WorldWideScience

Sample records for long-lived elderly people

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

    OpenAIRE

    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...

  2. Sustainable Living in Long-Term Care: For People with Dementia/Alzheimer's

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simmons, Daniela

    2011-01-01

    Nonhome-based long-term care sustainable living arrangements for elderly people with Alzheimer's is presented. Characteristics contributing to sustainability are discussed. The ultimate goal in sustainable design for older adult communities is a people-centered model of care in environments that improve their quality of life. Without sustainable…

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

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

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    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.

  5. 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

  6. 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...

  7. 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.

  8. 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].

  9. 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.

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

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    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

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

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    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.

  12. 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.

  13. [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.

  14. 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.

  15. 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'.

  16. 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.

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

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    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.

  18. 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

  19. 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

  20. [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].

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  1. 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...

  2. Gerontological contributions to the care of elderly people in long-term care facilities

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    Vanessa da Silva Antonio Coimbra

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Objective: To analyze Brazilian scientific productions from the last 11 years which show the contributions of nursing to elderly people in long-term care facilities. Method: This is an integrative literature review. The search took place in the Virtual Health Library (VHL in the BDENF and LILACS databases and the SCIELO virtual library, between June and October 2016, using the keyword long-term care facility and the descriptors nursing and geriatrics. Results: Eleven studies were selected, published 2005 and 2016, with various methodological approaches that enabled discussion of the proposed objective. Conclusion: The contributions of nursing to institutionalized elderly people were linked to health promotion measures, as well as simple interventions, such as listening, interacting, offering recreation and helping in psychoaffective relationships. These activities contributed to raising the self-esteem of the individuals.

  3. 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.

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

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    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.

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

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    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.

  6. [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.

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

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    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.

  8. Renal Transplantation from Elderly Living Donors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    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.

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

    OpenAIRE

    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 ...

  10. Consumer panel study on elderly people's wishes concerning services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valkila, Noora; Litja, Heli; Aalto, Leena; Saari, Arto

    2010-01-01

    This study informs on the wishes and needs of elderly people themselves regarding services for the elderly. The data for the study were gathered using a consumer panel method. Elderly people desire assistance in heavy cleaning chores, in outdoor activities and in carrying out their personal business. Elderly people felt that there should be more recreational services available. Elderly people link aging with feelings of insecurity and loneliness. Becoming a service user for the first time is felt to be a very difficult step to take, and so this decision is postponed as long as possible. The elderly people desire a service for assessing their individual service needs in an organized, expert and objective fashion. The study indicates that elderly people value the human contact gained through service provision. The consumer panel method for collecting data was successful. Copyright © 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Elderly people's perceptions of how they want to be cared for: an interview study with healthy elderly couples in Northern Sweden.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harrefors, Christina; Sävenstedt, Stefan; Axelsson, Karin

    2009-06-01

    Many countries encounter a demographic change where the number of elderly people will increase. As a result, the number of very old people needing care, services and medical assistance will increase. Care in the private home is often described as providing the best alternative for many elderly people. The aim of this study was to describe elderly people's perceptions of how they wanted to be cared for, from a perspective of becoming in need of assistance with personal care, in the future. Twelve couples of healthy elderly people living in a couple hood participated in an interview study. They were all 70 years and older and received no kind of professional care or social support. Open individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with the support of written vignettes. The vignettes were formed as scenarios that described three levels of caring needs where the elderly people would become ill. A qualitative content analysis was used to analyse the interviews. The findings were interpreted in one main theme: maintaining the self and being cared for with dignity to the end. The theme was built from three categories: at home as long as possible, professional care at nursing home when advanced care is needed and fear of being abandoned. The categories reflect the perception that when minimum help was needed, care and support by the partner and nursing staff were preferred. As the scenarios changed to being totally dependent on care, they preferred care in a nursing home. There was a pervading concern of the risk of not being seen as an individual person and becoming a nobody with no meaningful relations. Thus, there must be a singular goal to support old people, in all stages of their lives, through the recognition and affirmation of self, and providing care with dignity to the end.

  12. [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.

  13. 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.

  14. [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.

  15. 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.

  16. Emotional Sphere in Elderly People: Age and Regional Differences

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shagidaeva A.B.

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available We present a study of the negative aspects of the emotional sphere in elderly man: depression and loneliness. Empirical research was carried out in Moscow and Grozny involving elderly people living in families and in geriatric centers (201 subjects, as well as with middle-aged people (132 subjects. We used the following methods: Zung differential diagnosis of depressive states inventory in adaptation by T.I. Balachova and D. Russell and M. Ferguson Loneliness scale (UKL in adaptation by N.E. Vodopyanova. It is shown that at the present stage of development of society, middle-aged people already have quite high level of depression and pronounced sense of loneliness. We confirmed the hypothesis that the preservation of the negative aspects of the emotional sphere in elderly people is less dependent on the conditions of life at the micro level (family or gerontology center and more dependent from the living conditions at the macro level (socio-economic situation in the region. In Grozny, a city of more complex socio-economic situation, negative emotional states are more pronounced than in Moscow.

  17. 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.

  18. 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...

  19. [Interventions based on exercise and physical environment for preventing falls in cognitively impaired older people living in long-term care facilities: A systematic review and meta-analysis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    González-Román, Loreto; Bagur-Calafat, Caritat; Urrútia-Cuchí, Gerard; Garrido-Pedrosa, Jèssica

    2016-01-01

    This systematic review aims to report the effectiveness of interventions based on exercise and/or physical environment for reducing falls in cognitively impaired older adults living in long-term care facilities. In July 2014, a literature search was conducted using main databases and specialised sources. Randomised controlled trials assessing the effectiveness of fall prevention interventions, which used exercise or physical environment among elderly people with cognitive impairment living in long-term care facilities, were selected. Two independent reviewers checked the eligibility of the studies, and evaluated their methodological quality. If it was adequate, data were gathered. Fourteen studies with 3,539 participants using exercise and/or physical environment by a single or combined approach were included. The data gathered from studies that used both interventions showed a significant reduction in fall rate. Further research is needed to demonstrate the effectiveness of those interventions for preventing falls in the elderly with cognitive impairment living in long-term care establishments. Copyright © 2015 SEGG. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  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. Trends and determinants of informal and formal caregiving in the community for disabled elderly people in Taiwan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ku, Li-Jung E; Liu, Li-Fan; Wen, Miin-Jye

    2013-01-01

    Although family caregiving for elderly people has been the backbone of long-term care in Taiwan, it is not clear whether informal help from family members has diminished in recent years due to changes in social structure and traditions. The objective of this study is to examine the trend and the factors influencing the use of informal and formal caregiving among disabled elders in the community of Taiwan. Data were drawn from three waves of the Taiwan Longitudinal Study on Aging (TLSA) (1999, 2003, and 2007) to examine the receipt of help with activities of daily living (ADLs) in a nationally representative sample of Taiwanese elderly people aged 65 and older. Results showed the trend in having at least 1 of 6 ADL limitations in the community increased mildly in the past decade but a significant rise in the use of paid help compared to informal help between 1999 and 2007. Factors associated with higher likelihood of paid help use included better socio-economic status and more ADLs. However, those living with spouse only were much less likely to use paid help than those living with adult children. Findings suggest that future long-term care (LTC) policy in Taiwan should focus more on providing elders who live alone or with spouse only additional caregiving resource. Given the rapid growth of foreign care workers as primary source of caregiving, the government needs further monitoring to promote care quality and also strategies to develop needs-led home and community based care. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. What determines the preference for future living arrangements of middle-aged and older people in urban China?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meng, Dijuan; Xu, Guihua; He, Ling; Zhang, Min; Lin, Dan

    2017-01-01

    Living arrangements are important to the elderly. However, it is common for elderly parents in urban China to not have a living situation that they consider ideal. An understanding of their preferences assists us in responding to the needs of the elderly as well as in anticipating future long-term care demands. The aim of this study is to provide a clear understanding of preferences for future living arrangements and their associated factors among middle-aged and older people in urban China. Data were extracted from the CHARLS 2011-2012 national baseline survey of middle-aged and elderly people. In the 2011 wave of the CHARLS, a total of 17,708 individual participants (10,069 main respondents and 7,638 spouses) were interviewed; 2509 of the main respondents lived in urban areas. In this group, 41 people who were younger than 45 years old and 162 who had missing data in the variable "living arrangement preference" were excluded. Additionally, 42 people were excluded because they chose "other" for the variable "living arrangement preference" (which was a choice with no specific answer). Finally, a total of 2264 participants were included in our study. The most popular preference for future living arrangements was living close to their children in the same community/neighborhoods, followed by living with adult children. The degree of community handicapped access, number of surviving children, age, marital status, access to community-based elderly care centers and number of years lived in the same community were significantly associated with the preferences for future living arrangements among the respondents. There is a trend towards preference for living near adult children in urban China. Additionally, age has a positive effect on preference for living close to their children. Considerations should be made in housing design and urban community development plans to fulfill older adults' expectations. In addition, increasing the accessibility of public facilities in

  3. [Home automation for elderly people in the process of losing their autonomy].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muller, Philippe

    2012-01-01

    The safety of elderly people, particularly dependent at night, is a major factor in preventingthem from remaining in their own home. An experiment in Corrèze using domotics and advanced remote assistance services and involving around one hundred elderly people living at home, took place from summer 2009 to autumn 2010.

  4. 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.

  5. [Study of intrinsic risk factors for falls in institutionalized elderly people].

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Menezes, Ruth Losada; Bachion, Maria Márcia

    2008-01-01

    The objective of this research was to identify intrinsic risk factors that predispose elderly people living in long-term institutions in the city of Goiânia (GO) to falls. The present descriptive transversal study was carried out in six long-term institutions for seniors in the city of Goiânia. The investigated sample consisted of 95 elderly that fitted the inclusion and exclusion criteria. A questionnaire was used for collecting clinical data related to health-disease conditions; cognitive data; capacity to develop basic daily life activities and equilibrium and gait. In general terms, as pointed out the literature, the examined elderly presented different fall risk factors such as: motor difficulty in lower limbs (90%), visual deficit (81,1%), use of 3 or more kinds of medicines (59,7%), suspected depression (37,9%), lack of equilibrium/unstable unipodal support (37,9%) abnormally decreased height in step (32,6%). The obtained data allow us to set indicators for the increase in falls among the studied sample, demonstrating the need for creating strategies for health promotion, prevention of injuries and rehabilitation.

  6. Aging and quality of life of elderly people in rural areas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juliana Ladeira Garbaccio

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the quality of life and health of elderly in rural areas of Minas Gerais State’s center-west. Method: Cross-sectional study, in four municipalities of Minas Gerais State, by interviewing elderly people. Associations between socio-demographic and quality of life variables were tested, separated into “satisfactory”/“unsatisfactory” with values from the median of positive answers. It was used the chi-square test, Fisher’s test and regression. Results: 182 elderly answered the questions and showed a relation with the “satisfactory” quality of life - bivariate (p < 0.05: age by 69 years (61.6%, married (61.7%, living by 54 years in rural areas (68%, with no financial support (59.5%, living with someone else (61%, non-smoker (60%, presenting good health (76.7%, satisfied with life (69.6%; regression: not having financial support, living with someone else and not smoking. Conclusion: Elderly people in rural areas present good quality of life/health in the cognitive aspect, access to services, goods, habits, but awareness must be constant due to their weakness.

  7. Rural-urban differences in the long-term care of the disabled elderly in China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  8. Jumping combined exercise programs reduce fall risk and improve balance and life quality of elderly people who live in a long-term care facility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cakar, E; Dincer, U; Kiralp, M Z; Cakar, D B; Durmus, O; Kilac, H; Soydan, F C; Sevinc, S; Alper, C

    2010-03-01

    The objective of this study was to determine whether regular combined exercise program, which consists strength, stretching and aerobic exercises and additional jumping training, improve balance, fall risk, quality of life and depression status of older people living in a residential care. A total of 168 residents who live in a long term care facility were screened. The trial began with 78 eligible participants and they were randomly grouped as combined exercises program (COM) group that includes stretching, strength and aerobic exercises, and COM plus jumping (COMpJ) group. 66 of the participants finished the trial. The groups were convened three times a week for six weeks. Each group had a warm-up, effective training and a cooling down periods. The total exercising time was no longer than 45 minutes in each group. Berg balance test and Biodex Balance System for the assessment of the dynamic balance and fall risk, short form 36 (SF 36) for the health related quality of life and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) for evaluation of the depression status were used. The balance improvement and fall risk reduction were observed in both of the groups at the end of the trial; however, the improvements were statistically better in jumping combined group. Also health related quality of life improved in both groups. Regular group exercise in a long term care facility have several beneficial effects on the elderly residents in regard to balance improvement, fall risk reduction and quality of life. The addition of jumping to strength, stretching and aerobic exercises provides important contributions to balance improvement and fall risk reduction.

  9. 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...

  10. 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.

  11. Natural light exposure, healthy elderly people and sleep : a field study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Aarts, M.P.J.; Schoutens, A.M.C.; Stapel, J.C.

    2006-01-01

    Among 14 independently living, mobile and healthy elderly people in The Netherlands was conducted to see whether exposure duration of high intensity, natural, light is related to sleep quality, and more general the amplitude of the sleep-wake cycle. The elderly wore for 5 consecutive days in summer

  12. 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.

  13. 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.

  14. 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...

  15. 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.

  16. Quality of life of elderly people living with HIV/AIDS in outpatient follow-up

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juliano de Souza Caliari

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Objective: To analyze factors related to the quality of life of elderly people living with HIV/AIDS. Method: A cross-sectional study was carried out with people aged 50 years or more in a specialized outpatient clinic. The data collection was by means of an interview. For the analysis of data and characterization of the sample, descriptive statistics and comparison tests were used. The project met the ethical requirements. Results: Participants were 81 users aged 50 to 75 years, mean age was 57.8 (± 6.1 years, 71.6% of whom were men. There was a statistically significant relationship with the quality of life, the following variables: gender, children, occupation, religion, diagnosis time, HIV exposure, adverse effects, treatment interruption, viral load counts, hospitalization, dependence for daily activities and use of drugs. Conclusion: The results suggest that the quality of life deficit is related not only to physical changes, but to the anguish and stigma related to HIV/AIDS.

  17. 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.

  18. 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...

  19. 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.

  20. Age identity, social influence and socialization through physical activity in elderly people living in a nursing home.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prevc, Petra; Doupona Topic, Mojca

    2009-12-01

    Elderly people perceive their own ageing in very different ways and the aim of the present study was to explore age identity, the perception of "old age", the role of physical activity in the socialization of elderly people and social influences on physical activity in elderly people living in a nursing home. Questionnaires were answered by 75 nursing home residents (79 +/- 8 years old; 19 males, 56 females), coming from two different Slovenian regions. Subjective age ("felt age") was on average 5.5 years less than chronological age. Neither increasing chronological age nor subjective age was significantly correlated with a negative perception of health. Subjective age was neither correlated with any of the statements related to well-being and satisfaction with life. The importance of health in old age was confirmed by significant correlation of health status with perception of one's well-being and satisfaction with life. Interestingly, the age at which one perceives a person as having become old was not significantly related to one's own age. Nursing home residents in general associate old age with physical impairment and poor health. Slight differences between genders were noted; men grade retirement and communication difficulties with younger people as more prominent in old age. Interaction with other residents seems to be an important component of physical activity, as participants grade the importance of socializing during exercise quite highly; no significant differences between regions nor between men and women were noted. The social influence on physical activity did not differ significantly between genders and observed regions; the presence of negative social influence was relatively low. Furthermore, in the third period of life, physical activity plays an important socialization role and is, at the same time, influenced by the beliefs and ideas of the environment.

  1. A longitudinal study of cerebral blood flow and intelligences in normal elderly people living in retirement house

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    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)

  2. New living for elderly people. An outline of domotics and sustainability for elderly people; Het nieuwe wonen voor ouderen. Een omgevingsverkenning naar domotica en duurzaamheid voor ouderen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dries, J.; Ellen, G.J.; Den Blanken, M. [TNO Strategie, Technologie en Beleid TNO-STB, Delft (Netherlands); Maas, N. [TNO Bouw, Delft (Netherlands)

    2003-03-01

    A brief overview is given of the possibilities for elderly people to make use of domotics in order to live on one's own. The results of the title study are based on literature and other information sources. [Dutch] Dit rapport geeft een beknopt overzicht van de mogelijkheden om met behulp van domotica ouderen langer zelfstandig en duurzaam te laten wonen. Binnen het begrip duurzaamheid wordt onderscheid gemaakt tussen ecologische duurzaamheid (planet), economische duurzaamheid (profit) en sociale duurzaamheid (people). Hiertoe zijn projecten, literatuur en andere informatiebronnen verzameld op het terrein van domotica, duurzaamheid en ouderen waaruit blijkt dat er, sinds domotica de laatste tien jaar actueel is geworden, al enorm veel geprobeerd en geschreven is. Met name de combinatie 'ouderen en domotica' en 'domotica en duurzaamheid' levert veel materiaal op. Zeldzamer is echter de combinatie van alledrie de elementen.

  3. Self-care of elderly people after the diagnosis of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Araujo, Graciela Machado de; Leite, Marinês Tambara; Hildebrandt, Leila Mariza; Oliveski, Cinthia Cristina; Beuter, Margrid

    2018-01-01

    to characterize the seropositive elderly for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) in their socio-demographic aspects; to understand how the elderly take care of themselves from the diagnosis of HIV/AIDS. Qualitative, descriptive, exploratory research conducted at a Voluntary Counseling and Testing Center with 10 elderly people receiving treatment for HIV/AIDS. The data were analyzed according to the content analysis. Data show the elderly people's lack of knowledge about HIV/AIDS transmission, the experience of being elderly and having HIV/AIDS, caring for oneself and life after diagnosis of HIV/AIDS in their daily lives. Final considerations: The diagnosis of HIV/AIDS seropositivity in the elderly generates a blend of feelings and fears that lead to food changes, adherence to treatment and the renunciation of daily and social habits, manifested as ways of self-care.

  4. [Nutritional care of elderly people with chronic alcoholism].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brugerolles, Héléna; Mathy, Fabrice; Emery, Sophie; Hervé, Christian

    2014-01-01

    The management of elderly people with chronic alcoholism involves several players, including dieticians.Without stigmatisingthe person or apportioning blame, the challenge is to enable them to become a player in their treatment. Long-term support is required.

  5. Falls in long-term care institutions for elderly people: protocol validation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baixinho, Cristina Rosa Soares Lavareda; Dixe, Maria Dos Anjos Coelho Rodrigues; Henriques, Maria Adriana Pereira

    2017-01-01

    To validate the content of a fall management risk protocol in long-term institutions for elderly people. Methodological, quanti-qualitative study using the Delphi technique. The tool, based on the literature, was sent electronically to obtain consensus among the 14 experts that meet the defined inclusion criteria. The 27 indicators of the protocol are organized in three dimensions: prepare for the institutionalization (IRA=.88); manage the risk of falls throughout the institutionalization (IRA=.9); and lead the communication and formation (IRA=1), with a CVI=.91. Two rounds were performed to get a consensus superior to 80% in every item. The values obtained in the reliability test (>0.8) show that the protocol can be used to meet the intended goal. The next step is the clinic validation of the protocol with residents of long-term care institutions for elderly people. Validar o conteúdo de um protocolo para a gestão do risco de queda em Instituições de Longa Permanência para Idosos. Estudo metodológico, de abordagem quantiqualitativa, utilizando a técnica de Delphi. O instrumento, construído com base na literatura, foi enviado por via electrónica, para obter consenso entre os 14 peritos que respeitam os critérios de inclusão definidos. Os 27 indicadores do protocolo estão organizados em três dimensões: Preparar a Institucionalização (IRA=,88); Gerir o Risco de Queda ao longo da Institucionalização (IRA=,9) e Liderar a comunicação e formação (IRA=1), com um CVI=,91. Foram efetuadas duas rodadas para se obter consenso superior a 80% em todos os itens. Os valores obtidos no teste de fidedignidade (>0,8) atestam que o protocolo pode ser utilizado para atingir o fim que se pretende. A próxima etapa é a validação clínica do protocolo com idosos residentes em Instituições de Longa Permanência para Idosos.

  6. Sheltered housing or community dwelling: quality of life and ageism among elderly people.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bodner, Ehud; Cohen-Fridel, Sara; Yaretzky, Abraham

    2011-10-01

    Previous studies have found correlations between negative perceptions of old age and perceived quality of life (QoL) among elderly people. It has also been suggested that a denial of aging mechanism is employed and might support ageist attitudes among private-sheltered housing tenants compared with elderly people who live in the community and experience intra-generational interactions. Therefore, we hypothesized that tenants of sheltered housing will report more ageist attitudes towards people of their own age, and report a lower QoL than elderly people who live in the community. The sample included 126 volunteers, aged between 64 and 94 years, who live in private-sheltered housing (n = 32) or in the community (n = 94). The participants completed the Fraboni scale of ageism, and a QoL Inventory (SF-36). People, and men in particular, who live in sheltered housing, reported more intergenerational ageist attitudes than men and women who live in the community. Tenants in sheltered housing expressed lower evaluations of their mental health, but higher evaluations on "social functioning" (QoL scales). Women from sheltered housing reported better mental health than men. Gender and some QoL scales were associated with higher ageism. Differences in ageist attitudes between both dwelling places can be interpreted according to Social Identity Theory, which refers to the impact of the ingroup on social attitudes. Differences in QoL can be understood by the accessibility of social activities in private-sheltered housing. Gender differences in ageism and QoL can be explained by women's better social adjustment. Findings should be regarded with caution because of the small sample.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2015-01-01

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

  8. Food for talk: Photo frames to support social connectedness for elderly people in a nursing home

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Biemans, Margaretha Catharina Maria; van Dijk, Elisabeth M.A.G.; Norros, L.; Koskinen, H.; Salo, S.; Savioja, P.

    2009-01-01

    Social connectedness is crucial to someone’s well-being. A case study is conducted to test whether the social connectedness of elderly people living in a nursing home and their family and friends can be improved through a photo frame. A SIM-based photo frame is used to keep the elderly people

  9. Live Fish Impaction in Hypopharynx in an Elderly Patient

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    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.

  10. Exploring spirituality in Iranian healthy elderly people: A qualitative content analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahimi, Abolfazl; Anoosheh, Monireh; Ahmadi, Fazlollah; Foroughan, Mahshid

    2013-03-01

    Spirituality is recognized as a personally important matter to the elderly, and there are evidences of its impact on their health. The aim of this study was to explore the concept of spirituality from the perspectives of Iranian healthy elderly individuals. A conventional qualitative content analysis of carried out with 21 healthy elderly people from both male and female genders were chosen using a purposive sampling method in Tehran in 2010-2011. Data collection was done through semi structured interviews. A qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the participants' experiences and perceptions on spirituality, using a central question 'what characterizes the spirituality in the Iranian healthy elderly people?' THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES EMERGED FROM THE DATA ANALYSIS: (1) Spiritual health, with four sub categories including saying prayer as a calming factor; beneficence as a way to God; loss of psychological and spiritual support; faith as a way to happiness; (2) spiritual beliefs, with three sub categories including seeking help from God in difficulties; God's power over life and death; doing good deeds is the God's will; and (3) religious practice with three sub categories including saying prayer; reading Quran; and going to mosque, religious ceremonies and pilgrimage. In this study was found that spirituality was a fundamental element in elderly individuals' lives that help them to adapt with daily living conditions.

  11. A soundscape study: What kinds of sounds can elderly people affected by dementia recollect?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagahata, K; Fukushima, T; Ishibashi, N; Takahashi, Y; Moriyama, M

    2004-01-01

    In this study, the kinds of sounds recollected by elderly people with dementia were investigated as a first step towards improving their sound environment. Onomatopoeias were presented to elderly people as keys to recollecting sounds, and they told what they imagined from each onomatopoeia. The results are summarized as follows. (1) Generally speaking, sounds from nature, such as the songs of birds and the sound of rain were recollected easily from onomatopoeias, regardless of gender. (2) Sounds of kitchen work were recollected by women only. (3) Sounds from old routines were recollected clearly. (4) Sounds that elicited feelings of nostalgia were also recollected intensely from onomatopoeias. These results show that elderly people suffering from dementia are able to recollect the sounds that had once occupied very important parts of their lives. However, these sounds in themselves are not unusual sounds in their daily lives. This suggests the importance of soundscape design in daily life.

  12. Analysis of trace elements in scalp hair for long-lived people, hypertensives and healthy students

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu Xiaofeng; Zhang Yurong; Zhang Longxing; Zhang Agen

    1989-01-01

    The XRF method was used to analyse nine kinds of trace elements in hair samples for three groups of people. While the information on long-lived people is used to explore the secret of long life, the work on hypertensives helps understand the effect of some trace elements on the disease. The normal values of trace elements for university students have been also set up

  13. Apparent quality-of-life in nations : how long and happy people live

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    R. Veenhoven (Ruut)

    2005-01-01

    textabstractQuality-of-life in nations can be measured by how long and happy people live. This is assessed by combining data on life expectancy drawn from civil registration with survey data on subjective enjoyment of life as a whole. This measure of 'apparent' quality-of-life is a good alternative

  14. Elderly and long-term care trends and policy in Taiwan: Challenges and opportunities for health care professionals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hsiu-Hung Wang

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this article is to address the trends and policy of elderly and long-term care in Taiwan. In response to the increasing demand of an aging society, healthcare professionals play crucial roles in elderly and long-term care and quality assurance of services. This article focuses on the current situation of elderly health care, demands of long-term care, long-term care policy in Taiwan, draft of the Long-term Care Services Act, and draft of the Long-term Care Insurance Act. After the 10-year long-term care project was proposed by the Taiwan government, the supply of health care services and demand for long-term care have created many challenges and opportunities for innovative health professional development. Challenges consist of low old dependency ratio caused by low birth rate, lack of elderly and long-term care related manpower, services and education reform related to long-term care for the future society, and interprofessional collaboration and team work of long-term care. Opportunities include expanding the roles and the career pathways of healthcare professionals, promoting the concepts of active aging and good quality of life, and developing industrial cooperation related to long-term care services. Under these circumstances, healthcare professonals are actively involved in practice, education and research of long-term care services that ensure elderly and disabled people can live a healthier and better life.

  15. Long-term care of the elderly: Current status, policies and dilemmas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matković Gordana

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available In Serbia, the long-term care as a system does not actually exist. One part of the system is regulated through cash benefits, one part through institutional social care and community-based social services, and one part is just being established under the health care system. The linkages among these segments are not strong and there is insufficient awareness of the need to regard the different parts of the system as being interdependent and interconnected. According to the different surveys, home care is needed for the daily functioning of more than 80,000 elderly people, especially for around 27,000 of those who are completely immobile. More than 300 thousand elderly persons have indicated that they are in need of some type of self-care support. By tradition, elderly people in Serbia rely primarily on family support. Some are getting the state support as well. Research shows that 62 thousand elderly persons (5 percent receive attendance allowance; 9,000 elderly are accommodated in institutions (0.7 percent, while 11.7 thousand (1 percent persons received some type of support through home care community based services. In addition, in Belgrade there are also 2,000 elderly who are beneficiaries of medical and palliative care at home. The government expenditures for these purposes can be very roughly estimated at 0.55 percent of GDP, largely for cash benefits (0.37 percent. Considered over a medium and longer term, the government expenditures on longterm care in Serbia will inevitably increase significantly, primarily due to an increase in the number and share of elderly people and the increase in additional life years spent in ill health or in need of assistance. An increase in the expenditures will also be influenced by a change in the family models and the increasing number of elderly that will be living alone, as well as the diminishing possibilities for reliance on the closest family members, especially due to emigration flows both at local

  16. Better housing and living conditions for older people

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    housing stock and local neighbourhood facilites be made more responsive to the demands of older people? How can housing and planning measures contribute to the integration of older people in local communities? How can urban renewal be implemented in elderly-friendly forms? What forms of coordination......There is an increasing emphasis on strategies designed to combat the exclusion of older people from society. The development of social policies oriented towards community care and community living has important consequences for housing policies and urban planning policies. How can the general...

  17. 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.

  18. Swallowing frequency in elderly people during daily life.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tanaka, N; Nohara, K; Kotani, Y; Matsumura, M; Sakai, T

    2013-10-01

    Disuse atrophy of swallowing-related organs due to an excessive decrease in swallowing frequency is suspected to occur in patients with poor oral intake, especially elderly people. However, swallowing frequency in daily life has not previously been examined in the elderly. This study examined swallowing frequency in elderly people and compared these findings to those in a younger population and differences in the degree of activity in daily life. (i) We compared swallowing frequency in 20 elderly people (82·0 ± 8·3 year) and 15 healthy young people (26·5 ± 3·5 year). (ii) 20 elderly people were divided into two groups according to the degree of activity in daily life: a semi-bedridden group and bedridden group; the swallowing frequency was compared between these groups. (i) The swallowing frequency in the elderly people was 2-19 times per hour and the mean was 9·4 ± 4·9, and that in the healthy young people was 16-76 times per hour and the mean was 40·7 ± 19·5. Swallowing frequency in elderly people was significantly lower than that in young healthy people (P bedridden group was 2-11 times per hour and the mean was 6·8 ± 3·3, and that in semi-bedridden group was 3-19 times per hour and the mean was 11·9 ± 5·1. Swallowing frequency in bedridden group was significantly lower than that in semi-bedridden group (P elderly people tend to swallow less frequently than young people. In addition, swallowing frequency was lower in elderly subjects with a low degree of activity in daily life. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    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.

  20. 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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    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.

  1. Depression and subjective economy among elderly people in Asian communities: Japan, Taiwan, and Korea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Imai, Hissei; Chen, Wen-ling; Fukutomi, Eriko; Okumiya, Kiyohito; Wada, Taizo; Sakamoto, Ryota; Fujisawa, Michiko; Ishimoto, Yasuko; Kimura, Yumi; Chang, Chia-Ming; Matsubayashi, Kozo

    2015-01-01

    The objective of this study is to investigate the cross-cultural relationship between depressive state and subjective economic status, as well as subjective quality of life (QOL) and activities of daily living (ADL) among elderly people in communities in Japan, Taiwan, and Korea. We studied 595 subjects aged 65 years or older in three Asian communities (261 subjects in T town in Japan, 164 in D town in Taiwan, and 170 in H town in Korea). The Geriatric Depression Scale-15, a self-rating questionnaire assessing ADL, subjective QOL, social situations, and past and current medical status, was used. Depression of the elderly was associated with dependence in basic ADL, subjective QOL, and subjective sense of low economic status. After adjusting for the effects of age, sex, and basic ADL, subjective sense of low economic status was closely associated with depression in community-living elderly people in all three communities in Asia. In conclusion, absolute and objective economic status is an important contributing factor to depressive state or psychosocial deterioration, however, we should pay more attention to the roles of perception of low economic status in determining depressive state in community-dwelling elderly people. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. Medical Decision-Making Among Elderly People in Long Term Care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tymchuk, Alexander J.; And Others

    1988-01-01

    Presented informed consent information on high and low risk medical procedures to elderly persons in long term care facility in standard, simplified, or storybook format. Comprehension was significantly better for simplified and storybook formats. Ratings of decision-making ability approximated comprehension test results. Comprehension test…

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

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    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.

  6. Comparison of self-esteem and quality of life between residents of old people's home and the elders living at home

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    Jadranka Pluzarić

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Research on self-esteem and quality of life has been so far predominantly focused on younger age groups. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine the differences regarding self-esteem and quality of life between the residents of old people's home and the elders living at home. Methods: A questionnaire used in the survey inquired about socio-demographic data and the respondents' activities. It included the respondents' self-esteem assessment, based on the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (RSES, the assessment of quality of life, based on the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS and the assessment of their functional abilities. The purposive sample included 204 respondents. The research was conducted from November 2012 to March 2013. Results: The respondents in both groups expressed equal satisfaction with life (p = 0.846. The respondents who live in their own home demonstrate higher self-esteem than those who live in old people's home (difference in mean scores of the RSES was 3.4; 95 % CI for the difference from 1.0 to 5.8; t-test for independent samples, p = 0.005. Results of the study suggest that the respondents with higher self-esteem are more satisfied with their life (p = 0.537, p < 0.001. Discussion and conclusion: Self-esteem has to be recognised as a factor associated with the quality of life and should therefore be included in the care of the elderly. Timely and adequate interventions may prevent the decline in quality of life, which requires adequate training of health personnel and family members, and the public awareness.

  7. The relative and absolute reliability of the Functional Independence and Difficulty Scale in community-dwelling frail elderly Japanese people using long-term care insurance services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saito, Takashi; Izawa, Kazuhiro P; Watanabe, Shuichiro

    2017-06-01

    The newly developed Functional Independence and Difficulty Scale is a tool for assessing the performance of basic activities of daily living in terms of both independence and difficulty. The reliability of this new scale has not been assessed. The aim of this study was to examine the relative reliability and absolute reliability of the newly developed scale in community-dwelling frail elderly people in Japan. Participants were 47 community-dwelling elderly subjects (22 for assessing test-retest reliability and 25 for assessing inter-rater reliability). As relative reliability indices, intra-class correlation coefficients were used. From an absolute reliability perspective, we conducted Bland-Altman analysis and calculated the limit of agreement or minimal detectable change to determine the acceptable range of error. Intra-class correlation coefficients for test-retest and inter-rater reliability were 0.90 (P reliability was -5.2 to 1.8, representing an increase of over six points for improvement and a decrease of over two points for decline of basic activities of daily living ability. The minimal detectable change for inter-rater reliability was 3.7, indicating that a three-point difference might be existed between difference raters. The results of this study demonstrated that the FIDS appeared to be a reliable instrument for use in Japanese community-dwelling frail elderly people. While further research using a large and more diverse sample of participants is needed, our findings support the use of FIDS in clinical practice or clinical research targeting frail elderly Japanese people.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Castro, Vivian Carla; Carreira, Lígia

    2015-01-01

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

  9. Cognitive Changes among Institutionalized Elderly People

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2009-01-01

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

  10. Auditory Memory deficit in Elderly People with Hearing Loss

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zahra Shahidipour

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Hearing loss is one of the most common problems in elderly people. Functional side effects of hearing loss are various. Due to the fact that hearing loss is the common impairment in elderly people; the importance of its possible effects on auditory memory is undeniable. This study aims to focus on the hearing loss effects on auditory memory.   Materials and Methods: Dichotic Auditory Memory Test (DVMT was performed on 47 elderly people, aged 60 to 80; that were divided in two groups, the first group consisted of elderly people with hearing range of 24 normal and the second one consisted of 23 elderly people with bilateral symmetrical ranged from mild to moderate Sensorineural hearing loss in the high frequency due to aging in both genders.   Results: Significant difference was observed in DVMT between elderly people with normal hearing and those with hearing loss (P

  11. Fall prevalence, time trend and its related risk factors among elderly people in China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Hong; Ouyang, Peng

    2017-11-01

    To study the fall prevalence, time trends and related risk factors among elderly people in the Chinese mainland from 2011 to 2013. Our data were from China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study in 2011 and 2013. The population sample included people aged 60 years and over. Whether the person had experienced fall accident in the last two years was used to measure fall incidence. The time trend and age groups were investigated through the chi-square test. The related risk factors were examined based on the binary logistic regression model. In 2011, 19.64% (95% CI, 18.66%, 20.67%) of elderly people experienced fall incidents and in 2013, 19.28% (95% CI, 18.46%, 20.13%) of elderly people experienced fall incidents. However, no significant difference was seen in the fall prevalence between 2011 and 2013. The fall prevalence among elderly people aged 66-70 declined significantly while that among people aged over 80 showed an increasing time trend. The fall prevalence was affected significantly by factors including age (66-70), gender, marital status, self-rated health, quantity of chronic diseases, quantity of disability items, activities of daily living and physical functioning. It is revealed the fall prevalence showed no increment from 2011 to 2013 but at a high level. More efforts should be made to reduce the fall prevalence, and special attention should be paid to the elderly people aged over 80 and older. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vivian Carla de Castro

    2015-04-01

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

  13. Effects of Individual, Spousal, and Offspring Socioeconomic Status on Mortality Among Elderly People in China

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    Lei Yang

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Background: The relationship between socio-economic status and health among elderly people has been well studied, but less is known about how spousal or offspring’s education affects mortality, especially in non-Western countries. We investigated these associations using a large sample of Chinese elderly. Methods: The data came from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS from the years 2005 to 2011 (n = 15 355, aged 65–105 years at baseline; 5046 died in 2008, and 2224 died in 2011. Educational attainment, occupational status, and household income per capita were used as indicators of socio-economic status. Spousal and offspring’s education were added into the final models. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to study mortality risk by gender. Results: Adjusted for age, highly educated males and females had, on average, 29% and 37% lower mortality risk, respectively, than those with a lower education. Particularly among men, this effect was observed among those whose children had intermediate education only. A higher household income was also associated with lower mortality risk among the elderly. Male elderly living with a well-educated spouse (HR 0.79; 95% CI, 0.64–0.99 had a lower mortality risk than those living with a low-educated spouse. Conclusions: Both the socio-economic status of the individual and the educational level of a co-resident spouse or child are associated with mortality risk in elderly people. The socio-economic position of family members plays an important role in producing health inequality among elderly people.

  14. [Salivary flow and psychoactive drug consumption in elderly people].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cabrera, Marcos Aparecido Sarria; Mesas, Arthur Eumann; Rossato, Luiz Angelo; Andrade, Selma Maffei de

    2007-01-01

    To analyze the association between low saliva flow rates and the use of psychoactive drugs among the elderly. A cross-sectional study was carried out with 267 elderly people from 60 to 74 years of age who lived in a borough of the city of Londrina, Paraná State, Brazil. Individuals with high functional dependence or restricted to bed were excluded. Saliva flow rate was the dependent variable with values under the first tercile being considered as low flow rates (less than 0.44 ml/min). The continuous use of psychoactive drugs (antidepressant, antiepileptic, sedative, antipsychotic, hypnotic or sedative-hypnotic drugs) was the independent variable. Multivariate analysis was performed taking into account gender, age and smoking status. The majority of the elderly were women (80.5%), with a mean age of 66.5 years. Use of psychoactive drugs was observed among 31 elderly (11.6%). Mean saliva flow rate was 0.76 ml/min, lower among users of psychoactive drugs (0.67 ml/min). In the multivariate analysis, use of psychoactive drugs was associated with low saliva flow rates (psychoactive drugs and low saliva flow rates in this group of independent and non-institutionalized elderly. These conclusions stress the need of a rational use of these drugs, particularly among the elderly.

  15. Impact of long term Yoga practice on sleep quality and quality of life in the elderly

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    Mangesh A Bankar

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Sleep disturbances and decline in the physical functionality are common conditions associated with aging. Pharmacological treatment of sleep disturbances can be associated with various adverse effects. Short term trials of Yoga on sleep have shown beneficial effects. Objectives: To evaluate the effect of long-term Yoga exercises on sleep quality and quality of life (QOL in the elderly. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study in which data were collected from elderly people aged 60 years or more living in Nagpur city. We employed two types of survey questionnaires: Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI and QOL Leiden-Padua (LEIPAD Questionnaire. A total of 65 elderly men and women who signed an informed consent and completed questionnaires were included in the study. Sleep quality score PSQI and QOL (LEIPAD Questionnaire score of the study group were evaluated and compared with the control group using Mann-Whitney U test. Results: Total PSQI score in Yoga group was lower than that of the control group. Also various QOL scores of the Yoga groups were higher than the control group. Conclusion: Addition of regular Yoga exercises in the daily routine of elderly people can help to achieve good sleep quality as well as improve the QOL.

  16. Role of Internal and External Religious Beliefs in Mental Health and Rate of Depression in Elderly People

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    Fazel Bahrami

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: The present research is aimed at surveying the role of (internal and external religious orientation in the mental health and the extent of depression in elderly people residing in welfare centers and the society. Methods: The study has been conducted through post-event and correlation method by using stochastic and cluster sampling in 230 cases of elderly people at senior citizens` homes, affiliated with the Welfare Organization, and public places (mosques and parks which are gathering centers for the elderly people of society, both male and female. The cases were initially screened in terms of recognition complications. Then 28-question tests on general health and depression of Beck and Alport`s test on religious approach were completed and the results were analyzed by using Pierson and Manvitni`s dependent statistical tests. Results: Results showed that there is a significant correlation between the religious orientation and depression of the elderly people. That is, the more the scores of external religious orientation rise, the more the scores of disorder in mental health and depression increase. There is also a meaningful difference between mental health, depression and religious orientation of the elderly people who are residence and non-residence of the society. That is, the elderly people who live in the centers enjoy a more external religious orientation and disorder of mental health and more depression as compared to the group of the elderly people residing in the society. Discussion: The external religious belief has a correlation with disorder in the mental health and depression as well as internal religious belief. Moreover, mental disorders and depression among the resident elderly people are higher than non residents, while resident elderly people have a more external religious approach.

  17. 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.

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    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.

  19. 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.

  20. Elderly people with chronic disease in the knowledge society

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dahl, Mads Ronald

    2007-01-01

    elderly people use it? The focus of this paper is to evaluate whether elderly Danes with chronic disease use the internet to seek knowledge on health information. The study was conducted among 2000 Danes over 60 years of age as a cross-sectional survey using a postal questionnaire. The theoretical...... foundation of the study was a constructivistic evaluation of the problem domain followed by a quantitative evaluation. The results showed that elderly people with a chronic disease do not use the internet as source for health information any different then elderly people without chronic disease. Thus chronic...... diseases were not found to be a motivation factor or determinant for using the internet as tool to increase personal knowledge on general health information. Furthermore it showed that elderly people who reported having a good general health were more often users than elderly having a suboptimal general...

