoom, Kirsten K B; Lexis, Monique A S; Joore, Manuela; Dirksen, Carmen D; De Witte, Luc P

    2015-07-01

    To obtain insight into what kind of monitoring technologies exist to monitor activity in-home, what the characteristics and aims of applying these technologies are, what kind of research has been conducted on their effects and what kind of outcomes are reported. A systematic document search was conducted within the scientific databases Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane, PsycINFO and Cinahl, complemented by Google Scholar. Documents were included in this review if they reported on monitoring technologies that detect activities of daily living (ADL) or significant events, e.g. falls, of elderly people in-home, with the aim of prolonging independent living. Five main types of monitoring technologies were identified: PIR motion sensors, body-worn sensors, pressure sensors, video monitoring and sound recognition. In addition, multicomponent technologies and smart home technologies were identified. Research into the use of monitoring technologies is widespread, but in its infancy, consisting mainly of small-scale studies and including few longitudinal studies. Monitoring technology is a promising field, with applications to the long-term care of elderly persons. However, monitoring technologies have to be brought to the next level, with longitudinal studies that evaluate their (cost-) effectiveness to demonstrate the potential to prolong independent living of elderly persons. [Box: see text].

  12. Effect of a human-type communication robot on cognitive function in elderly women living alone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tanaka, Masaaki; Ishii, Akira; Yamano, Emi; Ogikubo, Hiroki; Okazaki, Masatsugu; Kamimura, Kazuro; Konishi, Yasuharu; Emoto, Shigeru; Watanabe, Yasuyoshi

    2012-09-01

    Considering the high prevalence of dementia, it would be of great value to develop effective tools to improve cognitive function. We examined the effects of a human-type communication robot on cognitive function in elderly women living alone. In this study, 34 healthy elderly female volunteers living alone were randomized to living with either a communication robot or a control robot at home for 8 weeks. The shape, voice, and motion features of the communication robot resemble those of a 3-year-old boy, while the control robot was not designed to talk or nod. Before living with the robot and 4 and 8 weeks after living with the robot, experiments were conducted to evaluate a variety of cognitive functions as well as saliva cortisol, sleep, and subjective fatigue, motivation, and healing. The Mini-Mental State Examination score, judgement, and verbal memory function were improved after living with the communication robot; those functions were not altered with the control robot. In addition, the saliva cortisol level was decreased, nocturnal sleeping hours tended to increase, and difficulty in maintaining sleep tended to decrease with the communication robot, although alterations were not shown with the control. The proportions of the participants in whom effects on attenuation of fatigue, enhancement of motivation, and healing could be recognized were higher in the communication robot group relative to the control group. This study demonstrates that living with a human-type communication robot may be effective for improving cognitive functions in elderly women living alone.

  13. Depression and Its Associated Factors in Elderly Nursing Home Residents: A Screening Study in Khorramabad

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maryam Mirzaei

    2015-04-01

    Conclusion Given the high prevalence of depression in the elderly population living in institutions, assessment and screening of elderly residents of nursing home especially younger elderly with lower educational levels, is essential.

  14. Polypharmacy and falls in the middle age and elderly population

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    G. Ziere; J.P. Dieleman (Jeanne); A. Hofman (Albert); H.A.P. Pols (Huib); T.J.M. van der Cammen (Tischa); B.H.Ch. Stricker (Bruno)

    2006-01-01

    textabstractAim: Falls in the elderly are common and often serious. We studied the association between multiple drug use (polypharmacy) and falls in the elderly. Methods: This was a population-based cross-sectional study, part of the Rotterdam Study. The participants were 6928 individuals aged ≥55

  15. Does care to dependent elderly people living at home increase their mental health?

    OpenAIRE

    Thomas Barnay; Sandrine Juin

    2014-01-01

    In France, the number of dependent elderly should d ouble by 2060. It is thus important to address the well-being of this growing share of the population. This work aims at estimating the effects of informal care and formal care on the mental health of dependent elderly. Furthermore, we allow the effect of care to vary de pending on the level of dependence, the gender of the dependent elderly and the relationship between the elderly and the primary informal caregiver. Many theoretical models ...

  16. Sensible aging : nutrient dense foods and physical exercise for the vulnerable elderly

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jong, de N.

    1999-01-01

    As a consequence of present western health policy, an increasing number of elderly people live in the community. A particularly vulnerable group among the total elderly population are the so-called 'frail elderly' who have a reduced physiologic reserve and are classified at risk. Increasing

  17. Late diagnosis and vulnerabilities of the elderly living with HIV/AIDS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rúbia Aguiar Alencar

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE To identify vulnerabilities of elderly people with HIV/AIDS and the trajectory that they follow until reaching the diagnosis of the disease. METHOD Qualitative research conducted in specialized clinics in the state of São Paulo, from January to June 2011. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 elderly people who were found to be infected with the virus at the age of 60 years or older. The interviews were analyzed using content analysis. RESULTS In this process four categories emerged, then analyzed with reference to the theoretical framework of vulnerability. CONCLUSION Late diagnosis of HIV infection or AIDS among the elderly happens in the secondary or tertiary service. Issues related to sexual life of the elderly are only questioned by health professionals after the diagnosis, also the time that condom use becomes absolute. It is believed that the investigation of the vulnerability of the elderly to HIV/AIDS allows for carrying out appropriate interventions for this population.

  18. Prevalence of intellectual dysfunctioning and its correlates in a community-residing elderly population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakanishi, N; Tatara, K; Shinsho, F; Takatorige, T; Murakami, S; Fukuda, H

    1998-09-01

    To examine the prevalence of intellectual dysfunctioning and its correlates in community-residing elderly people, a randomly selected sample of 1,405 people aged 65 and over living in Settsu, Osaka, were investigated in October 1992. Data for assessing intellectual dysfunctioning were obtained from 1,364 people (97.1%), excluding 21 clinically demented people (1.5%); 17.6/100, 5.6/100, and 3.3/100 of the population showed minor, moderate, and appreciable intellectual dysfunctioning, respectively, and the prevalence of intellectual dysfunctioning increased with age. By multivariate analyses using logistic regression, age over 75, poor general health, including current medical treatment, and psychosocial conditions such as no participation in social activities, no life worth living (no Ikigai), and anxiety about the future were independent risk factors for intellectual dysfunctioning. We conclude that intellectual dysfunctioning is closely associated with health and psychosocial conditions.

  19. A secure mobile crowdsensing (MCS) location tracker for elderly in smart city

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shien, Lau Khai; Singh, Manmeet Mahinderjit

    2017-10-01

    According to the UN's (United Nations) projection, Malaysia will achieve ageing population status by 2030. The challenge of the growing ageing population is health and social care services. As the population lives longer, the costs of institutional care rises and elderly who not able live independently in their own homes without caregivers. Moreover, it restricted their activity area, safety and freedom in their daily life. Hence, a tracking system is worthy for their caregivers to track their real-time location with efficient. Currently tracking and monitoring systems are unable to satisfy the needs of the community. Hence, Indoor-Outdoor Elderly Secure and Tracking care system (IOET) proposed to track and monitor elderly. This Mobile Crowdsensing type of system is using indoor and outdoor positioning system to locate elder which utilizes the RFID, NFC, biometric system and GPS aim to secure the safety of elderly within indoors and outdoors environment. A mobile application and web-based application to be designed for this system. This system able to real-time tracking by combining GPS and NFC for outdoor coverage where ideally in smart city. In indoor coverage, the system utilizes active RFID tracking elderly movement. The system will prompt caregiver wherever elderly movement or request by using the notification service which provided the real-time notify. Caregiver also can review the place that visited by elderly and trace back elderly movement.

  20. Approach to Fall in Elderly Population

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mehmet Ilkin Naharci

    2009-10-01

    treating independent live in elderly, are very important. and needs further studies. [TAF Prev Med Bull 2009; 8(5.000: 437-444

  1. Informal and formal support among community-dwelling Japanese American elders living alone in Chicagoland: an in-depth qualitative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  3. Elderly women's experiences of living with fall risk in a fragile body: a reflective lifeworld approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berlin Hallrup, Leena; Albertsson, Daniel; Bengtsson Tops, Anita; Dahlberg, Karin; Grahn, Birgitta

    2009-07-01

    The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the lived experience of fall risk from a lifeworld perspective in elderly women with previous fragility fractures. Thirteen elderly women with a high risk of fall and fracture, aged 76-86, living in their own homes in rural areas, were recruited from a voluntary fracture prevention programme. All women had a history of fragility fractures and were interviewed in their homes from spring to autumn 2004. A phenomenological reflective lifeworld approach was chosen to analyse in-depth interview data. The study was conducted within an interdisciplinary research group inspired by dialogical research. Elderly women's life space has been narrowed due to advanced age, physical injury or by efforts to prevent new injuries leading to changes in self-perception. However, the women seek strategies to challenge limitations and insecurity, and strive to retain mobility and daily life routines. The four major constituents of the phenomenon 'elderly women's experiences of fall risk' emerged in this study: a changing body, living with precaution, ambiguous dependency and influence and need for understanding. Employing the women's thoughts and resources in trust-based dialogues with caregivers may strengthen their concord and the prospects to continue an active life. Elderly women seek strategies to challenge limitations and feelings of insecurity, and strive to maintain mobility and daily life routines. A trust-based care respecting the preferences of the women seemed to stimulate behavioural change in maintaining an active life.

  4. A Framework for a Context-Aware Elderly Entertainment Support System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Anwar Hossain

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Elderly people constitute a major portion of world’s population. Many of them are physically and mentally vulnerable and need continuous support for their health and well-being. There is a growing trend that these elderly people are placed in an ambient assisted living environment (AAL with an aim to receive better care and support. In such settings, a lot of attention has been given to continuous health monitoring for maintaining physical health status. However, much less attention has been given toward understanding the entertainment needs of the elderly people, which is an important factor relevant to their mental health and joyful living. This paper thus addresses the entertainment needs of the elderly and proposes a framework of an elderly entertainment support system. The proposed framework enables different categories of residents (e.g., elderly people and caregivers to access various media services in both implicit and explicit manner in order to enhance the quality of their living experience in different contexts. Our experimental results demonstrate the viability of the proposed framework. We believe that the proposed approach will establish the need to develop entertainment systems and services for the elderly people and allow us to sensibly address the problems associated with their independent, happy and active living.

  5. A Framework for a Context-Aware Elderly Entertainment Support System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hossain, M. Anwar; Alamri, Atif; Almogren, Ahmad S.; Hossain, SK Alamgir; Parra, Jorge

    2014-01-01

    Elderly people constitute a major portion of world's population. Many of them are physically and mentally vulnerable and need continuous support for their health and well-being. There is a growing trend that these elderly people are placed in an ambient assisted living environment (AAL) with an aim to receive better care and support. In such settings, a lot of attention has been given to continuous health monitoring for maintaining physical health status. However, much less attention has been given toward understanding the entertainment needs of the elderly people, which is an important factor relevant to their mental health and joyful living. This paper thus addresses the entertainment needs of the elderly and proposes a framework of an elderly entertainment support system. The proposed framework enables different categories of residents (e.g., elderly people and caregivers) to access various media services in both implicit and explicit manner in order to enhance the quality of their living experience in different contexts. Our experimental results demonstrate the viability of the proposed framework. We believe that the proposed approach will establish the need to develop entertainment systems and services for the elderly people and allow us to sensibly address the problems associated with their independent, happy and active living. PMID:24936946

  6. Health status of Hispanic elders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bassford, T L

    1995-02-01

    Hispanic elders living in the United States compose a rapidly increasing population. They are underinsured and more likely to be living in poverty. Health care is hindered in this population by lower access to health services and less use of preventive services. Barriers to access are primarily socioeconomic. Acculturation exerts an effect, primarily through its association with language skills, employment, and education. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality for Hispanics, who have a higher prevalence of risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as diabetes mellitus, obesity, and hyperlipidemia. Although neoplasia is the second most frequent cause of death among Hispanics, as it is in whites who are not Hispanic, Hispanics have an overall lower cancer rate. Cancer rates are increasing, however. Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the Hispanic population, affecting nearly a quarter of adult Puerto Ricans and Mexican Americans. Although higher prevalence of obesity in the Hispanic population accounts for some of this difference, some data suggest the possibility of a genetic component as well. Assessment of psychological health in Hispanic elders is impeded by the lack of instruments designed for this population. Distress is often expressed as somatic symptoms. Values traditional to Hispanic culture, such as respeto, allocentrism, and familialism, are important to US Hispanic elders, many of whom were born in rural Mexico. Our knowledge of determinants of healthy aging in this population is still preliminary, but rapidly expanding, in part, because of increased attention to ethnicity in health reporting.

  7. Migration patterns of the elderly: the case of the American Jewish population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosenwaike, I

    1989-01-01

    "This article examines the growing concentration of the elderly Jewish population of the U.S. in one metropolitan region of the Sun Belt. The principal data sources used are U.S. Census counts of the population with a Yiddish mother tongue or speaking Yiddish at home, as well as 1980 data on the population of Russian ancestry. The limitations of these measures are discussed and data from local community surveys also are presented. The data show that relocation of the elderly from the North, especially to South Florida, has been occurring since the 1950s and accelerated during the 1970s. The need for further study, which may document the migration patterns of elderly members of diverse religions and ethnic groups, is pointed out." excerpt

  8. Social connections and happiness among the elder population of Taiwan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsu, H-C; Chang, W-C

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the association between social connections and happiness among members of the elder population of Taiwan. Longitudinal panel data collected in three waves from 1999 to 2007 that are selected from national samples of Taiwanese older people were used for the analysis (n = 4731 persons). Happiness was defined as a dichotomous variable. Social connection variables included living arrangements, contacts with children/grandchildren/parents/relatives/friends, telephone contacts, providing instrumental and informational support, receiving instrumental and emotional support, and social participation. We controlled for the variables demographics, physical and mental health, economic satisfaction, and lifestyle. A generalized linear model (GLM) was applied in the analysis. Happiness remained stable over time. Receiving more emotional support and participating in social events were related to happiness at the beginning, while the effect of social participation was offset over time. Living arrangements, telephone contacts, providing social support, and receiving instrumental support were not significant. The quality of social relationships experienced is possibly more important than the quantity of social interaction for older people, and having social relationships outside the informal social network may increase happiness.

  9. Evaluation of properties of the Vestibular Disorders Activities of Daily Living Scale (Brazilian version in an elderly population

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Natalia A. Ricci

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available Background: The Vestibular Disorders Activities of Daily Living Scale (VADL is considered an important subjective assessment to evaluate patients suffering from dizziness and imbalance. Although frequently used, its metric characteristics still require further investigation. Objective: This paper aims to analyze the psychometric properties of the Brazilian version of the VADL in an elderly population. Method: The sample comprises patients (≥65 years old with chronic dizziness resulting from vestibular disorders. For discriminant analysis, patients were compared to healthy subjects. All subjects answered the VADL-Brazil by interview. To examine the VADL validity, patients filled out the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI and the ABC scale and were tested on the Dynamic Gait Index (DGI. To evaluate the VADL responsiveness, 20 patients were submitted to rehabilitation. Results: Patients (n=140 had a VADL total score of 4.1±1.6 points. Healthy subjects scored significantly less than patients in all the subscales and in the VADL total score. The VADL-Brazil was weakly correlated with the DHI and moderately to the ABC scale and the DGI. Instead of the original 3 subscales, factor analysis resulted in 6 factors. The VADL was capable of detecting changes after rehabilitation, which means that the instrument has responsiveness. Conclusions: This study provided more data about the psychometric properties and usefulness of the VADL-Brazil. The use of such a reliable and valid instrument increases the knowledge about disability in patients with vestibular disorders.

  10. [Significances of the life experience for the long-lived elderly person in the process of death/dying and mourning].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Menezes, Tânia Maria de Oliva; Lopes, Regina Lúcia Mendonça

    2014-08-01

    This is a study using the Heideggerian theoretical-phenomenological approach, which sought to understand the significances of the life experience for the long-lived elderly person in the process of death/dying and mourning. It was conducted in 2009 with 16 long-lived senior citizens of both genders who were aged between 80 and 90, members of a community center for the elderly located in a suburban neighborhood of the city of Salvador in the state of Bahia, Brazil. The results showed that the long-lived elderly person experiences the mourning status process when relatives and friends become ill and die. Furthermore, they gave ambiguous reports with respect to the fear of death. With the attributed significances, it was possible to arrive at the unit of significance, namely the authenticity and lack of authenticity of the individual regarding imminent death. The conclusion reached is that long-lived elderly individuals faced with the process of death/dying and mourning is apparent or concealed in accordance with the moment they are experiencing and the opportunities that present themselves, in other words, it is greatly influenced by their past.

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robab Sahaf

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available 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.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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

  13. The implementation of the functional task exercise programme for elderly people living at home

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fleuren Margot A H

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The Functional Task Exercise programme is an evidence-based exercise programme for elderly people living at home. It enhances physical capacity with sustainable effects. FTE is provided by physiotherapists and remedial therapists. Although the intervention was found to be effective in a Randomised Controlled Trial, we may not assume that therapists will automatically supply the programme or that elderly people will automatically join the programme. This study protocol focuses on identifying determinants of implementation, developing implementation strategies and studying the effects of the implementation in daily practice. Methods/Design Phase 1: The systematic identification of determinants of the implementation of FTE among therapists and the elderly. A questionnaire study was conducted in a random sample of 100 therapists, and interviews took place with 23 therapists and 8 elderly people (aged 66 to 80 years. The determinants were broken down into four categories: the characteristics of the environment, the organisation, the therapists, and the training programme. Phase 2: Developing and applying strategies adapted to the determinants identified. Fifteen physiotherapists will be trained to provide FTE and to recruit elderly people living at home. The therapists will then deliver the 12-week programme to two groups of elderly, each consisting of six to twelve people aged 70 years or older. Phase 3: Study of implementation and the impact. To study the actual use of FTE: 1 therapists record information about the selection of participants and how they apply the key features of FTE, 2 the participating elderly will keep an exercise logbook, 3 telephone interviews will take place with the therapists and the elderly and there will be on-site visits. The effects on the elderly people will be studied using: 1 the Patient-Specific Questionnaire, the Timed Up and Go test and a two performance tests. All tests will be performed at

  14. MEDICATION ADHERENCE IN ELDERLY WITH POLYPHARMACY LIVING AT HOME: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF EXISTING STUDIES.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zelko, Erika; Klemenc-Ketis, Zalika; Tusek-Bunc, Ksenija

    2016-04-01

    We wanted to systematically review the available evidence to evaluate the drug adherence in elderly with polypharmacy living at home. We performed a literature search using MEDLINE, ISI Web of Science, ProQuest, EMBASE, SCOPUS, Springer Link, Sage Journals and CINAHL. We used the following terms: Medication Adherence, Medication Compliance, Polypharmacy, and Elderly. The search was limited to English-language articles. We included only clinical trials, systematic reviews, meta-analysis and cross-sectional studies. A total of seven articles were included in this systematic review after applying the search strategy. Six studies dealt with the prevalence of medication adherence and its correlates in patients aged 65 years or more with polypharmacy. Two studies dealt with the effect of various interventions on medication adherence in patients aged 65 years or more with polypharmacy. The available literature on the polypharmacy and drug adherence in elderly living at home is scarce and further studies are needed.

  15. Poor financial support and lack of knowledge, and neglect among female elders who lived in extended families

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Setho Hadisuyatmana

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Elder neglect remains as unreported case that involved old women in Ampenan West Nusa Tenggara. Despite the paucity of evidence to report the significance, an earlier pilot study showed that elders who lived with their family in Ampenan were found dirty, skin dry, and malnourished. The purpose of this study was to explore the correlating factors to the unreported cases of neglect among these elders. Method: This study was a cross sectional conducted using analytic descriptive approach. Thirty-four extended families lived with female elders in the working area of Puskesmas Ampenan were purposively involved as participants to this study. Family’s awareness of abuse was collected using a questionnaire developed based on Elder Abuse Instrument component checklist and the suspicion to neglect among the elders were collected using the 13-item checklist from Elder Abuse Instrument. The data were then analyzed using Spearman’s rho (α ≤ 0,05. Result:  The results show that family’s lack of knowledge has a strong correlation with elder neglect (p= 0,000 with r= 0,643. Discussion: The analysis to this finding suggests that not only were the families lack of knowledge, but they were also being burden by the poor economic situation that trigger the unnecessary neglect to their female elders. These results abridge the paucity of evidence to explain the correlating factors with the incidence of elder abuse in eastern Indonesia. Further research is necessary to explain the size and the impact of neglect toward the elders. It is suggested that local department of health, Puskesmas and health professionals to educate the community as the first step to improve the elders’ quality of life and promote healthy ageing.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  17. Identifying risk for dementia across populations: A study on the prevalence of dementia in tribal elderly population of Himalayan region in Northern India

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    Sunil Kumar Raina

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Studies have suggested that dementia is differentially distributed across populations with a lower prevalence in developing regions than the developed ones. A comparison in the prevalence of dementia across populations may provide an insight into its risk factors. Keeping this in view, a study was planned to evaluate the prevalence of dementia in tribal elderly population. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional comprehensive two-phase survey of all residents aged 60 years and older was conducted. Phase one involved screening of all individuals aged 60 and above with the help of a cognitive screen specifically developed for the tribal population. Phase two involved clinical examination of individuals who were suspected of dementia as per the developed cognitive screening test. Results: The results revealed that no individual above 60 years of age in the studied population was diagnosed as a case of dementia. Thereby, pointing out at some unknown factors, which are responsible for prevention of dementia. Discussion: The differences between the prevalence rate in this study and other studies in India appear to be a function of a valid regional difference. Environmental, phenotypic and genetic factors may contribute to regional and racial variations in dementia. Societies living in isolated hilly and tribal areas seem less predisposed to dementia, particularly age related neurodegenerative and vascular dementia, which are the most common causes for dementia in elderly. This may be because some environmental risk factors are much less prevalent in these settings.

  18. The influence of occupation on wellbeing, as perceived by the elderly: a systematic review protocol

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jessen-Winge, Christina; Morville, Anne-Le; Holtze, Dorte Buch

    2014-01-01

    of how the independently‐living elderly enhance their wellbeing through participation in occupations. Such a review will contribute to the knowledge and practice within the health promotion framework with the healthy elderly population. Thus the review will be of use to occupational therapists and others......Review objective/questions: The objective of the current review is to identify the types of occupations that are important in improving overall wellbeing amongst the elderly population. It is assumed that conducting a systematic review with a qualitative approach will lead to a deeper understanding...... working with elderly people in terms of both theory and practice, as the knowledge will be grounded in the reality of human experience. The specific question to be addressed in this review is: Which occupations do the independently‐living elderly consider to enhance their overall wellbeing?...

  19. The elderly on the labour market

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Monika Śpiewak-Szyjka

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available The global ageing of populations implicates numerous and diverse changes determining the economic conditions of the elderly and the quality of their lives. This is a problem not only for demographers, but also for employers. The purpose of this article is to identify what challenges arise from the aging of population and what actions must be taken to provide dignified aging, i.e. to improve the quality and standards of living and create conditions for vocational and social activity of older people.

  20. Calibration of the food list and portion sizes of a food frequency questionnaire applied to free-living elderly people.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pfrimer, Karina; Sartorelli, Daniela Saes; Rosa, Flavia Troncon; Mendes Resende, Cristina Maria; Viera, Daniela Vieira Pallos; Rabito, Estela Iraci; Scagliusi, Fernanda Baeza; Moriguti, Eny Kiyomi Uemora; Monteiro, Jaqueline Pontes; Ferriolli, Eduardo

    2013-05-01

    To calibrate the food list and relative portion sizes of a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for application to a free-living, healthy, elderly population. Cross-sectional study. One hundred free-living, healthy participants, aged from 60 to 75 y, randomly selected from among individuals in the area served by the Family Health Program, School of Medicine of Ribeirao Preto, University of São Paulo. A Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and a Diet History Questionnaire (DH) were applied by trained dietitians. Each food item of the FFQ had its portion size recalculated according to the percentiles referenced by the volunteers in the DH (25th = small, 50th = medium, and 75th = large). The list of foods and portion sizes of the original FFQ and those obtained by the application of the DH were compared. The percent contribution of energy, protein, fat, carbohydrate, folic acid, vitamin C, calcium, and fiber of each food item mentioned in the FFQ was determined from the data obtained by the application of the DH. FFQ, as compared with the DH, provided good estimation of the intake of protein, calcium, folic acid, and fiber (paired t test P food list were found to be appropriate for application to healthy, urban, free-living elderly people in Ribeirao Preto, Brazil. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. The profile of spinal injuries in the elderly population

    OpenAIRE

    Teixeira,Glaciéle de Oliveira; Oliveira,Thais Fonseca de; Frison,Verônica Baptista; Resende,Thais de Lima

    2014-01-01

    This retrospective cross-sectional study sought to: describe the profile of the elderly population who suffered spinal injury (SI) between 2005 and 2010 in Porto Alegre (RS), Brazil; compare the trauma mechanism and type of SI prevalence in both sexes; and compare the trauma mechanism in the sample's age groups. To this end, medical records were reviewed for the following data: age, sex, main mechanisms of injury and spinal levels affected. Out of 1.320 records analyzed, 370 belonged to elder...

  2. The Se.Ko.Ph. study: a European multicentre study on falls in elderly subjects living in residential homes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aladar Bruno Ianes

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available The aim was to investigate risk factors for falls in elderly people living in residential nursing homes. An observational, prospective, multicentre study was conducted between March 2010 and March 2011 investigating falls in elderly residents living in residential nursing homes (4 Italian¸ 4 French and 5 German nursing homes. A number of risk factors were assessed as well as details of the fall (dynamics, reasons, location and time of occurrence. Differences were observed between the countries related to different nursing practices. Fallers comprised 36.5% of all residents and approximately 40% were injured as a consequence. Six logistic regression models were created to assess which fallrelated variables had the most impact, and showed subjects with faecal incontinence had a lower risk of falling, while subjects afflicted with dementia and visual impairment showed an increased risk of falling. Higher Tinetti scores were found to be related to an increased fall risk. Falls in the elderly occur due to complex interactions between demographic, physical, behavioural and environmental risk factors. Differences between countries in fall rates were seen, probably due to different medical practices, use of aids and restraints, and characteristics of the populations (i.e. the Italian residents tended to be more cognitively impaired and more impaired in balance and gait compared to the French and German residents. There was evidence that subjects with a better clinical status fall more frequently, whereas non-fallers had a worse clinical status and therefore tended to be more bedridden.

  3. The Value of a Gardening Service for the Frail Elderly and People With a Disability Living in the Community.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Same, Anne; Lee, Elinda Ai Lim; McNamara, Beverley; Rosenwax, Lorna

    2016-11-01

    Little is known about the significance of gardening services for frail elderly people. This study explored the value of a gardening service for frail older people and people with a disability living in the community. Using qualitative and quantitative data collected from pre-gardening ( n = 38) and post-gardening service delivery interviews ( n = 35) and the Housing Enabler, the value of a gardening service was examined. Findings suggest that the service had a positive impact on the independence and emotional well-being of frail aged people and younger people with a functional disability, with little impact on physical health. Results indicate that gardening services should be fundamental to planning for these populations to remain or return to living in the community.

  4. Utilizing Social Network Services for Enhanced Communication with Elderly Living at Home

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wagner, Stefan

    2009-01-01

    This paper discusses whether social network services, like Facebook and Twitter, may be used by elderly living in their own homes to enhance communication with their relatives and friends. It introduces a prototype solution based on the iRobot Roomba 560, iRobot, USA, robot vacuum cleaner, which...... has been enhanced with Facebook and Twitter communication capabilities. The paper points out a number of other relevant applications where the use of social network services may provide better communication for ambient assisted living solutions and intelligent environments....

  5. Potentially inappropriate medication use among institutionalized elderly individuals in southeastern Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mauro Cunha Xavier Pinto

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available In recent decades, the elderly population in Brazil has grown rapidly, as has concern for the health of this population. Institutionalization in nursing homes has appeared as an alternative form of health care for frail elderly that live alone. The present study evaluated the pharmacotherapy and inappropriate drug prescriptions for institutionalized elderly patients living in long-term institutions in southeastern Brazil. This research was conducted at five institutions with a total sample of 151 individuals aged at least 60 years. Databases were used to identify drug interactions, defined daily dose and inappropriate prescriptions. The prevalence of drug intake among the elderly was 95.36%, and there were an average of 3.31 ± 1.80 drug prescriptions per individual. Based on Beers criteria, the prevalence of inappropriate prescriptions was 25.83%. In addition, 70.2% of prescriptions were prescribed at a higher dosage than the defined daily dose (ATC/WHO. Potential drug interactions were identified for 54.11% of prescriptions; 81.42% of these were of moderate severity. The main inappropriate drugs were prescribed for cardiovascular and nervous system problems. Institutionalized elderly individuals presented a high consumption and misuse of medications, requiring professional intervention to monitor prescriptions and improve the quality of service for this population.

  6. Cardiovascular risk assessment in elderly adults using SCORE OP model in a Latin American population: The experience from Ecuador.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sisa, Ivan

    2018-02-09

    Cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality is predicted to increase in Latin America countries due to their rapidly aging population. However, there is very little information about CVD risk assessment as a primary preventive measure in this high-risk population. We predicted the national risk of developing CVD in Ecuadorian elderly population using the Systematic COronary Risk Evaluation in Older Persons (SCORE OP) High and Low models by risk categories/CVD risk region in 2009. Data on national cardiovascular risk factors were obtained from the Encuesta sobre Salud, Bienestar y Envejecimiento. We computed the predicted 5-year risk of CVD risk and compared the extent of agreement and reclassification in stratifying high-risk individuals between SCORE OP High and Low models. Analyses were done by risk categories, CVD risk region, and sex. In 2009, based on SCORE OP Low model almost 42% of elderly adults living in Ecuador were at high risk of suffering CVD over a 5-year period. The extent of agreement between SCORE OP High and Low risk prediction models was moderate (Cohen's kappa test of 0.5), 34% of individuals approximately were reclassified into different risk categories and a third of the population would benefit from a pharmacologic intervention to reduce the CVD risk. Forty-two percent of elderly Ecuadorians were at high risk of suffering CVD over a 5-year period, indicating an urgent need to tailor primary preventive measures for this vulnerable and high-risk population. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  7. An assisted-living home architecture with integrated healthcare services for elderly people.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marsh, Andy; Biniaris, Christos; Vergados, Dimitrios; Eppler, Arnold; Kavvadias, Christoforos; Bigalke, Olaf; Robert, Eric; Jerabek, Boro; Alevizos, Alevizos; Caragiozidis, Michael

    2008-01-01

    Since the population of elderly people grows absolutely and in relation to the overall population in the world, the improvement of the quality of life of elderly people at home is of a great importance. This can be achieved through the development of generic technologies for managing their domestic ambient environment consisting of medical sensors, entertainment equipment, home automation systems and white goods, increasing their autonomy and safety. In this context, the provision intelligent interactive healthcare services will improve their daily life and allowing at the same time the continuous monitoring of their health and their effective treatment. This work is supported by the INHOME Project EU IST-045061-STP, http://www.ist-inhome.eu.

  8. The family in face of the elderly's reality of living alone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perseguino, Marcelo Geovane; Horta, Ana Lucia de Moraes; Ribeiro, Circéa Amalia

    2017-04-01

    to understand the family dynamics in face of the reality of the elderly living alone. study of qualitative approach with theoretical reference of symbolic interactionism that involved interviews with families. Data were analyzed by thematic analysis. six families participated in the study. The discourse analysis originated the following categories: The family respecting their decision making; The family organizing itself to the process of living alone after the age of 80 years; The family experiencing the freedom of living alone. in this study, it was possible to identify the facilitation of the possibility of living alone with preparation and agreements between the family during the family life cycle, leading to the feeling of freedom and quality of life of all members. Nursing, as a science responsible for elaborating care strategies, should work together with families to assist in the planning of care plans based on the individual social reality of the family.

  9. Reliability and Validity of the Clinical Dementia Rating for Community-Living Elderly Subjects without an Informant.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nyunt, Ma Shwe Zin; Chong, Mei Sian; Lim, Wee Shiong; Lee, Tih Shih; Yap, Philip; Ng, Tze Pin

    2013-01-01

    The Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scale is widely used to assess cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease. It requires collateral information from a reliable informant who is not available in many instances. We adapted the original CDR scale for use with elderly subjects without an informant (CDR-NI) and evaluated its reliability and validity for assessing mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia among community-dwelling elderly subjects. At two consecutive visits 1 week apart, nurses trained in CDR assessment interviewed, observed and rated cognitive and functional performance according to a protocol in 90 elderly subjects with suboptimal cognitive performance [Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) reliability (κ 0.77-1.00 for six domains and 0.95 for global rating) and test-retest reliability (κ 0.75-1.00 for six domains and 0.80 for global rating), good agreement (κ 0.79) with the clinical assessment status of MCI (n = 37) and dementia (n = 4) and significant differences in the mean scores for MMSE, MOCA and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (ANOVA global p reliable assessment of MCI and dementia in community-living elderly subjects without an informant.

  10. Nutritional risk of European elderly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Morais, C; Oliveira, B; Afonso, C; Lumbers, M; Raats, M; de Almeida, M D V

    2013-11-01

    The elderly constitute a population group with a high prevalence of non-communicable chronic diseases and high risk of malnutrition. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated to nutritional risk in free-living European elderly. The sample included 644 European citizens, free living in the community, aged 65 years or more. The sample was quota controlled for age groups (65-74, ≥75 years), gender (male/female) and living circumstances (living alone/with others). Logistic regression was performed to identify factors associated with nutritional risk. Several variables regarding socio-demographic characteristics, food choice, health status and the satisfaction with food-related life were included in the analysis. According to the recoded score of the 'Determine your nutritional health' (NSI checklist), 53% of the elderly were at nutritional risk. Nutritional risk was more likely to occur in elderly who considered that it was more important to choose foods 'easy to chew'; with lower average number of fruit and vegetables (F&V) intake episodes and lower score for general health. It was also found in non-married participants; those that did not identify changes in their appetite; and those that felt changes in health status. In this sample, the lowest nutritional risk was found for body mass index (BMI) around 18.5 kg/m(2). Country of residence, gender and age were not found to have a significant effect on nutritional risk. Attention should be drawn to the living circumstances, changes in appetite or health, the general heath perception, F&V intake, choice of foods easy to chew and having a low or high BMI.

  11. Oral temperatures of the elderly in nursing homes in summer and winter in relation to activities of daily living

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakamura, K.; Tanaka, Masatoshi; Motohashi, Yutaka; Maeda, Akira

    This study was conducted to clarify the seasonal difference in body temperature in summer and winter, and to document the thermal environment of the elderly living in nursing homes. The subjects were 57 healthy elderly people aged >=63 years living in two nursing homes in Japan. One of the homes was characterized by subjects with low levels of activities of daily living (ADL). Oral temperatures were measured in the morning and afternoon, with simultaneous recording of ambient temperature and relative humidity. Oral temperatures in summer were higher than in winter, with statistically significant differences (Pchanges in ambient temperature.

  12. Evaluation of chewing ability and its relationship with activities of daily living, depression, cognitive status and food intake in the community-dwelling elderly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kimura, Yumi; Ogawa, Hiroshi; Yoshihara, Akihiro; Yamaga, Takayuki; Takiguchi, Tomoya; Wada, Taizo; Sakamoto, Ryota; Ishimoto, Yasuko; Fukutomi, Eriko; Chen, Wenling; Fujisawa, Michiko; Okumiya, Kiyohito; Otsuka, Kuniaki; Miyazaki, Hideo; Matsubayashi, Kozo

    2013-07-01

    The aim of this study was to assess chewing ability using color-changeable chewing gum and to show the association between chewing ability and geriatric functions, as well as dietary status in the community-dwelling elderly. The study population consisted of 269 community-dwelling elderly aged ≥ 75 living in Tosa, Japan. Assessment of chewing ability was carried out by a dentist using color-changeable chewing gum. Activities of daily living (ADL), depression and subjective quality of life (QOL) were assessed by questionnaire. Cognitive status was assessed by; Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Hasegawa Dementia Scale-Revised (HDS-R) and Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) during the check-up. Food diversity was assessed using the 11-item Food Diversity Score Kyoto (FDSK-11). Number of teeth was significantly related to chewing ability (Pchewing ability had significantly lower ADL scores in the items of self-maintenance (P=0.029) and intellectual activity (P=0.021). There was a significant association between low chewing ability and depression (Pchewing ability; MMSE (P=0.022), HDSR (P=0.017) and FAB (P=0.002). The participants with low chewing ability had lower food variety (Pchewing ability. Low chewing ability evaluated by color-changeable gum was associated with lower ADL, lower cognitive functioning, depression and food insufficiency in the community-dwelling elderly. More attention should be paid to assessing chewing ability of elderly persons in community settings. © 2012 Japan Geriatrics Society.

  13. The Association Between Physical Activity, Mental Status, and Social and Family Support with Five Major Non-Communicable Chronic Diseases Among Elderly People: A Cross-Sectional Study of a Rural Population in Southern China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Xiang; Yang, Huajie; Wang, Harry H X; Qiu, Yongjun; Lai, Xiujuan; Zhou, Zhiheng; Li, Fangjian; Zhang, Liwei; Wang, Jiaji; Lei, Jimin

    2015-10-21

    Non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs) have become the top threat in China. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of major NCDs among the elderly population in rural areas in southern China and explore its associated social determinants. A multistage cluster random sampling methodology was adopted to select a total of 9245 rural elderly people from 3860 rural households in Guangdong Province. Interviews and physical examinations were performed to collect patient information. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were conducted to explore factors associated with the presence of major NCDs. Over one-third (38.5%) of the study population suffered from five major NCDs. The grade of activities of daily living (ADL), mental status, and social relationship of elderly people without NCDs were better than those with NCDs. The major factors associated with the presence of NCDs among the elderly people included age (70-79 years group and 80-89 years group), education level (senior high/technical secondary school and junior college and above), mental status (concentration, enrichment and happy life and memory), relationship with neighbours, activities of daily living (ADL) (being able to climb three floors and bend over), physical activity, marital status (bereft), and living conditions (with offspring and family members). The study identified several social determinants associated with the presence of major NCDs. A higher level of family support and physical exercise might contribute to improved physical condition, mental status, and ADL among the elderly people in rural areas in southern China.

  14. Family extension and the elderly: economic, demographic, and family cycle factors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kobrin, F E

    1981-05-01

    This paper reports on the results of applying a multivariate regression model of living arrangements choices to census data on the 1970 U. S. population of nonmarried, nonparenting adults. The model examines the factors affecting living with (1) relatives or (2) living alone or with nonrelatives. These factors include sex, income, marital history, and age. In addition, the model tests whether living arrangements choices differ for the elderly relative to other ages. The analysis shows that higher income, the experience of divorce, and being male are all associated with a higher probability of nonfamily living. Widowhood has the same effect, but only for women. The central finding, however, is that there is no special role for the elderly in living arrangements choices.

  15. Locomotor problems among rural elderly population in a District of Aligarh, North India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maroof, Mohd; Ahmad, Anees; Khalique, Najam; Ansari, M Athar

    2017-01-01

    Locomotor functions decline with the age along with other physiological changes. This results in deterioration of the quality of life with decreased social and economic role in the society, as well as increased dependency, for the health care and other basic services. The demographic transition resulting in increased proportion of elderly may pose a burden to the health system. To find the prevalence of locomotor problems among the elderly population, and related sociodemographic factors. The study was a community-based cross-sectional study done at field practice area of Rural Health Training Centre, JN Medical College, AMU, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India. A sample of 225 was drawn from 1018 elderly population aged 60 years and above using systematic random sampling with probability proportionate to size. Sociodemographic characteristics were obtained using pretested and predesigned questionnaire. Locomotor problems were assessed using the criteria used by National Sample Survey Organization. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. Chi-square test was used to test relationship of locomotor problems with sociodemographic factors. P locomotor problems among the elderly population was 25.8%. Locomotor problems were significantly associated with age, gender, and working status whereas no significant association with literacy status and marital status was observed. The study concluded that approximately one-fourth of the elderly population suffered from locomotor problems. The sociodemographic factors related to locomotor problems needs to be addressed properly to help them lead an independent and economically productive life.

  16. Prevalence and cost of hospital medical errors in the general and elderly United States populations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mallow, Peter J; Pandya, Bhavik; Horblyuk, Ruslan; Kaplan, Harold S

    2013-12-01

    The primary objective of this study was to quantify the differences in the prevalence rate and costs of hospital medical errors between the general population and an elderly population aged ≥65 years. Methods from an actuarial study of medical errors were modified to identify medical errors in the Premier Hospital Database using data from 2009. Visits with more than four medical errors were removed from the population to avoid over-estimation of cost. Prevalence rates were calculated based on the total number of inpatient visits. There were 3,466,596 total inpatient visits in 2009. Of these, 1,230,836 (36%) occurred in people aged ≥ 65. The prevalence rate was 49 medical errors per 1000 inpatient visits in the general cohort and 79 medical errors per 1000 inpatient visits for the elderly cohort. The top 10 medical errors accounted for more than 80% of the total in the general cohort and the 65+ cohort. The most costly medical error for the general population was postoperative infection ($569,287,000). Pressure ulcers were most costly ($347,166,257) in the elderly population. This study was conducted with a hospital administrative database, and assumptions were necessary to identify medical errors in the database. Further, there was no method to identify errors of omission or misdiagnoses within the database. This study indicates that prevalence of hospital medical errors for the elderly is greater than the general population and the associated cost of medical errors in the elderly population is quite substantial. Hospitals which further focus their attention on medical errors in the elderly population may see a significant reduction in costs due to medical errors as a disproportionate percentage of medical errors occur in this age group.

  17. Using case-based reasoning to detect risk scenarios of elderly people living alone at home

    OpenAIRE

    Lupiani, Eduardo; Juarez, Jose M.; Palma, Jose; Sauer, Christian; Roth-Berghofer, Thomas

    2014-01-01

    In today’s ageing societies, the proportion of elderly people living alone in their own homes is dramatically increasing. Smart homes provide the appropriate environment for keeping them independent and, therefore, enhancing their quality of life. One of the most important requirements of these systems is that they have to provide a pervasive environment without disrupting elderly people’s daily activities. The present paper introduces a CBR agent used within a commercial Smart Home system, d...

  18. Prevalence and correlates of fear of falling among elderly population in urban area of Karnataka, India

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abhay B Mane

    2014-01-01

    Conclusion: FOF is a health problem among the elderly living in urban India needs urgent attention. It represents a significant threat to socialization, independence and morbidity or mortality. Knowledge of correlates of FOF may be useful in developing multidimensional strategies to reduce it among elderly.

  19. Development of a Health Care Information System for the Elderly at Home

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wang Dong

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The growing population aging is a serious social problem in the world today. Accidental death at home is increasing because abnormal conditions can not be discovered in time, especially to the elderly who live alone. Besides, according to statistics, over 80 percent of the elderly need the service of home care in China. A health care information system for the elderly at home is developed to monitor the real–time state of the elderly remotely in this thesis. The system can show the current positions of the elderly in the house and judge whether they are in dangerous locations or have dangerous activities. In the case of emergency, the elderly can press the emergency button. The system also provides some help for the elderly’s daily life. The system offers the advantage for living at home more safely and more comfortably, and has better application prospect

  20. [Factors influencing the quality of life of elderly living in a pre-fabricated housing complex in the Sichuan earthquake area].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Hong-Xia; Chen, Hong; Wong, Teresa Bik-Kwan Tsien; Chen, Qian; Au, May-Lan; Li, Yun

    2012-02-01

    The 2008 Sichuan Earthquake caused great damage to the environment and property. In the aftermath, many citizens were relocated to live in newly constructed prefabricated (prefab) communities. This paper explored the current quality of life (QOL) of elderly residents living in prefabricated communities in areas damaged by the Sichuan earthquake and identified factors of influence on QOL values. The ultimate objective was to provide evidence-based guidance for heath improvement measures. The authors used the short form WHOQOL-BREF to assess the quality of life of 191 elderly residents of prefabricated communities in the Sichuan Province 2008 earthquake zone. A Student's t-test, variance analysis, and stepwise multivariate regression methods were used to test the impact of various factors on QOL. Results indicate the self-assessed QOL of participants as good, although scores in the physical (average 56.2) and psychological (average 45.7) domains were significantly lower than the norm in China. Marital status, capital loss in the earthquake, number of children, level of perceived stress, income, interest, and family harmony each correlated with at least one of the short form WHOQOL-BREF domains in t-test and one-way analyses. After excluding for factor interaction effects using multivariate regression, we found interest, family harmony, monthly income and stress to be significant predictors of physical domain QOL, explaining 13.8% of total variance. Family harmony and interest explained 15.3% of total variance for psychological domain QOL; stress, marital status, family harmony, capital loss in the earthquake, number of children and interest explained 19.5% of total variance for social domain QOL; and stress, family harmony and interest explained 16.5% of total variance for environmental domain QOL. Family harmony and interest were significant factors across all domains, while others influenced a smaller proportion. Quality of life for elderly living in prefab

  1. Dietary intake of energy, nutrients and water in elderly people living at home or in nursing home.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Engelheart, S; Akner, G

    2015-03-01

    There is a lack of detailed information on dietary intake in elderly people at an individual level, which is crucial for improvement of nutritional support. The aim of this study was to investigate the dietary intake in elderly people in two types of living situations. Observational study, analysing prospective data. The dietary intake was studied in elderly people living at home or in nursing home, in different cities of Sweden. A total of 264 elderly people (mean age 84) participated in the observational study. Dietary intake was measured using weighed food records and food diaries, comparing females and males. The observed dietary intake was related to Recommended intake and Lower intake level. All dietary intake and patient characteristic variables showed large individual differences (ranges). We found no significant differences (p>0.05) between those living at home and nursing home residents regarding the average intake of energy, protein and water when expressed as total intake per kg of body weight. A very low daily intake of energy (<20 kcal/kg body weight/day) was observed in 16% of the participants. For vitamin D and iron, 19% and 15%, respectively, had intakes below the Lower intake level. There was no correlation between intake of energy, protein or water and resident characteristics such as age, autonomy, morbidity, nutritional state or cognition. The large individual differences (ranges) in energy, nutrients and water show that the use of mean values when analysing dietary intake data from elderly people is misleading. From a clinical perspective it is more important to consider the individual intake of energy, nutrients and water. Ageism is intrinsic in the realm of 'averageology'.

  2. The implementation of the functional task exercise programme for elderly people living at home

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fleuren, M.A.H.; Vrijkotte, S.; Jans, M.P.; Pin, R.; Hespen, A. van; Meeteren, N.L.U. van; Siemonsma, P.C.

    2012-01-01

    Background: The Functional Task Exercise programme is an evidence-based exercise programme for elderly people living at home. It enhances physical capacity with sustainable effects. FTE is provided by physiotherapists and remedial therapists. Although the intervention was found to be effective in a

  3. Heart Failure and Frailty in the Community-Living Elderly Population: What the UFO Study Will Tell Us.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fung, Erik; Hui, Elsie; Yang, Xiaobo; Lui, Leong T; Cheng, King F; Li, Qi; Fan, Yiting; Sahota, Daljit S; Ma, Bosco H M; Lee, Jenny S W; Lee, Alex P W; Woo, Jean

    2018-01-01

    Heart failure and frailty are clinical syndromes that present with overlapping phenotypic characteristics. Importantly, their co-presence is associated with increased mortality and morbidity. While mechanical and electrical device therapies for heart failure are vital for select patients with advanced stage disease, the majority of patients and especially those with undiagnosed heart failure would benefit from early disease detection and prompt initiation of guideline-directed medical therapies. In this article, we review the problematic interactions between heart failure and frailty, introduce a focused cardiac screening program for community-living elderly initiated by a mobile communication device app leading to the Undiagnosed heart Failure in frail Older individuals (UFO) study, and discuss how the knowledge of pre-frailty and frailty status could be exploited for the detection of previously undiagnosed heart failure or advanced cardiac disease. The widespread use of mobile devices coupled with increasing availability of novel, effective medical and minimally invasive therapies have incentivized new approaches to heart failure case finding and disease management.

  4. Heart Failure and Frailty in the Community-Living Elderly Population: What the UFO Study Will Tell Us

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fung, Erik; Hui, Elsie; Yang, Xiaobo; Lui, Leong T.; Cheng, King F.; Li, Qi; Fan, Yiting; Sahota, Daljit S.; Ma, Bosco H. M.; Lee, Jenny S. W.; Lee, Alex P. W.; Woo, Jean

    2018-01-01

    Heart failure and frailty are clinical syndromes that present with overlapping phenotypic characteristics. Importantly, their co-presence is associated with increased mortality and morbidity. While mechanical and electrical device therapies for heart failure are vital for select patients with advanced stage disease, the majority of patients and especially those with undiagnosed heart failure would benefit from early disease detection and prompt initiation of guideline-directed medical therapies. In this article, we review the problematic interactions between heart failure and frailty, introduce a focused cardiac screening program for community-living elderly initiated by a mobile communication device app leading to the Undiagnosed heart Failure in frail Older individuals (UFO) study, and discuss how the knowledge of pre-frailty and frailty status could be exploited for the detection of previously undiagnosed heart failure or advanced cardiac disease. The widespread use of mobile devices coupled with increasing availability of novel, effective medical and minimally invasive therapies have incentivized new approaches to heart failure case finding and disease management. PMID:29740330

  5. Temporal and kinematic variables for real-world falls harvested from lumbar sensors in the elderly population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bourke, A K; Klenk, J; Schwickert, L; Aminian, K; Ihlen, E A F; Helbostad, J L; Chiari, L; Becker, C

    2015-01-01

    Automatic fall detection will reduce the consequences of falls in the elderly and promote independent living, ensuring people can confidently live safely at home. Inertial sensor technology can distinguish falls from normal activities. However, fall data recorded from elderly people in real life. The FARSEEING project has compiled a database of real life falls from elderly people, to gain new knowledge about fall events. We have extracted temporal and kinematic parameters to further improve the development of fall detection algorithms. A total of 100 real-world falls were analysed. Subjects with a known fall history were recruited, inertial sensors were attached to L5 and a fall report, following a fall, was used to extract the fall signal. This data-set was examined, and variables were extracted that include upper and lower impact peak values, posture angle change during the fall and time of occurrence. These extracted parameters, can be used to inform the design of fall-detection algorithms for real-world falls detection in the elderly.

