Background: Exergames (exercise-based videogames) for delivering strength and balance exercise for older people are growing in popularity with the emergence of new Kinect-based technologies; however, little is known about the factors affecting their uptake and usage by older people.
Depression independently increases the risk of falls in older people, but the mechanism for this relationship, as well as the specific falls type involved, remains unclear. To read the full article, log in using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens details.
This overview considers causes of disordered eating, including eating disorders, in older people. Eating disorders are becoming more common in older adults and research has shown a related mortality of 21%. The wide range of medical and pharmacological causes of weight loss in older people means that eating disorders may go undetected, occurring insidiously and surreptitiously. To read the full article, log in using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens details.
The NHS is trialling new wearable sensors, based on technology used by NASA and the CGI film industry, to help identify older patients at risk of falls as part of a new drive to tackle frailty.
The technology will help make one small step a lot easier for the over-65s (although giant leaps may still prove a challenge).
A recent Lancet paper gives an interesting perspective. Researchers looked at elements of dependency including continence, cognition and self-reported activities of daily living in two cohorts of people aged over 65 – one cohort recruited in 1991 and the other in 2011.
The bottom line finding from this research is that the men and women studied in 2011 were living, on average, an additional 2.4 and 3 years respectively with substantial care needs. Even with a radical shift towards healthy active ageing, it’s unlikely that a hypothetical 2031 cohort would show anything but an increase in the total number of older people living with dependency.
The study included around 500 adults from the Berlin Aging Study (BASE) – a database of people aged 70 or older living in the former West Berlin.
It found that all participants involved in providing care or help to grandchildren had a reduced risk of dying during study follow-up than non-helpers. Similar positive effects were also found for participants who help support adult children and others in their social network.
But the study does have limitations, the main one being that it can't prove cause and effect.
This study aimed to assess older adults' (OAs') attitudes toward depression screening in primary care settings with a survey and explore the impact of an educational pamphlet on these attitudes. Login using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens for full text. SSOTP - You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
Open access. Air travel is now a common feature of most of our elderly population's lives. There is little by way of warnings, rules or recommendations for our patients with psychiatric diagnoses, in particular dementia, who intend to travel by plane, in contrast to other specialties. In this article I highlight an adverse outcome of long-haul air travel as a result of delirium and resulting accelerated decline in overall cognitive function. I review literature related to the topic and suggest ways to minimise precipitating factors for stressors prior to and during flights. This article suggests that more thought should be given to the title question.
Conclusions: Physical frailty status is associated with older peoples’ ICT use independent of age, education, and opinions on ICT use. This should be taken into consideration when designing preventive and assistive technologies and interventions for older people at risk of health impairment.
The diagnosis of delirium depends on eliciting its features through mental status examination and informant history. However, there is marked heterogeneity in how these features are assessed, from binary subjective clinical judgement to more comprehensive methods supported by cognitive testing. The aim of this article is to review the neuropsychological research in delirium and suggest future directions in research and clinical practice. Login using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens for full text. SSOTP - You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
The results don't tell us anything about what happens in humans. They suggest this substance may be useful for further research in humans at some point. They certainly don't provide a reason to drink gallons of red wine, in the hope of seeing an anti-ageing effect.
Implications for practice and research
Healthcare professionals need to be aware of the potential increased risk of injury for patients when planning treatments, particularly for patients presenting with multiple risk factors for falls.
Future research should focus on establishing the severity of symptoms that antidepressants are used for in addition to a hip fracture event rate to ensure a balanced picture for determining treatment options.
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To explore the relationship between inner strength and health threats among community-dwelling older women. Login using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens for full text. SSOTP - You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
Dave Steele explores a literature review that focuses on how wearable technology can be used to measure and support social functioning in older adults.
We examined the feasibility of Aging Well by Design, a Lifestyle Redesign®–inspired intervention for community-dwelling older adults. The original Lifestyle Redesign program was shortened to 3 mo and implemented as a community outreach program of a major health care system. SSSFT staff - You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
Lack of access to gardens and outdoor spaces could harm care home residents’ mental health, a study published in The Gerontologist has found.