  1. Leisure activities and attitude of institutionalized elderly people: a basis for nursing practice1

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Castro, Vivian Carla; Carreira, Lígia

    2015-01-01

    Aim: to identify the leisure activities performed in Long-Stay Institutions for the Elderly (LSIEs), registered in the city of Maringá-PR, Brazil, and to analyze the attitude of the elderly people toward leisure promoted by the institutions. METHOD: this was a descriptive and transversal study with a quantitative approach, carried out with 97 elderly people, through the establishment of the socio-demographic profile and the application of the Leisure Attitude Scale. The data was subjected to descriptive statistical analysis, association tests (chi-square or Fisher's) and Spearman's correlation. RESULTS: males, aged 80 or over, widowed, with one to eight years of study, who had a monthly income were predominant. Age group and income were significantly associated with the performance of leisure activities. The results reflected the positive attitude of the elderly people in relation to leisure activities, except in the behavioral component. CONCLUSION: the findings of this study indicate the need for further investigation into the difficulties linked to the attitude toward leisure in the behavioral component, considering aspects such as individual concepts of leisure and the health status of the elderly people. PMID:26039302

  2. [Relationships among health-promoting activities, going out and perceived transportation problems of elderly people living in a small town far from the nearest train station].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoshimoto, T; Kawata, C

    1999-03-01

    To estimate the change in health-promoting activities among elderly people affected by community organizing environments, we examined the relationships among health-promoting activity, going out and perceived transportation problems. A questionnaire was sent to 567 men and women aged 60 years old and over living in a small town in Kanagawa prefecture between July 27 and August 12 in 1995. The questionnaire consisted of 42 items concerning health, social ability of daily living (including the desire to participate in social activities), attitude toward health-promoting activities, and perceived transportation problems. A total of 397 people responded and the answers from 368 people were analyzed after excluding responses from those unable to go out by themselves and those who seldom went out. Single regression analysis and multiregression analysis were used with the sum of responses for each question representing factors related to health-promoting behavior. A probability level of 5 percent was considered significant. The reliability of the data was examined with Cronbach's coefficient alpha. Coefficients of determination for health promoting behavior were 42% in men and 48% in women. In both men and women, age, social ability of daily living and attitudes toward health-promoting behavior were related to health-promoting activity. In women, more actively going out was related to more active health-promoting activity. Higher perception of transportation problems had a negative effect on going out. In men, neither of these factors had any relationship with health-promoting activity. In men, poorer health conditions were related to more active health-promoting activity, but in women, there was no relationship between those factors. These results show that there are gender differences in the relationships among the factors related to health-promoting activities in elderly people. In women, a higher perception of transportation problems restrained actively going out and

  3. The break remains – elderly people's experiences of a hip fracture 1 year after discharge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zidén, Lena; Scherman, Marianne Hansson; Wenestam, Claes-Göran

    2010-01-01

    To explore experienced long-term consequences of a hip fracture and conceptions of what influences hip fracture recovery among community-living elderly people 1 year after discharge. Fifteen subjects (13 females and 2 males), aged 66-94, were interviewed. The phenomenographic method was used for analysis. Experiences of insecurity and restricted life dominated the interviews. The descriptive categories within experienced consequences of a hip fracture were: (1) isolated life with more restricted activity and fewer social contacts, with the two sub-categories (a) more insecure and afraid and (b) more limited ability to move, (2) disappointed and sad that identity and life have changed and (3) satisfied with the situation or feeling even better than before the fracture. The categories within conceptions of what influences hip fracture recovery were: (4) own mind and actions influence recovery, (5) treatment and actions from others influence recovery and (6) you cannot influence recovery. The findings accentuate that the negative consequences of a hip fracture are substantial and long-lasting. As it strikes mostly elderly people, who may have experienced earlier losses and growing disabilities, a hip fracture could add to the risk of losing important life values. Furthermore, the findings indicate that all health care professionals who meet the patients need to consider the patients' own experiences and possible fear and not merely focus on the physical injury and disabilities.

  4. [Emotional distress in elderly people with heart disease].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martínez Santamaría, Emilia; Lameiras Fernández, María; González Lorenzo, Manuel; Rodríguez Castro, Yolanda

    2006-06-30

    To analyse the emotional distress associated with ageing, and its prevalence among elderly people who suffer from heart disease. Personal interviews with elderly people with and without heart problems. Interviews were conducted in public hospitals and old people's homes in the south of Galicia, Spain. The sample was made up of 130 elderly people (65 with heart problems and 65 without). The Inventory of Coping Strategies, of Halroyd and Reynolk (1984); Scheir, Caver, and Bridges Test (1984); the Life Satisfaction Scale of Diener, Emmuns, Larsen, and Griffen (1985); Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale (1965); and an instrument to measure Associated Symptoms (SCL-90; Derogatis, 1975). Elderly people with heart problems experienced greater anxiety and had lower self-esteem than those without such problems. Heart patients also tended to suffer more phobic anxiety and to retreat from social interaction more. With the passing of time, heart patients over 60 showed more anxiety, irritability and psychosomatic disorders. This study clearly shows the existence of emotional distress in elderly heart patients. This makes it particularly important to conduct risk-prevention programmes, since a lot of heart disease is brought on by unhealthy conduct.

  5. Self-Reported Questionnaire of Functional Health of Home-Dwelling Elderly People Living in Austria: Based on the Patient Questionnaire of the Standardized Assessment of Elderly People in Primary Care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schulc, Eva; Gothe, Raffaella Matteucci; Them, Christa; Tufan, İsmail; Mueller, Gerhard

    2017-08-01

    The aim was to review the construct validity and reliability of a functional health assessment questionnaire (Questionnaire on Functional Health 2 [Q-FH2]). The Q-FH2 was used to assess 344 elderly people in a home setting. A polychoric correlation matrix was applied to conduct a principal axis factor analysis with oblique rotation. The number of factors was determined using various procedures and calculated using theta coefficients to estimate ordinal reliability. The exploratory factor analysis supported a 4-factor solution with an explained total variance of 82%. The internal consistency showed  coefficients ranging from 0.758 to 0.854. The Q-FH2 appears to be a useful instrument to assess the multidimensionality of functional health as defined by the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health to determine the resources and deficits regarding the independent living of older adults and to derive appropriate consulting measures.

  6. Long-Term Care for People with Development Disabilities: A Critical Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palley, Howard A.; Van Hollen, Valerie

    2000-01-01

    Explores how the trends toward long-term community care affecting people with developmental disabilities developed. Appropriateness of care and quality of life issues are discussed. Reviews the development of long-term care for frail and disabled elderly people and explores the arguments for a continuum of care that have developed in this area.…

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2017-03-01

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

  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. Institutionalized elderly people oral health status and treatment needs assessment in kathmandu district

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    Sunita Khanal

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Context: In Nepal, Senior citizens are the people who are 60 years and above as defined by the senior citizen act 2063. According to the 2011 census of Nepal, there were 2.1 million elderly inhabitants which constituted 8.1% of total population of Nepal. Aim: To assess the oral health status and treatment needs of institutionalized elderly people. Objectives: To assess the periodontal status, prosthetic status, and prosthetic needs and to compare community periodontal index and the loss of attachment (LOA with age and gender. Setting and Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted in six different old age homes of Kathmandu district. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted among 200 elderly living in six old age homes of Kathmandu district after obtaining consent from the concerned authorities. The clinical findings were recorded using the World Health Organization Oral Health Assessment Form 1997. SPSS version 20 software was used for data analysis and P ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Among 200 elderly examined, 69 (34.5% were male and 131 (65.5% were female. During probing, calculus was detected among 37.5% of people. The highest prevalence of LOA 4–5 mm was found among 40.5% of people. The prosthetic need was 83%, of which 20% required complete denture, 63% required partial denture. On applying Chi-square test, LOA score was found to be statistically significant between male and female (P = 0.015. Conclusion: The oral health status of the institutionalized elderly was found to be poor.

  10. Swallowing Function and Nutritional Status in Japanese Elderly People Receiving Home-care Services: A 1-year Longitudinal Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okabe, Y; Furuta, M; Akifusa, S; Takeuchi, K; Adachi, M; Kinoshita, T; Kikutani, T; Nakamura, S; Yamashita, Y

    2016-01-01

    Malnutrition is a serious health concern for frail elderly people. Poor oral function leading to insufficient food intake can contribute to the development of malnutrition. In the present study, we explored the longitudinal association of malnutrition with oral function, including oral health status and swallowing function, in elderly people receiving home nursing care. Prospective observational cohort study with 1-year follow-up. Two mid-sized cities in Fukuoka, Japan from November 2010 to March 2012. One hundred and ninety-seven individuals, aged ≥ 60 years, living at home and receiving home-care services because of physical disabilities, without malnutrition. Oral health status, swallowing function, taking modified-texture diets such as minced or pureed foods, nutritional status, cognitive function, and activities of daily living were assessed at baseline. The associations between malnutrition at 1-year follow-up and these related factors were analyzed using a logistic regression model. Swallowing disorders [risk ratio (RR): 5.21, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.65-16.43] were associated with malnutrition. On the other hand, oral health status did not have a direct association with malnutrition. Swallowing disorders may be associated with the incidence of malnutrition in elderly people receiving home-care. The findings indicate that maintaining swallowing function may contribute to the prevention of malnutrition in frail elderly people.

  11. 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.

  12. 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...

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2017-01-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  15. Health Promotion Behaviors and Chronic Diseases of Aging in the Elderly People of Iranshahr*- IR Iran.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pishkar Mofrad, Zahra; Jahantigh, Mozhgan; Arbabisarjou, Azizollah

    2015-07-13

    Aging is considered as the phenomenon of the day in the health arena of the world and Iran. It is anticipated that there will be an explosion of aging population in Iran in about 2031 and 20-25% of the population will be aged over 60 years. With aging, chronic diseases also increase and diminish the functional ability of older people. On the other hand, increased healthcare costs should be also added to this issue. Health promotion is a concept of process that continues throughout life. As much as health promotion is important in children and adults, it is equally important in older people. In fact, the elderlies, as a group, also acquire many benefits from health promotion behaviors. Due to the increasing elderly population, geriatric health promotion and enhancing the health level of older people is proposed as a health priority that should be properly planned. Hence, the present study has been conducted in this regard and aims to identify behaviors of health promotion and chronic diseases of aging in the elderly people of Iranshahr-Iran. The present research is a cross-sectional descriptive study whose population consists of 425 elderly people aged 60 years and over, who lived in the city of Iranshahr*, IR Iran. The random cluster sampling method has been used to select the research samples. The required information was collected using a questionnaire which was distributed among the older people through visiting their homes; then, the collected data was statistically analyzed using the statistical software of SPSS version 13. the research findings show that the mean age of older people is and the highest frequency belongs to the age group of 60 years and the maximum age is 92 years. 69.5% of the older people were in the age group of the young elderly (60-69 years) and 44% of them lived with their married children; also 55.8%, 81.9%, 70.5%, and 74.4% of them were respectively female, illiterate, married, and unemployed. The mean score of geriatric health

  16. [Living and dying with frailty : Qualitative interviews with elderly people in the domestic environment].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klindtworth, Katharina; Geiger, Karin; Pleschberger, Sabine; Bleidorn, Jutta; Schneider, Nils; Müller-Mundt, Gabriele

    2017-02-01

    Frail older people are becoming an increasingly more important target group in healthcare provision. Little is known about patients' views on frailty and its various impacts, especially towards the end of life. This study was carried out to analyze the needs of frail elderly people at the end of life. A qualitative, longitudinal case study design was applied and included 31 frail older patients (≥ 70 year) with a Canadian study of health and aging (CSHA) clinical frailty scale (CFS) grade 6/7 from urban and rural areas within the region of Lower Saxony. The analysis was based on guided interviews and followed the principles of grounded theory. From the patients' perspective frailty is perceived as a process of increasing complexity of health problems, increased vulnerability and reduced ability to perform tasks. Frailty is experienced as various deficits including the physical, psychological, social and existential dimensions. Living and dying in a familiar environment and maintaining autonomy was identified as a core category. Key determinants were access to and quality of healthcare services as well as various individual and social resources. A palliative biopsychosocial care approach should be established early in the process of frailty, including advance care planning in order to meet the patients' needs of staying in a familiar environment. General practitioners as well as home care nursing personnel have to collaborate in order to balance issues of autonomy with increased care needs and the support of informal carers as key partners towards the end of life.

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

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    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.

  18. 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.

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

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    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.

  20. Effectiveness and implementation aspects of interventions for preventing falls in elderly people in long-term care facilities: a systematic review of RCTs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neyens, Jacques C; van Haastregt, Jolanda C; Dijcks, Béatrice P; Martens, Mark; van den Heuvel, Wim J; de Witte, Luc P; Schols, Jos M

    2011-07-01

    There is extensive literature on interventions to prevent or reduce falls in elderly people. These findings, however, were based mainly on studies of community-living persons. The primary aim of the present study was to report the effectiveness and implementation aspects of interventions aimed at reducing falls in elderly residents in long-term care facilities: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and hand searching of reference lists of included RCTs. RCTs that assessed fall incidents (falls, fallers, recurrent fallers, fall-related injuries) among elderly residents in long-term care facilities were included in this narrative review. Two independent reviewers abstracted data: general program characteristics (setting, population, intervention program) and outcomes, detailed program characteristics (assessment, intervention content, individually tailored, multidisciplinary), and implementation aspects (feasibility, implications for practice). The CONSORT Statement 2001 Checklist was used regarding the quality of reporting RCTs. Twenty trials met the inclusion criteria. Seven trials, 4 multifactorial and 3 monofactorial, showed a significant reduction in the fall rate, the percentage of recurrent fallers, or both the fall rate and the percentage of persons sustaining femoral fractures. The positive effective programs were as follows: a comprehensive structured individual assessment with specific safety recommendations; a multidisciplinary program including general strategies tailored to the setting and strategies tailored specifically to residents; a multifaceted intervention including education, environmental adaptation, balance, resistance training, and hip protector; calcium plus vitamin D supplementation; vitamin D supplementation; a clinical medication review; and a multifactorial intervention (fall risk evaluation, specific and general interventions). In general, because of the limited number of included trials

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. Reminiscence Therapy Improves Cognitive Functions and Reduces Depressive Symptoms in Elderly People With Dementia: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Hui-Chuan; Chen, Yu-Ting; Chen, Pin-Yuan; Huey-Lan Hu, Sophia; Liu, Fang; Kuo, Ying-Ling; Chiu, Hsiao-Yean

    2015-12-01

    Cognitive function impairments and depressive symptoms are common in elderly people with dementia. Previous meta-analyses of outdated and small-scale studies have reported inconsistent results regarding the effects of reminiscence therapy on cognitive functions and depressive symptoms; therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis by including more recent randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with large sample sizes to investigate the immediate and long-term (6-10 months) effects of reminiscence therapy on cognitive functions and depressive symptoms in elderly people with dementia. Electronic databases, including PubMed, Medline, CINAHL, PsycINFO, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, ProQuest, Google Scholar, and Chinese databases were searched to select eligible articles. Primary outcome measures included the scores of cognitive functions and depressive symptoms. In total, 12 RCT studies investigating the effects of reminiscence therapy on cognitive functions and depressive symptoms in elderly people with dementia were included. Two reviewers independently extracted data. All analyses were performed using a random-effects model. Reminiscence therapy had a small-size effect on cognitive functions (g = 0.18, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.05-0.30) and a moderate-size effect on depressive symptoms (g = -0.49, 95% CI -0.70 to -0.28) in elderly people with dementia. Long-term effects of reminiscence therapy on cognitive functions and depressive symptoms were not confirmed. Moderator analysis revealed that institutionalized elderly people with dementia exhibited greater improvement in depressive symptoms than community-dwelling people with dementia did (g = -0.59 vs. -0.16, P = .003). This meta-analysis confirms that reminiscence therapy is effective in improving cognitive functions and depressive symptoms in elderly people with dementia. Our findings suggest that regular reminiscence therapy should be considered for inclusion as routine care for the improvement

  4. Long-term care for people with developmental disabilities: a critical analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palley, H A; Van Hollen, V

    2000-08-01

    This article explores how the trends toward long-term community care affecting people with developmental disabilities developed. Appropriateness of care and quality of life issues are discussed. The article also reviews the development of long-term care for frail and disabled elderly people and explores the arguments for a continuum of care that have developed in this area. The authors conclude that future policies with respect to meeting long-term care needs for people with developmental disabilities must be addressed flexibly on an individual basis, related to individual needs, and must provide a continuum of care services.

  5. Quality of life of elderly live kidney donors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  6. Mining Spatiotemporal Patterns of the Elder's Daily Movement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, C. R.; Chen, C. F.; Liu, M. E.; Tsai, S. J.; Son, N. T.; Kinh, L. V.

    2016-06-01

    With rapid developments in wearable device technology, a vast amount of spatiotemporal data, such as people's movement and physical activities, are generated. Information derived from the data reveals important knowledge that can contribute a long-term care and psychological assessment of the elders' living condition especially in long-term care institutions. This study aims to develop a method to investigate the spatial-temporal movement patterns of the elders with their outdoor trajectory information. To achieve the goal, GPS based location data of the elderly subjects from long-term care institutions are collected and analysed with geographic information system (GIS). A GIS statistical model is developed to mine the elderly subjects' spatiotemporal patterns with the location data and represent their daily movement pattern at particular time. The proposed method first finds the meaningful trajectory and extracts the frequent patterns from the time-stamp location data. Then, a density-based clustering method is used to identify the major moving range and the gather/stay hotspot in both spatial and temporal dimensions. The preliminary results indicate that the major moving area of the elderly people encompasses their dorm and has a short moving distance who often stay in the same site. Subjects' outdoor appearance are corresponded to their life routine. The results can be useful for understanding elders' social network construction, risky area identification and medical care monitoring.

  7. Energy requirements and physical activity level of active elderly people in rural areas of cuba

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hernandez-Triana, M.; Porrata Maury, C.; Jimenez Acosta, S.; Gonzalez Perez, T.; Diaz, M.E.; Martin, I.; Sanchez, V.; Monterrey, P.

    1999-01-01

    Obesity and non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) are common in the Third Age and increasing in Cuba. Among the life-style changes associated with increased prevalence of obesity and its related disorders, diet and activity patterns are prime candidates. The transition to this life-style model may induce a decrease in the energy needs. There is an urgent need for tools which have been validated for measuring diet and physical activity in nutritional studies in the developing world, but also a more urgent need for reference values for the total energy requirements of healthy elderly people. Regular physical activity reduces the likelihood to develop diseases that characterise the metabolic cardiovascular syndrome. Previous studies done in Havana showed values of physical activity level (PAL) which are lower than the reported for elderly subjects. Elderly people living in rural areas use to have physical activity levels which differ from the observed in urban areas. With the purpose of estimating the energy requirements, a group of 40 apparently healthy people older than 60 years of age living in a rural mountain community will be submitted to a medical, epidemiological, dietary, anthropometric and insulin resistance study. Physical activity will be determined by questionnaire and by the calculation of the PAL from the basal metabolic rate (BMR) and total energy expenditure (TEE) measured with the doubly-labelled water method (DLW). Associations with the prevalence of insulin resistance and obesity will be assessed. (author)

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    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.

  9. 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.

  10. 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

  11. The case of value-based healthcare for people living with complex long-term conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elf, Marie; Flink, Maria; Nilsson, Marie; Tistad, Malin; von Koch, Lena; Ytterberg, Charlotte

    2017-01-11

    There is a trend towards value-based health service, striving to cut costs while generating value for the patient. The overall objective comprises higher-quality health services and improved patient safety and cost efficiency. The approach could align with patient-centred care, as it entails a focus on the patient's experience of her or his entire cycle of care, including the use of well-defined outcome measurements. Challenges arise when the approach is applied to health services for people living with long-term complex conditions that require support from various healthcare services. The aim of this work is to critically discuss the value-based approach and its implications for patients with long-term complex conditions. Two cases from clinical practice and research form the foundation for our reasoning, illustrating several challenges regarding value-based health services for people living with long-term complex conditions. Achieving value-based health services that provide the health outcomes that matter to patients and providing greater patient-centredness will place increased demands on the healthcare system. Patients and their informal caregivers must be included in the development and establishment of outcome measures. The outcome measures must be standardized to allow evaluation of specific conditions at an aggregated level, but they must also be sensitive enough to capture each patient's individual needs and goals. Healthcare systems that strive to establish value-based services must collaborate beyond the organizational boundaries to create clear patient trajectories in order to avoid fragmentation. The shift towards value-based health services has the potential to align healthcare-service delivery with patient-centred care if serious efforts to take the patient's perspective into account are made. This is especially challenging in fragmented healthcare systems and for patients with long-term- and multi-setting-care needs.

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    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

  13. Demand of elderly people for residential care: an exploratory study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Bilsen, P.; Hamers, J.; Groot, W.; Spreeuwenberg, C.

    2006-01-01

    Background: Because of the rapid aging population, the demand for residential care exceeds availability. This paper presents the results of a study that focuses on the demand of elderly people for residential care and determinants (elderly people's personal characteristics, needs and resources) that

  14. Mobile phones and elderly people: a noisy communication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stamato, Cláudia; Moraes, Anamaria de

    2012-01-01

    Knowing the users is capital for building user-friendly digital interfaces. One way to think about the users is considering their familiarity with this technology. This article presents the results of twelve interviews with elderly people residing in the so-called South Zone of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) who have used mobile phones over at least one year. It is part of the Doctor's Thesis "Mobile phones for elderly people - usability for social integration" ("Celulares para idosos - usabilidade a serviço da integração social"), which is targeted at ascertaining if the current mobile phones are user-friendly for elderly people. Through the technique of Guided Interviews, we found usage time, criteria for choice of phones, reasons for changes, preferences, and manners of use. Preliminarily, we have noticed differences in the behavior of the participating users and performed a qualitative analysis according to groups of age and gender.

  15. Dance Movement Therapy with Elderly People with Pakinson's and Alzheimer's Diseace

    OpenAIRE

    Nitschová, Aneta

    2016-01-01

    This bachelor thesis focuses on the application of dance movement therapy with elderly people with certain limitations. The aim of the thesis is to describe the effects of dance movement therapy on elderly people who suffer from neurodegenerative diseases - Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. The thesis also points to the fact that although the dance movement therapy is a very suitable supplementary method of elderly people care, it does not get much attention in the Czech Republic, ...

  16. ICRP Recommendations to the Protection of People Living in Long-Term Contaminated Areas ICRP publication 111 in brief

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Salama, S.; Gomaa, M. A.; Rashad, S.

    2013-01-01

    The main aim of the present study is to through some lights on ICRP free release publication at 4 April 2011-Internationally Known as ICRP publication 111. The title of the publication is (application of the commission's recommendations to the protection of people living in long-term contaminated areas after a nuclear accident or a radiation emergency). Nuclear accidents or a radiation emergency may cause contamination. The contamination may be spread on a large area. There are people living in these areas. For many factors the people refuse to leave their homes. They want to stay along their life as in the case of the normal conditions. So, it is important to facilitate their stay and make it safe. This is not easy. But it is possible without neglect the radiation hazard. The radiation hazard is effective on the life fields. It is harmful in plants, animals, foods, water, milk and the buildings it self. With considering the radiological protection principles the living of the people for a long time could be a fact of the life and will be more easy and safe. Optimization principle has priority to apply. This publication achieves these purposes.The ICRP-111 is translated into Arabic at August 2012. This work is a continuation of the efforts series to translate some of the most important of the ICRP radiological protection references into the Arabic; aiming to maximize the benefit. The previous translations include, ICRP-105 (radiation protection in medicine) and ICRP -113 (education and training in radiological protection for diagnostic and interventional procedures).

  17. Elderly people in many respects benefit from interaction with dogs

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-01

    Over the course of evolution, humans and animals have entered into a close relationship. By domesticating animals, humans were able to use them to their own advantage. However, animals should not only be seen as mere providers of material value; in fact, they actually enrich humans' lives on an emotional level. The classic examples for this evolution are dogs: they are considered loyal companions, particularly for children and elderly people. This relationship between humans and animals is the subject of this research study and is examined from a gerontological perspective by employing qualitative social research methods. Conclusion: The results of the study reveal the manifold meanings that pets - in particular dogs - can and do have to the elderly. At this point, it should also be noted that there is still a strong need for further research into this topic from a gerontological perspective. PMID:22112364

  18. Elderly people in many respects benefit from interaction with dogs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Scheibeck R

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Over the course of evolution, humans and animals have entered into a close relationship. By domesticating animals, humans were able to use them to their own advantage. However, animals should not only be seen as mere providers of material value; in fact, they actually enrich humans' lives on an emotional level. The classic examples for this evolution are dogs: they are considered loyal companions, particularly for children and elderly people. This relationship between humans and animals is the subject of this research study and is examined from a gerontological perspective by employing qualitative social research methods. Conclusion: The results of the study reveal the manifold meanings that pets - in particular dogs - can and do have to the elderly. At this point, it should also be noted that there is still a strong need for further research into this topic from a gerontological perspective.

  19. Cohort study of institutionalized elderly people: fall risk factors from the nursing diagnosis

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    Karine Marques Costa dos Reis

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Objective: to determine the incidence of falls in elderly residents of long-stay institutions of the Federal District, to identify the aspects involved in the falls, in terms of risk factors, from the application of scales and the Taxonomy II of NANDA-I, and to define the level of accuracy with its sensitivity and specificity for application in the clinical nursing practice. Method: this was a cohort study with the evaluation of 271 elderly people. Cognition, functionality, mobility and other intrinsic factors were evaluated. After six months, the elderly people who fell were identified, with significance analysis then performed to define the risk factors. Results: the results showed an incidence of 41%. Of the 271 patients included, 69 suffered 111 episodes of falls during the monitoring period. Risk factors were the presence of stroke with its sequelae (OR: 1.82, 95% CI 1.01 - 3.28, p=.045, presenting more than five chronic diseases (OR: 2.82, 95% CI 1.43 - 5.56, p=.0028, foot problem (OR: 2.45, 95% CI 1.35 - 4.44, p=.0033 and motion (OR: 2.04, 95% CI 1.15 - 3.61, p=.0145. Conclusion: the taxonomy has high validity regarding the detection of elderly people at risk of falling and should be applied consistently in the clinical nursing practice.

  20. eWall for Active Long Living

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mihovska, Albena D.; Kyriazakos, Sofoklis; Prasad, Ramjee

    2014-01-01

    Independent living of senior citizens is one of the main challenges linked to the ageing population, due to the impact on: (1) the life of the elderly people, (2) the national health systems, (3) the insurance companies, (4) the relatives and (5) the care-givers. Senior citizens may suffer from...... a number of diseases, including the decline in cardiopulmonary conditions, weaker muscle functions and a declined neuromuscular control of the movements, which result in a higher risk of fall and a higher vulnerability for cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases. With respect to cognitive functions, senior...... citizens may suffer from a decline of memory function, less ability to orientate and a declined ability to cope with complex situations. This paper describes work in progress and proposes a novel architecture design for eHealth services in support of independent living and compensating for prevailing age...

  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. Fear of falling and changed functional ability following hip fracture among community-dwelling elderly people

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jellesmark, Annette; Herling, Suzanne Forsyth; Egerod, Ingrid

    2012-01-01

    The aims of the study were to assess self-reported fear of falling (FOF) and functional ability among community-dwelling elderly people 3-6 months post hospital discharge after a hip fracture, to investigate the association between FOF and functional ability, and to explore the lived experience...... of FOF and disability when recovering from a hip fracture....

  3. 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.  

  4. The incidence of oral dryness in people over 65 years living in Lublin

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    Kamińska-Pikiewicz Katarzyna

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Saliva plays an important part in naturally maintaining oral homeostasis. Dry mouth or 'xerostomia', is a serious problem connected with decreased saliva secretion which considerably limits the quality of life in elderly people. The aim of the study was the assessment of the subjective oral dryness in the oral mucosa in people over 65 living in Lublin, Poland. The study was conducted among 240 people aged 65 to 96. The patients were placed into two groups: I - 117 residents of nursing homes, II - 123 people living with their families. Assessment of the subjective oral dryness taking into account the place of residence, sex and drug administration was performed based on a questionnaire survey. In the group of nursing homes residents, 32.48% of the surveyed experienced subjective oral dryness, while among the seniors living with their families, 33.33% reported this kind of discomfort. The conducted analysis revealed that oral dryness was more common amongst women than men, and it can be very often a side-effect of administered medicine drugs.

  5. Mobile Phone Based Falling Detection Sensor and Computer-Aided Algorithm for Elderly People

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    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. Are elderly people with co-morbidities involved adequately in medical decision making when hospitalised? : A cross-sectional survey

    OpenAIRE

    Ekdahl, Anne W; Andersson, Lars; Wiréhn, Ann-Britt; Friedrichsen, Maria

    2011-01-01

    Abstract Background Medical decision making has long been in focus, but little is known of the preferences and conditions for elderly people with co-morbidities to participate in medical decision making. The main objective of the present study was to investigate the preferred and the actual degree of control, i.e. the role elderly people with co-morbidities wish to assume and actually had with regard to information and participation in medical decision making during their last stay in hospita...

  7. Influence of environmental street characteristics on walking route choice of elderly people

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Borst, H.C.; Vries, S.I. de; Graham, J.M.A.; Dongen, J.E.F. van; Bakker, I.; Miedema, H.M.E.

    2009-01-01

    Walking is an important source of outdoor physical activity among elderly people. In order to devise measures aimed at encouraging walking among the elderly it is important to understand how the local environment influences the walking behaviour of elderly people. Here, a model describing the

  8. Tolerance for uncertainty in elderly people

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    KHRYSTYNA KACHMARYK

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the study. The aim of the paper is a comparison of tolerance to uncertainty in two groups of elderly: the students of the University of the Third Age (UTA and older people who are not enrolled but help to educate grandchildren. A relation to uncertainty was shown to influence on decision making strategy of elderly that indicates on importance of the researches. Methods. To obtain the objectives of the paper the following methods were used: 1 Personal change readiness survey (PCRS adapted by Nickolay Bazhanov and Galina Bardiyer; 2 Tolerance Ambiguity Scale (TAS adapted by Galina Soldatova; 3 Freiburg personality inventory (FPI and 4 The questionnaire of self-relation by Vladimir Stolin and Sergej Panteleev. 40 socially involved elderly people were investigated according the above methods, 20 from UTA and 20 who are not studied and served as control group. Results. It was shown that relations of tolerance to uncertainty in the study group of students of the University of the Third Age substantially differ from relations of tolerance to uncertainty in group of older people who do not learn. The majority of students of the University of the Third Age have an inherent low tolerance for uncertainty, which is associated with an increase in expression personality traits and characteristics in self-relation. The group of the elderly who are not enrolled increasingly shows tolerance of uncertainty, focusing on the social and trusting relationship to meet the needs of communication, and the ability to manage their own emotions and desires than a group of Third Age university students. Conclusions. The results of experimental research of the third age university student’s peculiarities of the tolerance to uncertainty were outlined. It was found that decision making in the ambiguity situations concerning social interaction is well developed in elderly who do not study. The students of the University of Third Age have greater needs in

  9. Changes in psychosocial conditions and eventual mortality in community-residing elderly people.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakanishi, Noriyuki; Fukuda, Hideki; Tatara, Kozo

    2003-03-01

    We evaluated the association between changes in psychosocial conditions (assessed In 1992 and 1998) and subsequent mortality through 2001 among 741 Japanese elderly people living in a city located on Osaka in 1992. After adjustment for potential predictors of mortality, the relative risk of mortality, compared with subjects who continued to participate in social activities, was 1.44 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.47-4.40), 4.03 (95% CI: 2.11-7.67), and 2.31 (95% CI: 1.28-4.17) for those who started, discontinued, and did not participate at any time, respectively. The multivariate-adjusted relative risk of mortality, compared with those who did not find human relationships difficult in either survey, was 0.88 (95% CI: 0.26-3.05) for those who did not find such relationships difficult in the second survey, 1.73 (95% CI: 1.03-2.88) for those who occasionally found them difficult, and 6.62 (95% CI: 2.43-18.03) for those who continuously did so. The multivariate-adjusted relative risk of mortality, relative to those who consistently considered life worth living (Ikigai), was 0.72 (95% CI: 0.28-1.87), 2.22 (95% CI: 1.44-3.42), and 1.46 (95% CI: 0.65-3.31) for those who found, lost, and did not find life worth living in either survey, respectively. Deterioration in psychosocial conditions as well as continuously poor psychosocial conditions may be an important determinant of mortality risk for elderly people.

  10. [Multidisciplinary guideline 'Recognition and treatment of chronic pain in vulnerable elderly people'].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Achterberg, Wilco P; de Ruiter, Corinne M; de Weerd-Spaetgens, Chantal M E E; Geels, Paul; Horikx, Annemieke; Verduijn, Monique M

    2012-01-01

    Chronic pain in vulnerable elderly people is still poorly recognized and treated, both at home and in hospitals and care and nursing homes. Vulnerable elderly people experience and express pain differently to relatively healthy adults, especially when they suffer from cognitive impairment or specific conditions. Determining the nature and severity of the pain requires the use of pain assessment instruments that have been validated for use in vulnerable elderly people. Effective treatment of pain demands careful diagnosis and pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions that have proven effectiveness in vulnerable elderly people. The combination of multiple morbidity and poly-pharmacy increases the chance of side-effects and complications. In addition, the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic characteristics of many drugs are different in vulnerable elderly people. The advice is to start with a lower dose of pain medication and gradually build up a level on the basis of pain relief and side-effects ('start low, go slow!').

  11. 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.

  12. 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

  13. Life concerns of elderly people living at home determined as by Community General Support Center staff: implications for organizing a more effective integrated community care system. The Kurihara Project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takada, Junko; Meguro, Kenichi; Sato, Yuko; Chiba, Yumiko

    2014-09-01

    In Japan, the integrated community care system aims to enable people to continue to live in their homes. Based on the concept, one of the activities of a Community General Support Center (CGSC) is to provide preventive intervention based on a Community Support Program. Currently, a Basic Checklist (BC) is sent to elderly people to identify persons appropriate for a Secondary Prevention Program. To find people who had not responded to the BC, CGSC staff evaluated the files of 592 subjects who had participated in the Kurihara Project to identify activities they cannot do that they did in the past, decreased activity levels at home, loss of interaction with people other than their family, and the need for medical interventions. This information was classified, when applicable, into the following categories: (A) 'no life concerns'; (B) 'undecided'; and (C) 'life concerns'. The relationships between these classifications and clinical information, certified need for long-term care, and items on the BC were examined. The numbers of subjects in categories A, B, and C were 291, 42, and 186, respectively. Life concerns were related to scores on the Clinical Dementia Rating, global cognitive function, depressive state, and apathy. Most items on the BC were not associated with classification into category C, but ≥25% of the subjects had life concerns related to these items. Assessment of life concerns by the CGSC staff has clinical validity. The results suggest that there are people who do not respond to the checklist or apply for Long-Term Care Insurance, meaning that they 'hide' in the community, probably due to apathy or depressive state. To organize a more effective integrated community care system, the CGSC staff should focus mainly on preventive care. © 2014 The Authors. Psychogeriatrics © 2014 Japanese Psychogeriatric Society.

  14. Nutrition and oral status in elderly people

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mitsuyoshi Yoshida

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available This study reviewed the relationship between oral status and nutritional disorders such as obesity and sarcopenia. A literature search was performed using PubMed to find articles published in and after 2000 by using the following search terms: elderly, nutrition, tooth, tooth loss, mastication, and oral function. Although the literature search revealed that further well-designed studies are difficult controlling all confounding factors thought to influence nutritional status, it may be concluded that tooth loss leads to decreased vegetable and fruit intake and results in nutritional disturbance. This was especially prominent in elderly people who required nursing care. Moreover, although it is becoming clear that not wearing dentures increases the risk of undernutrition, the effect of denture therapy remains debatable. Elderly people in need of nursing care should be studied in future investigations on the relationship between nutrition and oral status because this population is at risk of malnutrition considering both functional and structural problems.

  15. Assertive community treatment for elderly people with severe mental illness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stobbe, Jolanda; Mulder, Niels C L; Roosenschoon, Bert-Jan; Depla, Marja; Kroon, Hans

    2010-10-19

    Adults aged 65 and older with severe mental illnesses are a growing segment of the Dutch population. Some of them have a range of serious problems and are also difficult to engage. While assertive community treatment is a common model for treating difficult to engage severe mental illnesses patients, no special form of it is available for the elderly. A special assertive community treatment team for the elderly is developed in Rotterdam, the Netherlands and tested for its effectiveness. We will use a randomized controlled trial design to compare the effects of assertive community treatment for the elderly with those of care as usual. Primary outcome measures will be the number of dropouts, the number of patients engaged in care and patient's psychiatric symptoms, somatic symptoms, and social functioning. Secondary outcome measures are the number of unmet needs, the subjective quality of life and patients' satisfaction. Other secondary outcomes include the number of crisis contacts, rates of voluntary and involuntary admission, and length of stay. Inclusion criteria are aged 65 plus, the presence of a mental disorder, a lack of motivation for treatment and at least four suspected problems with functioning (addiction, somatic problems, daily living activities, housing etc.). If patients meet the inclusion criteria, they will be randomly allocated to either assertive community treatment for the elderly or care as usual. Trained assessors will use mainly observational instruments at the following time points: at baseline, after 9 and 18 months. This study will help establish whether assertive community treatment for the elderly produces better results than care as usual in elderly people with severe mental illnesses who are difficult to engage. When assertive community treatment for the elderly proves valuable in these respects, it can be tested and implemented more widely, and mechanisms for its effects investigated. The Netherlands National Trial Register NTR1620.

  16. Physical frailty predicts incident depressive symptoms in elderly people: prospective findings from the Obu Study of Health Promotion for the Elderly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Makizako, Hyuma; Shimada, Hiroyuki; Doi, Takehiko; Yoshida, Daisuke; Anan, Yuya; Tsutsumimoto, Kota; Uemura, Kazuki; Liu-Ambrose, Teresa; Park, Hyuntae; Lee, Sanyoon; Suzuki, Takao

    2015-03-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine whether frailty is an important and independent predictor of incident depressive symptoms in elderly people without depressive symptoms at baseline. Fifteen-month prospective study. General community in Japan. A total of 3025 community-dwelling elderly people aged 65 years or over without depressive symptoms at baseline. The self-rated 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale was used to assess symptoms of depression with a score of 6 or more at baseline and 15-month follow-up. Participants underwent a structural interview designed to obtain demographic factors and frailty status, and completed cognitive testing with the Mini-Mental State Examination and physical performance testing with the Short Physical Performance Battery as potential predictors. At a 15-month follow-up survey, 226 participants (7.5%) reported the development of depressive symptoms. We found that frailty and poor self-rated general health (adjusted odds ratio 1.86, 95% confidence interval 1.30-2.66, P Examination, Short Physical Performance Battery, and Geriatric Depression Scale scores at baseline. Our findings suggested that frailty and poor self-rated general health were independent predictors of depressive symptoms in community-dwelling elderly people. Copyright © 2015 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. 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.

  18. 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.

  19. Factors associated with sarcopenia in institutionalized elderly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mesquita, Alice Ferreira; Silva, Emanuelle Cruz da; Eickemberg, Michaela; Roriz, Anna Karla Carneiro; Barreto-Medeiros, Jairza Maria; Ramos, Lílian Barbosa

    2017-03-30

    The sarcopenia is a negative aspect for the health of the elderly, increased the risk for disease and mortality. Additionally can contributes greatly to functional reducing capacity and quality of life. To identify the prevalence and factors associated with sarcopenia in institutionalized elderly. This is a cross-sectional study, conducted with 216 elderly people, aged ≥ 60 years, of both sexes, residents in long-term care facilities in Salvador-Bahia, Brazil. To identify sarcopenia was used the skeletal muscle Index. Covariates were considered: gender, age, time of institutionalization, type of institution, body mass index and functional capacity. The Association between sarcopenia and covariates was evaluated using the Poisson regression model with robust variance. The prevalence of sarcopenia in the elderly was 72.2% and this condition was associated with male sex (PR = 1,33; CI 95% = 1,081,65), thinness (PR = 1,29; CI 95% = 1,16-1,43) and obesity (PR = 0,37; CI 95% = 0,23-0,61). The prevalence of sarcopenia was high among the elderly living in long-term institutions, especially among men. Elderly with thinness showed greater impairment of muscle reserves, while the state of obesity was protective.

  20. [Regional differences in ikigai (reason(s) for living) in elderly people--relationship between ikigai and family structure, physiological situation and functional capacity].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasegawa, Akihiro; Fujiwara, Yoshinori; Hoshi, Tanji; Shinkai, Shoji

    2003-07-01

    The purpose of this paper is a) to make a comparative study of the existence of ikigai (reason(s) for living) in elderly people and its relevance to their family structure, physiological situation and functional capacity in both rural areas and metropolitan suburban areas, and b) position basic research into the structure of ikigai in the near future, by clarifying several related factors, from which the concept of ikigai may be defined. The meaning of the word "ikigai" in Japanese is difficult to express exactly, and specialists in gerontology have varying definitions. If ikigai were translated from Japanese into English, it could be "reason(s) for living", "self-actualization", "meaning of life" and/or "purpose in life". In this paper, ikigai is used to mean "feeling of being alive now and/or individual motivation for living". As of October 2000, we studied 1,544 people aged 65 years and over living in town Y of Niigata Prefecture (rural area), and as of January 2001, we studied 1,002 people in the same age group in town H of Saitama Prefecture (metropolitan suburban area). The above investigations revealed the following characteristics:--(a) Regarding the percentages of persons having or not having ikigai, there were no significant differences between the rural area and the metropolitan suburban area. (b) In both areas, the 3 factors of self-rated level of health, intellectual activeness and social roles, were associated with having ikigai. (c) In the rural area, the family structure was strongly associated with having ikigai, but gender or generation were irrelevant. (d) In the metropolitan suburban area, the hospitalization experience of men was strongly associated with ikigai. Furthermore, there was a strong correlation with generation. In this regard, while the contents of ikigai are seldom examined in detail, clarification of the structure of ikigai should be worked out in the next stage of the study, using covariance structure analysis. In addition the

  1. Effect of interaction between dynapenic component of the European working group on sarcopenia in older people sarcopenia criteria and obesity on activities of daily living in the elderly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Yeon-Pyo; Kim, Sun; Joh, Ju-Youn; Hwang, Hwan-Sik

    2014-05-01

    To examine the effects of interaction between dynapenic component of the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) sarcopenia and obesity (dynapenia × obesity) on activities of daily living (ADL) in older participants. Cross-sectional analysis of the Validity and Reliability of Korean Frailty Index and the Validity and Reliability of the Kaigo-Yobo Checklist in Korean Elderly studies. Six welfare facilities operated by government in South Korea. Four hundred eighty-seven community-dwelling individuals (157 males, 330 females) >65 years of age. Dynapenic component of the EWGSOP sarcopenia was defined as usual gait speed sarcopenia and obesity in the elderly is associated with multiplicative interactions rather than additive interactions in ADL. Copyright © 2014 American Medical Directors Association, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Needs of frail elderly people in informal settlements

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P du Rand

    2001-09-01

    Full Text Available The frail elderly in informal settlements find themselves in an extremely vulnerable position due to a number of factors, namely, their increasing dependency status, limited resources and adverse physical environment. Various aspects that influence the aged in their present environment will be highlighted. A survey method was used to explore and to describe the world in which they live in informal areas. The attitude, expectation and needs of the elderly in respect of their care was also determined. A random cluster sample was taken. Data was collected by means of interviews in terms of a semi-structured questionnaire. It appears that the frail elderly were happy in the environment in which they received care in spite of their unfavourable physical environment and limited resources. The communities where the frail elderly lived were largely unaware of the valuable inputs they can make regarding the care of the aged. This necessitates the development of programs in the heart of communities, owned by communities, where all role players in the care of the aged participate.