  6. The effect of visual biofeedback on balance in elderly population: a systematic review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alhasan H

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Hammad Alhasan,1 Victoria Hood,2 Frederick Mainwaring2 1Physiotherapy Department, Faculty of Applied Medical Science, Umm al-Qura University, Mecca, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 2School of Health Science, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, UK Background: Balance is commonly affected by multiple factors, especially among the elderly population. Visual biofeedback (VBF is an intervention tool that can be used in balance rehabilitation.Aim: This study aimed to systematically review randomized controlled trials that examine whether VBF training is effective in improving balance in an elderly population.Data sources: Three databases were searched: CIAHL, EMBASE, and MEDLINE. The searches were limited to the period from 2010 to 2016.Eligibility criteria: Healthy adults, aged ≥65 years, with no specific disorders were included. Interventions were any VBF intervention with the aim of improving balance and were compared to no intervention, traditional exercises, placebo, or standard care. The outcome measures were balance as measured by any validated outcome measure.Studies appraisal method: The Physiotherapy Evidence Database quality assessment tool and The Cochrane Collaboration tool for assessing risk of bias were used by two independent authors (HA and FM in order to appraise the included studies.Results: The database search resulted in 879 articles, of which five papers were included. VBF was compared to no intervention, a placebo, and traditional exercise. The total number of participants in all the five included studies was 181, with a mean age of 74.3 years (standard deviation 6.7. Two studies were rated as high-quality studies, and three were rated as fair quality.Conclusion: Engaging elderly people living in the community in VBF training was found to be effective and could improve their balance ability. However, the variation between studies in methodology, intervention protocol, and outcomes utilized made it difficult to

  7. Increasing Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in a Chinese Elderly Population: 2001?2010

    OpenAIRE

    Liu, Miao; Wang, Jianhua; Jiang, Bin; Sun, Dongling; Wu, Lei; Yang, Shanshan; Wang, Yiyan; Li, Xiaoying; He, Yao

    2013-01-01

    Objective The information on the changes of prevalence of MetS in China is limited. Our objective was to assess a 10-year?s change of the prevalence of MetS in a Chinese elderly population between 2001 and 2010. Methods We conducted two cross-sectional surveys in a representative sample of elderly population aged 60 to 95 years in Beijing in 2001 and 2010 respectively. MetS was defined according to the 2009 harmonizing definition. Results A total of 2,334 participants (943 male, 1,391 female)...

  8. Comparison of Happiness and Spiritual Well-Being among the Community Dwelling Elderly and those who Lived in Sanitariums.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adib-Hajbaghery, Mohsen; Faraji, Mona

    2015-07-01

    Several studies are available on the lifestyle, psychological and mental health of the elderly adults. This study aimed to compare the spiritual well-being and happiness in the elderly who lived in sanitariums with those lived in the community. A comparative study was conducted on 384 elderly adults. A census sampling was used in sanitariums and a convenience sampling was performed to select the community dwelling (CD) older adults. A demographic questionnaire, the Pauloutzian and Ellison's spiritual well-being scale and the Oxford happiness questionnaire were used in this study. Descriptive statistics and Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Chi-square and Mann-Whitney U tests and Spearman correlation coefficient were employed for data analysis, using the SPSS software, version 13.0. From the total participants, 56% were CD elderly and 44% were in sanitariums. Among the CD older adults, no one was at a high level of spiritual well-being while in sanitariums 24.4% were at a high level of spiritual well-being. Also, 71.2% of the community dwelling older adults were at a high level of happiness while only 3.6% of those living in sanitariums expressed a high level of happiness. A significant association was found between the level of spiritual well-being and happiness in those who lived in sanitariums (r=0.177, Pspiritual well-being and low happiness. Therefore, nurses and health authorities are responsible not only to inform the community about the importance of spiritual well-being and happiness, but also to establish some strategies in this regard.

  9. Social capital, socioeconomic status, and depression in community-living elderly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Kyu-Man; Han, Changsu; Shin, Cheolmin; Jee, Hee-Jung; An, Hyonggin; Yoon, Ho-Kyoung; Ko, Young-Hoon; Kim, Seung-Hyun

    2018-03-01

    A growing body of evidence has suggested that social capital is an upstream social determinant of mental health. We investigated the association of cognitive social capital, including interpersonal trust and reciprocity, with depressive symptoms in the elderly. We also explored the mediating role of cognitive social capital in the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and depressive symptoms and the moderating effect of SES on the relationship between social capital and depressive symptoms. Data from the 2012 Korea Welfare Panel Study (KOWEPS) was analyzed for 5969 participants aged 60 years or older. Cognitive components of social capital, including interpersonal trust and reciprocity, were evaluated using single-item questionnaires. Socioeconomic and health-related characteristics were investigated and depressive symptoms were evaluated by an 11-item version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Low interpersonal trust and reciprocity levels were significantly associated with depressive symptoms in the elderly. Reciprocity level mediated the association between household income level and depressive symptoms. We did not observe any significant moderating effect of SES on the association between cognitive social capital and depressive symptoms. A significant association between cognitive social capital and depressive symptoms in Korean elderly was found. We elucidated how SES interacted with depressive symptoms through the mediation pathway of cognitive social capital using a representative sample of the Korean elderly population. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  10. Quality of life in institutionalized elderly undergoing an active aging program

    OpenAIRE

    Magalhães, Carlos Pires; Rebelo, Flávia Marisa Ramalho; Anes, Eugénia

    2016-01-01

    Living with quality is a growing concern of the old population. There is an increasing institutionalization of the elderly, and it is in this context that active aging programs assume relevance, allowing the elderly the contact with experiences that allow them to age with quality of life, by maintaining their autonomy and promoting their physical, mental and emotional well-being. This study aims to assess the quality of life of institutionalized elderly undergoing to an active aging program. ...

  11. Quality of life in institutionalized elderly undergoing an active aging program

    OpenAIRE

    Magalhães, Carlos; Anes, Eugénia; Rebelo, Flávia

    2017-01-01

    Introduction: Living with quality is a growing concern of the old population. There is an increasing institutionalization of the elderly, and it is in this context that active aging programs assume relevance, allowing the elderly the contact with experiences that allow them to age with quality of life, by maintaining their autonomy and promoting their physical, mental and emotional well-being. Objective: To evaluate the quality of life (QOL) of institutionalized elderly undergoing to an ac...

  12. Relationship Between General Self-Efficacy and Quality of Life Among Elderly Living in Chaharmahal Bakhtiari Nursing Homes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ladan Naseh

    2015-04-01

    Conclusion Poor quality of life in elder people who live in elderly nursing homes is an important finding that needs special attention. Because of the significant correlation between general self-efficacy and different subscales of elder’s quality of life in this study, it is suggested that nurses can design and execute appropriate interventions to promote these peoples’ self-efficacy and quality of life.

  13. Morbidity Pattern Among Elderly Population In A Rural Area Of Dehradun In Uttaranchal

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K S Negi

    2004-06-01

    Full Text Available Research Question : What is the morbidity pattern among elderly people in rural area of Dehradun?Objectives :(1     To assess the morbidity pattern among elderly population.(2     To assess the psycho-social problems among elderly people.(3     To assess the relationship between addiction and hypertension among them.Study design : Cross-Sectional.Setting : Atturwala - a rural area of district Dehradun in Uttaranchal.Participants : 332 elderly people aged 60 years and above.Statistical Analysis : Proportions, Chi-Square test.Results ; It was observed that 78.3% elderly had ophthalmic problem, 69.3% elderly had psycho-social problems followed by hypertension (49.1%, Chronic bronchitis (22% and asthma (12%. A significant relation was found between hypertention and addiction i. e. smoking and / or alcohol (p<.001. Respiratory diseases were found in 47.3% elderly persons. Depression was highly dominating problem among elderly (59.6%.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  15. Mental status testing in the elderly nursing home population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nadler, J D; Relkin, N R; Cohen, M S; Hodder, R A; Reingold, J; Plum, F

    1995-07-01

    The clinical utility of selected brief cognitive screening instruments in detecting dementia in an elderly nursing home population was examined. One hundred twenty nursing home residents (mean age 87.9) were administered the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) and the Modified Mini-Mental State Exam (3MS). The majority of the subjects (75%) were also administered the Dementia Rating Scale (DRS). Both clinically diagnosed demented (n = 57) and non-demented (n = 63) subjects participated in the study. Dementia was diagnosed in accordance with DSM-III-R criteria by physicians specializing in geriatric medicine. Using standard cutoffs for impairment, the 3MS, MMSE, and DRS achieved high sensitivity (82% to 100%) but low specificity (33% to 52%) in the detection of dementia among nursing home residents. Positive predictive values ranged from 52% to 61%, and negative predictive values from 77% to 100%. Higher age, lower education, and history of depression were significantly associated with misclassification of non-demented elderly subjects. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analyses revealed optimal classification of dementia with cutoff values of 74 for the 3MS, 22 for the MMSE, and 110 for the DRS. The results suggest that the 3MS, MMSE, and DRS do not differ significantly with respect to classification accuracy of dementia in a nursing home population. Elderly individuals of advanced age (i.e., the oldest-old) with lower education and a history of depression appear at particular risk for dementia misclassification with these instruments. Revised cutoff values for impairment should be employed when these instruments are applied to elderly residents of nursing homes and the oldest-old.

  16. Obesity awareness among elders living in rural area: a household survey

    OpenAIRE

    Maycon Sousa Pegorari; Alisson Fernandes Bolina; Darlene Mara dos Santos Tavares

    2017-01-01

    The acceptance of the disease is essential to health self-care, elder’s awareness regarding obesity is suggested to influence their search for health services, and consequently, in obesity’s treatment. This study aimed to verify obesity awareness of elders living in rural areas and associated socioeconomic and demographic factors. We conducted a cross-sectional household survey with 562 individuals, who were older than 60 years and were rural residents from a Brazil southeast city. The identi...

  17. Energy and B Vitamins Intake in Elderly Population under Health Care in Isfahan, Iran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sanaz Jamshidi

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Background: B vitamins are essential nutrients to maintain body health. These water soluble vitamins are critical co-enzymes in different cycles. Also, the intake of an adequate energy in elderly contributes to more ability to perform daily activities. This study aims at assessing the energy and water-soluble vitamins intake in elderly population under health care in Isfahan, Iran. Methods: One hundred and fifty two old men and women (82 were under health care in Ghadir Elderly Care Center, Isfahan, Iran and 70 without health care were enrolled in a case-control study. Food frequency questionnaire (168 items was used for dietary intake assessment and N4 software for analysis of food content of the used diet. Results: The intake of energy was significantly higher in the elderly population under health care than those without health care (p=0.038. Also, after adjustion of variables for energy and B vitamins, B1 and B9 vitamins were higher in case group when compared to the control group (p=0.032, p=0.012, respectively. Conclusion: Old population in elderly centers had desirable levels of vitamins B1 and B9 and also energy intake denoting to the high health cares in the health centers.

  18. Multidisciplinary team, working with elderly persons living in the community: a systematic literature review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johansson, Gudrun; Eklund, Kajsa; Gosman-Hedström, Gunilla

    2010-01-01

    As the number of elderly persons with complex health needs is increasing, teams for their care have been recommended as a means of meeting these needs, particularly in the case of elderly persons with multi-diseases. Occupational therapists, in their role as team members, exert significant influence in guiding team recommendations. However, it has been emphasized that there is a lack of sound research to show the impact of teamwork from the perspective of elderly persons. The aim of this paper was to explore literature concerning multidisciplinary teams that work with elderly persons living in the community. The research method was a systematic literature review and a total of 37 articles was analysed. The result describes team organisation, team intervention and outcome, and factors that influence teamwork. Working in a team is multifaceted and complex. It is important to enhance awareness about factors that influence teamwork. The team process itself is also of great importance. Clinical implications for developing effective and efficient teamwork are also presented and discussed.

  19. Complementary and alternative medicine use among elderly patients living with chronic diseases in a teaching hospital in Ethiopia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ayele, Asnakew Achaw; Tegegn, Henok Getachew; Haile, Kaleab Taye; Belachew, Sewunet Admasu; Mersha, Amanual Getnet; Erku, Daniel Asfaw

    2017-12-01

    The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among patients with chronic diseases has grown rapidly worldwide. Yet, little has been known about CAM use by elderly patients with chronic diseases in Ethiopia. This study aimed at assessing the prevalence and reasons for CAM utilization among elderly patients living with chronic diseases in Ethiopia. An institution-based quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted among elderly patients with chronic disease attending outpatient ambulatory clinics of University of Gondar referral and teaching hospital (UoGRTH). An interviewer-administered and semi-structured questionnaire were utilized to collect the data. Of the total respondents, 240 (74%) reported the use of CAM, with herbal medicine and spiritual healing being the most commonly utilized CAM modalities (50.4% and 40.8% respectively). Dissatisfaction with conventional therapy (40.8%) and belief in the effectiveness of CAM (30.8%) are the most commonly cited reasons for the use of CAM therapies. Rural residency, higher educational status, higher average monthly income and presence of co-morbidity were positively associated with the use of CAM. This survey revealed a higher rate of CAM use among elderly patients with chronic diseases, along with a very low rate of disclosing their use to their health care providers. Special attention should be given for these patient population due to the potentially harmful interaction of different herbal remedies with the prescribed medications, thereby predisposing the patient to untoward adverse effects and compromised overall health outcome. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. The views of the elderly on the impact that HIV and AIDS has on their lives in the Thulamela Municipality, Vhembe District, Limpopo province

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vhudivhusi J. Singo

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Background: HIV and AIDS have a devastating impact on the lives of elderly people, particularly so because they are often expected to take care of their terminally ill children and assume the responsibility of looking after children orphaned by AIDS - in most cases with very little resources. Objectives: The study sought to achieve to describe the views of elderly people regarding the impact of HIV and AIDS on their lives, to determine the challenges that elderly people living with HIV or AIDS (EPLWHA face in their daily lives, and to gain a sense of the coping strategies they use to overcome the obstacles they face in relation to HIV and AIDS. Ethical issues, such as permission to conduct the study, informed consent, confidentiality and anonymity, withdrawal of participation and measure to ensure trustworthiness, were ensured. Design: This was a qualitative, explorative, descriptive study. Participants were interviewedusing an interview guide. Information provided by the participants was captured on a taperecorder and analysed using open coding, and thereafter collated into themes, categories andsub-themes. Results: The study findings revealed that HIV and AIDS have serious negative impacts on the lives of elderly people, particularly those living in poverty. The following key areas in relationto EPLWHA were established: psychological or emotional health, as well as household and socio-economic burdens. Considering the role that elderly people play in the community in so far as HIV and AIDS are concerned, primary health promotion and social welfare programmes should be directed at educating all elderly people and their service providers on how to cope with the health and social problems related to HIV and AIDS.

  1. Leisure travel distance of elderly population : the case of the Netherlands

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dane, G.Z.; Feng, T.; Timmermans, H.J.P.

    2012-01-01

    The population of the Netherlands is getting older. These changes in population cause new challenges in understanding the needs of elderly such as mobility. Mobility is a significant aspect of the elderly’s quality of life since it provides them the means to reach the services, fulfilling their

  2. Asking the age question in elderly populations: a reverse record check study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Smit, J. H.; Deeg, D. J.; Schmand, B. A.

    1997-01-01

    In two large-scale surveys among elderly respondents we evaluated the accuracy of answers obtained to three differently formulated age questions. Respondents included 6,149 individuals aged 65-86 living in The Netherlands. Because criterion age data were available from different sources, it was

  3. Optimal Vitamin D Status in a Middle-Aged and Elderly Population Residing in Shanghai, China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aleteng, Qiqige; Zhao, Lin; Lin, Huandong; Xia, Mingfeng; Ma, Hui; Gao, Jian; Pan, Baishen; Gao, Xin

    2017-12-19

    BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to investigate the optimal vitamin D status in the middle-aged and elderly population residing in Shanghai, China. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 1,829 males and postmenopausal females older than 45 years of age in the Changfeng community of Shanghai were included in this study. The optimal vitamin D level was determined according to the suppression of parathyroid hormone (PTH) and the highest bone mineral density (BMD). Locally weighted scatter plot smoothing (LOWESS) was performed to study the correlations of 25(OH)D with PTH and BMD in the lumbar spine and total hip, adjusting for gender, age, weight, use of calcium and vitamin D supplements, eGFR, smoking status, and alcohol consumption. RESULTS The mean serum 25(OH)D concentration was 48.0±19.2 nmol/L for the whole study population. The circulating PTH was maximally suppressed by the serum 25(OH)D of 55 nmol/L in the total population (60 nmol/L for males and 50 nmol/L for females). The 25(OH)D concentrations corresponding to the highest BMD at lumbar spine (L1-L4) and total hip were 53 nmol/L and 75 nmol/L, respectively, for the whole population. These values were also higher in males than females. CONCLUSIONS The optimal 25(OH)D concentration of 55 nmol/L is sufficient to maintain the bone health and metabolic status in middle-aged and elderly individuals living in Shanghai. Males probably need higher vitamin D concentration than females. There are differences between vitamin D status based on lumbar spine BMD and total hip BMD.

  4. ISISEMD evaluation framework for impact assessment of ICT pilot services for elderly with mild dementia, living in the community and their relatives

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mitseva, Anelia; Peterson, Carrie Beth; Dafoulas, George

    2010-01-01

    With the demographic changes and the ageing population in the most of the European countries, currently we are witnessing emerging pilots with a different scale of e-care services for elderly. Before further investment for wide deployment and uptake of ICT solutions in social care services......, there is a need for drawing a baseline for arriving at solid and comparable evidence to facilitate policy decisions. While general rating scales for measuring quality of life of healthy adults are relatively widely used, suitable indicators and methodologies for evaluation of improving quality of life for elderly...... with mild dementia living in the community and their relatives using assistive technologies, are under discussions among researcher and social care providers who are involved in introducing ICT services for these user groups. One of the challenges is how to best measure the anticipated improved quality...

  5. Ethnicity, social support, and depression among elderly chilean people

    OpenAIRE

    Gallardo-Peralta, Lorena; Sánchez-Moreno, Esteban; Barrón López de Roda, Ana; Arias Astray, Andrés

    2014-01-01

    Recent evidence regarding the relationship between social support and depression in elderly people shows the important role of ethnicity. This research describes the characteristics of social support in a sample of elderly people aged 60 and above living in northern Chile (n = 493), and analyzes the differences in the relationship between social support and depression between an indigenous group (Aymara population, n = 147) and a nonindigenous group (white, Caucasian, mestizo, n = 346). Vario...

  6. The Cognitive and Functional Profile of the elderly that frequent the Community Center for the Elderly in the municipality of Santos, Sao Paulo state

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nathalia Barros de Andrade

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: The growing population must be accompanied by the promotion of healthy aging and maintain maximum functional capacity. Objective: To understand the cognitive and functional profile of the elderly who take part in the Community Center for the Elderly in Santos, Sao Paulo state. Method: Ninety elderly people were evaluated in this study. The following instruments were used: Social-demographic profile Questionnaire, Socialeconomic Questionnaire, Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE, Subjective Memory Complaint Questionnaire (SMC-Q, Independence in Activities of Daily Living Scale (Katz Scale, and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale (Lawton & Brody. Results: The average age of the elderly was 72.5 years old and the predominant gender was female (95.5%. There was a preponderance of participants from 1 to 4 years of education, and Class C was the predominant economic class. In the MMSE scores, 63.33% of the participants were below of the cutoff established for education, and in the SMC-Q, 71.11% of the elderly presented subjective dysfunction of memory. In the performance of Basic Activities of Daily Living (BADL, 84.44% of the participants are independent. As for the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL, only 33.33% of the participants are independent. In the statistical analyses between cognitive profile and functional performance, associations were found between MMSE and SMC-Q, MMSE and Lawton & Brody Scale, and SMC-Q and Lawton & Brody Scale. Conclusions: A significant portion of the elderly patrons of the Community Center presents functional decline and cognitive decline.

  7. Dysthymic disorder in the elderly population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Devanand, D P

    2014-01-01

    The diagnosis of dysthymic disorder was created in DSM-III and maintained in DSM-IV to describe a depressive syndrome of mild to moderate severity of at least two years' duration that did not meet criteria for major depressive disorder. The prevalence of dysthymic disorder is approximately 2% in the elderly population where subsyndromal depressions of lesser severity are more common. Dysthymic disorder was replaced in DSM-V by the diagnosis of "persistent depressive disorder" that includes chronic major depression and dysthymic disorder. In older adults, epidemiological and clinical evidence supports the use of the term "dysthymic disorder." In contrast to young adults with dysthymic disorder, older adults with dysthymic disorder commonly present with late age of onset, without major depression and other psychiatric disorders, and with a low rate of family history of mood disorders. They often have stressors such as loss of social support and bereavement, and some have cerebrovascular or neurodegenerative pathology. A minority has chronic depression dating from youth with psychiatric comorbidity similar to young adults with dysthymic disorder. In older adults, both dysthymic disorder and subsyndromal depression increase disability and lead to poor medical outcomes. Elderly patients with dysthymic disorder are seen mainly in primary care where identification and treatment are often inadequate. Treatment with antidepressant medication shows marginal superiority over placebo in controlled trials, and problem-solving therapy shows similar efficacy. Combined treatment and collaborative care models show slightly better results, but cost effectiveness is a concern. Further work is needed to clarify optimal approaches to the treatment of dysthymic disorder in elderly patients.

  8. Malnutrition in elderly: social and economic determinants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donini, L M; Scardella, P; Piombo, L; Neri, B; Asprino, R; Proietti, A R; Carcaterra, S; Cava, E; Cataldi, S; Cucinotta, D; Di Bella, G; Barbagallo, M; Morrone, A

    2013-01-01

    Malnutrition occurs frequently in the frailest groups of the population, especially in people who are on a low income and elderly subjects, overall if they are institutionalized. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of malnutrition in a sample of elderly people living in different settings and to identify the determinants of malnutrition. A total of 718 subjects, 472 females (F) and 246 males (M), were recruited from nursing homes or were free living in three different regions in Italy. Nutritional status, depression, social, functional and cognitive status, were evaluated. According to the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), a high prevalence of malnutrition was found out in both genders: 26% of F and 16.3% of M were classified as being malnourished (MNAshop, prepare and cook meals because of a low income, distance from markets or supermarkets as well as impossibility to drive the car or to use public transportation. This study confirms the necessity to routinely perform nutritional status evaluation in elderly subjects, to carry out training courses for health workers (doctors, nurses, psychologists, dietitians), to implement nutritional education of the geriatric population, to develop tools and guidelines for health workers and caregivers, to identify and reduce clinical, functional, social or economic risk factors for malnutrition.

  9. Heart Failure and Frailty in the Community-Living Elderly Population: What the UFO Study Will Tell Us

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Erik Fung

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Heart failure and frailty are clinical syndromes that present with overlapping phenotypic characteristics. Importantly, their co-presence is associated with increased mortality and morbidity. While mechanical and electrical device therapies for heart failure are vital for select patients with advanced stage disease, the majority of patients and especially those with undiagnosed heart failure would benefit from early disease detection and prompt initiation of guideline-directed medical therapies. In this article, we review the problematic interactions between heart failure and frailty, introduce a focused cardiac screening program for community-living elderly initiated by a mobile communication device app leading to the Undiagnosed heart Failure in frail Older individuals (UFO study, and discuss how the knowledge of pre-frailty and frailty status could be exploited for the detection of previously undiagnosed heart failure or advanced cardiac disease. The widespread use of mobile devices coupled with increasing availability of novel, effective medical and minimally invasive therapies have incentivized new approaches to heart failure case finding and disease management.

  10. Health related quality of life among elderly living in region of high vulnerability for health in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Camelo, Lidyane do Valle; Giatti, Luana; Barreto, Sandhi Maria

    2016-01-01

    To investigate whether social relations, sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle, and health conditions are associated with health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among elderly persons living in regions classified as high vulnerable in terms of health. A cross-sectional study conducted with a population-based random sample of 366 elderly (≥ 60 years of age) persons registered at a primary health-care unit in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. HRQOL was measured using the Medical Outcomes Study 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12) and the scores obtained in the physical component score (PCS) and mental component score (MCS) were our response variables. Social relations, sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle, and health conditions were considered our groups of explanatory variables. Multiple linear regression models were used for the analysis. In the final multivariate models, we found that elevated number of diagnosis of chronic diseases, and being bedridden for the last 15 days were variables associated with worse PCS and MCS. However, lack of education, dissatisfaction with personal relationships, lack of support and help when bedridden or to go to the doctor, and to prepare meals were associated with worse HRQOL only in MCS. Participants who reported black race/color, absence of work activity, lack of physical activity, no alcohol consumption, and hospitalization in the last 12 months had worse HRQOL only in PCS. In addition to the aspects related to social adversity, lifestyle, and health conditions, some functional aspects of social relations were important for understanding the HRQOL in elderly persons living in social vulnerability.

  11. Leisure Patterns and Needs of the Elderly in Rural Galicia (Spain)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Conde, Maria Dapia

    2012-01-01

    A large percentage of the Galician population is aged and lives in rural environments--parishes, hamlets, and villages. This study employed semistructured interviews and focus groups to obtain a qualitative assessment both of (a) the opinions of the elderly living in rural areas regarding their leisure and recreational habits and the provision…

  12. The self-perceived health needs of the rural elderly who live alone.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    O'Connor, M

    1992-04-01

    A randomised cross-sectional survey of Public Health Nurses (PHN) registers was carried out in two rural counties, Westmeath and Longford, Ireland. 200 elderly people living alone, consisting of 50 aged 65-74 years in each of the two counties and 50 aged > or = 75 years expressed their health needs in terms of physical, mental and social well-being. 50% lived in accommodation with inadequate bathroom facilities and only 38.9% were content with their current accommodation. 37.9% felt their finances were inadequate while 15.7% were unsure of their eligibility for different entitlements. 17.6% had personal experience of crime. 39.4% lacked a means of obtaining emergency help. The majority (61.7%) perceived themselves as enjoying excellent\\/good health. The unmet demand for services, other than transport, varied from 11.6% for laundry services to 0% for PHN visits. Transport services were judged inadequate by 51.5% of the study group. It is concluded that by analysing and cross-analysing in terms of variables used in this study, aspects of health care needs could be targetted for different subgroups within the elderly alone group. While not complete in themselves they would help in the targetting of scarce resources.

  13. Measuring and Comparing Hospital Accessibility for Palm Beach County's Elderly and Nonelderly Populations During a Hurricane.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prasad, Shivangi

    2017-09-18

    To determine whether, during a hurricane, geographic accessibility to hospitals with emergency care is compromised disproportionately for the elderly than for the nonelderly. The locations of hospitals with emergency health care and a subset of those hospitals functional during a hurricane were compared with the distribution of the elderly population at the block group level in Palm Beach County, Florida. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) proximity analysis (minimum distance to closest hospital) and cumulative distribution functions were used to measure and compare hospital accessibility during normal and hurricane conditions for the elderly and nonelderly populations. Accessibility to closest functional hospital during a hurricane was compromised disproportionately for the elderly. Geographic accessibility to emergency health care is compromised disproportionately for the elderly in Palm Beach County. Compounding the risk is the likelihood of the elderly experiencing a greater health care need during a hurricane. This poses a community public health crisis and calls for effective and collaborative planning between health professionals and disaster planners to address the health care needs of the elderly. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;page 1 of 5).

  14. Do aging societies reduce intergenerational justice and increase pro-elderly policy bias?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vanhuysse, Pieter

    2015-01-01

    Wide across the Western world, people are living longer lives and having fewer children. This has led to larger shares of elderly voters, who, many fear, are becoming an immensely powerful political pressure group. But what are the effects of population aging on public policy? This article reviews...

  15. Travel Patterns and Characteristics of Elderly Subpopulation in New York State

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hwang, Ho-Ling [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Wilson, Daniel W. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Reuscher, Tim [Macrosys, Arlington, VA (United States); Yang, Jianjiang [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Taylor, Rob D. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Chin, Shih-Miao [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

    2015-03-01

    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 source 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.

  16. Nutritional habits of elderly people living at home

    OpenAIRE

    Premoš, Barbara

    2014-01-01

    Aging is a process that is accompanied by biological, psychological and social changes. These changes can affect the nourishment of elderly people. Elderly people are becoming less independent with years and more dependent on others. Family members, to whom the elderly people trust the most, offer them assistance. On the market, there are various services that provide assistance in different cases. In the diploma work I have been investigating how the elderly people eat, which foods are u...

  17. Overview and Categorization of Robots Supporting Independent Living of Elderly People: What Activities Do They Support and How Far Have They Developed.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bedaf, Sandra; Gelderblom, Gert Jan; De Witte, Luc

    2015-01-01

    Over the past decades, many robots for the elderly have been developed, supporting different activities of elderly people. A systematic review in four scientific literature databases and a search in article references and European projects was performed in order to create an overview of robots supporting independent living of elderly people. The robots found were categorized based on their development stage, the activity domains they claim to support, and the type of support provided (i.e., physical, non-physical, and/or non-specified). In total, 107 robots for the elderly were identified. Six robots were still in a concept phase, 95 in a development phase, and six of these robots were commercially available. These robots claimed to provide support related to four activity domains: mobility, self-care, interpersonal interaction & relationships, and other activities. Of the many robots developed, only a small percentage is commercially available. Technical ambitions seem to be guiding robot development. To prolong independent living, the step towards physical support is inevitable and needs to be taken. However, it will be a long time before a robot will be capable of supporting multiple activities in a physical manner in the home of an elderly person in order to enhance their independent living.

  18. Relationships and Community Risk Factors for Elder Abuse and Neglect: Findings from the First National Prevalence Study on Elder Maltreatment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dimitrinka Jordanova Peshevska

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: The objective of the study was to mesaure the 12-months prevalence of elder abuse and neglect in private huousehold and to examine the relationship and community level risk factors for elder abuse and neglect. METHOD: Total of 960 respondents aged 65 years and above in private households, from all eight statistical regions participated in the study.  Nationally stratified quota sampling procedure was applied, through four stages. Information was collected in face-to face interview on socio-demographic, healthy life style, physical and mental health, and abuse and neglect types characteristics of elder population. Data were examined using descriptive statistics, binary logistic regression, and odd ratios (OR. Statistical significance was set up at p < 0.05. RESULTS: The respondents reported prevalence of psychological abuse 25.7%, followed by financial abuse 12 %, neglect 6.6%, physical abuse 5.7%, physical injury 3.1%, and sexual abuse 1.3% (reported only in female respondents in the previous 12-months. Living with close relatives, dissatisfaction with the household income, less equipped households, lacking property of house/flat are associated risk factors for elder maltreatment on relationship level. Living in the northeast, southeast, and Polog region are associated risk for elder maltreatment. CONCLUSION: Study findings emphasised the previous data obtained with regards to the community and relationships risk factors for elder maltreatment.

  19. Association between oral health status and central obesity among Brazilian independent-living elderly

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carla Thais Rosada PERUCHI

    Full Text Available Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate the association between oral health status and central obesity (CO in Brazilian independent-living elderly. A cross-sectional study was carried out in a sample of 489 elderly, who were participants of the Study on Aging and Longevity, in Londrina, state of Parana. The number of natural teeth and use of prostheses were evaluated according to the World Health Organization criteria. The presence of CO was assessed using measures of waist circumference (WC and waist-hip ratio (WHR. Information concerning sociodemographic profile and some systemic conditions was also collected. Data were analyzed using stepwise logistic regression, α=5%. According to WC and WHR measures, the prevalence of central obesity was 79.3% and 76.1%, respectively. CO according to WC was not associated with oral status. Considering the WHR measure, the following oral conditions were associated to CO: having fewer natural teeth (OR = 2.61; 95%CI = 1.17–5.80, being edentulous and wearing both upper and lower complete dentures (OR = 2.34; 95%CI = 1.11–4.93, and being edentulous wearing only the upper complete denture (OR = 2.64; 95%CI = 1.01–6.95. Traditional risk factors for CO such as gender, dyslipidemia, hypertension and diabetes were associated with both measures. A poor oral health due to extensive tooth loss, whether partial or complete, even if rehabilitated by removable prostheses, may be considered a good predictor of CO in Brazilian independent-living elderly.

  20. Reliability and Validity of the Clinical Dementia Rating for Community-Living Elderly Subjects without an Informant

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ma Shwe Zin Nyunt

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Background: The Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR scale is widely used to assess cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease. It requires collateral information from a reliable informant who is not available in many instances. We adapted the original CDR scale for use with elderly subjects without an informant (CDR-NI and evaluated its reliability and validity for assessing mild cognitive impairment (MCI and dementia among community-dwelling elderly subjects. Method: At two consecutive visits 1 week apart, nurses trained in CDR assessment interviewed, observed and rated cognitive and functional performance according to a protocol in 90 elderly subjects with suboptimal cognitive performance [Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE Results: The CDR-NI scores (0, 0.5, 1 showed good internal consistency (Crohnbach's a 0.83-0.84, inter-rater reliability (κ 0.77-1.00 for six domains and 0.95 for global rating and test-retest reliability (κ 0.75-1.00 for six domains and 0.80 for global rating, good agreement (κ 0.79 with the clinical assessment status of MCI (n = 37 and dementia (n = 4 and significant differences in the mean scores for MMSE, MOCA and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (ANOVA global p Conclusion: Owing to the protocol of the interviews, assessments and structured observations gathered during the two visits, CDR-NI provides valid and reliable assessment of MCI and dementia in community-living elderly subjects without an informant.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  2. Predictive Factors associated with Death of Elderly in Nursing Homes

    OpenAIRE

    Kiwol Sung, PhD, RN

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: An increasing elderly population reflects a great need for readily accessible, clinically useful methods to identify mortality-related factors in nursing home residents. The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with the deaths of nursing home residents. Methods: Data was collected from a Minimal Data Set of 195 elderly nursing home residents, followed by analysis of demographic factors, disease and nursing condition factors, Activities of Daily Living (ADL), co...

  3. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR HEALTH! – COMPARING INFORMATION GIVEN TO THE ELDER POPULATION ABOUT LIFE QUALITY AND RELATED RESEARCHES.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nadia Gislene Gomes Carneiro

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available According to WHO (1994, the quality of life is defined as the individual's perception of the position in life, in the context of culture and of the value systems in which they live, and that in relation to goals, expectations, standards and concerns. Objective: this study is based on a qualitative research, in order to analyze and support the basic information transmitted by a folder provided to this population and the records shown by the scientific literature on aging and quality of life in Brazil. Method: the database Scielo (Scientific Electronic Library Online was used. Only articles relating to education and health promotion for the elderly were selected, and there were 10 articles.There was no need to be approved by an ethics committee. Results: among the issues the folder, thoseRevista Eletrônica Gestão & SaúdeRevista Eletrônica Gestão & Saúde • Vol.02, Nº. 01, Ano 2011 • p. 249-264are reasons in the literature include physical exercise, participate in groups of living, nutrition care, accident prevention and health service demand for vaccination. On the other hand, no articles were found that deal with sexuality among the elderly and practices that keep the brain up to date. Discussion: it appears that the folder used for the development of this work brings a wealth of information relevant with regard to health promotion and education of the elderly.

  4. The Canadian elder standard - pricing the cost of basic needs for the Canadian elderly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    MacDonald, Bonnie-Jeanne; Andrews, Doug; Brown, Robert L

    2010-03-01

    We determined the after-tax income required to finance basic needs for Canadian elders living with different circumstances in terms of age, gender, city of residence, household size, homeowner or renter status, means of transportation, and health status. Using 2001 as our base year, we priced the typical expenses for food, shelter, medical, transportation, miscellaneous basic living items and home-based long-term care for elders living in five Canadian cities. This is the first Canadian study of basic living expenses tailored to elders instead of adults in general, prepared on an absolute rather than a relative basis. We also accounted for an individual's unique life circumstances and established the varying effect that they have on the cost of basic expenses, particularly for home care. We found that the maximum Guaranteed Income Supplement and Old Age Security benefit did not meet the cost of basic needs for an elder living in poor circumstances.

  5. Improving activities of daily living for nursing home elder persons in Taiwan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Su-Hsien; Wung, Shu-Fen; Crogan, Neva L

    2008-01-01

    Excess disability among nursing home elder persons can be prevented or remediated. Because of self-selected disuse and caregiver support of dependency, nursing home residents are likely to develop excess disability. No study was found to test a theory-based program aimed at improving elder persons' self-care abilities for Taiwanese nursing home elder persons who are at risk for developing excess disability. The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of a theory-based intervention program on self-care, specifically on activities of daily living (ADLs) performance among nursing home elder persons in Taiwan. A secondary aim was to determine the correlation between ADLs performance and three bliss concepts: life satisfaction, self-esteem, and motivation in health behavior. This study used a quasi-experimental, two-group, pretest-posttest design. Forty-two qualified participants were recruited from two nursing homes located in southern Taiwan and assigned to either the experimental group (n = 21) or the comparison group (n = 21). Participants in the experimental group received the Self-Care Self-Efficacy Enhancement Program (SCSEEP), and those in the comparison group received biweekly social visits for 6 weeks. Levels of ADLs performance were measured by Tappen's Refined ADL Assessment Scale. Life satisfaction was measured by Adams' Life Satisfaction Index A. Self-esteem was measured by Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale. Motivation in health behavior was measured by Cox's Health Self-Determinism Index. Elder persons receiving the SCSEEP had significant improvement in feeding, dressing, grooming, and washing activities. Self-esteem (p = .011) and life satisfaction (p = .033) but not motivation in health behavior (p = .282) were positively correlated with levels of ADLs performance. The SCSEEP provides a theory-based intervention model for Taiwanese nursing home elder persons aimed at improving ADLs performance. Further research with a larger sample size is

  6. A Longitudinal Study of Symptoms of Oropharyngeal Dysphagia in an Elderly Community-Dwelling Population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nimmons, Danielle; Michou, Emilia; Jones, Maureen; Pendleton, Neil; Horan, Michael; Hamdy, Shaheen

    2016-08-01

    Dysphagia has been estimated to affect around 8-16 % of healthy elderly individuals living in the community. The present study investigated the stability of perceived dysphagia symptoms over a 3-year period and whether such symptoms predicted death outcomes. A population of 800 and 550 elderly community-dwelling individuals were sent the Sydney Swallow Questionnaire (SSQ) in 2009 and 2012, respectively, where an arbitrary score of 180 or more was chosen to indicate symptomatic dysphagia. The telephone interview cognitive screen measured cognitive performance and the Geriatric Depression Scale measured depression. Regression models were used to investigate associations with dysphagia symptom scores, cognition, depression, age, gender and a history of stroke; a paired t test was used to examine if individual mean scores had changed. A total of 528 participants were included in the analysis. In 2009, dysphagia was associated with age (P = 0.028, OR 1.07, CI 1.01, 1.13) and stroke (P = 0.046, OR 2.04, CI 1.01, 4.11) but these associations were no longer present in 2012. Those who had symptomatic dysphagia in 2009 (n = 75) showed a shift towards improvement in swallowing (P < 0.001, mean = -174.4, CI -243.6, -105.3), and for those who died from pneumonia, there was no association between the SSQ derived swallowing score and death (P = 0.509, OR 0.10, CI -0.41, -0.20). We conclude that swallowing symptoms are a temporally dynamic process, which increases our knowledge on swallowing in the elderly.

  7. Impact of continuous in-home rehabilitation on quality of life and activities of daily living in elderly clients over 1 year.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Imanishi, Miyuki; Tomohisa, Hisao; Higaki, Kazuo

    2017-11-01

    To verify the effect of in-home rehabilitation on quality of life and activities of daily living in elderly clients. In this non-randomized controlled intervention trial, elderly participants were separated into a rehabilitation or a non-rehabilitation group (n = 100 each). The non-rehabilitation group received basic in-home nursing care, including assistance with cooking, cleaning, toileting, meals and medication. The rehabilitation group received a physical treatment program provided by a licensed professional once a week and basic nursing care in the home. For each group, quality of life and activities of daily living were assessed approximately every 3 months over a 1-year period. Quality of life was evaluated using the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale, and activities of daily living were evaluated based on the Functional Independence Measure. The rehabilitation group showed statistically significant improvements in both quality of life and activities of daily living. In contrast, the non-rehabilitation group, although showing slight improvement in quality of life at 9 months, showed almost no effects at the other time-points and no significant changes in activities of daily living over the course of the study. The results of the present study suggest that long-term continuous in-home rehabilitation might improve quality of life and activities of daily living in elderly clients. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 1866-1872. © 2017 Japan Geriatrics Society.

  8. The impact of living arrangements on quality of life among Korean elderly: findings from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (2006-2012).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Juyeong; Choi, Young; Park, Sohee; Cho, Kyoung Hee; Ju, Yeong Jun; Park, Eun-Cheol

    2017-05-01

    To investigate the impact of different living arrangements on quality of life (QoL) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in the elderly. We used data from the first to fourth wave of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging. Using the first wave as a baseline, the data included 5050 individuals aged 60 years and older with at least one living child. QoL and HRQoL were measured using a visual analogue scale developed by the Korean Labor Institute that bears similarity to the EQ-VAS. Living arrangements were categorized based on household composition (single household, one-generation household, two-generation household, and three-generation household) and the marital status of a cohabiting adult child. A generalized estimating equation was used to examine the association between living arrangements and QoL/HRQoL. Compared to elderly individuals living in three-generation families with a married child, those in a single household (QoL: β = -2.67 [P = 0.001]; HRQoL: β = -2.24 [P = 0.007]), those living in a three-generation family with an unmarried adult child (QoL: β = -5.19 [P living in a two-generation family with an unmarried adult child (QoL: β = -2.88 [P living alone, but also for those living with an unmarried adult child; elderly persons who are female and part of the lowest equivalent household income group must receive particular attention.

  9. Prevalence of Eye Disorders in Elderly Population of Tehran, Iran

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    Afsun Nodehi- Moghadam

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: The decline of visual function with increasing age is a significant concern in elderly. Despite previous work on prevalence of specific ophthalmic pathologies, there has not been enough valid data about overall eye disorders in Tehran yet, and it is poorly defined and not underpinned by strong evidence. The purpose of this study was to investigate the common eye disorders in the elderly population of Tehran. Methods: A total of 392 elderly community residents aged 60 to 96 were enrolled. The 278 older adults referred to Tehran’s Polyclinic of 6th Region of municipality and 114 older adults referred to the health centers of 9th Region of municipality between 2013 and 2014 were examined. All participants underwent an extensive ophthalmologic screening examination including cataract, diabetic retinopathy of optic nerve, macular degeneration, and glaucoma. The prevalence of various eye disorders was calculated as percentages of the total study population and categorized by age and sex. Results: Of the 392 participants, 152 subjects (38.8% had no eye disease. Common visual impairments in elderly were cataract (39.3%, macular degeneration (11.5%, diabetic retinopathy of optic nerve (5.6% and glaucoma (4.8%. It has also showed cataract prevalence increased with age from (6.3% in the 60-64 age group to (47.6% for the patients 85years of age and older. Conclusion: Cataract is the most frequent eye disease in community dwelling older adults that should be considered at a younger age by health officials to provide preventive programs. Improving accessibility to surgery for the treatment of cataract among the old people will help diminish of untreated cataract that lead to visual impairment.

  10. Bone lead levels in an environmentally exposed elderly population in shanghai, China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Specht, Aaron J; Lin, Yanfen; Xu, Jian; Weisskopf, Marc; Nie, Linda H

    2018-06-01

    This study looked at measurements of lead (Pb) in a pilot population of environmentally exposed elderly residents of Shanghai, China and presented the first set of bone Pb data on an elderly Chinese population. We found that with environmental exposures in this population using K-shell x-ray fluorescence (KXRF) bone Pb measurements 40% of the individuals had bone Pb levels above the nominal detection limit with an average bone lead level of 4.9 ± 3.6 μg/g. This bone lead level is lower than comparable values from previous studies of community dwelling adults in US cities. This population had a slightly higher geometric mean blood Pb of 2.6 μg/dL than the adult US population. The main conclusion of this data is that in Shanghai there is environmental exposure to Pb, measured through blood and bone, which should be further investigated to assess the health impact of this exposure. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  11. Prevalence and Correlates of Dental Caries in an Elderly Population in Northeast China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Lu; Zhang, Ying; Wu, Wei; Cheng, Min; Li, Yan; Cheng, Ruibo

    2013-01-01

    Objectives The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence and correlates of dental caries in elderly population in northeast China. Methods A community-based, cross-sectional study among 2376 elderly subjects (age: 65–74 years) from nine urban areas and nine rural areas in three provinces of northeast China was conducted using multistage stratified random sampling per the World Health Organization oral health survey methodology. Decayed-missing-filled teeth (DMFT) and decayed-filled teeth (DFT) indices were used to evaluate the prevalence of dental caries. Face-to-face questionnaire survey on oral health was performed in a randomly selected subset (n = 1197). T test and chi square test were employed to compare groups for continuous and categorical variables, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding confidence intervals (CIs). Results 67.5% of elderly subjects reported dental caries (average DFT = 2.68±3.40), and the prevalence was higher in urban areas (Pcaries accounted for 2.08% with a rate higher in urban areas (Pdental insurance (OR 2.050; 95% CI 1.120–3.754) with dental caries. Conclusions The prevalence of dental caries in the elderly population in northeast China is high. The elderly from urban areas who smoke and who do not have a dental insurance are at a higher risk to develop dental caries. PMID:24260129

  12. Elderly population in the prison system: a look behind bars

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    Hércules de Oliveira Carmo

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available This work is a present reality in this century, and that is demanding attention, especially in the context of public health and human rights - the elderly-con. A complex problem that arose for our consideration is that the person who, besides being old, and the inmate is most often in pain, due to a pathological condition related to organic factors, mental or subjective, in old age, worsens. Without being accompanied by public policies, these realities are not provided before, we now gain a greater complexity in the prison context, reveal an increase of HIV / AIDS, the presence of sexually transmitted disease, increased depression and neuropsychiatric diseases. The questions posed in this research, which attempted to answer here may well be subsumed: - How to think the nursing practices before the issue of the growing aging population with its pathologies further complexizadas in prison? The objective, therefore, this study: (i to investigate the growing presence of the elderly Brazilian penitentiary system, based on existing literature, (ii verify the potential risk factors on the health of the elderly population in the Brazilian prison system, and the weight the presence of a nursing team in this context. Urgent attention, therefore, it is required of health professionals, authorities and civil society to the complexity of aging silenced behind bars.

  13. Life-style habits and homocysteine levels in an elderly population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dankner, Rachel; Chetrit, Angela; Lubin, Flora; Sela, Ben-Ami

    2004-12-01

    Increased plasma total homocysteine (Hcy) is a known cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor, related to several components of the established CVD risk profile. Observational studies support the role of modifying life-style related risk factors such as diet, physical activity and alcohol consumption in CVD prevention. Regular physical activity protects against coronary artery disease, possibly through its role in controlling risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus and obesity, but also independently. The aim of our study was to test the hypothesis that there is an association between physical activity, life-style habits and plasma Hcy levels in an elderly population. In this cross-sectional study, 423 males and females aged 69.0 +/- 6.7 years completed an interview and laboratory examinations. Our main outcome measure was plasma levels of Hcy. Mean Hcy values were 10.5 +/- 5.5 micromol/L (11.4 +/- 6.1 for males and 9.3 +/- 4.5 for females; p sedentary life-style, 17% higher amongst males, 1% higher for each one-year increment in age, and 10% higher amongst participants who used no B vitamin supplements. Any level of physical activity was found to be an independent life-style habit associated with a lower Hcy level in an elderly population. This study supports existing recommendations for elderly persons to maintain a physically active life-style.

  14. [Analysis of cancer incidence and mortality in elderly population in China, 2013].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, W Q; Zheng, R S; Zhang, S W; Zeng, H M; Zou, X N; He, J

    2017-01-23

    Objective: To estimate the cancer incidence and mortality in elderly Chinese population in 2013 based on the data from local cancer registries submitted to National Central Cancer Registry (NCCR). Methods: Data from 255 cancer registries submitted to NCCR with qualified data after checked and evaluated, were selected for this estimation. Cancer incidence and mortality were stratified by areas, sex, age groups and cancer site, combined with population data of the year 2013 to estimate cancer epidemiology in older people in China. Chinese population census in 2000 and Segi's population were used for the estimation of age-standardized incidence/mortality rates. Results: All the 255 cancer registries (88 in urban and 167 in rural areas) were selected for this estimation, covered 37 407 728 elderly subjects, accounting for 17.73% of the entire national elderly population. It was estimated about 2 171.0 thousand new cancer cases in older people in China, accounting for 58.96% of all cancer incidence, with the crude incidence rate of 1 029.16/100 000 (1 297.96 per 100 000 in male, 777.18 per 100 000 in female), and the age-standardized incidence rate by Chinese standard population (ASIRC, 2000) was 1 019.25 per 100 000. It was estimated about 1 600.5 thousand deaths in older people in China, accounting for 67.70% of all cancer deaths, with the crude mortality of 758.72/100 000 (988.37 per 100 000 in males, 543.44 per 100 000 in females), and the age-standardized incidence rate by Chinese standard population (ASIRC, 2000) was 730.78 per 100 000. Lung cancer, stomach cancer, colorectal cancer, liver cancer and esophageal cancer were the most common cancers, accounting for about 67.70% of all cancer cases in China. Those cancers are also the most common cancers in China, accounting for about 73.45% of all cancer deaths. Conclusions: The cancer burden of elderly population in China is very serious. The major cancer incidence and mortality in urban and rural areas are similar

  15. Effectiveness of Group Logotherapy on Death Anxiety and Life Expectancy of the Elderly Living in Boarding Houses in Kerman

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    Amir Hossein Hajiazizi

    2017-09-01

    Conclusion Overall, based on the results of this research, group therapy was found to reduce death anxiety and life expectancy in elderly people living in boarding houses and subsequently, improve their mental health. Due to the special emphasis of logotherapy on the present and the meaning of suffering for the elderly, it is important to use it for promoting social well-being of older people.