  3. Cognitive style and depressive symptoms in elderly people - extending the empirical evidence for the cognitive vulnerability-stress hypothesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meyer, Thomas D; Gudgeon, Emma; Thomas, Alan J; Collerton, Daniel

    2010-10-01

    Depression is common in older people and its identification and treatment has been highlighted as one of the major challenges in an ageing world. Poor physical and cognitive health, bereavement, and prior depression are important risk factors for depression in elderly people. Attributional or cognitive style has been identified as a risk factor for depression in children, adolescents and younger adults but its relevance for depression and mood in elderly people has not been investigated in the context of other risk factors. Sixty-four older adults from an 'extra care' living scheme (aged 59-97) were recruited for a 6-week prospective study to examine the relationships between cognitive style and depressive symptoms. Regression analyses revealed that, when other risk factors were controlled for, cognitive style and its interaction with stress predicted changes in depressive symptoms, therefore partially replicating prior research. Cognitive-stress-vulnerability models also apply to elderly populations, but may be rather predictive of changes in depression when facing lower levels of stress. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. 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

  5. Effects of living alone versus with others and of housemate type on smoking, drinking, dietary habits, and physical activity among elderly people.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeong, Seungmin; Cho, Sung Il

    2017-01-01

    This study examined differences in health behaviors between elderly people living alone and with others; it also investigated whether the effect of living with others differs according to housemate type, namely a spouse and/or younger generations. Gender-stratified data from the 2013 Korea Community Health Survey for individuals aged 60 to 74 living in Seoul were analyzed. Logistic regression modeling was conducted to obtain odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the outcome variables (smoking, drinking, eating salty foods, inactive lifestyle) for the variables of interest (living alone/with others, housemate type). Models were adjusted for confounding variables including history of medical conditions, employment type, and adjusted household income. Analysis involved 1,814 men and 2,199 women. Risk of smoking was 1.80 times (95% CI, 1.21 to 2.67) higher for men living alone than living with others. Risk of eating salty foods was 0.78 times lower (95% CI, 0.62 to 0.98) for men living with a spouse than a spouse and younger generations. Risk of inactive lifestyle was 1.47 times higher (95% CI, 1.13 to 1.92) for women living alone. Risk of smoking was higher for women living alone (OR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.03 to 1.92) or with younger generations (OR, 9.12; 95% CI, 2.04 to 40.80) than with a spouse and younger generations. Living alone was associated with smoking in men and physical activity in women; housemate type was associated with dietary habits in men and smoking in women. These gender-specific findings can help identify groups of individuals vulnerable to risky health behaviors and to develop policies.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  7. 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

  8. 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.

  9. 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.

  10. Elder people and ICT. A commitment to bridging the digital divide

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Margarita Rosa Pino Juste

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available With increasing life expectancy and growth of knowledge and information, ICT enable elderly people to increase and improve their individual and social development and optimize their quality of life from a technical, economic, political and cultural viewpoint.The present study aims to analyze the use that elderly people make of ICT. The method used for the study is descriptive using the questionnaire technique to verify the knowledge that elderly people have on ICT, interest, tools and difficulties of access.Results show that elderly people consider poor their ICT skills, using them primarily to communicate with friends and family. Most of them can use the e-mail, can open, print and attach a file and use Internet search engines to find information, the lowest values are associated with spreadsheets, databases and statistical packages. They consider ICT as being useful to help building communication, developing integration, generating information among people and improving intergenerational relationship, gathering information not readily accessible by other means and learning new skills. They have no fear when using them, consider attainable their learning and see many possibilities in its use and therefore worth spending time and effort but feel that society is too dependent on computers. In conclusion, we consider essential to improve access for elderly people to ICT as an important tool for improving their quality of life and there are no major difficulties for effective management.

  11. Effect of multi-sensory balance training for unsteady elderly people: pilot study of the "Reykjavik model".

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kristinsdottir, Ella Kolbrun; Baldursdottir, Bergthora

    2014-01-01

    To evaluate effects of combined mechano- and proprioceptive, vestibular and fall-prevention training on postural control, functional ability, confidence in activities of daily living (ADL) and frequency of falls among unsteady elderly people. Subjects were 37 elderly outpatients attending physiotherapy because of instability. Treatment consisted of 18 multisensory balance training sessions. RESULTS from Sensory Organization Test, Five-Times-Sit-to-Stand Test, 30-m normal and fast walk with a turn, Ascending-Descending 11 steps and Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale were compared before and after training. Information was gathered about number of falls 1 year prior to training, during training period and for 6 months after completion of training. Significant improvement was observed in all measured parameters (p falls in the year prior to the study. Six subjects reported seven falls during the training period and seven subjects reported 17 falls in the 6 months follow-up period. Combined vestibular, proprioceptive and fall-prevention training improve postural control, functional ability, confidence in ADL and might even decrease the risk of falling among elderly people.

  12. The Effect of Aerobic Exercise on Quantity and Quality of Sleep Among Elderly People Referring to Health Centers of Lar City, Southern of Iran; A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharif, Farkhondeh; Seddigh, Maryam; Jahanbin, Iran; Keshavarzi, Sareh

    2015-01-01

    Aging is associated with reduced quality and quantity of sleep. 50% of senior citizens living in the community and 70% of those living in nursing homes suffer from sleep disorders. Moreover, insomnia increases the risk of mortality and morbidity in older adults. We aimed to investigate the effect of aerobic exercise on quantity and quality of sleep among the elderly people referring to health centers of Lar city, southern Iran. We enrolled 60 elderly people whose age range was 60-75 years and (mean ±SD) age was (64.8±5.2). Participants were randomly assigned into two groups of 30 each (case group= 30 and control group=30). The patients in the case group participated in exercise trainings consisted of three one-hour sessions per week for 12 consecutive weeks. Sleep quantity and quantity in the participants was evaluated before and after intervention using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Independent t-test showed that sleep quality score was improved by 44.46% in the case group (pelderly. It could also be used as a cost effective and long lasting method of therapy with no side effect which could be used for the treatment of insomnia in older people.

  13. 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.

  14. Cognitive assessment on elderly people under ambulatory care

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bruna Zortea

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Objective: to evaluate the cognitive state of elderly people under ambulatory care and investigating the connection between such cognitive state and sociodemographic variables, health conditions, number of and adhesion to medicine. Methods: transversal, exploratory, and descriptive study, with a quantitative approach, realized with 107 elderly people under ambulatory care in a university hospital in southern Brazil, in november, 2013. The following variables were used: gender, age, civil status, income, schooling, occupation, preexisting noncommunicable diseases, number and type of prescribed medications, adhesion, mini-mental state examination score, and cognitive status. Data was analyzed through inferential and descriptive statistics. Results: the prevalence of cognitive deficit was of 42.1% and had a statistically significant connection to schooling, income, civil status, hypertension, and cardiopathy. Conclusion: nurses can intervene to avoid the increase of cognitive deficit through an assessment of the elderly person, directed to facilitative strategies to soften this deficit.

  15. 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.

  16. Robots to motivate elderly people: present and future challenges

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gallego Pérez, J.; Lohse, M.; Evers, Vanessa

    2013-01-01

    In this paper we argue for the development of new methodological approaches to create and evaluate robots for elderly-care, which offer support for the psychological determinants of the quality of life of elderly people. Relevant determinants, such as mood, self-efficacy and happiness are discussed

  17. THE EFFECTS OF OTAGO EXERCISE PROGRAMME FOR FALL PREVENTION IN ELDERLY PEOPLE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nancy N. Patel

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Background: The ‘Otago exercise programme’ (OEP is a strength and balance retraining programme designed to prevent falls in older people living in the community. The aim of this study was to find the effects of Otago exercise programme for fall prevention in community dwelling elderly people. Method: The sample comprised 30 community dwelling elderly around sinhgad road, pune (out of 30, 4 were dropouts aged over 60 years both male and female falling under moderate fall risk measured by Tinetti Performance Oriented Mobility Assessment. The intervention consisted mainly strength and balance training. Intervention was done for 1 hr every day, 5 days per week for 6weeks. Outcome measure assessment was done pre, 3rd week and post intervention. Pre and post comparison of following three outcome measures was done. Outcome measures: Tinetti Performance Oriented Mobility Assessment, 10RM and Chair stand test. Result: Paired t-test was done. Results of p value for 10RM (p value = 0.00, Tinetti performance oriented mobility assessment (p value = 0.00 and chair stand test (p value = 0.01 was found to be highly significant. Out of 26 subjects with moderate risk of fall pre intervention, 24 subjects showed low risk of fall during post intervention assessment of Tinetti Performance Oriented Mobility Assessment. Conclusion: The Otago exercise programme is significantly effective increasing strength of lower limb and improving in balance, gait and therefore ultimately preventing fall in community dwelling Indian elder people. Hence, Otago exercise protocol can be used in day to day clinical practice and also as a home exercise program.

  18. Unobtrusive Wireless Monitoring System for Assisted Living and Improving the Wellbeing of Elderly People

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Browne, Aidan; Duncliffe, Richard; Spillane, James; Walsh, Colin; Hill, Martin; O'Mahony, Tom; O'Reilly, Fergus

    2011-01-01

    A novel system to unobtrusively monitor the wellbeing of elderly people based on their activity patterns is presented. The system uses a wireless ZigBee network to monitor the electrical usage in a subject's home and then sends this data to an Apache server via HTTP from a GPRS unit. The data is logged in a MySQL database where pattern analysis is used to identify periods of significant inactivity. When such an event is identified designated contacts are notified by text message. For subjects requiring higher levels of monitoring a portable health monitor can be integrated incorporating a fall detector and panic button to inform of emergency situations.

  19. 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.

  20. Future of long-term care financing for the elderly in Korea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwon, Soonman

    2008-01-01

    With rapid aging, change in family structure, and the increase in the labor participation of women, the demand for long-term care has been increasing in Korea. Inappropriate utilization of medical care by the elderly in health care institutions, such as social admissions, also puts a financial burden on the health insurance system. The widening gap between the need for long-term care and the capacity of welfare programs to fulfill that need, along with a rather new national pension scheme and the limited economic capacity of the elderly, calls for a new public financing mechanism to provide protection for a broader range of old people from the costs of long-term care. Many important decisions are yet to be made, although Korea is likely to introduce social insurance for long-term care rather than tax-based financing, following the tradition of social health insurance. Whether it should cover only the elderly longterm care or all types of long-term care including disability of all age groups will have a critical impact on social solidarity and the financial sustainability of the new long-term care insurance. Generosity of benefits or the level of out-of-pocket payment, the role of cash benefits, and the relation with health insurance scheme all should be taken into account in the design of a new financing scheme. Lack of care personnel and facilities is also a barrier to the implementation of public long-term care financing in Korea, and the implementation strategy needs to be carved out carefully.

  1. 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.

  2. Energy requirements and physical activity level of active elderly people in rural areas of China

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hernandez-Triana, M; Aleman Mateo, H; Valencia Julleirat, M [Institute of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, Havana (Cuba); and others

    2002-07-01

    Obesity and NIDDM are common in the Third Age and increasing in Cuba. Among the life-style changes associated with increased prevalence of obesity and its related disorders, diet and activity patterns are prime candidates. The transition to this life-style model may induce a decrease in the energy needs. There is an urgent need for tools which have been validated for measuring diet and physical activity in nutritional studies in the developing world, but also a more urgent need for reference values for the total energy requirements of healthy elderly people. Regular physical activity reduces the likelihood to develop diseases that characterise the metabolic cardiovascular syndrome. With the purpose of estimating the energy requirements, a group of 48 elderly people aged 61-74 years living in a rural mountain community was submitted to a medical, epidemiological, dietary and biochemical study of the nutritional status. Glucose intolerance was diagnosed in 40% and arterial hypertension was present in 23 of them. Ten subjects without signs or symptoms of the metabolic cardiovascular syndrome were submitted to a measurement of the total energy expenditure by the doubly labelled water method. PAL values of 2.13 and 1. 77 were measured for men and women, values which were significantly higher that the recommended value of 1.51 for elderly subjects. The estimation of energy requirements by the energy intake or by the factorial method using the physical activity questionnaires generated values, which were 11% and 30% lower than the values obtained by the DLW-method The value of 1.51 x BMR for the estimation of the energy requirements of elderly subjects living in rural areas and submitted to higher levels of physical activity seems to be sub estimated. (author)

  3. Energy requirements and physical activity level of active elderly people in rural areas of China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hernandez-Triana, M.; Aleman Mateo, H.; Valencia Julleirat, M.

    2002-01-01

    Obesity and NIDDM are common in the Third Age and increasing in Cuba. Among the life-style changes associated with increased prevalence of obesity and its related disorders, diet and activity patterns are prime candidates. The transition to this life-style model may induce a decrease in the energy needs. There is an urgent need for tools which have been validated for measuring diet and physical activity in nutritional studies in the developing world, but also a more urgent need for reference values for the total energy requirements of healthy elderly people. Regular physical activity reduces the likelihood to develop diseases that characterise the metabolic cardiovascular syndrome. With the purpose of estimating the energy requirements, a group of 48 elderly people aged 61-74 years living in a rural mountain community was submitted to a medical, epidemiological, dietary and biochemical study of the nutritional status. Glucose intolerance was diagnosed in 40% and arterial hypertension was present in 23 of them. Ten subjects without signs or symptoms of the metabolic cardiovascular syndrome were submitted to a measurement of the total energy expenditure by the doubly labelled water method. PAL values of 2.13 and 1. 77 were measured for men and women, values which were significantly higher that the recommended value of 1.51 for elderly subjects. The estimation of energy requirements by the energy intake or by the factorial method using the physical activity questionnaires generated values, which were 11% and 30% lower than the values obtained by the DLW-method The value of 1.51 x BMR for the estimation of the energy requirements of elderly subjects living in rural areas and submitted to higher levels of physical activity seems to be sub estimated. (author)

  4. Energy requirements and physical activity level of active elderly people in rural areas of Cuba

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hernandez-Triana, M.H.; Sanchez, V.; Basabe-Tuero, B.; Gonzalez-Calderin, S.; Diaz, M.E.; Aleman-Mateo, H.; Valencia-Julleirat, M.; Salazar, G.

    2002-01-01

    Obesity and NIDDM are common in the Third Age and increasing in Cuba. Among the life-style changes associated with increased prevalence of obesity and its related disorders, diet and activity patterns are prime candidates. The transition to this life-style model may induce a decrease in the energy needs. There is an urgent need for tools which have been validated for measuring diet and physical activity in nutritional studies in the developing world, but also a more urgent need for reference values for the total energy requirements of healthy elderly people. Regular physical activity reduces the likelihood to develop diseases that characterise the metabolic cardiovascular syndrome. With the purpose of estimating the energy requirements, a group of 48 elderly people aged 61-74 years living in a rural mountain community was submitted to a medical, epidemiological, dietary and biochemical study of the nutritional status. Glucose intolerance was diagnosed in 40% and arterial hypertension was present in 23 % of them. Ten subjects without signs or symptoms of the metabolic cardiovascular syndrome were submitted to a measurement of the total energy expenditure by the doubly labelled water method. PAL values of 2.13 and 1.77 were measured for men and women, values which were significantly higher that the recommended value of 1.51 for elderly subjects. The total energy expenditure: The estimation of energy requirements by the energy intake or by the factorial method using the physical activity questionnaires generated values, which were 11 % and 30% lower than the values obtained by the DLW-method. The value of 1.51 x BMR for the estimation of the energy requirements of elderly subjects living in rural areas and submitted to higher levels of physical activity seems to be sub estimated

  5. Effects of living alone versus with others and of housemate type on smoking, drinking, dietary habits, and physical activity among elderly people

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Seungmin Jeong

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVES This study examined differences in health behaviors between elderly people living alone and with others; it also investigated whether the effect of living with others differs according to housemate type, namely a spouse and/or younger generations. METHODS Gender-stratified data from the 2013 Korea Community Health Survey for individuals aged 60 to 74 living in Seoul were analyzed. Logistic regression modeling was conducted to obtain odds ratios (ORs and 95% confidence intervals (CIs of the outcome variables (smoking, drinking, eating salty foods, inactive lifestyle for the variables of interest (living alone/with others, housemate type. Models were adjusted for confounding variables including history of medical conditions, employment type, and adjusted household income. RESULTS Analysis involved 1,814 men and 2,199 women. Risk of smoking was 1.80 times (95% CI, 1.21 to 2.67 higher for men living alone than living with others. Risk of eating salty foods was 0.78 times lower (95% CI, 0.62 to 0.98 for men living with a spouse than a spouse and younger generations. Risk of inactive lifestyle was 1.47 times higher (95% CI, 1.13 to 1.92 for women living alone. Risk of smoking was higher for women living alone (OR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.03 to 1.92 or with younger generations (OR, 9.12; 95% CI, 2.04 to 40.80 than with a spouse and younger generations. CONCLUSIONS Living alone was associated with smoking in men and physical activity in women; housemate type was associated with dietary habits in men and smoking in women. These gender-specific findings can help identify groups of individuals vulnerable to risky health behaviors and to develop policies.

  6. Assertive community treatment for elderly people with severe mental illness

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    Mulder Niels CL

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Adults aged 65 and older with severe mental illnesses are a growing segment of the Dutch population. Some of them have a range of serious problems and are also difficult to engage. While assertive community treatment is a common model for treating difficult to engage severe mental illnesses patients, no special form of it is available for the elderly. A special assertive community treatment team for the elderly is developed in Rotterdam, the Netherlands and tested for its effectiveness. Methods We will use a randomized controlled trial design to compare the effects of assertive community treatment for the elderly with those of care as usual. Primary outcome measures will be the number of dropouts, the number of patients engaged in care and patient's psychiatric symptoms, somatic symptoms, and social functioning. Secondary outcome measures are the number of unmet needs, the subjective quality of life and patients' satisfaction. Other secondary outcomes include the number of crisis contacts, rates of voluntary and involuntary admission, and length of stay. Inclusion criteria are aged 65 plus, the presence of a mental disorder, a lack of motivation for treatment and at least four suspected problems with functioning (addiction, somatic problems, daily living activities, housing etc.. If patients meet the inclusion criteria, they will be randomly allocated to either assertive community treatment for the elderly or care as usual. Trained assessors will use mainly observational instruments at the following time points: at baseline, after 9 and 18 months. Discussion This study will help establish whether assertive community treatment for the elderly produces better results than care as usual in elderly people with severe mental illnesses who are difficult to engage. When assertive community treatment for the elderly proves valuable in these respects, it can be tested and implemented more widely, and mechanisms for its effects

  7. Dietary protein intake in Dutch elderly people : a focus on protein sources

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tieland, Michael; Borgonjen-Van den Berg, Karin J.; Van Loon, Luc J. C.; de Groot, Lisette C. P. G. M.

    2015-01-01

    INTRODUCTION: Sufficient high quality dietary protein intake is required to prevent or treat sarcopenia in elderly people. Therefore, the intake of specific protein sources as well as their timing of intake are important to improve dietary protein intake in elderly people. OBJECTIVES: to assess the

  8. Dietary protein intake in Dutch elderly people: a focus on protein sources

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tieland, C.A.B.; Borgonjen-van den Berg, K.J.; Loon, van L.J.C.; Groot, de C.P.G.M.

    2015-01-01

    Introduction: Sufficient high quality dietary protein intake is required to prevent or treat sarcopenia in elderly people. Therefore, the intake of specific protein sources as well as their timing of intake are important to improve dietary protein intake in elderly people. Objectives: to assess the

  9. Haplotype analysis of the HFE gene among populations of Northern Eurasia, in patients with metabolic disorders or stomach cancer, and in long-lived people.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mikhailova, S V; Babenko, V N; Ivanoshchuk, D E; Gubina, M A; Maksimov, V N; Solovjova, I G; Voevoda, M I

    2016-06-17

    Previously, it was shown that the HFE gene (associated with human hereditary hemochromatosis) has several haplotypes of intronic polymorphisms. Some haplotype frequencies are race specific and hence can be used in phylogenetic analysis. We assumed that analysis of Caucasoid patients-living now in Western Siberia and having diseases associated with dietary habits and metabolic rate-will allow us to understand the processes of possible selection during settling of the northern part of Asia. Haplotype analysis of Northern Eurasian native and recently settled ethnic groups was performed on polymorphisms rs1799945, rs1800730, rs1800562, rs2071303, rs1800708, rs1572982, rs2794719, rs807209, and rs2032451 of this gene. The CCA haplotype of the rs2071303, rs1800708, and rs1572982 was found to be associated with HLA-A2 (39 %) in Asian populations. Haplotype analysis for the rs1799945, rs1800730, rs1800562, rs2071303, rs1800708, and rs1572982 was performed on Russian patients with some metabolic disorders or stomach cancer and among long-lived people. Decreased frequencies of the TTA haplotype (T in rs2071303, T in rs1800708, and A in rs1572982) were observed in the groups of patients with diseases associated with overweight (fatty liver disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, or metabolic syndrome + arterial hypertension) as compared with the control sample. We detected significant differences in this haplotype's frequency between the patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and Russian adolescents, elderly citizens, and long-lived people (χ(2) P value = 0.003, 0.010, and 0.015, respectively). No significant differences in frequencies of the alleles with mutations in coding regions of the HFE gene (C282Y, H63D, and S65C) were detected between the analyzed patients (with stomach cancer, metabolic syndrome, fatty liver disease, or type 2 diabetes mellitus) and the control Caucasoid sample. Monophyletic origin of H63D (rs1799945) was confirmed in Caucasoids and Northern

  10. 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

  11. Elderly suicide in Korean literature: A reflection on short- and medium-length novels

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    Yeong Sik Mun

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available This article attempts to examine how elderly suicide is viewed in Korean novels, against the background that suicide rates are higher among older people in Korean society. Firstly, elderly suicide is caused by loneliness and alienation in some novels. Writers foreground some problems that people, especially elderly people, need to address. For example, not only people with negative personality traits but also people with positive personality traits can commit suicide when they cannot overcome disappointing words from their children; suicide is a greedy act if it is committed because of loneliness and alienation; elderly people need to humbly accept their lives, even though loneliness and alienation are unavoidable. Secondly, Korean novels make it clear that elderly suicide is closely related to Korean modern history. Old people experienced psychological trauma as they underwent the Korean War in the 1950s, the military dictatorship in the 1980s and the IMF crisis in the 1990s. When obsessed with a sense of guilt, older people sometimes commit suicide in order to atone for their wrongdoings. Thirdly, elderly suicide is depicted in positive terms in a novel, while suicide is usually considered to be a negative act. An elderly couple with physical illness commits suicide out of love for each other in hopes of reincarnation. This suicide is viewed as resolving the conflict between their daughter and her husband. In examining perspectives on elderly suicide as depicted in Korean novels, this article sheds light on reasons why some elderly people live unsound lives and suggests some solutions.

  12. The impact of living in a care home on the health and wellbeing of spinal cord injured people.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Brett; Caddick, Nick

    2015-04-15

    In the UK, 20% of people with spinal cord injury (SCI) are discharged from rehabilitation into an elderly care home. Despite this, and knowledge that the home is central to health and wellbeing, little research has examined the impact of being in care homes on the health and wellbeing of people with SCI. The purpose of this study was to address this gap. Twenty adults who lived in care homes or had done so recently for over two years were interviewed in-depth. Qualitative data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Analyses revealed that living in a care home environment severely damages quality of life, physical health and psychological wellbeing in the short and long-term. Reasons why quality of life, health, and wellbeing were damaged are identified. These included a lack of freedom, control, and flexibility, inability to participate in community life, inability to sustain relationships, safety problems, restricted participation in work and leisure time physical activity, lack of meaning, self-expression, and a future, loneliness, difficulties with the re-housing process, depression, and suicidal thoughts and actions. It is concluded that for people with SCI, the care home environment violates social dignity, is oppressive, and denies human rights. Implications for housing and health care policies are also offered.

  13. 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

  14. Older people's perspectives on an elderly-friendly hospital environment: an exploratory study

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    Karki S

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Sushmita Karki,1 Dharma Nand Bhatta,1,2 Umesh Raj Aryal3 1Department of Public Health, Nobel College, Pokhara University, Kathmandu, Nepal; 2Faculty of Medicine, Epidemiology Unit, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, Thailand; 3Department of Community Medicine, Kathmandu Medical College, Kathmandu, Nepal Background: Many older people are vulnerable with multiple health problems and need of extensive care and support for quality of life. The main objective of this study was to explore the older people's perspectives on an "elderly-friendly" hospital. Methods: Hospital was stratified by four domains including government, semi-government, community, and private. We interviewed 33 hospitalized older patients and four hospital managers between June and December 2014 in Kathmandu, Nepal, using purposive sampling technique. We executed a qualitative content analysis step with extensive review of the interviews. Final name of the theme was given after the agreement between the research team and experts to improve trustworthiness. Elderly-friendly services, expectation from government and hospital, and health policy related to senior citizen were developed as main themes. Results: Most of the participants were satisfied with the behavior of health personnel. However, none of the health personnel were trained with geriatric health care. Elderly-friendly hospital guidelines and policy were not developed by any hospitals. Older people health card, advocacy for older people's health and benefit, and hospital environment were the common expectations of older patients. Government policy and budget constraint were the main obstacles to promote elderly-friendly health care services. Conclusion: Elderly-related health policies, physical environments of hospital, elderly-friendly health manpower, advocacy, and other facilities and benefits should be improved and developed. There are urgent needs to develop elderly-friendly hospital policies and guidelines that

  15. Who Lives Where and Does It Matter? Changes in the Health Profiles of Older People Living in Long Term Care and the Community over Two Decades in a High Income Country.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matthews, Fiona E; Bennett, Holly; Wittenberg, Raphael; Jagger, Carol; Dening, Tom; Brayne, Carol

    2016-01-01

    There have been fundamental shifts in the attitude towards, access to and nature of long term care in high income countries. The proportion and profile of the older population living in such settings varies according to social, cultural, and economic characteristics as well as governmental policies. Changes in the profiles of people in different settings are important for policy makers and care providers. Although details will differ, how change occurs across time is important to all, including lower and middle income countries developing policies themselves. Here change is examined across two decades in England. Using the two Cognitive Function and Ageing Studies (CFAS I: 77% response, CFAS II: 56% response), two population based studies of older people carried out in the same areas conducted two decades apart, the study diagnosis of dementia using the Automated Geriatric Examination for Computer Assisted Taxonomy, health and wellbeing were examined, focusing on long term care. The proportion of individuals with three or more health conditions increased for everyone living in long term care between CFAS I (47.6%, 95% CI: 42.3-53.1) and CFAS II (62.7%, 95% CI: 54.8-70.0) and was consistently higher in those without dementia compared to those with dementia in both studies. Functional impairment measured by activities of daily living increased in assisted living facilities from 48% (95% CI: 44%-52%) to 67% (95% CI: 62%-71%). Health profiles of residents in long term care have changed dramatically over time. Dementia prevalence and reporting multiple health conditions have increased. Receiving care in the community puts pressure on unpaid carers and formal services; these results have implications for policies about supporting people at home as well as for service provision within long term care including quality of care, health management, cost, and the development of a skilled, caring, and informed workforce.

  16. Who Lives Where and Does It Matter? Changes in the Health Profiles of Older People Living in Long Term Care and the Community over Two Decades in a High Income Country.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fiona E Matthews

    Full Text Available There have been fundamental shifts in the attitude towards, access to and nature of long term care in high income countries. The proportion and profile of the older population living in such settings varies according to social, cultural, and economic characteristics as well as governmental policies. Changes in the profiles of people in different settings are important for policy makers and care providers. Although details will differ, how change occurs across time is important to all, including lower and middle income countries developing policies themselves. Here change is examined across two decades in England.Using the two Cognitive Function and Ageing Studies (CFAS I: 77% response, CFAS II: 56% response, two population based studies of older people carried out in the same areas conducted two decades apart, the study diagnosis of dementia using the Automated Geriatric Examination for Computer Assisted Taxonomy, health and wellbeing were examined, focusing on long term care. The proportion of individuals with three or more health conditions increased for everyone living in long term care between CFAS I (47.6%, 95% CI: 42.3-53.1 and CFAS II (62.7%, 95% CI: 54.8-70.0 and was consistently higher in those without dementia compared to those with dementia in both studies. Functional impairment measured by activities of daily living increased in assisted living facilities from 48% (95% CI: 44%-52% to 67% (95% CI: 62%-71%.Health profiles of residents in long term care have changed dramatically over time. Dementia prevalence and reporting multiple health conditions have increased. Receiving care in the community puts pressure on unpaid carers and formal services; these results have implications for policies about supporting people at home as well as for service provision within long term care including quality of care, health management, cost, and the development of a skilled, caring, and informed workforce.

  17. 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.

  18. Prevalence and Associated Factors of Frailty Among Elderly People in Taiwan

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    Liang-Ju Chen

    2014-09-01

    Conclusion: To prevent a decline in the functions of elderly people, the results of this study should be referenced when developing intervention strategies in which preventive actions are implemented to aid elderly people with particular risk factors such as diabetes, depression, and infrequent participation in social activities.

  19. Long Term Outcomes of a Geriatric Liaison Intervention in Frail Elderly Cancer Patients.

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    Liesbeth Hempenius

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to evaluate the long term effects after discharge of a hospital-based geriatric liaison intervention to prevent postoperative delirium in frail elderly cancer patients treated with an elective surgical procedure for a solid tumour. In addition, the effect of a postoperative delirium on long term outcomes was examined.A three month follow-up was performed in participants of the Liaison Intervention in Frail Elderly study, a multicentre, prospective, randomized, controlled trial. Patients were randomized to standard treatment or a geriatric liaison intervention. The intervention consisted of a preoperative geriatric consultation, an individual treatment plan targeted at risk factors for delirium and daily visits by a geriatric nurse during the hospital stay. The long term outcomes included: mortality, rehospitalisation, Activities of Daily Living (ADL functioning, return to the independent pre-operative living situation, use of supportive care, cognitive functioning and health related quality of life.Data of 260 patients (intervention n = 127, Control n = 133 were analysed. There were no differences between the intervention group and usual-care group for any of the outcomes three months after discharge. The presence of postoperative delirium was associated with: an increased risk of decline in ADL functioning (OR: 2.65, 95% CI: 1.02-6.88, an increased use of supportive assistance (OR: 2.45, 95% CI: 1.02-5.87 and a decreased chance to return to the independent preoperative living situation (OR: 0.18, 95% CI: 0.07-0.49.A hospital-based geriatric liaison intervention for the prevention of postoperative delirium in frail elderly cancer patients undergoing elective surgery for a solid tumour did not improve outcomes 3 months after discharge from hospital. The negative effect of a postoperative delirium on late outcome was confirmed.Nederlands Trial Register, Trial ID NTR 823.

  20. Avaliação das atividades de vida diária de idosos com diferentes níveis de demência Evaluation of the activities of daily living of elderly people with different levels of dementia

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    TA Marra

    2007-08-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVOS: Comparar o desempenho de idosos com diferentes níveis de gravidade de demência em questionários de atividades básicas de vida diária (ABVDs e atividades instrumentais de vida diária (AIVDs. Verificar se existe correlação entre os questionários de AIVDs aplicados. METODOLOGIA: Foram aleatorizados 90 idosos (75,46 ± 7,66 anos atendidos no Centro de Referência do Idoso-MG, com diagnóstico clínico de demência (DSM-IV/APA e classificados quanto ao nível de gravidade da demência (Clinical Dementia Rating. As ABVDs foram avaliadas pelo Índice de Katz, e as AIVDs, pelo Índice de Lawton-Brody e de Pfeffer. Os testes de Kruskal-Wallis e de Mann-Whitney foram utilizados para verificar o desempenho dos idosos nas ABVDs, e a correlação de Spearman, para investigar a relação entre os instrumentos de AIVDs (alfaOBJECTIVE: To compare the performance of elderly people with different levels of severity of dementia using questionnaires on basic activities of daily living (BADLs and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs. Also, to verify whether there were any association between the IADL questionnaires applied. METHOD: Ninety elderly people, aged 75.46 ± 7.66 years with a clinical diagnosis of dementia (DSM-IV/APA who were seen at the Minas Gerais Reference Center for the Elderly, were randomized selected and classified according to the level of severity of their dementia (Clinical Dementia Rating. Their BADLs were assessed using the Katz Index and their IADLs by the Lawton-Brody and Pfeffer indexes. The Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests were used in order to investigate the elderly people's performance regarding BADLs, while the Spearman correlation was used to investigate the relationships among the IADL (alpha< 0.05. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences in performance were found between the elderly people with different levels of severity of dementia, as assessed by the BADL and IADL questionnaires (p< 0

  1. 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 ...

  2. 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.

  3. The impact of dietary protein or amino acid supplementation on muscle mass and strength in elderly people

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tieland, M.; Franssen, R.; Dullemeijer, C.; Dronkelaar, van C.; Kim, H.K.; Ispoglou, T.; Zhu, K.; Prince, R.L.; Loon, van L.J.C.; Groot, de Lisette C.P.G.M.

    2017-01-01

    Objectives: Increasing protein or amino acid intake has been promoted as a promising strategy to increase muscle mass and strength in elderly people, however, long-term intervention studies show inconsistent findings. Therefore, we aim to determine the impact of protein or amino acid

  4. The Digital Competences and Agency of Older People Living in Rural Villages in Finnish Lapland

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    Päivi Rasi

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Older people’s digital competencies are a means to minimise their possible risks for being excluded from society. Therefore, the research in this field needs to be strengthened. This paper examines the digital competences and agency of older people who live in remote rural villages in Finnish Lapland. We argue that older people’s agency is the key factor that keeps them included in contemporary society. Hence, our theoretical viewpoint rests on the theory of the modalities of agency. Our data consist of three focus group interviews that were conducted in small, remote villages during the spring of 2015. We analysed our data deductively, and the results showed that elderly villagers interpret their digital competencies through their personal needs and desires. History, the present and the future are intertwined in the villagers’ conceptions. Our respondents’ digital competencies are diverse; older people living in villages are not a homogenous group. Based on our results, we argue that digital competence is very much a distributed competence of elderly dyads, families with three generations and informal networks of villagers and that it should not, therefore, be assessed solely as an individual characteristic.

  5. Discharge-planning for long-term care needs: the values and priorities of older people, their younger relatives and health professionals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Denson, Linley A; Winefield, Helen R; Beilby, Justin J

    2013-03-01

    Discharge-planning decisions about long-term care (LTC) can be difficult and distressing for older people, families and discharge-planning health professionals. Retrospective research suggests that despite good intentions and a shared focus on the best interests of the older person, stakeholders may hold very different values about good outcomes and how to decide them. We aimed to compare the opinions and values of frail elders living at home, younger relatives and health professionals experienced in discharge-planning, prospectively: before, not after, a LTC decision. We interviewed three types of stakeholders (10 older people, 8 relatives and 18 health professionals) using a hypothetical vignette about a frail elder leaving hospital. In a mixed methods design, we quantitatively compared the discharge plans and decision-makers that stakeholders suggested, and qualitatively analysed the 36 interview transcripts for participants' articulation of underlying values during these discussions. Older participants often suggested safe restrictive options (residential care, proxy decision-making) for the hypothetical frail elder, while advocating autonomy for themselves. Younger people generally endorsed autonomous decision-making and less restrictive discharge options especially if the elder was mentally competent, but reported difficult ethical tensions between safety and autonomy. Individual personality and preferences, mental capacity, and the importance of personal care in supporting autonomy were central themes consistent with the Ecological Theory of Aging. Accordingly, discharge planners can usefully articulate the balance of safety and autonomy, conceptualizing home care as maintaining independence rather than accepting dependence. Ethical training should incorporate sophisticated models of practice specifying both psychological and physical safety as components of beneficence. Few elders adopt a consumer approach to LTC: health professionals can encourage mid

  6. Socio-economic cultural transformations and Depression in elderly people.

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  7. 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.

  8. Memory complaints are frequent but qualitatively different in young and elderly healthy people

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ginó, Sandra; Mendes, Tiago; Maroco, João; Ribeiro, Filipa; Schmand, Ben A.; de Mendonça, Alexandre; Guerreiro, Manuela

    2010-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Subjective memory complaints are frequently reported by the elderly. There is less information about the characterization of subjective memory complaints in young people. OBJECTIVE: To determine different memory complaints between young and elderly people with the use of the Subjective

  9. Memory complaints are frequent but qualitatively different in young and elderly healthy people

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ginó, S.; Mendes, T.; Maroco, J.; Ribeiro, F.; Schmand, B.A.; de Mendonca, A.; Guerreiro, M.

    2010-01-01

    Background: Subjective memory complaints are frequently reported by the elderly. There is less information about the characterization of subjective memory complaints in young people. Objective: To determine different memory complaints between young and elderly people with the use of the Subjective

  10. A Comparison Study on Socio-Economic Variables and Life Satisfaction Among the Elders people, Gorgan, in 2004 and 2009

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    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

  11. Integration of RFID and web service for assisted living.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Unluturk, Mehmet S; Kurtel, Kaan

    2012-08-01

    The number of people over 65 years old throughout most stable and prosperous countries in the world is increasing. Availability of their care in their own homes is imperative because of the economic reasons and their choices where to live (World Health Organization, Definition of an older or elderly person. http://www.who.int/healthinfo/survey/ageingdefnolder/en/ ; EQUIP-European Framework for Qualifications in Home Care Services for Older People, http://www.equip-project.com ; Salonen, 2009). "Recent advancement in wireless communications and electronics has enabled the development of low-cost sensor networks. The sensor networks can be utilized in various application areas." (Akyildiz, et al. 2002) These two statements show that there is a great promise in wireless technology and utilizing it in assisted living might be very beneficial to the elderly people. In this paper, we propose software architecture called Location Windows Service (LWS) which integrates the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology and the web service to build an assisted living system for elderly people at home. This architecture monitors the location of elderly people without interfering in their daily activities. Location information messages that are generated as the elderly move from room to room indicate that the elderly person is fit and healthy and going about their normal life. The communication must be timely enough to follow elderly people as they move from room to room without missing a location. Unacknowledged publishing, subscription filtering and short location change messages are also included in this software model to reduce the network traffic in large homes. We propose some defense schemes being applied to the network environment of the assisted living system to prevent any external attacks.

  12. Navigating Long-Term Care

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    James D. Holt MD

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Americans over age 65 constitute a larger percentage of the population each year: from 14% in 2010 (40 million elderly to possibly 20% in 2030 (70 million elderly. In 2015, an estimated 66 million people provided care to the ill, disabled, and elderly in the United States. In 2000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 15 million Americans used some form of long-term care: adult day care, home health, nursing home, or hospice. In all, 13% of people over 85 years old, compared with 1% of those ages 65 to 74, live in nursing homes in the United States. Transitions of care, among these various levels of care, are common: Nursing home to hospital transfer, one of the best-studied transitions, occurs in more than 25% of nursing home residents per year. This article follows one patient through several levels of care.

  13. Association between religiosity/spirituality and quality of life or depression among living-alone elderly in a South Korean city.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moon, Yoo Sun; Kim, Do Hoon

    2013-12-01

    This study investigated the effects of religiosity and spirituality on quality of life and depression among older people. Two hundred and seventy-four solitary elderly people aged over 65 years living in Chuncheon city, South Korea were selected. Symptoms of depression were evaluated using the Short Geriatric Depression Scale-Korean version (SGDS-K) and quality of life was measured using Geriatric Quality of Life-Dementia (GQOL-D). We used the Duke Religion Index (DUREL) to assess religiosity and spirituality. There was a significant correlation between scales of depression (SGDS-K), quality of life (GQOL-D), and scale of religiosity/spirituality (DUREL) in older people. Depressed people had a lower score GQOL-D than non-depressed people. Among the depressed, those believing in a religion had a higher GQOL-D score than the non-religious. Multiple regression analysis revealed that religiosity and spirituality had significant effects on depression and quality of life among the elderly. Interestingly, religiosity and spirituality were not related to depression and quality of life amongst Buddhists, but were related amongst Protestants and Catholics. Religiosity and spirituality had significant effects on depression and on quality of life among the Korean elderly. However, there are different relationships between depression and religiosity, quality of life, and religiosity based on different religions. More research is needed to elucidate these findings. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

  14. Suicide in elderly people: a literature review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Minayo, Maria Cecília de Souza; Cavalcante, Fátima Gonçalves

    2010-08-01

    A literature review was carried out focusing on the main factors associated with suicidal ideation, attempts and completed suicide in elders. The following databases were searched: MEDLINE, PsychINFO, SciELO and Biblioteca Virtual em Violência e Saúde da BIREME (BIREME's Violence and Health Virtual Library), referring to the period from 1980 to 2008. Fifty-two references were selected and analyzed. They showed a strong relationship among suicide ideation, attempt and completion in elderly individuals, which results from the interaction of complex physical, mental, neurobiological and social factors. Suicide associated with depression in the elderly can be prevented, provided the person is properly treated. In Brazil, it is necessary to invest in research, given the persistent increase in suicide rates among aged people, especially among males.

  15. 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.

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    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.

  17. Elderly people need an eye examination before entering nursing homes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Hanne; Tubæk, Gitte

    2017-01-01

    INTRODUCTION: It is well documented that eye diseases develop with ageing and thus more elderly people have a visual handicap. It is important that the elderly are examined well, that they have the correct prescription and optimal aids. This is especially applicable to those residing in nursing...

  18. Exploring elderly people’s relationships with new media

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Givskov, Cecilie; Christensen, Christa Lykke

    focuses on how the new digital media environment influences the daily lives of elderly people and the meaning they attribute to ageing. The first specific focus of ours is on how elderly people relate to new media and how media for interpersonal communication influence and shape elderly people’s social...... and mediatization to get closer to an understanding of how media on one hand are naturalized elements of elderly people’s everyday life serving a variety of purposes and on the other hand influence and set the agenda of what seems important to elderly people to be interested in and concerned about. We propose......The background of this proposal is a newly established Danish research project on the representation of ageing in the media and elderly people ́s media use. It investigates ways in which elderly people’s media practices and interpretations shape the experience of ageing. Part of this project...

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lampert, Melissa Agostini; Rosso, Ana Luiza Pereira

    2015-01-01

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

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Melissa Agostini Lampert

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

  1. 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.