  16. Depression among elderly Chinese-Canadian immigrants from Mainland China

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Daniel W.L. Lai

    2004-01-01

    Background This study examined the prevalence of depressive symptoms among elderly immigrants from Mainland China to Canada and the impact of various psychosocial factors as predictors of the number of depressive symptoms reported by the elderly Chinese immigrants.Methods The participants were 444 elderly immigrants who migrated from Mainland China to Canada. They were a part of a random sample of 2272 elderly Chinese living in the communities and took part in a face-to-face interview to answer questions in an orally administrated questionnaire. The depressive symptoms of the participants were measured by a Chinese version of the Geriatric Depression Scale. Data obtained from the 444 elderly Chinese immigrants was analyzed to assess the impact of various psychosocial factors on the number of depressive symptoms that they reported.Results The findings indicated that 23.2% of the elderly immigrants were assessed to have some depressive symptoms. When other predicting variables were adjusted, elderly immigrants with more chronic illnesses, less positive attitude towards ageing, poorer physical health, less adequate financial situation, lower level of ethnic identification as Chinese, more service barriers, lower level of life satisfaction, shorter length of residency in Canada and those who lived alone tended to have more depressive symptoms.Conclusions The findings indicate that the prevalence rate of depressive symptoms among our elderly immigrant sample is higher than the one reported in a general elderly population. While further research is recommended to examine the reasons for such a difference, culturally appropriate health services, including health promotion programs, should be promoted to reduce mental health disparities.

  17. The evaluation of disability and its related factors among the elderly population in Kashan, Iran

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    Aghahoseini Shima

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Recent literature indicates that developing countries in Asia are aging faster than other countries in the world and disability has become one of the greater public health concern in these countries. Pausity of published data on the elderly disability in Iran signifies the importance of this study designed to evaluate the disability and its related factors among the elderly population in Kashan, Iran during 2006–2007. Methods/Design A cross-sectional study is conducting on a multy-stage random sample of elderly people in Kashan ages 65 years and older. Volunteer participants were included by age 65 and older and excluded if they had the medical diagnosis of Alzhimer disease. The WHO DAS II was used as the generic disability measure in this survey. The original version of WHO DAS II was translated into Farsi according to the standardized guidelines for cross-cultural adaptation of health-related measures. Upon completion of data collection the descriptive statistics will compute all the variables. Chi-square, t-test analysis and ANOVA will be used to examine significant differences between the subgroups. Discussion This is the first research protocol to study disability among the Iranian elderly population. Presently, 80% of eligible subjects have been selected. The results of this study will help to develop more effective protocols to assist Iranian elderly population with disabilities.

  18. The factors affecting the burden of care of informal caregivers of the elderly in Tehran

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    Hosein Rohani

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Background: Rapid growth of the elderly population followed by an increase in long term care will lead to a rise in the health costs of the elderly and the healthcare burden of their caregivers. This study was carried out to examine the factors affecting the burden of care for informal caregivers in order to design better interventional programs and to reduce this burden and unwanted consequences. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in retirement associations of Tehran in 2012. The study population included 200 elderly and 200 caregivers. The instruments for data collection included two questionnaires about the elderly and their caregivers that were completed in a face-to-face interview. The data were analyzed by SPSS-16 software using multiple linear regression. Results: About 60% of the elderly and 34% of caregivers were female. Burden of care was low in 70%, moderate in 11.5%, and high in 18.5% of caregivers. Female caregivers were suffering 1.42 unit more burden of care than male caregivers (P= 0.027. Also, there was a significant association between the burden of care of untrained caregivers and instrumental activities of the daily living of the elderly (P< 0.001, daily activity of the elderly (P<0.001 and adequacy of wage (= 0.001. Conclusion: According to the results, being a female caregiver, daily physical activity of the elderly, instrumental activities of the daily living of the elderly, and adequacy of the wage were the most important factors in increasing the burden of care for caregivers of the elderly.

  19. [Elderly people with visual impairment in The Netherlands].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Limburg, J J; Keunen, J E E; van Rens, G H M B

    2009-09-01

    To estimate the number of elderly people with visual impairment in The Netherlands, now and in the future. Possibilities for intervention are discussed. Estimates are based on a recent report on behalf of Foundation InZicht, ZonMw, in which prevalence data from population-based studies on blindness and low vision and its causes in The Netherlands, western Europe, The United States and Australia are related to the latest demographic data for The Netherlands. Of the 16.4 million Dutch in 2008 2.4 million (14.7%) are 65 years of age and older. Of this last group 155,000 persons are living in nursing homes or residential homes, the others are living in their own homes. In 2008 an estimated 77,000 persons are blind and 234,000 have low vision. Of them 79% is 65 years of age or older. Of the older people in care institutions 20% is blind (32,000) and 22% has low vision (34,000). In 62% of them the visual impairment is treatable or could have been prevented ('avoidable'). Of the older people living independently 1.2% is blind (27,000) and 6.8% has low vision (154,000). In 57% of them the affliction is avoidable. In 2008 247,000 elderly suffer from a visual impairment that could have been treated or prevented in 143,000 (58%) of them. Screening and treatment of elderly in care institutions seems indicated, as is health education to and goal-oriented screening of elderly who live independently.

  20. Epidemiology Characteristics of Constipation for General Population, Pediatric Population, and Elderly Population in China

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    Huikuan Chu

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective. To acquire more data about the epidemiologic characteristics of constipation in different kinds of populations in China. Methods. Using “constipation” and “China” as search terms; relevant papers were searched from January 1995 to April 2014. Data on prevalence, gender, diagnostic criteria, geographical area, educational class, age, race, and physician visit results were extracted and analyzed. Results. 36 trials were included. Prevalence rates of constipation in elderly population (18.1% and pediatric population (18.8% were significantly higher than that in general population (8.2%. Prevalence of constipation defined by non-Rome criteria was higher than that by Rome criteria in general population. Prevalence rates of constipation were different for different geographical area. People with less education were predisposed to constipation. In pediatric population, prevalence of constipation was the lowest in children aged 2–6 years. Prevalence of constipation in ethnic minorities was higher than that in Han people. People with constipation were predisposed to FD, haemorrhoid, and GERD. Only 22.2% patients seek medical advice in general population. Conclusions. In China, prevalence of constipation was lower compared with most of other countries. The factors including female gender, diagnostic criteria, geographical area, age, educational class, and race seemed to have major effects on prevalence of constipation.

  1. Is an increased elderly population related to decreased CO2 emissions from road transportation?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Okada, Akira

    2012-01-01

    Few studies have focused on the potential effects of an increase in the share of aged population on the environmental impacts of road transportation. In order to fill this gap in the literature, this paper empirically analyzes whether there is a relationship between the share of aged population and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions from road transportation by applying a quadratic function. Using international panel data, it also addresses the level of the turning point in the relationships between the share of aged population and CO 2 emissions. The analysis in this paper uses a first-order differential equation to estimate an inverted U-shaped relationship between them in order to alleviate the unit roots issue. The results from 25 OECD countries, consisting mainly of European countries and Japan, indicate that there is a quadratic relationship between CO 2 emissions per capita and the share of aged population, and that the turning point is around 16 percent. The results also imply that a relative increase in the number of elderly people is associated with a decrease in CO 2 emissions per capita from the road sector when the share of aged population reaches more than 16 percent. - Highlights: ► I estimate the relationship between a country's share of elderly population and CO 2 emissions from road transport. ► In order to alleviate the unit roots issue, the analysis uses a first-order differential equation to estimate models. ► There is a quadratic relationship between CO 2 emissions per capita and the share of elderly. ► The level of the turning point in terms of the share of elderly in OECD European countries and Japan is around 16 percent.

  2. Health and aging in elderly farmers: the AMI cohort

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    Pérès Karine

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The health of the agricultural population has been previously explored, particularly in relation to the farming exposures and among professionally active individuals. However, few studies specifically focused on health and aging among elders retired from agriculture. Yet, this population faces the long-term effects of occupational exposures and multiple difficulties related to living and aging in rural area (limited access to shops, services, and practitioners. However, these difficulties may be counter-balanced by advantages related to healthier lifestyle, richer social support and better living environment. The general aim of the AMI cohort was to study health and aging in elderly farmers living in rural area through a multidisciplinary approach, with a main focus on dementia. Methods/design The study initially included 1 002 participants, randomly selected from the Farmer Health Insurance rolls. Selection criteria were: being 65 years and older; living in rural area in Gironde (South-Western France; being retired from agriculture after at least 20 years of activity and being affiliated to the Health Insurance under own name. The study started in 2007, with two follow-up visits over 5 years. Baseline visits were conducted at home by a neuropsychologist then by a geriatrician for all cases suspected of dementia, Parkinson’s disease and depression (to confirm the diagnosis, and by a nurse for others. A large panel of data were collected through standardised questionnaires: complete neuropsychological assessment, material and social living environment, psychological transition to retirement, lifestyle (smoking, alcohol and diet, medications, disability in daily living, sensory impairments and some clinical measures (blood pressure, depression symptomatology, anxiety, visual test, anthropometry…. A blood sampling was performed with biological measurements and constitution of a biological bank, including DNA. Brain MRI

  3. Passive sensor technology interface to assess elder activity in independent living.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alexander, Gregory L; Wakefield, Bonnie J; Rantz, Marilyn; Skubic, Marjorie; Aud, Myra A; Erdelez, Sanda; Ghenaimi, Said Al

    2011-01-01

    The effectiveness of clinical information systems to improve nursing and patient outcomes depends on human factors, including system usability, organizational workflow, and user satisfaction. The aim of this study was to examine to what extent residents, family members, and clinicians find a sensor data interface used to monitor elder activity levels usable and useful in an independent living setting. Three independent expert reviewers conducted an initial heuristic evaluation. Subsequently, 20 end users (5 residents, 5 family members, 5 registered nurses, and 5 physicians) participated in the evaluation. During the evaluation, each participant was asked to complete three scenarios taken from three residents. Morae recorder software was used to capture data during the user interactions. The heuristic evaluation resulted in 26 recommendations for interface improvement; these were classified under the headings content, aesthetic appeal, navigation, and architecture, which were derived from heuristic results. Total time for elderly residents to complete scenarios was much greater than for other users. Family members spent more time than clinicians but less time than residents did to complete scenarios. Elder residents and family members had difficulty interpreting clinical data and graphs, experienced information overload, and did not understand terminology. All users found the sensor data interface useful for identifying changing resident activities. Older adult users have special needs that should be addressed when designing clinical interfaces for them, especially information as important as health information. Evaluating human factors during user interactions with clinical information systems should be a requirement before implementation.

  4. The elderly as a market--challenges to evidence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellwood, Roger P

    2014-02-01

    To review the role of the oral care industry in the oral health of elders and opportunities for partnership with other key stakeholders. The elder population is growing at a faster rate than any other segment of the population. This is coupled with a greater probability of maintaining the dentition into later life and an increase in complex restorative work. If an elder's situation changes, they are highly vulnerable to a rapid onset of oral disease that can be devastating and extremely difficult to address. This manuscript reviews the role of the oral care industry in understanding this population as a market and the different approaches that might be used in promoting health. Two key market segments were identified, the vulnerable elders with high levels of chronic oral disease, systemic complications, medications and often inability to maintain good standards of oral hygiene and a wealthier, health and beauty conscious group with a keen interest in maintaining a healthy, aesthetically pleasing and functional dentition throughout their lives. It is likely that within current healthcare models, the oral care of elders will be unsustainable, with a smaller working population funding ever-increasing health care needs. 'Home care' combined with effective professional preventive and effective therapeutic options are essential. Partnerships between the oral care industry and oral care providers, to deliver education and engagement of care workers, medical practitioners, pharmacists and social services, are essential over the next few decades. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S and The Gerodontology Society. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  5. Elder Abuse in the African Diaspora: A Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mouton, Charles P; Southerland, Janet H

    2017-01-01

    As with many other populations, abuse of older adults is a growing problem across the Africa Diaspora. Modernization and urbanization are eroding the traditional values of respect for older adults. Also, older adults living in environments with limited social and economic resources, and having no means of economic support create a recipe for elder abuse and neglect. This article reviews the current literature on the epidemiology, risk factors, and interventions used for elder abuse across the African Diaspora. Reports of elder abuse range from 24.9% to 81.1% across the Diaspora. Risk factors include cognitive and physical impairment, social isolation, lack of resources and widowhood. Community-based programs using the unique social networks of older populations of African descent can provide a venue to improve caregiver training and support, reinforce traditional filial and informal caregiving practices, increase the utilization of available governmental and institutional. Copyright © 2017 National Medical Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. The relationships among Muslim Uyghur and Kazakh disabled elders' life satisfaction, activity of daily living, and informal family caregiver's burden, depression, and life satisfaction in far western China: A structural equation model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Wen Ting; He, Bin; Wang, Yu Huan; Wang, Mei Yan; Chen, Xue Feng; Wu, Fu Chen; Yang, Xue

    2017-04-01

    1 Hypothesis Disabled elders' activities of daily living, caregiver burden, caregiver depression, and caregivers' life satisfaction are significantly related to the life satisfaction of elderly people with disability. 2 Hypothesis There are direct and indirect effects between the life satisfaction of elders, disabled elders' activities of daily living, and family caregivers' factors. This study explored the interrelationships of disabled elders' life satisfaction and activities of daily living, caregivers' factors (burden, depression, and life satisfaction) through a structural equation model. In total, 621 dyads of disabled elders and informal family caregivers completed questionnaires during face-to-face interviews in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region from September 2013 to January 2014. Activity of daily living exerted a direct effect on life satisfaction of disabled elders and 30.4% indirect effect through caregivers' factors. Caregiver burden had a 60.0% direct effect on life satisfaction of disabled elders and a 40.0% indirect effect through the caregiver depression. Caregiver depression showed 76% direct effect on life satisfaction of disabled elders and 24% indirect effect through caregivers' life satisfaction. Direct relationships between activity of daily living and caregiver burden, caregiver burden and caregiver depression, and caregiver depression and caregivers' life satisfaction were observed. Activity of daily living had a 91.3% indirect effect on caregiver depression mediated by caregiver burden; caregiver burden had a 40.0% indirect effect on caregivers' life satisfaction mediated by caregiver depression. Results provide useful information for nurses and policymakers and shed light on the need to consider caregivers' factors in improving care recipients' life satisfaction. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

  7. A study on quality of life between elderly people living in old age home and within family setup

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rishi Panday

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Background: Ageing in the new millennium will be greatly influenced by both global and region specific factors, although increasing numbers as well as significant changes in the socio-cultural milieu are responsible for the recent emphasis on studies pertaining to older adults in India. This has resulted in the caregiver issue becoming a growing concern for national policy makers. The family as a single unit is undergoing changes leading to significant adjustments in accommodating and caring for older adults in the family, making them more vulnerable to illness and psychosocial strains in the absence of familial support network. Aim: To assess and compare quality of life (QOL between elderly people living in old age home and within the family setup. Methods and materials: A cross sectional research design was adopted for the study. The study was conducted at two old age homes and two areas of Ranchi - Kantatoli and Kanke. The sample comprised of 80 participants who were further divided into 40 participants from old age homes and 40 participants from family. Tools such as socio-demographic data sheet and QOL scale were administered to obtain the data. Result and conclusion: Findings of this study indicate that QOL was better of those elderly people who were living in old age home in comparison of those elderly people who were living within family setup.

  8. Prevalence and correlates of dental caries in an elderly population in northeast China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Lu; Zhang, Ying; Wu, Wei; Cheng, Min; Li, Yan; Cheng, Ruibo

    2013-01-01

    The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence and correlates of dental caries in elderly population in northeast China. A community-based, cross-sectional study among 2376 elderly subjects (age: 65-74 years) from nine urban areas and nine rural areas in three provinces of northeast China was conducted using multistage stratified random sampling per the World Health Organization oral health survey methodology. Decayed-missing-filled teeth (DMFT) and decayed-filled teeth (DFT) indices were used to evaluate the prevalence of dental caries. Face-to-face questionnaire survey on oral health was performed in a randomly selected subset (n = 1197). T test and chi square test were employed to compare groups for continuous and categorical variables, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding confidence intervals (CIs). 67.5% of elderly subjects reported dental caries (average DFT = 2.68±3.40), and the prevalence was higher in urban areas (Ppopulation in urban areas (OR 1.713; 95% CI 1.337-2.195), smoking (OR 1.779; 95% CI 1.384-2.288), and individuals without dental insurance (OR 2.050; 95% CI 1.120-3.754) with dental caries. The prevalence of dental caries in the elderly population in northeast China is high. The elderly from urban areas who smoke and who do not have a dental insurance are at a higher risk to develop dental caries.

  9. Mortality associated with traumatic injuries in the elderly: a population based study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Neill, Stephen; Brady, Richard R; Kerssens, Jan J; Parks, Rowan W

    2012-01-01

    Elderly trauma is increasing in incidence and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The primary objective of the study was to identify factors associated with survival or mortality in the elderly following trauma. The secondary objective was to compare the epidemiology of trauma in the elderly with younger patients. A retrospective analysis was performed of data that was obtained from a prospectively collected multi-centre trauma database maintained by The Scottish Trauma Audit Group (STAG) containing details of 52,887 trauma patients admitted to 25 participating Scottish Hospitals over an 11-year period. Elderly trauma patients (aged >80 years) were separately analyzed and compared to younger trauma patients (aged 13-80). Of 52,887 trauma patients identified, 4791 were elderly (9.1%). Elderly patients had a higher absolute mortality rate following traumatic injury (9.9% versus 4%, pelderly was higher in males, following a high fall, with lower Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), in those with higher Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS)/Injury Severity Score (ISS), in those with concomitant injuries, hemodynamic compromise and following delayed presentation. Multiple logistic regression analysis confirmed an independent relationship between mortality and low GCS, male gender, higher ISS, higher AIS of spinal injury, hemodynamic compromise and concomitant minor leg/arm injury(ies) in the elderly. In conclusion, trauma in elderly patients is associated with significantly higher mortality. Low GCS, male gender, higher ISS, higher AIS of spinal injury, hemodynamic compromise and concomitant minor leg/arm injury(ies) have the strongest independent relationships with mortality after trauma in the elderly population. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. National survey of the Portuguese elderly nutritional status: study protocol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Madeira, Teresa; Peixoto-Plácido, Catarina; Goulão, Beatriz; Mendonça, Nuno; Alarcão, Violeta; Santos, Nuno; de Oliveira, Rita Machado; Yngve, Agneta; Bye, Asta; Bergland, Astrid; Lopes, Carla; Nicola, Paulo; Santos, Osvaldo; Clara, João Gorjão

    2016-07-16

    Worldwide we are facing a serious demographic challenge due to the dramatic growth of the population over 60 years. It is expected that the proportion of this population will nearly double from 12 to 22 %, between 2015 and 2050. This demographic shift comes with major health and socio-economic concerns. Nutrition is a fundamental determinant of both health and disease and its role in extending a healthy lifespan is the object of considerable research. Notably, malnutrition is one of the main threats to health and quality of life among the elderly. Therefore, knowledge about nutritional status among the elderly is essential for the promotion and maintenance of healthy ageing and to support the development of health protection policies and equity in elderly health care. This is a nationwide nutrition survey of the Portuguese population over 65 years old, with data collection through face-to-face interviews. A representative and random sample of community dwelling elderly and nursing homes residents will be obtained by multistage sampling stratified per main Portuguese regions, sex and age groups. Minimum sample size was estimated to be 2077 elderly (979 in the community and 1098 in nursing homes). Data will be collected on food habits and eating patterns, nutritional status, food insecurity, lifestyle, self-rated general health status and self-reported diseases, functionality, loneliness, cognitive function, emotional status and demographic and socio-economic characterization. This is the first national survey to evaluate the prevalence of nutritional risk and malnutrition of the Portuguese population above 65 years old, including those living in nursing homes. It will allow the identification of population subgroups of elderly with increased odds of malnutrition and nutritional risk. In addition, this survey will contribute to the identification of psychosocial and clinical predictors of malnutrition among elderly, which is an important risk factor for other

  11. Invisible Voices: An Intersectional Exploration of Quality of Life for Elderly South Asian Immigrant Women in a Canadian Sample.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alvi, Shahid; Zaidi, Arshia U

    2017-06-01

    Despite the emerging presence of South Asian elderly population in Canada, there continues to be a paucity of research concerning the immigration and acculturation experiences of these marginalized elderly populations and their quality of life. This research builds knowledge of the quality of life experiences faced by South Asian elderly immigrant women residing in Canada using an intersectional analytical framework. While there is a gradually developing body of research regarding elder persons globally, the present research is unique in that explores challenges, stresses and strains, and builds an understanding of the treatment of older ethnic minorities and immigrant families. Furthermore, this research has implications for policies and practices governing these growing aging populations. Finally, this research gives voice to a "silenced" and invisible group of elders whose stories may help to make improvements in the quality of living and well-being for the aging South Asian immigrant population in Canada.

  12. The Characteristics of the Danish population in the Elderly-study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bilberg, Randi Marie; Andersen, Kjeld; Nielsen, Anette Søgaard

    the characteristics of the Danish population in the Elderly-study. Methods The study is a randomized controlled study and has so far enrolled 716 participants from Germany, USA, and Denmark and 341 are from Denmark. Participants are 60+ years old and fulfil the DSM-5 criteria for alcohol use disorder. The exclusions...

  13. RETINOPATHY, GLUCOSE, AND INSULIN IN AN ELDERLY POPULATION - THE ROTTERDAM STUDY

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    STOLK, RP; VINGERLING, [No Value; DEJONG, PTVM; DIELEMANS, Hubertus J.A.; HOFMAN, A; LAMBERTS, SWJ; POLS, HAP; GROBBEE, DE

    We studied the association between retinopathy and glucose metabolism in a population-based study of elderly men and women, Glucose metabolism was assessed by serum fructosamine and a nonfasting oral glucose tolerance test, and retinopathy was evaluated by fundus photography, Retinopathy was present

  14. The use of focus groups in evaluating quality of life components among elderly Chinese people.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leung, Kai-Kuen; Wu, En-Chang; Lue, Bee-Horng; Tang, Li-Yu

    2004-02-01

    In Taiwan, to measure the quality of life (QOL) of elderly Chinese, one must rely on instruments developed in other Chinese or Western populations and not specifically for the elderly. The purpose of this study is to understand the components of QOL for elderly Chinese from Taiwan living in residential homes or in their communities. Forty-four elderly men and women divided into six focus groups were interviewed on video tape and the resultant recording was analyzed qualitatively by six independent researchers. The study yielded 15 QOL domains grouped into six dimensions: physical health (physical well-being, impact of illness, medical care), psychological health (mood states, life attitude and retrospection, philosophy of living, self-efficacy), social function (connectedness, exercise and leisure activities, social activities and services), living environment (living environment and arrangements, institutional factors), economic status, and religion and death (religion, death). For elderly Chinese in Taiwan, positive and negative life domains are equally important in the perception of life quality; person-environment interaction is a major consideration in the evaluation of QOL; family ties are an important component of QOL; traditional Chinese beliefs exert a positive influence on perceived QOL; and social functioning and vitality have a different meaning in Chinese compared to Western cultures.

  15. Elder self-neglect: research and practice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dong XQ

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available XinQi Dong Rush Institute for Healthy Aging, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA Abstract: Elder self-neglect is a global public health and human rights issue that threatens older people’s health and safety. It commonly refers to refusal or failure to provide oneself with care and protection in areas of food, water, clothing, hygiene, medication, living environments, and safety precautions. While prevalent, the status of self-neglecting individuals remains largely unclear, in particular within community-dwelling populations. By reviewing the epidemiology of elder self-neglect (definition, prevalence, risk factors, and consequences to date, the present paper identifies key research gaps such as methodological inconsistency in case identification and measurement, and study designs that are inadequate to determine risk factors of self-neglect. More importantly, in light of the rapidly growing older population, relevant stakeholders (researchers, healthcare providers, social service providers, legal professionals, community organizations, and policymakers must be prepared for an expected increasing number of self-neglect cases and enlarging scope of the problem. Hence, in this article, I present an overview regarding the management issues of elderly self-neglect related to the detection, assessment, reporting and referral, and decision-making capacity. Based on the current literature, the paper is aimed to explore the present knowledge and challenges, and how they can pave the way for solutions to self-neglect research, practice, and policy. Keywords: elderly self-neglect, elder abuse, self-neglect future directions 

  16. Ageing and Non-Formal Care for Elderly Persons in Croatia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sonja Podgorelec

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available Ageing and depopulation are the fundamental demographic processes in the development of the population of Croatia. In the total population in 2001 the age group encompassing persons 65 years of age and older made up 15.7% of the total population. The age structure of the population is one of the essential determinants of the quality of lives of individuals, especially within the family. Based on an analysis of demographic indicators (the population structure, the ratio of females, the ageing index, the age coefficient, average age, age-dependency ratios, marital status, and a brief review of migration history in the second half of the 20th century, the goal of this paper is to evaluate the quality of non-formal care of the elderly in relation to potential care providers. Due to ageing in the total population of Croatia, due to a reduction in the number of children per family and separate residences of adult children and their elderly parents, the circle of main care providers for the elderly has diminished. With the decrease in the number of family members, increasingly frequent forms of single-parent families and the employment of women, who were traditionally the most important providers of all forms of non-formal care, insufficient care for the elderly within families has become a problem. Despite changes in the way of life, the family is still the basic source of emotional, informational and instrumental support for elderly people. The help and support that the elderly receive from friends is roughly equal in the city and in villages, although neighbourly help is somewhat greater in non-urban areas (for example in Istria and on the islands. However, researches confirm that the social network of support and help among the rural population has changed since the nineties of the last century. To a certain extent the support of friends and neighbours may substitute the lack of care by children, but a weaker network of homes for the elderly and

  17. Foreign domestic workers and home-based care for elders in Singapore.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yeoh, Brenda S A; Huang, Shirlena

    2010-01-01

    As with other developed nations where rapid population aging has led to increasing health care and social care burdens, Singapore has searched for ways of paying for and providing long-term care for its increasing numbers of elders. The Singapore state, faced with the prospect of one-fifth of the population aged 65 or older by 2030, has reinforced its basic principle of rendering the family the "primary caregiving unit" and home-based care as the highly preferred option for eldercare. Our paper demonstrates why, despite the range of alternative care arrangements available or emerging on Singapore's eldercare landscape, the employment of live-in foreign domestic workers as care workers for the elderly has become one of the more common de facto modes of providing care for the elderly. In this context, we discuss the politics of eldercare in the privatized sphere of homespace and conclude with policy implications relating to the employment of foreign domestic workers as caregivers for the elderly.

  18. How Does Bankruptcy Law Impact the Elderly's Business and Housing Decisions?

    OpenAIRE

    Nadia Greenhalgh-Stanley; Shawn Rohlin

    2013-01-01

    The elderly are the population most likely to file for bankruptcy, with filings increasing by 150 percent from 1991 to 2007. This is likely because they live with relatively flat incomes and high medical expenses, and their retirement and housing assets are typically exempt from bankruptcy filings. In addition, nine states adopted higher asset exemptions specifically for the elderly. Using the Health and Retirement Study and recent state-by-time variation in homestead exemptions, we are the f...

  19. Natural History of Dependency in the Elderly: A 24-Year Population-Based Study Using a Longitudinal Item Response Theory Model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edjolo, Arlette; Proust-Lima, Cécile; Delva, Fleur; Dartigues, Jean-François; Pérès, Karine

    2016-02-15

    We aimed to describe the hierarchical structure of Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) and basic Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and trajectories of dependency before death in an elderly population using item response theory methodology. Data were obtained from a population-based French cohort study, the Personnes Agées QUID (PAQUID) Study, of persons aged ≥65 years at baseline in 1988 who were recruited from 75 randomly selected areas in Gironde and Dordogne. We evaluated IADL and ADL data collected at home every 2-3 years over a 24-year period (1988-2012) for 3,238 deceased participants (43.9% men). We used a longitudinal item response theory model to investigate the item sequence of 11 IADL and ADL combined into a single scale and functional trajectories adjusted for education, sex, and age at death. The findings confirmed the earliest losses in IADL (shopping, transporting, finances) at the partial limitation level, and then an overlapping of concomitant IADL and ADL, with bathing and dressing being the earliest ADL losses, and finally total losses for toileting, continence, eating, and transferring. Functional trajectories were sex-specific, with a benefit of high education that persisted until death in men but was only transient in women. An in-depth understanding of this sequence provides an early warning of functional decline for better adaptation of medical and social care in the elderly. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  20. 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.

    Science.gov (United States)

    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) (pfamily setup and 5.76 in OAH's). Quality of life of elderly within family setup was better as compared to elderly in OAHs.

  1. [Characteristics of bedridden elderly people living at home and in a hospital].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagura, E; Igata, A; Fujita, H; Inoue, T; Kanno, K; Matsuura, T; Tokuda, H; Hosokawa, T

    1997-07-01

    We compared bedridden elderly people living at home to others who were hospital inpatients. Questionnaires regarding medical status and care were returned by 85 of 116 people caring for a bedridden elderly person at home in Obu city, Aichi prefecture and by 62 of 64 nurses and family members caring for bedridden inpatients at Chubu National hospital. All subjects were at least 65 years old. The median age in both groups was 81 years, neither age distribution nor female sex predominance differed between both groups. The percentage of subjects with only one underlying disease was 62.5% among those living at home and 64.4% among inpatients. In both groups the most common disease was cerebrovascular disease (42.5% among those at home and 39.0% among inpatients), followed by dementia (31.3%), infirmity of old age (17.5%) and bone fracture (13.8%) among those at home, and by bone fracture (27.1%), dementia (20.3%) and infirmity of old age (16.9%) among inpatients. The median durations of bedridden status were 2 years and 3 months among those at home and 3 months among inpatients. The proportion of subjects bedridden for less than 6 months was greater among inpatients (p bedridden, and 17.7% were completely bedridden. The most common cause rending the patients bedridden was infection (usually pneumonia). The degree of disability did not differ between groups. Decubitus ulcers were present in 25.9% of those at home and 17.7% of inpatients.

  2. Meanings and expressions of care and caring for elders in urban Namibian families:

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    CJ Leuning

    2000-09-01

    Full Text Available 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 caring 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.

  3. [The contributing risk factors, prevention and treatment of functional dependence among the oldest-old and elderly subjects].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Dianrong; Tan, Jiping; Guo, Yuhe; Ye, Guanghua; Zhu, Linqi; Zhang, Jun; Li, Yinghao; Deng, Yucheng; Wang, Guichen; Wang, Luning

    2014-10-01

    To compare the risk factors on the functional dependence between the oldest-old and elderly veterans. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among veterans ( ≥ 60 years of age) lived in 44 veterans' communities in Beijing. The socio-demographic information and history of non-communicable chronic diseases were collected via face-to-face interviews, and the functional status was assessed by the 20-item version of the Activities of Daily Living Scale. The risk factors associated with increased hazard of the functional dependence in the oldest-old ( ≥ 80 years old) were cognitive impairment, extrapyramidal diseases, cerebral infarction, transient ischemic attack, sleep disorders, hypnotics, osteoarthrosis, hypertension and fall with the odds ratio (OR) of 1.241-2.962 (all P fall, cardiovascular diseases, osteoarthrosis and hearing loss were the risk factors for that in the elderly subjects (aged 60-79 years). The OR was 1.232-5.790 (all P risk of functional dependence in both the oldest-old and elderly people. Neuropsychiatric disorders are the leading causes contributed to the functional dependence among oldest-old and elderly population. Neurodegenerative diseases in the oldest-old, stroke and depression in elderly people should be the priorities in ameliorating disability. Healthy lifestyle and avocational activities could improve the functional status of the oldest-old and elderly population.

  4. Nutritional and oral health status of an elderly population in Nairobi.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ngatia, E M; Gathece, L W; Macigo, F G; Mulli, T K; Mutara, L N; Wagaiyu, E G

    2008-08-01

    To determine the nutrition and oral health status of elderly persons in Nairobi, Kenya. A cross-sectional study. Households in Dagoretti Division of Nairobi. Two hundred and eighty nine persons (29.8% males and 70.2% females) aged 45 years and above were assessed. The level of malnutrition using the mid upper arm circumference was 18.8% while by body mass index was 11.4%. Of the population assessed, 46.4% had normal nutritional status while 40.9% were overweight, with more females (48.0%) than males (25.9%) being overweight. The study established that many of the elderly persons suffered from dental problems, especially periodontitis with 89.9% having dental plaque, calculus 85.6%, gingival recession 82.5% and bleeding gums 77.4%. The decayed index missing and filled teeth, was 7.173 with 19.7% caries free, 51.9% reported tooth mobility and edentulousness was common. Under-nutrition, obesity and dental problems are issues of concern among the elderly. There is need to develop policies that will look into the nutrition and dental health of the elderly in order to improve their welfare.

  5. Using the eServices platform for detecting behavior patterns deviation in the elderly assisted living: a case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marcelino, Isabel; Lopes, David; Reis, Michael; Silva, Fernando; Laza, Rosalía; Pereira, António

    2015-01-01

    World's aging population is rising and the elderly are increasingly isolated socially and geographically. As a consequence, in many situations, they need assistance that is not granted in time. In this paper, we present a solution that follows the CRISP-DM methodology to detect the elderly's behavior pattern deviations that may indicate possible risk situations. To obtain these patterns, many variables are aggregated to ensure the alert system reliability and minimize eventual false positive alert situations. These variables comprehend information provided by body area network (BAN), by environment sensors, and also by the elderly's interaction in a service provider platform, called eServices--Elderly Support Service Platform. eServices is a scalable platform aggregating a service ecosystem developed specially for elderly people. This pattern recognition will further activate the adequate response. With the system evolution, it will learn to predict potential danger situations for a specified user, acting preventively and ensuring the elderly's safety and well-being. As the eServices platform is still in development, synthetic data, based on real data sample and empiric knowledge, is being used to populate the initial dataset. The presented work is a proof of concept of knowledge extraction using the eServices platform information. Regardless of not using real data, this work proves to be an asset, achieving a good performance in preventing alert situations.

  6. Negative aging stereotypes and their relation with psychosocial variables in the elderly population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sánchez Palacios, C; Trianes Torres, M V; Blanca Mena, M J

    2009-01-01

    This study explores whether there is a relationship between the level of belief in negative aging stereotypes in 65-year-old people and their results concerning some psychosocial variables. These were selected for their relevance for health and well being in elderly people. These were: living situation, responsibilities toward others, subjective health, frequency of medical appointments, subjective age, participation in community social activities and regular physical activity. The sample consisted of 757 people of low educational level, ranged from 65 to 96 years. Age and gender were homogeneously distributed. Participants were non-institutionalized people. Firstly, the psychosocial variables under focus were assessed by means of seven questions. Secondly, a questionnaire about negative aging stereotypes (CENVE) was administered. It was composed of three factors: health, motivational-social and character-personality. Results show that a high score in negative stereotypes is significantly associated to the studied variables, except for living situation, showing a worse quality of life (QoL) profile. Results are discussed in terms of their utility for assessment and psychosocial intervention, which is meant to improve health in the elderly.

  7. Veterans Experiencing Elder Abuse: Improving Care of a High-Risk Population About Which Little Is Known.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Makaroun, Lena K; Taylor, Laura; Rosen, Tony

    2018-02-01

    At least 10% of older adults experience abuse, neglect, or exploitation annually in the United States, and this problem is expected to grow as our population ages. Little is known about the prevalence and characteristics of elder abuse of veterans, but it is likely that this population is at high risk based on established elder abuse risk factors. Veterans who receive their care through the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) have a higher prevalence of poor psychological health, poor physical health, functional impairment, cognitive impairment, and social isolation than the general population. As the largest integrated healthcare system in the United States, the VHA has long been a leader in the development of innovative, integrated care programs for older adults. The VHA has another opportunity to lead by promoting research, clinical care, and education on elder abuse, furthering their mission of serving those who served. This article outlines the rationale for developing a research agenda for elder abuse in the VHA, as well as potential first steps toward understanding more about this complex problem affecting veterans. © 2017, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2017, The American Geriatrics Society.

  8. Evaluation of dental care and the prevalence of tooth decay among middle-aged and elderly population of Kaunas city.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zubiene, Jurate; Milciuviene, Simona; Klumbiene, Jurate

    2009-01-01

    The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence and the intensity of tooth decay among the middle-aged and elderly population of Kaunas, city, and to assess the need for prostheses as well as the possibilities for oral care. During 2006-2008, we studied 1,141 inhabitants of Kaunas city; the subjects' age was 45-72 years. Oral evaluation technique proposed by the WHO was used in the investigation. We evaluated the prevalence of tooth decay, and its intensity was evaluated using the DMF-T index. We also evaluated dental prostheses, the need for prosthetics, and asked the subjects how they took care of their oral health. The prevalence of tooth decay among middle-aged and elderly population of Kaunas city was 99.9%. The DMF-T index was 21.01+/-0.3 in the age group of 45-54 years, 23.52+/-0.4 - in the age group of 55-64 years, and 25.63+/-0.3 - in the elderly subjects. Full removable dentures were found in 14.0% of the elderly subjects, while 1.0% of the middle-aged subjects and 1.2% of the elderly subjects required full dentures. 57.7% of the subjects aged 45-54 years, 53.1% of the subjects aged 55-64 years, and 43.4% of the elderly subjects brushed their teeth twice daily. The intensity of tooth decay in middle-aged and elderly population of Kaunas city significantly increased with age (21.01-25.63). A relationship was found between oral hygiene status and the DMF-T index. In the middle-aged and elderly population of Kaunas city, the intensity of tooth decay was significantly lower (DMF-T 23.04%) among those who brushed their teeth twice daily than among those who brushed their teeth once daily or less frequently (DMF-T 24.01%). Reduction of the prevalence of tooth decay among middle-aged and elderly population of Kaunas city necessitates alterations in people's attitudes towards dental care, implementation of suitable hygiene habits, and creation and implementation of the dental disease prevention program for adults and the elderly, based on the strategy

  9. Assessment of Health Status of Elderly People in the City of Kashan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Taghi Joghataei

    2006-10-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: In the first of 20th century average years of old has not been 50 years, but today it is more than 75 years. The purpose of this study is evaluation of elderly health status in Kashan including psychological health, cognitive health, balance and gait status, nutrition health and risk of bed sore. Practical goal of the study is assessment of health needs in elderly and prevention of the common disease of elderly in society. Methods & Materials: The population of this descriptive analytical research were Kashanian with age of 55 and more. The sampling method had used in this research was simple incidental method. For gathering the information, the questionnaire was referred to the elderly and they filled the supposed questionnaires. Result: the two-common disease are musculoskeletal and cardiovascular (41.7%. Base on finding 63.8% of Kashan elderly are at the risk of nutrition deficiency and 5.8% have nutrition deficiency. The geriatric depression scale used for evaluation of depression. There is 34.2% elderly with severe depression. Five percent of them have severe cognitive disorders, other 47.5% have mild one and 17.5% with cognitive health. The activity of daily living is in 81. 7% of population without any dependence and in 13.3% with dependence and in 5% with complete dependence. The risk of bed sore is in 3.3% of population very high.  Conclusion: the high frequency of Kashan elderly problems shows that this society needs rehabilitation and treatment. The education priorities in this population are " Prevention of musculoskeletal and cardiovascular disease.

  10. America's Families and Living Arrangements: 2003. Population Characteristics. Current Population Reports. P20-553

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fields, Jason

    2004-01-01

    The data in this report is from the Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) to the 2003 Current Population Survey (CPS). The population represented (the population universe) in the ASEC is the civilian non institutionalized population living in the United States. Members of the Armed Forces living off post or with their families on post are…

  11. Perception of ageism and self-esteem among Lebanese elders at home and abroad.

    Science.gov (United States)

    El Bcheraoui, Charbel; Adib, Salim; Chapuis-Lucciani, Nicole

    2015-01-01

    Discrimination against old age leads to depressive symptoms and lower self-esteem. This issue is not studied in the Lebanese society where a demographic transition is taking place and the population is aging. We assess the perception of age discrimination among Lebanese and its relation to self-esteem. We interviewed a convenience sample of 320 Lebanese elders (mean age 69.3 years +/- 6.2; 55% males) living in an urban setting (Beirut) and a rural setting (Ras-Baalbeck) a well as those who immigrated to Dakar using a preestablished questionnaire. Perception of age discrimination and socio-demographic information were collected; self-esteem was measured using the Toulouse scale. Results: More elders living in Beirut (OR = 9.7, 95% CI = 3.5-26.6) and Ras-Baalbeck (OR = 11.42, 95% CI = 3.95-33.1) perceived age-related discrimination than those living in Dakar. This perception was significantly associated to lower self-esteem (OR = 2.2, 95% CI = 1.3-3.6). Supporting emotionally vulnerable elders should be a target for policy makers in Lebanon. It is important to preserve a better quality of life for elders still playing a major role in families.

  12. Thoracolumbar spine loading associated with kinematics of the young and the elderly during activities of daily living.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ignasiak, Dominika; Rüeger, Andrea; Sperr, Ramona; Ferguson, Stephen J

    2018-03-21

    Excessive mechanical loading of the spine is a critical factor in vertebral fracture initiation. Most vertebral fractures develop spontaneously or due to mild trauma, as physiological loads during activities of daily living might exceed the failure load of osteoporotic vertebra. Spinal loading patterns are affected by vertebral kinematics, which differ between elderly and young individuals. In this study, the effects of age-related changes in spine kinematics on thoracolumbar spinal segmental loading during dynamic activities of daily living were investigated using combined experimental and modeling approach. Forty-four healthy volunteers were recruited into two age groups: young (N = 23, age = 27.1 ± 3.8) and elderly (N = 21, age = 70.1 ± 3.9). The spinal curvature was assessed with a skin-surface device and the kinematics of the spine and lower extremities were recorded during daily living tasks (flexion-extension and stand-sit-stand) with a motion capture system. The obtained data were used as input for a musculoskeletal model with a detailed thoracolumbar spine representation. To isolate the effect of kinematics on predicted loads, other model properties were kept constant. Inverse dynamics simulations were performed in the AnyBody Modeling System to estimate corresponding spinal loads. The maximum compressive loads predicted for the elderly motion patterns were lower than those of the young for L2/L3 and L3/L4 lumbar levels during flexion and for upper thoracic levels during stand-to-sit (T1/T2-T8/T9) and sit-to-stand (T3/T4-T6/T7). However, the maximum loads predicted for the lower thoracic levels (T9/T10-L1/L2), a common site of vertebral fractures, were similar compared to the young. Nevertheless, these loads acting on the vertebrae of reduced bone quality might contribute to a higher fracture risk for the elderly. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Comorbid Visual and Psychiatric Disabilities Among the Chinese Elderly: A National Population-Based Survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Chao; Wang, Zhenjie; Li, Ning; Chen, Gong; Zheng, Xiaoying

    2017-12-01

    To estimate the prevalence of, and association between, co-morbid visual and psychiatric disabilities among elderly (>65 years-of-age) persons in China. Random representative samples were obtained using multistage, stratified, cluster sampling, with probabilities proportional to size. Standard weighting procedures were used to construct sample weights that reflected this multistage, stratified cluster sampling survey scheme. Logistic regression models were used to elucidate associations between visual and psychiatric disabilities. Among the Chinese elderly, >160,000 persons have co-morbid visual and psychiatric disabilities. The weighted prevalence among this cohort is 123.7 per 100,000 persons. A higher prevalence of co-morbid visual and psychiatric disabilities was found in the oldest-old (pvisual disability was significantly associated with a higher risk of having a psychiatric disability among persons aged ≥80 years-of-age [adjusted odds ratio, 1.24; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.03-1.54]. A significant number of Chinese elderly persons were living with co-morbid visual and psychiatric disabilities. To address the challenge of these co-morbid disorders among Chinese elders, it is incumbent upon the government to implement additional and more comprehensive prevention and rehabilitation strategies for health-care systems, reinforce health promotion among the elderly, and improve accessibility to health-care services.

  14. Physiological factors associated with falls in an elderly population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lord, S R; Clark, R D; Webster, I W

    1991-12-01

    To determine whether a battery of 13 sensorimotor, vestibular, and visual tests discriminates between elderly fallers and elderly non-fallers. One-year prospective study. Conducted at a 124-bed Hostel for Aged Persons, in Sydney, Australia. Ninety-five persons aged between 59 and 97 years (mean age 82.7 years) took part in the study. Of the 29 non-participants, four were ill, five were absent (on holidays, etc), and 20 declined. Residents were generally independent in activities of daily living although personal care assistance was available. Eighty-four participants were available for follow-up. In the follow-up year, 40 subjects experienced no falls, 11 subjects fell one time only, 33 residents fell on two or more occasions. There was a total of 145 falls. Discriminant function analysis identified proprioception in the lower limbs visual contrast sensitivity, ankle dorsiflexion strength, reaction time, and sway with the eyes closed as the variables that significantly discriminated between subjects who experienced multiple falls and subjects who experienced no falls or one fall only. This procedure correctly classified 79% of subjects into multiple faller or non-multiple faller groups. Quadriceps strength was poorer in the multiple fallers compared with the non-fallers and once-only fallers, although the difference was not statistically significant. There was little difference in the mean scores for the tests of vestibular function in the non-fallers, once-only fallers, and multiple fallers. It appears that this approach highlights some key physiological factors that predispose elderly individuals to falls.

  15. Factors Associated with Insomnia among the Elderly in a Korean Rural Community

    OpenAIRE

    Kim, Woo Jung; Joo, Won-tak; Baek, Jiwon; Sohn, Sung Yun; Namkoong, Kee; Youm, Yoosik; Kim, Hyeon Chang; Park, Yeong-Ran; Chu, Sang Hui; Lee, Eun

    2017-01-01

    Objective Sleep disturbance is common in the elderly, which is result from multi-factorial causes encompassing socio-demographic, behavioral, and clinical factors. We aimed to identify factors associated with insomnia among the elderly in a rural community in South Korea, a country with a rapidly growing aged population. Methods This cross-sectional study used the data from the second wave of the Korean Social life, Health and Ageing Project, which is a cohort study of individuals living in a...

  16. Social and health care needs of elderly people living in the countryside in Poland.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dziechciaż, Małgorzata; Guty, Edyta; Wojtowicz, Agata; Filip, Rafał

    2012-01-01

    The needs of elderly people living in the countryside constitute serious health, social, financial and organizational problems. To define the needs of elderly people living in the countryside regarding complex living actions. DATA COLLECTED AND METHODOLOGY: The study was carried out among 89 village citizens from the Podkarpackie Voivodeship (N=55; 61.8% women; N=34; 38.2% men) aged 61-2. Average age in the group was 76.3 (+/ -7.9 years). Research methods were 3 different questionnaires, applied to evaluate: socio-demographic data, occurrence of diseases and rehabilitation usage, mental and intellectual status, as well as the Lawton scale (IADL) assessing complex life activities. 18 subjects (20.2%) were fully functional in the scope of complex everyday activities. The highest number were independent in their financial affairs (N=52; 58.4%), preparation and taking of medicine (N=45; 50.6%), and using the telephone (N=39; 43.8%). Lack of self-reliance was most commonly observed with difficult housework (N=62; 69.7%), shopping (N=55; 61.8%), and walking distances exceeding regular walks (N=46; 51.7%). No relation was observed between gender, usage of social welfare, and self-reliance in complex everyday activities. Deterioration in efficiency in the scope of complex everyday activities was observed which progressed with age, and was worse among the unmarried subjects. A relation between material situation and independence, based on the IADL scale, was confirmed, with the exception of using the telephone. 1). People of old age living in the countryside most often need help with complex everyday housework, shopping, and walking distances exceeding regular walks. 2). With the advancement of age, the subjects need help with all IADL activities increased.

  17. AmI and deployment considerations in AAL services provision for elderly independent living: the MonAMI project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Falcó, Jorge L; Vaquerizo, Esteban; Lain, Luis; Artigas, Jose Ignacio; Ibarz, Alejandro

    2013-07-12

    The MonAMI project aims to investigate the feasibility of the deployment of open platforms for Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) services provision based on Ambient Intelligence (AmI) and to test user acceptance and the usability of the services. Services were designed to provide support in the areas of environmental control, security, well-being and leisure. These services were installed and evaluated in a Spanish geriatric residence. The participants included elderly persons with disabilities, nursing home care givers and informal carers. The concept of the open platform proved to be satisfactory for the provision of the services in a context aware framework. Furthermore, the usability of the technology was viewed positively and the overall results indicate that this system has the potential to prolong independent living at home for elderly people with disabilities. Deployment was proven successful and awareness of open-platform AAL service delivery was raised in local communities throughout Europe.

  18. AmI and Deployment Considerations in AAL Services Provision for Elderly Independent Living: The MonAMI Project

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alejandro Ibarz

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available The MonAMI project aims to investigate the feasibility of the deployment of open platforms for Ambient Assisted Living (AAL services provision based on Ambient Intelligence (AmI and to test user acceptance and the usability of the services. Services were designed to provide support in the areas of environmental control, security, well-being and leisure. These services were installed and evaluated in a Spanish geriatric residence. The participants included elderly persons with disabilities, nursing home care givers and informal carers. The concept of the open platform proved to be satisfactory for the provision of the services in a context aware framework. Furthermore, the usability of the technology was viewed positively and the overall results indicate that this system has the potential to prolong independent living at home for elderly people with disabilities. Deployment was proven successful and awareness of open-platform AAL service delivery was raised in local communities throughout Europe.

  19. Psychiatric morbidity, quality of life, and perceived social support among elderly population: a community-based study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pallavi Kwan

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: The growth in the elderly population means an inevitable increase in general physical health, psychobiological and mental health-related problems. Aim of the study: The present study aims to examine psychiatric morbidity, quality of life, and perceived social support among elderly population. Research design: A cross-sectional community-based study was conducted. People in age group of 60 years and above, who were permanent members of their respective households of Ranga Pukri Para and Dekargaon village in Tezpur, Sonitpur district of Assam, were the sample for the present study. One thousand four hundred and ninety adult populations had been identified as sample frame from the electorate list. One hundred and four people of age 60 years and above had been identified from the list for the study purpose. Random sampling method was used for selection of the sample. Semi-structured socio-demographic datasheet, General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12, CAGE questionnaire, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF scale were administered to the respondents. Results: Based on the GHQ-12 score, it was found that 24% of the respondents showed an indication of mental health problems and from the CAGE score, it indicated that 13% of the respondents were found to be misusing or was in dependence in alcohol. The result from the present study indicated that elderly population was getting more family social support, followed by friends and from significant others. The result indicated that the mean score was low in the domain of social relationships. Environment domain was high followed by physical health and psychological domains of WHOQOL-BREF. Conclusion: In the elderly population, overall health can be influenced by multiple factors, including a person’s physical, psychological, behavioural, and social factors. The mental health professionals can provide resources, services

  20. Elderly who take care of elderly: a study on the Frailty Syndrome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ariene Angelini dos Santos-Orlandi

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Objective: Identifying prevalence of frailty in elderly caregivers inserted in a high social vulnerability context and its correlation with sociodemographic and health aspects. Method: Descriptive, correlational and cross-sectional study. Forty elderly caregivers were evaluated with: questionnaire for caregiver characterization, Mini Mental State Examination, Katz Index, Lawton instrumental activities of daily living scale, Geriatric Depression Scale and the frailty phenotype proposed by Fried. Interviews were conducted at their residences and scheduled in advance. All ethical precautions were observed. Data were analyzed with the Stata statistical program version 11.0. Results: 10% of elderly caregivers were frail. There was a significant correlation between frailty and sex, instrumental activities of daily living and cognition. Conclusion: Female caregivers, partially dependent individuals regarding instrumental activities of daily living and with worse cognitive state deserve a special attention from health services.