  2. Interrelationship of oral health status, swallowing function, nutritional status, and cognitive ability with activities of daily living in Japanese elderly people receiving home care services due to physical disabilities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Furuta, Michiko; Komiya-Nonaka, Manae; Akifusa, Sumio; Shimazaki, Yoshihiro; Adachi, Munehisa; Kinoshita, Toshinori; Kikutani, Takeshi; Yamashita, Yoshihisa

    2013-04-01

    Malnutrition and cognitive impairment lead to declines in activities of daily living (ADL). Nutritional status and cognitive ability have been shown to correlate with oral health status and swallowing function. However, the complex relationship among the factors that affect decline in ADL is not understood. We examined direct and indirect relationships among oral health status, swallowing function, nutritional status, cognitive ability, and ADL in Japanese elderly people living at home and receiving home care services because of physical disabilities. Participants were 286 subjects aged 60 years and older (mean age, 84.5±7.9 years) living at home and receiving home care services. Oral health status (the number of teeth and wearing dentures) was assessed, and swallowing function was examined using cervical auscultation. Additionally, ADL, cognitive ability, and nutritional status were assessed using the Barthel Index, the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale, and the Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form, respectively. Path analysis was used to test pathways from these factors to ADL. The mean number of teeth present in the participants was 8.6±9.9 (edentates, 40.6%). Dysphagia, malnutrition, and severe cognitive impairment were found in 31.1%, 14.0%, and 21.3% of the participants, respectively. Path analysis indicated that poor oral health status and cognitive impairment had a direct effect on denture wearing, and the consequent dysphagia, in addition to cognitive impairment, was positively associated with malnutrition. Malnutrition as well as dysphagia and cognitive impairment directly limited ADL. A lower number of teeth are positively related to swallowing dysfunction, whereas denture wearing contributes to recovery of swallowing function. Dysphagia, cognitive impairment, and malnutrition directly and indirectly decreased ADL in elderly people living at home and receiving home nursing care. The findings suggest that preventing tooth loss and encouraging denture

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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

  4. Cognitive deficit and depressive symptoms in a community group of elderly people: a preliminary study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Silberman Claudia

    1995-01-01

    Full Text Available Since the number and proportion of old people increases worldwide, health professionals and systems should be made aware and prepared to deal with their problems. Cognitive deficit and symptoms of depression are commom among the elderly, and may occur in relation to various risk factors such as health conditions and psychosocial variables. In order to study cognitive deficit and the presence of signs and symptoms of depression, 62 elderly community subjects enrolled at a Community Health Unit in Porto Alegre, southern Brazil, were interviewed. They were evaluated by means of the Mini Mental State Exam, the Montgomery-Asberg Depression rating scale, and a questionnaire on health conditions, living arrangements and social variables. Higher levels of symptoms of depression were observed among subjects exposed to major risk factors for cerebrovascular diseases (diabetes and coronary disease, while impaired cognitive performance was seen among individuals who could not count on the presence of a confidant (social network variable. The results suggest that the early identification of major risk groups among old people can help to prevent institutionalization and keep individuals in the community.

  5. 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

  6. Health behavior of elderly people engaged in agriculture in conjunction with information communication technology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fujii, Chieko; Okahisa, Reiko; Matsushita, Yasuko; Tada, Toshiko

    2012-01-01

    The aim of this study is to clarify the health behavior of elderly people engaged in agriculture and information communication technology (ICT). The participants were 61 people engaged in agriculture in conjunction with ICT systems (group A), and 49 people not engaged in this (group B) from among the people aged 65 years or over in village C, both living located in a mountain areas. Data were collected from August 2009 to June 2011 in two stages: interviews to members of group A through home visits, and a group survey of groups A and B through questionnaires. The results of the study were as follows: 1) members of group A lived with feelings of attachment to the land to which they were accustomed and showed gratitude to their ancestors; 2) in group A, the desire of participants to continue their life was sufficient motivation to look after their own health and maintain independence; and 3) they provided a new challenge and a sense of achievement. The results suggest that the health behavior in group A was behavior adopted voluntarily in order to maintain an independent lifestyle supported by working, and it is likely to be linked to the preservation of health.

  7. The effect of a nutrient dense drink on mental and physical function in institutionalized elderly people.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manders, M; De Groot, L C P G M; Hoefnagels, W H L; Dhonukshe-Rutten, R A M; Wouters-Wesseling, W; Mulders, A J M J; Van Staveren, W A

    2009-11-01

    To determine whether in the current study the supply of a nutrient dense drink has a positive effect on mental and physical function of institutionalized elderly people. A 24-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, intervention trial. Homes for the elderly and nursing homes in the Netherlands. Institutionalized elderly people older than 60 years, with a BMI Mental State Examination score of at least 10 points. In addition to their usual diet the participants (n=176) received either a nutrient dense drink or a placebo drink twice a day during 24 weeks. The functionality measures included cognitive function, mood, physical performance and the ability to perform activities of daily living. In the supplement group a favorable effect of the intervention drink on body weight (1.6 kg difference in change; P = .035), calf circumference (0.9 cm difference in change; P = .048), and blood values (e.g. Hcy decreased from 16.8 to 11.2 mumol/L in the supplement group) was found. In the total group no significant effect was found on functionality outcomes. However, a subgroup of participants with BMI at baseline below 24.4 kg/m2 performed better on the cognitive subscale of Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale (P = .09), and its language sub score (P = .01) after 24 weeks of intervention. The results in the total group of this trial suggest that the nutritional supplement used in this study improves nutritional status. Furthermore, the results of this trial suggest that it is effective as treatment for decreasing function in a subgroup of institutionalized elderly people with low BMI.

  8. A Review Study on Effective Factors in Prevention of Falling and Osteoporosis Fracture in Elderly People

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roghayeh Esmaieli

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Background and Aim The geriatric process consists of stages of progressive and unrevisable changes during the life. This change starts from the age of 35 to 40, but usually a person over 60 years old is considered as elderly. With regard to the geriatric physiopathology process, osteoporosis and the following bone fracture caused by a fall, is one of the most common and serious problems in elderly people. Other important factors responsible for old people`s bedridden at hospital are respectively as follow: femoral fractures, sub durra hemorrhage, and injury or damage of brain. Only after being involved in a problem or injury the elders notice the risk factors and the ways to prevent them. Therefore, the investigation and recognition of precaution measures are necessary in case of osteoporosis and falling in elder people. The primary prevention of falling in elderly people is the prevention of osteoporosis. Therefore, screening of peripheral and central bone density is necessary for those who are at risk.The present article is a review study which has been prepared by gathering and reviewing thirty articles about recognition of risk factors and preventing osteoporosis and falling down in elderly people. From review of literature it was concluded that the following measures should be taken in order to prevent the elderly people from any kind of injury:A - Identification and Assessment of elderly people with high risk exposure B - Decreasing or eliminating the risk factors by:- Body & physical exercise - Taking tablets - Appropriate diet- Multiple interventions

  9. Cognitive rehabilitation for elderly people with early-stage Alzheimer?s disease

    OpenAIRE

    Kim, Seyun

    2015-01-01

    [Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of cognitive rehabilitation including tasks of cognitive training on performance of everyday activities in elderly people with early-stage Alzheimer?s disease. [Subjects and Methods] Forty-three elderly people (15 men, 28 women) with a diagnosis of Alzheimer?s disease who had a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score of 18 or above were randomly assigned to two groups: the cognitive rehabilitation group (experimental) and co...

  10. Cognitive performance in long-term abstinent elderly alcoholics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fein, George; McGillivray, Shannon

    2007-11-01

    To date, there is a wealth of literature describing the deleterious effects of active alcoholism on cognitive function. There is also a growing body of literature on the extent of cognitive recovery that can occur with abstinence. However, there is still a dearth of published findings on cognitive functioning in very long-term abstinence alcoholics, especially in the elderly population. The current study examines 91 elderly abstinent alcoholics (EAA) (49 men and 42 women) with an average age of 67.3 years, abstinent for an average of 14.8 years (range 0.5 to 45 years), and age and gender comparable light/nondrinking controls. The EAA group was divided into 3 subgroups: individuals that attained abstinence before age 50 years, between the ages 50 and 60 years, and after age 60 years. Attention, verbal fluency, abstraction/cognitive flexibility, psychomotor, immediate memory, delayed memory, reaction time, spatial processing, and auditory working memory were assessed. The AMNART and cranium size were used as estimates of brain reserve capacity, and the association of all variables with alcohol use measures was examined. Overall, the EAA groups performed comparably to controls on the assessments of cognitive function. Only the abstinent in group before 50 years of age performed worse than controls, and this was only in the domain of auditory working memory. EAAs had larger craniums than their controls. This effect was strongest for those who drank the longest and had the shortest abstinence. Such individuals also performed better cognitively. Our data showed that elderly alcoholics that drank late into life, but with at least 6 months abstinence can exhibit normal cognitive functioning. Selective survivorship and selection bias probably play a part in these findings. Cognitively healthier alcoholics, with more brain reserve capacity, may be more likely to live into their 60s, 70s, or 80s of age with relatively intact cognition, and to volunteer for studies such as

  11. 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.

  12. 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.

  13. Dental state and subjective chewing ability of institutionalized elderly people.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ekelund, R

    1989-02-01

    The purpose of the present study was to investigate the dental state of the elderly, to provide a subjective appraisal of their chewing ability and their inability to eat certain foods because of their poor dental state. The subjects were 480 residents of 24 municipal old people's homes in different parts of Finland. Of the subjects, 153 were men and 327 women, and their ages ranged from 65 to 100 years. The methods used were clinical examination and interview. The clinical examination revealed that 68% of the subjects had no natural teeth, and 22% had neither natural nor artificial teeth. The number of teeth in dentate subjects was small (average 7.6), and the condition mostly poor. Only 2% had any serviceable counterparts. 51% of the subjects wore dentures: 57 subjects in the maxilla alone, three in the mandible alone and 186 in both maxilla and mandible. 41% said that because of their teeth they were unable to eat some foods they would have liked to eat, crisp bread being mentioned most often as such a food (85% of those with chewing difficulties). Edentulous subjects and dentate subjects wearing both maxillary and mandibular dentures said more often than those without dentures that they could eat everything; those without any teeth had most often (59%) to avoid some foods. More attention should be given to the dental condition and the masticatory function of the elderly, especially of those living in institutions, to ensure that they are comfortable physically, psychologically, and socially for the rest of their lives.

  14. [Examination results and autopsy findings in assaults on elderly people].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bode-Jänisch, Stefanie; Havermann, Robert; Germerott, Tanja; Fieguth, Armin

    2010-01-01

    As the percentage of elderly people in the population grows, violence against persons of advanced age constitutes an increasing social problem. The findings of the clinical forensic examinations (CE group) and autopsies performed on elderly violence victims (> or = 60 years) between 1999 and 2008 at the Institute of Legal Medicine of the Hanover Medical School were retrospectively analysed. In all, the study material comprised 55 victims of the CE group (35 females and 20 males, median age 73.5 years) and 55 autopsies (33 females and 22 males, median age 72.7 years). In most of the autopsy cases, the suspect was a family member or partner. In contrast, the alleged perpetrator was a stranger in most cases of the CE group. Blunt force injuries were most often found in the CE group victims (63.6%). Altogether, 38.2% (CE group) and 20.0% (autopsy cases) of the violent assaults were associated with robbery. In the majority of the CE cases, the victims suffered potentially or acute life-threatening injuries. In summary, the analysis shows that elderly people frequently become victims of robbery and blunt force injury. In most homicides of old people, the perpetrator is familiar to the victim. In surviving elderly violence victims, the assault is more likely to be reported to the police if the suspect is a stranger.

  15. Agri-business for elderly people through the Internet

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kenji Hashimoto

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available The leaf business of Irodori is an example of a successful enterprise realized by connecting elderly people and local agricultural resources in a peripheral area with an aging population. In the process of developing the business, Irodori has overcome three difficulties with regard to information systems. Firstly, it overcame the distances between the peripheral producing regions and the consumer markets in urban areas. Secondly, it overcame the disadvantageous condition of being based in a mountain village with a low population density, where it is difficult to develop a communications infrastructure. Thirdly, it overcame the difficulty and burden that elderly people felt regarding the use of a personal computer and the Internet. The example of Irodori can be considered as a model case when considering the exploitation of regional resources and strategies for utilizing them through 'informatization'.

  16. 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 ...

  17. 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...

  18. Being part of an enacted togetherness: narratives of elderly people with depression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nyman, Anneli; Josephsson, Staffan; Isaksson, Gunilla

    2012-12-01

    In this article, we explored how five elderly persons with depression engaged in everyday activities with others, over time, and how this was related to their experience of meaning. Repeated interviews and participant observations generated data that was analysed using a narrative approach. Analysis identified togetherness as an acted relation, "enacted togetherness", emphasising how the act of doing everyday activities with someone created togetherness and belonging, and being part of an enacted togetherness seemed to be a way for the participants to negotiate and construct meaning. Opportunities for doing things together with someone were closely associated to the place where the participants lived. Furthermore, engagement in activities together with others created hope and expectations of future acting. Findings from this research can extend our understanding of how participating in everyday activities is experienced as a social process including change over time, presenting the perspective of elderly people themselves. In light of these findings, we highlight the need to consider how opportunities to become part of an enacted togetherness can be created. Also, we aspire to contribute to the debate on how to understand the complexity related to social aspects of ageing and add to the emerging understanding of everyday activities as transactional, incorporating people and the environment in a dynamic process that goes beyond the individual. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. 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.

  20. Quality of care: from the perspective of elderly people: the QUOTE-Elderly instrument.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sixma, H.J.; Campen, C. van; Kerssens, J.J.; Peters, L.

    2000-01-01

    Background: patient views on the quality of care are usually assessed by means of patient satisfaction questionnaires. Aim: to develop an instrument that would: (i)produce data to the expectations and experiences of non-institutionalized elderly people, (ii) contain items that has been formulated in

  1. Balance control in elderly people with osteoporosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wei-Li Hsu

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Osteoporosis is a prevalent health concern among older adults and is associated with an increased risk of falls that incur fracture, injury, or mortality. Identifying the risk factors of falls within this population is essential for the development of effective regimes for fall prevention. Studies have shown that muscle quality and good posture alignments are critical for balance control in elderly individuals. People with osteoporosis often have muscle weakness and increased spine kyphosis leading to vertebral fractures and poor balance control, or even falls. Therefore, improving muscle quality, strengthening weak muscles, and correcting postural alignment are essential elements for the prevention of falls and fractures in older adults with osteoporosis. This review reports the necessary information regarding the critical factors of balance control in older adults with osteoporosis, as well as testing the clinical innovations of exercise training to improve the long-term prognosis of osteoporosis in this vulnerable population.

  2. Body composition and energy metabolism in elderly people

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Visser, M.

    1995-01-01

    This thesis describes several studies related to the three components of energy balance in elderly people: body composition, energy expenditure, and energy intake.

    Body composition. The applicability of the body mass index, skinfold thickness method, and

  3. 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.

  4. Effect evaluation of a two-year complex intervention to reduce loneliness in non-institutionalised elderly Dutch people.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Honigh-de Vlaming, Rianne; Haveman-Nies, Annemien; Heinrich, Judith; van't Veer, Pieter; de Groot, Lisette C P G M

    2013-10-21

    Public health policy calls for intervention programmes to reduce loneliness in the ageing population. So far, numerous loneliness interventions have been developed, with effectiveness demonstrated for few of these interventions. The loneliness intervention described in this manuscript distinguishes itself from others by including multiple intervention components and targeting individuals and their environment. Intervention components included a mass media campaign, information meetings, psychosocial group courses, social activities organised by neighbours, and training of intermediaries. The aim of this manuscript is to study the effects of this integrated approach on initial and long-term outcomes. A quasi-experimental pre-test post-test intervention study was conducted among non-institutionalised elderly people aged 65 years and over to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention by comparing the intervention community and the control community. Data on outputs, initial and long-term outcomes, and the overall goal were collected by self-administered questionnaires. Data of 858 elderly people were available for the analyses. To assess the effect linear regression analyses with adjustments for age, gender, church attendance, and mental health were used. In addition, the process evaluation provided information about the reach of the intervention components. After two years, 39% of the elderly people were familiar with the intervention programme. The intervention group scored more favourably than the control group on three subscales of the initial outcome, motivation (-4.4%, 95% CI-8.3--0.7), perceived social support (-8.2%, 95% CI-13.6--2.4), and subjective norm (-11.5%, 95% CI-17.4--5.4). However, no overall effects were observed for the long-term outcome, social support, and overall goal, loneliness. Two years after its initiation the reach of the intervention programme was modest. Though no effect of the complex intervention was found on social support and

  5. The spiritual well-being of elderly people: a study of a French sample.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Velasco-Gonzalez, Lucy; Rioux, Liliane

    2014-08-01

    The aim of our research was to identify predictors of the spiritual well-being of elderly people. More specifically, we postulated that subjective well-being and its components would be predictors of spiritual well-being, and more so than age and health status. We invited 133 people aged 60-95 to complete a questionnaire that included the French adaptation (Velasco and Rioux in Revue Canadienne des Sciences du Comportement 41(2):102-128, 2009) of Paloutzian and Ellison's (Loneliness: A sourcebook of current theory, research and therapy, Wiley-Interscience, New York, 1982) Spiritual Well-Being Scale, Ryff and Essex's (Psychol Aging 7:507-517, 1992) Psychological Well-Being Scale (translated by Lapierre and Desrochers 1997), Salamon and Conte's (Meas Eval Guid 15(3):194-200, 1982) Life Satisfaction in the Elderly Scale (validated by Rousseau and Dubé in 1993), and the French version (Blais et al. in Can J Behav Sci 21:210-223, 1989) of Diener et al. (J Pers Assess 49:71-75, 1985) Satisfaction with Life Scale. The results only partially confirm our hypothesis, because only satisfaction with life as a whole and two items in "Life Satisfaction in the Elderly Scale" make it possible to predict the spiritual well-being of elderly people. Moreover, neither health status nor age was found to be a significant predictor of spiritual well-being. This research helps understand better the links between the concept of spiritual well-being and that of subjective well-being of elderly people and could contribute to the development of a tool that could take into account the spiritual well-being of elderly people, whether they be believers, agnostic, or atheist.

  6. Risk factors of fall in elderly people

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dijana Avdić

    2004-11-01

    Full Text Available Falls are the leading accidental cause of death among elderly people in their homes. Falls and their consequences are the primary reason in 40% of admissions to hospitals for people older than 65 years. The study population consisted of 77 randomly selected patients of both genders older then 65 years. Each patient was tested in his/her home and was completely informed about the methodology and the goals of investigation. Based on the exclusion criteria, three patients were excluded from the study, which means the investigation was conducted on 27 males (35.06% and 50 females (64.94% with the average age being 71.23 ± 5.63 years.For each patient, a specially prepared questionnaire about risk factors was filled in. The sum of affirmative answers represented a relative index of fall risk. All patients were evaluated through Folstein’s Mini-Mental State Examination Test that is suitable for on-sight use in patient’s home. The score value over 20 excludes dementias, delirium, schizophrenia and affective disorders.Considering the values of the risk factor, scores obtained by the questionnaire and MMSE test scores, statistically significant differences were found between males and females (p < 0.005, respectively p < 0.01, “fallers” and “non-fallers” (p < 0.001, respectively p < 0.01, while considering the relation to the way of living (alone or with family, there were no statistically significant differences (p > 0.05.

  7. 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

  8. On Lok: a pioneering long-term care organization for the elderly (1971-2008).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lehning, Amanda J; Austin, Michael J

    2011-01-01

    On Lok is a pioneering nonprofit organization that has delivered services to the frail and elderly since its founding in 1971. The agency began as a grassroots effort focused on improving the health care available to older adults living independently in the community. Over its 40-year history, On Lok has evolved into a $70 million nonprofit human service organization with a national reputation for innovation as a leading provider of care to frail elderly. The agency has developed its own model of care that has been replicated in cities around the country. The history of On Lok represents the important impact that donor and community support plays in an organization's long-term success.

  9. An Exergame Concept for Improving Balance in Elderly People

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nawaz, Ather; Waerstad, Mathilde; Omholt, Kine

    2014-01-01

    Video exercise games (exergames) are becoming increasingly popular among elderly people. Many elderly experience reduced balance and muscle strength which make them at increased risk of falling. Muscle strength and balance training are the key components for preventing function decline and falls...... concept had a simple design, and included balance and muscle strengthening exercises related to real life activities. In the results of the workshop, the study provides eight design recommendations for exergame design for seniors....

  10. Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in People With Korsakoff Syndrome and Other Alcohol-Related Cognitive Disorders Living in Specialized Long-Term Care Facilities: Prevalence, Severity, and Associated Caregiver Distress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gerridzen, Ineke J; Hertogh, Cees M P M; Depla, Marja F; Veenhuizen, Ruth B; Verschuur, Els M L; Joling, Karlijn J

    2018-03-01

    Caring for people with Korsakoff syndrome (KS) residing in specialized long-term care facilities (LTCFs) can be distressing because of challenging neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS). However, good-quality studies on NPS in this under-researched population are lacking. This study examined the prevalence and severity of NPS in people with KS living in specialized LTCFs and the associated caregiver distress. Cross-sectional, observational study. Data were obtained using structured interviews with care staff, elderly care physicians, and residents. Nine specialized LTCFs in the Netherlands. KS residents admitted for at least 3 months. The prevalence and severity of NPS were measured with the Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Questionnaire (NPI-Q). The associated caregiver distress was assessed with the NPI Distress Scale (NPI-D) according to the nurse or nurse assistant. Almost all of the 281 residents (96.4%) showed at least 1 NPS and 45.8% showed 5 or more symptoms. Irritability/lability (68.3%), agitation/aggression (58.7%), and disinhibition (52.7%) were most prevalent. Although the mean level of severity for all NPS was relatively low, half of the residents (49.1%) had at least 1 severe NPS. Care staff experienced low levels of distress associated with NPS. NPS are highly prevalent in KS residents. Unexpectedly, these did not have any severe impact on residents and care staff. Acquiring more insight into the persistence and course of NPS, and its associations, among KS residents is important to better understand and reduce these symptoms and, ultimately, improve the quality of care for these residents. Copyright © 2017 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Effect of music care on depression and behavioral problems in elderly people with dementia in Taiwan: a quasi-experimental, longitudinal study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Su-Chin; Yu, Ching-Len; Chang, Su-Hsien

    2017-02-01

    The purpose was to examine the effectiveness of music care on cognitive function, depression, and behavioral problems among elderly people with dementia in long-term care facilities in Taiwan. The study had a quasi-experimental, longitudinal research design and used two groups of subjects. Subjects were not randomly assigned to experimental group (n = 90) or comparison group (n = 56). Based on Bandura's social cognition theory, subjects in the experimental group received Kagayashiki music care (KMC) twice per week for 24 weeks. Subjects in the comparison group were provided with activities as usual. Results found, using the control score of the Clifton Assessment Procedures for the Elderly Behavior Rating Scale (baseline) and time of attending KMC activities as a covariate, the two groups of subjects had statistically significant differences in the mini-mental state examination (MMSE). Results also showed that, using the control score of the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (baseline) and MMSE (baseline) as a covariate, the two groups of subjects had statistically significant differences in the Clifton Assessment Procedures for the Elderly Behavior Rating Scale. These findings provide information for staff caregivers in long-term care facilities to develop a non-invasive care model for elderly people with dementia to deal with depression, anxiety, and behavioral problems.

  12. Tablets Helping Elderly and Disabled People

    OpenAIRE

    Castro, Mercedes de; Ruiz-Mezcua, Belén; Sánchez-Pena, José Manuel; García-Crespo, Ángel; Iglesias, Ana; Pajares, José Luis

    2012-01-01

    Proceedings of: Ambient Assisted Living Joint Programme Forum 2011 (AAL JP Forum 2011), Lecce (Italy), September 26-28, 2011 The article introduces the basics by which tablets are considered as appropriate tools for integration and promotion of the elderly in the digital world. To prove this, the paper presents three research projects carried out by CESyA that integrate Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR), Voice Synthesis, subtitling, audiodescription or audio navigation tools into tablets ...

  13. 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.

  14. Dietary Protein Intake in Dutch Elderly People: A Focus on Protein Sources

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael Tieland

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Sufficient high quality dietary protein intake is required to prevent or treat sarcopenia in elderly people. Therefore, the intake of specific protein sources as well as their timing of intake are important to improve dietary protein intake in elderly people. Objectives: to assess the consumption of protein sources as well as the distribution of protein sources over the day in community-dwelling, frail and institutionalized elderly people. Methods: Habitual dietary intake was evaluated using 2- and 3-day food records collected from various studies involving 739 community-dwelling, 321 frail and 219 institutionalized elderly people. Results: Daily protein intake averaged 71 ± 18 g/day in community-dwelling, 71 ± 20 g/day in frail and 58 ± 16 g/day in institutionalized elderly people and accounted for 16% ± 3%, 16% ± 3% and 17% ± 3% of their energy intake, respectively. Dietary protein intake ranged from 10 to 12 g at breakfast, 15 to 23 g at lunch and 24 to 31 g at dinner contributing together over 80% of daily protein intake. The majority of dietary protein consumed originated from animal sources (≥60% with meat and dairy as dominant sources. Thus, 40% of the protein intake in community-dwelling, 37% in frail and 29% in institutionalized elderly originated from plant based protein sources with bread as the principle source. Plant based proteins contributed for >50% of protein intake at breakfast and between 34% and 37% at lunch, with bread as the main source. During dinner, >70% of the protein intake originated from animal protein, with meat as the dominant source. Conclusion: Daily protein intake in these older populations is mainly (>80% provided by the three main meals, with most protein consumed during dinner. More than 60% of daily protein intake consumed is of animal origin, with plant based protein sources representing nearly 40% of total protein consumed. During dinner, >70% of the protein intake originated from

  15. 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

  16. Socioeconomic Inequality in One-Year Mortality of Elderly People with Hip Fracture in Taiwan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I-Lin Hsu

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Hip fracture commonly results in considerable consequences in terms of disability, mortality, long-term institutional care and cost. Taiwan launched its universal health insurance coverage in 1995, which largely removes financial barriers to health care. This study aims to investigate whether socioeconomic inequality in one-year mortality exists among Taiwanese elderly people. This population-based cohort study included 193,158 elderly patients (≥65 years admitted for hip fracture between 2000 and 2012. With over a one-year follow-up, 10.52% of the participants died from all causes. The mortality rate was low in the northern part of Taiwan and in urban and high-family-income areas. Multiple Poisson regression models further suggested that the level of >Q1–Q3 and >Q3–Max showed significantly reduced odds ratio of one-year mortality at 0.90 (95% confidence interval (CI, 0.87–0.93 and 0.77 (95% CI, 0.74–0.81, respectively, compared with that of the lowest family income level (i.e., Min.–Q1. Despite a monotonic decline in overall one-year mortality during the study period, socioeconomic inequality in one-year mortality rate remained evident. The annual percentage change in one-year mortality was higher (−2.86 in elderly people from families with high income (>Q3–Max. than that for elderly patients from family with low income (Min.–Q1, −1.94. Accessibility, rather than affordability, to health care for hip fracture is probably responsible for the observed socioeconomic inequality.

  17. Can I help you? Information sharing in online discussion forums by people living with a long-term condition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carol S Bond

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Background Peer-to-peer health care is increasing, especially amongst people living with a long-term condition. How information is shared is, however, sometimes of concern to health care professionals. Objective This study explored what information is being shared on health-related discussion boards and identified the approaches people used to signpost their peers to information. Methods This study was conducted using a qualitative content analysis methodology to explore information shared on discussion boards for people living with diabetes. Whilst there is debate about the best ethical lens to view research carried out on data posted on online discussion boards, the researchers chose to adopt the stance of treating this type of information as “personal health text”, a specific type of research data in its own right. Results Qualitative content analysis and basic descriptive statistics were used to analyse the selected posts. Two major themes were identified: ‘Information Sharing from Experience’ and ‘Signposting Other Sources of Information’. Conclusions People were actively engaging in information sharing in online discussion forums, mainly through direct signposting. The quality of the information shared was important, with reasons for recommendations being given. Much of the information sharing was based on experience, which also brought in information from external sources such as health care professionals and other acknowledged experts in the field. With the rise in peer-to-peer support networks, the nature of health knowledge and expertise needs to be redefined. People online are combining external information with their own personal experiences and sharing that for others to take and develop as they wish.

  18. Socially assistive robots : a comprehensive approach to extending independent living

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Johnson, D.O.; Cuijpers, R.H.; Juola, J.F.; Torta, E.; Simonov, M.; Frisiello, A.; Bazzani, M.; Yan, W.; Weber, C.; Wermter, S.; Meins, N.; Oberzaucher, J.; Panek, P. (Paul); Edelmayer, G.; Mayer, P.; Beck, C.

    2014-01-01

    Demographic developments have challenged our research on how to assist elderly people by using robots. The KSERA (Knowledgeable SErvice Robots for Aging) project integrates smart home technology and a socially-assistive robot to extend independent living for elderly people, in particular those with

  19. 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.

  20. 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.

  1. Association between memory complaints and incident Alzheimer's disease in elderly people with normal baseline cognition

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Geerlings, M. I.; Jonker, C.; Bouter, L. M.; Adèr, H. J.; Schmand, B.

    1999-01-01

    Results of previous studies suggest that memory complaints may predict cognitive decline and dementia among elderly people in whom cognitive impairment is already apparent. However, cognitive decline is often a gradual process, and elderly people may notice that their memory deteriorates before

  2. RF-Care: Device-Free Posture Recognition for Elderly People Using A Passive RFID Tag Array

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lina Yao

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Activity recognition is a fundamental research topic for a wide range of important applications such as fall detection for elderly people. Existing techniques mainly rely on wearable sensors, which may not be reliable and practical in real-world situations since people often forget to wear these sensors. For this reason, device-free activity recognition has gained the popularity in recent years. In this paper, we propose an RFID (radio frequency identification based, device-free posture recognition system. More specifically, we analyze Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI signal patterns from an RFID tag array, and systematically examine the impact of tag configuration on system performance. On top of selected optimal subset of tags, we study the challenges on posture recognition. Apart from exploring posture classification, we specially propose to infer posture transitions via Dirichlet Process Gaussian Mixture Model (DPGMM based Hidden Markov Model (HMM, which effectively captures the nature of uncertainty caused by signal strength varieties during posture transitions. We run a pilot study to evaluate our system with 12 orientation-sensitive postures and a series of posture change sequences. We conduct extensive experiments in both lab and real-life home environments. The results demonstrate that our system achieves high accuracy in both environments, which holds the potential to support assisted living of elderly people.

  3. 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.

  4. Malaysian government dentists' experience, willingness and barriers in providing domiciliary care for elderly people.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Othman, Akmal Aida; Yusof, Zamros; Saub, Roslan

    2014-06-01

    To assess Malaysian government dentists' experience, willingness and barriers in providing domiciliary care for elderly people. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-administered postal questionnaire targeting government dentists working in the Ministry of Health in Peninsular Malaysia. Seven hundred and eleven out of 962 dentists responded with a response rate of 74.0%. Only 36.1% of the dentists had experience in providing domiciliary care for elderly people in the past 2 years with mean number of visit per year of 1. Younger dentists below the age of 30 and those with confidence in providing the service were the most willing to undertake domiciliary care for elderly patients (OR=13.5, pworking condition (64.4%). The majority of Malaysian government dentists had not been involved in providing domiciliary care for elderly patients. Apart from overcoming the barriers, other recommendations include improving undergraduate dental education, education for elderly people and carers, improving dentist's working condition, and introducing domiciliary financial incentive for dentist. © 2012 The Gerodontology Society and John Wiley & Sons A/S.

  5. 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.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2015-01-01

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

  7. Lessons Learned from Two Usability Studies of Digital Skiing Game with Elderly People in Finland and Japan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aung Pyae

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Physical decline is associated with old age. Engagement in regular physical exercises can help elderly people improve their physical functionalities, as well as cognitive abilities. Among modern technologies, digital games have the potential to promote elderly people’s engagement in physical exercises through fun and enjoyable gameplay. Although commercial digital games show promise, most of them are not senior-friendly. The literature also suggests that more studies need to be undertaken to understand the usability and usefulness of digital games for elderly people. Hence, in this study, we designed and developed a digital game-based Skiing activity for elderly people. Then, we evaluated it with the Finnish and Japanese elderly participants in Finland and Japan to investigate their feedback towards the usability and usefulness of the game. The findings from both studies show that digital games are useful for promoting elderly people’s engagement in physical activities. While digital games are promising to be used as an alternative solution for promoting the Japanese elderly participant’s physical activities, the Finnish elderly participants recommend to use it when they don’t have access to non-digital physical exercises. The lessons learned from this study can help researchers and practitioners gain insights into game design and development for elderly people and their physical activities.

  8. How well do elderly people cope with uncertainty in a learning task?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chasseigne, G; Grau, S; Mullet, E; Cama, V

    1999-11-01

    The relation between age, task complexity and learning performance in a Multiple Cue Probability Learning task was studied by systematically varying the level of uncertainty present in the task, keeping constant the direction of relationships. Four age groups were constituted: young adults (mean age = 21), middle-aged adults (45), elderly people (69) and very elderly people (81). Five uncertainty levels were considered: predictability = 0.96, 0.80, 0.64, 0.48, and 0.32. All relationships involved were direct ones. A strong effect of uncertainty on 'control', a measure of the subject's consistency with respect to a linear model, was found. This effect was essentially a linear one. To each decrement in predictability of the task corresponded an equal decrement in participants' level of control. This level of decrement was the same, regardless of the age of the participant. It can be concluded that elderly people cope with uncertainty in probability learning tasks as well as young adults.

  9. 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.

  10. Emotions generated by food in elderly French people.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Narchi, I; Walrand, S; Boirie, Y; Rousset, S

    2008-11-01

    Eating behaviour depends partly on food preference, which may be determined by different types of emotions. Among the emotions generated by food, disgust and pleasure are common and can lead to increased and reduced food consumption. We tested the hypothesis that (1) elderly men and women felt different emotions towards food, and (2) low energy intake is related to negative emotions towards food. In February 2004, a convenience sample of elderly participants was recruited locally by telephone. Food intake of 52 elderly people, aged 63-80 years, was monitored throughout each day for one week and made it possible to assign the elderly people to two groups (low and high energy intake from food consumption data). One month later, each of them assessed their likes or dislikes towards 30 food pictures (vegetables, cheeses, fruits, starchy foods, sweets, meat, fish, offal and eggs) using 19 emotional words (eight words with a positive valence: 'to like', 'thrilled', 'satisfaction', 'surprise', 'serene', 'amused', 'pride', 'interest', and 11 other words with a negative valence: 'disgust', 'indifference', 'guilt', 'uneasiness', 'nostalgia', 'impatience', 'doubt', 'frustration', 'embarrassment', 'disappointment' and 'lassitude'. The emotional intensities experienced with the different pictures were analysed by ANOVA for each group (men and women, small and big eaters). There were differences in likes and dislikes between men and women. Both guilty and liking scores towards food were generally higher in women than in men. Small eaters felt more doubt, unease, disappointment and indifference towards food than big eaters. In conclusion, the report of low food intake was related to more negative emotions towards foods that might be associated with the willingness to restrict food intake or to undernutrition.

  11. The impact of oral health on body image and social interactions among elders in long-term care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donnelly, Leeann R; Clarke, Laura Hurd; Phinney, Alison; MacEntee, Michael I

    2016-12-01

    The objective of this study was to explore how social interactions and body image are influenced by perceived oral health among older people who live in long-term care facilities. Social interactions among frail elders in long-term care (LTC) facilities are limited, but to what extent body image and oral health influence their social relations is poorly understood. A positive body image and the perception of adequate oral health are linked to increased social contacts, as well as improved health and well-being irrespective of age. However, as frailty increases, it is unclear whether appearance and oral health priorities remain stable. Open-ended interviews were conducted with a purposefully selected group of cognitively intact, older men and women who exhibited varying degrees of frailty, social engagement and oral health conditions and lived in one of seven long-term care facilities. The interviews were analysed using a constant comparative technique, and a second interview with participants checked the trustworthiness of the analysis. Three major categories were expressed by the participants: (1) My mouth is fine; (2) It depends; and (3) Not that important. Within each category, there were several contributing and influencing factors. Social interactions among residents in LTC may be negatively impacted by poor oral health, but only if other personal and social issues are less bothersome than conditions with the mouth. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S and The Gerodontology Association. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  12. 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.

  13. 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.

  14. 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.

  15. [Artificial intelligence in medicine: project of a mobile platform in an intelligent environment for the care of disabled and elderly people].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cortés, Ulises; Annicchiarico, Roberta; Campana, Fabio; Vázquez-Salceda, Javier; Urdiales, Cristina; Canãmero, Lola; López, Maite; Sánchez-Marrè, Miquel; Di Vincenzo, Sarah; Caltagirone, Carlo

    2004-04-01

    A project based on the integration of new technologies and artificial intelligence to develop a device--e-tool--for disabled patients and elderly people is presented. A mobile platform in intelligent environments (skilled-care facilities and home-care), controlled and managed by a multi-level architecture, is proposed to support patients and caregivers to increase self-dependency in activities of daily living.

  16. Diabetes in the elderly

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katarzyna Mordarska

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The prevalence of both type 2 diabetes and prediabetes increases with advancing age. The most important factors leading to hyperglycaemia are as follows: deficiency of insulin secretion developing with age, and growing insulin resistance caused by a change in body composition and sarcopaenia. Clinical features of diabetes in the elderly could be different. Diabetes in elderly people is often diagnosed with delay due to atypical symptoms (dementia, urinary incontinence and occurrence of mainly postprandial hyperglycaemia. Elderly people are more exposed to diabetes complications, have more risk of myocardial infarction and end-stage renal disease, and are hospitalised more often due to hypoglycaemia than are younger patients. Elderly people with diabetes are a heterogeneous group with different life expectancy, concomitant of chronic diseases, and the ability to self-control blood glucose or give themselves an injection. The therapy should be individualised. Older people with long-term diabetes and numerous chronic complications need a more liberal approach to reach specific goals of therapy. Additional goals should be avoiding hypoglycaemia, safety of the therapy, and its acceptance by the patient.

  17. Is the digital divide between young and elderly people increasing?

    OpenAIRE

    Paul, Gerd; Stegbauer, Christian

    2005-01-01

    Elderly people still play a minor role in research on information needs and usage patterns of Internet users. Online research and advocacy groups look optimistically at the (economic and social) potential of the active and technology–skilled elderly; other approaches dealing with the social appropriation of technology see obstacles and stress the dangers of an increasing digital divide between generations. Our objective is to refer to taken for granted normative assumptions of the digital div...

  18. 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.

  19. [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.

  20. The family and community lives of older people after the Second World War: new evidence from York.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freeman, Mark; Wannell, Louise

    2009-01-01

    This article uses the findings of a detailed and unpublished survey, carried out in York in 1947 and 1948, to examine the support networks, social lives and economic conditions of older people in a period when considerable sociological attention was being paid to this section of the population. It is argued that the sociology of old age in this period overstated the role of families, and downplayed the involvement of the wider community, in the social networks of older people. The article also shows that even many of those who were physically restricted in some way could participate fully in social activities. Friends, visiting and social clubs played an important role in many lives. However, the financial circumstances of many older people restricted many areas of social participation, and contemporaneous poverty surveys probably understated the real extent of poverty among the elderly. These high levels of poverty themselves underscore the importance of the family and community support networks that are uncovered using the York data.

  1. Elderly Healthy Eating Diet-2005 Index Living in Urban Areas of Iran`s Markazi Province

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    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.

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    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

  3. Coping with pain in the hip or knee in relation to physical disability in community-living elderly people

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hopman-Rock, M.; Kraaimaat, F. W.; Odding, E.; Bijlsma, J. W.

    1998-01-01

    To investigate the use of pain coping strategies by community-living older people with pain in the hip or knee and the mediating role of coping with pain in the relationship between the chronicity of pain and physical disability. A group of 157 people with pain "in the last month" was identified.

  4. Equilibrium and muscle flexibility in elderly people subjected to physiotherapeutic intervention

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mariane Fernandes Ribeiro

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available To evaluate the equilibrium and flexibility of elderly people submitted to a training program involving physical therapy exercises. Six elderly people were selected, average age 69.66 years. Wells’s Bench and the Functional Reach Test (FRT plus Timed Up and Go Test (TUG were employed respectively to assess muscle flexibility and balance analysis. Tests were performed before and after the exercise program which consisted of thirty-five 50 min physical therapy group sessions, twice a week, with stretching exercises, gait training, active exercises, postural correction exercises and breathing exercises. Statistical analysis was done with Sigma-Stat® 3.5. Assessments occurred before and after sessions, and the final test was undertaken after 35 sessions. There was a statistically significant increase in the flexibility of the posterior muscle chain. In the TUG test, the group achieved a shorter time after treatment, with statistical significance between tests. There was a statistically significant increase in the average FRT after the sessions. Current study showed better results in the execution of tests evaluated after the program of physiotherapy activities, contributing towards the improvement of muscle flexibility and balance of elderly people.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2013-01-01

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

  6. 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

  7. Traditional use of medicinal plants by elderly

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexandre Rocha Alves Pereira

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Objective: identify the traditional use of medicinal plants by the elderly. Methods: exploratory and descriptive study conducted in the Intermunicipal Consortium on Health. Three hundred and fifty-one questionnaires were applied to the elderly to survey socio-demographic information and issues related to plants. Results: the use of plants was reported by 78.4% of the elderly, and these were collected in backyards. The most often cited plants were mint, boldo, fennel, lemongrass and chamomile. Regarding the reason for use, 33.3% participants said that “it’s not harmful to health”, 61.8% usually indicate the use to other people. Most elderly make use of plants in a safe manner, and these are present in the daily lives of these people as a therapeutic method. Conclusion: the elderly make use of medicinal plants as an important therapeutic resource.

  8. Ergonomic aspects to be considered in planning public spaces destined for elderly people.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Oliveira Cunha, Marcella Viana Portela; Costa, Angelina Dias Leão; da Costa Ireland, Mariama

    2012-01-01

    As has happened in many other countries, Brazil has also witnessed an evident change in the question of accessibility over the last twenty years. In line with this theme, that of old age has only become evident in the last two decades. For a long period of time, the elderly have been systematically ignored as an object of investigation and have not been contemplated with consistent public social policies. Therefore, the main objective of this research is to verify the conditions of physical accessibility that allow the elderly to use public spaces, taking as a study case the São Gonçalo square and the Solón de Lucena Park, in the city of João Pessoa--PB, identifying the biological and functional losses suffered by elderly people due to the aging process and verifying the specific physical needs of this segment of the population. Qualitative methods were adopted, such as systematic observations with the production of behaviour maps, in addition to a review of the literature and analysis of the data. The research identified problems related to the physical accessibility of the elderly to public spaces that generate difficulties for displacement, use, information and orientation, contributing to the planning and ergonomic guidelines which aim at improving these environments, such as the use of different and contrasting colours on the urban furniture and floor, for example.