  1. H.A.L.P. : Home Automated Living Platform

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vellinga, Marco; Fellinger, Hielke; Homs, Ruben; Tilma, Lisanne; Vos, Jorga

    2013-01-01

    At ageing, there comes a certain point when people are no longer able to live independently in their own homes. With an ever increasing elderly population, this constitutes a significant and increasing burden for the health care expenses. The need for more cost effective solutions is evident.

  2. [A prevalence study on mild cognitive impairment among the elderly populations of Mongolian and Han nationalities in a pastoral area of Inner Mongolia].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Riletemuer; Zhao, Shi-gang; Wang, De-sheng; Wen, Shi-rong; Niu, Guang-ming; A, Rong; Wang, Zhi-guang; Jiang, Ming-fang; Zhang, Chun-yu

    2012-04-01

    To understand the epidemiological characteristics and distribution of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in elderly populations from Mongolian and Han nationalities living in the pastoral areas of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China. According to the MCI clinical diagnostic criteria from Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th revised edition (DSM-IV) by American Psychiatric Association, the individuals under study were at the age of 55 or over, with Mongolian or Han ethnicities and living in the pastoral area of Inner Mongolia. The crude MCI morbidity rates of Mongolian and Han of the study populations in the pastoral area of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China was 19.48% (1782/9146) and the standardization morbidity was 18.98%. The crude MCI morbidity rates of both Mongolian and Han ethnicities were 17.46% (the standardization morbidity was 16.99%) and 20.60% (the standardization morbidity was 19.98%), respectively. There showed a significant positive correlation between the crude morbidities and age, also significantly increasing with the latter. In the Mongolian population, the morbidity increased from 12.17% at the age 55-59 to 27.78% at 85 while in the Han population, the morbidity increased from 15.50% at the age 55-59 to 23.53% at 85. In both the populations of Mongolian and Han, there was a statistically difference found between the morbidities of MCI (χ2=13.229, P=0.000). The morbidity was higher in Hans than in the Mongolians. However, there was no statistically significant difference noticed between the morbidities of MCI in the Mongolian males and females (χ2=2.376, P=0.123). There was statistically significant difference found between the morbidities of MCI in the Han males and females, with females having higher risk than males (χ2=24.470, P=0.000). The morbidity of MCI in the elderly Mongolian and Han populations from the pastoral area of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China was considered to be quite high and

  3. General knowledge about diabetes in the elderly diabetic population in Slovenia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eva Turk

    2012-08-01

    Results: A total of 225 individuals returned the questionnaire, which represents 75 % response rate. The average score was 8.0 ± 2.4. Not a single subject responded correctly to all 14 questions. The average score achieved by men and women was 8.8 ± 1.9 and 7.6 ± 2.5, respectively. There was no significant difference between the elderly living in urban and rural areas, and the level of education is the most important predictor for better results.

  4. Increasing Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in a Chinese Elderly Population: 2001-2010.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Miao; Wang, Jianhua; Jiang, Bin; Sun, Dongling; Wu, Lei; Yang, Shanshan; Wang, Yiyan; Li, Xiaoying; He, Yao

    2013-01-01

    The information on the changes of prevalence of MetS in China is limited. Our objective was to assess a 10-year's change of the prevalence of MetS in a Chinese elderly population between 2001 and 2010. We conducted two cross-sectional surveys in a representative sample of elderly population aged 60 to 95 years in Beijing in 2001 and 2010 respectively. MetS was defined according to the 2009 harmonizing definition. A total of 2,334 participants (943 male, 1,391 female) in 2001 and 2,102 participants (848 male, 1,254 female) in 2010 completed the survey. The prevalence of MetS was 50.4% (95%CI: 48.4%-52.4%) in 2001 and 58.1% (95%CI: 56.0%-60.2%) in 2010. The absolute change of prevalence of MetS was 7.7% over the 10-year's period (pdislipidemia.

  5. Why is the age-standardized incidence of low-trauma fractures rising in many elderly populations?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kannus, Pekka; Niemi, Seppo; Parkkari, Jari; Palvanen, Mika; Heinonen, Ari; Sievänen, Harri; Järvinen, Teppo; Khan, Karim; Järvinen, Markku

    2002-08-01

    Low-trauma fractures of elderly people are a major public health burden worldwide, and as the number and mean age of older adults in the population continue to increase, the number of fractures is also likely to increase. Epidemiologically, however, an additional concern is that, for unknown reasons, the age-standardized incidence (average individual risk) of fracture has also risen in many populations during the recent decades. Possible reasons for this rise include a birth cohort effect, deterioration in the average bone strength by time, and increased average risk of (serious) falls. Literature provides evidence that the rise is not due to a birth cohort effect, whereas no study shows whether bone fragility has increased during this relatively short period of time. This osteoporosis hypothesis could, however, be tested if researchers would now repeat the population measurements of bone mass and density that were made in the late 1980s and the 1990s. If such studies proved that women's and men's age-standardized mean values of bone mass and density have declined over time, the osteoporosis hypothesis would receive scientific support. The third explanation is based on the hypothesis that the number and/or severity of falls has risen in elderly populations during the recent decades. Although no study has directly tested this hypothesis, a great deal of indirect epidemiologic evidence supports this contention. For example, the age-standardized incidence of fall-induced severe head injuries, bruises and contusions, and joint distortions and dislocations has increased among elderly people similarly to the low-trauma fractures. The fall hypothesis could also be tested in the coming years because the 1990s saw many research teams reporting age- and sex-specific incidences of falling for elderly populations, and the same could be done now to provide data comparing the current incidence rates of falls with the earlier ones.

  6. 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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Priyanka Amonkar

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: 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. Objectives: 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 Methods: 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. Result: 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. Conclusion: Quality of life of elderly within family setup was better as compared to elderly in OAHs.

  7. Pattern of Ocular Morbidity in the Elderly Population of Northern India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baldev, Vibha Florence; Chopra, Rupali; Batra, Nitin; Singh, Shavinder

    2017-08-01

    The frequency of eye diseases has been suggested to start increasing around 40 years of age, with an even steeper increase beginning around 60 years of age. Health promotions and curative and rehabilitative services for the visually impaired elderly population should therefore be a priority in the coming years especially in low and middle income countries. To examine the changing pattern of ocular morbidity in the elderly population of Northern India and to determine the socioeconomic status in relation to ocular morbidities. A team from the Department of Ophthalmology and Department of Community Medicine, conducted house visits and did a complete eye examination of 450 elderly subjects. They were selected by systematic random sampling from the data base available in the Department of Community Medicine. A total of 900 eyes were examined. Visual impairment and blindness was seen in 135 (30%) and 36 (8%) individuals respectively. The most common cause of blindness was cataract, followed by corneal opacity, glaucoma, refractive error, diabetic retinopathy, macular scar, age related macular degeneration, retinal detachment, retinitis pigmentosa. Visual impairment was more in individuals with low socioeconomic status. The results of this study suggest that though cataract remains the main cause of blindness, there is an increase in blindness and visual impairment due to corneal diseases and glaucoma which was not seen earlier. The availability and accessibility to eye care facilities particularly for corneal diseases and glaucoma should be increased to reduce blindness in Northern India.

  8. Prevalence and risk factors of abuse among community dwelling elderly of Guwahati City, Assam

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anku Moni Saikia

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: In spite of tremendous impact on health, elder abuse is still an underreported and unrecognized issue. Objectives: To assess the prevalence of abuse among community dwelling elderly and to identify the various risk factors. Materials and Methods: This community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in 10 randomly selected wards of Guwahati city. A total of 331 elderly (60 years and above were interviewed. Abuse was screened by Hwalek-Sengstock Elder Abuse Screening Test (H-S EAST. Results: The study revealed 9.31% prevalence. Neglect was the most common type of abuse reported. Age, sex, socioeconomic status, living status, and functional status were found to be significantly associated with abuse. Conclusion: Abuse is prevalent among elderly population.

  9. Qualitative Evaluation of Baduanjin (Traditional Chinese Qigong on Health Promotion among an Elderly Community Population at Risk for Ischemic Stroke

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guohua Zheng

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. Baduanjin is a traditional Chinese qigong that has been practiced for a long time in China as a mind-body exercise in community elderly populations. The objective of this study was to qualitatively evaluate the perceived benefit of regular Baduanjin qigong in community elders. Methods. A total of 20 participants who had completed the 12-week Baduanjin qigong training were interviewed regarding their perceived effect on physical and psychological health and whether Baduanjin qigong was suitable for the elderly. Results. Almost all participants agreed that Baduanjin qigong could promote their multisystem or organ functions (e.g., digestive and circulatory systems, increase their immunity, make their bodies relax, and improve their mood and confidence. Most of the participants also agreed that Baduanjin qigong was appropriate for elderly individuals. Few individuals felt bored because of an hour Baduanjin training each day. Conclusions. The findings suggest that regular Baduanjin qigong may be potentially helpful to promote the overall physical and psychological health of elderly community populations and may be useful and feasible as a body-mind exercise in the health promotion in the elderly community populations.

  10. Smart Cities and the Ageing Population

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Skouby, Knud Erik; Kivimäki, Anri; Haukiputo, Lotta

    Due to a growing number of elderly people, it is a necessity to create the cities that are aware of the special needs of all their citizens including the needs of aging populations. This paper shows that by combining smart homes with smart cities, we are able to provide an ICT infrastructure...... population to support independent elderly living. Using ICT in a smart city/home context can provide personalized health care, social services and intelligent community services. Homecare systems for elderly people are becoming important due to economic reasons as well as patients’ preferences. The expected...... and 3D virtual world design. In this paper we will discuss how the recent development in ICT, and its particular components, Internet of Things (IoT), Clouds of Things, the Advanced Artificial Intelligence, can become building blocks between elderly people, smart homes and smart cities. Also, we...

  11. Meanings and expressions of care and caring for elders in urban Namibian families: a transcultural nursing study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  12. Active infection with Helicobacter pylori in an asymptomatic population of middle aged to elderly people

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rothenbacher, D; Bode, G; Peschke, F

    1998-01-01

    The study objective was to investigate prevalence and determinants of current Helicobacter pylori infection in an asymptomatic population of middle-aged to elderly people. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 337 participants of a general education programme of the University of Ulm aged 50......-85 years. Prevalence of infection as determined by means of the [13C]urea breath test was 34.8% (95% CI 29.6-40.3%); overall, 33.8% (95% CI 23.0-46.0) in the age group 50-59 years, 32.4% (95% CI 25.4-39.9) in the age group 60-69 years and 41.0% (95% CI 30.0-52.7) in the age group 70-85 years. Duration...... subjects may not be as high as seroprevalence studies have suggested. Socioeconomic characteristics of childhood living conditions appear to be important determinants of infection status even at older age....

  13. Relationship Between Functional Mobility and Balance and Dependency in Activity of Daily Living in Elderly After “Hip Arthroplasty”

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gholam Hassan Mirzaie

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate correlation between functional mobility with balance and dependency in activity of daily living in elderly after “hip arthroplasty” (HA and its comparison with healthy subjects. Methods & Materials: The current cross-sectional study was done on 15 patients with age mean and standard deviation (72±9.6 with hip osteoarthritis 6 months after “hip arthroplasty” (HA and 15 healthy subjects with age mean and standard deviation (72.7±1.4 as control group. Patient group was assigned with non- probability convenient sampling and control group selected with matched assignment. Functional mobility measured with Timed Up & Go Test (TUG, functional balance with Functional Reach (FR and Berg Balance Scale (BBS and dependency in activity of daily living measured with Modified Barthel Index (MBI. Pearsons correlation coefficient used for stastistical analysis. Results: Results of this study indicated significantly and stronge correlation between functional mobility and balance and dependency in activity of daily living in patient group (r>0.50. Also medium correlation existed between functional mobility and balance with dependency in activity of daily living in control group (r>0.30. Conclusion: Functional mobility and balance and dependency in activity of daily living in the elderly who had HA showed significant positive correlation. In addition correlation between functional mobility and balance and dependency in activity of daily living in patient group is better and higher than healthy group.

  14. Consistency in Physical Activity and Increase in Mental Health in Elderly over a Decade: Are We Achieving Better Population Health?

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    Tyler C. Smith

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Objective: Over the past century, advances in medicine and public health have resulted in an extraordinary increase in life expectancy. As a result, focus has shifted from infectious to chronic diseases. Though current guidelines for healthy behaviors among the elderly exist, it remains unclear whether this growing segment of the population has shifted their behaviors in response to public health campaigns. The objective of this study was to investigate mental health and physical activity trends that may be leading indicators for healthier living and increased life expectancy. Methods: Using nearly a decade of continuous serial cross-sectional data collected in the nationwide Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, this study investigated trends of health behaviors and mental health in a population of nearly 750,000 who were 65 or older from 2003 through 2011. Weighted univariate and multivariable analyses were utilized including investigation of trend analyses over the decade, producing adjusted annual odds of physical activity and mental health. Results: After controlling for demographic and other factors, higher education and income, lower BMI, and current or previous smoking was associated with higher odds of adverse mental health and lower odds of physical activity engagement. Adjusted odds of adverse mental health climbed over the decade of observation whereas the odds of physical activity remained static. Conclusions: These data, encompassing a very large population over a decade of time, suggest that physical activity is stable though mental health challenges are on the rise in this older population. Public health campaigns may face greater barriers in an elderly population due to lifelong habits, dissemination and educational approaches, or decreasing gains. Further research should be conducted to identify more effective approaches towards increasing physical activity in this important and growing subset of the population and

  15. Activities of daily living measured by the Harvard Automated Phone Task track with cognitive decline over time in non-demented elderly

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marshall, Gad A.; Aghjayan, Sarah L.; Dekhtyar, Maria; Locascio, Joseph J.; Jethwani, Kamal; Amariglio, Rebecca E.; Johnson, Keith A.; Sperling, Reisa A.; Rentz, Dorene M.

    2017-01-01

    Background Impairment in activities of daily living is a major burden to both patients and caregivers. Mild impairment in instrumental activities of daily living is often seen at the stage of mild cognitive impairment. The field of Alzheimer’s disease is moving toward earlier diagnosis and intervention and more sensitive and ecologically valid assessments of instrumental or complex activities of daily living are needed. The Harvard Automated Phone Task, a novel performance-based activities of daily living instrument, has the potential to fill this gap. Objective To further validate the Harvard Automated Phone Task by assessing its longitudinal relationship to global cognition and specific cognitive domains in clinically normal elderly and individuals with mild cognitive impairment. Design In a longitudinal study, the Harvard Automated Phone Task was associated with cognitive measures using mixed effects models. The Harvard Automated Phone Task’s ability to discriminate across diagnostic groups at baseline was also assessed. Setting Academic clinical research center. Participants Two hundred and seven participants (45 young normal, 141 clinically normal elderly, and 21 mild cognitive impairment) were recruited from the community and the memory disorders clinics at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital. Measurements Participants performed the three tasks of the Harvard Automated Phone Task, which consist of navigating an interactive voice response system to refill a prescription (APT-Script), select a new primary care physician (APT-PCP), and make a bank account transfer and payment (APT-Bank). The 3 tasks were scored based on time, errors, repetitions, and correct completion of the task. The primary outcome measure used for each of the tasks was total time adjusted for correct completion. Results The Harvard Automated Phone Task discriminated well between young normal, clinically normal elderly, and mild cognitive impairment

  16. Attempted suicide in the elderly: characteristics of suicide attempters 70 years and older and a general population comparison group.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiktorsson, Stefan; Runeson, Bo; Skoog, Ingmar; Ostling, Svante; Waern, Margda

    2010-01-01

    To identify factors associated with attempted suicide in the elderly. Social, psychological, and psychiatric characteristics were compared in suicide attempters (70 years and older) and a representative population sample. Emergency departments at five hospitals in western Sweden and a representative sample of the elderly population. Persons with Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) score age 80 years). Comparison subjects matched for gender and age group (N = 408) were randomly selected among participants in our general population studies. Symptoms were rated with identical instruments in cases and comparison subjects. The examination included the MMSE and tests of short- and long-term memory, abstract thinking, aphasia, apraxia, and agnosia. Depressive symptomatology was measured using the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale, and major and minor depressions were diagnosed according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, using symptom algorithms. Factors associated with attempted suicide included being unmarried, living alone, low education level, history of psychiatric treatment, and previous suicide attempt. There was no association with dementia. Odds ratios were increased for both major (odds ratio [OR]: 47.4, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 19.1-117.7) and minor (OR: 2.6, 95% CI: 1.5-4.7) depressions. An association was observed between perceived loneliness and attempted suicide; this relationship was independent of depression (OR: 2.8, 95% CI: 1.3-6.1). Observed associations mirrored those previously shown for completed suicide. Results may help to inform clinical decisions regarding suicide risk evaluation in this vulnerable and growing age group.

  17. Factors Influencing Quality of Life for Disabled and Nondisabled Elderly Population: The Results of a Multiple Correspondence Analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Avolio

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Objectives. The aim of our study is to examine the role of some factors (sociodemographic patterns, social relationship support, and trust in healthcare actors on structure of quality of life among the Italian elderly population, by stratifying according to presence or absence of disability. Methods. Using data of the Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT survey, we obtained a sample of 25,183 Italian people aged 65+ years. Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA was used to test such a relationship. Results. By applying the MCA between disabled and nondisabled elderly population, we identified three dimensions: “demographic structure and social contacts,” “social relationships,” “trust in the Italian National Health Services (INHS.” Furthermore, the difference in trust on the INHS and its actors was seen among disabled and non-disabled elderly population. Conclusions. Knowledge on the concept of quality of life and its application to the elderly population either with or without disability should make a difference in both people’s life and policies and practices affecting life. New domains, such as information and trusting relationships both within and towards the care network’s nodes, are likely to play an important role in this relationship.

  18. Teenage girls and elderly women living in northern Europe have low winter vitamin D status

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Rikke; Molgaard, C.; Skovgaard, L. T.

    2005-01-01

    Objective: To determine the vitamin D status (serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D; S-25OHD) in adolescent girls and elderly community-dwelling women living in four countries of northern Europe and to explain differences in S-25OHD concentrations between and within the countries. Design: A cross-sectional o......Objective: To determine the vitamin D status (serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D; S-25OHD) in adolescent girls and elderly community-dwelling women living in four countries of northern Europe and to explain differences in S-25OHD concentrations between and within the countries. Design: A cross......-sectional observational study conducted in a standardised way during February-March. S-25OHD was analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Vitamin D and calcium intake was calculated using a standardised food composition database. Setting: Denmark, Finland, Ireland, and Poland. Subjects: A total of 199 girls...... (mean (s.d.) age 12.6 (0.5) y) and 221 women (mean (s.d.) age 71.8 (1.4) y). Results: The median ( inter quartiles) concentration of S-25OHD was 29.4 (20.3, 38.3) nmol/l for the girls and 40.7 (28.0, 54.2) nmol/l for the women. S-25OHD below 25 nmol/l was found in 37% of the girls and 17% of the women...

  19. Are Koreans Prepared for the Rapid Increase of the Single-Household Elderly? Life Satisfaction and Depression of the Single-Household Elderly in Korea

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    Mi-Ra Won

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. In Korea, it has been estimated that the number of the single-household elderly increased 45% from 2005 to 2010. This research was conducted to provide empirical resources for development of a community mental health program by an explorative investigation on depression, coping mechanism, and life satisfaction of a single-household elderly population. Design and Methods. This research applied a descriptive survey research design. Participants were 225 single-household elderlies residing in Seoul, Korea. The geriatric depression scale and the satisfaction with life scale were used to check the level of depression and life satisfaction of the participants. Results. Results showed that 46.3 percent of the participants were categorized as having light-to-severe level of depression, and 80.5 percent of the participants responded that they were dissatisfied with their lives. This research demonstrated that the level of depression and life satisfaction of the Korean single-household elderly is statistically significantly related to age and gender as well as coping resources and human resources. Implications. Current public health services in Korea for the single-household elderly are still lacking and require active support, intervention, and research to provide effective programs and services. Case management, counseling, and various programs based on Korean culture including support from family members and community-based assistance are recommended to help the vulnerable population.

  20. Using mobile phones in healthcare management for the elderly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Hun-Sung; Lee, Kye-Hwa; Kim, Hyunah; Kim, Ju Han

    2014-12-01

    The increasing average life expectancy is simultaneously increasing the incidence of chronic diseases and the number of healthy elderly people, consequently leading to an increased demand for healthcare management methods that do not involve hospital visits. The development of health management services involving mobile phones will change the focus of medical services from hospital visits and treatments to managing the health decisions made by individuals in their daily lives. However, the elderly may experience specific difficulties in adapting to constantly evolving services. This study reviews various health-related devices such as mobile phones that are available for providing healthcare to the elderly, and the different ways of using them. As the use of mobile phone increases, it is expected that elderly mobile phone users will also be able to regularly check their health status at any time and place. The issues of an ageing population pertain to the entire society rather than only to the elderly, which make mobile-phone-based medical informatics as a health management service a worthy goal. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Protein Consumption and the Elderly: What Is the Optimal Level of Intake?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jamie I. Baum

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Maintaining independence, quality of life, and health is crucial for elderly adults. One of the major threats to living independently is the loss of muscle mass, strength, and function that progressively occurs with aging, known as sarcopenia. Several studies have identified protein (especially the essential amino acids as a key nutrient for muscle health in elderly adults. Elderly adults are less responsive to the anabolic stimulus of low doses of amino acid intake compared to younger individuals. However, this lack of responsiveness in elderly adults can be overcome with higher levels of protein (or essential amino acid consumption. The requirement for a larger dose of protein to generate responses in elderly adults similar to the responses in younger adults provides the support for a beneficial effect of increased protein in older populations. The purpose of this review is to present the current evidence related to dietary protein intake and muscle health in elderly adults.

  2. Usability Study of a Wireless Monitoring System among Alzheimer’s Disease Elderly Population

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stefano Abbate

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Healthcare technologies are slowly entering into our daily lives, replacing old devices and techniques with newer intelligent ones. Although they are meant to help people, the reaction and willingness to use such new devices by the people can be unexpected, especially among the elderly. We conducted a usability study of a fall monitoring system in a long-term nursing home. The subjects were the elderly with advanced Alzheimer’s disease. The study presented here highlights some of the challenges faced in the use of wearable devices and the lessons learned. The results gave us useful insights, leading to ergonomics and aesthetics modifications to our wearable systems that significantly improved their usability and acceptance. New evaluating metrics were designed for the performance evaluation of usability and acceptability.

  3. Changes in Cognitive Functions in the Elderly Living in Temporary Housing after the Great East Japan Earthquake.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aiko Ishiki

    Full Text Available On March 11, 2011, Japan experienced an earthquake of magnitude 9.0 and subsequent enormous tsunamis. This disaster destroyed many coastal cities and caused nearly 20,000 casualties. In the aftermath of the disaster, many tsunami survivors who lost their homes were forced to live in small temporary apartments. Although all tsunami survivors were at risk of deteriorating health, the elderly people were particularly at a great risk with regard to not only their physical health but also their mental health. In the present study, we performed a longitudinal cohort study to investigate and analyze health conditions and cognitive functions at 28, 32, and 42 months after the disaster in the elderly people who were forced to reside in temporary apartments in Kesennuma, a city severely damaged by the tsunamis. The ratio of people considered to be cognitively impaired significantly increased during the research period. On the other hand, the mean scores of the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale-6 and Athens Insomnia Scale improved based on the comparison between the data at 24 and 42 months. The multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that frequency of "out-of-home activities" and "walking duration" were independently associated with an increase in the ratio of people with cognitive impairment. We concluded that the elderly people living in temporary apartments were at a high risk of cognitive impairment and "out-of-home activities" and "walking" could possibly maintain the stability of cognitive functions.

  4. Education and WHO recommendations for fruit and vegetable intake are associated with better cognitive function in a disadvantaged Brazilian elderly population: a population-based cross-sectional study.

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    Maria Pastor-Valero

    Full Text Available Brazil has one of the fastest aging populations in the world and the incidence of cognitive impairment in the elderly is expected to increase exponentially. We examined the association between cognitive impairment and fruit and vegetable intake and associated factors in a low-income elderly population. A cross-sectional population-based study was carried out with 1849 individuals aged 65 or over living in São Paulo, Brazil. Cognitive function was assessed using the Community Screening Instrument for Dementia (CSI-D. Fruit and vegetable intake was assessed with a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ and categorized into quartiles of intake and into total daily fruit and vegetable intake using the cut-off points for the WHO recommendations (<400 grams/day or ≥ 400 grams/day. The association between cognitive impairment and each quartile of intake, and WHO recommendation levels, was evaluated in two separate multivariate logistic models. The WHO recommendations for daily intakes ≥ 400 grams/day were significantly associated with 47% decreased prevalence of cognitive impairment. An effect modification was found in both models between cognitive impairment and "years of education and physical activity" and "years of education and blood levels of HDL" So that, having 1 or more years of education and being physically active or having 1 or more years of education and levels higher than 50 mg/dl of HDL-cholesterol strongly decreased the prevalence of cognitive impairment. In this socially deprived population with very low levels of education and physical activity and fruit and vegetable intake, those who attained WHO recommendations, had 1 year or more of education and were physically active had a significantly lower prevalence of cognitive impairment. A more comprehensive understanding of the social determinants of mental health is needed to develop effective public policies in developing countries.

  5. Functional and cognitive changes in community-dwelling elderly: longitudinal study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Figueiredo, Carolina S; Assis, Marcella G; Silva, Silvia L A; Dias, Rosângela C; Mancini, Marisa C

    2013-01-01

    The relationship between aging and increased life expectancy in the overall population likely contributes to a higher frequency rate and incidence of illnesses and functional disabilities. Physical dependence and cognitive impairment might hinder the performance of activities and result in an overload of care duties for the patient's family and the healthcare system. The aim of this study was to compare the functional and cognitive changes exhibited by the elderly over a 6-month period. This longitudinal and observational study was conducted in a sample of 167 elderly people, who were selected from the database of the Network of Studies on Frailty in Brazilian Elderly, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - UFMG. The participants submitted to the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), Katz Index, Lawton and Brody's scale and responded to items on Advanced Activities of Daily Living (AADLs). We analyzed the data using multivariate regression models. The participants' functional capacity exhibited reduced performance of specific instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), p=0.002, and basic activities of daily living (BADLs), p=0.038. Living alone (odds ratio (OR), 2.53; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.09-5.87) and work status (OR, 2.52; 95% CI, 1.18-5.41) were associated with changes in the IADLs. The scores in the AADL scale (p=0.163) and MMSE (p=0.059) did not exhibit any significant difference during the study period. The participants with better cognitive function were more independent in their performance of AADLs and IADLs. The results depict specific patterns of loss and stability of functional capacity in community-dwelling elderly.

  6. Functional and cognitive changes in community-dwelling elderly: Longitudinal study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carolina S. Figueiredo

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The relationship between aging and increased life expectancy in the overall population likely contributes to a higher frequency rate and incidence of illnesses and functional disabilities. Physical dependence and cognitive impairment might hinder the performance of activities and result in an overload of care duties for the patient's family and the healthcare system. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the functional and cognitive changes exhibited by the elderly over a 6-month period. METHOD: This longitudinal and observational study was conducted in a sample of 167 elderly people, who were selected from the database of the Network of Studies on Frailty in Brazilian Elderly, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - UFMG. The participants submitted to the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE, Katz Index, Lawton and Brody's scale and responded to items on Advanced Activities of Daily Living (AADLs. We analyzed the data using multivariate regression models. RESULTS: The participants' functional capacity exhibited reduced performance of specific instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs, p=0.002, and basic activities of daily living (BADLs, p=0.038. Living alone (odds ratio (OR, 2.53; 95% confidence interval (CI, 1.09-5.87 and work status (OR, 2.52; 95% CI, 1.18-5.41 were associated with changes in the IADLs. The scores in the AADL scale (p=0.163 and MMSE (p=0.059 did not exhibit any significant difference during the study period. The participants with better cognitive function were more independent in their performance of AADLs and IADLs. CONCLUSION: The results depict specific patterns of loss and stability of functional capacity in community-dwelling elderly.

  7. Obesity, smoking, alcohol consumption and years lived with disability: A Sullivan life table approach

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    B. Klijs (Bart); J.P. Mackenbach (Johan); A.E. Kunst (Anton)

    2011-01-01

    textabstractBackground: To avoid strong declines in the quality of life due to population ageing, and to ensure sustainability of the health care system, reductions in the burden of disability among elderly populations are urgently needed. Life style interventions may help to reduce the years lived

  8. Evaluating an integrated neighbourhood approach to improve well-being of frail elderly in a Dutch community: a study protocol

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cramm Jane M

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background An important condition for independent living is having a well-functioning social network to provide support. An Integrated Neighbourhood Approach (INA creates a supportive environment for the frail elderly, offering them tailored care in their local context that allows them to improve self-management abilities and well-being. The purpose of our research is to investigate how an INA can contribute to outcomes of frail elderly and the cost-effectiveness of such a program. The first central study question is: To what extent does INA contribute to (a continuous, demand-driven, coordinated care and support for the independently- living frail elderly; (b improvement of their well-being and self-management abilities; and (c reinforcement of their neighbourhood networks. The second central research question is: is the INA a cost-effective method to support the frail, independently- living elderly? Methods We investigate a Dutch INA. This transition experiment aims to facilitate the independently-living frail elderly (70+ to live the life they wish to live and improve their well-being. The study population consists of independently-living frail elderly persons in Rotterdam. The transition experiment starts in two Rotterdam districts and is later extended to two other districts. We propose a concurrent mixed methods design, that is, a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods to evaluate processes, effects and costs of INA. Such a design will provide insight into an on-going INA and demonstrate which of its elements are potentially (cost-effective for the frail elderly. Discussion We embrace a wide range of scientific methodologies to evaluate the INA project and obtain information on mechanisms and contexts that will be valuable for decision making on local and national levels. The study will lead to a better understanding of how to provide support via social networks for the frail elderly and add to the knowledge

  9. The Swedish municipal food distribution service to the elderly living at home as experienced by the recipient's relatives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pajalic, Zada

    2013-07-23

    The municipal Food distribution service (FD) to the elderly living at home is a part of the public social and care service in Sweden, The objective of this service is to ensure proper food intake for persons who are unable to do their own shopping, and prepare their own meals. The foremost reasons for the need of the FD service are in situations where there are illness related physical or psychological limitations.This means that the Swedish welfare system takes on the responsibility for its citizens when they have a legal social related need of care. Further, according to the Swedish social legislation, children or other relatives have no legal obligations to take care of their parents or elderly disabled relatives. This also means that the children or relatives of elderly people requiring social support have no legal right to be involved in the evaluation procedure of need assessment or the outcome of any social and care services granted by the Swedish social welfare system. The aim of the present study was to gain insight into how the relatives of elderly people living at home in Sweden experience the municipal service of ready-made meals distributed daily. The data was collected using in-depth interviews with relatives of elderly persons who use the municipal food distribution (FD) service (n=8). The transcribed interview material was analysed using the grounded theory method. The findings of this study revealed that the relatives of the municipal FD service recipients advocate for a food preparation service in the home of the recipient rather than the distribution of ready-made meals from a central kitchen. The results also revealed that the participating relatives felt frustrated by the legal limitations that make it impossible for them to influence the municipal FD service. The findings in this study also indicate that relatives should be considered as a resource in this matter and could actively participate, and have a positive influence on the quality of

  10. [Home care and place of death for elderly people living in the remote islands of Japan. An examination on the presence of inpatient facilities].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horikoshi, Naoko; Kuwahara, Yuki; Taguchi, Atsuko; Nagata, Tomoko; Murashima, Sachiyo

    2013-07-01

    The purpose of this study was to clarify the actual status of end-of-life care for elderly people living in the remote islands of Japan, and whether the presence of inpatient facilities was related to the place of death, so as to obtain suggestions for constructing a system of end-of-life care. The survey targeted caregivers (85 people) who cared for elderly people (aged 65 and over), who had been legally certified for long-term care, and who had died between April 2009 and July 2011 in five islands of Japan. Islands were selected from a list of remote islands specified in the Remote Islands Development Act and related laws. Using a mixed method embedded design, we conducted semi-structured interviews using a questionnaire that assessed the place and cause of the elderly patient's death, age at death, gender, and whether the patient or family members had requested that the patient be allowed to die at home. The proportion of elderly people who died at home in the group living on remote islands with no inpatient facilities was 39.0% (16 of 41 people), compared with 18.2% (8 of 44 people) living on islands with inpatient facilities. The difference was significant (P=0.029). Among the 24 elderly people who died at home, 6 died of cancer. Terminally ill cancer patients were released to die at home under three conditions: the caregivers could provide sufficient care, the visiting physician was present, and pain control was provided. It was also possible for elderly cancer patients to receive end-of-life care in remote islands that did not have inpatient facilities. In addition, among the elderly people who died at home in the remote islands, home care had been recommended by medical staff. It is important for professionals coordinating home care to understand the characteristics of diseases, perform early assessment of caregiver situations, and collaborate with medical staff.

  11. Petmanship: Understanding Elderly Filipinos' Self-Perceived Health and Self-Esteem Captured from Their Lived Experiences with Pet Companions

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Guzman, Allan B.; Cucueco, Denise S.; Cuenco, Ian Benedict V.; Cunanan, Nigel Gerome C.; Dabandan, Robel T.; Dacanay, Edgar Joseph E.

    2009-01-01

    Understanding of the lived experiences of geriatric clients with pets, particularly in the Western cultures, has been the subject of many studies. However, little is known about how Asian cultures, particularly the Filipino elderly, view their experiences with their pets in regard to their self-esteem and self-perceived health. This…

  12. Dietary patterns associated with fall-related fracture in elderly Japanese: a population based prospective study

    OpenAIRE

    Monma, Yasutake; Niu, Kaijun; Iwasaki, Koh; Tomita, Naoki; Nakaya, Naoki; Hozawa, Atsushi; Kuriyama, Shinichi; Takayama, Shin; Seki, Takashi; Takeda, Takashi; Yaegashi, Nobuo; Ebihara, Satoru; Arai, Hiroyuki; Nagatomi, Ryoichi; Tsuji, Ichiro

    2010-01-01

    Abstract Background Diet is considered an important factor for bone health, but is composed of a wide variety of foods containing complex combinations of nutrients. Therefore we investigated the relationship between dietary patterns and fall-related fractures in the elderly. Methods We designed a population-based prospective survey of 1178 elderly people in Japan in 2002. Dietary intake was assessed with a 75-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), from which dietary patterns were created by...

  13. Biopsychosocial Characteristics, Using a New Functional Measure of Balance, of an Elderly Population with CLBP

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ryan Hulla

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available This study examined the biopsychosocial characteristics of chronic low back pain (CLBP in an understudied but increasingly larger part of the population: the elderly (i.e., 65 years and older. A new innovative physical functioning measure (postural control, which is a proxy for the common problem of slips and falls in the elderly was part of this biopsychosocial evaluation. Also, the National Institutes of Health (NIH-developed Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS was also part of this comprehensive evaluation. Two demographically-matched groups of elderly participants were evaluated: one with CLBP (n = 24; and the other without (NCLBP, n = 24. Results revealed significant differences in most of these measures between the two groups, further confirming the importance of using a biopsychosocial approach for future studies of pain and postural control in the elderly.

  14. A Bit(e) of the Everyday- The Meaning of Meals in the New Living Units for Elderly

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bundgaard, Karen Marie

    2003-01-01

    nursing homes in Denmark. Data were collected through participant observation during mealtimes in one unit and by interviewing and analysed using a comparative and interpretative approach. The themes identified that meals gave time and space for: a homely place, a lived community, being somebody and being......The aim of this qualitative study was to identity and interpret the experiences, values and meanings of the meals among a small group of elderly living in the new living units. Meals in this study include preparations and cleaning up besides the actual meal. Living units are a new way of organising...... yourself and for having valued doings. The conclusion was that the way meals were arranged shaped most of everyday life in the unit. They gave room for everyday life by shaping a homely place and enabled a living community that acted in and put life to the everyday. Meals also made it possible...

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  16. Developing a Health and Wellbeing Platform in a Living Lab Setting : An Action Design Research Study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Broers, W.J.W.; De Reuver, G.A.; Florez Atehuortua, L.; Guldemond, N.A.

    2015-01-01

    The world’s population is rapidly aging, which affects healthcare budgets, resources, pensions and social security systems. Although most older adults prefer to live independently in their own home as long as possible, smart living solutions to support elderly people at home did not reach mass

  17. Obesity, smoking, alcohol consumption and years lived with disability: a Sullivan life table approach

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Klijs, B.; Mackenbach, J.P.; Kunst, A.E.

    2011-01-01

    To avoid strong declines in the quality of life due to population ageing, and to ensure sustainability of the health care system, reductions in the burden of disability among elderly populations are urgently needed. Life style interventions may help to reduce the years lived with one or more

  18. Adverse effects of outdoor pollution in the elderly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    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

  19. Social participation and perceived depression among elderly population in South Africa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hao G

    2017-06-01

    . The study concludes that addressing the barriers to engaging in community activities may help minimize burden of depression among the elderly population in South Africa. Furthermore, large-scale studies are warranted to explore the social and structural barriers which constrain community participation among the elderly population. Keywords: depression, elderly population, social participation, South Africa, well-being of older people study 

  20. Frequent Use of Emergency Departments by the Elderly Population When Continuing Care Is Not Well Established.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jacopo M Legramante

    Full Text Available The elderly, who suffer from multiple chronic diseases, represent a substantial proportion of Emergency Department (ED frequent users, thus contributing to ED overcrowding, although they could benefit from other health care facilities, if those were available. The aim of this study was to evaluate and characterize hospital visits of older patients (age 65 or greater to the ED of a university teaching hospital in Rome from the 1st of January to the 31st of December 2014, in order to identify clinical and social characteristics potentially associated with "elderly frequent users".A retrospective study was performed during the calendar year 2014 (1st January 2014 - 31st December 2014 analyzing all ED admissions to the University Hospital of Rome Tor Vergata. Variables collected included age, triage code, arrival data, discharge diagnosis, and visit outcome. We performed a risk analysis using univariate binary logistic regression models.A total number of 38,016 patients accessed the ED, generating 46,820 accesses during the study period, with an average of 1.23 accesses for patient. The elderly population represented a quarter of the total ED population and had an increased risk of frequent use (OR 1.5: CI 1.4-1.7 and hospitalization (OR 3.8: CI 3.7-4. Moreover, they showed a greater diagnostic complexity, as demonstrated by the higher incidence of yellow and red priority codes compared to other ED populations (OR 3.1: CI 2.9-3.2.Older patients presented clinical and social characteristics related to the definition of "elderly frail frequent users". The fact that a larger number of hospitalizations occurred in such patients is indirect evidence of frailty in this specific population, suggesting that hospital admissions may be an inappropriate response to frailty, especially when continued care is not established.Enhancement of continuity of care, establishment of a tracking system for those who are at greater risk of visiting the ED and evaluating

  1. Frequent Use of Emergency Departments by the Elderly Population When Continuing Care Is Not Well Established.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Legramante, Jacopo M; Morciano, Laura; Lucaroni, Francesca; Gilardi, Francesco; Caredda, Emanuele; Pesaresi, Alessia; Coscia, Massimo; Orlando, Stefano; Brandi, Antonella; Giovagnoli, Germano; Di Lecce, Vito N; Visconti, Giuseppe; Palombi, Leonardo

    2016-01-01

    The elderly, who suffer from multiple chronic diseases, represent a substantial proportion of Emergency Department (ED) frequent users, thus contributing to ED overcrowding, although they could benefit from other health care facilities, if those were available. The aim of this study was to evaluate and characterize hospital visits of older patients (age 65 or greater) to the ED of a university teaching hospital in Rome from the 1st of January to the 31st of December 2014, in order to identify clinical and social characteristics potentially associated with "elderly frequent users". A retrospective study was performed during the calendar year 2014 (1st January 2014 - 31st December 2014) analyzing all ED admissions to the University Hospital of Rome Tor Vergata. Variables collected included age, triage code, arrival data, discharge diagnosis, and visit outcome. We performed a risk analysis using univariate binary logistic regression models. A total number of 38,016 patients accessed the ED, generating 46,820 accesses during the study period, with an average of 1.23 accesses for patient. The elderly population represented a quarter of the total ED population and had an increased risk of frequent use (OR 1.5: CI 1.4-1.7) and hospitalization (OR 3.8: CI 3.7-4). Moreover, they showed a greater diagnostic complexity, as demonstrated by the higher incidence of yellow and red priority codes compared to other ED populations (OR 3.1: CI 2.9-3.2). Older patients presented clinical and social characteristics related to the definition of "elderly frail frequent users". The fact that a larger number of hospitalizations occurred in such patients is indirect evidence of frailty in this specific population, suggesting that hospital admissions may be an inappropriate response to frailty, especially when continued care is not established. Enhancement of continuity of care, establishment of a tracking system for those who are at greater risk of visiting the ED and evaluating fragile

  2. Elderly Hygiene Status in Rural Areas of Golestan Province in Iran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hashem Heshmati

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate elderly "hygienestatus" in Golestan provice (MaravehTapeh in Iranian ordertoapply such information for health policy makers toplan appropriate health programs. Methods & Materials: In This descriptive-analyticalstudy, 119 males and females rural elderly over 60 years of age (mean 67.53±5.64 were selected through multi-stage sampling. Mean scores of hygiene status obtained on the basis of current questionnaire. Data were collected, completed through home interviews and analyzed via SPSS 17. Results: The mean age was 67.53±5.64 years. Score mean of “hygiene” status on the basis of current questionnaire was 60.59±16 (out of 100.There were not statistically significant relation between "hygiene status" and age, gender, education, job and living conditions But there was statistically significant difference between “hygiene status” and marital status. Conclusion: Present “hygiene status” of elderly is not desirable. As elderly population is growing more and more, undesirable hygiene and its consequences will create health problems. Appropriate educational planning initiations from health policy makers should be considered for such tar get population in Iran.

  3. [Elderlies in street situation or social vulnerability: facilities and difficulties in the use of computational tools].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frias, Marcos Antonio da Eira; Peres, Heloisa Helena Ciqueto; Pereira, Valclei Aparecida Gandolpho; Negreiros, Maria Célia de; Paranhos, Wana Yeda; Leite, Maria Madalena Januário

    2014-01-01

    This study aimed to identify the advantages and difficulties encountered by older people living on the streets or social vulnerability, to use the computer or internet. It is an exploratory qualitative research, in which five elderlies, attended on a non-governmental organization located in the city of São Paulo, have participated. The discourses were analyzed by content analysis technique and showed, as facilities, among others, to clarify doubts with the monitors, the stimulus for new discoveries coupled with proactivity and curiosity, and develop new skills. The mentioned difficulties were related to physical or cognitive issues, lack of instructor, and lack of knowledge to interact with the machine. The studies focusing on the elderly population living on the streets or in social vulnerability may contribute with evidence to guide the formulation of public policies to this population.

  4. Elderly Suicide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elderly Suicide Fact Sheet Based on 2012 Data (2014) Overview • The elderly (ages 65 and older) made up 13. ... population; they accounted for 16.37% of all suicides in the US. • The rate of suicides for ...

  5. Effectiveness of the mHealth technology in improvement of healthy behaviors in an elderly population-a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  6. A method for analyzing changing prison populations: explaining the growth of the elderly in prison.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luallen, Jeremy; Kling, Ryan

    2014-12-01

    For the past several decades, the U.S. prison system has witnessed a steady and persistent increase in the ages of prison populations. Given the additional costs and burdens placed on prisons as they house older inmates, this aging trend has generated intense interest among policy makers and academics who seek to understand why prison populations are getting older. This article presents a method for evaluating drivers influencing the change in age distributions among prisoners. We define a methodological approach and demonstrate its application using prison data from four states reporting to the Bureau of Justice Statistics' National Corrections Reporting Program. We find that since 2000, the primary driver of overall growth in the elderly populations in prison (defined as inmates over 50) is the increasing admission age of offenders entering prison. Moreover, changes in offense mix and sentence length/time served over the last decade have had significantly less influence on the age composition of prison populations. We also find that the impact of explanatory factors varies across states and offense types. For example, prison admission and exit rates explain much of the change in elderly drug offenders in New York, but not elderly violent offenders, where admission age plays a much stronger explanatory role. Our analysis offers an effective demonstration that supports the use of this method as an important and informative first step toward understanding components of change that affect the problem of prison aging. © The Author(s) 2014.

  7. Increasing Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in a Chinese Elderly Population: 2001-2010.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miao Liu

    Full Text Available The information on the changes of prevalence of MetS in China is limited. Our objective was to assess a 10-year's change of the prevalence of MetS in a Chinese elderly population between 2001 and 2010.We conducted two cross-sectional surveys in a representative sample of elderly population aged 60 to 95 years in Beijing in 2001 and 2010 respectively. MetS was defined according to the 2009 harmonizing definition.A total of 2,334 participants (943 male, 1,391 female in 2001 and 2,102 participants (848 male, 1,254 female in 2010 completed the survey. The prevalence of MetS was 50.4% (95%CI: 48.4%-52.4% in 2001 and 58.1% (95%CI: 56.0%-60.2% in 2010. The absolute change of prevalence of MetS was 7.7% over the 10-year's period (p<0.001. The syndrome was more common in female than male in both survey years. Among the five components, hypertriglyceridemia and low HDL-C had increased most, with an increase of 14.8% (from 29.4% to 44.2% and 9.9% (from 28.3% to 38.2% respectively. The adjusted ORs of MetS for CHD, stroke and CVD were 1.67(95%CI: 1.39-1.99, 1.50(95%CI: 1.19-1.88 and 1.70(95%CI: 1.43-2.01 respectively in 2001, and were 1.74(95%CI: 1.40-2.17, 1.25(95%CI: 0.95-1.63 and 1.52(95%CI: 1.25-1.86 respectively in 2010.The prevalence of MetS is high and increasing rapidly in this Chinese elderly population. Participants with Mets and its individual components are at significantly elevated ORs for CVD. Urgent public health actions are needed to control MetS and its components, especially for dislipidemia.

  8. Ambient Assisted Living and ageing: preliminary results of RITA project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aquilano, Michela; Cavallo, Filippo; Bonaccorsi, Manuele; Esposito, Raffaele; Rovini, Erika; Filippi, Massimo; Esposito, Dario; Dario, Paolo; Carrozza, Maria Chiara

    2012-01-01

    The ageing of population is a social phenomenon that most of worldwide countries are facing. They are, and will be even more in the future, indeed trying to find solutions for improving quality of life of their elderly citizens. The project RITA wants to demonstrate that an update of the current socio-medical services with an Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) approach could improve the service efficiency and the quality of life of both elderly and caregiver. This paper presents the preliminary results obtained in RITA.

  9. Association between functional performance and executive cognitive functions in an elderly population including patients with low ankle–brachial index

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferreira, Naomi Vidal; Cunha, Paulo Jannuzzi; da Costa, Danielle Irigoyen; dos Santos, Fernando; Costa, Fernando Oliveira; Consolim-Colombo, Fernanda; Irigoyen, Maria Cláudia

    2015-01-01

    Introduction Peripheral arterial disease, as measured by the ankle–brachial index (ABI), is prevalent among the elderly, and is associated with functional performance, assessed by the 6-minute walk test (6MWT). Executive cognitive function (ECF) impairments are also prevalent in this population, but no existing study has investigated the association between ECF and functional performance in an elderly population including individuals with low ABI. Aim To investigate the association between functional performance, as measured by the 6MWT, and loss in ECF, in an elderly sample including individuals with low ABI. Method The ABI group was formed by 26 elderly individuals with low ABI (mean ABI: 0.63±0.19), and the control group was formed by 40 elderly individuals with normal ABI (mean ABI: 1.08±0.07). We analyzed functional performance using the 6MWT, global cognition using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and ECF using the Digit Span for assessing attention span and working memory, the Stroop Color Word Test (SCWT) for assessing information processing speed and inhibitory control/impulsivity, and the Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWAT) for assessing semantic verbal fluency and phonemic verbal fluency. We also used a factor analysis on all of the ECF tests (global ECF). Results Before adjustment, the ABI group performed worse on global cognition, attention span, working memory, inhibitory control/impulsivity, semantic verbal fluency, and phonemic verbal fluency. After adjustment, the ABI group performance remained worse for working memory and semantic verbal fluency. In a simple correlation analysis including all of the subjects, the 6MWT was associated with global cognition, attention span, working memory, information processing speed, inhibitory control/impulsivity, semantic verbal fluency, and global ECF. After adjustment, all the associations remained statistically significant. Conclusion This study found an independent association between

  10. Religious well-being in noninstitutionalized elderly women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zorn, C R; Johnson, M T

    1997-01-01

    Spirituality is recognized as an important component of health care practice with elderly people. Yet, discussion of the role it plays in elderly women on a day-to-day basis is minimal, and it is frequently not addressed in quality-of-life studies in this population. The purposes of this study were to describe the level of religious well-being and selected characteristics of religiosity in a sample of 114 non-institutionalized, largely rural elderly women (Mdn age = 75), as well as to identify the relationship between selected factors and the level of religious well-being. Descriptive research revealed a high level of religious well-being among the participants and significant positive correlation between religious well-being and the variables of social support and hope (p hope emerged as the single significant predictor of religious well-being (p religious activities, highly rated the value or influence of religious beliefs in their lives, and identified that religious beliefs become increasingly important with age. Conducting a comprehensive assessment and implementing focused interventions associated with religious well-being will strengthen the scope of health care practice for elderly women.