  9. Influencers on quality of life as reported by people living with dementia in long-term care: a descriptive exploratory approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moyle, Wendy; Fetherstonhaugh, Deirdre; Greben, Melissa; Beattie, Elizabeth

    2015-04-23

    Over half of the residents in long-term care have a diagnosis of dementia. Maintaining quality of life is important, as there is no cure for dementia. Quality of life may be used as a benchmark for caregiving, and can help to enhance respect for the person with dementia and to improve care provision. The purpose of this study was to describe quality of life as reported by people living with dementia in long-term care in terms of the influencers of, as well as the strategies needed, to improve quality of life. A descriptive exploratory approach. A subsample of twelve residents across two Australian states from a national quantitative study on quality of life was interviewed. Data were analysed thematically from a realist perspective. The approach to the thematic analysis was inductive and data-driven. Three themes emerged in relation to influencers and strategies related to quality of life: (a) maintaining independence, (b) having something to do, and (c) the importance of social interaction. The findings highlight the importance of understanding individual resident needs and consideration of the complexity of living in large group living situations, in particular in regard to resident decision-making.

  10. CARDIOVASCULAR BENEFITS AND POTENTIAL HAZARDS OF PHYSICAL EXERCISE IN ELDERLY PEOPLE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mauri Kallinen

    2005-04-01

    Full Text Available Large and consistent beneficial effects with few adverse effects have been found in relation to physical exercise in selected samples of elderly subjects. However, thus far, it has not been confirmed to what extent the effects of physical exercise among elderly people are beneficial or even harmful in population-based studies. Additionally, the role of exercise testing among elderly people remains unclear. Firstly, the effects of prolonged physical training on cardiovascular fitness in 66-85-year-old women were examined in a cross-sectional study. Secondly, the predictive value of exercise-test status and results, including exercise capacity for survival, were studied in 75-year-old men and women. Thirdly, the effects of an endurance and strength training programme were examined in women aged 76 to 78 years in a population-based randomized controlled trial. Finally, the cardiac-adverse effects of acute exercise in the form of a cycle ergometer test were clarified in 75-year-old men and women. In the maximal exercise tests the mean peak oxygen uptake was respectively 26.2 and 18.7 ml·kg-1·min-1 among the physically active and less active control women. High cycling power (Watts per kg body weight in the completed ergometer test was associated with decreased risk for death (multivariate HR 0.20; CI 0.08 - 0.50. The 18-week strength training resulted in a 9.4% increase in peak oxygen uptake while the endurance training improved peak oxygen uptake by 6.8%. A significant increase in cycling power in W/kg was found in the strength and endurance training groups compared to controls. Five cases of cardio- or cerebrovascular health problems emerged in the exercise training groups. These health problems were not directly related to physical exertion. In the final study 23 and 7% of the exercise tests in men and women, respectively, were prematurely terminated because of cardiac arrhythmia or ST segment depressions. Using various study designs and

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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. 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.

  13. The Effects of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on Depressive Symptoms in Elderly Bereaved People with Loss-Related Distress: a Controlled Pilot Study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    O Connor, Maja; Piet, Jacob; Hougaard, Esben

    2014-01-01

    We examined the effects of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) on symptom severity of depression, complicated grief, posttraumatic stress, and working memory in elderly bereaved people with long-term bereavement-related distress. A non-randomized, controlled pilot design was used in a sample...

  14. There is more to life than risk avoidance - elderly people's experiences of falls, fall-injuries and compliant flooring.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gustavsson, Johanna; Jernbro, Carolina; Nilson, Finn

    2018-12-01

    Falls are the most common cause of injury in all ages and are especially difficult to prevent among residential care residents. Compliant flooring that absorbs energy generated within the fall, has been proposed as a measure to prevent fall-injury, however little is known regarding the implementation aspects in clinical settings. The aim of this study is to explore the experiences of falls, the risk of fall-injury, prevention in general and specifically compliant flooring as an injury preventative measure amongst frail elderly people living in a residential care facility with compliant flooring. Through this, generate a theory that further explains the underlying barriers of active prevention amongst elderly people. We used the grounded theory method and conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews with eight elderly people in residential care (data collected between February and December 2017). The identified categories were Falling as a part of life, Fearing the consequences and A wish to prevent falls and injuries. Through the results it was clear that There is more to life than risk avoidance, permeated the interviews, therefore forming the grounded theory. The interviewees viewed falls as something common and normal, and were uninterested in focusing on the risk of falls. Although they wanted to prevent falls, it was often difficult to integrate preventative measures into their everyday life. They embraced the idea of an injury-reducing compliant flooring, however their main interests lay elsewhere, preferring to focus on social interaction and issues concerning daily activities. The theory generated in this paper proposes explanations on the obstacles of implementing fall prevention measures in an elderly frail population. The findings give insights as to why interest and compliance for active fall prevention measures are low. We conclude that complaint flooring, from the perspective of the residents, can work well in residential care.

  15. Timed Up And Go Risk Predictor Of Falls In Elderly People Residing In The Community?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mayara Muniz Peixoto Rodrigues

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Objective: evaluate the risk of falls of elderly people residing in a community in northeastern Brazil using the “Timed up and go”. Method: descriptive study, with a quantitative approach, performed with elderly people residing in a community. The collected data related to the sociodemographic and economic characteristics of episodes of falls in the last two years, regular practice of physical exercise and complaint of pain at the time of the interview; and, at last, the application of the “Timed Up and Go” test. Result: Most of the elderly were classified as free and independent and independent. There is a direct relationship between advanced age and increased time to perform the test. Conclusion: the "Timed Up and Go" test was not effective in predicting risk of falls alone and should associate with other indicators. Descriptors: Elderly people; Accidents by fall; Walking; Postural balance.

  16. 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).

  17. [Care preferences and spatial mobility : Factors influencing care-related willingness to move of elderly people in partnerships in a rural area].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rudel, Miriam; Abraham, Martin; Görtler, Edmund

    2017-04-01

    The availability of local support and care infrastructures at the place of residence is an important issue for the elderly living in rural areas. Spatial mobility can be seen as a strategy to cope with a lack of local care facilities. This study analyzes the preferences of older people living in long-term relationships concerning support and care arrangements. Furthermore, it is analyzed how far and under which circumstances older couples are willing to relocate their place of residence in response to regional care infrastructures. Using a quasi-experimental survey design, inhabitants of a small rural community aged over 50 years were interviewed and confronted with descriptions of fictitious situations with randomized options for moving residence. A Tobit model estimation method is applied to examine the determinants of older couples' care-related willingness to move their residence.The results show that most people prefer either the support of their own partner or outpatient care. Residential care is especially preferred by people aged 75 years and above, whereas new forms of support, such as senior cooperatives, are evaluated as attractive especially by younger age groups. Thus, information and advisory campaigns should address the target group in question even at an early stage in older peoples' life course. Care-related willingness to move home of couples aged 50 years and more is significantly determined by local provision of support and care infrastructures. The expansion of any care infrastructure at older peoples' place of residence can significantly reduce their willingness to move. In particular an increased availability of outpatient care is associated with a comparatively large reduction in couples' likelihood to move. In this way local commitment to rural areas can be sustained and rural depopulation can be prevented. At an alternative place of residence assisted living and residential care in particular can significantly enhance the willingness to

  18. Aging and quality of life of elderly people in rural areas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garbaccio, Juliana Ladeira; Tonaco, Luís Antônio Batista; Estêvão, Wilson Goulart; Barcelos, Bárbara Jacome

    2018-01-01

    To evaluate the quality of life and health of elderly in rural areas of Minas Gerais State's center-west. Cross-sectional study, in four municipalities of Minas Gerais State, by interviewing elderly people. Associations between socio-demographic and quality of life variables were tested, separated into "satisfactory"/"unsatisfactory" with values from the median of positive answers. It was used the chi-square test, Fisher's test and regression. 182 elderly answered the questions and showed a relation with the "satisfactory" quality of life - bivariate (p cognitive aspect, access to services, goods, habits, but awareness must be constant due to their weakness.

  19. The use of community-based social services by elderly people at risk of institutionalization: An evaluation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Bilsen, P.M.A.; Hamers, J.P.H.; Groot, W.; Spreeuwenberg, C.

    2008-01-01

    Objective: To examine the use of community-based social services by elderly people at risk of institutionalization, who prefer to remain at home. Methods: A study with a longitudinal design (measurements at two points in time) was conducted. Results: One hundred and thirty-four elderly people (mean

  20. Minimal hardware Bluetooth tracking for long-term at-home elder supervision.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelly, Damian; McLoone, Sean; Farrell, Ronan

    2010-01-01

    The ability to automatically detect the location of an elder within their own home is a significant enabler of remote elder supervision and interaction applications. This location information is typically generated via a myriad of sensors throughout the home environment. Even with high sensor redundancy, there are still situations where traditional elder monitoring systems are unable to resolve the location of the elder. This work develops a minimal infrastructure radio-frequency localisation system for long-term elder location tracking. An RFID room-labelling technique is employed and with it, the localisation system developed in this work is shown to exhibit superior performance to more traditional localisation systems in realistic long-term deployments.

  1. Balance control in elderly people with osteoporosis

    OpenAIRE

    Hsu, Wei-Li; Chen, Chao-Yin; Tsauo, Jau-Yih; Yang, Rong-Sen

    2014-01-01

    Osteoporosis is a prevalent health concern among older adults and is associated with an increased risk of falls that incur fracture, injury, or mortality. Identifying the risk factors of falls within this population is essential for the development of effective regimes for fall prevention. Studies have shown that muscle quality and good posture alignments are critical for balance control in elderly individuals. People with osteoporosis often have muscle weakness and increased spine kyphosis l...

  2. Nursing care gestion of chronically ill elderly people. Policlinico 2, year 2007

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liudmila Carbonell Sanamé

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available A descriptive prospective study was made to those patients aged more than 60 years who are attended in the Policlinico 2 “Leonilda Tamayo Matos” in Isla de la Juventud during the year 2007. The study population was 1254 and 700 chronically ill elderly people were taken as representative sample, using a simple random sampling. The Mini Mental State Examination and a satisfaction survey was made to old people, all these with their informed consent. The main variables to study were: sex, age, race, civil state, educational level, work, assistance to the Grandparent’s Circle and satisfaction level. There exists a feminine predominance (61% over male, as well as the age group from 60 to 64 years old. Mixed race is the most common one (43%, followed by black (35%. 43% of these elders have secondary studies, and 64% of them are retired. The assistance to the Grandparent’s Circle is good, 338 of all the elders studied (48.2% assist to it. The results were expressed with real numbers and percentages, and were represented in bar and pie charts. There exists a predominance of arterial hypertension and diabetes mellitus in the elders studied. The quality of the nursing cares to the chronically ill old people of the policlinic 2 in 2007 was good.

  3. Assessing Human Activity in Elderly People Using Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alcalá, José M; Ureña, Jesús; Hernández, Álvaro; Gualda, David

    2017-02-11

    The ageing of the population, and their increasing wish of living independently, are motivating the development of welfare and healthcare models. Existing approaches based on the direct heath-monitoring using body sensor networks (BSN) are precise and accurate. Nonetheless, their intrusiveness causes non-acceptance. New approaches seek the indirect monitoring through monitoring activities of daily living (ADLs), which proves to be a suitable solution. ADL monitoring systems use many heterogeneous sensors, are less intrusive, and are less expensive than BSN, however, the deployment and maintenance of wireless sensor networks (WSN) prevent them from a widespread acceptance. In this work, a novel technique to monitor the human activity, based on non-intrusive load monitoring (NILM), is presented. The proposal uses only smart meter data, which leads to minimum intrusiveness and a potential massive deployment at minimal cost. This could be the key to develop sustainable healthcare models for smart homes, capable of complying with the elderly people' demands. This study also uses the Dempster-Shafer theory to provide a daily score of normality with regard to the regular behavior. This approach has been evaluated using real datasets and, additionally, a benchmarking against a Gaussian mixture model approach is presented.

  4. Forecasting the wellness of elderly through SNMS

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  5. Concern with falls in elderly people attended in an Integral Attention Center

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elizandro Correia de Araújo

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Falls are concerning factors in elderly people, because they cause diverse complications. The objective of this study was to identify the level of concern with falls, associating them with self-reported diseases and history of falls of elderly attended in an Integral Attention Center. This was a descriptive study with 80 elderly. The results demonstrated an extreme concern regarding the possibility of falling for most female, married, of 60-79 years and receiving low monthly income; there is also extreme concern for those with hypertension and arthrosis. Nursing should establish integral actions to map elderly with risk of falling and, that promote awareness for these elderly and their family members regarding fall prevention measures, to prevent falls and to reduce the fear of falling.

  6. The Management of Urinary Incontinence by Community-Living Elderly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mitteness, Linda S.

    1987-01-01

    Explored ways elderly people (N=30) manage urinary incontinence. Subjects tended to dismiss their urinary incontinence as a normal part of aging and used various behavioral and psychological strategies to maintain their independence, usually without any assistance from the health professions. Management strategies commonly involved some degree of…

  7. Elderly people's perceptions of using Wii sports bowling - A qualitative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glännfjord, Fredrik; Hemmingsson, Helena; Larsson Ranada, Åsa

    2017-09-01

    The Nintendo Wii is a gaming console with motion-sensitive controls that is making inroads into health care and rehabilitation. However, there is still limited knowledge on how elderly people perceive the use of such a product. The aim of this study was to examine how the use of the Wii Sports Bowling in an activity group was perceived by elderly people. The data consisted of observations and interviews with participants who used Wii Sports Bowling and was analysed with content analysis. The findings are described in three themes; 'The use of the Wii Sports game', 'Engagement in the game' and 'Social interaction around the activity'. Wii Sports Bowling was described as easier to play compared to real-life bowling and was enjoyable and a social activity. The opportunity to meet the group each week was important for the participants. Playing the game resulted in signs of immersion and a flow-like state. The Wii was perceived to be easy to use, to provide a way to socialize with peers and to give opportunities to participate in activities in a new way. More studies regarding elderly people's experiences and apprehensions regarding new technology such as gaming consoles and virtual reality are needed.

  8. 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.

  9. Spinal sagittal balance substantially influences locomotive syndrome and physical performance in community-living middle-aged and elderly women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muramoto, Akio; Imagama, Shiro; Ito, Zenya; Hirano, Kenichi; Ishiguro, Naoki; Hasegawa, Yukiharu

    2016-03-01

    Spinal sagittal imbalance has been well known risk factor of decreased quality of life in the field of adult spinal deformity. However, the impact of spinal sagittal balance on locomotive syndrome and physical performance in community-living elderly has not yet been clarified. The present study investigated the influence of spinal sagittal alignment on locomotive syndrome (LS) and physical performance in community-living middle-aged and elderly women. A total of 125 women between the age of 40-88 years (mean 66.2 ± 9.7 years) who completed the questionnaires, spinal mouse test, physical examination and physical performance tests in Yakumo study were enrolled in this study. Participants answered the 25-Question Geriatric Locomotive Function Scale (GLFS-25), the visual analog scale (VAS) for low back pain (LBP), knee pain. LS was defined as having a score of >16 points on the GLFS-25. Using spinal mouse, spinal inclination angle (SIA), thoracic kyphosis angle (TKA), lumbar lordosis angle (LLA), sacral slope angle (SSA), thoracic spinal range of motion (TSROM), lumbar spinal range of motion (LSROM) were measured. Timed-up-and-go test (TUG), one-leg standing time with eyes open (OLS), and maximum stride, back muscle strength were also measured. The relationship between spinal sagittal parameters and GLFS-25, VAS and physical performance tests were analyzed. 26 people were diagnosed as LS and 99 were diagnosed as non-LS. LBP and knee pain were greater, physical performance tests were poorer, SIA were greater, LLA were smaller in LS group compared to non-LS group even after adjustment by age. SIA significantly correlated with GLFS-25, TUG, OLS and maximum stride even after adjustment by age. The cutoff value of SIA for locomotive syndrome was 6°. People with a SIA of 6° or greater were grouped as "Inclined" and people with a SIA of less than 6° were grouped as "Non-inclined". 21 people were "Inclined" and 104 were "Non-inclined". Odds ratio to fall in LS of

  10. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE IN ELDERLY PEOPLE: A CROSS SECTION STUDY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Walid Kamal M. Abdelbasset

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between physical activitylevel and health related quality of life in elderly people. Design: Between January and April 2017, a cross-sectional study of 114 elderly people (73 males and 41 females conducted this study. Their mean age was (71±5.24 and the mean body mass index (BMI was (29±3.31.The participating elderly were classified according to walking duration into two groups, low level of physical activity (walking duration 300min/week.The health-related quality of life (HRQoL was measured using the Euro Qol-5dimensions-3 levels scale questionnaire (EQ-5D-3L. Statistical analysis was used to determine the relation between the physical activity and HRQoL scores in elderly people. Results:The measures showed statistically significant differences between high and low physical activity groups (p<0.05. The group of high physical activity showed higher HRQoL scores more than the group of low physical activity in the all five dimensions. The low level group showed high predominance of the chronic disease. Conclusions: High level of physical activity has a beneficial effect on all dimensions of the HRQoL in elderly people. Effort and awareness should be dedicated to encouraging the active lifestyle among different population especially elderly people

  11. Dietary intake of antioxidants and fats in the context of coronary heart disease prevention among elderly people

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emilia Kolarzyk

    2018-03-01

    The majority of elderly people made mistakes in their nutrition. The enrichment in natural antioxidants of the diets of elderly people and the normalization of their fats consumption should become an important element of primary and secondary prophylaxis of cardiovascular diseases

  12. Euthanasia: would elderly people from socio-economic classes D/E perform it or allow it on their relatives?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Diego Fraga Rezende

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available 75 opinions from elderly people of low socioeconomic classes living in a specific community were investigated, about whether they would allow euthanasia to be performed on family members. 77.3% wouldn't perform euthanasia. Regarding permission to a physician, the following responded with negatives: 78.7% against the active form, 68% against the passive, and 62.7% against double effect. The contrary arguments were: religious issues, belief in destiny, hope of healing, don't want to take responsibility and guilty conscience.  

  13. Factors associated with poor nutritional status among community dwelling Lebanese elderly subjects living in rural areas: results of the AMEL study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    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

  14. Effectiveness of cognitive Existential Group therapy on quality of life of elderly people

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S Jalili Nikoo

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background and aim: With an aging population, considering the factors affecting the quality of life more than ever is necessary. The aim of current research was to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive existential therapy on quality of life of elderly people. Methods: The current research is semi experimental with pre and post test with control group. Statistical population of research consists of all elderly people in Kahrizak nursing homes. In the first phase, the participants were selected through purposive sampling method and after responding to the quality of life questionnaire and obtaining score for enter to research they were divided in two groups of experimental and control (N = 12 per group using random sampling method.  The experimental group participated in 10 sessions of group counseling based on cognitive- existential approach and control group received no intervention. The gathered data were analyzed using covariance analysis. Results: There was no difference between pre-test and control groups, but the mean scores of post-test experimental and control groups were statistically significant. and cognitive group therapy improves quality of life is (p=0.001. Therefore it seems that cognitive-existential group therapy increase quality of life of elderly people. Conclusion: Cognitive Existential Group therapy utilizes concepts such as death, meaning, cognitive distortions and responsibility could increase the level ofquality of life of elderly people. Thus interventions based on this approach could be useful in improving the quality of life.

  15. Perspectives on providing good access to dental services for elderly people: patient selection, dentists' responsibility and budget management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grytten, Jostein; Holst, Dorthe

    2013-06-01

    To suggest a model for organizing and financing dental services for elderly people so that they have good access to services. There are few studies on how dental services for elderly people should be organized and financed. This is surprising if we take into consideration the fact that the proportion of elderly people is growing faster than any other group in the population, and that elderly people have more dental diseases and poorer access to dental services than the rest of the adult population. In several countries, dental services are characterized by private providers who often operate in a market with competition and free price-setting. Private dentists have no community responsibility, and they are free to choose which patients they treat. Literature review and critical reasoning. In order to avoid patient selection, a patient list system for elderly people is recommended, with per capita remuneration for the patients that the dentist is given responsibility for. The patient list system means that the dentist assumes responsibility for a well-defined list of elderly people. Our model will lead to greater security in the dentist/patient relationship, and patients with great treatment needs will be ensured access to dental services. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S and The Gerodontology Society. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  16. 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

  17. Design of an interactive digital nutritional education package for elderly people.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ali, Nazlena Mohamad; Shahar, Suzana; Kee, You Lee; Norizan, Azir Rezha; Noah, Shahrul Azman Mohd

    2012-12-01

    Designing a system for the elderly is crucial, as aging is associated with physiological changes that may impair perception, cognition and other social aspects; therefore, many aspects need consideration, especially in interface design. This study was conducted to develop a digital nutritional education package (WE Sihat) by following appropriate guidelines for elderly people to achieve better design interface and interaction. Touch-screen technology was used as a platform for user interaction. The nutritional content was based on previous nutrition studies and a lifestyle education package on healthy aging, which contains four modules. The questionnaires were distributed to 31 Malay subjects aged 60-76 years old, containing an evaluation about the overall content, graphics, design layout, colour, font size, audio/video, user-perceived satisfaction and acceptance levels. The findings showed positive feedback and acceptance. Most subjects agreed that the digital nutritional education package can increase their nutritional knowledge for a healthy lifestyle and is easy to use. The touch-screen technology was also well accepted by elderly people and can be used as a kiosk for disseminating nutrition education for healthy aging.

  18. [Governance in a project addressing care of disabled elderly persons within the regional healthcare system of Tuscany, Italy].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pedace, Claudio; Rosa, Antonella; Francesconi, Paolo; Acampora, Anna; Ricciardi, Walter; Damiani, Gianfranco

    2017-01-01

    Population aging and the concurrent increase of age-related chronic degenerative diseases and disability are associated with an increased proportion of elderly persons who are dependent in activities of daily living (ADL). ADL-dependent persons need continuous and long-term health and social care according to the "taking charge" rationale, in order to warrant access and continuity of care. A healthcare system needs to respond to the long-term and complex needs, such as those of disabled elderly people, by providing appropriate health and social care services in Primary Care. A Primary Health Care system is organized according to two governance levels have distinct aims but are closely inter-dependent in their operational mechanisms. The system governance is accountable for the community and individual health protection while the delivery governance is accountable for the provision of services in accordance with appropriateness, safety and economic criteria. Delivery governance can be considered "integrated governance" as a synergy exists between two decision-making systems guiding provider choices, which are corporate governance and clinical governance. The aim of this study was to analyse the abovementioned governance levels within the healthcare system in Tuscany (Italy) referring to long-term residential care for disabled elderly people. The case of excessive accesses to emergency departments from different types of Nursing Homes (NH) is used as an example to analyse different levels of responsibility involved in the management of a critical phenomenon. Suggestions for improvement in the different levels of governance for disabled elderly people are provided, in order to support institutional programming activities.

  19. Use of culture care theory with Anglo- and African American elders in a long-term care setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McFarland, M R

    1997-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to discover the care expressions, practices, and patterns of elderly Anglo- and African American elders. The domain of inquiry was the cultural care of elderly residents within the environmental context of a long-term care institution. The ethnonursing qualitative research method was used to conduct the study which was conceptualized within Leininger's theory of culture care diversity and universality. Four major themes were discovered: (a) Residents expressed and lived generic care to maintain their preadmission lifeways; (b) The nursing staff provided aspects of professional care to support satisfying lifeways for residents; (c) Institutional care patterns and expressions were viewed as a continuing life experience but with major differences between the apartment section and nursing home units; and (d) An institutional culture of the retirement home was discovered which reflected unique lifeways and shared care and health expressions and practices. These themes substantiated the culture care theory and revealed new modes of care for the elderly in an institutional setting.

  20. 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.

  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. Elderly outpatient profile and predictors of falls.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gomes, Grace Angélica de Oliveira; Cintra, Fernanda Aparecida; Batista, Fernanda Sotelo; Neri, Anita Liberalesso; Guariento, Maria Elena; Sousa, Maria da Luz Rosario de; D'Elboux, Maria José

    2013-01-01

    CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVES Falls are a serious public health problem and are one of the biggest reasons for hospitalization, morbidity and mortality among elderly people. Moreover, few studies on predictors of falls have been conducted in low and middle income countries. The aim here was to identify elderly outpatient profiles according to sociodemographic, clinical, physical and functional variables and correlate them with occurrences of falls among these subjects. DESIGN AND SETTING Cross-sectional descriptive study forming part of the project "Quality of Life of Frail Elderly People", carried out in Campinas, Brazil. METHODS The subjects were 145 elderly individuals (76.3 ± 7.8 years old), of whom 65% were women, who were living in the city of Campinas or nearby and were attended at the geriatric outpatient clinic of a University Hospital. Sociodemographic, clinical, physical and functional data, as well as fall occurrence data, were gathered. Cluster analyses and comparisons between groups were carried out. RESULTS Cluster analysis identified two distinct groups related to the study variables, and the determinants for this distinction were: gender, marital status, physical performance, handgrip strength and functional independence. These groups were compared according to occurrences of falls over the last year, and significant differences between them were found. CONCLUSIONS The results showed that greater occurrences of falls were associated with a profile of elderly people comprising female gender, single status, lower muscle strength and physical performance regarding balance and gait, and lower independence in motor tasks for activities of daily living.

  3. Relationship between functional fitness, medication costs and mood in elderly people

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    Michelli Luciana Massolini Laureano

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Objective: to verify if functional fitness (FF is associated with the annual cost of medication consumption and mood states (MSt in elderly people. Methods: a cross-sectional study with 229 elderly people aged 65 years or more at Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Coimbra, Portugal. Seniors with physical and psychological limitations were excluded, as well as those using medication that limits performance on the tests. The Senior Fitness Test was used to evaluate FF, and the Profile of Mood States - Short Form to evaluate the MSt. The statistical analysis was based on Mancova, with adjustment for age, for comparison between men and women, and adjustment for sex, for comparison between cardiorespiratory fitness quintiles. The association between the variables under study was made with partial correlation, controlling for the effects of age, sex and body mass index. Results: an inverse correlation between cardiorespiratory fitness and the annual cost of medication consumption was found (p < 0.01. FF is also inversely associated with MSt (p < 0.05. Comparisons between cardiorespiratory fitness quintiles showed higher medication consumption costs in seniors with lower aerobic endurance, as well as higher deterioration in MSt (p < 0.01. Conclusion: elderly people with better FF and, specifically, better cardiorespiratory fitness present lower medication consumption costs and a more positive MSt.

  4. Characteristics of depression in community-dwelling elderly people as indicated by the tree-drawing test.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murayama, Norio; Endo, Tadashi; Inaki, Koichiro; Sasaki, Shinsai; Fukase, Yuko; Ota, Kazumi; Iseki, Eizo; Tagaya, Hirokuni

    2016-07-01

    The tree-drawing test (TDT) is a typical projective method, but previous studies have paid little attention to it for elderly people. We investigated the characteristics of depression in community-dwelling elderly people as indicated by the TDT. This study was a complete enumeration survey of elderly people conducted through home visits. The contents of the survey included gender, age, presence or absence of housemates, frequency of going out, the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale, and TDT. The subjects were divided into three groups (normal, depressed tendency, and depressed) according to the total 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale score. In TDT, no significant difference was observed in drooping crown, shadow of the whole tree, or shadow near the base, which have been regarded as indices of depression in younger people. However, the values concerning the size of the tree, such as the height and width of the whole tree, height and width of the crown, and number of occupied areas (of the paper), were significantly lower in the depressed group than in the other groups. In addition, the width of the trunk was significantly smaller in the depressed group than in the normal group. Subjects were classified as being in a 'depressed state' if they used 40 or fewer areas for drawing (i.e. occupied areas) and a 'non-depressed state' if they used 41 or more areas. This enabled depression to be detected (sensitivity: 71.4%; specificity: 79.9%). The size of the tree in TDT is suggested to reflect characteristics of depression in elderly people, such as introversion, reserve, antisocial attitude, a feeling of inferiority, weakness of ego, and lack of vigour. Furthermore, the numbers of occupied areas were found to be relatively useful in detecting depression in elderly people. © 2015 The Authors. Psychogeriatrics © 2015 Japanese Psychogeriatric Society.

  5. Engaging aboriginal peoples in Canada's plan for the long-term management of used nuclear fuel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Patton, P.

    2011-01-01

    The interests and concerns of Aboriginal peoples are integral to development and implementation of Canada's plans for the long-term management of used nuclear fuel. The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) has an ongoing statutory obligation and a commitment to active and meaningful participation with Aboriginal peoples. The organization has worked with Aboriginal organizations and individuals to develop long-term engagement and dialogue processes that respect traditional Aboriginal practices, culture, protocols and approaches to decision-making. Aboriginal peoples were significant participants in the 2003-2005 study that resulted in the recommendation for Adaptive Phased Management (APM). After the Canadian government agreed to proceed with APM, Aboriginal peoples provided valuable input into development of the process for selecting a site for a deep geological repository (DGR) for the long-term management of Canada's used nuclear fuel. The involvement of Aboriginal stakeholders continues to be important as Canada moves into the siting process. Engagement of Aboriginal peoples is guided by principles that respond to the unique interests, perspectives and culture of Aboriginal peoples. These principles recognize and honour the special relationship that Aboriginal peoples have with the natural environment, their unique stewardship responsibilities, and the fact that Aboriginal peoples are holders of Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge (ATK), which brings value to planning processes. The NWMO has been working with Aboriginal Elders and others to learn about ATK and to interweave this knowledge into its work. ATK includes important knowledge about the land, ecology and intergenerational decision-making. The NWMO and Aboriginal peoples have given life to engagement principles and the wisdom of ATK by collaboratively developing a number of programs including agreements with national, regional and local Aboriginal organizations. Additionally, the NWMO has

  6. Drug prescribing and use among elderly people in Spain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mas, X; Laporte, J R; Frati, M E; Busquet, L; Arnau, J M; Ibañez, L; Séculi, E; Capellà, D; Arbonés, G

    1983-05-01

    As a result of the lack of an adequate regulation, the supply and the use of medicines is irrational in Spain. In order to know the characteristics of the prescription and use of drugs among the elderly, two drug utilization studies were carried out. The first study was an analysis of 981 prescriptions from an outpatient clinic of the Spanish Social Security. The results show that a high proportion of fixed-dose combinations were prescribed and that drugs without any demonstrated therapeutic value are often prescribed for the elderly. The second study was a survey of 389 individuals randomly chosen among people affiliated with a pensioners' club. The results show that drug use is highly prevalent among the elderly, that many medicines without any demonstrated benefit are being taken, and that potentially harmful drugs were being used by a high proportion of patients without medical follow-up. The prevalence of the use of some particular groups of drugs is also presented.

  7. Prevention for elderly people: demand-oriented or problem-oriented?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kupper, Nicolette M; Schreurs, Hanneke; Ten Klooster, Peter M; Bode, Christina; van Ameijden, Erik J C

    2011-09-01

    To examine the association between self-expressed information needs and corresponding observed health and lifestyle issues in elderly people. Data were used from the 2006 community health survey in Utrecht, a medium-sized city in the Netherlands. Data of 1634 people aged 55 years and older were available for analyses (response 64%). Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to examine possible associations between expressed information needs and variables on demographics, lifestyle risk behaviours, physical and psychosocial health. Several significant associations were found between information needs and corresponding health and lifestyle problems. However, the explanatory power of the observed problems was generally low, explaining only 7% of the informational needs on lifestyle, and 17% and 28% of the informational needs on physical and psychosocial health, respectively. The findings suggest that prevention amongst the elderly should not be solely based on information needs, but also on observed lifestyle and health. Implications for the use of different approaches of prevention and behavioural models underlying interventions are discussed. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. The Health Heterogeneity of and Health Care Utilization by the Elderly in Taiwan

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    Li-Fan Liu

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available A good understanding of the health heterogeneity of elderly people, their characteristics, patterns of health care utilization and subsequent expenditures is necessary to adequately evaluate the policy options and interventions aimed at improving quality and efficiency of care for older people. This article reviews studies that used Latent Class Analysis to identify four health profiles among elderly people in Taiwan: High Comorbidity (HC, Functional Impairment (FI, Frail (FR, and Relatively Healthy (RH. Variables associated with increased likelihood of being in the FR group were older age, female gender, and living with one’s family, and these also correlated with ethnicity and level of education. The HC group tended to use more ambulatory care services compared with those in the RH group. The HC group tended to be younger, better educated, and was more likely to live in urban areas than were people in the FI group. The FI group, apart from age and gender, was less likely be of Hakka ethnicity and more likely to live with others than were individuals in the RH group. The FI group had relatively high probabilities of needing assistance, and the FR group had higher healthcare expenditures. A person-centered approach would better satisfy current healthcare needs of elderly people and help forecast future expenditures.

  9. Staff views on how to improve mealtimes for elderly people with dementia living at home.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johansson, Linda; Björklund, Anita; Sidenvall, Birgitta; Christensson, Lennart

    2017-10-01

    Dementia commonly leads to difficulties in performing daily activities, which can also often affect the ability to prepare and eat meals. As a result, formal support to maintain good nutritional intake might be needed, but there is a lack of knowledge concerning how to support older persons with dementia living at home. The aim of this study was to explore and describe staff views on how to improve mealtimes for persons with dementia who are still living at home. A qualitative descriptive study was performed and data were collected during 2011-2012 through four focus group interviews with staff working in the homes of persons with dementia. Data were analyzed using inductive content analysis. The participants described several ways to improve mealtimes for persons with dementia and advocated adjustments facilitating the preservation of the persons' independence. Finding suitable actions calls for knowledge about the person and his/her individual situation. Proposed actions were enabling meals at home, taking over, and moving meals outside of the home. In addition, it was found that, the types of meals served to these persons should be as familiar to the individual as possible. The results of this study indicate the importance of using a person-centered approach and meeting the individual needs when supporting people with dementia in regards to their meals when living at home. Individualized care in the home may be expensive, however, it is fair to say that people who become malnourished and admitted to hospitals is even more costly. Furthermore, sharing and reflecting experiences and knowledge can assist staff to identify ways to manage complex situations. Therefore, the use of refection should be a part of staff members' everyday work.

  10. LEGO Mindstorms NXT for elderly and visually impaired people in need: A platform.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Halhouli, Ala'aldeen; Qitouqa, Hala; Malkosh, Nancy; Shubbak, Alaa; Al-Gharabli, Samer; Hamad, Eyad

    2016-07-27

    This paper presents the employment of LEGO Mindstorms NXT robotics as core component of low cost multidisciplinary platform for assisting elderly and visually impaired people. LEGO Mindstorms system offers a plug-and-play programmable robotics toolkit, incorporating construction guides, microcontrollers and sensors, all connected via a comprehensive programming language. It facilitates, without special training and at low cost, the use of such device for interpersonal communication and for handling multiple tasks required for elderly and visually impaired people in-need. The research project provides a model for larger-scale implementation, tackling the issues of creating additional functions in order to assist people in-need. The new functions were built and programmed using MATLAB through a user friendly Graphical User Interface (GUI). Power consumption problem, besides the integration of WiFi connection has been resolved, incorporating GPS application on smart phones enhanced the guiding and tracking functions. We believe that developing and expanding the system to encompass a range of applications beyond the initial design schematics to ease conducting a limited number of pre-described protocols. However, the beneficiaries for the proposed research would be limited to elderly people who require assistance within their household as assistive-robot to facilitate a low-cost solution for a highly demanding health circumstance.

  11. Prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress disorders in elderly people residing in Khoy, Iran (2014-2015

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Towhid Babazadeh

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Psychiatric disorders such as depression, stress, and anxiety are factors that affect the quality of life, suicide and many physical problems, and socioeconomic in elders. Considering the importance of the issue and increasing the number of elderly people in this County, researchers decided to investigate the levels of stress, anxiety, and depression in the elderly health centers of Khoy, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was done on 383 elderly people referred to health centers in Khoy County. A random cluster sampling was used in this study where each health care is considered as a cluster. The Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale 21 (DASS-21 standard questionnaire was used for data collection. The SPSS software was used for all computations. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistic, t-test, and one-way ANOVA. P < 0.050 was determined to be significant. Results: The results of this study showed that 1.3% of the elderly people suffer from very severe stress, 1.3% from severe depression, and 3.1% from severe anxiety. Likewise, the comparison between anxiety, stress, and depression disorders with demographic variables showed that there is a significant association between these disorders and sex, education, marital status, medical condition, as well as their housing conditions (P < 0.050. Conclusion: The results of this study indicated anxiety disorders, depression, and stress prevail among the elderly. In addition, some factors such as education, housing, medical condition, and marital status had significant effects on anxiety disorders, depression, and stress. Therefore, more attention is deserved in these aspects. Moreover, appropriate measures need to be taken to improve the mental health of elderly people.

  12. The effects of physical exercise with music on cognitive function of elderly people: Mihama-Kiho project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Satoh, Masayuki; Ogawa, Jun-ichi; Tokita, Tomoko; Nakaguchi, Noriko; Nakao, Koji; Kida, Hirotaka; Tomimoto, Hidekazu

    2014-01-01

    Physical exercise has positive effects on cognitive function in elderly people. It is unknown, however, if combinations of non-pharmaceutical interventions can produce more benefits than single ones. This study aimed to identify if physical exercise combined with music improves cognitive function in normal elderly people more than exercise alone. We enrolled 119 subjects (age 65-84 years old). Forty subjects performed physical exercise (once a week for an hour with professional trainers) with musical accompaniment (ExM group), developed by YAMAHA Music Foundation; 40 subjects performed the same exercise without music (Ex group); 39 subjects were the control group (Cont group). Before and after the year-long intervention, each patient was assessed by neuropsychological batteries. MRIs were performed before and after intervention; the Voxel-based Specific Regional analysis system for Alzheimer's Disease (VSRAD) was used to assess medial temporal lobe atrophy. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was significant only in visuospatial function. The multiple comparison (ExM vs. Ex, ExM vs. Cont, Ex vs. Cont) was significant between the ExM and Cont group. Intra-group analyses before and after intervention revealed significant improvement in visuospatial function in the ExM group, and significant improvements in other batteries in all three groups. The VSRAD score significantly worsened in the ExM and Ex groups. Physical exercise combined with music produced more positive effects on cognitive function in elderly people than exercise alone. We attributed this improvement to the multifaceted nature of combining physical exercise with music, which can act simultaneously as both cognitive and physical training. UMIN Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN-CTR) UMIN000012148.

  13. Which Frail Older People Are Dehydrated? The UK DRIE Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hooper, Lee; Bunn, Diane K; Downing, Alice; Jimoh, Florence O; Groves, Joyce; Free, Carol; Cowap, Vicky; Potter, John F; Hunter, Paul R; Shepstone, Lee

    2016-10-01

    Water-loss dehydration in older people is associated with increased mortality and disability. We aimed to assess the prevalence of dehydration in older people living in UK long-term care and associated cognitive, functional, and health characteristics. The Dehydration Recognition In our Elders (DRIE) cohort study included people aged 65 or older living in long-term care without heart or renal failure. In a cross-sectional baseline analysis, we assessed serum osmolality, previously suggested dehydration risk factors, general health, markers of continence, cognitive and functional health, nutrition status, and medications. Univariate linear regression was used to assess relationships between participant characteristics and serum osmolality, then associated characteristics entered into stepwise backwards multivariate linear regression. DRIE included 188 residents (mean age 86 years, 66% women) of whom 20% were dehydrated (serum osmolality >300 mOsm/kg). Linear and logistic regression suggested that renal, cognitive, and diabetic status were consistently associated with serum osmolality and odds of dehydration, while potassium-sparing diuretics, sex, number of recent health contacts, and bladder incontinence were sometimes associated. Thirst was not associated with hydration status. DRIE found high prevalence of dehydration in older people living in UK long-term care, reinforcing the proposed association between cognitive and renal function and hydration. Dehydration is associated with increased mortality and disability in older people, but trials to assess effects of interventions to support healthy fluid intakes in older people living in residential care are needed to enable us to formally assess causal direction and any health benefits of increasing fluid intakes. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  14. Data Management in an Intelligent Environment for Cognitive Disabled and Elderly People

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loniewski, Grzegorz; Ramon, Emilio Lorente; Walderhaug, Ståle; Martinez Franco, Sixto; Cubillos Esteve, Juan Jose; Marco, Eduardo Sebastian

    Recently intelligent and personalized medical systems tend to be one of the most important branches of the health-care domain, playing a great role in improving the quality of life of people that want to feel safe and to be assisted not regarding the place they are. This paper presents an innovative way of data management based on a middleware platform providing services for fast and easy creation of applications dealing with the problems of taking care of patients in their homes. The work was carried out as a part of the MPOWER project, funded by the EU 6th Framework Programme, and carried out by a multinational development team. The project focuses on supporting activities of daily living and provides services for elderly and cognitive disabled, e.g. people with dementia. The MPOWER platform is designed to facilitate rapid development of a variety of applications and adopt them to specific users’ needs. The paper introduces the whole platform, its functionality and principal goals along with the architectural background of data management, focusing on the different types of data that the system has to manage and analyze. The last section concludes the work done on the project.

  15. Reciprocity: A Predictor of Mental Health and Continuity in Elderly People's Relationships? A Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Live Fyrand

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Many studies have demonstrated that social relationships confer mental health benefits. This paper aims to identify whether and how reciprocity in social relationships predicts or is associated with mental health benefits as well as with continuity in elderly people's social relationships. The studies reviewed in this paper show that, among elders, being in a balanced or underbenefited reciprocal position predicts better mental health and life quality than being in an overbenefited position. Throughout the course of life, reciprocity evens out present and earlier reciprocal imbalances, securing continuity in close relationships—particularly between spouses and between elderly parents and adult children. In friendships, securing continuity seems to be based on the maintenance of independence based on balanced reciprocal relations, making these relationships more vulnerable. Due to the problems of conceptualization and measurement in the reviewed studies, one should be cautious in stating a final conclusion that the reciprocity norm has a universal positive effect on mental health and continuity in elderly people's relationships.

  16. Reciprocity: A Predictor of Mental Health and Continuity in Elderly People's Relationships? A Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fyrand, Live

    2010-01-01

    Many studies have demonstrated that social relationships confer mental health benefits. This paper aims to identify whether and how reciprocity in social relationships predicts or is associated with mental health benefits as well as with continuity in elderly people's social relationships. The studies reviewed in this paper show that, among elders, being in a balanced or underbenefited reciprocal position predicts better mental health and life quality than being in an overbenefited position. Throughout the course of life, reciprocity evens out present and earlier reciprocal imbalances, securing continuity in close relationships-particularly between spouses and between elderly parents and adult children. In friendships, securing continuity seems to be based on the maintenance of independence based on balanced reciprocal relations, making these relationships more vulnerable. Due to the problems of conceptualization and measurement in the reviewed studies, one should be cautious in stating a final conclusion that the reciprocity norm has a universal positive effect on mental health and continuity in elderly people's relationships.

  17. Risk of Malnutrition Evaluated by Mini Nutritional Assessment and Sarcopenia in Noninstitutionalized Elderly People.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liguori, Ilaria; Curcio, Francesco; Russo, Gennaro; Cellurale, Michele; Aran, Luisa; Bulli, Giulia; Della-Morte, David; Gargiulo, Gaetano; Testa, Gianluca; Cacciatore, Francesco; Bonaduce, Domenico; Abete, Pasquale

    2018-02-13

    Malnutrition indices and muscle mass and strength in the elderly are poorly investigated. Moreover, malnutrition seems to be 1 of the more important factors in the cause of sarcopenia. The presence of sarcopenia and its relationship with malnutrition indices were studied in noninstitutionalized elderly people who underwent Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA). A total of 473 elderly subjects (mean age, 80.9 ± 6.6 years) admitted to CGA were studied. Malnutrition risk was evaluated with Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) score, whereas muscle mass and muscle strength were evaluated by bioimpedentiometry and hand grip, respectively. Sarcopenia was assessed as indicated in the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) consensus. Overall prevalence of sarcopenia was 13.1%, and it increased from 6.1% to 31.4% as MNA decreased (P elderly subjects with sarcopenia (15.4 ± 4.2) than without sarcopenia (22.0 ± 4.0) (P = .024). Linear regression analysis showed that MNA score is linearly related both with muscle mass (r = 0.72; P elderly subjects with sarcopenia, and it is linearly related to muscle mass and muscle strength. These data indicate that MNA score, when evaluated with muscle mass and strength, may recognize elderly subjects with sarcopenia. © 2018 American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.

  18. Apoyo social y condiciones de vida de adultos mayores que viven en la pobreza urbana en México Social support and living conditions in poor elderly people in urban Mexico

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Blanca Estela Pelcastre-Villafuerte

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available El objetivo del artículo fue analizar el apoyo social y las condiciones de vida de adultos mayores en zonas urbanas empobrecidas. Estudio cualitativo con 8 grupos focales, realizado en Guerrero, Jalisco, Morelos y Sinaloa, México, durante 2005-2006. Participaron 40 varones y 63 mujeres. El principal apoyo para la vida cotidiana y la condición de salud de los adultos mayores proviene de los familiares cercanos, en algunos casos de vecinos. Los apoyos de los adultos mayores son básicamente materiales y económicos, así como cierto tipo de acompañamiento y traslado a consultas médicas. El apoyo emocional es mínimo o inexistente, igual la compañía cotidiana y la integración en la vida familiar. Se identificó una ausencia significativa de apoyo por parte del gobierno o de organizaciones religiosas o civiles. La familia continúa siendo la fuente fundamental de apoyo. Es necesario incrementar las acciones gubernamentales para la población adulta mayor y transformar la idea de que las necesidades de esta población es una responsabilidad individual más que colectiva.The aim of this paper was to analyze social support and living conditions among poor elderly people in Mexican cities. A qualitative study with eight focus groups was carried out in Guadalajara, Cuernavaca, Chilpancingo, and Culiacan, Mexico, in 2005. Forty men and 63 women participated in the study. The main support for the elderly in daily living came from their immediate family and in some cases from neighbors. Social support was basically material and economic, in addition to providing company and transportation for medical appointments. Daily emotional support, companionship, and social inclusion were minimal or absent. The study identified a significant lack of support from government and religious or civil society organizations. The family is still the main source of support for the elderly. Increased government collaboration is dramatically needed to combat the

  19. Effects of grab bar on utilized friction and dynamic stability when elderly people enter the bathtub.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sekiguchi, Yusuke; Kato, Tomohisa; Honda, Keita; Kanetaka, Hiroyasu; Izumi, Shin-Ichi

    2017-08-01

    The effect of the grab bar on dynamic stability when elderly people enter the bathtub remains unclear. The purpose of the present study is to examine the age-related effect of the grab bar on dynamic stability during lateral stepping over an obstacle when entering bathtub. Sixteen young, healthy adults and sixteen elderly adults participated. The subjects performed lateral stepping over an obstacle with and without vertical and horizontal bars. Displacement and velocity of the center of mass and utilized friction, which is the required coefficient of friction to avoid slipping, were simultaneously measured by a three-dimensional motion analysis system and two force plates. A post hoc test for two-way ANOVA revealed that velocity of the center of mass in the vertical direction (pbar were significantly slower and smaller than those without the grab bar in young and elderly people. Moreover, the utilized friction at push off of the trailing leg with the vertical bar in elderly people was lower (pbar. The use of each grab bar while performing a lateral step over an obstacle may help maintaining balance in lateral and vertical directions. However, use of the vertical bar while lateral stepping over an object in elderly people may need low utilized friction to prevent slipping. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Poor nutritional status is associated with a higher risk of falling and fracture in elderly people living at home in France: the Three-City cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Torres, M J; Féart, C; Samieri, C; Dorigny, B; Luiking, Y; Berr, C; Barberger-Gateau, P; Letenneur, L

    2015-08-01

    Falling and fractures are a public health problem in elderly people. The aim of our study was to investigate whether nutritional status is associated with the risk of falling or fracture in community-dwelling elderly. Poor nutritional status was significantly associated with a higher risk of both falling and fractures. Nutrition could play a role to prevent falls and fractures. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether a poor nutritional status is associated with the risk of falling and of fracture in community dwelling elderly. Baseline nutritional status of participants was assessed using the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA). After a follow-up of 12 years, 6040 individuals with available data for falls and 6839 for fracture were included. People who presented the outcomes at baseline were excluded. Cox models were used to evaluate the associations between nutritional status and the risks of fall or fracture. The frequency of poor nutritional status (MNA ≤ 23.5), at baseline, was respectively 12.0% in the "fall study sample" and 12.8% in the "fracture study sample." Incident fall and fracture over 12 years were reported in 55.8 and 18.5% of the respective samples, respectively. In multivariate models controlled for sociodemographic data and several baseline health indicators, poor nutritional status was significantly associated with a higher risk of falling (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.66, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.35-2.04 in men and HR = 1.20, 95% CI 1.07-1.34 in women) and with a higher risk of fracture (HR = 1.28, 95% CI 1.09-1.49). Poor nutritional status was associated with a higher risk of both falling and fractures in French elderly community-dwellers. Early screening and management of the nutritional status may be useful to reduce the frequency of these events in older people.

  1. 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.

  2. Robots for the psychological wellbeing of the elderly

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gallego Pérez, J.; Lohse, M.; Evers, Vanessa

    2014-01-01

    The present paper examines the potential robots may have to motivate and support elderly people psychologically. Two short- and long-term research scenarios are proposed where a robot interacts with an elderly person offering psychological support. We describe one experiment that was carried out

  3. Neurophysiological basis of creativity in healthy elderly people: a multiscale entropy approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ueno, Kanji; Takahashi, Tetsuya; Takahashi, Koichi; Mizukami, Kimiko; Tanaka, Yuji; Wada, Yuji

    2015-03-01

    Creativity, which presumably involves various connections within and across different neural networks, reportedly underpins the mental well-being of older adults. Multiscale entropy (MSE) can characterize the complexity inherent in EEG dynamics with multiple temporal scales. It can therefore provide useful insight into neural networks. Given that background, we sought to clarify the neurophysiological bases of creativity in healthy elderly subjects by assessing EEG complexity with MSE, with emphasis on assessment of neural networks. We recorded resting state EEG of 20 healthy elderly subjects. MSE was calculated for each subject for continuous 20-s epochs. Their relevance to individual creativity was examined concurrently with intellectual function. Higher individual creativity was linked closely to increased EEG complexity across higher temporal scales, but no significant relation was found with intellectual function (IQ score). Considering the general "loss of complexity" theory of aging, our finding of increased EEG complexity in elderly people with heightened creativity supports the idea that creativity is associated with activated neural networks. Results reported here underscore the potential usefulness of MSE analysis for characterizing the neurophysiological bases of elderly people with heightened creativity. Copyright © 2014 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Protection of people living in long-term contaminated areas after a nuclear accident: the guidance of ICRP Publication 111

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lochard, Jacques

    2012-01-01

    The International Commission on Radiological Protection provides guidance for the protection of people living in long-term contaminated areas after nuclear accidents or radiological emergencies in ICRP Publication 111 (Ann. ICRP 2009, 39(3)). The prolonged exposures resulting from such events are defined as existing exposure situations and the driving principle for managing exposure situations is the optimization of protection. In conjunction with optimization, the Commission recommends the use of reference levels to restrict individual doses. To be effective, protection strategies to maintain and reduce exposure as low as reasonably achievable should include actions implemented by public authorities and private businesses, but also by the affected population itself. The process through which inhabitants living in a contaminated environment identify problems and apply their own protective actions has been named 'self-help protection' by the Commission. Such a process supposes that affected individuals are fully aware of the situation and are well informed. It is the responsibility of the authorities to establish programmes for continuous radiation monitoring, information and education of the population. The involvement of local professionals and inhabitants in the definition and implementation of protection strategies is a key factor for the sustainability of long-term rehabilitation programmes. (note)

  5. The daily lives of people with Parkinson's disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valcarenghi, Rafaela Vivian; Alvarez, Angela Maria; Santos, Silvana Sidney Costa; Siewert, Josiane Steil; Nunes, Simony Fabíola Lopes; Tomasi, Andrelise Viana Rosa

    2018-01-01

    To understand the daily lives of people with Parkinson's disease. Qualitative research, using as methodological and theoretical referential the Grounded Theory and Symbolic Interactionism, respectively. The in-depth interview was conducted with 30 people with Parkinson's disease. From data analysis, three themes were selected: Living with the disease - living with the treatment and changes in lifestyle; Modifying of one's job performance - revealing incapacity for work and the need to anticipate retirement and; Living with the stigma - the feeling of prejudice against the disease and the perceived limitations of the health services. Living with a chronic and non-transferable disease encompasses social, physical and cultural effects, along with the personal experiences of each unique individual. This study assists the improvement of care to people with the disease, because the care practice emerges from the interactions between the subjects.

  6. Effects of glucose load on cognitive functions in elderly people

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zwaluw, N.L. van der; Rest, O. van de; Kessels, R.P.C.; Groot, L.C.P.G.M. de

    2015-01-01

    Glucose is the main fuel for the brain, and manipulation of the glucose supply may consequently affect brain function. The present review was conducted to provide an overview of studies that investigated the acute effects of glucose load on memory and other cognitive functions in elderly people. The

  7. More important vulnerability to radiations among children and elderly people

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1998-01-01

    from the studies made on the Hiroshima inhabitants having survived to the atomic bombs explosions, M. Alice Stewart showed the danger of radiations for pregnant women, children and elderly people. She has estimated that the risk of dying of a neoplasm is multiplied by two for persons aged of more than 55 years, comparatively with others adults; But for children aged of less than ten years this risk is one thousand time superior than for fifty five years old people. (N.C.)

  8. Significance of and problems with pet companions owned by elderly people in need of care (2) Narratives concerned with "loss" and "support"

    OpenAIRE

    加藤, 謙介; カトウ, ケンスケ; Kensuke, KATO

    2012-01-01

    In this study, the relationship between pets and elderly people who need care was examined through a narrative approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four elderly residents of Nobeoka City, Miyazaki, and with professionals who have the ability to support elderly people's caring for pets (i.e. a social worker, home-care workers, a pet sitter and administrative officers). The interviewer asked about the relationship between the elderly people and their pets, specifically about...

  9. Nutritional self-care among a group of older home-living people in rural Southern Norway

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dale B

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Bjørg Dale, Ulrika SöderhamnCentre for Caring Research – Southern Norway, Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Agder, Grimstad, NorwayBackground: Older home-living people are an at-risk group for undernutrition, particularly those who are living alone. Lack of knowledge about healthy dietary habits, altered taste sensation, and declined health status are shown to be some of the factors related to undernutrition. The aims of this study were to explore how a small group of older people in Southern Norway perceived their nutritional self-care.Methods: An exploratory qualitative approach, combined with a simple self-report questionnaire, was used. Five persons living in rural areas in Southern Norway, who in a former study were screened and found to be at risk for undernutrition, participated. Qualitative data assessed by means of individual self-care talks in the persons' own homes were analyzed using directed content analysis. A simple self-report questionnaire containing demographic variables, two health-related questions, and the Nutritional Form For the Elderly (NUFFE-NO instrument was filled out at baseline and 6 months after the self-care talks.Results: The qualitative data showed that the participants had adequate knowledge about healthy and nutritious diets. They were aware of and motivated to adapt their diet to their current state of health and to perform the necessary actions to maintain an optimal nutritional status and nutritional self-care.Conclusion: Older people living at home are a diverse group. However, this study showed that they may have sufficient knowledge, willingness, and ability to perform nutritional self-care, even if they live alone and have several chronic illnesses and impaired health.Keywords: adapting, decision-making, knowledge, self-care talks

  10. Low vitamin D status is associated with reduced muscle mass and impaired physical performance in frail elderly people

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tieland, C.A.B.; Brouwer, E.M.; Nienaber-Rousseau, C.; Loon, van L.J.C.; Groot, de C.P.G.M.

    2013-01-01

    Background/Objectives: Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) status has been associated with muscle mass, strength and physical performance in healthy elderly people. Yet, in pre-frail and frail elderly people this association has not been studied. The objective of this study was to explore the

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tam, Maureen; Chui, Ernest

    2016-01-01

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

  12. The Relationship between Locomotive Syndrome and Depression in Community-Dwelling Elderly People

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Misa Nakamura

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Locomotive syndrome (LS is a concept that refers to the condition of people requiring healthcare services because of problems associated with locomotion. Depression is a major psychiatric disease among the elderly, in addition to dementia. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between LS and depression. The study participants were 224 healthy elderly volunteers living in a rural area in Japan. LS was defined as scores ≥ 16 on the 25-question Geriatric Locomotive Function Scale (GLFS-25. Depression was defined as scores ≥ 5 on the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15. Height and body weight were measured. The prevalence of LS and depression was 13.9% and 24.2%, respectively. Compared with the non-LS group, the LS group was older, was shorter, had a higher BMI, and had higher GDS-15 scores. Logistic regression analysis showed that participants with GDS-15 scores ≥ 6 had higher odds for LS than those with GDS-15 scores < 6 (odds ratio [OR] = 4.22. Conversely, the depression group had higher GLFS-25 scores than the nondepression group. Participants with GLFS-25 scores ≥ 5 had higher odds for depression than those with GLFS-25 scores < 5 (OR = 4.53. These findings suggest that there is a close relationship between LS and depression.

  13. 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.

  14. The daily lives of people with Parkinson's disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rafaela Vivian Valcarenghi

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Objective: To understand the daily lives of people with Parkinson's disease. Method: Qualitative research, using as methodological and theoretical referential the Grounded Theory and Symbolic Interactionism, respectively. The in-depth interview was conducted with 30 people with Parkinson's disease. Results: From data analysis, three themes were selected: Living with the disease - living with the treatment and changes in lifestyle; Modifying of one's job performance - revealing incapacity for work and the need to anticipate retirement and; Living with the stigma - the feeling of prejudice against the disease and the perceived limitations of the health services. Final considerations: Living with a chronic and non-transferable disease encompasses social, physical and cultural effects, along with the personal experiences of each unique individual. This study assists the improvement of care to people with the disease, because the care practice emerges from the interactions between the subjects.

  15. The Impact of dietary protein or amino acid supplementation on muscle mass and strength in elderly people : individual participant data and meta-analysis of RCT's

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tieland, M.; Franssen, R.; Dullemeijer, C.; van Dronkelaar, C; Kyung Kim, H.; Ispoglou, T; Zhu, K.; Prince, R. L.; van Loon, L. J. C.; de Groot, Lisette C. P. G. M.

    2017-01-01

    OBJECTIVES: Increasing protein or amino acid intake has been promoted as a promising strategy to increase muscle mass and strength in elderly people, however, long-term intervention studies show inconsistent findings. Therefore, we aim to determine the impact of protein or amino acid supplementation

  16. Financial situation of people living with HIV in Europe

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schrooten, W.; Dreezen, C.; Borleffs, J.; Dijkgraaf, M.; Borchert, M.; de Graeve, D.; Hemmer, R.; Fleerackers, Y.; Colebunders, R.

    2002-01-01

    The objective was to investigate the financial situation of people living with HIV in Europe. Two surveys using an anonymous questionnaire were organized in Europe among people living with HIV, the first in 1996-97 and the second in 1998-99. One thousand one hundred and sixty-one people from the

  17. Robots in Elderly Care

    OpenAIRE

    Alessandro Vercelli; Innocenzo Rainero; Ludovico Ciferri; Marina Boido; Fabrizio Pirri

    2018-01-01

    Low birth rate and the long life expectancy represent an explosive mixture, resulting in the rapid aging of population. The costs of healthcare in the grey society are increasing dramatically, and soon there will be not enough resources and people for care. This context requires conceptually new elderly care solutions progressively reducing the percentages of the human-based care. Research on robot-based solutions for elderly care and active ageing aims to answer these needs. From a general p...

  18. Elderly outpatient profile and predictors of falls

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Grace Angélica de Oliveira Gomes

    Full Text Available CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVESFalls are a serious public health problem and are one of the biggest reasons for hospitalization, morbidity and mortality among elderly people. Moreover, few studies on predictors of falls have been conducted in low and middle income countries. The aim here was to identify elderly outpatient profiles according to sociodemographic, clinical, physical and functional variables and correlate them with occurrences of falls among these subjects.DESIGN AND SETTINGCross-sectional descriptive study forming part of the project “Quality of Life of Frail Elderly People”, carried out in Campinas, Brazil.METHODSThe subjects were 145 elderly individuals (76.3 ± 7.8 years old, of whom 65% were women, who were living in the city of Campinas or nearby and were attended at the geriatric outpatient clinic of a University Hospital. Sociodemographic, clinical, physical and functional data, as well as fall occurrence data, were gathered. Cluster analyses and comparisons between groups were carried out.RESULTSCluster analysis identified two distinct groups related to the study variables, and the determinants for this distinction were: gender, marital status, physical performance, handgrip strength and functional independence. These groups were compared according to occurrences of falls over the last year, and significant differences between them were found.CONCLUSIONSThe results showed that greater occurrences of falls were associated with a profile of elderly people comprising female gender, single status, lower muscle strength and physical performance regarding balance and gait, and lower independence in motor tasks for activities of daily living.

  19. [Animals used in therapy for the wellbeing of elderly people].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perraud, Florence

    2013-01-01

    Visits by dogs to elderly people in nursing homes have shown that animals can produce unexpected and positive reactions. This led to the idea of using a retrained guide dog for the blind in therapy workshops, with patients suffering from dementia. Setting up such a project is possible and produces interesting results.

  20. 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...

  1. Preventive home visits to elderly people in Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hendriksen, C; Vass, M

    2005-01-01

    During the last 20 years several randomised controlled trials have been published about preventive home visits to old people, but the benefit of the visits is still controversial and under debate. Based on a state law from the Ministry of Social Affairs in 1998, the municipalities in Denmark are ......, manageable and ongoing educational intervention towards professionals working with preventive home visits is feasible and improves older people's functional mobility.......During the last 20 years several randomised controlled trials have been published about preventive home visits to old people, but the benefit of the visits is still controversial and under debate. Based on a state law from the Ministry of Social Affairs in 1998, the municipalities in Denmark...... are obliged to offer home visits twice a year to all citizens 75 years and older. After six years with this law, there is still variation of how the law is managed and implemented. About 60% of the elderly people accept and receive the visits. Less than 50% of the municipalities have made specific guidelines...

  2. Quality of life in institutionalized elderly people of Medellín Calidad de vida de los adultos mayores de Medellín

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jorge Julián Osorio

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available

    Introduction. Many factors contribute to the deteriorating quality of life of elderly people living in care institutions. Some of these problems are a consequence of few contacts with relatives and friends, and being alone with a feeling of isolation.
    Objective. The conditions of quality of life are explored for elderly people living in care institutions.
    Materials and methods. In a cross sectional study, 276 subjects were selected from 39 long term institutions located in the city of Medellín, Colombia. The sex ratio was female:male 60:40% with a mean age of 79.2 ± 8.0. Elderly subjects with cognitive problems or not living in the institution were excluded. The World Health Organization Quality of Life of Older Adults (WHOQOL-OLD questionnaire was applied; in additional, capacity and cognitive functional scales of Pfeffer, the anxiety scale of Goldberg, and the Geriatric Depression Scale of Yesavage were administered. Mininutritional assessment scales and complementary questionnaires about demographics, health perception, social support system were also included. The information was analyzed using the Mann Whitney U test, Kruskal Wallis test, Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression method.
    Results. Most (71% considered themselves autonomous for undertaking daily, habitual activities. Other statistics included the following: 45.7% with depression, 33.0% with anxiety, 28.3% with functional problems, and 54.3% at risk of malnutrition. A negative quality-of-life assessment was associated with the following factors: female, diabetes, depression, anxiety and high functional capacity. A positive quality-of-life assessment was associated with individuals who voluntarily came to the institution.
    Conclusion. Quality of life for elderly people living in care institutions can become deteriorated when they are not capable to do the usual activities necessary for daily living. Exacerbating factors included sex, symptoms

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. [Value of dynamic postural control tests on elderly people with vestibulopathy].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ortuño-Cortés, Miguel A; Martín-Sanz, Eduardo; Barona-de Guzmán, Rafael

    2009-01-01

    The stability limits and rhythmic weight shift tests study the functional capacity to achieve voluntary postural control of movement in the standing position. The objectives of this paper are to know the interest of these tests in the evaluation of elderly people with vestibular disorders and their relation with the number of falls suffered during the year prior to the study. Sixty elderly people (65-80 years old) with vestibular disorders (patients) and 60 healthy subjects (control group) of similar age were selected. According to videonystagmographic and clinical criteria, the patients group was divided into compensated and decompensated. All the subjects in the sample performed the stability limits and rhythmic weight shift tests with the NedSVE/IBV system. The number of falls of each subject was determined by a meticulous anamnesis. Compensated patients, decompensated patients and the control group had similar scores in this instrumental functional evaluation, without any statistically significant differences. None of the parameters assessed in this study correlated statistically with the subjects' number of falls during the year prior to the study. The stability limits and rhythmic weight shift tests are of little utility in the functional evaluation of the elderly with vestibular disorders and in the detection of patients with greater risk of falls.

  6. [The development of care farming for elderly people with cognitive impairment to enhance social inclusion: A feasibility study of rice-farming care for elderly people with cognitive impairment].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ura, Chiaki; Okamura, Tsuyoshi; Yamazaki, Sachiko; Ishiguro, Taichi; Ibe, Masumi; Miyazaki, Mayako; Torishima, Keisuke; Kawamuro, Yu

    2018-01-01

    The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of rice-farming care among elderly people with cognitive impairment as a tool for social inclusion. Eight elderly individuals with cognitive impairment (7 men, 1 woman, mean age 68.3 years old) participated in the program over 25 weeks. The cognitive function, well-being, and depression were assessed before and after the program period. The degree of participants' independence during the program was also assessed. Semi-structured interviews with the participants and caregivers were held after the program period. The average participation rate was 93.0%. There were no unexpected events, and the subjects carried out farmwork almost independently. Regarding their well-being, two participants who scored below the cut-off criterion of mental health before the study scored above the cut-off after the study. Regarding depression, two participants who scored positive with a two-question case-finding instrument no longer scored positive after the study. Interviews with the participants showed that they enjoyed the program, especially because they had peers, a role, and gained positive emotions. Interviews with the caregivers showed that they had recognized for the first time what people can do with their skills. The results of the present study indicate that rice-farming was a feasible method of care with a positive impact on the well-being and depression of elderly people with cognitive impairment and enhanced their social participation, drawing out their individual strengths.

  7. [Risk factors for falls and survival after falling in elderly people in a community].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kato, Ryuichi; Takagi, Chika; Sakurai, Naoko; Hoshi, Tanji

    2012-05-01

    The purpose of this study was to assess the risk factors associated with falls and to examine the effects of falls on survival of elderly people in a community. A questionnaire survey was conducted in 16,462 urban elderly dwellers aged 65 years or more in City A in September 2001. A follow-up survey was carried out in September 2004. We analyzed the data of 8,285 subjects who answered both questionnaires and had not relocated by August 2007. Baseline assessments of health and functioning were carried out in 2001. Falls experienced during the 1-year period before September 2004 were recorded, and the deaths were recorded until August 2007. Statistical analysis was performed using a logistic regression model and Cox's proportional hazards analysis. A total of 6,420 subjects (3,127 men and 3,293 women) who had provided complete answers about their falls were included in the analyses. Of these, 27.8% of women and 16.4% of men had experienced falls, while 6.2% of women and 2.1% of men had experienced falls that caused fractures. We found that the likelihood of fall, with or without fracture development, was greater in women than in men (P falls tended to increase with age in both women and men. Risk factors associated with falls, in addition to age and gender, were pain (odds ratio [OR], 1.75), lack of instrumental activities of daily living (IADL; OR, 1.45), poor self-rated health status (OR, 1.42), and presence of disease (OR, 1.35). Risk factors associated with falls that caused fracture were pain (OR, 1.85) and lack of IADL (OR, 1.61). Cox's proportional hazards analysis showed a significant increase in mortality in both men and women who had experienced falls than in those who had not (hazard ratio [HR], 1.94, 1.43). Aging, pain and disease, lack of IADL, and poor self-rated health status were all significant risk factors for falls in elderly people, and a fall was related to subsequent mortality.

  8. Screening for frailty in elderly subjects living at home: validation of the Modified Short Emergency Geriatric Assessment (SEGAm) instrument.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oubaya, N; Mahmoudi, R; Jolly, D; Zulfiqar, A A; Quignard, E; Cunin, C; Nazeyrollas, P; Novella, J L; Dramé, M

    2014-01-01

    To validate the modified version of the Short Emergency Geriatric Assessment (SEGAm) frailty instrument in elderly people living at home. Longitudinal, prospective, multicentre study. Four departments (Ardennes, Marne, Meurthe-et-Moselle, Meuse) in two French Regions (Champagne-Ardenne and Lorraine). Subjects aged 65 years or more, living at home, who could read and understand French, with a degree of autonomy corresponding to groups 5, or 6 in the AGGIR autonomy evaluation scale. Assessment included demographic characteristics, comprehensive geriatric assessment, and the SEGAm instrument. Psychometric validation was used to study feasibility and acceptability, internal structure validity, reliability, and discriminant validity of the SEGAm instrument. Between July 1st 2012 and March 31st 2013, 167 patients were included in the study. Averaged age was 77±7 years, the majority were women (70.7%). Feasibility and acceptability of the SEGAm instrument were excellent: we observed no refusal to participate, no drop-out during administration, no missing items, no ceiling or floor effects, and the administration time was short (5.0±3.5 min). By factor analysis, the instrument proved to be unidimensional. It showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha coefficient: 0.68) and good test-retest (intra-class correlation: 0.88) at 7 days interval. Discriminant validity showed a significant difference, mainly for nutritional status, fall risk, dependency, mood and depression risk, and comorbidities. Based on these psychometric properties, the SEGAm appears to be an easy-to-use instrument that is particularly suitable for use in the community to identify frail elderly people who could benefit from early targeted interventions.

  9. [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.

  10. Effects of hearing aids on cognitive functions and depressive signs in elderly people.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Acar, Baran; Yurekli, Muge Fethiye; Babademez, Mehmet Ali; Karabulut, Hayriye; Karasen, Rıza Murat

    2011-01-01

    With the physical, emotional and cognitive effects of senility, elderly people, especially those with impaired hearing, need rehabilitation for improving their life conditions. Hearing aids are frequently used to improve their daily life communications and activities. The aim of this study was to report the cognitive and psychological benefits of using hearing aids by the elderly people, over the age of 65. This was a prospective, single-arm interventional study in 34 elderly subjects with hearing impairment who answered the geriatric depression scale-short form (GDS) questionnaire and the mini mental state examination (MMSE) test, prior to, and 3 months following the use of hearing aid, after obtaining the patients' consent to participate in study. Patients with evidence of focal neurological loss with clinical examination, a confusional state, sudden hear loss and severe tinnitus were not included in the study. Scores of the effects of hearing aids on mood and cognitive functions were compared for each subject, before and after, and between males and females. After 3 months of using a hearing aid, all patients showed a significant improvement of the psychosocial and cognitive conditions, and all of them showed betterment of their problems, i.e., the social communication and exchanging information. In conclusion, for the elderly people with the effects of hearing aids in presbycusis and due to the significant improvement in psychological state and mental functions, using and being adaptable to hearing aids is a good solution. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  12. Malnutrition in the elderly residing in long-term care facilities: a cross ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Keywords: care facility, elderly, malnutrition, mini nutritional Assessment, nutrition screening, South Africa ..... hip fractures, confusion and preventable hospitalisation.29 .... in elderly patients in Dutch residential long-term care (LTC): a.

  13. Femoral nerve block in a representative sample of elderly people with hip fracture: A randomised controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Unneby, Anna; Svensson, Olle; Gustafson, Yngve; Olofsson, Birgitta

    2017-07-01

    The number of elderly people with hip fracture and dementia is increasing, and many of these patients suffer from pain. Opioids are difficult to adjust and side effects are common, especially with increased age and among patients with dementia. Preoperative femoral nerve block is an alternative pain treatment. To investigate whether preoperative femoral nerve block reduced acute pain and opioid use after hip fracture among elderly patients, including those with dementia. In this randomised controlled trial involving patients aged ≥70years with hip fracture (trochanteric and cervical), including those with dementia, we compared femoral nerve block with conventional pain management, with opioid use if required. The primary outcome was preoperative pain, measured at five timepoints using a visual analogue scale (VAS). Preoperative opioid consumption was also registered. The study sample comprised 266 patients admitted consecutively to the Orthopaedic Ward. The mean age was 84.1 (±6.9)years, 64% of participants were women, 44% lived in residential care facilities, and 120 (45.1%) had dementia diagnoses. Patients receiving femoral nerve block had significantly lower self-rated pain scores from baseline to 12h after admission than did controls. Self-rated and proxy VAS pain scores decreased significantly in these patients from baseline to 12h compared with controls (pblock required less opioids than did controls, overall (2.3±4.0 vs. 5.7±5.2mg, pblock had lower pain scores and required less opioids before surgery compared with those receiving conventional pain management. Femoral nerve block seems to be a feasible pain treatment for elderly people, including those with dementia. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  14. Relationship between subjective fall risk assessment and falls and fall-related fractures in frail elderly people

    OpenAIRE

    Shimada, Hiroyuki; Suzukawa, Megumi; Ishizaki, Tatsuro; Kobayashi, Kumiko; Kim, Hunkyung; Suzuki, Takao

    2011-01-01

    Abstract Background Objective measurements can be used to identify people with risks of falls, but many frail elderly adults cannot complete physical performance tests. The study examined the relationship between a subjective risk rating of specific tasks (SRRST) to screen for fall risks and falls and fall-related fractures in frail elderly people. Methods The SRRST was investigated in 5,062 individuals aged 65 years or older who were utilized day-care services. The SRRST comprised 7 dichotom...

  15. Neurological abnormalities and neurocognitive functions in healthy elder people: A structural equation modeling analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chan Raymond CK

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background/Aims Neurological abnormalities have been reported in normal aging population. However, most of them were limited to extrapyramidal signs and soft signs such as motor coordination and sensory integration have received much less attention. Very little is known about the relationship between neurological soft signs and neurocognitive function in healthy elder people. The current study aimed to examine the underlying relationships between neurological soft signs and neurocognition in a group of healthy elderly. Methods One hundred and eighty healthy elderly participated in the current study. Neurological soft signs were evaluated with the subscales of Cambridge Neurological Inventory. A set of neurocognitive tests was also administered to all the participants. Structural equation modeling was adopted to examine the underlying relationship between neurological soft signs and neurocognition. Results No significant differences were found between the male and female elder people in neurocognitive function performances and neurological soft signs. The model fitted well in the elderly and indicated the moderate associations between neurological soft signs and neurocognition, specifically verbal memory, visual memory and working memory. Conclusions The neurological soft signs are more or less statistically equivalent to capture the similar information done by conventional neurocognitive function tests in the elderly. The implication of these findings may serve as a potential neurological marker for the early detection of pathological aging diseases or related mental status such as mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease.

  16. Changing Housing for Elderly People and Co-ordination Issues in Europe

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Houben, P.P.J.A.M.

    2001-01-01

    The inter-sectoral policy systems of housing for elderly people in the EU-countries change with the implementation of ageing in place and by general processes of modernisation of society and welfare state. For implementation of the innovations the relevance of co-ordination between the sector

  17. Factors predicting meat and meat products consumption among middle-aged and elderly people: evidence from a consumer survey in Switzerland.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmid, Alexandra; Gille, Doreen; Piccinali, Patrizia; Bütikofer, Ueli; Chollet, Magali; Altintzoglou, Themistoklis; Honkanen, Pirjo; Walther, Barbara; Stoffers, Helena

    2017-01-01

    Background : An adequate diet contributes to health and wellbeing in older age. This is nowadays more important than ever since in industrialised countries the elderly population is growing continually. However, information regarding the consumption behaviour of older persons in Switzerland is limited. Objective : The objective of this investigation was to explore how middle-aged and elderly Swiss view animal products in relation to diet and health, and what factors predict consumption frequency. Design : A representative consumer survey among 632 people over the age of 50 years, living in the German-, French- and Italian-speaking regions of Switzerland was conducted. Results : This paper presents the results related to meat and meat products consumption. Most participants consumed meat and meat products regularly. The majority of participants with low meat intake indicated that eating small amounts would be enough. Respondents judged fresh meat (except pork) to be healthier than meat products, and poultry to be the healthiest meat. Overall meat consumption frequency was predicted by language region, gender, household size, and BMI. Furthermore, participants' opinion about healthiness, taste and safety of meat but not their adherence to the Swiss food pyramid was found to be correlated to the consumption frequency of individual types of meat. Conclusion : Several factors have an impact on consumption frequency of meat and meat products in the middle-aged and elderly Swiss population and the importance varies according to the individual types of meat and meat products. The results show that the traditional food pyramid is not one of these factors for which reason new tools must be explored to support elderly people in regard to a healthy dietary behaviour.

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    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.

  19. Effectiveness of Gestalt Therapy on Happiness of Elderly People

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heiman Saadati

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of Gestalt therapy on the happiness of elderly people. Methods & Materials: This is an experimental study with a pre-test- post-test design and control group. Sample of the study selected from elderly members of Shad Senior Social Club. 50 older members were evaluated according to inclusion/ exclusion criteria and by Abbreviated Mental Test Score. 28 participants selected and divided into 2 equal groups randomly. Oxford Happiness Scale was administered to both. Gestalt therapy sessions for the intervention group were administered in 90 minutes weekly meetings for 8 successive weeks. The post-test data collected after the last session. Data analyzed by using t-test for independent groups. Results: T-test results showed that the mean difference between the two groups were significant (P<0.01 and Gestalt therapy increased the happiness of intervention group significantly. Happiness scores of intervention group in all sub-scales were also significantly higher in post-test compared to control group (P<0.001. Conclusion: The results showed that Gestalt therapy can be helpful in enhancing positive emotions and happiness in older people. Implementation of Gestalt therapy sessions in nursing homes, and retirement centers are recommended.

  20. Effects of Pilates method in elderly people: Systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Oliveira Francisco, Cristina; de Almeida Fagundes, Alessandra; Gorges, Bruna

    2015-07-01

    The Pilates method has been widely used in physical training and rehabilitation. Evidence regarding the effectiveness of this method in elderly people is limited. Six randomized controlled trials studies involving the use of the Pilates method for elderly people, published prior to December 2013, were selected from the databases PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane, Scielo and PEDro. Three articles suggested that Pilates produced improvements in balance. Two studies evaluated the adherence to Pilates programs. One study assessed Pilates' influence on cardio-metabolic parameters and another study evaluated changes in body composition. Strong evidence was found regarding beneficial effects of Pilates over static and dynamic balance in women. Nevertheless, evidence of balance improvement in both genders, changes in body composition in woman and adherence to Pilates programs were limited. Effects on cardio-metabolic parameters due to Pilates training presented inconclusive results. Pilates may be a useful tool in rehabilitation and prevention programs but more high quality studies are necessary to establish all the effects on elderly populations. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  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. Tips for a Healthy Long-Life Learned from Space Medicine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ohshima, Hiroshi; Yamada, Shin; Matsuo, Tomoaki; Yamamoto, Masafumi; Mukai, Chiaki

    2013-02-01

    The field of space medicine is responsible for maintaining astronauts’ health and optimizing their performance. A prolonged stay in space with little gravity results in weakening of the bones and muscles that otherwise support body weight, which is precisely the problem faced by elderly people on Earth. Space medicine provides the means of alleviating such problems. Bone loss, muscle atrophy, and disturbed circadian rhythms are common issues for both astronauts and the elderly alike and can be prevented, if the risks are addressed correctly. To have a healthy long-life, it is important to practice effective health improvement techniques and take preventive measures. The space medicine technologies a for astronauts will provide helpful information to people living in a super aging society. and Japanese medical societies for health promotion. With the aids of the Japanese Society of Physical Fitness and Sports Medicine, the Japanese Orthopaedic Association, and the Japanese Association of Rehabilitation Medicine, JAXA has made a leaflet titled for general citizen to show the tips for a healthy long-life learned from space medicine from the viewpoints of their respective expertise.

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    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.

  4. Aging, physical activity and sports injuries. An overview of common sports injuries in the elderly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kallinen, M; Markku, A

    1995-07-01

    Illness and aging both cause many structural and functional alterations in the human body, rendering elderly people liable to overloading of the musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems. It should, however, be kept in mind that immobilisation and inactivity have even more deleterious effects on structures and functions in the elderly than in younger adults. Most physically active elderly people are selected individuals with respect to their superior health and physical capacity compared with inactive persons of the same age, thus making it possible to further improve their physical capacity. They will, however, be affected by some of the drawbacks of physical overloading, mostly due to the diminished ability of aging body systems to adapt to high levels of loading. The safety margin of an exercise dose tends to decline with aging. Exertional injuries are common among the elderly, and are connected mostly with degenerative aging processes. Acute injuries are common in those elderly people participating in sport activities which demand high coordination, reaction time, and balance capabilities, such as ball games, down-hill skiing, and gymnastics. Muscle has been reported to be the most commonly acutely injured tissue among active elderly athletes. The lower extremities are the most susceptible to injury. A large proportion of injuries (acute and exertional) are mild and can be treated by brief cessation of training and competition activities. Some of the injuries are, however, long term and cause disability not only during training and competition, but also in the normal activities of daily living. It is important that these injuries are treated as soon as possible and in the most effective way, similarly to injuries suffered by younger people. In treating elderly people, it is most important to avoid the detrimental effects of immobilisation; this requires active treatment and rehabilitation with compensatory exercise therapy. The best 'treatment' for sports

  5. Vitamin E supplementation protects erythrocyte membranes from oxidative stress in healthy Chinese middle-aged and elderly people.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Yongye; Ma, Aiguo; Li, Yong; Han, Xiuxia; Wang, Qiuzhen; Liang, Hui

    2012-05-01

    Elderly people are subject to higher levels of oxidative stress than are young people. Vitamin E, as a powerful antioxidant residing mainly in biomembranes, may provide effective protection against oxidative membrane damage and resultant age-related deterioration, especially in the elderly. We hypothesized that appropriate levels of vitamin E supplementation would protect erythrocyte membranes from oxidative stress and thus improve membrane fluidity in healthy middle-aged and elderly people. To test this, we conducted a 4-month double-blind, randomized trial in which 180 healthy subjects (55-70 years old) were randomly divided into 4 groups: group C (control), and 3 treatment groups in which daily doses of 100 mg (VE1), 200 mg (VE2), and 300 mg (VE3) dl-α-tocopheryl acetate were administered. We measured plasma α-tocopherol concentration, malondialdehyde, and superoxide dismutase levels, erythrocyte hemolysis, and erythrocyte membrane fluidity at the beginning and end of the trial. After 4 months supplementation, plasma α-tocopherol concentrations in the 3 treatment groups had increased by 71%, 78%, and 95%, respectively (all P stress in healthy middle-aged to elderly people, at least in part by improving erythrocyte membrane fluidity and reducing erythrocyte hemolysis. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. [Lifestyle of elderly patients with diabetes mellitus].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fukuoka, Yuki; Yamada, Yuichiro

    2013-11-01

    In elderly people, glucose tolerance is deteriorated and the incidence of diabetes mellitus is increased, due to decreased muscle mass and physical activity, declining pancreatic beta cell function, and other factors. Diabetes mellitus is an important risk factor for arteriosclerosis development in the elderly. Precise diagnosis and adequate treatment are necessary to prevent cerebrovascular and ischemic heart diseases. Elderly patients with diabetes mellitus are characteristically afflicted with more complications, impaired activities of daily living, cognitive function decline, and family environment problems, as compared with young and middle-aged diabetics. Therefore, tailor-made rather than uniform therapy becomes important. Lifestyle modification is the basis of diabetes treatment. Herein, we describe "prevention and management" of diabetes mellitus, focusing on the lifestyles of elderly diabetics.

  7. Approach to Fall in Elderly Population

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mehmet Ilkin Naharci

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available Falls are one of the geriatric syndromes which occur commonly and significantly increase morbidity and mortality rates in elderly. The incidence of falls increases with age. Falls usually occur when impairments in cognitive, behavioral, and executive function begin. The incidence of fall is between 30 and 40 percent of community-dwelling people and approximately 50 percent of individuals in the long-term care setting over the age of 65 years. Fracture (hip, arm, wrist, pelvis, head trauma or major lacerations, as defined serious wounding, occur 10-25% of elderly cases. Fall is overlooked in clinical examination due to various reasons; the patient never mentions the event to a doctor; there is no injury at the time of the fall; the doctor fails to ask the patient about a history of falls; or either doctor or patient erroneously believes that falls are an inevitable part of the aging process. Elderly give not usually any self-information about fall, for this reason, all older patients should be asked at least once per year about falls and should be assessed in terms of balance and gait disorders. There are many distinct causes for falls in old people. Falls in older individuals occur when a threat to the normal homeostatic mechanisms that maintain postural stability is superimposed on underlying age-related declines in balance, ambulation, and cardiovascular function. This factor may be an acute illness (eg, fever, water loss, arrhythmia, a new medication, an environmental stress (eg, unfamiliar surrounding, or an unsafe walking surface. The elderly person can not cope with happened additional stress. To prevent and decrease the frequency of falls, effective approaches are medical interventions, environmental modifications, education-exercise programs, and assisted device. Detection and amelioration of risk factors can significantly reduce the rate of future falls. The assessment of fall, causing mobility restriction, use of nursing home, and

  8. An exploration of how young people and parents use online support in the context of living with cystic fibrosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirk, Susan; Milnes, Linda

    2016-04-01

    There is increasing recognition of the Internet's potential role in providing information and support for people living with long-term conditions. However, how young people and parents use online forms of self-care support in the context of living with childhood chronic illness has been under-researched. To explore how online peer support is used by young people and parents to support self-care in relation to cystic fibrosis (CF). Online forum for young people and parents based on a CF charity website. A total of 279 individuals participated in the forum during the study. An online ethnographical approach, involving observing, downloading and analysing discussion group postings. All postings made over a random 4-month period were included (151 discussion threads). The online setting enabled a physically disconnected group to connect and create a safe space to collectively share experiences and receive support to manage and live with cystic fibrosis. Participants exchanged experientially derived advice and views on how to manage treatments, emotions, relationships, identity and support from services. While parents sought information and support on managing specific therapies/services and ways of maintaining their child's health, the information and support young people desired appeared to be more directed at how to 'fit' CF into their everyday lives. Online support groups appear to supplement professional support in relation to self-management. They enable young people and parents to share experiences, feelings and strategies for living with long-term conditions with peers and develop the expertise to empower them in interactions with health-care professionals. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  9. Plasma carotenoid concentrations in relation to acute respiratory infections in elderly people

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Graat, J.M.; Kok, F.J.; Schouten, E.G.