  11. Practice of walking and its association with perceived environment among elderly Brazilians living in a region of low socioeconomic level

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    Reis Rodrigo S

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The aim of this study was analyze associations between the practice of walking and environmental perception among elderly Brazilians in a region of low socioeconomic level. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 385 elderly people aged 60 years and over. To evaluate walking, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ, long version (leisure and transport modules was used. The environment was evaluated by means of the Neighborhood Environmental Walkability Scale (NEWS (adapted Brazilian version. For the statistical analysis, multiple logistic regression models were created separately for men and women. The practice of at least 150 minutes a week of walking was the dependent variable, and the variables of environmental perception were the independent variables. All the models were controlled for schooling level and age. Results The proportion of elderly people active in walking was 56.9% for the men and 26.4% for the women. The perception of the presence of soccer fields (OR = 4.12 and their proximity, within ten minutes' walk from home (OR = 3.43, were associated with the practice of walking among the men. The perception of the presence of public squares (OR = 4.70 and the proximity of primary healthcare units, within ten minutes' walk from home (OR = 3.71, were associated with the practice of walking among the women. An association with adequate perception of vehicle traffic remained at the threshold of significance for the women. Conclusion Accessibility of leisure structures such as football fields and public squares and of health services such as primary healthcare units were important environmental variables associated with the practice of walking among elderly people living in a region of low socioeconomic level in Brazil. These variables need to be taken into consideration when aiming to promote the practice of walking among elderly people living in similar regions.

  12. Increasing Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in a Chinese Elderly Population: 2001–2010

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Bin; Sun, Dongling; Wu, Lei; Yang, Shanshan; Wang, Yiyan; Li, Xiaoying; He, Yao

    2013-01-01

    Objective The information on the changes of prevalence of MetS in China is limited. Our objective was to assess a 10-year’s change of the prevalence of MetS in a Chinese elderly population between 2001 and 2010. Methods We conducted two cross-sectional surveys in a representative sample of elderly population aged 60 to 95 years in Beijing in 2001 and 2010 respectively. MetS was defined according to the 2009 harmonizing definition. Results A total of 2,334 participants (943 male, 1,391 female) in 2001 and 2,102 participants (848 male, 1,254 female) in 2010 completed the survey. The prevalence of MetS was 50.4% (95%CI: 48.4%–52.4%) in 2001 and 58.1% (95%CI: 56.0%–60.2%) in 2010. The absolute change of prevalence of MetS was 7.7% over the 10-year’s period (pdislipidemia. PMID:23824753

  13. [Effects of a fall prevention program on falls in frail elders living at home in rural communities].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoo, Jae-Soon; Jeon, Mi Yang; Kim, Chul-Gyu

    2013-10-01

    This study was conducted to determine the effects of a fall prevention program on falls, physical function, psychological function, and home environmental safety in frail elders living at home in rural communities. The design of this study was a nonequivalent control group pre posttest design. The study was conducted from July to November, 2012 with 30 participants in the experimental group and 30 in the control group. Participants were registered at the public health center of E County. The prevention program on falls consisted of laughter therapy, exercise, foot care and education. The program was provided once a week for 8 weeks and each session lasted 80 minutes. The risk score for falls and depression in the experimental group decreased significantly compared with scores for the control group. Compliance with prevention behavior related to falls, knowledge score on falls, safety scores of home environment, physical balance, muscle strength of lower extremities, and self-efficacy for fall prevention significantly increased in the experimental group compared with the control group. These results suggest that the prevention program on falls is effective for the prevention of falls in frail elders living at home.

  14. Web Services for Telegeriatric and Independent Living of the Elderly ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    pc

    2018-03-05

    Mar 5, 2018 ... models. The platform design follows a patient centric philosophy along with the ... aging population in the World). ... independent living environment for older people at home ...... impact scope. .... Configuring a Trusted Cloud.

  15. Institutional trust in the national social security and municipal healthcare systems for the elderly in Japan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murayama, Hiroshi; Taguchi, Atsuko; Ryu, Shuhei; Nagata, Satoko; Murashima, Sachiyo

    2012-09-01

    Japanese social security systems and institutions for the elderly, as well as the general attitude toward elderly care services among the Japanese population, have been undergoing a dramatic change. By examining the association between institutional trust, which is a representative element of social capital, and anxiety regarding receiving elderly care, we can uncover clues toward building a more robust social security system for the elderly. This study examines the relationship between institutional trust, in the national social security and municipal healthcare systems for the elderly, and anxiety with respect to receiving elderly care among the general Japanese population. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire that was returned by mail in January and February 2005. The target population was 4735 community residents aged 20-75 years, who lived in the city of Koka, Shiga, Japan. A total of 2264 questionnaires were included in the analysis. A binominal logistic regression analysis showed that responses of 'trust' [odds ratio (OR): 2.09, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.01-4.30] and 'strongly trust' (OR: 3.80, 95% CI: 1.55-9.31) for the national system were associated with not having anxiety regarding elderly care, compared with the reference category of feeling strongly distrust. However, trust in the municipal system showed no association with this anxiety. These results indicate the importance of developing strategies to increase a common trust in the national care services for the elderly to reduce the anxiety people feel regarding whether they will be able to receive elderly care when required.

  16. Healthy habits: what kind of guidance the elderly population is receiving from health professionals?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flores, Thaynã Ramos; Nunes, Bruno Pereira; Assunção, Maria Cecília Formoso; Bertoldi, Andréa Dâmaso

    2016-03-01

    To describe the prevalence of guidance on healthy habits received from health professionals by elderly and its relation to socioeconomic demographic, behavioral and health indicators, and the type of services. Cross sectional population based study including individuals aged 60 years or more in the urban area of Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Seven guidance on healthy habits were evaluated: weight control, reduction in salt, sugar and fat intake, physical activity practice, not smoking and not drinking alcohol. Among the 1,451 elderly interviewed, 1,281 (88.3%) consulted in the last year. The orientations more refereed were to fat (61.7%) and salt (61.5%) intake reduction and physical activity (58.2%). Elderly who consulted three times or more and in services financed by the Unified Health System received more guidance. Those elderly from the socioeconomic classes A/B were more likely to receive guidance for weight control (RP = 1.27; 95%CI 1.06 - 1.70) and physical activity (RP = 1.34; 95%CI 1.06 - 1.69). The orientation from health professionals were uncommon and, in some cases, unfocused.

  17. Comparison of blood serum selenium concentrations from elderly population living in Sao Paulo city and literature data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saiki, Mitiko; Alves, Edson R.; Vasconcellos, Marina B.A.; Sumita, Nairo M.; Jaluul, Omar; Jacob Filho, Wilson

    2005-01-01

    Selenium is an essential nutrient of fundamental importance to human biology. This element is a component of the enzyme glutathione peroxidase that avoids the formation of free radicals protecting the organism against the oxidative damage. The Se concentrations in serum vary from one part of the world to another and this fact has been satisfactorily explained as a consequence of different Se intakes of the population. The main objective of this paper was the determination of serum Se concentrations in healthy elderly population included in a program for 'Successful Ageing' of the Hospital das Clinicas, Sao Paulo University Medical School. The blood samples were collected after a 12 h fast from 32 subjects aged 60 to 87 years. The blood was centrifuged after completely clotted and 4.0 mL of serum were freeze.dried for Se determination using neutron activation analysis. The serum samples and Se standard were irradiated for 16 h under a thermal neutron flux of de 5 x 10 12 n cm - '2 s -1 at the IEA-R1 nuclear reactor. Se was determined by measuring the gamma activity of 75 Se using an HGe detector coupled to a gamma ray spectrometer. The mean value of (0.92±0.07) μmol L -1 was obtained for serum Se concentration. This value is within the data used as reference values in clinical laboratories and those published in literature. Results obtained for certified reference materials NIST 1566b Oyster Tissue and NIST 1577b Bovine Liver showed good precision and agreed with the certified values. The relative standard deviation of the results was lower than 4.8 % and relative error lower than 0.97 %. Detection limit value obtained for serum Se determination was 0.003 μmol L-1. (author)

  18. Prevalence and control of hypertension among a Community of Elderly Population in Changning District of shanghai: a cross-sectional study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Zhi-Qi; Zhao, Qi; Jiang, Ping; Zheng, Song-Bai; Xu, Biao

    2017-12-28

    Hypertension is considered a major public health challenge. It is the most important risk factor for cardiovascular disease and is a prominent risk for China's elderly population. However, few studies have addressed the effect of blood pressure control on elderly hypertension patients in China. In response, this study aimed to investigate the prevalence and control of hypertension in the elderly population in Shanghai's communities. A secondary data analysis based on a government-financed health check-up program for an elderly population aged 65 and older from 2012 to 2014 was conducted in a central district of Shanghai. Of the 44,978 study participants, 20,305 (45.1%) were males and 24,673 (54.9%) were females. The participants' median age was 72. Half of the participants were overweight or obese (BMI ≥ 24.0 kg/m 2 ). The prevalence of hypertension was 59.9%. In the 18,032 participants without prior diagnosis of hypertension, 5530 (30.7%) had increased blood pressure. Among the 26,946 confirmed hypertension patients, the proportions of treatment and blood pressure control were 32.8% and 43.4% respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that the uncontrolled hypertension was significantly associated with older age, being overweight or obese, a lower level of education, an unbalanced dietary pattern, regular drinking and non-comorbidities. The prevalence of hypertension was high in China's elderly population. The proportion of individuals who received treatment remained low, and blood pressure control was poor among hypertension patients. These results indicate that improvement of the ability to manage and control hypertension among urban elderly residents is urgently needed.

  19. Health status of the elderly population among four primitive tribes of Orissa, India: a clinico-epidemiological study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kerketta, A S; Bulliyya, G; Babu, B V; Mohapatra, S S S; Nayak, R N

    2009-02-01

    Primitive tribal groups (PTGs) are the most marginalised and vulnerable communities in India. Clinico-epidemiological studies on morbidity patterns among the elderly primitive tribe members are essential to recommend special intervention programmes to improve the health of the elderly in these communities. A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out among the elderly populations of four different PTGs, namely Langia Saora (LS), Paudi Bhuiyan (PB), Kutia Kondh (KK) and Dongria Kondh (DK) living in the forests of Orissa, India. Clinical and anthropometric data were collected using standard methods and haemoglobin was estimated by the cyanomethaemoglobin method. The average number of illnesses per person was 3.0. Common disabilities like vision and hearing impairment and mobility-related problems were found in considerable numbers. Gastrointestinal problems like acid peptic disease were found among 2.6% to 20% of cases. Non-specific fever was marked in 10.2% to 24.2% of individuals. The iodine deficiency disorder, namely goitre, was found among 4.2% to 6.0% of individuals. Diseases of the respiratory tract, like upper and lower respiratory tract infection, asthma, tuberculosis and leprosy, were found in small numbers. The prevalence of hypertension among males and females was 31.8% and 42.2%, respectively. The LS had the highest prevalence of hypertension (63% among men and 68% among women). With regard to anaemia status, severe anaemia was marked in 70% of males and 76.7% of females in the LS, while in other groups the prevalence of severe anaemia ranged from 15% to 33%. Although the prevalence of severe anaemia in other tribal communities is lower than in the LS, mild to moderate anaemia was found to range from 60% to 80%. The present study revealed a high prevalence of physical disabilities with both non-communicable as well as communicable diseases among the elderly primitive tribal members. This warrants the implementation of a special health care

  20. Anemia and iron deficiency in Mexican elderly population. Results from the Ensanut 2012

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alejandra Contreras-Manzano

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Objective. To describe de prevalence of iron deficiency (ID and anemia in a sample of Mexican elderly population from the National Health and Nutrition Survey (Ensanut 2012. Materials and methods. 1 920 subjects ≥60 years of age were included. Hemoglobin, serum concentrations of ferritin and CRP were measured. The risk for ID and anemia adjusted for potential confounders was assessed in logistic regression models. Results. The overall prevalence of anemia was 13.9%, 15.2% in males and 12.8% females. For ID,overall it was 4.2%, males 4.0% and females 4.3%. The greatest prevalence of ID was found in males and females over 80 years old (6.9 and 7.0%, respectively. ID was present in 1.5 of 10 Mexican elders with anemia. Conclusion. The prevalence of anemia was high in the elderly, however the prevalence of ID was low; there is a need to further investigate the causes of anemia in this age group.

  1. Anemia and iron deficiency in Mexican elderly population: Results from the Ensanut 2012.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Contreras-Manzano, Alejandra; Cruz, Vanessa de la; Villalpando, Salvador; Rebollar, Rosario; Shamah-Levy, Teresa

    2015-01-01

    To describe de prevalence of iron deficiency (ID) and anemia in a sample of Mexican elderly population from the National Health and Nutrition Survey (Ensanut) 2012. 1 920 subjects ≥60 years of age were included. Hemoglobin, serum concentrations of ferritin and CRP were measured. The risk for ID and anemia adjusted for potential confounders was assessed in logistic regression models. The overall prevalence of anemia was 13.9%, 15.2% in males and 12.8% females. For ID, overall it was 4.2%, males 4.0% and females 4.3%. The greatest prevalence of ID was found in males and females over 80 years old (6.9 and 7.0%, respectively). ID was present in 1.5 of 10 Mexican elders with anemia. The prevalence of anemia was high in the elderly, however the prevalence of ID was low; there is a need to further investigate the causes of anemia in this age group.

  2. Affordable Remote Health Monitoring System for the Elderly Using Smart Mobile Device

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matthew CLARK

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Aging population has been growing as life expectancy increases. In the years to come a much larger percentage of the population will be dependent on others for their daily care. According to a recent report more than 11 million seniors live alone in the USA. These seniors may face serious consequences when they have an emergency situation. However health-monitoring systems are often not affordable for many seniors. The remote health monitoring system presented in this paper addresses the challenge to provide caregivers an emergency alert system for the elderly based on monitoring of their heart rates, breathing activities, and room temperature measurements. The device also allows the dependents to make on demand request for assistance. The remote communication is enabled through the cellular telephone services; so there is no special or additional subscription services needed. This is essential to make the device more affordable for the elderly. We expect that this affordable remote health-monitoring system can be used to help seniors who live alone be safer and healthier.

  3. The Application of Nursing Interventions: Generalist Therapy to Against Hopelessness on Elderly

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    Ike Mardiati Agustin

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: An increasing number of elderly people followed the emergence of mental health problems. One of mental health problem that arises is hopelesness. Nursing action to hopelesness in elderly people in society is not to optimals. The aimed of this paper was gave an overview about the application of nursing intervention: generalist therapy to against hopelesness on elderly. Method: This research was used descriptive analytic design. Population were elders who lived at RW 3 and RW 4, Kelurahan Ciwaringin, Kota Bogor. Samples were 10 respondents, taken according to purposive sampling technique. Independent variable was generalist therapy, while dependent variables were sign and symptoms of hopelessness and ability to cope with hopelessness. Data were collected by using questionnaire, then analyzed by using frequency distribution. Result: The results showed that generalist therapy can decrease elder’s sign and symptoms of hopelessness (21% and increase their ability to cope with hopelessness (72%. Discussion: It can be concluded that generalist therapy can be used as one of nursing intervention to against hopelesness in the elderly. Keywords: hopelesness, elderly, generalist therapy

  4. Multidimensional Assessment Of Institutionalized Elderly: The Reality Of A Brazilian Institution

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    Alcides Viana de Lima Neto

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Background: The population aging in Brazil is characterized by the accumulation of progressive disabilities in their functional activities and daily life. To consider the elderlies in his/her multiple dimensions turns out to be a critical issue to improve their assistance to an institutionalized level, improving their health and quality of life. To perform a mini-overall evaluation of institutionalized elderly person to trace their profile in relation to the socio-demographic, functional capacity, nutritional status and cognition. Methods: descriptive, cross-sectional study of quantitative approach conducted in facilities for the aged people in Natal, RN. Results: 63.3% of the elderly were female, with ages varying from 61 to 103 years. 60.0% were single; 56.7% were literate. 66.7% had no children and 55% lived with their families before the institutionalization. As for the institutionalization time, 63.3% resided in the institution for four years. As what concerns the aspects of health, 73.3 of the elderly presented hearing difficulties, 90% make use of medicines predominantly to diabetes and hypertension. There is clear evidence that the institutionalization has been harmful to the elderly as with regards basic activities of daily living, nutritional status and cognitive aspects. Conclusion: the progressive disability in functional activities of daily life interferes directly in the quality of life, increasing dependency and minimizing the autonomy of these individuals. It is necessary to effective implementation of public policies directed to the institutionalized elderly from the perspective of effective actions for improved attention and assistance. Descriptors: Aged, Institutionalization, Aging, Facilities for the Aged.

  5. Quality of life in elderly patients with an ostomy - a study from the population-based PROFILES registry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verweij, N M; Bonhof, C S; Schiphorst, A H W; Maas, H A; Mols, F; Pronk, A; Hamaker, M E

    2018-04-01

    Ostomies are being placed frequently in surgically treated elderly patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). An insight into the (potential) impact of ostomies on quality of life (QoL) could be useful in patient counselling as well as in the challenging shared treatment decision-making. Patients with CRC diagnosed between 2000 and 2009 and registered in the population-based Eindhoven Cancer Registry received a QoL questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) in 2010. In addition, QoL was compared with an age- and sex-matched normative population. The study included 2299 CRC patients, of whom 494 had an ostomy. No differences were found in reported ostomy-related problems between patients aged ≤65, 66-75 and ≥76 years. Ostomy patients aged 66-75 and ≥76 years reported significantly lower physical functioning compared with those without an ostomy. In the elderly (those aged ≥76 years) ostomates reported a worse physical and social functioning compared with the normative population. All these differences were of small clinical relevance. The impact of an ostomy seems to be more prominent in younger (≤75 years old) ostomates, as they experience more functional limitations and a decrease in global health status compared with younger nonostomy patients and the normative population. Although elderly (≥76 years old) patients with an ostomy report significantly more limitations in functioning compared with a normative population and elderly CRC patients without an ostomy, the clinical relevance of this finding is limited. In contrast, the impact of an ostomy is more prominent in younger patients. Thus, age itself is not a reason for withholding an ostomy. Colorectal Disease © 2017 The Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland.

  6. Profile of mental disorders among the elderly United Arab Emirates population: sociodemographic correlates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghubash, Rafia; El-Rufaie, Omer; Zoubeidi, Taoufik; Al-Shboul, Qasim M; Sabri, Sufyan M

    2004-04-01

    To investigate the prevalence, nature and sociodemographic correlates of mental disorders among the elderly United Arab Emirates (UAE) population. STUDY SUBJECTS AND SAMPLE: UAE nationals aged 60 years or more, were recruited from within a random sample of households representing the UAE national population, irrespective of the age of individuals in each household. RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS: (i) Geriatric Mental State Interview (GMS-A3): an Arabic version, using the AGECAT for analysis; (ii) A short questionnaire for relevant sociodemographic data. Purposely trained, Arabic speaking interviewers visited the targeted sample households to interview study subjects at their homes. The total number of screened subjects was 610: 166 (27.2%) in Al-Ain; 286 (46.9%) in Dubai and 158 (25.9%) in Ras Al-Khaimah. There were 347 (56.9%) male subjects and 263 (43.1%) female subjects. The mean age of the interviewed subjects was 68.6 (SD 8.3). The commonest diagnostic entities at the AGECAT syndrome case level were depression (20.2%), anxiety (5.6%), hypochondriasis (4.4%) and organic, mostly cognitive impairment with or without dementia (3.6%). Organic syndrome caseness, as an independent entity, showed significant correlation only to older age, while the rest of the mental disorders showed significant correlation with female gender, insufficient income and being single, separated, divorced or widowed. The GMS-AGECAT package proved to be a useful tool for psychiatric assessment among the elderly in this Arabian culture. The prevalence rates of mental disorders among the elderly UAE population were, more or less, within the same range reported by other comparable worldwide studies. Copyright 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  7. Comparison of the OHIP-14 and GOHAI as measures of oral health among elderly in Lebanon

    OpenAIRE

    El Osta Nada; Tubert-Jeannin Stephanie; Hennequin Martine; Bou Abboud Naaman Nada; El Osta Lana; Geahchan Negib

    2012-01-01

    Abstract Background The respective abilities of the GOHAI and OHIP-14 to discriminate between aged patients with different levels of oral diseases have rarely been studied in developing countries. The aim of this study was to compare the discriminative abilities of the OHIP-14 and the GOHAI in an elderly Lebanese population, and particularly to identify persons with different masticatory function. Methods A sample of elderly, aged 65 years or more, living independently was recruited in two pr...

  8. Ambient Assisted Living : Italian forum 2013

    CERN Document Server

    Siciliano, Pietro; Germani, Michele; Monteriù, Andrea

    2014-01-01

    This book presents the refereed proceedings of the Fourth Italian Forum on Ambient Assisted Living (AAL), held in Ancona, Italy, in October 2013. A wide range of issues are covered, and new technological developments are described which will support the autonomy and independence of individuals with special needs through an innovative and integrated approach, designed to respond to the socio-economic challenges of an aging population. Topics addressed include: health and well-being, prevention and rehabilitation, and support for care providers; active aging and its social implications; services for the frail elderly with health problems and their families; nutrition; ICT platforms/technologies for the benefit of the elderly; home automation and control technologies (autonomy, safety, and energy saving); smart cities and smart communities; telemedicine, telerehabilitation, and telecare; mobility, participation, and social inclusion; games and fun for the elderly; building design; social housing; interface desig...

  9. The nonuse of free health-screening by rural elderly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williams, G O; Dueker, D L

    1985-01-01

    We studied the population of noninstitutionalized elderly persons in Iowa County, Iowa, who had not used a well-elderly clinic offering free home or clinic assessments by a nurse. Questionnaires were administered by trained interviewers to a sample of the nonuser population, 60 years of age and over (n = 360). Fifty-five percent did not know that there was a well-elderly clinic in the county in spite of widespread advertising. Nonusers who had heard of the clinic were more highly educated and had more transportation problems than nonusers who were aware of the clinic. Sixty percent of those who saw no point in going to a doctor if they were feeling well were unaware of the clinic. Nonusers tended to be older, living on farms, mobile, long-time residents, and 54 percent had less than a high school education. The cost of health care was not a problem. The major reason given for not using the clinic was that the person was "under a doctor's care." Those who had no regular doctor did not plan to use the clinic because they felt healthy.

  10. Report on the Elderly 1998

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    M.M.Y. de Klerk; J.M. Timmermans

    2000-01-01

    Report on the Elderly 1998 describes various aspects of the living circumstances of the elderly: the labour market position, financial situation, housing circumstances, health and uptake of health care. Extensive attention is also devoted to the scale and consequences of psychiatric disorders

  11. The CIRDO Corpus: Comprehensive Audio/Video Database of Domestic Falls of Elderly People

    OpenAIRE

    Vacher , Michel; Bouakaz , Saida; Bobillier-Chaumon , Marc-Eric; Aman , F; Khan , Rizwan Ahmed; Bekkadja , S; Portet , François; Guillou , Erwan; Rossato , S; Lecouteux , Benjamin

    2016-01-01

    International audience; Ambient Assisted Living aims at enhancing the quality of life of older and disabled people at home thanks to Smart Homes. In particular, regarding elderly living alone at home, the detection of distress situation after a fall is very important to reassure this kind of population. However, many studies do not include tests in real settings, because data collection in this domain is very expensive and challenging and because of the few available data sets. The CIRDOcorpu...

  12. Mental status of the elderly receiving home health services and the associated stress of home helpers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagatomo, I; Takigawa, M

    1998-01-01

    One hundred and ninety elderly people receiving home health service were investigated. The intellectual levels, depressive state evaluated by the Cornell scale for depression in dementia (CSDD) scale, abnormal behaviors evaluated by the dementia behavior disturbance (DBD) scale, and activities of daily living (ADL) were examined. These assessments were performed by 72 skilled home helpers who also assessed the severity of their own level of stress using the Burnout scale. The intellectual level and mood-related signs, based on the CSDD scale, of the elderly living with families or with a spouse were diminished significantly as compared to the elderly living alone. The elderly living with families also performed worse on all ADL categories except for visual acuity as compared to the elderly living with a spouse or living alone. There was no significant correlation between the Burnout scale score and age or frequency of working as a home helper. These results suggest that elderly people living with families as compared to the elderly living with a spouse or living alone have greater mental health needs as well as more profound physical limitations.

  13. Social Problems of Families Caring for a Frail Elderly Referrals to Public Hospitals Clinics in Karaj City

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    Mehrzad Babaei

    2007-04-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: One of the most important challenges for modem societies is the increasing of elder population. Caring these people is also another important matter for health systems. Families do most of caring responsibilities of the elders who face with many problems for meeting the elders' needs. The aim of this study was to determine the problems of families caring a frail elder who came to the clinics of public hospitals in karaj city in 2002. Methods & Materials: this study was a correlational descriptive research that 90 families were selected through purposive sampling. Data collection tool was a questionnaire. The method of data collection was interview and then filling the questionnaires by the researcher. Results: findings of the study showed that the age range of elders was 77±9, most of them came to the hospitals for heart diseases. The activity of daily living independency score was 46±5.7. The majority of help and support of elders was done by women. Most of families expressed the social family relationship problems from high to medium level, the leisure activity problems from medium to high level and the economical problems from medium to high level. All of woman expressed doing job problems from high to medium level and most of men expressed these problems from medium to low level. As a whole, women caregivers' problems were more than men caregivers' problems. Also the results showed that, an increase in the elder age, dependency in activity of daily living, mental and cognitive disorders of the elder and the time of physical support of the elder by other members would increase. Conclusion: this study show, in regards to increasing the elder population in our country special planning must be designed and done as programs for elders and their families. In case of continuity of caring the elders and not supporting these families by health systems, possibility of existing burnout and burden in them will as such so that elder abuse

  14. Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS: A Tool for Assessment of Depression in Elderly

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    Vandana A. Kakrani

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: India is in the process of rapid demographic progression of increased life expectancy and aging with geriatric population of 7.2 percent which is estimated to rise to 20 percent in 2050. With increasing geriatric population elderly with dementia and associated depressive illness are expected to rise in number to almost an epidemic. Among the morbidity encountered in elderly, depressive disorders are common. Aim & Objectives: The present study was conducted with the objective to assess the extent and degree of depression in elderly, and study some correlates associated with depression in them. Material & Methods: The study was carried out at geriatric clinic of Dr. D. Y. Patil Medical College, Pune under the guidance of department of community medicine. Methodology:The randomly selected elderly above the age of 60 years attending the clinic and willing to participate in study were administered the questionnaire of Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS, scores were given, based on which the subjects were categorized as mild, moderate and severe. Those with score >5 were considered as suggestive of depression and some factors studied were analysed to find out their association with depression. Results: It was revealed that the proportion of elderly having depression was 52.4% with 84.6% of depressed in age group of 76-80 years. Moderate to severe type was more commonly seen in illiterate; however some degree of depression was present in all elderly irrespective of literacy status. Moderate to severe type was seen more commonly in elderly living in nuclear families (23.8%, and living alone (33.3%. Thus more than half of elderly studied were having depression, and it was observed that as the age advanced the degree of depression significantly increased. Some of the factors studied like low education status, poor economic status, nuclear family status, single status, loneliness, were associated with depression. The GDS Scale can be considered as

  15. Cardiovascular disease, risk factors and heart rate variability in the elderly general population: Design and objectives of the CARdiovascular disease, Living and Ageing in Halle (CARLA Study

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    Kuss Oliver

    2005-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The increasing burden of cardiovascular diseases (CVD in the ageing population of industrialized nations requires an intensive search for means of reducing this epidemic. In order to improve prevention, detection, therapy and prognosis of cardiovascular diseases on the population level in Eastern Germany, it is necessary to examine reasons for the East-West gradient of CVD morbidity and mortality, potential causal mechanisms and prognostic factors in the elderly. Psychosocial and nutritional factors have previously been discussed as possible causes for the unexplained part of the East-West gradient. A reduced heart rate variability appears to be associated with cardiovascular disease as well as with psychosocial and other cardiovascular risk factors and decreases with age. Nevertheless, there is a lack of population-based data to examine the role of heart rate variability and its interaction with psychosocial and nutritional factors regarding the effect on cardiovascular disease in the ageing population. There also is a paucity of epidemiological data describing the health situation in Eastern Germany. Therefore, we conduct a population-based study to examine the distribution of CVD, heart rate variability and CVD risk factors and their associations in an elderly East German population. This paper describes the design and objectives of the CARLA Study. Methods/design For this study, a random sample of 45–80 year-old inhabitants of the city of Halle (Saale in Eastern Germany was drawn from the population registry. By the end of the baseline examination (2002–2005, 1750 study participants will have been examined. A multi-step recruitment strategy aims at achieving a 70 % response rate. Detailed information is collected on own and family medical history, socioeconomic, psychosocial, behavioural and biomedical factors. Medical examinations include anthropometric measures, blood pressure of arm and ankle, a 10-second and a 20

  16. Fatal neglect of the elderly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ortmann, C; Fechner, G; Bajanowski, T; Brinkmann, B

    2001-01-01

    Maltreatment of the elderly is a common problem that affects more than 3% of the elderly. We report on two cases of fatal neglect. Risk factors of victims and caregivers were analysed in the context of the social history. In both cases, the victims had a dominant personality and the abusers (the sons) had been strictly controlled and formed by the parent. The victims showed typical risk factors such as living together with the abuser, isolation, dependence on care, income and money administration. Initially, the victims declined help from outside and self-neglect occurred. The unemployed perpetrators lived in social isolation and depended financially and mentally on the victims. In both cases no mental illness was present but there was a decrease of social competence. Legal medicine is predominantly involved in fatal cases in connection with external post-mortem examinations and autopsies. Also in the living, the medico-legal expert can assist in the identification of findings in elderly persons in cases of suspected abuse.

  17. Quality of life, perceptions of change, and psychological well-being of the elderly population in small rural towns in the Midwest.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cantarero, Rodrigo; Potter, James

    2014-01-01

    This study examines the quality of life of the elderly residents of two rural Nebraska towns, both having experienced a large increase in population. The study examines how the residents' perception of changes in the community affect their view of quality of life, and identifies determinants of psychological well-being for these elderly residents. The results are compared to the non-elderly residents of these two communities for purposes of contrast. A face-to-face survey of the residents addressed physical, social/cultural, economic, and service issues. Both correlation and regression were used to analyze the data. The quality of life of the elderly residents in our study, in terms of satisfaction with the various components of general well-being--home and neighborhood, accessibility and adequacy of services (including transportation), health and safety--were very positive or satisfactory; this applies equally to the non-elderly population, with the exception of access to public transportation.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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 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.

  19. A Descriptive Study of Television in the Lives of an Elderly Population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Richard Harding

    This study sought to determine what influence the following variables had upon the television viewing by an older audience: age, sex, marital status, work status, mobility, health, income, living arrangements, individual interpersonal relationships, family and friends, and the language spoken. Subjects included 300 urban residents and 174 suburban…

  20. Adverse effects of outdoor pollution in the elderly

    Science.gov (United States)

    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

  1. Factors associated with chronic diseases among the elderly receiving treatment under the Family Health Strategy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pimenta, Fernanda Batista; Pinho, Lucinéia; Silveira, Marise Fagundes; Botelho, Ana Cristina de Carvalho

    2015-08-01

    The profile of a sample population of elderly receiving treatment under the Family Health Strategy in the municipality of Teófilo Otoni, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, is described, and the factors associated with diseases prevalence examined. Using simple random sampling, 385 elderly were interviewed using Form A and Elderly Form from the Primary Health Care Information System. The majority of the sample (83.1%) self-reported at least one disease, 69.9% had hypertension, and 17.7% had diabetes. Poisson regression analysis showed that the main factors associated with hypertension and other diseases were being non-white, having a low level of education, medication use, dental prosthesis use, and lack of a private health plan. The prevalence of diabetes was greater among women and individuals who depended on other people to live. It can be concluded that this sample population of elderly has a generally low socioeconomic status and are more susceptible to developing diseases, particularly hypertension. Diabetes should be controlled although had relatively low prevalence. It is suggested investments in structuring the health system network to provide adequate care for the elderly and in training health professionals to play an effective role in improving the quality of life of the elderly in Brazil.

  2. Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma in the Elderly: Real World Outcomes of Immunochemotherapy in Asian Population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Byun, Ja Min; Lee, Jeong-Ok; Kang, Beodeul; Kim, Ji-Won; Kim, Se Hyun; Kim, Jin Won; Kim, Yu Jung; Lee, Keun-Wook; Bang, Soo-Mee; Lee, Jong Seok

    2016-09-01

    We evaluated the real-life treatment outcomes of elderly patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma from a homogenous Asian population and defined the cutoff age for "elderly." The medical records of 192 DLBCL patients aged > 60 years who had received first-line immunochemotherapy were retrospectively evaluated. The treatment schedule, adverse events, and survival outcomes were analyzed overall and stratified by 4 age groups (> 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, and ≥ 75 years). Patient age of ≥ 75 years was associated with a significantly lower complete remission rate (86.5% vs. 81.4% vs. 82.0% vs. 51%; P population, 75 years seems to be a judicious cutoff for predicting treatment outcomes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Fall prevention by nursing assistants among community-living elderly people. A randomised controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fahlström, Gunilla; Kamwendo, Kitty; Forsberg, Jenny; Bodin, Lennart

    2017-08-29

    Falls among elderly are a major public health issue in Sweden. The aim was to determine whether nursing assistants can prevent falls by supervising community-living elderly individuals with a history of falling in performing individually designed home exercise programmes. A randomised controlled trial was performed in Sweden, in eight municipalities in the county of Örebro, during 2007-2009. Community-living persons 65 years or older having experienced at least one fall during the last 12 months were included. The intervention group consisted of 76 participants, and there were 72 in the control group. The interventions were free of charge and were shared between a physiotherapist and a nursing assistant. The former designed a programme aiming to improve balance, leg strength and walking ability. The nursing assistant supervised the performance of activities during eight home visits during a 5-month intervention period. The measures and instruments used were health-related quality of life (SF-36), activity of daily living (ADL-staircase), balance, (Falls Efficacy Scale, and Berg Balance Scale), walking ability (Timed Up and Go and the 3-metre walking test), leg strength, (chair stand test). All participants were asked to keep a structured calendar of their physical exercise, walks and occurrence of falls during their 12-month study period. Hospital healthcare consumption data were collected. Although the 5-month intervention did not significantly decrease the risk for days with falls, RR 1.10 (95% CI 0.58, 2.07), p = 0.77, significant changes in favour of the intervention group were noted for balance (p = 0.03), ADL (p = 0.035), bodily pain (p = 0.003) and reported health transition over time (p = 0.008) as well as less hospital care due to fractures (p = 0.025). Additional studies with more participants are needed to establish whether or not falls can be significantly prevented with this model which is workable in home-based fall prevention. © 2017

  4. Viral hepatitis in the elderly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  5. Ethnicity, Social Support, and Depression Among Elderly Chilean People.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gallardo-Peralta, Lorena P; Sánchez-Moreno, Esteban; López De Roda, Ana Barrón; Arias Astray, Andrés

    2015-01-01

    Recent evidence regarding the relationship between social support and depression in elderly people shows the important role of ethnicity. This research describes the characteristics of social support in a sample of elderly people aged 60 and above living in northern Chile (n = 493), and analyzes the differences in the relationship between social support and depression between an indigenous group (Aymara population, n = 147) and a nonindigenous group (white, Caucasian, mestizo, n = 346). Various dimensions of social support were considered: structural elements, functional social support according to source, and community participation. The results show the existence of significant differences in the characteristics and dimensions of social support depending on sex, ethnicity, and marital status. Further, the central role of the family group is observed for both Aymara and nonindigenous elderly people. The hierarchical regression models obtained result in notable differences in the role of the structural, functional, and community elements of support in explaining depression for the ethnic groups considered.

  6. Assessing Quality Of Life and related factors in Bushehr,s elders – 1387-8

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nasrin Zahmatkeshan

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available  Background & Objective : Added to human life and achievements of the 21st century is one of the elderly population. Age increase is not disease it is a normal change that affect everybody. Elders should be support due to aging, decrease their abilities and high risk conditions. Their needs will be asses and evaluate in physical, social and spiritual aspects .Therefore this study was done for assess quality of life and related factors in elders population in Bushehr. Methods & Materials: This is descript - analytic study that was done on 360 elders in Bushehr. Method of sampling was cluster random sampling. In this study use of two questionnaires include demographic data questionnaire and SF-36 questionnaire for assess QOL. Data collected through client interview. Data were collected, recoding and analysis by SPSS 13 and descript - analytical statistic tests. Results: Results showed that mean scores of physical and mental health of Bushehr,s elders is below 50. So, results showed that physical and mental health aspects of quality of life have significant statistical correlation with economic status (p<0.001, employment (p<0.001, chronic illness (p<0.001, educational level (p<0,001, insurance service (p<0.001 and owner house (p<0.001 and no significant interrelation with sex, activity daily living and life condition. No significant interrelation between men and women in quality of life aspects. Conclusion: According to mean score of QOL in this study was 0-100, results showed that mean score of Bushehr,s elders population is below 50, and this is need to pay attention . Therefore, managers should be considered suitable plan for better quality of life in elderly.

  7. Prevalence of radiographic lumbar spondylosis and its association with low back pain in elderly subjects of population-based cohorts: the ROAD study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muraki, S; Oka, H; Akune, T; Mabuchi, A; En-Yo, Y; Yoshida, M; Saika, A; Suzuki, T; Yoshida, H; Ishibashi, H; Yamamoto, S; Nakamura, K; Kawaguchi, H; Yoshimura, N

    2009-09-01

    Although lumbar spondylosis is a major cause of low back pain and disability in elderly people, few epidemiological studies have been performed. The prevalence of radiographic lumbar spondylosis was investigated in a large-scale population study and the association with low back pain was examined. From a nationwide cohort study (Research on Osteoarthritis Against Disability; ROAD), 2288 participants aged > or =60 years (818 men and 1470 women) living in urban, mountainous and coastal communities were analysed. The radiographic severity at lumbar intervertebral levels from L1/2 to L5/S was determined by Kellgren/Lawrence (KL) grading. In the overall population the prevalence of radiographic spondylosis with KL> or =2 and > or =3 at the severest intervertebral level was 75.8% and 50.4%, respectively, and that of low back pain was 28.8%. Although KL> or =2 spondylosis was more prevalent in men, KL> or =3 spondylosis and low back pain were more prevalent in women. Age and body mass index were risk factors for both KL > or =2 and KL> or =3 spondylosis. Although KL = 2 spondylosis was not significantly associated with low back pain compared with KL = 0 or 1, KL> or =3 spondylosis was related to the pain only in women. This cross-sectional study in a large population revealed a high prevalence of radiographic lumbar spondylosis in elderly subjects. Gender seems to be distinctly associated with KL> or =2 and KL> or =3 lumbar spondylosis, and disc space narrowing with or without osteophytosis in women may be a risk factor for low back pain.

  8. Mini-Mental State Examination in Elderly Chinese: A Population-Based Normative Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Hanzhi; Jia, Jianping; Yang, Zhiqiang

    2016-05-07

    Chinese nationwide norms of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) have not been established despite its wide use. To obtain norms for the MMSE based on age, gender, education, and rural or urban residences and to determine the optimal cut-off points of the MMSE in elderly Chinese. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Chinese community residents aged 65 years or over selected by cluster random sampling. The MMSE was administered to 9,629 subjects (7,110 cognitively normal, 2,024 with mild cognitive impairment, and 495 with dementia). The demographic influences on MMSE scores were investigated and the norms were established considering those factors. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to determine the optimal cut-off points. Years of education (standardized β= 0.399), rural residence (standardized β= -0.261), age (standardized β= -0.198), and being female (standardized β= -0.101) had significant effects on MMSE scores (p < 0.001). Accordingly, we presented the demographic-stratified normative data for the MMSE. The optimal cut-off points for dementia screening were 16/17 for illiterate (sensitivity 87.6% and specificity 80.8%), 19/20 for individuals with 1-6 years of education (sensitivity 93.6% and specificity 92.7%), and 23/24 for individuals with 7 or more years of education (sensitivity 94.3% and specificity 94.3%). We provide the age-, gender-, education-, and residence-specific reference norms for the MMSE derived from an investigation of a large-scale, multicenter, nationwide representative Chinese elderly population. It could be of great improvement for the use of the MMSE in dementia screening in Chinese elderly population.

  9. Association of sarcopenia with swallowing problems, related to nutrition and activities of daily living of elderly individuals

    OpenAIRE

    Shiozu, Hiroyasu; Higashijima, Misako; Koga, Tomoshige

    2015-01-01

    [Purpose] The purpose of the current study was to clarify problems associated with swallowing, related to nutrition and activities of daily living (ADL), in elderly individuals with sarcopenia. [Subjects and Methods] Seventy-seven subjects were assigned to a sarcopenia or a non-sarcopenia group according to a definition used by the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People. Analyses were conducted including and excluding subjects with a central nervous system disorders in order to ...

  10. Disability and quality of life in community-dwelling elderly cancer survivors: Case-control study in the Korean population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Myung Kyung

    2016-10-01

    Advanced age is a significant risk factor for cancer and functional disabilities increase with age. The purpose of this case-control study of Korean individuals was to determine the effect of cancer and cancer treatment on functional disability and quality of life (QOL). Thus, we compared community-dwelling elderly cancer patients (ECPs) with individuals from the general elderly population (GEP) who never had diagnoses of cancer. We selected 1776 ECP who were at least 65 years-old from the 2008 Korean Community Health Survey data and used propensity score matching to randomly select 1766 individuals from the GEP who closely resembled the ECPs. Functional disability was measured using the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) scale, and QOL was measured by the EuroQol Group EQ-5D. ECPs were more dependent in preparation of food, doing laundry, and shopping (IADL scale), and in mobility and usual activities (EQ-5D). Although ECP had more problems with pain, discomfort, anxiety, and depression, they were more independent in self-care and handling of financial responsibilities. ECPs had multiple physical and psychological symptoms that adversely affected functional disability and QOL, but higher functional ability, such as self-care and handling of financial responsibilities. Promotion of self-care by ECPs is pivotal for effective management in community practice. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Sociodemographic characteristics of the elderly forced migrants in Serbia

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    Lukić Vesna

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available In the context of the needs and rights of older migrants, migration history is particularly important where the elderly forced migrants are twice as vulnerable. Bearing in mind the intense process of population aging in Serbia which holds the attention of scientists and experts, and the large number of refugees who immigrated in the 90-ies from the former Yugoslav republics, selected sociodemographic structures of the elderly forced migrants in Serbia were analyzed as well as the relevant legal and strategic framework. The aim was to contribute to increasing knowledge of the demographic challenges of this subpopulation of forced migrants, as well as the differences relative to the domicile aging population. The data used in this study included a contingent of forced migrants aged 65 and over, on the basis of additionally processed Census data from 2011, based on questions about the place of birth of the person, year of arrival, the country in which the person lived and the reasons for migration. Hence, the category which is the subject of research, is not defined on the basis of formal refugee status. A comparison of selected sociodemographic characteristics was made in relation to the domicile population, which in the paper means the population of Serbia without forced migrants. The research results indicate that older forced migrants in Serbia have characteristics of the general population of older people in Serbia. Their age gender and marital structures are relatively similar. Most older women are widows who are heads of households, while a significant number are persons with disabilities as well. However, the process of aging of the elderly, present within the local population has not affected forced migrants yet, so this population is to some extent more vital. Data on the economic activity of the elderly forced migrants in Serbia point out to the lack of income as the main problem they are faced with. Older forced migrants are

  12. ASSESSMENT OF FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY OF THE ELDERLY BELONGING TO THE COVERAGE AREA OF AN ESF-CÁCERES-MT

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    Kainã Jerônimo Rodrigues

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Aging is a universal biological process and progressive and each passing day the number of elderly grows significantly. Parallel to this fact, increases the prevalence of chronic and disabling diseases that compromise the independence and autonomy of the elderly, reflecting negatively on their quality of life. Objective: To evaluate the functional capacity of the elderly, check morbidities and behavioral aspects of this population. Methods: We applied a questionnaire preset, the scale of Lawton and Katz in 104 elderly who lived in the area covered by the Family Health Strategy, aged more than sixty years. Results: Most of the elderly is independent for all ADL and IADL. Regarding the behavioral aspects that negatively and positively to the health of the elderly (smoking, alcohol consumption and exercise are not practiced by most of them. Note that the prevalent diseases are hypertension and diabetes. Conclusion: Thus, the professional must be aware of the situational analysis of part of the fastest growing population in Brazil and empower themselves to meet their needs holistically, preventing diseases and promoting health for the independence and autonomy characteristics are expressive and significant this age group.

  13. The Lived Experience of Spirituality by the Elderly Parents of Children with Intellectual Disability: A Phenomenological Study

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    Arya Hamedanchi

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: Over the next 30 years there will be a considerable increase in the number of elderly parents of children with intellectual disability. The present article is a part of a phenomenological study on the lived experience of elderly parents of children with intellectual disability which focuses on the issue of spirituality. There is insufficient scientific evidences related to this important phenomenon. Methods & Materials: Based on a purposeful sampling, ten elderly parents of children with intellectual disability (5 mothers and 5 fathers took part in the un-structured deep interviews. The data were analyzed using a Colaizzi phenomenological approach. Results: “Spirituality” was one of the four identified emergent themes. The other emergent themes were “Bitterness” ,”Emotional attachment”, ”Support satisfaction”. Despite of having difficulties in caregiving to the child with disability, the parents appreciate God and consider the child as his will. They also trust in God when facing problems. Conclusion: In the current study, spirituality was emerged as an important theme. The participants do believe that having a child with disability is God's will and even his bless. In this way of thinking, suffering and sorrows become tolerable, less painful and even valuable. Spirituality could be considered as a part of care plans for the elderly parents of children with intellectual disability. Since this phenomenon is a process it would be better to investigate that by Grounded Theory approach.

  14. Sex differences in subjective and actigraphic sleep measures: A population-based study of elderly persons

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Berg, J.F. van den; Miedema, H.M.E.; Tulen, J.H.M.; Hofman, A.; Neven, A.K.; Tiemeier, H.

    2009-01-01

    Study Objectives: To investigate and explain sex differences in subjective and actigraphic sleep parameters in community-dwelling elderly persons. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: The study was embedded in the Rotterdam Study, a population-based study. Participants: Nine hundred fifty-six

  15. Health Promotion Behaviours and Level of Activities of Daily Living and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Among Elderly People in West Region of Tehran: A Cross-Sectional Survey

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    Aghil Habibi Sola

    2007-10-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: As individuals live longer, health promotion behaviors get even more important, particularly with regard to maintaining functional independence and improving quality of life. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between health promotion behaviors and level of Activities of Daily Living (ADL and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL among elderly people in west region of Tehran. Methods & Materials: This was a descriptive-correlational study. A multi-stage sample of 410 community residents who were over 60 years old were selected from west region of Tehran. Participants who consented to participate in the study were interviewed with a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of 2-part; Health Promotion Behavior Checklist and questions related to status of physical functioning, which includes activities of daily living (ADLs and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs. Descriptive statistics and T-test were used to data analysis. Results: The results of the study showed that there were significant relations between ADLs and ' exercise or walking', 'drinking milk, eating dairy and meat', 'eating vegetables and fruits', 'low salt diet' and 'low fat diet' (P<0.05. Furthermore there were significant relations between the IADLs and 'smoking cessation', 'alcohol abstinence', 'exercise or walking', 'drinking milk, eating dairy and meat', 'eating vegetables and fruits', 'low salt diet' and 'low fat diet' (P<0.05. Conclusion: Study showed, health promotion behaviors and level of ADL and IADL are related meaningfully. Health care professionals should enhance the physical functioning in elderly people by facilitating health promotion behaviors through formal health promotion programs which focus on regular diet, exercise, and regular physical check-ups which will maintain and increase a healthy and active life.

  16. Development of a cognitive screening instrument for tribal elderly population of Himalayan region in northern India

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    Sunil Kumar Raina

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Cognitive impairment, characteristic of dementia, is measured objectively by standard neuropsychological (cognitive tests. Given the diversity of culture and language in India, it is difficult to use a single modified version of MMSE uniformly to Indian population. In this article, we report methods on the development of a cognitive screening instrument suitable for the tribal (Bharmour elderly (60 years and above population of Himachal Pradesh, India. Materials and Methods: We used a systematic, item-by-item, process for development of a modified version of MMSE suitable for elderly tribal population. Results: The modifications made in the English version of MMSE and the pretesting and pilot testing thereof resulted in the development of Bharmouri version of cognitive scale. Discussion: The study shows that effective modifications can be made to existing tests that require reading and writing; and that culturally sensitive modifications can be made to render the test meaningful and relevant, while still tapping the appropriate cognitive domains.

  17. Population Aging in the European Information Societies: Towards a Comprehensive Research Agenda in eHealth Innovations for Elderly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vancea, Mihaela; Solé-Casals, Jordi

    2016-08-01

    Population ageing is one of the major social and economic challenges of our contemporary societies. With the advent of the information society, new research and technological developments have been promoted in the field of assistive technologies and information and communication technologies of benefit to elderly people. This article examines the potentialities of new informatics developments in generating solutions to better address elderly people's daily-life, especially those with chronic illness and/or low autonomy. The authours attempt to propose a research agenda, by exposing various strengts and weaknesses of eHealth innovations for elderly, mainly grounded in secondary sources analysis.

  18. Population Aging in the European Information Societies: Towards a Comprehensive Research Agenda in eHealth Innovations for Elderly

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vancea, Mihaela; Solé-Casals, Jordi

    2016-01-01

    Population ageing is one of the major social and economic challenges of our contemporary societies. With the advent of the information society, new research and technological developments have been promoted in the field of assistive technologies and information and communication technologies of benefit to elderly people. This article examines the potentialities of new informatics developments in generating solutions to better address elderly people’s daily-life, especially those with chronic illness and/or low autonomy. The authours attempt to propose a research agenda, by exposing various strengts and weaknesses of eHealth innovations for elderly, mainly grounded in secondary sources analysis. PMID:27493837

  19. Clinical epidemiology of reduced kidney function among elderly male fishing and agricultural population in Taipei, Taiwan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuo, Chi-Mei; Chien, Wu-Hsiung; Shen, Hsi-Che; Hu, Yi-Chun; Chen, Yu-Fen; Tung, Tao-Hsin

    2013-01-01

    To quantify the prevalence of and associated factors for chronic kidney disease (CKD) among male elderly fishing and agricultural population in Taipei, Taiwan. Subjects (n = 2,766) aged 65 years and over voluntarily admitted to a teaching hospital for a physical checkup were collected in 2010. CKD was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate agricultural population.

  20. The influence of exercise intervention upon quality of life and activity of daily living in elderly people who use nursing care insurance services

    OpenAIRE

    竹内, 亮

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to confirm the importance of enhancing quality of life (QOL) and activity of daily living (ADL) in elderly people, and to examine methods of exercise intervention for QOL and ADL outcomes in elderly people who use nursing care insurance services. Chapter 2 clarifies the relationship between QOL, ADL, and changes in the level of independence in elderly residents. Higher QOL outcomes (sense of well-being, satisfaction with social support, independence, and beh...

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  2. Elderly Healthy Eating Diet-2005 Index Living in Urban Areas of Iran`s Markazi Province

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    Ali Aghanuri

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: The present study aimed to assess elderly “healthy eating diet” -2005 (HED-2005 quality and its relationship to their socio-demographic variables in healthy subjects aged 60 years and over who live in the urban areas of Iran`s Markazi province. Methods & Materials: This study was a descriptive-analytic survey that included 165 elderly in the urban areas of Iran`s Markazi province. Data were obtained via a general questionnaire and three 24-hours recalls. Results: The mean of overall HEI-2005 was 54.08. Ninty-three point three percent (93.3% of subjects consumed grains, 70.9% fruits, 84.2% whole fruit, 47.9% vegetables, 12.7% dark-orange vegetables and legumes, 37% dairy products, 40% meats, 18.8% oils, 40% saturated fats, 1.8% sodium and 1.2% discretionary calories (from solid fat and added sugar in optimal levels. Besides, none of the elderly people had a sufficient intake of whole grains. The HEI-2005 total score enhanced along with the increases in education level (P<0.05, income (P<0.01 and TV watching time (P<0.05. But, age and the HEI-2005 total score had an inverse relationship (P<0.001. Conclusion: Because the diet quality of elderly people in the urban areas of Iran`s Markazi province is low, they will benefit from the improvement of their diet quality. Also, they need to increase intakes of whole grains, dark-orange vegetables and legumes and plant oils, and reduce intakes of sodium and their energy levels from saturated fat and simple sugar. It should be pointed out that the government can help with the achievement of these objectives through some plans such as promoting their literacy level, income and nutritional knowledge.

  3. Increasing prevalence and high incidence of celiac disease in elderly people: a population-based study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vilppula, Anitta; Kaukinen, Katri; Luostarinen, Liisa; Krekelä, Ilkka; Patrikainen, Heikki; Valve, Raisa; Mäki, Markku; Collin, Pekka

    2009-06-29

    Celiac disease may emerge at any age, but little is known of its appearance in elderly people. We evaluated the prevalence of the condition in individuals over 55 years of age, and determined the incidence of biopsy-proven celiac disease (CDb) and celiac disease including seropositive subjects for anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies (CDb+s). The study based on prevalence figures in 2815 randomly selected subjects who had undergone a clinical examination and serologic screening for celiac disease in 2002. A second screening in the same population was carried out in 2005, comprising now 2216 individuals. Positive tissue transglutaminase antibodies were confirmed with small bowel biopsy. Within three years the prevalence of CDb increased from 2.13 to 2.34%, and that of CDb+s from 2.45 to 2.70%. Five new cases were found among patients previously seronegative; two had minor abdominal symptoms and three were asymptomatic. The incidence of celiac disease in 2002-2005 was 0.23%, giving an annual incidence of 0.08% in this population. The prevalence of celiac disease was high in elderly people, but the symptoms were subtle. Repeated screening detected five biopsy-proven cases in three years, indicating that the disorder may develop even in the elderly. Increased alertness to the disorder is therefore warranted.

  4. Patient refusal for regional anesthesia in elderly orthopedic population: A cross-sectional survey at a tertiary care hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salam, Asma Abdus; Afshan, Gauhar

    2016-01-01

    Improvements in pain management techniques in the last decade have had a major impact on the practice of orthopedic surgeries, for example, total hip arthroplasty and total knee arthroplasty. Although there are a number of treatment options for postoperative pain, a gold standard has not been established. In our institution, both general anesthesia and regional anesthesia (RA), are being offered to the elderly orthopedic population but RA is not frequently accepted by elderly population. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of various reasons for refusal of RA in elderly patients undergoing orthopedic surgeries. A prospective study conducted over a period of 1 year, had 549 patients with ages above 60 years who underwent different types of elective orthopedic procedures 182 patients who refused RA were interviewed according to a structured questionnaire designed to assess the reasons of refusal. Most common reason for the refusal of RA was surgeon's choice (38.5%), whereas 20.3% of the patients were unaware about the RA. There was a significant association between female gender and refusing RA due to backache (17.2%) and fear of being awake during the operation (24.1%) respectively. This survey showed that the main reasons among elderly female population were the fear of remaining awake and backache. However, overall it was the surgeon's choice which made patients refuse RA, and the anesthesiologists were the main source of information.

  5. A new microcomputer-based safety and life support system for solitary-living elderly people.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miyauchi, Kosuke; Yonezawa, Yoshiharu; Maki, Hiromichi; Ogawa, Hidekuni; Hahn, Allen W; Caldwell, W Morton

    2003-01-01

    A new safety and life support system has been developed to detect emergency situations of solitary-living elderly persons. The system employs a dual axis accelerometer, two low-power active filters, a low-power 8-bit single chip microcomputer and a personal handy phone. Body movements due to walking, running and posture changes are detected by the dual axis accelerometer and sent to the microcomputer. If the patient is in an inactive state for 5 minutes after falling, or for 64 minutes without previously falling, then the system automatically alarms the emergency situation, via the personal handy phone, to the patient's family, the fire station or the hospital.

  6. Elderly long-stay institutions: possibilities contemporary housing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eliana Novaes Procopio de Araujo

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available The elderly process proposes new challenges. The elderly living will be discussed. The overload in family nucleous direct for the necessity in institutions service. The work about management in psycogerontology services in institutions aimed the humanization of elderly care, families and health professionals. The construction of a new project of life in institutions promotes a better quality of life to elderly, as well as to their families and health professionals.  

  7. Social participation and perceived depression among elderly population in South Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hao, Gang; Bishwajit, Ghose; Tang, Shangfeng; Nie, Changping; Ji, Lu; Huang, Rui

    2017-01-01

    There is a growing consensus regarding the influence of various psychosocial factors such as degree of social participation on health and disease outcomes, quality of life, and general well-being. Older individuals with diminished motor and physical functionality suffer a heightened risk of social exclusion and loneliness. Previous studies have demonstrated the association between social exclusion and loneliness with mental health among the older population. In the present study, we aimed to investigate whether or not difficulty in social participation has any relationship with perceived depression among older individuals in South Africa. We collected cross-sectional data from the SAGE Well-Being of Older People Study 2010 on 422 men and women aged 50 years and above. Perceived depression and loss of interest in things (eg, personal relationships, hobbies) during the last 12 months were used as outcome variables with difficulty in joining community activities, relationships/community participation, friendships, and visiting family/friends as the main explanatory variables. Findings indicated that the prevalence of self-reported depression and the feeling of reduced interest in most things were respectively 51.9% and 43.8%. In the multivariate analysis, those who reported difficulty in joining community activities had respectively 64% (OR =1.639; 95% CI =1.081-2.583) and 69% (OR =1.685; 95% CI) higher odds of depression and loss of interest in things compared with those who did not report any difficulty. The study concludes that addressing the barriers to engaging in community activities may help minimize burden of depression among the elderly population in South Africa. Furthermore, large-scale studies are warranted to explore the social and structural barriers which constrain community participation among the elderly population.

  8. The nutrition situation of free-living elderly in Umlazi township, South Africa

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    Xolile Mkhize

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available The risk for non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, stroke and ischaemic heart disease in the elderly continues to be on the increase. It is shaped and modified by factors such as economic status and experiences across the whole lifespan. Although malnutrition in this population could be due to poor dietary practices, the nutrition transition of communities in South Africa is partially responsible for nutritional problems. Because of the degree of dependency on others for help and care in communities, the elderly are at risk for malnutrition. The elderly of the Umlazi community are overburdened with the social responsibility of grandchildren and trying to bring stability by managing various households. This becomes a double burden and puts more strain on their quality of life, further impacting on their nutritional status. Die risiko vir chroniese siektes soos hipertensie, diabetes, beroerte en hartkwaal is steeds baie hoog in die bejaardes in Suid Afrika. Dit word deur faktore soos ekonomiese status en ervarings oor die hele lewesiklus gevorm en verander. Voedings probleme wat geïndentifiseer is in die studie hou verband met dieettekorte, alhoewel probleme met oorvoeding verband kan hou met die voedings oorgang wat plaasvind in Suid Afrikaanse gemeenskappe. In verskeie gemeenskappe, as gevolg van die graad van afhanklikheid van ander vir hulp en sorg, is die bejaardes blootgestel aan die risiko van wanvoeding. Die bejaardes van die Umlazi gemeenskap is oorlaai met die sosiale verantwoordelikheid van kleinkinders en probeer om verskeie huishoudings te stabiliseer, wat ‘n dubbele las op hulle plaas en dit kan hulle lewenskwaliteit affekteer wat dan hul voedingstatus verder kan vererger.

  9. Risk factors for falls with severe fracture in elderly people living in a middle-income country: a case control study

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    Bloch Katia V

    2008-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Fracture after falling has been identified as an important problem in public health. Most studies of risk factors for fractures due to falls have been carried out in developed countries, although the size of the elderly population is increasing fast in middle income countries. The objective of this paper is to identify risk factors for fall related to severe fractures in those aged 60 or more in a middle-income country. Methods A case-control study was carried out in Rio de Janeiro-Brazil based general hospitals between 2002–2003. Two hundred-fifty hospitalised cases of fracture were matched with 250 community controls by sex, age group and living area. Data were collected for socio-demographic variables, health status and drugs used before the fall. A conditional logistic regression model was fitted to identify variables associated with the risk of fall related severe fracture. Results Low body mass index, cognitive impairment, stroke and lack of urine control were associated with increased risk of severe fall related fractures. Benzodiazepines and muscle relaxants were also related to an increased risk of severe fractures while moderate use of alcohol was associated with reduced risk. Conclusion Although the association between benzodiazepines and fractures due to fall has been consistently demonstrated for old people, this has not been the case for muscle relaxant drugs. The decision to prescribe muscle relaxants for elderly people should take into account the risk of severe fracture associated with these drugs.

  10. Risk factors for falls with severe fracture in elderly people living in a middle-income country: a case control study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coutinho, Evandro S F; Fletcher, Astrid; Bloch, Katia V; Rodrigues, Laura C

    2008-08-26

    Fracture after falling has been identified as an important problem in public health. Most studies of risk factors for fractures due to falls have been carried out in developed countries, although the size of the elderly population is increasing fast in middle income countries. The objective of this paper is to identify risk factors for fall related to severe fractures in those aged 60 or more in a middle-income country. A case-control study was carried out in Rio de Janeiro-Brazil based general hospitals between 2002-2003. Two hundred-fifty hospitalised cases of fracture were matched with 250 community controls by sex, age group and living area. Data were collected for socio-demographic variables, health status and drugs used before the fall. A conditional logistic regression model was fitted to identify variables associated with the risk of fall related severe fracture. Low body mass index, cognitive impairment, stroke and lack of urine control were associated with increased risk of severe fall related fractures. Benzodiazepines and muscle relaxants were also related to an increased risk of severe fractures while moderate use of alcohol was associated with reduced risk. Although the association between benzodiazepines and fractures due to fall has been consistently demonstrated for old people, this has not been the case for muscle relaxant drugs. The decision to prescribe muscle relaxants for elderly people should take into account the risk of severe fracture associated with these drugs.

  11. SMART-ITEM: IoT-Enabled Smart Living

    OpenAIRE

    Kor, A; Pattinson, C; Yanovsky, M; Kharchenko, V

    2017-01-01

    The main goal of this proposed project is to harness the emerging IoT technology to empower elderly population to self-manage their own health, stay active, healthy, and independent as long as possible within a smart and secured living environment. An integrated open-sourced IoT ecosystem will be developed. It will encompass the entire data lifecycle which involves the following processes: data acquisition, data transportation; data integration, processing, manipulation and computation; visua...

  12. Dietary patterns are associated with general and central obesity in elderly living in a Brazilian city

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    Priscila Lucelia Moreira

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Objective: dietary pattern evaluation is often used in order to determine wheter a diet is healthy, as well as to predict the onset of diseases. This study aimed to identify dietary patterns, and to examine their associations with general (body mass index and central (waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio obesity in community-living elderly in a Brazilian city. Methods: this cross-sectional study included 126 elderly subjects aged 60 or older (57.1% females and mean age 74.2 ± 6.46 years. Anthropometric variables, weight, height, waist (WC and hip (HC circumferences, were measured. Body mass index (BMI and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR were calculated. Answers to a Food Frequency Questionnaire were interpreted by Principal Component Analysis in order to identify dietary patterns. Results: five dietary patterns were identified and named as prudent (fruit, vegetables and meat, sweets and fats (pastries, sugary foods, fatty foods, whole milk, typical Brazilian (fried eggs, cooked beans, beef, candy, string beans, fried cassava, Mediterranean (fruit, vegetables, olive oil and nuts and traditional meal (rice and beans. Moderate and high adherences to the Mediterranean pattern were protective factors to general and central obesity (WHR. High adherence to prudent was also protective to central obesity (WC. Conclusion: adherences to the dietary patterns prudent and Mediterranean were protective factors to general and central obesity in elderly.

  13. The association between disability and cognitive impairment in an elderly Tanzanian population

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    Catherine L. Dotchin

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Cognitive impairment is thought to be a major cause of disability worldwide, though data from sub-Saharan Africa (SSA are sparse. This study aimed to investigate the association between cognitive impairment and disability in a cohort of community-dwelling older adults living in Tanzania. The study cohort of 296 people aged 70 years and over was recruited as part of a dementia prevalence study. Subjects were diagnosed as having dementia or mild cognitive impairment according to the DSM-IV criteria. Disability level was assessed according to the WHO Disability Assessment Schedule, version 2.0 (WHODAS. A higher WHODAS score indicates greater disability. The median WHODAS in the background population was 25.0; in those with dementia and in those with mild cognitive impairment, 72 of 78 (92.3% and 41 of 46 (89.1%, respectively, had a WHODAS score above this level. The presence of dementia, mild cognitive impairment, hearing impairment, being unable to walk without an aid and not having attended school were independent predictors of having a WHODAS score above 25.0, though age and gender were not. In summary, cognitive impairment is a significant predictor of disability in elderly Tanzanians. Screening for early signs of cognitive decline would allow management strategies to be put in place that may reduce the associated disability burden.

  14. MOBILE PHONE APPLICATION TO SUPPORT THE ELDERLY

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    Maria Panou

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available There is a significant increase of the elderly population worldwide, which is accompanied with a rise of the number of people living alone. Moreover, many citizens are at risk due to geographic and social isolation in combination with specific chronic conditions. ICT offers new opportunities in the healthcare area, therefore, within the REMOTE research project, several services have been developed and interconnected (targeted at patients with chronic diseases available on Symbian OS mobile platforms and computers. This paper presents the Guardian Angel service on the mobile phone, in order to monitor (unobtrusively the health of the user on the move and alert the medical centre in case of an emergency. The prototype has been evaluated by 30 elderly users and 5 experts, indicating a possible deployment of the application in the healthcare market, but also proposing further improvements for increased usability.

  15. Social Profile Of The Aged In An Urban Population

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    J A Khan

    1997-08-01

    Full Text Available Research Problem: What is the socio-demographic profile of urban aged population in Aligarh city.Objectives: i To describe the socio-demographic profile of the aged population in an urban area, ii To describe the attitude of these people.Design:Cross-sectional study.Setting : Urban areas of Aligarh city.Participants : 3951 persons aged 60 years and aboveStudy Variables: Socio-demographic characteristics, attitudes.Statistical Analysis : By proportions.Result: 15% of the total estimated elderly population covering all 10 sectors of Aligarh city was studied. The majority ofthe elderly (72.4% belonged to 60-70 years age group. Most of them (77.2% were illiterate, 61.6% belonged to lower socio-economic classes (IV & V, 78.1 % lived in joint families. 39.6% of the aged felt that they were not being given due respect by family members. Nearly half of them had an indifferent or unhappy attitude towards life.Conclusion: The socio-demographic characteristics of the aged are important and must be kept in mind for developing programs to assist them in living as respectful senior citizens.

  16. Offspring caregivers' depression affected by intergenerational disagreements on preferred living arrangement for the elderly: A phenomena with Chinese characteristic.

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    Guo, Lihua; Zhang, Jie; Ma, Wei; Sha, Xiaojuan; Yi, Xiangren; Zhang, Bingyin; Wang, Chunping; Wang, Shumei

    2015-01-01

    This study aimed to explore whether the depression of offspring caregivers can be affected by the intergenerational disagreements on preferred living arrangements for the elderly, and the extent of this influence. A total of 875 participants from five urban neighborhoods were investigated in a cross-sectional survey in Jinan, China. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS). Multiple stratification was performed based on participants' characteristics, then generalized linear models (GLM) were used to adjust confounding factor and analyze the effect of the intergenerational disagreements on depressive symptoms among participants with different characteristics. The intergenerational disagreements on preferred living arrangements for the elderly greatly impact on offspring caregivers' depressive symptoms. Especially in the following two situations: (1) in the case of older adults were relatively independent and offspring caregivers had to co-reside with older adults against their own will, the max mean difference on the depression measures was up to 10.603 (pcare older adults against their own will, the max mean difference on the depression measures was up to 8.937 (pelderly have negative effect on offspring caregivers' depressive symptoms. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Quality of life and its contributing factors in an elderly community-dwelling population in Shanghai, China.

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    Shou, Juan; Du, Zhaohui; Wang, Haitang; Ren, Limin; Liu, Yao; Zhu, Shanzhu

    2018-03-01

    We aimed to investigate the relationship between quality of life and the factors that may influence it in an elderly community-dwelling population in Shanghai. From August to October 2014, elderly individuals were enrolled from three randomly selected communities in Shanghai. Participant information was collected from responses to a general questionnaire and to the Lubben Social Network Scale-6, Cumulative Illness Rating Scale for Geriatrics, Patient Health Questionnaire, and the 12-item Short Form Health Survey. The factors influencing quality of life were explored in a multivariate stepwise linear regression model. Physical and mental component summary scores for the elderly in Shanghai communities were 50.1 ± 10.1 and 47.3 ± 7.9, respectively. Physical component summary scores in the rural area were higher than those in the urban-rural intersection area (a place where urban and rural transitions are taking place) (52.32 ± 9.81 vs 49.63 ± 9.33, P < 0.05) and the urban area (52.32 ± 9.81 vs 47.34 ± 10.18, P < 0.05). Additionally, mental component summary scores in the rural area were higher than those in the urban-rural intersection area (52.63 ± 9.28 vs 48.43 ± 9.42, P < 0.05) and the urban area (52.63 ± 9.28 vs 48.13 ± 10.69, P < 0.05). Depression, self-care ability, and medical care burden were found to be significantly associated with the quality of life of elderly individuals in Shanghai, China. Therefore, more attention should be paid to the mental health of this elderly population. © 2018 Japanese Psychogeriatric Society.

  18. A daily living activity remote monitoring system for solitary elderly people.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maki, Hiromichi; Ogawa, Hidekuni; Matsuoka, Shingo; Yonezawa, Yoshiharu; Caldwell, W Morton

    2011-01-01

    A daily living activity remote monitoring system has been developed for supporting solitary elderly people. The monitoring system consists of a tri-axis accelerometer, six low-power active filters, a low-power 8-bit microcontroller (MC), a 1GB SD memory card (SDMC) and a 2.4 GHz low transmitting power mobile phone (PHS). The tri-axis accelerometer attached to the subject's chest can simultaneously measure dynamic and static acceleration forces produced by heart sound, respiration, posture and behavior. The heart rate, respiration rate, activity, posture and behavior are detected from the dynamic and static acceleration forces. These data are stored in the SD. The MC sends the data to the server computer every hour. The server computer stores the data and makes a graphic chart from the data. When the caregiver calls from his/her mobile phone to the server computer, the server computer sends the graphical chart via the PHS. The caregiver's mobile phone displays the chart to the monitor graphically.

  19. Prevalence of undetected cognitive impairment and depression in residents of an elderly care home.

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    Al-Jawad, M; Rashid, A K; Narayan, K A

    2007-12-01

    The elderly population in Malaysia is growing rapidly. Some of the most vulnerable are in residential care. Research is needed into the characteristics of this population to aid clinicians and policy makers in addressing the needs of this group. This observational, cross-sectional study aims to determine prevalence of undetected cognitive impairment and depression in elderly care home residents in Malaysia. One hundred and sixty-seven people over 60 years of age living in a state run residential home were interviewed. Validated assessment tools were used to measure dependency, cognitive impairment and depression. The prevalence of probable dementia is 36.5%, with increasing prevalence with age and level of dependence. Prevalence of depression is 67.0% (major depression 13.2%), with more depression in males and in the Indian population. None of the identified cases had been previously investigated or treated for dementia or depression.

  20. Interest and limits of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) estimation with formulae using creatinine or cystatin C in the malnourished elderly population.

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    Fabre, Emmanuelle E; Raynaud-Simon, Agathe; Golmard, Jean-Louis; Gourgouillon, Nadège; Beaudeux, Jean-Louis; Nivet-Antoine, Valérie

    2010-01-01

    Renal function is often altered in elderly patients. A lot of formulae are proposed to estimate GFR to adjust drug posology. French guidelines recommend the Cockcroft-Gault formula corrected with the body surface area (cCG), but the initially described unadjusted Cockcroft-Gault equation (CG) is mainly used in geriatric clinical practice. International recommendations have proposed the modification of diet in renal disease (MDRD) formula, since several authors recommended the Rule formula using cystatin C (cystC) in particular population. To appreciate the most accurate GFR estimation for posology adaptation in an elderly polypathological population, a cross-sectional study with prospective inclusion was carried out in Charles Foix Hospital. Plasma glucose levels (PGL), creatinine (CREA) levels and serum cystC, albumin (ALB), transthyretin (TTR), C-reactive protein (CRP), orosomucoid (ORO) total cholesterol (tCHOL) levels were determined among 193 elderly patients aged 70 and older. The results showed that in a malnourished, inflamed old population, CG, MDRD and Rule formulae resulted in different estimations of GFR, depending on nutritional and inflammatory parameters. Only cCG estimation was shown to be independent from these parameters. To conclude, cCG seems to be the most accurate and appropriate formula in a polypathological elderly population to evaluate renal function in order to adapt drug posology. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Health Demands Characteristics and Quality of Life in the Elderly Monitored in the Primary Care

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    Jéssica Maria Arouca de Miranda

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Background: To characterize the demands of health and quality of elderly peoplemonitored in the primary care of Rio Grande do Norte/Brazil. Methods and Findings: This is a descriptive, cross-sectional study of a quantitative approach with elderly patients monitored by the primary care. The sample was given for convenience, obtaining 120 participants. The research was conducted through an interview with theapplication of the following questionnaires: Mini Mental State Examination, Socio-demographic Data and Pain Characteristics, Short-Form-36, Mini Nutritional Assessment, the primary activities of daily living, the instrumental activities of daily living, Prism 7 and the Geriatric Depression Scale. Data analysis was performed using the SPSS statistical program, in which descriptive and association tests were used.The main demands were related to functionality, followed by nutritional and geriatric depression. The quality of life presented worse results in the domain of general health status and better scores in the emotional and mental health aspects. Regarding the dimensions, the physical health obtained aworse score. Conclusion: Based on the characterization of the health demands found, it is suggested to perform other studies with the same population, enabling to plan and implementing a multidimensional intervention and improving the quality of life of the elderly people. Keywords: Elderly; Quality of Life; Aging; Elderly Health; Nursing.

  2. Relationship between anthropometric variables and nutrient intake in apparently healthy male elderly individuals: A study from Pakistan

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    Pawelec Graham

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The elderly population is increasing worldwide, which warrants their nutritional status assessment more important. The present study was undertaken to establish the nutritional status of the least-studied elderly population in Pakistan. Methods This was a cross-sectional study with a sample of 526 generally healthy free-living elderly men (mean age: 68.9 yr; range: 50-98 yr from Peshawar, Pakistan. Anthropometric measurements (weight, height, WC were measured and BMI and WHR were calculated from these measurements following WHO standard procedures. Dietary intake was assessed by 24-hr dietary recall. Nutrients were calculated from the information on food intake. Nutrients in terms of % of RNI were calculated using WHO data on recommended intakes. Results Based on BMI, the numbers of obese, overweight and underweight elderly were 13.1, 3.1 and 10.8%, respectively. Age was negatively and significantly correlated with BMI (p = 0.0028. Energy (p = 0.0564 and protein intake (p = 0.0776 tended to decrease with age. There was a significant increase in % BF with age (p = p p Conclusions Malnutrition is common in apparently healthy elderly Pakistani men. Very few elderly have adequate nutrient intake. Obese and overweight had higher % BF as compared to normal weight elderly. Older age is associated with changes not only in anthropometrics and body composition but also in intake of key nutrients like energy and protein.

  3. Use of telemedicine-based care for the aging and elderly: promises and pitfalls

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    Bujnowska-Fedak MM

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Maria Magdalena Bujnowska-Fedak, Urszula Grata-Borkowska Department of Family Medicine, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland Abstract: Telemedicine-based care provides remote health and social care to maintain people's autonomy and increase their quality of life. The rapidly aging population has come with a significant increase in the prevalence of chronic diseases and their effects, and thus the need for increased care and welfare. The elderly have become one of the main target groups for telecare technologies. Smart home systems allow older adults to live in the environment of their choice and protect them against institutionalization or placement in a nursing home. It gives the elderly person a feeling of reassurance and safety, and appears to be one of the most promising approaches to facilitate independent living in a community-dwelling situation. Telecare solutions give a new opportunity for diagnosis, treatment, education, and rehabilitation, and make it possible to monitor patients with a number of chronic diseases. It also reduces socioeconomic disparity with regard to access to care and gives equal chances to patients from urban and rural areas. However, although telecare has undisputed benefits, it also has some limitations. Older people are often resistant to use of new technology, in particular acquiring the knowledge and skills necessary for use of electronic devices and computer systems. Further, privacy and security are important elements when building confidence in telemedicine systems. Leaking of sensitive information, such as health or test results, may have a negative and far-reaching impact on the personal and professional life of the patient. Telemedicine-based care should now be personalized for the needs, capabilities, and preferences of the elderly, with adaptation over time as care needs evolve. If technologies are introduced that are familiar, usable, desirable, and cost-effective, and able to be adapted to

  4. Factors associated with poor nutritional status among community dwelling Lebanese elderly subjects living in rural areas: results of the AMEL study.

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    Boulos, C; Salameh, P; Barberger-Gateau, P

    2014-05-01

    This study aimed to assess the nutritional status, measured by MNA, and its association with socio-demographic indicators and health related characteristics of a representative sample of community dwelling elderly subjects. Cross-sectional study. Community dwelling elderly individuals living in rural communities in Lebanon. 1200 elderly individuals aged 65 years or more. Socio-demographic indicators and health related characteristics were recorded during a standardized interview. Nutritional status was assessed through Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA). The 5-item GDS score and the WHO-5-A score were used to assess mood, whereas Mini Mental Status (MMS) was applied to evaluate cognitive status. The prevalence of malnutrition and risk of malnutrition was 8.0% respective 29.1% of the study sample. Malnutrition was significantly more frequent in elderly subjects aged more than 85 years, in females, widowed and illiterate people. Moreover, participants who reported lower financial status were more often malnourished or at risk of malnutrition. Regarding health status, poor nutritional status was more common among those reporting more than three chronic diseases, taking more than three drugs daily, suffering from chronic pain and those who had worse oral health status. Also, depressive disorders and cognitive dysfunction were significantly related to malnutrition. After multivariate analysis following variables remained independently associated to malnutrition: living in the governorate of Nabatieh (ORa 2.30, 95% CI 1.35 -3.93), reporting higher income (ORa 0.77, 95% CI 0.61-0.97), higher number of comorbidities (ORa 1.22, 95% CI 1.12-1.32), chronic pain (ORa 1.72, 95% CI 1.24-2.39), and depressive disorders (ORa 1.66, 95% CI 1.47-1.88). On the other hand, better cognitive functioning was strongly associated with decreased nutritional risk (ORa 0.27, 95%CI 0.17-0.43). Our results highlighted the close relationship between health status and malnutrition. The

  5. Social Security cost-of-living adjustments and the Consumer Price Index.

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    Burdick, Clark; Fisher, Lynn

    2007-01-01

    OASDI benefits are indexed for inflation to protect beneficiaries from the loss of purchasing power implied by inflation. In the absence of such indexing, the purchasing power of Social Security benefits would be eroded as rising prices raise the cost of living. By statute, cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for Social Security benefits are calculated using the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). Some argue that this index does not accurately reflect the inflation experienced by the elderly population and should be changed to an elderly-specific price index such as the Experimental Consumer Price Index for Americans 62 Years of Age and Older, often referred to as the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly (CPI-E). Others argue that the measure of inflation underlying the COLA is technically biased, causing it to overestimate changes in the cost of living. This argument implies that current COLAs tend to increase, rather than merely maintain, the purchasing power of benefits over time. Potential bias in the CPI as a cost-of-living index arises from a number of sources, including incomplete accounting for the ability of consumers to substitute goods or change purchasing outlets in response to relative price changes. The BLS has constructed a new index called the Chained Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (C-CPI-U) that better accounts for those consumer adjustments. Price indexes are not true cost-of-living indexes, but approximations of cost-of-living indexes (COLI). The Bureau of Labor Statistics (2006a) explains the difference between the two: As it pertains to the CPI, the COLI for the current month is based on the answer to the following question: "What is the cost, at this month ' market prices, of achieving the standard of living actually attained in the base period?" This cost is a hypothetical expenditure-the lowest expenditure level necessary at this month's prices to achieve the

  6. Forecasting the wellness of elderly through SNMS

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    Wu, Yuan; Li, Lingling; Ma, Chao; Li, Lian; Huang, Bingqing; Liu, Li

    2017-03-01

    Accurate and timely information collection is important for physicians to provide prompt and appropriate treatment for patients. In this paper, a smart nursing home monitoring system which can predict the health conditions of the elderly people who live in the nursing home is presented. A framework integrating temporal and spatial contextual information for evaluating the wellness of an elderly has been modeled. A novel activity detection process based on the location information collects by the RFID technology in performing essential daily activities has been designed and developed. A BP neural network is trained using the activity information of the elderly live in the nursing home, wellness models are tested and the results are encouraging.

  7. Frailty Among Elderly Adults in a Rural Area of Turkey

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    Çakmur, Hülya

    2015-01-01

    Background The elderly population is growing in Turkey, as it is worldwide. The average age of residents in rural areas of Turkey is relatively high and is gradually increasing. The purpose of this study is to summarize the fitness and frailty of elderly adults living in a rural area of Turkey characterized by a relatively low level of socioeconomic development. Material/Methods This study was designed as a prospective, cross-sectional study, and was conducted in a rural area of Kars Province. A total of 168 elderly adults (≥65 years old) from 12 central villages were included in the study. The Fried Frailty Criteria was used to assess the frailty of the participants. In addition to frailty, the physical, social, and mental status of elderly adults was examined. Results The prevalence of frailty in this rural area of Turkey was 7.1%. The study group ranged in age from 65 to 96 years (mean 72.70±7.73 years), and 53.6% were female. Among the elderly adult group, 84.3% had not completed elementary school, and 43.29% had a monthly income of ≤500 Turkish liras ($200). No significant relationship was identified between gender and frailty. There was a statistically significant relationship between frailty and older age, lower education level, lower economic level, co-morbidities, polypharmacy, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, gastric disease, arthritis, generalized pain, benign prostatic hyperplasia, urinary incontinence, auditory impairment, impaired oral care, caregiver burden, impaired cognitive function, depression, or a lack of social support (social isolation). Conclusions It is believed that this study will contribute considerably to understanding the health status and needs of elderly adults in Turkey and the health problems of this population as well as to planning the development of public health and geriatric services based on regional needs. PMID:25925800

  8. Increasing prevalence and high incidence of celiac disease in elderly people: A population-based study

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    Vilppula Anitta

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Celiac disease may emerge at any age, but little is known of its appearance in elderly people. We evaluated the prevalence of the condition in individuals over 55 years of age, and determined the incidence of biopsy-proven celiac disease (CDb and celiac disease including seropositive subjects for anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies (CDb+s. Methods The study based on prevalence figures in 2815 randomly selected subjects who had undergone a clinical examination and serologic screening for celiac disease in 2002. A second screening in the same population was carried out in 2005, comprising now 2216 individuals. Positive tissue transglutaminase antibodies were confirmed with small bowel biopsy. Results Within three years the prevalence of CDb increased from 2.13 to 2.34%, and that of CDb+s from 2.45 to 2.70%. Five new cases were found among patients previously seronegative; two had minor abdominal symptoms and three were asymptomatic. The incidence of celiac disease in 2002–2005 was 0.23%, giving an annual incidence of 0.08% in this population. Conclusion The prevalence of celiac disease was high in elderly people, but the symptoms were subtle. Repeated screening detected five biopsy-proven cases in three years, indicating that the disorder may develop even in the elderly. Increased alertness to the disorder is therefore warranted.

  9. Rural-urban differences in the long-term care of the disabled elderly in China.

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    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.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  11. Association between the degree of physical impairment from leprosy and dependence in activities of daily living among the elderly in a health unit in the State of Minas Gerais.

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    Silva, Alisson da Costa; Ferreira, Raquel Conceição; Ferreira, Maria Aparecida Alves; Ribeiro, Marco Túlio de Freitas

    2014-01-01

    In addition to the common alterations and diseases inherent in the aging process, elderly persons with a history of leprosy are particularly vulnerable to dependence because of disease-related impairments. determine whether physical impairment from leprosy is associated with dependence among the elderly. An analytical cross-sectional study of elderly individuals with a history of leprosy and no signs of cognitive impairment was conducted using a database from a former leprosy colony-hospital. The patients were evaluated for dependence in the basic activities of daily living (BADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), respectively) and subjected to standard leprosy physical disability grading. Subsequently, descriptive and univariate analyses were conducted, the latter using Pearson's chi-squared test. A total of 186 elderly persons were included in the study. Of these individuals, 53.8% were women, 49.5% were older than 75 years of age, 93% had four or less years of formal education, 24.2% lived in an institution for the long-term care of the elderly (ILTC), and 18.3% had lower limb amputations. Among those evaluated, 79.8% had visible physical impairments from leprosy (grade 2), 83.3% were independent in BADL, and 10.2% were independent in IADL. There was a higher impairment grade among those patients who were IADL dependent (p=0.038). The leprosy physical impairment grade is associated with dependence for IADL, creating the need for greater social support and systematic monitoring by a multidisciplinary team. The results highlight the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of leprosy to prevent physical impairment and dependence in later years.

  12. Live Longer, Work Longer: Making It Happen in the Labor Market

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    Milan Vodopivec

    2008-03-01

    Full Text Available An aging population and the corresponding shrinkage of the labor force will create a significant drag on economic growth and may jeopardize the economic well-being of some of the elderly. Thus working longer is an imperative – but extending working lives has proven difficult, both because workers do not want to work longer and because employers are lukewarm about employing older workers. As measures that can be taken to motivate workers to work longer, the paper proposes providing retirement incentives and attractive, flexible working arrangements. To induce employers to hire old workers, it suggests removing the obstacles imposed by restrictive labor market institutions, an increase in the human capital of workers via life-long learning, and addressing age-discrimination. Chances for extending working lives will also increase as the health of elderly workers is improved.

  13. Helicobacter pylori infection and metabolic parameters: Is there an association in elderly population?

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    Narges Sotuneh

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: The association between Helicobacter pylori (HP, as one of the most prevalent infections, and serum glucose level was inconsistent with previous studies. Moreover, there are contradictory reports about the relationship between HP infection and lipid profile. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between HP infection with glycemic and lipid profiles in elderly people. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 1,300 subjects over 60 years in Amirkola Health and Ageing Project. After using a standard questionnaire, the venous sampling was done to determine FBS, triglyceride (TG, cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL, high-density lipoprotein (HDL and IgG anti-HP after a 12-h overnight fast. The information about the individuals was analyzed using SPSS-17. The P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The prevalence of HP infection in diabetic and nondiabetic subjects was 77.5% and 75.7%, respectively, which had no statistically significant difference. Also, there was no significant difference between the serum lipid level including TG, LDL and HDL cholesterol with levels of anti-HP antibodies. The rate of HP infection in patients with hypertension was 75% and 78.3% in healthy patients, in which the difference was not statistically significant. In terms of body mass index (BMI, the prevalence of infection in the group with normal BMI was 77.3% and for the overweight and obese elderly population, it was 74.7%, and 77.5%, respectively (P = 0.445. Conclusions: The findings revealed that in a large population of elderly in the northern part of Iran, HP infection is not associated with BMI, serum glucose and lipid profile as well as blood pressure.

  14. Being healthy: a grounded theory study of help seeking behaviour among Chinese elders living in the UK.

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    Liu, Zhenmi; Beaver, Kinta; Speed, Shaun

    2014-01-01

    The health of older people is a priority in many countries as the world's population ages. Attitudes towards help seeking behaviours in older people remain a largely unexplored field of research. This is particularly true for older minority groups where the place that they have migrated to presents both cultural and structural challenges. The UK, like other countries, has an increasingly aging Chinese population about who relatively little is known. This study used a qualitative grounded theory design following the approach of Glaser (1978). Qualitative data were collected using semi-structured interviews with 33 Chinese elders who were aged between 60 and 84, using purposive and theoretical sampling approaches. Data were analysed using the constant comparative method until data saturation occurred and a substantive theory was generated. "Being healthy" (the core category) with four interrelated categories: self-management, normalizing/minimizing, access to health services, and being cured form the theory. The theory was generated around the core explanations provided by participants and Chinese elders' concerns about health issues they face in their daily life. We also present data about how they direct their health-related activities towards meeting their physical and psychological goals of being healthy. Their differential understanding of diseases and a lack of information about health services were potent predictors of non-help seeking and "self" rather than medical management of their illnesses. This study highlights the need for intervention and health support for Chinese elders.

  15. Self-perception of when old age begins for Cambodian elders living in the United States.

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    Dubus, Nicole M

    2014-06-01

    To deepen the understanding of the life course of refugees this study explores the question: when do Cambodian elders perceive the beginning of old age? In-depth interviews were conducted with 32 Cambodians, age range 53-82, who attended an elder day center in an urban setting in Massachusetts. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using the modified grounded theory approach. The analysis revealed that the participants primarily reported two determinants to defining when old age begins: 1) the body "has too many illnesses" due to harsh working conditions; and 2) social role transition into grandparent. This study extends research on cultural differences in aging, specifically identifying the cultural difference in the definition of when "old age" begins. Age is culturally derived and creates expectations for social roles, health, self-identity, and behavior. Understanding how refugees experience the cultural discrepancies in their expectations of aging can inform providers who serve this population.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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

  17. Determinants of health-related quality of life in elderly in Tehran, Iran

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    Arab Mohammad

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background As Iran started to experience population ageing, it is important to consider and address the elderly people's needs and concerns, which might have direct impacts on their well-being and quality of life. There have been only a few researches into different aspects of life of the elderly population in Iran including their health-related quality of life. The purpose of this study was to measure health-related quality of life (HRQoL of elderly Iranians and to identify its some determinant factors. Methods This was a cross-sectional survey of a random sample of community residents of Tehran aged 65 years old and over. HRQoL was measured using the Short From Health Survey (SF-36. The study participants were interviewed at their homes. Uni-variate analysis was performed for group comparison and logistic regression analysis conducted to predict quality of life determinants. Results In all, 400 elderly Iranian were interviewed. The majority of the participants were men (56.5% and almost half of the participants were illiterate (n = 199, 49.8%. Eighty-five percent of the elderly were living with their family or relatives and about 70% were married. Only 12% of participants evaluated their economic status as being good and most of people had moderate or poor economic status. The mean scores for the SF-36 subscales ranged from 70.0 (SD = 25.9 for physical functioning to 53.5 (SD = 29.1 for bodily pain and in general, the respondents significantly showed better condition on mental component of the SF-36 than its physical component (mean scores 63.8 versus 55.0. Performing uni-variate analysis we found that women reported significantly poorer HRQoL. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that for the physical component summary score of the SF-36, age, gender, education and economic status were significant determinants of poorer physical health-related quality of life; while for the mental component summary score only gender and

  18. Chronic care case management for the frail elderly population in the United States: normative, funding and organizational aspects

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    Antonio Giulio de Belvis

    2004-12-01

    Full Text Available

    In the most developed countries, it is necessary to bring about significant changes to health care delivery through the strengthening of prevention, rehabilitation and the integration of the social and healthcare dimensions.

    This means moving the policy focus from “treating” to “taking care” of the sick in a broader and more integrated way, one which is more closely linked to the World Health Organization’s definition of health as physical, psychological and social well-being. This change involves the delivery of care for the elderly. Developed countries are confronting this issue by using different community-based programs to integrate acute and long-term care services for frail elderly individuals with complex health needs.

    The objective of this health policy article is to give an overview of the most recent initiatives on long-term care management for the elderly including normative, funding and organizational issues in the USA, as their public health system largely differs from those of the Western European countries.

    Particular attention is given to the PACE (Program of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly, which applies a comprehensive approach to managing the care of the frail elderly population and would represent a new framework in geriatric care. By incorporating a central core care team to manage the needs of each elderly individual, this approach recognizes the contributing factors that non-traditional health related functions play in the overall health of the individual.

    Although there is a little knowledge of this program, as it covers a very small percentage of the eligible individuals, and it may be difficult to extrapolate to other sectors of the population, PACE offers many lessons that could be applied to more effective integration of care for individuals and lead to better health outcomes.

  19. Age at migration and disability-free life expectancy among the elder Mexican-origin population

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    Marc Garcia

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Background: Migration selectivity is thought to shape the health profiles of Mexican immigrants. Objective: This study examines how the experience of Mexican migration to the United States affects the health process and the quality of life in old age by age at migration, specific to sex. Methods: We use 20 years of data from the Hispanic Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly to estimate the proportion of life spent disability-free prior to death across eight subgroups by sex, nativity, and age at migration among Mexican-origin elderly in the United States. Results: Female migrants are at a significant disadvantage in terms of IADL disability-free life expectancy relative to US-born women, particularly late-life migrants. Conversely, mid- and late-life male migrants exhibit an advantage in ADL disability-free life expectancy compared to their US-born counterparts. Conclusions: Foreign-born Mexican elders are not a homogeneous group. This issue merits special attention in the development of community-based long-term care programs in order to appropriately target the specific needs of different subgroups of older Mexican individuals entering their last decades of life. Contribution: This study contributes to immigrant health literature by providing a more comprehensive documentation of nativity differentials, by distinguishing subgroups of Mexican elderly by sex, nativity, and age at migration.

  20. Socio-economic cultural transformations and Depression in elderly people.

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    Stranieri, Giuseppe; Carabetta, Carmelo

    2015-09-01

    The socio-economic and cultural evolution in the last decades encouraged a significant process of transformation of the life conditions in advanced societies, particularly the average duration of the life of the elderly population, which since the second half of the past century has increased by about 60%, becoming from an average of fifty years to about eighty two for women and eighty for men. This phenomenon enables scholars and in particular demography scholars, to assume that in 2030 the number of elderly persons will reach about two billion worldwide. This development of an increasingly longer life expectancy, justifies the trust in the great progress that characterizes our society. The rapid growth of this segment of population, due to the improved living conditions and the related progress in science, technology and medicine, in addition to its positive aspects, also includes negative elements, which already affect the Welfare State and, more generally, the public administration that is called to fill the gaps that the transformation of the family and kinship networks have treated with indifference. The problems of the increasingly long-lived, is not freed from new elements of negativity related to the physical and mental decline that leads to the development of new diseases in addition to those already present, ans is increasingly motivated to seek the best remedies to shorten or eliminate the diseases of the elderly. In this context, Depression assumes a central dimension which will surely be a central concern for the economic, social and health impact and for the multitude of changes that put in crisis many of the traditional institutions. This work aims to analyze through a careful review of the scientific literature, the causes of the spread of this disease, the diagnostic difficulties and possible solutions for prevention and care.

  1. History of falling and visual ability among independently living elderly in Sweden

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    Källstrand-Eriksson J

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Jeanette Källstrand-Eriksson,1 Cathrine Hildingh,1 Boel Bengtsson2 1School of Health and Welfare, Halmstad University, Halmstad, 2Department of Clinical Sciences in Malmö, Ophthalmology, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the performance-based visual ability among independently living elderly subjects and to investigate whether there was any association between visual ability and falls.Subjects and methods: A total of 298 randomly selected subjects aged 70–85 years were invited for an examination including monocular and binocular visual acuity (VA, contrast sensitivity (CS, stereoscopic vision, and monocular visual fields (VFs, which were integrated to estimate the binocular VFs. Type of lenses used in their habitual correction was noted.Results: Out of the 212 subjects who were examined, 38% reported at least one fall and 48% of these reported at least two falls during the last 2 years. Most subjects had normal results; 90% had normal binocular VA, 85% had normal binocular CS, and ~80% had positive stereopsis. Twenty-nine subjects had VF defects in the lower quadrants of the binocular VF, and 14 of these reported at least one fall. A significant association was seen between one fall or more and VA better eye, the odds ratio (OR was 2.26, P=0.013, and between recurrent falls and lack of stereoscopic vision, the OR was 3.23, P=0.002; no other functional test showed any significant association with recurrent falls. The ORs were 1.58 for worse binocular VA, 0.60 for worse binocular CS, and 0.71 for non-normal stereoscopic vision for at least one fall, but wide confidence intervals made it difficult to draw firm conclusions about any association. Bifocal or progressive spectacles were worn by 71% with no significant difference between fallers and nonfallers (P=0.078.Conclusion: Even though ~40% of the total sample had experienced one or more falls, the only visual function test significantly associated

  2. Using the eServices Platform for Detecting Behavior Patterns Deviation in the Elderly Assisted Living: A Case Study

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    Isabel Marcelino

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available World’s aging population is rising and the elderly are increasingly isolated socially and geographically. As a consequence, in many situations, they need assistance that is not granted in time. In this paper, we present a solution that follows the CRISP-DM methodology to detect the elderly’s behavior pattern deviations that may indicate possible risk situations. To obtain these patterns, many variables are aggregated to ensure the alert system reliability and minimize eventual false positive alert situations. These variables comprehend information provided by body area network (BAN, by environment sensors, and also by the elderly’s interaction in a service provider platform, called eServices—Elderly Support Service Platform. eServices is a scalable platform aggregating a service ecosystem developed specially for elderly people. This pattern recognition will further activate the adequate response. With the system evolution, it will learn to predict potential danger situations for a specified user, acting preventively and ensuring the elderly’s safety and well-being. As the eServices platform is still in development, synthetic data, based on real data sample and empiric knowledge, is being used to populate the initial dataset. The presented work is a proof of concept of knowledge extraction using the eServices platform information. Regardless of not using real data, this work proves to be an asset, achieving a good performance in preventing alert situations.

  3. HEALTH STATUS OF ELDERLY A COMMUNITY BASED STUDY

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    Vartika Saxena

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: People at or over the age of 60, constitute above 7.7% of total population. Traditionally this segment of population depends on their children for their health and social welfare, However owing to the social and cultural changes that are taking place within the Indian society, this support may not be as readily available, as it is believed. With the changing demography of India, there is urgent need to look at the health status of elderly for planning appropriate health facilities for them. Objectives: To study biosocial, nutritional and chronic disease risk factor profile of elderly population. Methods: Cross-sectional Study was conducted in Doiwala block of Dehradun district, Uttarakhand. 122 elderly persons of age 60 years and above were interviewed on predesigned questionnaire by house to house visit in the selected village. Results: Overall prevalence of risk factors found to be higher amongst elderly females. Unutrition was higher amongst elderly males. In all, 48.6% elderly were underweight ,10.3% were overweight and 5.6% cases were in obese category. As per the Waist and hip ratio 47.2% elderly belonged to the moderate to high risk category. 30.8% people were hypertensive. Conclusions: Prevalence of high-risk factors for chronic diseases is quite high amongst elderly population, especially amongst elderly females.

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

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    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.

  5. Incident chronic kidney disease and newly developed complications related to renal dysfunction in an elderly population during 5 years: a community-based elderly population cohort study.

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    Shin Young Ahn

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Few studies have evaluated the association between incident chronic kidney disease (CKD and related complications, especially in elderly population. We attempted to verify the association between GFR and concurrent CKD complications and elucidate the temporal relationship between incident CKD and new CKD complications in a community-based prospective elderly cohort. METHOD: We analyzed the available data from 984 participants in the Korean Longitudinal Study on Health and Aging. Participants were categorized into 6 groups according to eGFR at baseline examination (≥90, 75-89, 60-74, 45-59, 30-44, and <30 ml/min/1.73 m(2. RESULT: The mean age of study population was 76 ± 9.1 years and mean eGFR was 72.3 ± 17.0 ml/min/1.73 m(2. Compared to eGFR group 1, the odds ratio (OR for hypertension was 2.363 (95% CI, 1.299-4.298 in group 4, 5.191 (2.074-12.995 in group 5, and 13.675 (1.611-115.806 in group 6; for anemia, 7.842 (2.265-27.153 in group 5 and 13.019 (2.920-58.047 in group 6; for acidosis, 69.580 (6.770-715.147 in group 6; and for hyperkalemia, 19.177 (1.798-204.474 in group 6. Over a 5-year observational period, CKD developed in 34 (9.6% among 354 participants with GFR ≥ 60 ml/min/1.73 m(2 at basal examination. The estimated mean number of new complications according to analysis of co-variance was 0.52 (95% CI, 0.35-0.68 in subjects with incident CKD and 0.24 (0.19-0.29 in subjects without CKD (p = 0.002. Subjects with incident CKD had a 2.792-fold higher risk of developing new CKD complications. A GFR level of 52.4 ml/min/1.73 m(2 (p = 0.032 predicted the development of a new CKD complication with a 90% sensitivity. CONCLUSION: In an elderly prospective cohort, CKD diagnosed by current criteria is related to an increase in the number of concurrent CKD complications and the development of new CKD complications.

  6. New Isues In Singapore Public Housing From Elderly Perspective: case study

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    Ruzica Bozovic Stamenovic

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available This paper examines emerging issues regarding Singapore public housing. With over 80 % of rapidly ageing population living in public housing the elderly perspective is of paramount importance for future development. Following a brief introduction of Housing and Development Board HDB 2 model we are examining new ideas occurring in different scopes and scales, from apartment to urban environment level. Issues like ageing in place, dignity, salutogenesis, active and independent life, image and identification, and other themes pertinent to old age are revisited. Recent issues like high-rise/high-density, consumerism and branding suggest that the usual dogmatic approach to elderly in public housing could be converted to result in creative, affordable, profitable and integrative public housing design.