    2004-01-01

    A high plasma carotenoid concentration could improve the immune response and result in decreased risk of infectious diseases. However, data on the relationship of plasma carotenoid concentration with acute respiratory infections, which occur frequently in elderly people, are scarce. We investigated,

  10. A comparison of the factors influencing life satisfaction between Korean older people living with family and living alone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shin, S H; Sok, S R

    2012-06-01

    As the global population of older people continuously increases, many countries are beginning to experience health problems associated with older age. These countries may be interested in knowing and understanding the health problems experienced by the older Korean population, which is projected to age the most rapidly. This study aimed to compare and examine the factors that influence the life satisfaction between older people living with their family and those living alone. A cross-sectional survey was conducted. The participants comprised a total 300 older Koreans (150 living with their family, 150 living alone) aged 65 years or over who met the eligibility criteria. All measures were self-administered. Data were analysed using the SAS statistical software program version 6.12 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC). The older people living with their family were better than the older people living alone in perceived health status, self-esteem, depression and life satisfaction. Perceived health status, self-esteem, depression, age and monthly allowance were found to be the factors related to the life satisfaction of older people living with their family and those living alone. The factors that were found to have the greatest influence on the life satisfaction of older people living with their family and those living alone were depression and perceived health, respectively. This study may help healthcare providers to understand the factors that can influence the life satisfaction among older people living with their family and living alone in Korea. © 2011 The Authors. International Nursing Review © 2011 International Council of Nurses.

  11. "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.

  12. 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.

  13. Dysphagia in the elderly in long-stay institutions - a systematic literature review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bianca Paixão Santos

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to verify in the literature, through a systematic review, the dietary conditions of the elderly in long-stay institutions, seeking to observe the general care and agents that potentiate dysphagia, in order to review aspects of dysphagia and deglutition risk indicators in the elderly. A survey, regarding the articles published from 2009 on, with the descriptors "elderly, long-stay institution and dysphagia", in Portuguese and English, on Scielo, PubMed and Lilacs, was performed, totaling 423 articles in the initial search, from which, 13 that were in agreement with the inclusion criteria adopted were chosen, 2 being repeated in more than one research source. At the end, 11 articles were included for analysis and discussion. It was observed that most the long-stay institutions do not have adequate structure to treat the elderly in a multidisciplinary approach. In all those studies, the negligence with the elderly’s oral hygiene, which potentiates the development of pulmonary infections in cases of aspiration, was evidenced. The association between dementia, food dependency and increase in feeding time was also observed in the literature, as well as the association of medication use with the interference in food dynamics. In addition, many studies have shown that, although the Stomatognathic System structures are altered due to the aging process, the elderly have the functions of speech, chewing and swallowing adapted, without greater damage to their general health. It can be concluded that long-stay institutions do not offer adequate staff to care for the elderly to reduce the risks for dysphagia.

  14. Asymmetries in global-local processing ability in elderly people with the apolipoprotein e-epsilon4 allele.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacobson, Mark W; Delis, Dean C; Lansing, Amy; Houston, Wes; Olsen, Ryan; Wetter, Spencer; Bondi, Mark W; Salmon, David P

    2005-11-01

    Previous studies have identified cognitive asymmetries in elderly people at increased risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD) by comparing standardized neuropsychological tests of verbal and spatial abilities in both preclinical AD and apolipoprotein epsilon4+ elderly groups. This prospective study investigated cognitive asymmetries within a single test by comparing cognitively intact elderly (with and without the epsilon4+ allele) on a learning and memory measure that uses global and local visuospatial stimuli. Both groups demonstrated comparable overall learning and recall. But the epsilon4+ group had a significantly larger discrepancy between their global and local learning scores and had a greater proportion of individuals with more than a one standard deviation difference between their immediate recall of the global and local elements, relative to the epsilon4- group. These findings build on previous studies identifying subgroups of elderly people at greater risk for AD who often demonstrate increased cognitive asymmetries relative to groups without significant risk factors. Copyright (c) 2005 APA, all rights reserved.

  15. 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

  16. Dietary Behaviors of Elderly People Residing in Central Iran: A Preliminary Report of Yazd Health Study (YAHS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Davood Bahrami

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Food habits play important roles in maintaining physical and mental health and preventing chronic illnesses in the elderly. The aim of the present study was to investigate dietary behaviors of elderly people residing in Yazd city which is located in central Iran. Methods: The present analysis was conducted on 1684 participants entered to Yazd Health Study (YAHS aged over 60 years during 2014-2015. Demographic characteristics, health status, physical activity, economic status, education and dietary behaviors were collected by using a validated questionnaire. Results: Our analysis revealed that only 1.2% of the elderly consumed more than two servings of dairy per day. Furthermore only 3 and 9.8 percent of elders consumed more than three servings/day of vegetables and fruits, respectively. The study also showed that 22.9% ate more than five servings of sugar per day, 22.5% took more than four units of legumes weekly, 56.1% ate two to three servings of poultry per week, 77% reported eating fast foods for at least once a week, 47.8% consumed canned foods less than once a week of and 86.3% reported taking breakfast for at least five times a week. For cooking 18.9% of elderly still use hydrogenated vegetable oils, 52.8% of the elderly did not separate visible fats from red meat before cooking, 65.8% chose high-fat dairy and  24% of older people reported using frying and grilling as their primary cooking method. Our findings also suggest that dietary behavior is different between elder men and women. Conclusion: Unhealthy dietary habits, including low vegetables, fruits and dairy products intake, are highly prevalent among elderly people residing in Yazd. Community based interventions targeting this age group, in order to improve their dietary intake, are highly recommended.

  17. Images of Aging in Institutionalized and Non-Institutionalized Elderly People

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marlene Lopes

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Aim: The aim of this study was to assess and compare images and stereotypes of aging in institutionalized and non-institutionalized elderly people. This is a descriptive study using a survey. Method: The instruments used were a sociodemographic questionnaire and the ImAges scale. A total of 120 elderly people, aged between 65 and 99 years, participated in this study. Results: Statistically significant differences were found, for the scale’s three factors, between institutionalized and non-institutionalized older adults. In the factor “dependence, sadness and old-fashioned”, the institutionalized participants presented a higher number of negative images and stereotypes (M = 51.8; DP = 6.01 than the non-institutionalized participants (M = 49.0; DP = 7.85, these differences were significant (t(118 = -2.16; p < 0.05. In the “maturity, activity and affectivity” factor, there were also significant differences (t(118 = 2.04; p < 0.05, the non-institutionalized participants present higher rates of positive images and stereotypes (M = 20.2; DP = 3.28, when compared to institutionalized participants (M = 19.0; DP = 3.310. Conclusion: The results suggested that institutionalized older adults presented more negative aging images than non-institutionalized.

  18. Acute respiratory infections in elderly people: the role of micronutrients and lifestyle

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Graat, J.M.

    2003-01-01

    Acute respiratory infections are the most frequent of all infectious diseases. In popular speech common cold, flu (influenza), and pneumonia all denote acute respiratory infections. Elderly people show an increased risk of these infections and their complications. In The Netherlands about 2.000

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

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

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

    2009-01-01

    Background/Objectives: In selecting a dietary assessment method, several aspects such as the aim of the study and the characteristics of the target population should be taken into account. In elderly people, diminished functionality and cognitive decline may hamper dietary assessment and require

  20. Prevalence of remediable disability due to low vision among institutionalised elderly people.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Winter, L.J. de; Hoyng, C.B.; Froeling, P.G.A.M.; Meulendijks, C.F.M.; Wilt, G.J. van der

    2004-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Prevalence of remediable visual disability among institutionalised elderly people, resulting from inappropriate use or non-use of low-vision aids, is reported to be high, but largely rests on anecdotal evidence. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of binocular low vision and underlying

  1. Alcohol, smoking, and physical activity related to respiratory infections in elderly people

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Horst-Graat, van der J.M.; Terpstra, J.S.; Kok, F.J.; Schouten, E.G.

    2007-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: Elderly people show an increased risk of acute respiratory infections and their complications. This increased susceptibility may be the result of immunosenescence. If lifestyle factors could influence the risk of the infections, this could result in great public health relevance. We

  2. Beliefs and opinions in caregiving of elderly with AIDS: an exploratory study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raquel Farias Diniz

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To explore what informal caregivers of elderly with AIDS think about the disease itself, the infection in elderly people, and about being a caregiver. Methods: A qualitative study in which the thematic content analysis of interviews resulted in the emergence of three categories: “conceptions about AIDS”, “AIDS in old age” and “being a caregiver”. Results: We observed the emergence of issues related to the three aspects, which must be considered in a broader analysis within the patient-caregiver relationship. Such questions involve information about the disease, living with the patient, gender differences and the specificities resulting from the infection at this stage of life. Conclusion: From this study, it is expected that greater attention be given to relationships of care provided by informal network of support to elderly people living with AIDS, in order to foster researches on social, affective, motivational and behavior aspects of caregivers.

  3. 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...

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2018-03-01

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

  5. Effect of aromatherapy massage on elderly patients under long-term hospitalization in Japan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Satou, Tadaaki; Chikama, Mizuki; Chikama, Yoshiko; Hachigo, Masato; Urayama, Haruna; Murakami, Shio; Hayashi, Shinichiro; Koikem, Kazuo

    2013-03-01

    To verify the effectiveness of aromatherapy massage on elderly patients under long-term hospitalization. Aromatherapy massage was performed twice a week for a total of eight times. Nursing home. Elderly women under long-term hospitalization. Questionnaire and measurement of stress marker levels (salivary amylase activity) before and after the first, fifth, and eighth aromatherapy massages. Questionnaire (Face scale, General Health Questionnaire-12 [GHQ-12]), measurement of salivary amylase activity. A decrease in stress after aromatherapy massage compared to before each massage was confirmed at all measurement times and with the stress marker. No marked reduction was observed in Face scale or saliva amylase activity as a whole over the long term, although decreasing tendencies were seen. Marked reductions in GHQ-12 were observed over the long term. Aroma massage appears likely to prove effective in reducing psychological stress among elderly patients under long-term hospitalization.

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

  8. Paradise regained: how elderly people who are chronically mentally ill reinvent a social self.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Dongen, E

    2001-01-01

    Throughout their lives, chronic mentally ill people go through a series of disruptive events and periods of suffering. In general, the literature suggests that people with long-standing mental illnesses are extremely vulnerable and cannot maintain themselves without assistance. When old age is added to this mix, the result is a heavy burden for both the patient and the caregiver. While the negative consequences, for both patient and caregiver, of suffering chronic illness during old age must not be ignored, neither should the positive periods in these people's lives. There are times when the mutual identification between cold and young yields vivid examples of the latter's ability to reconstitute a social self. In this paper I look at chronic illness in old age as a struggle on the part of the sufferer to reconcile her/his experiences of suffering in the light of approaching death. I attempt to show that the process of aging with a chronic mental illness involves not only decay and suffering, but also resilience and vitality.

  9. The impact of indoor air quality and contaminants on respiratory health of older people living in long-term care residences in Porto.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mendes, Ana; Papoila, Ana Luísa; Carreiro-Martins, Pedro; Bonassi, Stefano; Caires, Iolanda; Palmeiro, Teresa; Aguiar, Lívia; Pereira, Cristiana; Neves, Paula; Mendes, Diana; Botelho, Maria Amália Silveira; Neuparth, Nuno; Teixeira, João Paulo

    2016-01-01

    persons who are 65 years or older often spend an important part of their lives indoors thus adverse indoor climate might influence their health status. to evaluate the influence of indoor air quality and contaminants on older people's respiratory health. cross-sectional study. 21 long-term care residences (LTC) in the city of Porto, Portugal. older people living in LTC with ≥65 years old. the Portuguese version of BOLD questionnaire was administered by an interviewer to older residents able to participate (n = 143). Indoor air contaminants (IAC) were measured twice, during winter and summer in 135 areas. Mixed effects logistic regression models were used to study the association between the health questionnaire results and the monitored IAC, adjusted for age, smoking habits, gender and number of years living in the LTC. cough (23%) and sputum (12%) were the major respiratory symptoms, and allergic rhinitis (22%) the main self-reported illness. Overall particulate matter up to 2.5 micrometres in size median concentration was above the reference levels both in winter and summer seasons. Peak values of particulate matter up to 10 micrometres in size (PM10), total volatile organic compounds, carbon dioxide, bacteria and fungi exceeded the reference levels. Older people exposed to PM10 above the reference levels demonstrated higher odds of allergic rhinitis (OR = 2.9, 95% CI: 1.1-7.2). high levels of PM10 were associated with 3-fold odds of allergic rhinitis. No association was found between indoor air chemical and biological contaminants and respiratory symptoms. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  10. "People try and label me as someone I'm not": The social ecology of Indigenous people living with HIV, stigma, and discrimination in Manitoba, Canada.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woodgate, Roberta L; Zurba, Melanie; Tennent, Pauline; Cochrane, Carla; Payne, Mike; Mignone, Javier

    2017-12-01

    Indigenous peoples (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis) are currently overrepresented in the HIV epidemic in Canada and are infected at a younger age than those who are not Indigenous. This article presents our findings on the stigma and discrimination (as well as related themes such as disclosure) experienced by Indigenous people who contracted HIV in their youth and live in urban and non-urban settings in Manitoba, Canada. The findings were derived from a qualitative study that sought to understand the experiences and needs of Indigenous people living with HIV (including AIDS). We situate such experiences within a social ecological framework towards developing a better structural understanding of the impacts of stigma and discrimination on the lives of Indigenous people who are HIV positive. Stigma and discrimination caused barriers for Indigenous people living with HIV through inhibiting their ease of access to supports including family, peers, community, and long- and short-term health services. Creative forms of outreach and education that are culturally appropriate and/or rooted in culture were considered to be possibly impactful ways of reducing stigma and discrimination at the community level. Learning from communities who are successfully managing stigma also showed promise for developing new programming. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Use of in-patient hospital beds by people living in residential care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Finucane, P; Wundke, R; Whitehead, C; Williamson, L; Baggoley, C

    2000-01-01

    There is concern that people living in residential care in Australia make significant and often inappropriate use of acute in-patient hospital services. To date, no factual information has been collected in Australia and its absence may allow myths and negative stereotypes to proliferate. To determine how and why people living in residential care in Australia use in-patient hospital beds. To determine the outcome of hospitalisation and functional status at 3 months following discharge. Prospective study of 184 consecutive admissions to hospital following Emergency Department (ED) attendance involving people aged over 65 years and living in residential care in southern Adelaide, South Australia. Information was obtained from the facilities' transfer letters, and where these were inadequate or absent, telephone interviews were held with residential care staff. 153 people accounted for the 184 admissions. They had a mean age of 84 years and 69% were female. 61% came from hostels and 35% from nursing homes. They had a wide range of clinical problems and twice as many were admitted to medical than to surgical units. Their mean length of hospital stay was 7.9 days, 2.3 days higher than for non-same-day patients and was higher for hostel than for nursing home residents. All but two admissions were considered unavoidable though the provision of specialised care within residential care could have prevented a further 19 (10%) admissions. 96% of admissions resulted in survival to leave hospital and in 74%, people returned directly to their place of origin. At 3 months follow-up, a further 20% of the group had died while 5% were in hospital. In all, 14% of the original group were in a different long-term care facility while 56% were living at their former residence. People living in residential care are often hospitalised because of acute illness. In the vast majority of cases hospitalisation is both appropriate and unavoidable. Most did not require prolonged hospitalisation

  12. Perspective-Taking Judgments Among Young Adults, Middle-Aged, and Elderly People

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ligneau-Herve, Catherine; Mullet, Etienne

    2005-01-01

    Perspective-taking judgments among young adults, middle-aged, and elderly people were examined. In 1 condition, participants were instructed to judge the likelihood of acceptance of a painkiller as a function of 3 cues: severity of the condition, potential side effects, and level of trust in the health care provider. In the other condition,…

  13. Are old people so gentle? Functional and dysfunctional impulsivity in the elderly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morales-Vives, Fabia; Vigil-Colet, Andreu

    2012-03-01

    Although old people may seem less impulsive than adults, numerous experimental studies report that they have inhibitory deficits. Bearing in mind that there is a relationship between inhibition processes and impulsivity, age-related inhibition deficits suggest that older people could be more impulsive than adults. The aim of the current study was to compare the functional and dysfunctional impulsivity scores obtained in a sample of elderly people (65 years old and above) with those obtained in previous studies on samples of adolescents and adults. Dickman's Impulsivity Inventory was administered to 190 individuals aged between 65 and 94 years without dementia or cognitive impairment. Results indicated that the elderly sample showed higher dysfunctional impulsivity levels than the adult samples, which is consistent with the inhibition deficits mentioned above. There were no significant differences in functional impulsivity. Furthermore, old women had higher scores than old men on dysfunctional impulsivity. This study provides evidence of age-related changes in dysfunctional impulsivity. Functional impulsivity did not show the same pattern as dysfunctional impulsivity, being quite stable across the age span. it seems, then, that impulsivity cannot be considered to decrease with age and dysfunctional impulsivity may even increase.

  14. [Does the care for the fear of falling bring a profit to community living elderly people who had experienced falls?].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Landrot, Marion De Rogalski; Perrot, Catherine; Blanc, Patricia; Beauchet, Olivier; Blanchon, Marie Ange; Gonthier, Régis

    2007-09-01

    fall is common in old people and has multiple consequences, physical but also psychological, with a fear of falling which results in reduction in the activities of everyday life, loss of autonomy and entry in dependence. The aim of the study was to evluate the benefit of taking into account the fear of falling in the care of old people who had experienced falls. old people who experienced falls and with a good cognitive status were followed in a day hospital during one year. Evaluation including a specific assessment of the responsibility of the psychological factor, the photolangage, was performed before and after multi-field rehabilitation. We used the rating scales ADL, IADL, SF-36, SAFE, and verbal and analogical scales of the fear of falling. fifteen patients were included (mean age 85 years +/- 5,7). The majority were women living alone, with a good nutritional status, a moderated renal insufficiency, and a comorbidity involving polymedication. Scores on the ADL and IADL scales showed a consolidation of the patients' autonomy, with a slight but significant improvement of the IADL scores (p fear of falling (visual analogical, verbal scales, SAFE) showed a statistically significant improvement (pfear of falling brings a benefit in term of quality of life and preservation of autonomy in old people living in the community who had experienced falls.

  15. Low vitamin D status is associated with reduced muscle mass and impaired physical performance in frail elderly people.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tieland, M; Brouwer-Brolsma, E M; Nienaber-Rousseau, C; van Loon, L J C; De Groot, L C P G M

    2013-10-01

    Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) status has been associated with muscle mass, strength and physical performance in healthy elderly people. Yet, in pre-frail and frail elderly people this association has not been studied. The objective of this study was to explore the association between vitamin D intake and serum 25(OH)D status with muscle mass, strength and physical performance in a pre-frail and frail elderly population. This cross-sectional study included 127 pre-frail and frail elderly people in The Netherlands. Whole body and appendicular lean mass (ALM) (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry), leg strength (one repetition maximum), handgrip strength and physical performance (short physical performance battery) were measured, and blood samples were collected for the assessment of serum 25(OH)D status (liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry). In addition, habitual dietary intake (3-day food records) and physical activity data (accelerometers) were collected. In total, 53% of the participants had a serum 25(OH)D level below 50  nmol/l. After adjustment for confounding factors, 25(OH)D status was associated with ALM (β=0.012, P=0.05) and with physical performance (β=0.020, PVitamin D intake was associated with physical performance (β=0.18, P0.05). In this frail elderly population, 25(OH)D status is low and suggests a modest association with reduced ALM and impaired physical performance. In addition, vitamin D intake tended to be associated with impaired physical performance. Our findings highlight the need for well-designed intervention trials to assess the impact of vitamin D supplementation on 25(OH)D status, muscle mass and physical performance in pre-frail and frail elderly people.

  16. Lifestyle and lifestyle-related comorbidities independently associated with colorectal adenoma recurrence in elderly Chinese people

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saiken, Adake; Gu, Fang

    2016-01-01

    Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the lifestyle and lifestyle-related comorbidities independently associated with colorectal adenoma (CRA) recurrence in elderly Chinese people. Methods During the 5-year follow-up after the initial colonoscopy, participants aged >60 years with the diagnosis and removal of CRA underwent a complete surveillance colonoscopy, and 152 participants with CRA recurrence plus 152 participants free of recurrence were included in this analysis. Results Participants with CRA recurrence were more likely to consume less vegetables and fruits, and more red meats compared with the control group (PCRA recurrence than in the control group (PCRA recurrence (odds ratio [OR]: 1.03; PCRA recurrence, as was eating more red meats (OR: 1.01; PCRA recurrence (OR: 2.44; PCRA recurrence (OR: 3.43; Pmeats, low intake of fruits and vegetables, and the presence of hypertension and NAFLD were independently associated with an increased CRA recurrence in elderly Chinese people. This conclusion helps elderly Chinese people to make effective behavioral changes, such as smoking cessation, substitution of fruits and vegetables for red meats, and timely treatment of hypertension and NAFLD, to reduce CRA recurrence and colorectal cancer risk. PMID:27382263

  17. Association between the nutritional status and the severity of sarcopenia among community-dwelling elderly Japanese people.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Komai, Satsuki; Watanabe, Yutaka; Fujiwara, Yoshinori; Kim, Hunkyung; Edahiro, Ayako; Kawai, Hisashi; Yoshida, Hideyo; Obuchi, Shuichi; Tanaka, Yayoi; Hirano, Hirohiko

    2016-01-01

    To investigate the association between nutritional evaluation indices (body mass index, albumin, and weight loss) and sarcopenia severity among community-dwelling elderly people in Japan. The subjects consisted of 758 community-dwelling elderly people ≥65 years of age, categorized into two groups by based on Operation of long life medical care system (medical care system for elderly in the latter stage of life), the cut-off value for age used was 75. The outcome measures were basic characteristics, anthropometric measures, physical function, and blood biochemistry (five assessments). The appendicular skeletal muscle mass was calculated via a bioelectrical impedance analysis. The subjects were categorized into three groups by the body mass index (BMI) [BMI 3 group]. The cut-off value for albumin used was 3.8 g/dL [A1b 2 group]. Weight loss was assessed using item 11 on the Kihon check list: "Have you experienced more than 2-3 kg weight loss over the past 6 months? Yes=1, No=0." [weight loss 2 group]. Sarcopenia was defined based on the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People definition, using the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia cut-off values. All subjects were then categorized into four groups based on their sarcopenia status: non-sarcopenic (non-), pre-sarcopenic (pre-), sarcopenic (sarco-), or severely sarcopenic (severe-) [sarco4 group]. The prevalence of sarcopenia and severe sarcopenia in men was 5.6% (n=18) and 1.2% (n=4), respectively, and in women was 7.8% (n=34) and 1.6% (n=7), respectively. The analysis showed that, among the people (>75 years of age) with normal BMI (18.5-25.0), 10.4%-15.6% were in the Sarco group. Further, among women over 75 years of age with BMI >25.0, 5.7% (n=2) were in the Sarco group. There was a significant association between weight loss and sarcopenia severity in older men. No significant association between albumin levels and sarcopenia severity was observed. 80.0% of weight-loss was presented in above BMI 18

  18. Relationships between street characteristics and perceived attractiveness for walking reported by elderly people

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Borst, H.C.; Miedema, H.M.E.; Vries, S.I. de; Graham, J.M.A.; Dongen, J.E.F. van

    2008-01-01

    Walking is important for the health of elderly people. Previous studies have found a relationship between neighbourhood characteristics, physical activity and related health aspects. The multivariate linear regression model presented here describes the relationships between the perceived

  19. From Long-Stay Hospitals to Community Care: Reconstructing the Narratives of People with Learning Disabilities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leaning, Brian; Adderley, Hope

    2016-01-01

    Raymond, a 62 year old gentleman diagnosed with severe and profound learning disabilities, autistic spectrum disorder and severe challenging behaviour, who had lived in long stay campus-based hospital accommodation for 46 years was supported to move to a community project developed to support people to live in their own bespoke flat. This…

  20. 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.

  1. Differences in Waiting List Prioritization Preferences of Occupational Therapists, Elderly People, and Persons With Disabilities: A Discrete Choice Experiment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raymond, Marie-Hélène; Demers, Louise; Feldman, Debbie Ehrmann

    2018-01-01

    To compare the preferences of occupational therapists, elderly people, and adults with disabilities regarding prioritization criteria for occupational therapy waiting lists in home care. Discrete choice experiment survey. Survey mailed to occupational therapists working in home care and community-dwelling elderly or disabled persons. A sample (N=714) of home-based occupational therapists (n=241), elderly persons from a bank of research participants (n=226), and adults with physical disabilities recruited through community organizations (n=247). Not applicable. The dependent variable was whether the referral scenario was prioritized or not in each question. The results were analyzed through logistic regression using conditional logit models. Prioritization preferences differed between groups (Ppeople who had a few falls (odds ratio vs no falls, 48.7), whereas elderly people and adults with disabilities most strongly prioritized people who were unable to enter and exit the home (odds ratio vs no difficulty entering and exiting the home, 30.8 for elderly people and 16.8 for persons with disabilities.) CONCLUSIONS: Our results highlight the gap between the priorities of home-based occupational therapists and their target clientele. Although further inquiry is needed to inform priority setting, the findings emphasize the importance of public or patient involvement in decisions on waiting list prioritization. Copyright © 2017 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Elderly Abuse Rates Within Family Among Members of Senior Social Clubs in Tehran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Majideh Heravi Karimoei

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine elderly abuse rates, subtypes and related factors in the members of senior social clubs in the city of Tehran. Methods & Materials: This was a cross-sectional survey including 379 elders 65 years and older (125 men and 254 women presenting to the senior social clubs in Tehran. A face-to-face interview was carried out with every participant either at home or in clubs. Initially, individuals' cognitive states were evaluated using the Iranian version of the Abbreviated Mental Test Score and if scores of 6 and over were obtained, they were included in the study after taking informed consent. Subsequently, the Domestic Elderly Abuse Questionnaire, the Activities of Daily Living Scale for elderly people and a questionnaire designed by the authors for collecting demographic and personal data were completed. The gathered data were analyzed using the Chi square and T tests. Results: The total frequency of elderly abuse was 25.9%. The most frequent subtypes were emotional neglect (17.4% and psychological abuse (17.2% and the least were related to abandonment (3.7% and physical abuse (4.7%. Some factors including sex (P<0.0001, health insurance (P<0.04, occupation (P<0.0001, sufficient financial resources (P<0.0001, drug abuse (P<0.017, mean age (P<0.026, number of children (P<0.03, functional status (P<0.0001 and re-hospitalization (P<0.0001 were significantly different between the abused and non-abused people. Conclusion: Given the high rates of elderly abuse, serious measures must be taken to prevent its long-term consequences.

  3. Increasing fluid intake and reducing dehydration risk in older people living in long-term care: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bunn, Diane; Jimoh, Florence; Wilsher, Stephanie Howard; Hooper, Lee

    2015-02-01

    To assess the efficacy of interventions and environmental factors on increasing fluid intake or reducing dehydration risk in older people living in long-term care facilities. Systematic review of intervention and observational studies. Thirteen electronic databases were searched from inception until September 2013 in all languages. References of included papers and reviews were checked. Intervention and observational studies investigating modifiable factors to increase fluid intake and/or reduce dehydration risk in older people (≥65 years) living in long-term care facilities who could drink orally. Two reviewers independently screened, selected, abstracted data, and assessed risk of bias from included studies; narrative synthesis was performed. A total of 4328 titles and abstracts were identified, 325 full-text articles were obtained and 23 were included in the review. Nineteen intervention and 4 observational studies from 7 countries investigated factors at the resident, institutional, or policy level. Overall, the studies were at high risk of bias due to selection and attrition bias and lack of valid outcome measures of fluid intake and dehydration assessment. Reported findings from 6 of the 9 intervention studies investigating the effect of multicomponent strategies on fluid intake or dehydration described a positive effect. Components included greater choice and availability of beverages, increased staff awareness, and increased staff assistance with drinking and toileting. Implementation of the US Resident Assessment Instrument reduced dehydration prevalence from 3% to 1%, P = .01. Two smaller studies reported positive effects: one on fluid intake in 9 men with Alzheimer disease using high-contrast red cups, the other involved supplementing 13 mildly dehydrated residents with oral hydration solution over 5 days to reduce dehydration. Modifications to the dining environment, advice to residents, presentation of beverages, and mode of delivery (straw vs beaker

  4. Orofacial pain conditions and impact on quality of life in community-dwelling elderly people in Hong Kong.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Yan; McMillan, Anne S; Wong, May C M; Zheng, Jun; Lam, Cindy L K

    2007-01-01

    To determine orofacial pain (OFP) characteristics, associated disability, and effect on quality of life in elderly community-dwelling Chinese people. A cross-sectional survey involving elderly people registered with the Family Medicine Unit of the University of Hong Kong served as the sampling frame. Elderly people with recent OFP symptoms and a comparison control group without OFP participated. Standard questions were asked about OFP conditions in the previous month and the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14), General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), and pain-related disability questions were administered prior to a standard clinical examination. Ninety-five people with OFP and 100 people without OFP participated. The median number of pain symptoms per subject was 2.0. Toothache was the most common symptom (58.9%); shooting pain across the face and muscle tenderness were the least common (6.3%). More than half of the pain participants described moderate to severe OFP. The prevalences of patients with neurological/vascular (NV), musculoligamentous/soft tissue (MST), or dentoalveolar (DA) OFP were 35.8%, 33.7%, and 30.5%, respectively. Chronic OFP was common (80%). The mean OHIP-14 summary score was significantly higher in OFP subjects than controls (P or = 4, indicating greater psychological distress, were more common in OFP subjects than controls (P life activities, and in 9.9% it affected ability to work. OFP had a substantial detrimental impact on daily life activities, psychological distress level, and quality of life in Chinese elders. MST and DA conditions had the greatest adverse impact on quality of life.

  5. Oral manifestations among people living with HIV/AIDS in Tanzania

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fabian, F M; Kahabuka, F K; Petersen, P E

    2009-01-01

    BACKGROUND: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of various oral and peri-oral manifestations in people living with HIV/AIDS in Tanzania. METHODS: A cross sectional study. A total of 187 persons with HIV infection were recruited from non-governmental organisations serving people living...... associated with low body mass index (BMI). CONCLUSION: This community survey carried out in an African sub-Saharan country showed that oral lesions are frequent among people living with HIV/AIDS. As emphasised by the World Health Organization Global Oral Health Programme, national HIV/AIDS programmes should...

  6. 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.

  7. Effectiveness of social behaviors for autonomous wheelchair robot to support elderly people in Japan.

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    Masahiro Shiomi

    Full Text Available We developed a wheelchair robot to support the movement of elderly people and specifically implemented two functions to enhance their intention to use it: speaking behavior to convey place/location related information and speed adjustment based on individual preferences. Our study examines how the evaluations of our wheelchair robot differ when compared with human caregivers and a conventional autonomous wheelchair without the two proposed functions in a moving support context. 28 senior citizens participated in the experiment to evaluate three different conditions. Our measurements consisted of questionnaire items and the coding of free-style interview results. Our experimental results revealed that elderly people evaluated our wheelchair robot higher than the wheelchair without the two functions and the human caregivers for some items.

  8. [Family functioning of elderly with depressive symptoms].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Souza, Rosely Almeida; Desani da Costa, Gislaine; Yamashita, Cintia Hitomi; Amendola, Fernanda; Gaspar, Jaqueline Correa; Alvarenga, Márcia Regina Martins; Faccenda, Odival; Oliveira, Maria Amélia de Campos

    2014-06-01

    To classify families of elderly with depressive symptoms regarding their functioning and to ascertain the presence of an association between these symptoms, family functioning and the characteristics of the elderly. This was an observational, analytical, cross-sectional study performed with 33 teams of the Family Health Strategy in Dourados, MS. The sample consisted of 374 elderly divided into two groups (with and without depressive symptoms). The instruments for data collection were a sociodemographic instrument, the GeriatricDepression Scale (15 items) and the Family Apgar. An association was observed between depressive symptoms and family dysfunction, female gender, four or more people living together, and physical inactivity. The functional family may represent effective support for the elderly with depressive symptoms, because it offers a comfortable environment that ensures the well-being of its members. The dysfunctional family can barely provide necessary care for the elderly, which can exacerbate depressive symptoms.

  9. Postural balance and functional independence of elderly people according to gender and age: cross-sectional study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Helen Benincasa Nakagawa

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Aging causes changes in men and women. Studies have shown that women have worse postural balance and greater functional dependence than men, but there is no consensus regarding this. The aim of this study was to compare the balance and functional independence of elderly people according to sex and age, and to evaluate the association between postural balance and the number of drugs taken. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional at a state university. METHODS: 202 elderly people were evaluated regarding balance (Berg Scale, independence (Barthel Index, age, sex, number of medications and physical activity. RESULTS: The subjects comprised 117 women (70.2 ± 5.6 years old and 85 men (71.1 ± 6.9 years old. For balance, there was no significant difference regarding sex, but there was a difference regarding age (P < 0.0001. For functional independence, there was a difference regarding sex (P = 0.003, but not regarding age. The variables of age, medications and physical activity were significant for predicting the Berg score. For the Barthel index, only age and sex were significant. Elderly people who took three or more medications/day showed higher risk of falling than those who took up two drugs/day (odds ratio = 5.53, P < 0.0001, 95% confidence interval, 2.3-13.0. CONCLUSIONS: There was no sexual difference in relation to postural balance. However, people who were more elderly presented a high risk of falling. Functional dependence was worse among females. There was an association between the number of medication drugs and risk of falling.

  10. How much elderly people of Isfahan are adherent to their drug therapy regimens?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abazari, Parvaneh; Jafari, Tayebe Arab; Sabzghabaee, Ali Mohammad

    2017-01-01

    The need for a correct follow-up for medical advices of health givers is the cornerstone for avoiding drug-related complications in especial period of elderly people life. There isn't any data about drug therapy regimens adherence of elderly people of Isfahan. In this study, we aimed to cover this deficit. In this cross-sectional study which was carried out in Isfahan (Iran) in 2013 senior citizens (aged 65 or more) who were taking at least one medication and had no record of residency in nursing homes were included. We used Morisky medication adherence scale (after validation and reliability assessment for using this questionnaire in Persian language) to evaluate the level of adherence in the study population. A total of 200 elderly participants were fully studied ( n = 200, 61% females), and 52% of them had poor medication adherence. 77.5% of participants were suffered from at least four medical illnesses, and 18.5% of them were taking more than eight medications per day. We have not found any significant statistical relationship between vision or hearing loss disorders and the medication adherence of the participants). There was a significant positive relationship between the level of education and medication adherence ( P = 0.001), ( χ 2 = 0.29). Low Medication adherence is a common and important drug issue in the elderly in Isfahan. This issue can lead to medical complications and huge cost if it is not addressed appropriately.

  11. Factors Influencing the Preferred Place of Death in Community-dwelling Elderly People in Japan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Izumi Ohmachi

    2015-03-01

    Conclusion: It is necessary to consider individual preferences and public health strategies in order to enable elderly people to receive suitable and comfortable end-of-life care in their preferred location.

  12. American Indian/Alaska Native Elders: A Growing Demographic that Is Changing How We View Aging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewis, Jordan P

    2016-01-01

    Today, AIAN Elders are more actively engaged in their families and communities, encouraging the development of intergenerational programs, language and cultural revitalization, being stewards in research conducted in their communities, as well passing on their knowledge and experiences on how to live as healthy Native people. Elders have traditionally been quiet and observant of their environment, but the current and future cohorts of Elders are advocates, leaders, and culture bearers for their families and communities and they are now in positions of leadership. Western society acknowledges the value of traditional knowledge and AIAN Elders are viewed as exemplars of healthy aging and their lessons and experiences can be attributed to our own lives. This commentary highlights the paradigm shift in how society views older adults, specifically AIAN Elders and their role in health and wellbeing.

  13. BENEFICIOS DEL EJERCICIO FÍSICO EN EL ADULTO MAYOR CON ENFERMEDADES ASOCIADAS / Benefits of physical exercises in elderly people with associated illnesses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arnaldo Rodríguez León

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Introduction and objectives: The population aging represents a serious health problem. A physical exercise program will be beneficial for elderly people with associated illnesses. The objective of this study was the development of a physical exercise program in order to benefit the cardiovascular function. Method: A descriptive, prospective study was carried out with 20 patients (men and women equally over 60 years of age in Cifuentes municipality. Results: The average age was 68.9 years. There was a prevalence of arterial hypertension, chronic ischemic heart disease, heart failure, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes mellitus and musculoskeletal diseases. Twenty percent of the patients were considered as frail elderly people. There were no significant differences concerning the consumption of medications according to the sex, however there was a significant reduction of the consumption of medications in females at the end of the study – from 8.3 to 6.6 daily (x² =14,1 p < 0,05. The exercise program used had a very significant statistical result on the physical and psychic wellbeing of the patients (x² =24,1, p < 0,01; and a total of 16 elderly people (80 %, x²=15.4, p < 0,05, achieved a control of the arterial tension and the cardiac rhythm. It reduced the rate-pressure product and the myocardial oxygen consumption. Conclusions: The implementation of a physical exercise program, under the supervision of trained personnel, contributes to control the arterial tension and the cardiac rhythm, and favors an optimal cardiac output. It also has a very positive effect on the physical and psychic wellbeing of this group of patients because it improves their self-esteem and their desire to live.

  14. 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.

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

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    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.

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    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.

  17. Suicidal ideation and attempted suicide in elderly people - subjective experiences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gutierrez, Denise Machado Duran; Sousa, Amandia Braga Lima; Grubits, Sonia

    2015-06-01

    We discuss the subjective experiences of elderly people who show suicidal ideation and/or attempts at suicide, based on their own reports. We understand the concept of 'subjective' as referring to intra-psychic experience resulting from social, economic, relationship or biographical conditions. Although the subject is sparsely covered in the literature, it is important, because it is in the field of subjectivity that ideations of, and attempts at, suicide develop and occur until they become a concrete act. Empirical data were collected through semi-structured interviews focusing on: social characterization, portrayal and mode of life, previous mental state, atmosphere of the attempt, effects on the health of the elderly person and family. Based on the analysis of the meanings that emerge, five empirical categories were generated: (1) subject's feeling of being in a non-place; (2) absence of acceptance of losses; (3) suffering due to ingratitude of family members; (4) feeling of uselessness of, and in, life; (5) re-signification of the situations that generate suicide-related conduct. The results point to a fundamental need to incorporate knowledge about the subjective processes into programs for prevention of suicide among the elderly who have ideation of, or attempts at, suicide.

  18. Effects of long-term stimulation of textured insoles on postural control in health elderly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Annino, Giuseppe; Palazzo, Francesco; Alwardat, Mohammad S; Manzi, Vincenzo; Lebone, Pietro; Tancredi, Virginia; Sinibaldi Salimei, Paola; Caronti, Alfio; Panzarino, Michele; Padua, Elvira

    2018-04-01

    The aim of this study was to confirm the effects of long term (chronic) stimulating surface (textured insole) on body balance of elderly people. Twenty-four healthy elderly individuals were randomly distributed in two groups: control and experimental (67.75±6.04 years, 74.55±12.14 kg, 163.7±8.55 cm, 27.75±3.04 kg/m2). Over one month, control group (CG) used smooth insoles and the experimental group (ExG) used textured insoles every day. Velocity net (Vnet), anteroposterior (VA/P), mediolateral (VM/L) and sway path of CoP were assessed in different eye conditions before and after the experimental procedure. A mixed between-within subject ANOVA was conducted to assess the impact of soft and textured insoles and two visual conditions (vision vs. no vision) across two time periods (α≤0.05). The results showed any statistical difference between groups in each parameter assessed in this study. CoP, Vnet and VM/L in the experimental group showed a statistically significant effect of textured insoles only without vision (CoP: P=0.002; η2=0.35), Vnet P=0.02; η2=0.24, VM/L P=0.04; η2=0.177) whereas VA/P showed no statistically significant effect in the same group and condition. There was no significant effect in Vnet, VA/P, VM/L and COP in control group that used smooth insole for both eye conditions. The results confirm that postural stability improved in healthy elderly individuals, increasing somatosensory information's from feet plantar mechanoreceptors. Long term stimulation with textured insoles decreased CoP, Vnet and VM/L with eyes closed.

  19. 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.

  20. 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.

  1. Factors Predictive of Alcohol Consumption among Elderly People in a Rural Community: A Case Study in Phayao Province Thailand

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hongthong, D.; Wongchaiya, P.; Somrongthong, R.; Kumar, R.

    2016-01-01

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

  2. 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....

  3. Role of environmental hazards in fall of community dwelling elderly

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shabbir, M.; Shah, S.I.H.