  7. [Effectiveness of dog-assisted therapy in the elderly. A preliminary study].

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    Folch, Anabel; Torrente, Margarita; Heredia, Luis; Vicens, Paloma

    2016-01-01

    Animal-assisted therapy is increasingly present in several educational and health areas. The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of such interventions in the elderly population living in residential settings. A 12-week dog-assisted intervention program was designed, with 16 participants from a nursing home divided into an experimental group and a control group. Several physical and psychological variables were assessed before and after the intervention. While there were no significant differences in the control group, the experimental group improved significantly after participating in the program. The results support the hypothesis that animal-assisted interventions may be beneficial for residents in elderly care homes. Copyright © 2015 SEGG. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  8. Sense of life worth living (ikigai) and incident functional disability in elderly Japanese: The Tsurugaya Project.

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    Mori, Kentaro; Kaiho, Yu; Tomata, Yasutake; Narita, Mamoru; Tanji, Fumiya; Sugiyama, Kemmyo; Sugawara, Yumi; Tsuji, Ichiro

    2017-04-01

    To test the hypothesis that elderly persons who feel ikigai (a sense of life worth living) have a lower risk of incident functional disability than those who do not. Recent studies have suggested that ikigai impacts on mortality. However, its impact upon disability is unknown. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between ikigai and incident functional disability among elderly persons. We conducted a prospective cohort study of 830 Japanese elderly persons aged ≥70 years as a comprehensive geriatric assessment in 2003. Information on ikigai was collected by self-reported questionnaire. Data on functional disability were retrieved from the public Long-term Care Insurance database in which participants were followed up for 11 years. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for incidence of functional disability were calculated for three groups delineated according to the presence of ikigai (“no”, “uncertain” or “yes”) using the Cox proportional hazards regression model. The 11-year incidence of functional disability was 53.3% (442 cases). As compared with the “no” group, the multiple-adjusted HR (95% CI) of incident functional disability was 0.61 (0.36–1.02) for the “uncertain” group and 0.50 (0.30–0.84) for the “yes” group. A stronger degree of ikigai is significantly associated with a lower risk of incident functional disability. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Effect of Cognitive Rehabilitation on Improving Cognitive Function and Activities of Daily Living among Elderly Patients with Stroke at Assiut University Hospital

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    Abd-Elaziz, Saieda Abd-Elhameed; Khedr, Eman M.; Ahmed, Hanaa Abd Elhakiem; Ibrahim, Hoda Diab Fahmy

    2015-01-01

    Cognitive impairment is a frequent consequence of stroke. The study aimed to measure the effect of cognitive rehabilitation of elderly patients with stroke on their cognitive function and activities of daily living. Quasi experimental research design were used in this study. This study was conducted at neuropsychiatric, physical medicine and…

  10. Prevalence of possible Alzheimer′s disease in an urban elderly population of Ludhiana: A pilot study

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    Neena Bhatti

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Background : Dementias in the elderly, of which Alzheimer′s disease (AD is the most common form, may emerge as important public health problems in the elderly in low-resource developing countries whose populations are ageing rapidly. Aims: 1. To find out the prevalence of possible AD in the elderly population of an urban area of Ludhiana. 2. To identify major socio-demographic risk factors for "possible AD" in the population under study. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on >60 year old residents of an urban area of Ludhiana. Data was collected from 200 consenting individuals chosen by simple random sampling, using a pre-tested questionnaire with standardized batteries, "10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer′s Disease" to screen for possible AD, Everyday Abilities Scale for India (EASI to assess physical impairment and the Hindi version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE to assess cognitive impairment. The presence of >1 warning signs was considered as "possible AD", EASI score >3 as "functional impairment" and MMSE score 80-years-old was observed to be a significant risk factor for "possible AD" [odd ratio (OR = 3.93, confidence interval (CI = 1.10-13.26. Gender, educational status, marital status, family type, employment status, and addictions were not found to be statistically significant risk factors (P > 0.05. One-third of those with "possible AD" had "probable AD". Those with "possible AD" were at high risk of having functional impairment (OR = 17.10, 95%, CI = 5.00-58.46.

  11. Association of Cognitive Function and Risk for Elder Abuse in a Community-Dwelling Population

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    Dong, XinQi; Simon, Melissa; Rajan, Kumar; Evans, Denis A.

    2011-01-01

    Aim This study aimed to examine the cross-sectional association between cognitive function and elder abuse. Methods The Chicago Health and Aging Project (CHAP) is a population-based study conducted in a geographically defined community (n = 8,932). We identified 238 CHAP participants who had elder abuse reported to a social services agency. Cognitive function was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (perceptual speed), and both immediate and delayed recall of the East Boston Memory Test (episodic memory). An index of global cognitive function scores was derived by averaging the z-scores of all tests. Logistic regression models were used to assess the association of cognitive function domains and risk of elder abuse. Results After adjusting for confounders, lowest tertiles of global cognition (odd's ratio, OR 4.18, 95% confidence interval, 95% CI 2.44–7.15), MMSE (OR 2.97, 95% CI 1.93–4.57), episodic memory (OR 2.27, 95% CI 1.49–3.43) and perceptual speed (OR 2.37, 95% CI 1.51–3.73) were associated with increased risk of elder abuse. The lowest levels of global cognitive function were associated with an increased risk of physical abuse (OR 3.56, 95% CI 1.08–11.67), emotional abuse (OR 3.02, 95% CI 1.41–6.44), caregiver neglect (OR 6.24, 95% CI 2.68–14.54), and financial exploitation (OR 3.71, 95% CI 1.88–7.32). Conclusion Lower levels of global cognitive function, MMSE, episodic memory and perceptual speed are associated with an increased risk of elder abuse. PMID:22095098

  12. Knowledge about mammography and associated factors: population surveys with female adults and elderly

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    Ione Jayce Ceola Schneider

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to describe the knowledge about mammography and to identify associated factors in female adults and elderly. Data were obtained from two population surveys, one with female adults and another with elderly women from Florianópolis (SC in 2009 - 2010. A descriptive analysis of the variables was carried out, the appropriate mean of responses about mammography was estimated and crude and adjusted Poisson regression was conducted to identify associated factors. Among adults, 23.1% answered all of the questions appropriately and the appropriate average responses was 7.2 (95%CI 7.1 - 7.3 in a total of 9. In the adjusted model, older age, higher education and income were associated with knowledge about mammography. For the elderly, 15.3% answered all questions appropriately and the average of appropriate responses was 6.4 (95%CI 5.2 - 6.5 and the factors associated with knowledge about mammography in the adjusted model were younger age groups, increased education and income, and identification of mammography as the main diagnostic method for breast cancer. Information about mammography can neither be transmitted in a clear way nor be easily understood; there are also demographic and socioeconomic differences concerning the knowledge about the exam.

  13. A longitudinal study of cerebral blood flow and intelligences in normal elderly people living in retirement house

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    Kobayashi, Shotai; Yamaguchi, Shuhei; Kitani, Mitsuhiro; Okada, Kazunori; Arimoto, Satao

    1986-01-01

    It is well known that the number of the neuron in the brain gradually reduced with advancing age, but speed of decline of brain functions differs among individuals. We have reported that social environmental factors had significant influences to cerebral blood flow (CBF) and mental function. In this paper, we report 2.5 years longitudinal study concerning with CBF and intelligences in twenty normal elderly people, mean age of 76 years old at the first measurement, living in retirement house. 1) Mean CBF measured by Xe 133 inhalation method did not alter significantly during the observation period. 2) Performance intelligence evaluated by Kohs' block design test had reduced at the point of begining but no more reduction was observed during the period. 3) Verbal intelligence evaluated by Hasegawa's intelligence scale for aged which was within normal range at the begining, slightly (-7.5 %) but significantly (p < 0.05) reduced during the period. 4) Performance intelligence tended to reduce in subjects who showed reduction of CBF. There were no significant correlation between both intelligences and CBF. CBF could be maintained even in elderly people living in retirement house which has less social stimuli during relatively short observation period in so far as they maintain active daily life. The speed of reduction of performance intelligence may be getting slow after certain age and verbal intelligence gradually decreases perhaps by disuse of the mental function. (author)

  14. [Strategies for protecting the elderly from the health-risks of heat-waves: measures undertaken in Italy in the summer of 2004].

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Martino, Annamaria; Vasselli, Stefania; D'Argenio, Paolo

    2005-01-01

    Heat waves constitute an important public health problem because of their potential serious health impact on vulnerable populations such as the elderly and individuals living in poor health, socioeconomic, cultural or environmental conditions. The summer of 2003 was the hottest summer, with respect to both minimum and maximum temperatures, of the last fifty years. During that summer, an increased mortality was found especially in the elderly population = 75 years. The Ministry of Health therefore released guidelines for the regions and other local authorities, regarding the measures be undertaken in order to safeguard the elderly and other vulnerable populations from the health risks associated with heat waves. Subsequently, a survey was performed to collect information regarding the projects put into practice in the summer of 2004 by the various regions and local authorities. The aim of the study was to promote a comparison and sharing of appropriately documented experiences. This article classifies and describes the various interventions that were put into practice.

  15. The Relationship Between Social Isolation and Health Among the Tehranian Elderly

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    Ali Seyfzadeh

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Background and Objectives: Given the growing population of the elderly and the increasing age-related disability, age-related social isolation and the role of health are important in reducing this phenomenon. The main purpose of the research is to investigate the relationship between social isolation and health in the elderly in Tehran. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was a correlation study. The present study was conducted in 1396 and among 382 elderly people 65 years old and above Tehran who were selected by multi-stage cluster sampling method. The data gathering tool was Goldberg General Health Questionnaire (GHQ, Daily Living Ability Questionnaire (ADL and Keizer Health Social Questionnaire. Data were analyzed by SPSS software version 22 using descriptive and analytical methods with Pearson correlation coefficient.52.4 Results: % 52.4 of the respondents had physical health,% 56.8 of social health and% 60.5 of mental health, and the average social isolation in the elderly was about 62%. The results of Pearson correlation coefficient indicated that there was a significant and inverse relationship between mental health and social isolation of elderly people, which means that with increasing mental and social health, the social isolation of the elderly is reduced. Conclusion: There is a reverse relationship between health and social isolation in elderly people and Having mental and social health can have a positive effect on reducing the social isolation of this vulnerable stratum

  16. The influence of socio-living conditions and health factors on the level of life satisfaction in the elderly

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    Kazimiera Zdziebło

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: The period of late adulthood is a period in which many actions for the purpose of summing up and evaluating the life so far are taken. One of the aspects of life which is then evaluated is its quality. Under the influence of many factors, the quality of life decreases among the elderly and thus it influences their life satisfaction level. Aim of the research: To evaluate the influence of socio-living and health factors on the level of life satisfaction of the elderly. Material and methods: The research was conducted through a diagnostic survey, using an opinion poll technique. The applied research tool was a copyrighted questionnaire and life satisfaction scale – SWLS (the Satisfaction with Life Scale. The examined group consisted of persons in older age, benefiting from nurse care in various health facilities. Results : The majority of those examined showed a mean rate (satisfaction with life. There are major discrepancies among the studies on the extent of influence according to such factors as housing conditions, income and professional activity. Health factors, namely suffering from multiple diseases, the chronic character of the disease, handicap and disability correlate with the feeling of satisfaction with life. The more factors – health problems, the lower is the rate of satisfaction with life. Conclusions: The socio-living conditions to a major extent influence the evaluation of satisfaction with life of the examined persons. Health factors play a major role in the feeling of satisfaction with life. There are no major differences in the evaluation of the life lived so far between inhabitants of cities and the countryside.

  17. A Comparison Study on Socio-Economic Variables and Life Satisfaction Among the Elders people, Gorgan, in 2004 and 2009

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    MohammadHossein Hajiebrahimi

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: The elder population and their proportion of the total population are increasing in our country. Their population has reached to 7.3 percent of total population in 2006 compared with their population at 1996 and it shows a 1.5 times increase during ten years.The aim of this study was to compare the socio-economic situation of elder people who were living in two areas in Gorgan city, Golestan province in north of Iran, which is covered by 4th and 5th urban health center between in 2004 and 2009. Methods & Materials: A descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study has been conducted among 884 elder people who were resident in the study area at 2009. Data collection has been done through a questionnaire, filled out by trained persons. The results are compared with the outcomes of pervious unpublished study at 2004 which has been carried out among 315 elder people in the same study area. Qui-Square and independent T-test statistical methods used to analysis the data. We use SAS version 9.2 to analyze the data. Results: Mean age of elder people was 67.2±6.7 at 2009 and 67.6±6.7 years at 2004. Educational level had a significant change in 2009 compared with 2004 (P=0.0002. Compared with 2004, marital status (P=0.0021 and economical level (P<0.0001 had statistically significant changes in 2009. Moreover, visiting friends, going to park, going for movies and visiting the family showed statistical significant change in 2009 compared to 2004 by P<0.001, P=0.0173, P=0.0001, P=0.0435 and P=0.0001 respectively. In addition, being high energetic showed a statistically significant change (P<0.01 in 2009 compared to 2004, when we considered the satisfaction of life among elders. Conclusion: It is necessary to pay more attention to social, economic and life satisfaction problems of elder people which are dramatically growing by increasing the elder population and their higher proportion in entire population of the world particularly in Iran. We need

  18. Metabolic syndrome and physical activity in southern Brazilian community-dwelling elders: a population-based, cross-sectional study

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    Reichert César L

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background - The association between a sedentary lifestyle and obesity is well documented, and is linked to an increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS. There is some evidence that information regarding the health benefits of physical activity is beginning to impact on the elderly people and is beginning to change their behavior. We aimed to investigate the level of physical activity undertaken by elderly people with MS and those without this condition. Methods - We evaluated 362 community-dwelling elders of Novo Hamburgo, southern Brazil. Diagnosis of MS was based on the International Diabetes Federation criteria and the physical activity (PA level was estimated by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Analysis of covariance was carried out to verify associations between MS risk factors and the level of PA. Logistic regression was used to estimate the MS odds ratio for each level of PA. Results - No significant association was found between MS and the level of physical activity, irrespective of sex. The odds ratio for the presence of MS adjusted for sex and age and using insufficiently active elderly people as reference was 1.04 (95% CI, 0.6 to 1.7 in sufficiently active elderly people and 1.15 (95% CI, 0.7 to 2.0 in very active elderly people. Conclusion - The elderly citizens of a southern Brazilian community who were diagnosed with MS presented the same levels of PA as the individuals who did not have this diagnosis. This may imply that information on the importance of physical activity has already reached this higher risk population.

  19. Prolonged Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Process and Lower Frequency of Medical Staff Visit Predicts Independently In-hospital Resuscitation Success in the Elderly Population

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jui-Chen Tsai

    2012-09-01

    Conclusion: Although the initial resuscitation success rate was not affected by age, a longer time interval between the last medical staffs’ visit and the onset of resuscitation did result in a worse success rate in elderly patients. Our data suggest that more frequent staff visits to the elderly population during hospitalization could alter initial resuscitation results.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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

  1. Elder abuse telephone screen reliability and validity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buri, Hilary M; Daly, Jeanette M; Jogerst, Gerald J

    2009-01-01

    (a) To identify reliable and valid questions that identify elder abuse, (b) to assess the reliability and validity of extant self-reported elder abuse screens in a high-risk elderly population, and (c) to describe difficulties of completing and interpreting screens in a high-need elderly population. All elders referred to research-trained social workers in a community service agency were asked to participate. Of the 70 elders asked, 49 participated, 44 completed the first questionnaire, and 32 completed the duplicate second questionnaire. A research assistant administered the telephone questionnaires. Twenty-nine (42%) persons were judged abused, 12 (17%) had abuse reported, and 4 (6%) had abuse substantiated. The elder abuse screen instruments were not found to be predictive of assessed abuse or as predictors of reported abuse; the measures tended toward being inversely predictive. Two questions regarding harm and taking of belongings were significantly different for the assessed abused group. In this small group of high-need community-dwelling elders, the screens were not effective in discriminating between abused and nonabused groups. Better instruments are needed to assess for elder abuse.

  2. Vaccines for the elderly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Del Giudice, Giuseppe; Weinberger, Birgit; Grubeck-Loebenstein, Beatrix

    2015-01-01

    The aging of the human population is posing serious challenges to research and to public health authorities in order to prevent diseases that more frequently affect the elderly, a portion of the population that will increase more and more in the coming years. While some vaccines exist and are used in the elderly to effectively fight against some infections (e.g. influenza, pneumococci, varicella-zoster virus, diphtheria, and tetanus), still a lot of work remains to be done to better adapt these vaccines and to develop new ones for this age group. The prevention of infectious diseases affecting the elderly can be successful only through a holistic approach. This approach will aim at the following: (1) a deeper understanding of the mechanisms leading to the senescence of the immune system, (2) a better and broader use of vaccines recommended for the elderly, (3) the use of vaccines currently considered only for other age groups and (4) actively priming the population when they are immunological competent, before the physiological waning of immune responsiveness may affect the beneficial effects of vaccination. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel

  3. Determinants of Perceived Physical Environment Barriers among Community-Dwelling Elderly in Taiwan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lien, W-C; Chang, J-H; Guo, N-W; Lin, Y-C; Hsieh, P-C; Kuan, T-S

    2015-05-01

    To test the hypothesis that mobility, activities of daily living, and the interaction between them can play a key role in determining perceived physical environment barriers among community-dwelling elderly. Cross-sectional. Community. One hundred and ninety-seven community-dwelling elderly with more than 7 points on the Short Portable Mental State Questionnaire and less than 7 points on the Geriatric Depression Scale (15 items). None. Time Get-up and Go test (TUG), the subscales of basic activity of daily living (BADL)/instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) of the Hierarchy of Care Required (HCR), and the physical/structural subscale of the Craig Hospital Inventory of Environmental Factors in Community-dwelling Elderly in Taiwan were used to measure mobility, activities of daily living and perceived physical environment barriers, respectively. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were used to test the study hypothesis. Significant and positive relations were found to exist between perceived physical environment barriers and (1) the TUG time (β=.300, pdwelling elderly under consideration. Strategies targeting the enhancement of mobility among community-dwelling elderly are suggested to lead to improvements in the degree to which physical environment barriers are perceived. This beneficial effect could be greater in the case of elderly individuals with better IADL function.

  4. Potentially inappropriate prescribing in an Irish elderly population in primary care.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Ryan, Cristín

    2009-12-01

    WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT: * Potentially inappropriate prescribing in older people is a well-documented problem and has been associated with adverse drug reactions and hospitalization. * Beers\\' criteria, Screening Tool of Older Persons\\' potentially inappropriate Prescriptions (STOPP) and Screening Tool to Alert doctors to Right Treatment (START) are screening tools that have been formulated to help physicians and pharmacists identify potentially inappropriate prescribing and potential prescribing omissions. * The prevalence of potentially inappropriate prescribing and prescribing omissions in the elderly population presenting to hospital with acute illness is high according to STOPP and START criteria.

  5. Mobile Phone Based Falling Detection Sensor and Computer-Aided Algorithm for Elderly People

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lee Jong-Ha

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Falls are dangerous for the elderly population; therefore many fall detection systems have been developed. However, previous methods are bulky for elderly people or only use a single sensor to isolate falls from daily living activities, which makes a fall difficult to distinguish. In this paper, we present a cost-effective and easy-to-use portable fall-detection sensor and algorithm. Specifically, to detect human falls, we used a three-axis accelerator and a three-axis gyroscope in a mobile phone. We used the Fourier descriptor-based frequency analysis method to classify both normal and falling status. From the experimental results, the proposed method detects falling status with 96.14% accuracy.

  6. Injuries and outcomes associated with traumatic falls in the elderly population on oral anticoagulant therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boltz, Melissa M; Podany, Abigail B; Hollenbeak, Christopher S; Armen, Scott B

    2015-09-01

    Fall risk for older adults is a multi-factorial public health problem as 90% of geriatric injuries are caused by traumatic falls. The CDC estimated 33% of adults >65 years incurred a fall in 2011, with 30% resulting in moderate injury. While much has been written about overall risk to trauma patients on oral anticoagulant (OAC) therapy, less has been reported on outcomes in the elderly trauma population. We used data from the National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB) to identify the types of injury and complications incurred, length of stay, and mortality associated with OACs in elderly patients sustaining a fall. Using standard NTDB practices, data were collected on elderly patients (≥65 years) on OACs with diagnosis of fall as the primary mechanism of injury from 2007 to 2010. Univariate analysis was used to determine patient variables influencing risk of fall on OACs. Odds ratios were calculated for types of injury sustained and post-trauma complications. Logistic regression was used to determine mortality associated with type of injury incurred. Of 118,467 elderly patients sampled, OAC use was observed in 444. Predisposing risk factors for fall on OACs were >1 comorbidity (p3 complications (p<0.0001); the most significant being ARDS and ARF (p<0.0001). The mortality rate on OACs was 16%. Injuries to the GI tract, liver, spleen, and kidney (p<0.0002) were more likely to occur. However, if patients suffered a mortality, the most significant injuries were skull fractures and intracranial haemorrhage (p<0.0001). Risks of anticoagulation in elderly trauma patients are complex. While OAC use is a predictor of 30-day mortality after fall, the injuries sustained are markedly different between the elderly who die and those who do not. As a result there is a greater need for healthcare providers to identify preventable and non-preventable risks factors indicative of falls in the anti-coagulated elderly patient. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Religiousness, social support and the use of antidepressants among the elderly: a population-based study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vicente, Adriano Roberto Tarifa; Castro-Costa, Érico; Firmo, Josélia de Oliveira Araújo; Lima-Costa, Maria Fernanda; Loyola Filho, Antônio Ignácio de

    2018-03-01

    The purpose of the study was to investigate whether religiousness and social support were associated with the use of antidepressants among community-dwelling elders. The research involved 1,606 older adults who make up the cohort of Bambuí Project, a study on ageing and health. The dependent variable was the use of antidepressants in the last 90 days, and the exposures of interest were social support and religiousness. Logistic regression was used to test the associations and to estimate crude and adjusted Odds Ratio and their 95% confidence intervals. The chances of use of antidepressants were significantly lower among older people with higher level of religiosity (OR = 0.45; 95% CI: 0.29 to 0.70), but none of the descriptors social support was associated with the event. In this population, it is possible that religion occupies a prominent role in the arsenal of health problems coping strategies, especially mental. Health professionals attending this particular segment of the population (elderly people with depressive disorders) should consider religiousness of patients when the proposed guidelines and treatment in coping with their mental suffering.

  8. Hematological parameters and prevalence of anemia among free-living elderly in south Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vanessa Sgnaolin

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to analyze the hematological parameters, the prevalence of anemia and the association between anemia and socioeconomic conditions in an elderly community-based population. METHODS: A population-based study was performed as part of the Multidimensional Study of the Elderly in Porto Alegre, Brazil (EMIPOA. An initial total of 1058 community residents aged 60 years and older were interviewed. Of these, 392 agreed to have a physical evaluation and a blood sample was taken from each. The hematological parameters analyzed in the blood samples included the hemoglobin concentration, mean cell volume (MCV, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC and red cell distribution width (RDW. The association between the variables and the diagnosis of anemia was assessed using the chi-squared test and a multiple logistic regression model. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of anemia was 12.8%. Anemia was present in 13.7% of women and in 10.4% of men. Normocytic normochromic anemia without anisocytosis was the most common type of anemia (46%. The assessment of erythrocyte morphology showed significant differences between anemic and non-anemic individuals (microcytosis = 12% vs. 1.5%, hypochromia = 40% vs. 8.8%, and anisocytosis = 26% vs. 7%. In the analysis of socioeconomic conditions, significant differences were found in respect to age and race. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of anemia increases with age and is associated with race, microcytosis, hypochromia and anisocytosis. Anemia is not a condition that should be associated only with the aging process, as it may be due to pathological conditions that occur most frequently in this age group. As a result, a diagnosis of anemia warrants adequate clinical attention.

  9. Elder physical abuse.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Young, Lisa M

    2014-11-01

    Physical abuse of the elderly is a significant public health concern. The true prevalence of all types is unknown, and under-reporting is known to be significant. The geriatric population is projected to increase dramatically over the next 10 years, and the number of abused individuals is projected to increase also. It is critical that health care providers feel competent in addressing physical elder abuse. This article presents cases illustrating the variety of presenting symptoms that may be attributed to physical elder abuse. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Elderly Care Centre

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wagiman, Aliani; Haja Bava Mohidin, Hazrina; Ismail, Alice Sabrina

    2016-02-01

    The demand for elderly centre has increased tremendously abreast with the world demographic change as the number of senior citizens rose in the 21st century. This has become one of the most crucial problems of today's era. As the world progress into modernity, more and more people are occupied with daily work causing the senior citizens to lose the care that they actually need. This paper seeks to elucidate the best possible design of an elderly care centre with new approach in order to provide the best service for them by analysing their needs and suitable activities that could elevate their quality of life. All these findings will then be incorporated into design solutions so as to enhance the living environment for the elderly especially in Malaysian context.

  11. Optimization of impedance spectroscopy techniques for measuring cutaneous micropore formation after microneedle treatment in an elderly population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    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 micropore formation. This was supported by a complementary significant increase in TEWL (p micropore formation in elderly subjects, which will be essential for future studies describing microneedle-assisted transdermal delivery in aging populations.

  12. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet pattern, cognitive status and depressive symptoms in an elderly non-institutionalized population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hernández-Galiot, Ana; Goñi, Isabel

    2017-03-30

    Scientific evidence indicates that adherence to the Mediterranean diet protects against the deterioration of cognitive status and depressive symptoms during aging. However, few studies have been conducted in elderly non-institutionalized subjects. This study evaluated the relation between the adherence to the Mediterranean dietary pattern and cognitive status and depressive symptoms in an elderly population over 75 years. A cross-sectional study was conducted in a Mediterranean city (Garrucha, Spain) in 79 elderly people over 75 (36 men and 41 women). Adherence to the Mediterranean dietary pattern was determined using the Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS). Cognitive function was determined by the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), and depressive symptoms were assessed by the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Most of population showed a very high adherence to the Mediterranean diet pattern and optimal cognitive and affective status. They consumed olive oil as their main source of fat, high levels of fish and fruit, low levels of foods with added sugars, and a low consumption of red meat. A significant relation between the MEDAS and MMSE scores was found. However, no relationship was observed between the MEDAS and GDS. The Mediterranean diet pattern was positively related with the cognitive function, although the infl uence of a healthy dietary pattern on the symptomatology of depression was unclear. However, an effective strategy against cognitive function and depression would be to improve physical activity rates, establish lifelong healthy eating habits, and consume a nutritionally-rich diet in order to enhance quality of life of the elderly.

  13. Potential contribution of the neurodegenerative disorders risk loci to cognitive performance in an elderly male gout population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Lin; Jia, Zhaotong; Cao, Chunwei; Liu, Zhen; Liu, Fuqiang; Wang, Lin; Ren, Wei; Sun, Mingxia; Wang, Baoping; Li, Changgui; Chen, Li

    2017-09-01

    Cognitive impairment has been described in elderly subjects with high normal concentrations of serum uric acid. However, it remains unclear if gout confers an increased poorer cognition than those in individuals with asymptomatic hyperuricemia. The present study aimed at evaluating cognitive function in patients suffering from gout in an elderly male population, and further investigating the genetic contributions to the risk of cognitive function.This study examined the cognitive function as assessed by Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in 205 male gout patients and 204 controls. The genetic basis of these cognitive measures was evaluated by genome-wide association study (GWAS) data in 102 male gout patients. Furthermore, 7 loci associated with cognition in GWAS were studied for correlation with gout in 1179 male gout patients and 1848 healthy male controls.Compared with controls, gout patients had significantly lower MoCA scores [22.78 ± 3.01 vs 23.42 ± 2.95, P = .023, adjusted by age, body mass index (BMI), education, and emotional disorder]. GWAS revealed 7 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associations with MoCA test at a level of conventional genome-wide significance (P gout in further analysis (all P > .05).Elderly male subjects with gout exhibit accelerated decline in cognition performance. Several neurodegenerative disorders risk loci were identified for genetic contributors to cognitive performance in our Chinese elderly male gout population. Larger prospective studies of the cognitive performance and genetic analysis in gout subjects are recommended.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  15. Conflicting views on elder care responsibility in Japan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Kristen Schultz

    2016-05-01

    I examine the attitudinal ambivalence created by conflicting social expectations regarding parent-child devotion, filial obligation and family membership, and gender norms in a national population of Japanese adults. I ask: in a context of rapidly changing family and elder care norms, how do different beliefs and attitudes overlap and conflict and how are they related to elder care preferences? I analyze data from the 2006 Japanese General Social Survey and use Latent Class Analysis to identify latent groups in the population defined by their beliefs and examine the relationship between class membership and elder care preferences. I found variation in the population with respect to the measured beliefs as well as a relationship between patterns of beliefs and choice of elder caregiver. I found conflicting expectations regarding elder care responsibility in one latent class and this class also expressed elder care preferences that conflict with at least some of their strongly held beliefs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Managing myelodysplastic symptoms in elderly patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R Ria

    2009-10-01

    marrow function, including the diminished capacity of response to stressors such as infection or myelosuppressive treatments. Through the integration of geriatric and oncological strategies, a personalized approach toward this unique population may be applied. As with many diseases in the elderly, reliance on family members or friends to maintain the prescribed treatments, including travel to and from appointments, may place additional stressors on the patient and his/her support network. Careful evaluation and knowledge of functional status, ability to tolerate treatments, effect of disease progression, and general overall health conditions can provide the best opportunity to support these patients. Immediate assessment of daily living activities may detect deficiencies or deficits that often require early interventions.Keywords: elderly, myelodysplastic syndromes, novel agents, supportive-care, treatment strategies

  17. A Korean version of the Oral Impacts on Daily Performances (OIDP scale in elderly populations: Validity, reliability and prevalence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tsakos Georgios

    2008-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background This study aimed to develop a Korean version of the OIDP index for elderly people and to assess the levels of sociodental impacts in an older Korean population. Methods The OIDP index for elderly people was cross-culturally adapted from English into Korean and then the derived instrument was tested for reliability and validity. The study population was elderly (65+ year-old residents of Gangneung City, South Korea. Twenty two of the 222 senior day centres were randomly selected. Results 687 people were invited and 668 participated in the study (response rate: 97.2%. The standardized Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.85. The OIDP related significantly with different subjective measures of oral and general health (p Conclusion The Korean OIDP index showed satisfactory validity and internal consistency reliability, confirming its appropriateness for use among older Korean people. The prevalence of oral health related impacts was high. Future studies should focus on the test-retest reliability and the sensitivity to change of the Korean OIDP.

  18. The elderly and general anesthesia

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Steinmetz, J; Rasmussen, L S

    2010-01-01

    Due to the aging population, the number of elderly patients taking advantage of healthcare services is increasing. A general physical decline of all organ systems and a high frequency of chronic disease accompanying aging.Comorbidity and polypharmacy are therefore common in the elderly. Hence, th......, the administration of general anesthesia to the elderly can be a very challenging task. This paper aims to highlight some of the important issues presented to the elderly undergoing surgery and to suggest some strategies for management....

  19. Systematic Review of Prevalence and Risk Factors Associated With Depression and Its Treatment in Iranian Elderly

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Homeira Sajadi

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: Depression is the most common mood and psychiatric disorder. The aim of this study was to provide a clear picture of the prevalence, risk factors and interventions of depression in Iranian elderly. Methods & Materials: This study is a systematic review. Statistic population included Farsi and English studies with various aspects of depression in elderly. Keywords "Depression, Dysthymia, Melancholia, mood disorder, Iran and elderly" in Medline, SID, Iran doc, Iran medex, Mag iran and Iran psych database were searched. Then, repeated articles and articles outside the study period (1997 to 2011 were excluded. In the first stage of screening, titles and in the second stage, abstracts were reviewed by two experts. Afterwards papers were evaluated qualitatively based on Critical Appraisal Skills Program site. Results: After searching, screening and qualitative evaluation studies, the final synthesis was performed on 26 articles. Synthesis papers related to aging showed that the prevalence of depressive disorder in elderly residents at home with the back is 95.64% and with the GDS 81.85%. The prevalence of depression in the elderly living at home with the GDS was 57.58%. The most important factors associated with depression in Iranian studies were, female gender, marring status, living in a nursing home, education level, age and socio-economic status. Also, the most interventions in this age group were respectively psychotherapy, medication and exercise. Conclusions: The high prevalence of depression in elderly in Iranian studies, the need for further Investigation and intervention, regard to factors associated with depression in this period.

  20. Burden and Correlates of Falls among Rural Elders of South India: Mobility and Independent Living in Elders Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pawan Kumar Sharma

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Aim. Falls are an important contributor to loss of function, morbidity, and mortality in elders. Little is known about falls in Indian populations. The objective of this cross-sectional report was to identify the prevalence and correlates of falls in a cohort of 562 rural southern Indian men and women. Methods. Risk factors included demographics, anthropometrics, self-reported health, medical history, physical function, vision, depression, and lifestyle. Odds ratios were calculated using logistic regression. Results. 71 (13% subjects reported at least 1 fall in the past year. Prevalence was higher among women (17% than men (8%, P=0.003. Sex and age showed significant interaction (P=0.04 whereby falls prevalence increased with age among women but decreased among men. Correlates of falls among men included a history of osteoarthritis (OA (odds ratio (OR: 6.91; 95% CI: 1.4–33.1, depression (OR:9.6; 3.1–30.1, and greater height (OR per 1 standard deviation increase: 2.33; 1.1–5.1. Among women, poor physical performance (OR: 3.33; 1.13–9.86 and history of cardiovascular disease (CVD (OR: 2.42; 1.01–5.80 were independently associated with falls. Implications. Prevalence of falls in elderly South Indians was lower than published reports from western countries and likely reflects low exposure to fall risks. Patterns with age differed in men and women and may reflect sex differences in the accuracy of age recall. Presence of comorbidities specifically OA, CVD, and depression was independent correlate of falling.

  1. Elderly Adi Women of Arunachal Pradesh: "Living Encyclopedias" and Cultural Refugia in Biodiversity Conservation of the Eastern Himalaya, India

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Ranjay K.; Rallen, Orik; Padung, Egul

    2013-09-01

    Elderly women of a particular socioecological system are considered to be "living encyclopedias" in biocultural knowledge systems. These women play a pivotal role in retaining and passing on biodiversity-related traditional knowledge to the next generations. Unfortunately the fast changing sociocultural values and the impact of modernity have rendered their knowledge somewhat less valuable and they are being treated as "cultural refugia." Our study on the importance of these women in the conservation of indigenous biodiversity was conducted in 14 randomly selected villages dominated by the Adi tribe of East Siang District, Arunachal Pradesh (northeast India). Data were collected from 531 women (381 elderly and 150 young to middle aged) during 2003-2008 using conventional social science methods and participatory rural appraisal. One innovative method, namely "recipe contest," was devised to mobilize Adi women of each village in order to energies them and explore their knowledge relating to traditional foods, ethnomedicines, and conservation of indigenous biodiversity. Results indicated that 55 plant species are being used by elderly Adi women in their food systems, while 34 plant species are integral parts of ethnomedicinal practices. These women identified different plant species found under multistory canopies of community forests. Elderly women were particularly skilled in preparing traditional foods including beverages and held significantly greater knowledge of indigenous plants than younger women. Lifelong experiences and cultural diversity were found to influence the significance of biodiversity use and conservation. The conservation of biodiversity occurs in three different habitats: jhum lands (shifting cultivation), Morang forest (community managed forests), and home gardens. The knowledge and practice of elderly women about habitats and multistory vegetations, regenerative techniques, selective harvesting, and cultivation practices contribute

  2. Elderly Adi women of Arunachal Pradesh: "living encyclopedias" and cultural refugia in biodiversity conservation of the Eastern Himalaya, India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Ranjay K; Rallen, Orik; Padung, Egul

    2013-09-01

    Elderly women of a particular socioecological system are considered to be "living encyclopedias" in biocultural knowledge systems. These women play a pivotal role in retaining and passing on biodiversity-related traditional knowledge to the next generations. Unfortunately the fast changing sociocultural values and the impact of modernity have rendered their knowledge somewhat less valuable and they are being treated as "cultural refugia." Our study on the importance of these women in the conservation of indigenous biodiversity was conducted in 14 randomly selected villages dominated by the Adi tribe of East Siang District, Arunachal Pradesh (northeast India). Data were collected from 531 women (381 elderly and 150 young to middle aged) during 2003-2008 using conventional social science methods and participatory rural appraisal. One innovative method, namely "recipe contest," was devised to mobilize Adi women of each village in order to energies them and explore their knowledge relating to traditional foods, ethnomedicines, and conservation of indigenous biodiversity. Results indicated that 55 plant species are being used by elderly Adi women in their food systems, while 34 plant species are integral parts of ethnomedicinal practices. These women identified different plant species found under multistory canopies of community forests. Elderly women were particularly skilled in preparing traditional foods including beverages and held significantly greater knowledge of indigenous plants than younger women. Lifelong experiences and cultural diversity were found to influence the significance of biodiversity use and conservation. The conservation of biodiversity occurs in three different habitats: jhum lands (shifting cultivation), Morang forest (community managed forests), and home gardens. The knowledge and practice of elderly women about habitats and multistory vegetations, regenerative techniques, selective harvesting, and cultivation practices contribute

  3. Benzodiazepine abuse among the elderly

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shalini Singh

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Benzodiazepines belong to the hypnotic-sedative class of drugs which have anxiolytic, sedative, and hypnotic properties. These drugs have been in clinical use for at least half a century. The propensity for development of dependence, especially on prescription benzodiazepines, coupled with the risk of falls and cognitive impairment due to benzodiazepines makes the elderly population susceptible to adverse outcomes with the use of benzodiazepines, and hence, cautious use is desired in this population. This review discusses the various aspects pertaining to benzodiazepine abuse in the elderly including pharmacology, prevalence of abuse, adverse consequences of benzodiazepine abuse, and subsequently assessment and management of elderly patients with benzodiazepine abuse.

  4. The evaluation of oral health-related factors on the quality of life of the elderly in Babol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Motallebnejad, Mina; Mehdizadeh, Shervin; Najafi, Nazanin; Sayyadi, Fatemeh

    2015-01-01

    Considering an increase in elderly population in recent years, it has become necessary to pay attention to this group so that they can have a higher quality of life (QoL). Oral health is one of the factors affecting the QoL of the elderly. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of oral health on the QoL of the elderly population in Babol, Iran. In this study, we used the multi-stage cluster sampling technique to select 300 elderly subjects, over 65 years of age, living in Babol. Oral health-related QoL was evaluated by the Persian version of oral health impact profile (OHIP-14) questionnaire. Data were collected on gender, age, occupation, education, the date of the last dental visit, use of prosthetic appliances, and dental treatment needs, including the periodontal, prosthetic, and surgical needs, by interview and examination. Data were analyzed with SPSS software program using Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests. The mean age of the subjects was 71.4 ± 5.6 years, with 183 males (61%) and 117 females (39%). The mean score of OHIP-14 questionnaire was 22.4 ± 8.2, with a range of 5‒50. The highest score was achieved on the psychological discomfort domain. There was no significant difference in OHIP-14 scores according to gender, with significantly lower scores in subjects with academic education. The subjects wearing prosthetic appliances had lower OHIP-14 scores compared to those who did not wear prosthetic appliances. OHIP-14 scores were lower in the dentate individuals compared to the edentulous individuals. There was no correlation between the age and the OHIP-14 score. In general, the results of the present study showed a moderate oral health-related QoL in the elderly living in Babol, who have orodental problems.

  5. Increase of Elderly Population in the Rainstorm Hazard Areas of China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Pujun; Xu, Wei; Ma, Yunjia; Zhao, Xiujuan; Qin, Lianjie

    2017-08-26

    In light of global warming, increased extreme precipitation events have enlarged the population exposed to floods to some extent. Extreme precipitation risk assessments are of great significance in China and allow for the response to climate change and mitigation of risks to the population. China is one of the countries most influenced by climate change and has unique national population conditions. The influence of extreme precipitation depends on the degree of exposure and vulnerability of the population. Accurate assessments of the population exposed to rising rainstorm trends are crucial to mapping extreme precipitation risks. Studying the population exposed to rainstorm hazard areas (RSHA) at the microscale is extremely urgent, due to the local characteristics of extreme precipitation events and regional diversity of the population. The spatial distribution of population density was mapped based on the national population census data from China in 1990, 2000 and 2010. RSHA were also identified using precipitation data from 1975-2015 in China, and the rainstorm tendency values were mapped using GIS in this paper. The spatial characteristics of the rainstorm tendencies were then analyzed. Finally, changes in the population in the RSHA are discussed. The results show that the extreme precipitation trends are increasing in southeastern China. From 1990 to 2010, the population in RSHA increased by 110 million, at a rate of 14.6%. The elderly in the region increased by 38 million at a rate of 86.4%. Studying the size of the population exposed to rainstorm hazards at the county scale can provide scientific evidence for developing disaster prevention and mitigation strategies from the bottom up.

  6. Telemonitoring for assisted living residences: the medical specialists' view.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Alizadeh, S.; Bakkes, S.C.J.; Kanis, M.; Rijken, M.; Kröse, B.J.A.; Jordanova, M.; Lievens, F.

    2011-01-01

    Telemonitoring is regarded as a means to maintain a relatively high quality of life for independently living elderly. This paper discusses a requirements study of a system to, foremost, telemonitor activities of daily living (ADL) of the elderly. The study utilizes literature and in-depth interviews

  7. Predicting hemorrhage and obstruction in the elderly population using thromboelastographic indices

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    Zheng Q

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Qiwen Zheng,1,* Shuhong Fu,2,* Dafang Chen,1 Xiaoxia Li,2 Yuru Li,2 Yanyan Li,2 Jihong Yu,2 Meiliang Gong,2 Jie Bai2 1Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, People's Republic of China; 2Nanlou Clinical Lab, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Objective: To estimate the value of the different thromboelastogram indices for predicting hemorrhage and vascular obstruction in an elderly population. Methods: This was a prospective cohort study of patients 65 years and older without hematologic disorders who received thromboelastography (TEG examination at the Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital from January 2007 to December 2010. Detailed information was collected at recruitment including their TEG test results. Subjects were then followed during outpatient visits and hospitalization. The primary outcome measures were hemorrhage and vascular obstruction. Receiver-operating characteristics (ROC curves were used to compare the predictive value of the four TEG indices, reaction time (R, clot formation time (K, maximal amplitude (MA, alpha angle (ANGLE and their combination for predicting hemorrhage and vascular obstruction. The maximal Youden's index was used to estimate optimal cut-off values for the indices. Areas under the ROC curves were used to estimate overall predictive accuracies. Results: A total of 403 elderly patients met inclusion criteria and were included: 373 male and 30 females with mean age 83.0 ± 7.3 years and range of 65–103 years. Hemorrhage occurred in 25 (6.2% patients and vascular obstruction in 78 (19.4% patients during the 2-year follow up. The currently recommended TEG cut-off values were poorly predictive of vascular obstruction and modestly predictive of hemorrhage. Based on maximal Youden's, the optimal cutoffs of the TEG indices for predicting vascular

  8. Age and education adjusted normative data and discriminative validity for Rey's Auditory Verbal Learning Test in the elderly Greek population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Messinis, Lambros; Nasios, Grigorios; Mougias, Antonios; Politis, Antonis; Zampakis, Petros; Tsiamaki, Eirini; Malefaki, Sonia; Gourzis, Phillipos; Papathanasopoulos, Panagiotis

    2016-01-01

    Rey's Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) is a widely used neuropsychological test to assess episodic memory. In the present study we sought to establish normative and discriminative validity data for the RAVLT in the elderly population using previously adapted learning lists for the Greek adult population. We administered the test to 258 cognitively healthy elderly participants, aged 60-89 years, and two patient groups (192 with amnestic mild cognitive impairment, aMCI, and 65 with Alzheimer's disease, AD). From the statistical analyses, we found that age and education contributed significantly to most trials of the RAVLT, whereas the influence of gender was not significant. Younger elderly participants with higher education outperformed the older elderly with lower education levels. Moreover, both clinical groups performed significantly worse on most RAVLT trials and composite measures than matched cognitively healthy controls. Furthermore, the AD group performed more poorly than the aMCI group on most RAVLT variables. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to examine the utility of the RAVLT trials to discriminate cognitively healthy controls from aMCI and AD patients. Area under the curve (AUC), an index of effect size, showed that most of the RAVLT measures (individual and composite) included in this study adequately differentiated between the performance of healthy elders and aMCI/AD patients. We also provide cutoff scores in discriminating cognitively healthy controls from aMCI and AD patients, based on the sensitivity and specificity of the prescribed scores. Moreover, we present age- and education-specific normative data for individual and composite scores for the Greek adapted RAVLT in elderly subjects aged between 60 and 89 years for use in clinical and research settings.

  9. "I Am the Only Child of my Parents:" Perspectives on Future Elder Care for Parents among Chinese only-Children Living overseas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gui, Tianhan; Koropeckyj-Cox, Tanya

    2016-09-01

    The 1979 One-Child Policy in China created a generation of only children, leading to increased elder care dilemmas for this generation and its aging parents, particularly for young adults studying or working abroad. The current study used in-depth, semi-structured interviews with Chinese young adults who were currently studying or working in Montreal, Canada (N = 20), whose parents still lived in China. The interviews focused on the following topics: elder care patterns of respondents' grandparents; family values and expectations; perceptions of professional long-term care institutions (in China and Canada); and future plans for taking care of aging parents. Respondents described their grandparents' care as following traditional elder care patterns with multiple familial caregivers, which they appreciated as a positive model that defined their own obligations towards parents. Respondents reported being very close to their parents. Some planned to settle down in Canada and bring their parents, others planned to go back to China. Citing the tradition of filial piety, they expected to take care of their parents in the future, but they also considered the dilemmas involved in caring for aging parents without siblings to share the task, potentially requiring them to find compromises between their personal lives and caring for older parents. Those who planned to settle in Canada raised additional concerns about the challenges of bringing over their parents, including acculturation and access to and communication with health and long-term care providers. The results are discussed in the context of contemporary demographic, economic, and policy concerns about aging, family care, and immigration.

  10. Do eating habits of the population living in Roma settlements differ from those of the majority population in Slovakia?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hijová, Emília; Gecková, Andrea Madarasová; Babinská, Ingrid

    2014-03-01

    Living in Roma settlements is associated with worse health in comparison with the majority population; this might be partially explained by socioeconomic disadvantages as well as cultural differences, including lifestyle. Eating habits represent an important part of lifestyle closely related to primary causes of morbidity and mortality, such as cardiovascular diseases, metabolic diseases or cancers. The eating habits of the population living in Roma settlements in comparison with those of the majority population were explored using the cross-sectional epidemiological HepaMeta study conducted in 2011. A representative sample of Roma (n = 452, mean age = 34.7; 35.2% men) and non-Roma (n = 403, mean age = 33.5; 45.9% men) aged 18-55 years living in the Kosice region were asked about breakfasting and recent consumption of fruits, vegetables, dairy products, meat products, meat, farinaceous dishes, and soft drinks. A logistic regression model was used separately for male and female participants. The population living in Roma settlements reported the recent consumption of fruit, vegetables and dairy products significantly less frequently in comparison with the majority population. Moreover, Roma females, in comparison with non-Roma females, reported significantly more frequently the consumption of meat and soft drinks. No differences were found between Roma and non-Roma in the consumption of meat products and farinaceous dishes. The population living in Roma settlements reported more frequently unhealthy eating habits in comparison with the majority population; this might contribute to worse health status of this population. The differences might be attributed to cultural differences between ethnic as well as socioeconomic groups, reduced availability of certain food items due to segregation or poverty and lower health literacy.

  11. Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in Elderly Population With Multiple Sclerosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Camille Chesnel

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Purpose The aim of this study is to compare the clinical and urodynamic characteristics of urinary disorders in multiple sclerosis (MS patients in a geriatric population with a nongeriatric population. Methods This study was conducted retrospectively between 2010 and 2016. Each patient with MS aged 65 and older was matched with 2 patients with MS aged less than 65 in sex, form of MS, and Expended Disability Status Scale (EDSS. Demographic data, urinary symptoms, treatment, quality of life, repercussion of lower urinary tract symptoms on daily life activities and psychological state and urodynamic parameters were collected. Differences between the 2 populations were evaluated using Student test, chi-square, or Fischer tests. Results Twenty-four patients with MS aged 65 and older (mean age, 69.8 years were matched with 48 patients aged less than 65 years (mean age, 49.4 years. Maximum urethral closure pressure was lower in the elderly population than in the nongeriatric population (mean±standard deviation [SD]: 35.6±18.5 cm H2O vs. 78.2±52.3 cm H2O, P<0.001. In the male population, there was no statistical difference in any other clinical or urodynamic endpoints. In the female population, voiding symptoms was more described in the nongeriatric population (Urinary Symptom Profile low stream: 3.4±3.5 vs. 1.7±2.4, P=0.04, geriatric population had less urinary treatment (P=0.05. LUTS had less impact on quality of life (Qualiveen: 1.4±1.0 vs. 2.1±0.9, P=0.02 on the geriatric population than in the nongeriatric of female MS patients. Conclusions Geriatric population of MS has few differences of urinary disorders compared to a nongeriatric population with EDSS, sex, and MS form equal. However, the psychological impact of these urinary disorders is less important in female geriatric population.

  12. [Who told you to grow old and live on the streets?].