    2013-01-01

    Evidence linking home hazards to falls has not been well established. Falls and fall injury are a major public health concern for the elderly. Fall of elderly is very much affected by environmental hazards. Falls are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in persons older than 60. There is a greater-than-linear increase in the rate of falls with environmental hazards. This cross section survey will not only lay the foundation for further study on this topic but also provide the basis for the development of preventive program of falls for the elders of Pakistan. Objective: To explore the role of environmental hazards of fall in the community dwelling elders is the area which is lacking in research. Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted from October to December 2010 in Lahore and its peripheries and also the patients in hospital settings come after fractures or fall injuries. The total number of people included was 100. Community dwelling Elders above 60 years having recent history of at least one fall were included regardless of gender. The data were entered and analyzed using SPSS 11.5. Results: There were 71 people out of 100 who fell inside the home, 10 fell outside the home and 18 were not applicable to this question. There were 19% people, who fell repeatedly at one place, 31 people replied about hazard environment where fallen that contribute to fall. According to 24 people they had Safety checks of their home yard and/ or neighborhood which will assist to avoid future fall. Conclusion: Most elderly persons live in a risky home setting. It is vital that environmental hazard be recognized and removed for wellbeing of elderly. (author)

  4. Cognitive and functional status of elderly people of a long stay institution of the municipality Divinópolis, Minas Gerais State, Brazil = Estado cognitivo e funcional de idosos de uma instituição de longa permanência do município de Divinópolis, Estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil

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    Juliana Valério Gontijo

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available This study aimed to evaluate and characterize the functional capacity and cognitive status of elderly people living in a long-stay institution of the municipality of Divinópolis, Minas Gerais State. The population consisted of 67 elderly people aged between 62 and 102 years, 76% female and 24% male. Data were gathered using the Barthel index of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE and a form for the social characterization. A significant correlation was observed between the Barthel index and the MMSE, i.e. between functional capacity and cognitive status. Also a significant correlation was detected between education and mental state and between age and mental and functional state. The sex of the participants had no influence on the results. A percentage of 55% had no cognitive impairment, 39% were considered independent and 37% semi-dependent, and only 24% were totally dependent to perform activities of daily living. Therefore, it is emphasized the importance of thinking about the reasons that take to the institutionalization of elderly people.O presente estudo teve por objetivo avaliar e caracterizar a capacidade funcional e o estado cognitivo de idosos residentes de uma instituição de longa permanência do município de Divinópolis, MG. A população avaliada constou de 67 idosos com idade entre 62 e 102 anos, sendo 76% do sexo feminino e 24% do sexo masculino. Os dados foram obtidos utilizando do Índice de Barthel, do Miniexame do Estado Mental e também de um formulário para caracterização social dos idosos. Houve correlação significativa entre o Índice de Barthel e o MEEM, ou seja, entre capacidade funcional e estado cognitivo. Observou-se uma relação significativa entre escolaridade e estado mental e entre idade e estado mental e funcional. O sexo dos pesquisados não influenciou nos resultados dos testes. Uma porcentagem de 55% dos pesquisados não apresentaram déficit cognitivo, sendo que 39% foram considerados

  5. [Pharyngeal bacteria and professional oral health care in elderly people].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hirota, K; Yoneyama, T; Ota, M; Hashimoto, K; Miyake, Y

    1997-02-01

    In 15 elderly residents of an old-age home, we measured the total number of bacteria and the numbers of streptococci and staphylococci in the pharynx over 5 months. Seven residents received professional oral health care from dentists and dental hygienists and eight practiced oral care by themselves or together with a helper. During the 5 months, the total number of bacteria and the numbers of streptococci and staphylococci decreased (p professional care. In contrast, the total number of bacteria and the numbers of streptococci and staphylococci neither did not change or increased in those who did not receive professional care. These findings show that professional oral health care by dentists and dental hygienists can decrease the total number of bacteria and the numbers of streptococci and staphylococci in the pharynx of elderly people, which might prevent aspiration pneumonia.

  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

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    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. The Life of the Elderly in Residential Care Facilities - A Study of Autonomy and Life Situation of Elderly People in the Context of the Political Organisation of the Facilities

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Skjødt, Ulla

    as mutually informing each other. Empirical material is generated by participant observation studies and interviews in residential care facilities as well as policy documents concerning the arrangement of public help to impaired elderly people are analysed. Results: Analysis of the empirical material...... and of pertinent policy documents reveal that elderly are politically valued, when they manage to avoid drawing on the public services that are available to them. A current dominant political standardised concept of autonomy is rendered visible. In its generalised form this concept turns out to be contradictory......Abstract: Bridging the gap – in Public Health Nursing September 19th and 20th 2016 Organised by: Global Network of Public Health Nursing The Life of the Elderly in Residential Care Facilities - A Study of Autonomy and Life Situation of Elderly People in the Context of the Political Organisation...

  8. Relationship between self-assessed masticatory disability and 9-year mortality in a cohort of community-residing elderly people.

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    Nakanishi, Noriyuki; Fukuda, Hideki; Takatorige, Toshio; Tatara, Kozo

    2005-01-01

    To examine the relationship between self-assessed masticatory disability and mortality. Prospective. Community based. Total of 1,405 randomly selected people aged 65 and older living in Settsu, Osaka Prefecture, in October 1992. Data on health status as indicated by disability scores, history of health management, self-assessed masticatory ability, and psychosocial conditions were collected by means of interviews during home visits at the time of enrollment. Nine-year follow-up was completed for 1,245 (88.6%; 398 deceased and 847 alive). Self-assessed masticatory disability was significantly associated with being 75 and older, having overall disability, not using dental health checks or general health checks, not participating in social activities, not feeling that life is worth living (no ikigai), and finding relationships with people difficult. As for the association between self-assessed masticatory disability and mortality, the estimated survival rate for those with self-assessed masticatory disability was lower than that for those without for each group stratified by sex and age (65-74 and >or=75), and the equality of survival curves according to self-assessed masticatory disability was significant for each group. After controlling for potential predictors of mortality, self-assessed masticatory disability remained as a significant predictor of mortality (adjusted hazard ratio=1.63, 95% confidence interval=1.30-2.03, P<.001). These results indicate that self-assessed masticatory disability may be associated with a greater risk of mortality in community-residing elderly people.

  9. The Design of Smart Home for the Elderly Based on ZigBee

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    He Junhan

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available In recent years, as the pace of people’s life is speeding up, more young people working far from their parents, the elderly have to live alone. With the increase of age, they tend to forget things which may create safety accidents. Therefore, a smart home system for the elderly will have good application prospects. In this paper, a smart system based on ZigBee wireless network is proposed. This system uses wireless network for transmitting information between sensor nodes and uses embedded technology to analyse the data. Once an emergency occurs, the system will send an alarm to notify the elderly. At the same time, the young people can know the situation of the house through mobile phone

  10. Actual use of and satisfaction associated with rollators and "shopping carts" among frail elderly Japanese people using day-service facilities.

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    Kitajima, Eiji; Moriuchi, Takefumi; Iso, Naoki; Sagari, Akira; Kikuchi, Yasuyuki; Higashi, Toshio

    2017-07-01

    Purpose This study aimed at clarifying the actual use of and satisfaction with rollators and "shopping carts" (wheeled walkers with storage) among frail elderly people, who were certified by a long-term care insurance system as users of facilities that provide day-service nursing care and rehabilitation. Methods We identified 1247 frail elderly people who used day-service facilities, and evaluated their actual use of, and satisfaction with, rollators and shopping carts. Results Forty-four (3.5%) individuals used rollators, and 53 (4.3%) used shopping carts. The shopping cart group contained more individuals who were certified as care level 1 (26.4%), than the rollator group (20.5%), and 52.8% of the shopping cart group was certified as care levels 1-3. The scores for "repairs and services" and "follow-up" from the Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with assistive Technology second version (QUEST 2.0) survey were significantly higher in the rollator group than in the shopping cart group. Conclusions The QUEST 2.0 scores revealed that shopping cart users exhibit insufficient "repairs and services" and "follow-up" scores. As frail elderly people with poor care status accounted for >50% of the shopping cart group, these individuals urgently need walking aids that are tailored to their care status. Implications for Rehabilitation We conclude that walking aid fitting must be tailored to each persons care status, and suggest that a system should be established to allow occupational or physical therapists to provide this fitting Moreover, our analysis of the QUEST2.0 service scores revealed that repairs, services, and follow-up are insufficient to meet the needs of shopping cart users.

  11. Estimating Long-Term Care Costs among Thai Elderly: A Phichit Province Case Study

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    Pattaraporn Khongboon

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. Rural-urban inequality in long-term care (LTC services has been increasing alongside rapid socioeconomic development. This study estimates the average spending on LTC services and identifies the factors that influence the use and cost of LTC for the elderly living in urban and rural areas of Thailand. Methods. The sample comprised 837 elderly aged 60 years drawn from rural and urban areas in Phichit Province. Costs were assessed over a 1-month period. Direct costs of caregiving and indirect costs (opportunity cost method were analyzed. Binary logistic regression was performed to determine which factors affected LTC costs. Results. The total annual LTC spending for rural and urban residents was on average USD 7,285 and USD 7,280.6, respectively. Formal care and informal care comprise the largest share of payments. There was a significant association between rural residents and costs for informal care, day/night care, and home renovation. Conclusions. Even though total LTC expenditures do not seem to vary significantly across rural and urban areas, the fundamental differences between areas need to be recognized. Reorganizing country delivery systems and finding a balance between formal and informal care are alternative solutions.

  12. [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

  13. A social work study on the effect of gender on mental ability and depression among institutionalized elderly versus nursing home residents

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    Mohammad Reza Iravani

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available This paper studies the level of depression and mental ability among elderly people who live in institutional elderly versus nursing home residents. The investigation designs a questionnaire and distributes it among 345 elderly people who are residences of both places. The study implements Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS test where mental ability includes seven factors including “general information”, “orientation”, “mind control”, “logical memory” and “repeated figures”, “visual memory” and “learn association”. The study performs some statistical tests and the results show that gender has no impact on two groups of elderly people in terms of mental utilization as well as depression level when the level of significance is five percent.

  14. Vulnerability of Elderly Women: Victim of Gender Discrimination

    OpenAIRE

    Subir Kumar Roy

    2017-01-01

    The life cycle of human being completes with the process of aging but we fail to realize this simple arithmetic of life and often consider our elders as a burden for us. They are compelled to compromise with their dignity and integrity and forced to live at the mercy of their own nearest and dearest. When we talk about elderly women their position is more appalling than their male counterpart due to this male chauvinism which tries to regulate every affair of the life of the people. Under the...

  15. 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

  16. Predictors of psychosocial adaptation among elderly residents in long-term care settings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chao, Shu-Yuan; Lan, Yii-Hwei; Tso, Hsiu-Ching; Chung, Chao-Ming; Neim, Yum-Mei; Clark, Mary Jo

    2008-06-01

    This cross-sectional descriptive study explored psychosocial adaptation and its determinants among elderly residents of long-term care facilities. A convenience sample of 165 elderly residents was recruited from two nursing homes and two assisted living institutions in the Taichung area. All residents who met the criteria for this study were interviewed individually from April through June 2006. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data on participant demographic characteristics, admission conditions, functional status, perceived family support, life attitudes, and psychosocial adaptation. The adaptation inventory incorporated three aspects of adaptation, including (1) sense of self-value, (2) sense of belonging and (3) sense of continuity. Findings, in general, did not indicate participants had achieved a high level of overall adaptation or significant adaptation in any of the three aspects targeted. Most participants were female. More than half were widowed and unable to fully finance their own institutional care. Nearly one-third was not admitted voluntarily. Having adequate funding for admission, voluntary admission, and number of roommates were the three most influential factors affecting overall adaptation, explaining 54% of variance. Study findings reflect the importance to residents' adaptation of self-determination, autonomy, and pre-institutionalization preparation and are intended to provide guidance for nursing intervention and social welfare policy making.

  17. Effect of Talbinah food consumption on depressive symptoms among elderly individuals in long term care facilities, randomized clinical trial

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    Badrasawi MM

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Manal M Badrasawi, Suzana Shahar, Zahara Abd Manaf, Hasnah HaronDietetics program, School of Health Care Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaAbstract: Talbinah is a barley syrup cooked with milk and sweetened by honey. In his famous Hadith on Talbinah, the Prophet Mohammad (SAW recommended it when sad events happen for its effect on soothing hearts and relieving sadness. This 3-week crossover designed, randomized clinical trial was conducted to determine the effect of Talbinah on mood and depression among institutionalized elderly people in Seremban. A sample of 30 depressed elderly subjects (21 men and 9 women was selected from the long term care facility. Three different interview-based validated scales (Geriatric Depression Scale, Depression Anxiety Stress Scales, and Profile of Mood States were used to determine mood, depression, stress, and anxiety at week 0, 3, 4, and 7. The nutritional value of Talbinah was examined using proximate food analysis, minerals content analysis, and differential amino acid analysis. The results indicated that Talbinah is a high carbohydrate food (86.4% and has a high tryptophan: branch chain amino acids ratio (1:2. A Wilcoxon nonparametric test showed that there was a statistically significant decrease on depression, stress, and mood disturbances scores among the intervention group (P < 0.05 for all parameters. In conclusion, Talbinah has the potential to reduce depression and enhance mood among the subjects. Ingestion of functional foods such as Talbinah may provide a mental health benefit to elderly people.Keywords: Talbinah, food and depression, cross over study, elderly

  18. Prevalence of sexually transmitted infections and the sexual behavior of elderly people presenting to health examination centers in Korea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choe, Hyun-Sop; Lee, Seung-Ju; Kim, Chul Sung; Cho, Yong-Hyun

    2011-08-01

    Sexually transmitted infections are diseases provoking a great social and economic burden as well as health-related problems, and with the aging of society and the extension of life expectancy sexually transmitted infections in the elderly have drawn more attention these days. For the management of sexually transmitted infections in this population, basic epidemiological data need to be established. In this study, 1,804 persons from the general population aged over 60 years visiting health examination centers were tested for syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia, and interviewed about the patterns of sexual behavior of elderly people through questionnaires. The prevalence rates of syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia recorded were 0.222% (4/1804), 0 (none), and 0.776% (14/1804), respectively. The results of the survey showed that the sexual life of the elderly people was currently active, and the sexual behavior of chlamydia patients was distinguished in some characteristics from that of the general participants. Political management to prevent sexually transmitted infections needs to be continued in elderly people as it is in other age groups. More detailed follow-up studies are necessary to determine the incidence and prevalence rates of the diseases in the elderly population in future, and the results of this study are considered to be useful as basic data for such studies.

  19. Family functioning of elderly with depressive symptoms

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    Rosely Almeida Souza

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To classify families of elderly with depressive symptoms regarding their functioning and to ascertain the presence of an association between these symptoms, family functioning and the characteristics of the elderly. Method: This was an observational, analytical, cross-sectional study performed with 33 teams of the Family Health Strategy in Dourados, MS. The sample consisted of 374 elderly divided into two groups (with and without depressive symptoms. The instruments for data collection were a sociodemographic instrument, the GeriatricDepression Scale (15 items and the Family Apgar. Results: An association was observed between depressive symptoms and family dysfunction, female gender, four or more people living together, and physical inactivity. Conclusion: The functional family may represent effective support for the elderly with depressive symptoms, because it offers a comfortable environment that ensures the well-being of its members. The dysfunctional family can barely provide necessary care for the elderly, which can exacerbate depressive symptoms.

  20. 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.

  1. Tinetti mobility test is related to muscle mass and strength in non-institutionalized elderly people.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Curcio, Francesco; Basile, Claudia; Liguori, Ilaria; Della-Morte, David; Gargiulo, Gaetano; Galizia, Gianluigi; Testa, Gianluca; Langellotto, Assunta; Cacciatore, Francesco; Bonaduce, Domenico; Abete, Pasquale

    2016-12-01

    Elderly people are characterized by a high prevalence of falls and sarcopenia. However, the relationship among Tinetti mobility test (TMT) score, a powerful tool to detect elderly people at risk of falls, and sarcopenia is still not thoroughly investigated. Thus, to determine the relationship between TMT score and muscle mass and strength, 337 elderly participants (mean age 77.1 ± 6.9 years) admitted to comprehensive geriatric assessment were enrolled. TMT score, muscle mass by bioimpedentiometer, and muscle strength by grip strength were evaluated. Muscle mass progressively decreased as TMT score decreased (from 15.3 ± 3.7 to 8.8 ± 1.8 kg/m 2 ; p for trend strength decreased progressively as Tinetti score decreased (from 34.7 ± 8.0 to 23.7 ± 8.7 kg; p for trend 0.001). Linear regression analysis demonstrated that TMT score is linearly related with muscle mass (y = 4.5x + 0.4, r = 0.61; p strength (y = 14.0x + 0.8, r = 0.53; p strength (r = 0.39, p = 0.046). The present study indicates that TMT score is significantly related to muscle mass and strength in non-institutionalized elderly participants. This evidence suggests that TMT score, together with evaluation of muscle mass and strength, may identify sarcopenic elderly participants at high risk of falls.

  2. 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.

  3. The relationship between health and cognitive functioning in a sample of elderly people in the community.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christensen, H; Jorm, A F; Henderson, A S; Mackinnon, A J; Korten, A E; Scott, L R

    1994-05-01

    The association between health status and cognitive performance was examined in a sample of 708 community dwelling elderly people aged 70 years or over. Cognitive performance declined significantly across the age groups 70-74, 75-79, 80-84, and 85-89 years on the Mini-Mental State Examination and on measures of fluid intelligence and memory, but not on measures of crystallized intelligence. Health status declined significantly across age for five of 49 past and current medical conditions, for measures of Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and for systolic blood pressure, but did not decline significantly for global self-ratings of health, diastolic blood pressure or reports of smoking. Weak but significant correlations between health and cognitive performance were found for self-reported global ratings of health and for self-reports of some physical symptoms but not for diastolic or systolic blood pressure, or for many other physical conditions. Both self- and informant-based ratings of ADL correlated with cognitive performance. Age differences remained after cognitive performance was adjusted for health variables such as ADL, self-ratings of health and current health problems. It is concluded that, at the population level, lower levels of cognitive performance in community-dwelling elderly subjects are not strongly mediated by ill health.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hwang, R-L; Chen, C-P

    2010-06-01

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

  5. 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?...

  6. Aging in Place within Elderly People in the Southwest Iran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laleh Fani Saberi

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Iran and its aged society are facing some issues that significantly impact the current social structures in Iran. It will continue to do so on their growing as elderly with negative impacts on communal relations and unjust distribution of resources based on a gender basis that will affect the aging in place (AiP. The study aims to investigate the AiP within aged people and modifying role of the gender variables within it. Methods: This study describes the current AiP of the aged people in Ahwaz city in the southwest Iran from a gender perspective. The population available for the study was citizens 60 years of age and older (N=51594 in Ahwaz city. Sampling method was cluster-ratio based on municipal zones, ethnicity, and gender with sample size 382 (195 male and 187 female. The data were analysed by descriptive statistics, F-test and geographical information system. Results: Economically poor situation of the aged samples especially aged women, and their health status was moderated by low quality of nutrition and high prevalence of chronic conditions. For example, Arabs, Persian and Lor received low mean scores of 59.41, (SD= 7.332, 58.09 (SD= 11.963, and 57.02, (SD= 7.963 respectively in the health status. AiP characteristics are poor and discrimination was especially significantly prominent among elderly females. Multiple regression were found to modify AiP at the first step. The GLM reported that gender-ethnic discrimination directly affected AiP and high prevalent amongst elderly minority females. Conclusion: The current urban environment, in the southwest Iran, seems is unable to meet healthy needs of aged people. It needs to adjust upon gender and other relevant characteristics to monitor equality of outcomes for aged and minorities. The future research needs to focus on effect of ethnicity and gender-related issues on AiP, especially in developing countries like Iran. sure activities and mental health, provides evidence for

  7. The Technology Acceptance of a TV Platform for the Elderly Living Alone or in Public Nursing Homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santana-Mancilla, Pedro C; Anido-Rifón, Luis E

    2017-06-08

    In Mexico, many seniors are alone for most of the day or live in public nursing homes. Simple interaction with computer systems is required for older people. This is why we propose the exploration of a medium well known by seniors, such as the television (TV). The primary objective of this study is to improve the quality of life of seniors through an easier reminder system, using the television set. A technological platform was designed based on interactive television, through which seniors and their caregivers can have a better way to track their daily activities. Finally, an evaluation of the technology adoption was performed with 50 seniors living in two public nursing homes. The evaluation found that the elderly perceived the system as useful, easy to use, and they had a positive attitude and good intention to use it. This helped to generate initial evidence that the system supported them in achieving a better quality of life, by reminding them to take their medications and increasing their rate of attendance to their medical appointments.

  8. 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....

  9. Effects of an exercise programme with people living with HIV ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Effects of an exercise programme with people living with HIV: research in a disadvantaged setting. Clemens Ley, Lloyd Leach, María Rato Barrio, Susan Bassett. Abstract. This study aimed to analyse the physical health effects of a community based 10-week physical activity programme with people living with HIV.

  10. Effects of Combined exergame and conventional exercise to reduce and prevent fall risk among elderly people: A Hypothesis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hassan Sadeghi

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Background: Falling among old individuals has provoked ceaseless discussion among gerontologists and physical therapists and it is still one of the greatest issues among this population. Loss of the balance and functional mobility is the main reason of falling. There have been numerous studies conducting the effect of the conventional balance exercise and exergame independently on balance and functional mobility of elderly. Previous studies lacked dealing with the effect of combined exergame and conventional exercise on the balance and functional mobility. Combined exercises are enjoyable and may have more effective to improve balance and performance to reduce risk of fall among elderly people. This package would be preferable for older people. Objective: We hypothesize that while conventional balance exercise and exergame improve balance and functional mobility, combined both types of exercise would superior improvements in elderly performance. Conclusion: Ultimately we expect that this hypothesis will provide a useful framework for facilitating combined exergame and conventional balance intervention in older people.

  11. 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.

  12. Effects of physical and sporting activities on balance control in elderly people

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perrin, P. P.; Gauchard, G. C.; Perrot, C.; Jeandel, C.

    1999-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: Balance disorders increase with aging and raise the risk of accidental falls in the elderly. It has been suggested that the practice of physical and sporting activities (PSA) efficiently counteracts these age related disorders, reducing the risk of falling significantly. METHODS: This study, principally based on a period during which the subjects were engaged in PSA, included 65 healthy subjects, aged over 60, who were living at home. Three series of posturographic tests (static, dynamic with a single and fast upward tilt, and dynamic with slow sinusoidal oscillations) analysing the centre of foot pressure displacements or electromyographic responses were conducted to determine the effects of PSA practice on balance control. RESULTS: The major variables of postural control were best in subjects who had always practised PSA (AA group). Those who did not take part in PSA at all (II group) had the worst postural performances, whatever the test. Subjects having lately begun PSA practice (IA group) had good postural performances, close to those of the AA group, whereas the subjects who had stopped the practice of PSA at an early age (AI group) did not perform as well. Overall, the postural control in the group studied decreased in the order AA > IA > AI > II. CONCLUSIONS: The period during which PSA are practised seems to be of major importance, having a positive bearing on postural control. It seems that recent periods of practice have greater beneficial effects on the subject's postural stability than PSA practice only at an early age. These data are compatible with the fact that PSA are extremely useful for elderly people even if it has not been a lifelong habit. 


 PMID:10205695

  13. Nutritional Status in Community-Dwelling Elderly in France in Urban and Rural Areas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Torres, Marion J.; Dorigny, Béatrice; Kuhn, Mirjam; Berr, Claudine; Barberger-Gateau, Pascale; Letenneur, Luc

    2014-01-01

    Malnutrition is a frequent condition in elderly people, especially in nursing homes and geriatric wards. Its frequency is less well known among elderly living at home. The objective of this study was to describe the nutritional status evaluated by the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) of elderly community-dwellers living in rural and urban areas in France and to investigate its associated factors. Methods Subjects aged 65 years and over from the Approche Multidisciplinaire Intégrée (AMI) cohort (692 subjects living in a rural area) and the Three-City (3C) cohort (8,691 subjects living in three large urban zones) were included. A proxy version of the MNA was reconstructed using available data from the AMI cohort. Sensitivity and specificity were used to evaluate the agreement between the proxy version and the standard version in AMI. The proxy MNA was computed in both cohorts to evaluate the frequency of poor nutritional status. Factors associated with this state were investigated in each cohort separately. Results In the rural sample, 38.0% were females and the mean age was 75.5 years. In the urban sample, 60.3% were females and the mean age was 74.1 years. Among subjects in living in the rural sample, 7.4% were in poor nutritional status while the proportion was 18.5% in the urban sample. Female gender, older age, being widowed, a low educational level, low income, low body mass index, being demented, having a depressive symptomatology, a loss of autonomy and an intake of more than 3 drugs appeared to be independently associated with poor nutritional status. Conclusion Poor nutritional status was commonly observed among elderly people living at home in both rural and urban areas. The associated factors should be further considered for targeting particularly vulnerable individuals. PMID:25133755

  14. Nutritional status in community-dwelling elderly in France in urban and rural areas.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marion J Torres

    Full Text Available Malnutrition is a frequent condition in elderly people, especially in nursing homes and geriatric wards. Its frequency is less well known among elderly living at home. The objective of this study was to describe the nutritional status evaluated by the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA of elderly community-dwellers living in rural and urban areas in France and to investigate its associated factors.Subjects aged 65 years and over from the Approche Multidisciplinaire Intégrée (AMI cohort (692 subjects living in a rural area and the Three-City (3C cohort (8,691 subjects living in three large urban zones were included. A proxy version of the MNA was reconstructed using available data from the AMI cohort. Sensitivity and specificity were used to evaluate the agreement between the proxy version and the standard version in AMI. The proxy MNA was computed in both cohorts to evaluate the frequency of poor nutritional status. Factors associated with this state were investigated in each cohort separately.In the rural sample, 38.0% were females and the mean age was 75.5 years. In the urban sample, 60.3% were females and the mean age was 74.1 years. Among subjects in living in the rural sample, 7.4% were in poor nutritional status while the proportion was 18.5% in the urban sample. Female gender, older age, being widowed, a low educational level, low income, low body mass index, being demented, having a depressive symptomatology, a loss of autonomy and an intake of more than 3 drugs appeared to be independently associated with poor nutritional status.Poor nutritional status was commonly observed among elderly people living at home in both rural and urban areas. The associated factors should be further considered for targeting particularly vulnerable individuals.

  15. Architecture for the Elderly and Frail People, Well-Being Elements Realizations and Outcomes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Knudstrup, Mary-Ann

    2011-01-01

    -being elements in the nursing home environments that contribute to enhancing the well-being of the elderly and how these elements is ensured attention during a decision making process related to the design and the establishing of nursing homes. With basis in four Danish representative case studies, various case...... data from the decision making process are collected, covering the planning, the design and the realization of four newly built nursing homes in Denmark. The case studies clearly shows that the architectural well-being elements appear weak in the decision making process, when they are conflicting......The relationship between architecture, housing and well-being of elderly and frail people is a topic of growing interest to consultants and political decision makers working on welfare solutions for elderly citizens. The objective of the research presented here is to highlight which well...

  16. 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.

  17. The Relationship Between Social Isolation and Health Among the Tehranian Elderly

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    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

  18. Important stressful factors for health status of elderly people in the nuclear medicine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lacko, A.; Komarek, K.; Kaducakova, H.; Kuberova, H.

    2008-01-01

    Functional status of autonomic nervous system can be assessed by many methods: - psycho-diagnostic methods; - spectral analysis of the heart rate variability; - evaluation of adrenergic innervation of myocardium with 123 I-metyliodbenzylguanidine (MIBG). We have shown an importance of these methods in diagnostics of cardiovascular complications in patients with diabetes mellitus or students under stress. The aim of the study is to demonstrate the status and changed plasticity of autonomic nervous system in elderly people and its reaction for stressful factors. Examination of the spectral analysis of the heart rate variability revealed cardiac autonomic dysregulation as an asymptomatic change of autonomic nervous system.. Reduction of the plasticity of ANS with an increased age was confirmed. Also was the correlation of examination of the spectral analysis of the heart rate variability and adrenergic innervation of the myocardium confirmed. These finding allow early complex preventive interventions and increase the quality of life in elderly people. (authors)

  19. Duloxetine in the treatment of elderly people with major depressive disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Del Casale, Antonio; Girardi, Paolo; Brugnoli, Roberto; Sani, Gabriele; Di Pietro, Simone; Brugnoli, Chiara; Caccia, Federica; Angeletti, Gloria; Serata, Daniele; Rapinesi, Chiara; Tatarelli, Roberto; Kotzalidis, Giorgio D

    2012-01-01

    The elderly population is more frequently subjected to depressive mood compared to the general population and show peculiarities affecting responsiveness; furthermore, aged people need also special care. Duloxetine is a relatively new antidepressant that proved to be effective in adult depression, but has received little attention in elderly population heretofore. To review the evidence of duloxetine in late-life major depressive disorder (MDD). A systematic review of studies focusing on the use of duloxetine in MDD in the elderly has been carried out through the principal specialized databases, including PubMed, PsycLIT, and Embase. Only a handful of papers were specifically dedicated to this issue. Duloxetine was found to be effective and safe in old-age MDD, to be better than placebo on many clinical measures in all studies, and to better differentiate from placebo with respect to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Compared to placebo, its side-effect profile is slightly unfavorable and its drop-out rate is slightly higher. Furthermore, when pain is present in old-age MDD, duloxetine is able to reduce it. The efficacy and safety of duloxetine in old-age depression are similar to those encountered in adult MDD. There is a relative lack of comparative studies other than with placebo. The special needs of elderly patients with MDD must be addressed with close patient contact to avoid the perils of inappropriate dosing.

  20. Factors associated with happiness in the elderly persons living in the community.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luchesi, Bruna Moretti; de Oliveira, Nathalia Alves; de Morais, Daiene; de Paula Pessoa, Rebeca Mendes; Pavarini, Sofia Cristina I; Chagas, Marcos Hortes N

    2018-01-01

    The aim of the present study was to evaluate factors associated with happiness in a sample of Brazilian older adults. A study was conducted with 263 elderly people in the area of coverage of a family health unit located in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The Subjective Happiness Scale was used to measure happiness, the final score of which determined one of three outcomes: not happy, intermediate, and happy. Disability, sociodemographic characteristics, and psychological, cognitive, and physical factors were considered for the multinomial logistic regression analysis. Statistically significant differences were found among the three groups regarding satisfaction with life, disability, social phobia, anxiety, depression, and frailty (p≤0.05). In the multinomial regression analysis, being "not happy" was significantly associated with satisfaction with life (RRR: 0.53), depression (RRR: 1.46), social phobia (RRR: 1.24), and age (RRR: 1.06). The present findings indicate that psychological factors and age influence the levels of happiness in older adults living in the community. Furthermore, better screening, diagnosis, and treatment of mental health disorders could increase the feeling of happiness among older adults. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Exploring Musical Activities and Their Relationship to Emotional Well-Being in Elderly People across Europe: A Study Protocol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grau-Sánchez, Jennifer; Foley, Meabh; Hlavová, Renata; Muukkonen, Ilkka; Ojinaga-Alfageme, Olatz; Radukic, Andrijana; Spindler, Melanie; Hundevad, Bodil

    2017-01-01

    Music is a powerful, pleasurable stimulus that can induce positive feelings and can therefore be used for emotional self-regulation. Musical activities such as listening to music, playing an instrument, singing or dancing are also an important source for social contact, promoting interaction and the sense of belonging with others. Recent evidence has suggested that after retirement, other functions of music, such as self-conceptual processing related to autobiographical memories, become more salient. However, few studies have addressed the meaningfulness of music in the elderly. This study aims to investigate elderly people's habits and preferences related to music, study the role music plays in their everyday life, and explore the relationship between musical activities and emotional well-being across different countries of Europe. A survey will be administered to elderly people over the age of 65 from five different European countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czechia, Germany, Ireland, and UK) and to a control group. Participants in both groups will be asked about basic sociodemographic information, habits and preferences in their participation in musical activities and emotional well-being. Overall, the aim of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of the role of music in the elderly from a psychological perspective. This advanced knowledge could help to develop therapeutic applications, such as musical recreational programs for healthy older people or elderly in residential care, which are better able to meet their emotional and social needs.

  2. Depression And Loneliness Levels Among the Older People, a Comparison Between Living Alone, Living with Family or Living at Nursing Home

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ege Agirman

    2017-09-01

    CONCLUSION: In the study, we found out that, rate of depression in older people is higher than the level in entire society, the same is true for the sense of loneliness, loneliness becomes more fierce, as depression becomes stronger, The older people living alone are more exposed to depression compared to the ones living with family or being nursed, and loneliness becomes a more important problem for these people, [J Contemp Med 2017; 7(3.000: 234-240

  3. 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.

  4. Knowledge of HIV/AIDS and attitudes towards people living with HIV ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Stigma and discrimination towards people living with HIV have been widely documented, and have extended their impact into the workplace. Stigmatising attitudes towards people living with HIV (PLHIV) in the workplace significantly hinder HIV prevention efforts and indirectly affect national development.

  5. Multidisciplinary approach for developing a new robotic system for domiciliary assistance to elderly people.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cavallo, F; Aquilano, M; Bonaccorsi, M; Mannari, I; Carrozza, M C; Dario, P

    2011-01-01

    This paper aims to show the effectiveness of a (inter / multi)disciplinary team, based on the technology developers, elderly care organizations, and designers, in developing the ASTRO robotic system for domiciliary assistance to elderly people. The main issues presented in this work concern the improvement of robot's behavior by means of a smart sensor network able to share information with the robot for localization and navigation, and the design of the robot's appearance and functionalities by means of a substantial analysis of users' requirements and attitude to robotic technology to improve acceptability and usability.

  6. [Socializing groups as protective factor against depression in elderly people. Barranquilla, Colombia].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tuesca-Molina, Rafael; Fierro Herrera, Norma; Molinares Sosa, Alexandra; Oviedo Martínez, Fernando; Polo Arjona, Yesid; Polo Cueto, José; Sierra Manrique, Ivan

    2003-01-01

    The depression is a principal problem of public health. The principal aim of this study is to determine the role of the social groups as factor protective in elderly, to evaluate the agreement by American Psychiatric Association Criterions and Hamilton Depression test, and also to determine other socio-cultural risk factors associated with depressive syndrome in elderly. Cross-sectional survey. The sample consisted of 602 elderly people (eligible subjects) were men (223) and women (379) between 60 and 94 years (males and females), residents in the south-west of Barranquilla, Colombia. A previously tested, self answer questionnaire was used, therefore, we needed a report consent. Risk measures: Odds Ratio (OR-95% Confidence intervalue), Kappa test to agreement by the nine criteria of the American Psychiatric Association and Hamilton test so, screening testing. The participation in social groups was a protector factor. (Odds Ratio = 0.5; 95% CI 0.34-0.73, p = 0.001). The rate 29.9% was obtained with prevalence of depression in elderly (21.4%-39.4%) affecting principally males (32.7%). The agreement by Kappa test = 0.63 was very important or good. Sensibility = 56.1% (48.5%-63.4%) Specificity = 0.93% (97.8%-99.8%) and Predictive Positive Value = 97.1% (91.2%-99.3%). This survey was to determine risk factors related to depression in elderly in anyway can be potentially modifiable. The familiar disfunction by moderate and serious, the lack as blindness and deafness, the loneliness, the housingness and low incomes were obtained with risk factors associated to depression. The participation in a social group is a protective factor to depression syndrome in elders. The nine criteria of the American Psychiatric Association to allow the depressed patient exactly as sick even though is not necessary to screening because this test is low sensibility for used in a population elderly.

  7. 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.

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  8. Multicomponent Program to Reduce Functional Decline in Frail Elderly People : A Cluster Controlled Trial

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ruikes, Franca G. H.; Zuidema, Sytse U.; Akkermans, Reinier P.; Assendelft, Willem J. J.; Schers, Henk J.; Koopmans, Raymond T. C. M.

    2016-01-01

    Background: The increasing number of community-dwelling frail elderly people poses a challenge to general practice. We evaluated the effectiveness of a general practitioner-led extensive, multicomponent program integrating cure, care, and welfare for the prevention of functional decline. Methods: We

  9. Multicomponent Program to Reduce Functional Decline in Frail Elderly People: A Cluster Controlled Trial

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ruikes, F.G.; Zuidema, S.U.; Akkermans, R.P.; Assendelft, W.J.; Schers, H.J.; Koopmans, R.T.

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND: The increasing number of community-dwelling frail elderly people poses a challenge to general practice. We evaluated the effectiveness of a general practitioner-led extensive, multicomponent program integrating cure, care, and welfare for the prevention of functional decline. METHODS: We

  10. Dietary protein intake in community-dwelling, frail, and institutionalized elderly people: scope for improvement

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tieland, C.A.B.; Borgonjen-van den Berg, K.J.; Loon, van L.C.; Groot, de C.P.G.M.

    2012-01-01

    Adequate dietary protein intake is required to postpone and treat sarcopenia in elderly people. Insight into dietary protein intake in this heterogeneous population segment is needed to locate dietary inadequacies and to identify target populations and feeding strategies for dietary interventions.

  11. The Correlation of Exercise and Range of Motion (ROM on Elderly Knee Observasional Study on Elderly People in Pedurungan Semarang

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adhitya Putra Widyantoro

    2012-06-01

    Design and Method: Observastional study with a cross sectional design 80 elderly men and women were divided into 2 groups: gymnastics group in the Social Rehabilitation Unit Of Pucang Gading (n=40 and unexcercises group in the Penggaron village (n=40. In both groups, the degree of ROM of knee was assessed using the Goniometer. To evaluate the value of its significance, the data were analyzed using the Mann Withney test followed by Spearmann’s rho test. Result: ROM for gymnastic(exercised group and unexercised group were 115.50°±11.591°, 95.38°±12.780° respectively with p<0. 001. Resuts showed that doing exercise was useful for maintaining ROM of knee in elderly people. Spearmann’s rho test resulted in a strong correlation between ROM and exercise with r value of 0.652. Conclusion: exercise correlates with ROM of knee in elderly (Sains Medika, 4(1:39-45.

  12. [Preventive home visits : Cross-sectional study to support an independent lifestyle for elderly people].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schulc, Eva; Pallauf, Martin; Them, Christa; Wildbahner, Tanja

    2016-08-01

    In the interest of preventing or postponing dependency on care and assistance for as long as possible, preventive home visits to people aged over 70 years living at home were conducted by registered nurses. Assessment of the functional health of people over 70 years of age and counseling or information carried out based on the identified problem areas and resources. A multidimensional nursing assessment through self-evaluation was applied for 345 people aged over 70 years. The sample of people investigated showed a high level of competence in self-care; however, a large number of functional health impairments could be identified that are reflected in the high requirement for counseling and information. It became evident that recruiting of study participants was difficult and that care by family members was an important resource for people aged over 70 years. From this it was recommended that in the future sustainable advertising efforts should be conducted and special attention needs to be given to counseling and information for family members in preventive home visits.

  13. [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.

  14. Physical and mental health aspects of elderly in social care in Poland

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dobrzyn-Matusiak D

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Dorota Dobrzyn-Matusiak,1 Czeslaw Marcisz,2 Ewelina Bąk,3 Halina Kulik,1 Ewa Marcisz4 1Department of Nursing Propaedeutics, 2Department of Gerontology and Geriatric Nursing, School of Health Care, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland; 3Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Bielsko-Biała, Bielsko-Biała, Poland; 4Department of Anxiety Disorders, Hospital of Ministry of Internal Affairs, Katowice, Poland Background: The objective of the study was to evaluate health aspects in elderly individuals in social, institutional, and home care in Poland.Methods: A total of 300 elderly individuals in care in Poland were included in the study. The subjects were divided into three groups: residents of long-term care institutions (group I, residents of adult day-care homes (group II, and community-dwelling subjects (group III. Each group consisted of 100 subjects. Questionnaires evaluating the following physical and mental dimensions of health were used: SF-36 Health Survey, basic activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, Geriatric Depression Scale, and Mini–mental state examination.Results: It was found that the health aspects of the elderly varied depending on whether care was provided in an institutionalized or a home environment, and the lowest health status was found in the elderly receiving in-home care. Furthermore, home-based elderly indicated significant limitations in performing basic activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living, as well as a higher prevalence of depression and cognitive impairment.Conclusion: The elderly in long-term institutionalized care, both in a residential home and adult day-care homes, were characterized by a better physical and mental health status than those receiving in-home care. It seemed that worse health status, including the more frequent depression occurrence and cognitive function disorders in the elderly using the nursing care at their homes

  15. Sense of life worth living (ikigai) and incident functional disability in elderly Japanese: The Tsurugaya Project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  16. [Predictors of social isolation among older people living in urban area: a prospective study].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ejiri, Manami; Kawai, Hisashi; Fujiwara, Yoshinori; Ihara, Kazushige; Hirano, Hirohiko; Kojima, Motonaga; Obuchi, Shuichi

    2018-01-01

    Objectives We aimed to investigate the predictors of social isolation among older people living in urban area.Methods A mail survey was sent out to 7,015 elderly subjects living in nine districts of Itabashi ward. At baseline (2012), 3,696 subjects and at follow-up (2014) 2,375 replied to the self-administered questionnaire. We defined social isolation as seeing friends or relatives less than two or three times a month. Gender, age, self-rated health, present illnesses, instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), frequency of going out, frequency of social participation, family structure, and perceived financial status were also investigated. A t-test, a chi-square test, and logistic regression analysis were conducted to examine the predictors of social isolation in a follow-up study.Results Of the 1,791 subjects who were analyzed for social isolation, 348 (19.4%) were found to be socially isolated in 2014. A multiple logistic regression analysis showed that men (adjusted odds ratio, 1.88; 95% confidence interval, 1.41-2.50) were significantly more likely to be isolated than women. Being older (1.03, 1.01-1.06) was also a significant predictor of isolation. Subjects who participated in group activities one to three times a month (1.62, 1.04-2.53) were significantly more likely to be isolated than those who participated in them more than once a week. Subjects who rated their financial status as low (1.67, 1.20-2.32) were more likely to be isolated than those who rated it as high. Subjects who were isolated (10.24, 7.60-13.81), and those who did not respond to questions about isolation (8.15, 3.76-17.67), were significantly more likely to be isolated than those who were not isolated at baseline. Among the subjects who were not isolated at baseline, being male (2.39, 1.57-3.64) and lower self-rated health (3.99, 1.33-11.94) were predictors of social isolation.Conclusion Participation in social activities is effective in preventing social isolation among

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shinan-Altman, Shiri; Cohen, Miri

    2009-01-01

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

  18. Aspirations of young people living in disadvantaged areas in Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Frørup, Anna Kathrine; Jensen, Niels Rosendal

    2017-01-01

    how young people's (living in a socially disadvantaged area) possibilities, aspirations and demands are raised, strengthened, transformed or put aside and in what way they feel participating within different local programmes.......how young people's (living in a socially disadvantaged area) possibilities, aspirations and demands are raised, strengthened, transformed or put aside and in what way they feel participating within different local programmes....

  19. Risk Factors of Active Tuberculosis in People Living with HIV/AIDS ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    BACKGROUND: Determinants of active tuberculosis among People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) are not well elucidated in countries with limited resources. The objective of this study was to assess distal and proximate determinants of active tuberculosis among people living with HIV/AIDS in southwest. Ethiopia.

  20. 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.