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  13. FUNGSI KOGNITIF MEMILIKI HUBUNGAN DENGAN KEMANDIRIAN ACTIVITY DAILY LIVING LANSIA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dian Suspiyanti

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACTBackground:The increasing number of the elderly will becomeproblems due to theaging process. Theagingprocess in elderly has many aspects of life especially in health problem, one of them is the cognitivefunction. The cognitiveproblemwill be a serious problem because it attacks the elderly’s thought. Thecognitive destructionon the elderly known as demensia. Sliding scale of demensia will influence the socialactivities, normal occupation and daily activities whereas the daily activities are important to the viability,health and prosperity of the elderly.Objective:The study aimed to know between cognitive function with the independency of the elderly infullfiling activity daily living in Jodog Village, Gilangharjo District, Pandak, Bantul.Methods:The study used a cross sectional design. The data collection used proportional random samplingmethode, with the number of 62 elderly. The data are collected using MMSE andKatz Indexquestionaire.The data analysis method used the univariat and bivariat analysis of Kendall’s tau with p<0,05.Results:The result of cognitive function showed that 11,3% of the elderly have average level of cognitivefunction, 56,5% have light interruption level of cognitive function, and 3,2 % have heavy destruction level ofcognitive function. The assesment of independency of the elderly in doing activity daily living shows that theindepency of the elderly in category A (35,5%, B (19,4%, C (17,7%, D(14,5%, E (4,8%, F (1,6% and G(6,5%. The result of Kendall’s tau correlation between cognitive function with the indepency of the elderly indoing daily activities has 0,003 significance level (0<0,05 with the lowest correlation strength (coefficientcorrelation 0,321.Conclusion:There was a correlation between cognitive function and independency elderly in the doingactivity daily living.Suggestion :The result of study can give more information for cadre at Jodog Village about the value ofelderly cognitive impairment and

  14. Harmonization process and reliability assessment of anthropometric measurements in the elderly EXERNET multi-centre study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alba Gómez-Cabello

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The elderly EXERNET multi-centre study aims to collect normative anthropometric data for old functionally independent adults living in Spain. PURPOSE: To describe the standardization process and reliability of the anthropometric measurements carried out in the pilot study and during the final workshop, examining both intra- and inter-rater errors for measurements. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 98 elderly from five different regions participated in the intra-rater error assessment, and 10 different seniors living in the city of Toledo (Spain participated in the inter-rater assessment. We examined both intra- and inter-rater errors for heights and circumferences. RESULTS: For height, intra-rater technical errors of measurement (TEMs were smaller than 0.25 cm. For circumferences and knee height, TEMs were smaller than 1 cm, except for waist circumference in the city of Cáceres. Reliability for heights and circumferences was greater than 98% in all cases. Inter-rater TEMs were 0.61 cm for height, 0.75 cm for knee-height and ranged between 2.70 and 3.09 cm for the circumferences measured. Inter-rater reliabilities for anthropometric measurements were always higher than 90%. CONCLUSION: The harmonization process, including the workshop and pilot study, guarantee the quality of the anthropometric measurements in the elderly EXERNET multi-centre study. High reliability and low TEM may be expected when assessing anthropometry in elderly population.

  15. Prevalence of falls among community-dwelling elderly and its associated factors: A cross-sectional study in Perak, Malaysia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yeong, U Y; Tan, S Y; Yap, J F; Choo, W Y

    2016-01-01

    Fall is a major cause of injuries and can increase the risk of early mortality among elderly. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of falls among community-dwelling elderly in rural Malaysia and its associated factors. Data were obtained from a cross-sectional survey in five randomly selected districts in the state of Perak, Malaysia. A total of 250 households were randomly selected. A total of 811 individuals aged 60 years or more were recruited and interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Information about socio-demographic, history of falls in the past 1 year, medical history, drug history and physical activity level were enquired. The prevalence of falls in the past 1 year among community-dwelling elderly was reported to be 4.07%. Indigenous elderly (Adjusted odd ratio, AOR = 6.06, 95% CI = 1.10-33.55, p = 0.039) and living alone (AOR = 2.60, 95% CI = 1.04-6.50, p = 0.042) were shown to be factors associated with falls. Physical activity level, number of co-morbidities and number of medications used were not associated with falls. Elderly of indigenous ethnicity and living alone are the main factors associated with falls in this population. Indigenous people may be at higher risk, which warrant further investigation with a larger sample to improve the precision of estimates.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Senanarong Vorapun

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract 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

  18. [Trauma in the elderly].

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Souza, José Antonio Gomes; Iglesias, Antonio Carlos R G

    2002-01-01

    The populational growth of the elderly, associated to a healthier and more active life, make this group of people more exposed to accidents. In some countries, trauma in the elderly is responsible for a high mortality rate, disproportionately higher than in the adults. This fact consumes a great portion of health care resources and implies in a high social cost. The distinct physiologic characteristics of the elderly and the frequent presence of associated diseases make that these patients behave differently and in a more complex way than patients of other ages. These particularities make that health care to the elderly victims of trauma have to be different. The present revision is about aspects of epidemiology, prevention, physiology, health care and rehabilitation of the elderly victims of trauma.

  19. Nutritional Status and Its Related Factors in Elderly in Kashmar

    OpenAIRE

    Hashem Heshmati; Nasser Behnampour; Rasoul Asnaashari; Aliasghar Ayatollahi

    2014-01-01

    Aging population and its consequences is one of the most issues in a lot of countries. Iranian population is in the transition in young population to the aging population and elderly population growth is higher than total population growth, therefore programming for control and solving elderly population issues is necessary in the future.

  20. Association between sarcopenia and higher-level functional capacity in daily living in community-dwelling elderly subjects in Japan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tanimoto, Yoshimi; Watanabe, Misuzu; Sun, Wei; Sugiura, Yumiko; Tsuda, Yuko; Kimura, Motoshi; Hayashida, Itsushi; Kusabiraki, Toshiyuki; Kono, Koichi

    2012-01-01

    This study aimed to determine the association between sarcopenia, defined by muscle mass, muscle strength, and physical performance, and higher-level functional capacity in community-dwelling Japanese elderly people. Subjects were 1158 elderly, community-dwelling Japanese people aged 65 or older. We used bioelectrical impedance analysis to measure muscle mass, grip strength to measure muscle strength, and usual walking speed to measure physical performance. Sarcopenia was characterized by low muscle mass, plus low muscle strength or low physical performance. Subjects without low muscle mass, low muscle strength, and low physical performance were classified as "normal." Examination of higher-level functional capacity was performed using the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology Index of Competence (TMIG-IC). The TMIG-IC is a 13-item questionnaire completed by the subject; it contains five questions on self-maintenance and four questions each on intellectual activity and social role. Sarcopenia was identified in 11.3% and 10.7% of men and women, respectively. The percentage of disability for instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) was 39.0% in men with sarcopenia and 30.6% in women with sarcopenia. After adjustment for age, in men, sarcopenia was significantly associated with IADL disability compared with intermediate and normal subjects. In women, sarcopenia was significantly associated with every subscale of the TMIG-IC disability compared with intermediate and normal subjects. This study revealed that sarcopenia, defined by muscle mass, muscle strength, and physical performance, had a significant association with disability in higher-level functional capacity in elderly Japanese subjects. Interventions to prevent sarcopenia may prevent higher-level functional disability among elderly people. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Association between vitamin D status and asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) concentration in the Korean elderly population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Hye Rin; Lee, Seung Won; Yeom, Hyungseon; Jeon, Da-Hye; Kim, Hyeon Chang; Youm, Yoosik

    2017-08-01

    Vitamin D deficiency has been reported to be associated with the risk of cardiovascular disease. We investigated the relationship between vitamin D status and asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) concentration, a marker of endothelial dysfunction, in the Korean elderly population. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 269 men and 382 women (mean age, 71.6 years) enrolled in the Korean Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (KSHAP), a population-based longitudinal study of health determinants in elderly Koreans. We stratified patients by vitamin D status into three groups according to serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] level: sufficient (≥30ng/mL, n=25), insufficient (10-D status and ADMA concentration was analyzed by multiple linear regression models. The mean ADMA concentration was significantly higher in the insufficient 25(OH)D group (0.665μmol/L, p=0.001) and the deficient 25(OH)D group (0.734μmol/L, pD group (0.589μmol/L). Even after adjusting for sex, age, body mass index, blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, total and HDL cholesterol, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), smoking status, and drinking status, ADMA concentrations were higher in the insufficient group (β=0.0742μmol/L, p=0.001) and the deficient group (β=0.1417μmol/L, pD deficiency was associated with higher ADMA levels in both women (pD deficiency was associated with higher ADMA levels in women (pD level may be associated with endothelial dysfunction in elderly Korean people. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Successful ageing amongst elderly women living independently in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This qualitative study explores successful ageing among a group of old ... were 3 million in 2011 Stats SA) and those above 65 years were reported to have grown ... Alpaslan (2011), with students as fieldworkers, gave a baseline overview of elderly ... life experiences (Wagnild 2003), a theoretical approach that has been ...

  3. Rural-urban differences in the long-term care of the disabled elderly in China.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mei Li

    Full Text Available 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.

  4. Health smart home: towards an assistant tool for automatic assessment of the dependence of elders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Le, Xuan Hoa Binh; Di Mascolo, Maria; Gouin, Alexia; Noury, Norbert

    2007-01-01

    In order to help elders living alone to age in place independently and safely, it can be useful to have an assistant tool that can automatically assess their dependence and issue an alert if there is any loss of autonomy. The dependence can be assessed by the degree of performance, by the elders, of activities of daily living. This article presents an approach enabling the activity recognition for an elder living alone in a Health Smart Home equipped with noninvasive sensors.

  5. [Frailty, disability and multi-morbidity: the relationship with quality of life and healthcare costs in elderly people].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lutomski, Jennifer E; Baars, Maria A E; Boter, Han; Buurman, Bianca M; den Elzen, Wendy P J; Jansen, Aaltje P D; Kempen, Gertrudis I J M; Steunenberg, Bas; Steyerberg, Ewout W; Olde Rikkert, Marcel G M; Melis, René J F

    2014-01-01

    To assess the independent and combined impact of frailty, multi-morbidity, and activities of daily living (ADL) limitations on self-reported quality of life and healthcare costs in elderly people. Cross-sectional, descriptive study. Data came from The Older Persons and Informal Caregivers Minimum DataSet (TOPICS-MDS), a pooled dataset with information from 41 projects across the Netherlands from the Dutch national care for the Elderly programme. Frailty, multi-morbidity and ADL limitations, and the interactions between these domains, were used as predictors in regression analyses with quality of life and healthcare costs as outcome measures. Analyses were stratified by living situation (independent or care home). Directionality and magnitude of associations were assessed using linear mixed models. A total of 11,093 elderly people were interviewed. A substantial proportion of elderly people living independently reported frailty, multi-morbidity, and/or ADL limitations (56.4%, 88.3% and 41.4%, respectively), as did elderly people living in a care home (88.7%, 89.2% and 77,3%, respectively). One-third of elderly people living at home (31.9%) reported all three conditions compared with two-thirds of elderly people living in a care home (68.3%). In the multivariable analysis, frailty had a strong impact on outcomes independently of multi-morbidity and ADL limitations. Elderly people experiencing problems across all three domains reported the poorest quality-of-life scores and the highest healthcare costs, irrespective of their living situation. Frailty, multi-morbidity and ADL limitations are complementary measurements, which together provide a more holistic understanding of health status in elderly people. A multi-dimensional approach is important in mapping the complex relationships between these measurements on the one hand and the quality of life and healthcare costs on the other.

  6. Non-leisure time physical activity is an independent predictor of longevity for a Taiwanese elderly population: an eight-year follow-up study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Yu-Pei; Huang, Ying-Hsiang; Lu, Feng-Hwa; Wu, Jin-Shang; Chang, Chih-Jen; Yang, Yi-Ching

    2011-06-03

    The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between leisure time physical activity (LTPA) and non-leisure time physical activity (NLTPA) on mortality among the elderly in Taiwan. This is a prospective observational cohort study. We analyzed the mortality data from a cohort of 876 non-institutionalized community-dwelling men and women aged 65 years or over, who were recruited by stratified clustering random sampling from Tainan city and participated in the 1996 Elderly Medication Survey. Information about activities and other variables were collected by structured interviews at baseline in the participants' home. The Cox proportional hazards model and crude death rate were applied to estimate mortality risk. Among the 876 participants, 312 died during the follow-up period (1996-2004). In the unadjusted Cox regression model, subjects aged over 75, having difficulty in carrying out activities of daily living (ADLs), a BMI less than 18.5, a history of diabetes mellitus or stroke, without LTPA or being inactive in NLTPA, were found to have a higher risk of eight-year mortality. With the adjustment for age, gender, education level, habitual smoking and drinking, living status, BMI and medical history, the mortality was found to be higher among the sedentary subjects, either defined by lack of LTPA or NLTPA, with the hazard ratio of 1.27 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.97-1.66) and 1.45 (95% CI = 1.07-1.97), respectively. Furthermore, when both LTPA and NLTPA were put into the model simultaneously, NLTPA (HR = 1.40; 95% CI = 1.03-1.91) but not LTPA (HR = 1.21, 95% CI = 0.92-1.59) significantly predicted mortality during eight-year follow-up. In addition, subjects who were actively engaged in NLTPA had a lower mortality risk especially in subjects without performing LTPA. NLTPA is an independent predictor of longevity among older people in Taiwan. A physically active lifestyle, especially engaged in NLTPA, is associated with lower mortality risk in the elderly

  7. Non-leisure time physical activity is an independent predictor of longevity for a Taiwanese elderly population: an eight-year follow-up study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wu Jin-Shang

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between leisure time physical activity (LTPA and non-leisure time physical activity (NLTPA on mortality among the elderly in Taiwan. Methods This is a prospective observational cohort study. We analyzed the mortality data from a cohort of 876 non-institutionalized community-dwelling men and women aged 65 years or over, who were recruited by stratified clustering random sampling from Tainan city and participated in the 1996 Elderly Medication Survey. Information about activities and other variables were collected by structured interviews at baseline in the participants' home. The Cox proportional hazards model and crude death rate were applied to estimate mortality risk. Results Among the 876 participants, 312 died during the follow-up period (1996-2004. In the unadjusted Cox regression model, subjects aged over 75, having difficulty in carrying out activities of daily living (ADLs, a BMI less than 18.5, a history of diabetes mellitus or stroke, without LTPA or being inactive in NLTPA, were found to have a higher risk of eight-year mortality. With the adjustment for age, gender, education level, habitual smoking and drinking, living status, BMI and medical history, the mortality was found to be higher among the sedentary subjects, either defined by lack of LTPA or NLTPA, with the hazard ratio of 1.27 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.97-1.66 and 1.45 (95% CI = 1.07-1.97, respectively. Furthermore, when both LTPA and NLTPA were put into the model simultaneously, NLTPA (HR = 1.40; 95% CI = 1.03-1.91 but not LTPA (HR = 1.21, 95% CI = 0.92-1.59 significantly predicted mortality during eight-year follow-up. In addition, subjects who were actively engaged in NLTPA had a lower mortality risk especially in subjects without performing LTPA. Conclusions NLTPA is an independent predictor of longevity among older people in Taiwan. A physically active lifestyle, especially engaged in

  8. Elderly fall patients triaged to the trauma bay: age, injury patterns, and mortality risk.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evans, Daniel; Pester, Jonathan; Vera, Luis; Jeanmonod, Donald; Jeanmonod, Rebecca

    2015-11-01

    Falls in the elderly are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. We sought to better categorize this patient population and describe factors contributing to their falls. This is a retrospective review of geriatric patients presenting to a level 1 community trauma center. We queried our trauma database for all patients 65 years and older presenting with fall and triaged to the trauma bay from 2008 to 2013. Researchers reviewed the patients' trauma intake paperwork to assess mechanism, injury, and location of fall, whereas discharge summaries were reviewed to determine disposition, morbidity, and mortality. A total of 650 encounters were analyzed. Five hundred thirty-nine resided at home (82.9%), 110 presented from nursing homes or assisted living (16.9%), and 1 came from hospice (0.15%). Ninety-five patients died or were placed on hospice as a result of their falls (14.7%), of which 88 came from home. Controlling for Injury Severity Score, living at home was an independent risk factor for fall-related mortality (odds ratio, 3.0). Comparing the elderly (age 65-79 years; n = 274) and the very elderly (age ≥80 years; n = 376), there were no differences in Injury Severity Score (P = .33), likelihood of death (P = .49), likelihood of C-spine injury (P = 1.0), or likelihood of other axial or long bone skeletal injury (P = .23-1.0). There was a trend for increased likelihood of head injury in very elderly patients (P = 0.06). Prevention measures to limit morbidity and mortality in elderly fall patients should be aimed at the home setting, where most severe injuries occur. Very elderly patients may be at increased risk for intracranial fall-related injuries. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Social Security Measures for Elderly Population in Delhi, India: Awareness, Utilization and Barriers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kohli, Charu; Gupta, Kalika; Banerjee, Bratati; Ingle, Gopal Krishna

    2017-05-01

    World population of elderly is increasing at a fast pace. The number of elderly in India has increased by 54.77% in the last 15 years. A number of social security measures have been taken by Indian government. To assess awareness, utilization and barriers faced while utilizing social security schemes by elderly in a secondary care hospital situated in a rural area in Delhi, India. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 360 individuals aged 60 years and above in a secondary care hospital situated in a rural area in Delhi. A pre-tested, semi-structured schedule prepared in local language was used. Data was analysed using SPSS software (version 17.0). Chi-square test was used to observe any statistical association between categorical variables. The results were considered statistically significant if p-value was less than 0.05. A majority of study subjects were females (54.2%), Hindu (89.7%), married (60.3%) and were not engaged in any occupation (82.8%). Awareness about Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS) was present among 286 (79.4%) and Annapurna scheme in 193 (53.6%) subjects. Among 223 subjects who were below poverty line, 179 (80.3%) were aware of IGNOAPS; while, 112 (50.2%) were utilizing the scheme. There was no association of awareness with education status, occupation, religion, family type, marital status and caste (p>0.05). Corruption and tedious administrative formalities were major barriers reported. Awareness generation, provision of information on how to approach the concerned authority for utilizing the scheme and ease of administrative procedures should be an integral part of any social security scheme or measure. In the present study, about 79.4% of elderly were aware and 45% of the eligible subjects were utilizing pension scheme. Major barriers reported in utilization of schemes were corruption and tedious administrative procedures.

  10. Sarcopenia and frailty in elderly trauma patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fairchild, Berry; Webb, Travis P; Xiang, Qun; Tarima, Sergey; Brasel, Karen J

    2015-02-01

    Sarcopenia describes a loss of muscle mass and resultant decrease in strength, mobility, and function that can be quantified by CT. We hypothesized that sarcopenia and related frailty characteristics are related to discharge disposition after blunt traumatic injury in the elderly. We reviewed charts of 252 elderly blunt trauma patients who underwent abdominal CT prior to hospital admission. Data for thirteen frailty characteristics were abstracted. Sarcopenia was measured by obtaining skeletal muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) from each patient's psoas major muscle using Slice-O-Matic(®) software. Dispositions were grouped as dependent and independent based on discharge location. χ (2), Fisher's exact, and logistic regression were used to determine factors associated with discharge dependence. Mean age 76 years, 49 % male, median ISS 9.0 (IQR = 8.0-17.0). Discharge destination was independent in 61.5 %, dependent in 29 %, and 9.5 % of patients died. Each 1 cm(2) increase in psoas muscle CSA was associated with a 20 % decrease in dependent living (p elderly trauma patients and can be obtained from the admission CT. Lower psoas muscle CSA is related to loss of independence upon discharge in the elderly. The early availability of this variable during the hospitalization of elderly trauma patients may aid in discharge planning and the transition to dependent living.

  11. Associations between plasma insulin-like growth factor-I and the markers of inflammation interleukin 6, C-reactive protein and YKL-40 in an elderly background population

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andreassen, Mikkel; Raymond, Ilan; Hildebrandt, Per

    2010-01-01

    The objective of the present study was to test the hypothesis that circulating levels of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) are inversely associated with inflammatory processes in an elderly background population.......The objective of the present study was to test the hypothesis that circulating levels of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) are inversely associated with inflammatory processes in an elderly background population....

  12. Issues in evaluation of cognition in the elderly in developing countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mathew R

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Developing regions of the world host the majority of elderly subjects who are at risk for dementia. Reliable epidemiological data from these countries is invaluable in tackling this global problem. Scarcity of such data in literature is largely attributable to problems that are unique to developing communities worldwide. Objective: To classify and describe the problems that interfere with the collection of reliable epidemiological data on cognitive impairment in the elderly in developing communities, and to suggest practical solutions for some of them. Methods: Inferring from the experiences of a large, ongoing, population-based study on the cognitive impairments in the elderly in South India and from the review of literature. Conclusion: A fatalistic attitude regarding aging in the communities, significant heterogeneity in educational abilities and activities of daily living, high illiteracy among rural subjects, and lack of an organized health care system and updated demographic figures are some of the major factors that contribute to technical, namely, methodology-related problems and practical, namely, subject-related problems in such epidemiological studies.

  13. [Articles on elderly in Serbian medical journals].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Despotović, Nebojsa; Milosević, Dragoslav P; Erceg, Predrag; Davidović, Mladen

    2009-01-01

    Population aging is a feature of all countries in the world. According to statistics, the Republic of Serbia is one of the countries with the majority of the elderly. Taking this into account, are articles on the elderly well represented in domestic medical journals? The aim of the paper was to determine whether there was a sufficient number of articles on the elderly in domestic medical journals. The articles on the elderly were searched using search engines in domestic and foreign medical journals for the last 5 years compared with the number of articles on children in the same publications for the same period. In the Serbian Citation Index, 11 articles on the topic of the elderly, and 487 on children were registered. In Srpski arhivza celokupno lekarstvo, there was registered only one article on the topic of the elderly, and 30 on children. In Vojnosanitetskipregled, 2 articles on the elderly and 13 on children were registered (p articles on the elderly and 759 articles on children; in the JAMA, there were 63 articles on the elderly and 303 articles on children; and in The Lancet, in the last five years, 46 articles on the elderly and 148 articles on children were published. The themes of the elderly were rarely represented in Serbian medical journals.This has reduced the interest of physicians in medical problems of this growing population of patients and further sent them away from making standards in the diagnosis and treatment of the elderly.

  14. 5th Italian Forum on Ambient Assisted Living

    CERN Document Server

    Siciliano, Pietro; Marletta, Vincenzo; Monteriù, Andrea

    2015-01-01

    This book documents the state of the art in the field of ambient assisted living (AAL), highlighting the impressive potential of novel methodologies and technologies to enhance well-being and promote active ageing. The coverage is wide ranging, with sections on assistive devices, elderly people monitoring, home rehabilitation, ICT solutions for AAL, living with chronic conditions, robotic assistance for the elderly, sensing technologies for AAL, and smart housing. The book comprises a selection of the best papers presented at the Fifth Italian Forum on Ambient Assisted Living, which was held in Catania, Italy, in September 2014 and brought together end users, technology teams, and policy makers to develop a consensus on how to improve provision for elderly and impaired people. Readers will find that the expert contributions offer clear insights into the ways in which the most recent exciting advances may be expected to assist in addressing the needs of the elderly and those with chronic conditions.

  15. 7th Italian Forum on Ambient Assisted Living

    CERN Document Server

    Marletta, Vincenzo; Monteriù, Andrea; Siciliano, Pietro

    2017-01-01

    This book documents the state of the art in the field of ambient assisted living (AAL), highlighting the impressive potential of novel methodologies and technologies to enhance well-being and promote active ageing. The coverage is wide ranging, with sections on assistive devices, elderly people monitoring, home rehabilitation, ICT solutions for AAL, living with chronic conditions, robotic assistance for the elderly, sensing technologies for AAL, and smart housing. The book comprises a selection of the best papers presented at the 7th Italian Forum on Ambient Assisted Living (ForitAAL 2016), which was held in Pisa, Italy, in June 2016 and brought together end users, technology teams, and policy makers to develop a consensus on how to improve provision for elderly and impaired people. Readers will find that the expert contributions offer clear insights into the ways in which the most recent exciti ng advances may be expected to assist in addressing the needs of the elderly and those with chronic conditions.

  16. Association between functional performance and executive cognitive functions in an elderly population including patients with low ankle–brachial index

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ferreira NV

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Naomi Vidal Ferreira,1 Paulo Jannuzzi Cunha,2 Danielle Irigoyen da Costa,3 Fernando dos Santos,1 Fernando Oliveira Costa,1 Fernanda Consolim-Colombo,4 Maria Cláudia Irigoyen1 1Heart Institute, Medical School, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; 2Neuroimaging in Psychiatry Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Medical School, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; 3Rio Grande do Sul Cardiology Institute, Fundação Universitária de Cardiologia, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; 4Medical School, Universidade Nove de Julho, São Paulo, SP, Brazil Introduction: Peripheral arterial disease, as measured by the ankle–brachial index (ABI, is prevalent among the elderly, and is associated with functional performance, assessed by the 6-minute walk test (6MWT. Executive cognitive function (ECF impairments are also prevalent in this population, but no existing study has investigated the association between ECF and functional performance in an elderly population including individuals with low ABI.Aim: To investigate the association between functional performance, as measured by the 6MWT, and loss in ECF, in an elderly sample including individuals with low ABI.Method: The ABI group was formed by 26 elderly individuals with low ABI (mean ABI: 0.63±0.19, and the control group was formed by 40 elderly individuals with normal ABI (mean ABI: 1.08±0.07. We analyzed functional performance using the 6MWT, global cognition using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE, and ECF using the Digit Span for assessing attention span and working memory, the Stroop Color Word Test (SCWT for assessing information processing speed and inhibitory control/impulsivity, and the Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWAT for assessing semantic verbal fluency and phonemic verbal fluency. We also used a factor analysis on all of the ECF tests (global ECF.Results: Before adjustment, the ABI group performed worse on global cognition, attention span, working

  17. Performance on cognitive tests, instrumental activities of daily living and depressive symptoms of a community-based sample of elderly adults in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lima, Christina Martins Borges; Alves, Heloisa Veiga Dias; Mograbi, Daniel Correa; Pereira, Flávia Furtado; Fernandez, Jesus Landeira; Charchat-Fichman, Helenice

    2017-01-01

    Objective To describe the performance on basic cognitive tasks, instrumental activities of daily living, and depressive symptoms of a community-based sample of elderly adults in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) who participated in multiple physical, social, and cognitive activities at government-run community centers. Methods A total of 264 educated older adults (> 60 years of age of both genders) were evaluated by the Brief Cognitive Screening Battery (BCSB), Lawton's and Pfeffer's activities of daily living indexes, and the Geriatric Depressive Scale (GDS). Results The mean age of the sample was 75.7 years. The participants had a mean of 9.3 years of formal education. With the exception of the Clock Drawing Test (CDT), mean scores on the cognitive tests were consistent with the values in the literature. Only 6.4% of the sample had some kind of dependence for activities of daily living. The results of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) indicated mild symptoms of depression in 16.8% of the sample Conclusion This study provided important demographic, cognitive, and functional characteristics of a specific community-based sample of elderly adults in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. PMID:29213494

  18. Performance on cognitive tests, instrumental activities of daily living and depressive symptoms of a community-based sample of elderly adults in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christina Martins Borges Lima

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Objective: To describe the performance on basic cognitive tasks, instrumental activities of daily living, and depressive symptoms of a community-based sample of elderly adults in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil who participated in multiple physical, social, and cognitive activities at government-run community centers. Methods: A total of 264 educated older adults (> 60 years of age of both genders were evaluated by the Brief Cognitive Screening Battery (BCSB, Lawton's and Pfeffer's activities of daily living indexes, and the Geriatric Depressive Scale (GDS . Results: The mean age of the sample was 75.7 years. The participants had a mean of 9.3 years of formal education. With the exception of the Clock Drawing Test (CDT, mean scores on the cognitive tests were consistent with the values in the literature. Only 6.4% of the sample had some kind of dependence for activities of daily living. The results of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15 indicated mild symptoms of depression in 16.8% of the sample. Conclusion: This study provided important demographic, cognitive, and functional characteristics of a specific community-based sample of elderly adults in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

  19. PERCEPTIONS AND EXPERIENCES OF ELDERLY RESIDENTS IN A NURSING HOME

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Renata Alessandra Evangelista

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this study was to evaluate the perception of the elderly residents of a long-stay nursing home on the process of institutionalization. We interviewed 14 subjects, five women and nine men, aged between 60 and 92 years. Data collection was conducted with a semi-structured sociodemographic interview, which presented the guiding question: “Tell me about how is your life, what do you do and how did you come to live here”. From the analysis, we found topics related to feelings of abandonment, loneliness, anger, ingratitude, living with chronic pain, satisfaction of property in the nursing home, productivity and social relationship. Given the thematic analysis, it was possible to group them into three categories such as: what the elderly feel, what the elderly perceive and what the elderly desire. As a result, we need public policies that addresses to the service provided by institutions regarding elderly expectations.

  20. High prevalence of sarcopenia among binge drinking elderly women: a nationwide population-based study

    OpenAIRE

    Yoo, Jun-Il; Ha, Yong-Chan; Lee, Young-Kyun; Hana-Choi,; Yoo, Moon-Jib; Koo, Kyung-Hoi

    2017-01-01

    Background Alcohol consumption is considered a risk factor for sarcopenia, but the association between alcohol consumption and the prevalence of sarcopenia has not been evaluated in detail. This study was to identify the relationship between alcohol drinking patterns and the prevalence of sarcopenia in the elderly Korean population. Methods The cross-sectional study was performed using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Participants were excluded if they wer...

  1. Social inclusion affects elderly suicide mortality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yur'yev, Andriy; Leppik, Lauri; Tooding, Liina-Mai; Sisask, Merike; Värnik, Peeter; Wu, Jing; Värnik, Airi

    2010-12-01

    National attitudes towards the elderly and their association with elderly suicide mortality in 26 European countries were assessed, and Eastern and Western European countries compared. For each country, mean age-adjusted, gender-specific elderly suicide rates in the last five years for which data had been available were obtained from the WHO European Mortality Database. Questions about citizens' attitudes towards the elderly were taken from the European Social Survey. Correlations between attitudes and suicide rates were analyzed using Pearson's test. Differences between mean scores for Western and Eastern European attitudes were calculated, and data on labor-market exit ages were obtained from the EUROSTAT database. Perception of the elderly as having higher status, recognition of their economic contribution and higher moral standards, and friendly feelings towards and admiration of them are inversely correlated with suicide mortality. Suicide rates are lower in countries where the elderly live with their families more often. Elderly suicide mortality and labor-market exit age are inversely correlated. In Eastern European countries, elderly people's status and economic contribution are seen as less important. Western Europeans regard the elderly with more admiration, consider them more friendly and more often have elderly relatives in the family. The data also show gender differences. Society's attitudes influence elderly suicide mortality; attitudes towards the elderly are more favorable among Western European citizens; and extended labor-market inclusion of the elderly is a suicide-protective factor.

  2. Psychosocial Status and Economic Dependence for Healthcare and Nonhealthcare among Elderly Population in Rural Coastal Karnataka.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rent, Priyanka Dsouza; Kumar, Sudeep; Dmello, Mackwin Kenwood; Purushotham, Jagannath

    2017-01-01

    The elderly who will constitute 10% of the Indian population by 2021 face problems such as deteriorating healthcare status, loneliness, and economic constraints among others. All these factors together may affect the psychosocial status of the elderly and their health-seeking behavior. With this background, the current study tried to evaluate the psychosocial status, economic dependence for health and nonhealth expenses and awareness regarding geriatric welfare services (GWS) among elderly patients. The study was carried out among 599 men and women aged above 60 who visited rural healthcare centers in two districts of Karnataka during September-December 2016. A semi-structured interview schedule was administered by a trained medical professional after taking informed consent. Majority of the respondents said that they had company at home, interacted with people outside home and that their advice was honored. About 75.8% of the respondents reported that they were either partially or completely financially dependent on someone else. The mean cost of hospitalization was reported to be Rs. 11,086. Majority of those hospitalized depended on their children to pay for healthcare (66.9%), whereas 16.9% had availed government insurance schemes and 14.6% paid out of pocket. Nearly 64.9% of the respondents were aware of the GWS while 32.6% had used them. The absence of financial risk pooling mechanisms and social support may cause elderly to forego treatment because of the need to pay for healthcare and further deteriorate their psychosocial status. Government initiatives to improve healthcare and social services to the elderly maybe advocated.

  3. Analysis of elderly population living in nursing homes in relation with their independence in dayling living Valoración de la institucionalización de los sujetos ancianos en relación a su dependencia, en función de la capacidad para las actividades de la vida diaria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Ponce

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available

    The increasing number of elderly people who live in nursing homes drove us to consider the possibility of a particular form of growing old in these institutions. Analyzing the results obtained with a functional scale to assess the activities of daily living (A.D.L., allowed us to know the functional abilities of this elderly population, the community dwellers and the nursing homes residents. The dependency profile for A.D.L. was obtained for each group, and also the correlation coeficients. We obtained the the regresion lines to interpret and discuss graphic and statistically the apparently low functional capacity of nursing homes residents. We conclude that the dependency is high when increasing the age, being higher in the females than in the males. The health status and type of residency were correlated with lower dependency. And even being lower the number of nursing home residents than the community dwellers, when these are healthy, the dependency is higher in the nursing home residents, than in the community dwellers. We could not observe any statistical correlation with the previous kind of job.
    KEY WORDS: Aged. Nursing homes. Activities of daily living. Questionnaires.

    El incremento del número de personas de edad avanzada que viven en residencias para ancianos nos indujo a considerar la posible existencia de una forma particular de envejecimiento en este tipo de instituciones. El análisis de los resultados obtenidos con una escala de valoración funcional de las actividades de la vida diaria (A.V.D., permitió conocer la capacidad funcional de los ancianos tanto institucionalizados, como no-institucionalizados. En cada grupo se obtuvo el perfil de dependencia para las A.V.D., así como sus coeficientes de correlación. Se obtuvieron las rectas de regresión lineal para poder interpretar y discutir gráfica y estadísticamente la aparentemente baja capacidad funcional de la población institucionalizada. Se

  4. Advances in treating psoriasis in the elderly with small molecule inhibitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cline, Abigail; Cardwell, Leah A; Feldman, Steven R

    2017-12-01

    Due to the chronic nature of psoriasis, the population of elderly psoriasis patients is increasing. However, many elderly psoriatic patients are not adequately treated because management is challenging as a result of comorbidities, polypharmacy, and progressive impairment of organ systems. Physicians may hesitate to use systemic or biologic agents in elderly psoriasis patients because of an increased risk of adverse events in this patient population. Small molecule medications are emerging as promising options for elderly patients with psoriasis and other inflammatory conditions. Areas covered: Here we review the efficacy, safety and tolerability of small molecule inhibitors apremilast, tofacitinib, ruxolitinib, baricitinib, and peficitinib in the treatment of psoriasis, with focus on their use in the elderly population. Expert opinion: Although small molecule inhibitors demonstrate efficacy in elderly patients with psoriasis, they will require larger head-to-head studies and post-marketing registries to evaluate their effectiveness and safety in specific patient populations. Apremilast, ruxolitinib, and peficitinib are effective agents with favorable side effect profiles; however, physicians should exercise caution when prescribing tofacitinib or baricitinib in elderly populations due to adverse events. The high cost of these drugs in the U.S. is likely to limit their use.

  5. Study of Health and Social Indicators of Elderly Women in Iran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marzieh Shirazi Khah

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: by reducing the fertility rate and Improve health& social conditions in Iran, increases the statistics of population older women also follow the whole population of seniors. So that in two decades than has increased the population of elderly women to total female population of 3 percent to 4.1 percent in the recent census in 2006 to 7 percent and is expected that increasing continues this trend the next decades. Global statistics show that significantly more elderly woman than elderly men in most countries, developed and developing, But according to the Statistical Center of Iran shows that during 1976-2006 has increased in every decade the number of elderly women in Iran Due to improved health services, social and economic, but has reduced the population of elderly women than elderly men This happened while usually Is less life expectancy in men than women .therefore In this paper we study the population status, health, education, family status, employment, quality of life and isolation of elderly women in Iran and We review different reasons than elderly women than elderly men in gender. Methods & Materials: This study is a descriptive-analytical study and a library that was used in the Statistics Center of Iran as the country's census is the most documented. In addition, we search for related database in English and Persian, including pubmed, medline, ISI and Web site World Health Organization and Scientific Information Database To obtain demographic and social information about the Iranian elderly population. Also took advantage of the views of experts to analyze the findings gerontology, epidemiology and sociology on gender differences in the elderly population in Iran. Result: With a deep look at the situation of elderly women from different dimensions, including physical health, psychological-psychological, familial, social and... Understand that Despite the efforts and improvements in health status, social and economic in

  6. The prevalence and treatment of hypertension in the elderly population of the Mexican Institute of Social Security.

    Science.gov (United States)

    García-Peña, C; Thorogood, M; Reyes, S; Salmerón-Castro, J; Durán, C

    2001-01-01

    To assess the prevalence and treatment of high blood pressure among elderly people in Mexico. A cross-sectional study was conducted from February to July 1998 among the elderly people covered by the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS) healthcare services in Mexico City. The study population consisted of 4,777 subjects aged 60 years and over, selected from a cohort of 5,433 people, representative of the population of Mexico City. Trained nurses carried out three blood pressure measurements at home. Diagnosis of high blood pressure was established if systolic pressure was equal to or higher than 160 mmHg, and/or diastolic pressure was equal or higher than 90 mmHg, or by self-report of a medical diagnosis of hypertension. Demographic and risk factor information was also collected. A total of 4,777 subjects were screened; 2,036 (43%) of them reported that they had been previously diagnosed as hypertensive. Of these, 1,954 (96%) were already on pharmacological treatment. A further 273 (5.7%) subjects were found to be hypertensive at screening. Among those receiving treatment, 1,399 (68.5%) had a blood pressure reading of less than 160/90 mmHg, and this was also the case for 59 (72%) of the known hypertensives not on treatment. A single drug was used by 1,556 (79.6%) of those on treatment. Risk factors for hypertension were more frequent in the hypertensive group (p 0.05 Pound). Almost half of the elderly population is hypertensive, most of them are already on treatment, but about one third of those on treatment do not have an adequate control of high blood pressure.

  7. Comparison of balance assessment modalities in emergency department elders: a pilot cross-sectional observational study

    OpenAIRE

    Caterino, Jeffrey M; Karaman, Rowan; Arora, Vinay; Martin, Jacqueline L; Hiestand, Brian C

    2009-01-01

    Abstract Background More than one-third of US adults 65 and over fall every year. These falls may cause serious injury including substantial long-term morbidity (due declines in activities of daily living) and death. The emergency department (ED) visit represents an opportunity for identifying high risk elders and potentially instituting falls-related interventions. The unique characteristic of the ED environment and patient population necessitate that risk-assessment modalities be validated ...

  8. Pharmacological Management of Anxiety Disorders in the Elderly

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crocco, Elizabeth A.; Jaramillo, Sindy; Cruz-Ortiz, Caroline; Camfield, Katherine

    2017-01-01

    Opinion Statement Anxiety disorders are common in the elderly. Additionally, anxiety symptoms often accompany co-morbid psychiatric, medical, as well as neurodegenerative diseases in the older population. Anxiety in the elderly, often accompanied by depression, can lead to worsening physical, cognitive and functional impairments in this vulnerable population. Antidepressants are considered first line treatment. Both SSRIs and SNRIs are efficacious and well-tolerated in the elderly. Some SSRIs are strong inhibitors of the cytochrome P450 hepatic pathway whereas others have less potential for drug interaction. Those antidepressants with more favorable pharmacokinetic profiles should be considered first-line in the treatment of anxiety. Mirtazapine and vortioxetine are also considered safe treatment options. Buspirone may have benefit, but lacks studies in elderly populations. Although tricyclic/tetracyclic antidepressants (TCAs) and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) may be effective in the elderly, their side effect and safety profiles are suboptimal and thus are not recommended in late-life. Benzodiazepines and beta blockers should generally be avoided when treating anxiety in the elderly. There is not enough evidence to support the use of antipsychotics or mood stabilizers given their risk of problems in both the long and short term. In addition, antipsychotics have a black box warning for increased mortality in elderly patients with dementia. PMID:28948135

  9. Gerontechnology in providing for the housing needs of the elderly

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcin Boruta

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available The ongoing ageing of societies entails the need to intensify research aimed at solving problems of seniors. Housing is one of the most acute problems of the elderly. However, solving this issue is by no means an easy task as the population of seniors is highly heterogeneous. The great diversity means that the housing offer for this group should also be wide and comprehensive. Independent living forms, adjusted to the needs of the elderly, are among many potential dwelling options. The aim of this paper is to explain the meaning of gerontechnology as part of the silver economy concept. The issue is of special importance in the light of the ongoing demographic changes. The basic method applied is case study – the author presents the model example of an apartment for seniors in Warsaw, Poland, where many gerontechnological solutions have been applied.

  10. The Crossing Speed of Elderly Pedestrians

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    Ana Trpković

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available The population of elderly people is rapidly growing and in terms of safety, senior pedestrians represent one of the most vulnerable group. The pedestrian crossing speed is a significant input parameter in traffic engineering, which can have effect on pedestrians’ safety, especially of older population. The objective of this study was to determine the value of the crossing speed of elderly pedestrians (65+ for different types of urban crossings. The research was conducted at ten intersections in the city of Belgrade, Serbia, using the method of direct observation and a questionnaire for collecting data. The data were analysed in the statistical software package IBM SPSS Statistics. The results showed that elderly pedestrians walk slower and the crossing type significantly influenced the speed of older population. The order of crossing types in relation to the measured speed is ranked as follows, from the lowest to the highest speed value: unsignalized, signalized, signalized with pedestrian countdown display, signalized with pedestrian island and pedestrian countdown display and finally signalized crossing with pedestrian island. According to the questionnaire results, the elderly recognize the importance of implementing pedestrian counters. This indicates the necessity to provide safe street crossing for the elderly using the corresponding engineering measures.

  11. Identifying community healthcare supports for the elderly and the factors affecting their aging care model preference: evidence from three districts of Beijing

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    Tianyang Liu

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The Chinese tradition of filial piety, which prioritized family-based care for the elderly, is transitioning and elders can no longer necessarily rely on their children. The purpose of this study was to identify community support for the elderly, and analyze the factors that affect which model of old-age care elderly people dwelling in communities prefer. Methods We used the database “Health and Social Support of Elderly Population in Community”. Questionnaires were issued in 2013, covering 3 districts in Beijing. A group of 1036 people over 60 years in age were included in the study. The respondents’ profile variables were organized in Andersen’s Model and community healthcare resource factors were added. A multinomial logistic model was applied to analyze the factors associated with the desired aging care models. Results Cohabiting with children and relying on care from family was still the primary desired aging care model for seniors (78 %, followed by living in institutions (14.8 % and living at home independently while relying on community resources (7.2 %. The regression result indicated that predisposing, enabling and community factors were significantly associated with the aging care model preference. Specifically, compared with those who preferred to cohabit with children, those having higher education, fewer available family and friend helpers, and shorter distance to healthcare center were more likely to prefer to live independently and rely on community support. And compared with choosing to live in institutions, those having fewer available family and friend helpers and those living alone were more likely to prefer to live independently and rely on community. Need factors (health and disability condition were not significantly associated with desired aging care models, indicating that desired aging care models were passive choices resulted from the balancing of family and social caring resources

  12. Examination of validity of fall risk assessment items for screening high fall risk elderly among the healthy community-dwelling Japanese population

    OpenAIRE

    DEMURA, Shinichi; SATO, Susumu; YAMAJI, Shunsuke; KASUGA, Kosho; NAGASAWA, Yoshinori

    2010-01-01

    We aimed to examine the validity of fall risk assessment items for the healthy community-dwelling elderly Japanese population. Participants were 1122 healthy elderly individuals aged 60 years and over (380 males and 742 females). The percentage who had experienced a fall was 15.8%. This study used fall experience and 50 fall risk assessment items representing the five risk factors (symptoms of falling, physical function, disease and physical symptom, environment, and behavior and character), ...

  13. A normative study of lexical verbal fluency in an educationally-diverse elderly population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Bong Jo; Lee, Cheol Soon; Oh, Byoung Hoon; Hong, Chang Hyung; Lee, Kang Soo; Son, Sang Joon; Han, Changsu; Park, Moon Ho; Jeong, Hyun-Ghang; Kim, Tae Hui; Park, Joon Hyuk; Kim, Ki Woong

    2013-12-01

    Lexical fluency tests are frequently used to assess language and executive function in clinical practice. We investigated the influences of age, gender, and education on lexical verbal fluency in an educationally-diverse, elderly Korean population and provided its' normative information. We administered the lexical verbal fluency test (LVFT) to 1676 community-dwelling, cognitively normal subjects aged 60 years or over. In a stepwise linear regression analysis, education (B=0.40, SE=0.02, standardized B=0.506) and age (B=-0.10, SE=0.01, standardized B=-0.15) had significant effects on LVFT scores (p0.05). Education explained 28.5% of the total variance in LVFT scores, which was much larger than the variance explained by age (5.42%). Accordingly, we presented normative data of the LVFT stratified by age (60-69, 70-74, 75-79, and ≥80 years) and education (0-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12, and ≥13 years). The LVFT norms should provide clinically useful data for evaluating elderly people and help improve the interpretation of verbal fluency tasks and allow for greater diagnostic accuracy.

  14. Prevalence of Disability and Relevant Risk Factors In Elderly Dwellers in Isfahan Province-2012

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    Zamane Vafaei

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: Due to the increasing elderly population in the country, this study was conducted to determine the level of disability and associated factors, in order to plan for the prevention of disability and reduce the effects of aging. Methods & Materials: This study was conducted through cross-sectional, descriptive analysis and cluster sampling method among 300 patients aged 60 years and older in 8 districts of 14 urban areas of Esfahan. The Data was collected through face to face interviews at elderly people's home. The data collection tool was a questionnaire consisted of two parts: The first section contained demographic, socioeconomic, disease and the needs of the studied population and the second part WHODAS (World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule standard questionnaire, from the World Health Organization resources. The data were analysed through descriptive and analytic statistics. Results: The mean age of the total study population were 71.4 years old, and the median age was 70 years. Among the studied population 15.7 had no disability and most of them (33.3% were suffering from low levels of disability. The highest rate of people without disabilities - regardless of employed people - reffered to cope and live with other people (63.3%. However, the highest rate of severe disability was related to the mobility and doing the daily duties (25.3%. Disability scores increased with age (r=0.4 and decreased significantly with income enhancement (r=-0.3. Moreover, women, widows, those who were living with people other than family, illiteracy and workers had a significantly more disability. Considering disorders and diseases, musculoskeletal disorders, urinary and faecal incontinence, speech disorder, brain stroke, ataxia, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease, cognitive and memory disorders were more severe disabilities. So that the mean disability score (out of 100 in patients with the musculoskeletal diseases was approximately

  15. QT interval prolongation in users of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in an elderly surgical population

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    van Haelst, Ingrid M M; van Klei, Wilton A; Doodeman, Hieronymus J

    2014-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between the use of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and the occurrence of QT interval prolongation in an elderly surgical population. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted among patients (> 60 years) scheduled for outpatient...... preanesthesia evaluation in the period 2007 until 2012. The index group included elderly users of an SSRI. The reference group of nonusers of antidepressants was matched to the index group on sex and year of scheduled surgery (ratio, 1:1). The primary outcome was the occurrence of QT interval prolongation shown...... on electrocardiogram. The QT interval was corrected for heart rate (QTc interval). The secondary outcome was the duration of the QTc interval. The outcomes were adjusted for confounding by using regression techniques. RESULTS: The index and reference groups included 397 users of an SSRI and 397 nonusers, respectively...

  16. THE STUDY OF CLINICO-AETIOLOGICAL PROFILE OF PANCYTOPENIA IN ELDERLY POPULATION

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    Vijayashree Thyagaraj

    2017-06-01

    deficiency. We found that mean MCV was 88 fL (p=0.2 in all these patients. CONCLUSION Vitamin B12 deficiency is the most common cause of pancytopenia in elderly population. Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency maybe vague in elderly. High index of suspicion is required for the diagnosis. Mean corpuscular volume may not be raised in all cases. Hence, all patients in geriatric population presenting with must be tested for vitamin B12 deficiency.

  17. Viewpoints of the members of the workers' retirement centers in Tehran about elderly day care centers (2012

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    Hosein Rohani

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Background: There is no documented evidence regarding elderly day care centers in Iran. This needs analysis study was conducted to investigate the demand for elderly day care centers in Tehran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted recruiting 210 participants aged over 60 who were members of the elderly retirement centers in Tehran in 2012. Data were gathered by Kansas state university questionnaire and analyzed using Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Results: About 80% of participants were men with the mean age of 67.5±5.23 years. Results showed that male (P<0.001, married (P=0.01 and literate elderly (P<0.001, and those living in rental homes (P<0.001 expressed a greater need for elderly day care centers. There was no statistically significant relationship between the lifestyle (P=0.051 and income (P=0.08 of the participants and demand for elderly day care centers. Conclusion: Given the rising population of the elderly and their high demand for day care centers, it is necessary to establish well-equipped day care centers for this group of people. Also, these centers may reduce the burden of care for the aged people on public services and family care givers.

  18. Kanji and Kana agraphia in mild cognitive impairment and dementia: A trans-cultural comparison of elderly Japanese subjects living in Japan and Brazil

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    Kyoko Akanuma

    Full Text Available Abstract This study verifies the environmental effects on agraphia in mild cognitive impairment and dementia. We compared elderly Japanese subjects living in Japan and Brazil. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the database of the Prevalence Study 1998 in Tajiri (n=497, Miyagi, Japan and the Prevalence Study 1997 of elderly Japanese immigrants living in Brazil (n=166, migrated from Japan and living in the São Paulo Metropolitan Area. In three Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR groups, i.e., CDR 0 (healthy, CDR 0.5 (questionable dementia, and CDR 1+ (dementia , the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE item of spontaneous writing and the Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument (CASI domain of dictation were analyzed with regard to the number of Kanji and Kana characters. Formal errors in characters and pragmatic errors were also analyzed. Results: The immigrants in Brazil wrote similar numbers of Kanji or Kana characters compared to the residents of Japan. In spontaneous writing, the formal Kanji errors were greater in the CDR 1+ group of immigrants. In writing from dictation, all the immigrant CDR groups made more formal errors in Kana than the Japan residents. No significant differences in pragmatic errors were detected between the two groups. Conclusions: Subjects living in Japan use Kanji frequently, and thus the form of written characters was simplified, which might be assessed as mild formal errors. In immigrants, the deterioration in Kanji and Kana writing was partly due to decreased daily usage of the characters. Lower levels of education of immigrants might also be related to the number of Kanji errors.

  19. Considerations for Sexuality Education and Services for LGB Elders

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaya, Julie; Bernert, Donna J.

    2014-01-01

    Sexuality education and health services for elderly individuals who reside in care settings (e.g., assisted living facilities, nursing homes, retirement communities) have received limited attention in the professional literature. However, the lack of sexual health promotion practices in elder care facilities can be detrimental to older…

  20. Frontiers in the Education of the Elderly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peterson, James A.

    Demographic trends indicate a continued population rise among the elderly, suggesting an expanded market for adult education efforts. Early retirement, unemployment due to technological change, as well as the need for older workers to stay current in their fields all point in the direction of education of the elderly. The elderly report great…