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The aim of this study was to revise the 10-item Aggressive Behaviour Risk Assessment Tool for predicting aggressive events among residents newly admitted to long-term care homes. Login using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens for full text. SSOTP - You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
to compare drug use among persons with Alzheimer's disease (AD) aged ≥90 years to persons without AD with similar age and to younger persons with AD. Login using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens for full text. SSOTP - You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
The evidence for a prospective association of vitamin D deficiency with the occurrence of late-life depression is limited. We aimed to study the long-term association between vitamin D serum levels and depression in a large population-based study of older adults. Login using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens for full text. SSOTP - You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
Charles Bonnet syndrome (CBS) is a common cause of visual hallucinations in older people. The relationship between CBS and cognitive impairment is unclear, but anecdotal reports exist of dementia emerging in patients diagnosed with CBS. This work set out to determine if there is an increased incidence of dementia, and increased severity of cognitive impairment, in people with CBS compared to controls from the same clinical setting. Login using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens for full text. SSOTP - You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
Atypical Antipsychotics and the Risk of Falls and Fractures Among Older Adults: An Emulation Analysis and an Evaluation of Additional Confounding Control Strategies. SSSFT staff can use the OVID link, or you can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
Journal of Nursing Scholarship; Indianapolis49.1 (Jan 2017): 44-53.
To present an emerging innovative care model that supports participation and thriving by older adults in residential care, by introduction to new technology and mobilizing volunteer services. Qualitative, exploratory study, introducing tablet computers to 15 older adults in two municipalities. The intervention encompassed weekly workshops over the course of 1 year with volunteer adolescents as personal tutors. Observations of workshops, interviews with nurses, and repeated semistructured interviews with older adult participants eliciting their perspective on use, experiences, perceived usefulness, and overall evaluation of the intervention. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
Open access. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is frequently accompanied by white matter hyperintensities and executive dysfunction. Because acetylcholine is important in executive function, these symptoms may be exacerbated by subcortical hyperintensities (SH) located in cholinergic (CH) tracts. This study investigated the effects of SH on cognitive changes in CAD patients undergoing a 48-week cardiac rehabilitation program.
The campaign was developed at UHNM by Dr Amit Arora and his team and is designed to try to stop older people becoming deconditioned whilst in hospitals or care homes. The initiative is helping to educate patients, relatives, and staff on the myths and facts about being active in hospitals and care homes promoting physical and functional independence. Prolonged bed rest in older people can lead to substantial loss of muscle, physical strength, and functional ability which may lead to increased dependency and demotivation.
22/05/2017 / Leave a comment / Permalink
New campaign to help reduce the risk of falls in older people
Related topics: Adult services / Health / My area
Residents and organisations across Shropshire are being asked to support a new campaign to help older people reduce their risk of falling.
diagram of vulnerable people, linking in with preventing falls campaign
Let’s talk about the F-word
The ‘Let’s talk about the F-word’ campaign launched today (Monday 22 May 2017) is being led by Shropshire’s public health service Help2Change and Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin.
To investigate the relationship between anxiety symptoms and sleeping medication use among a nationally representative sample of US older adults. To read the full article, log in using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens details.
NICE is urging health and social care staff to support people to safely continue with everyday activities such as climbing stairs, dressing themselves or cooking after a period of illness or if they have been struggling at home.
Letter. We have carefully read the article by Lavan AH et al. about a consensus validation of a Screening Tool of Older Persons Prescription in Frail adults with limited life expectancy.
We do feel that the authors have not addressed adequately a relevant issue regarding the core matter of the study, as they do not use any of the several classical definitions of frailty used in the medical literature...To read the full article, log in using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens details.
Essential facts. Delirium is a state of heightened mental confusion that mainly affects older people.
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The concept of multimorbidity has attracted growing interest over recent years, and more latterly with the publication of specific guidelines on multimorbidity by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Increasingly it is recognised that this is of particular relevance to practitioners caring for older adults, where multimorbidity may be more complex due to the overlap of physical and mental health disorders, frailty and polypharmacy. To read the full article, log in using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens details.
Open access. Late-life depression is a significant health risk factor for older adults, part of which is perceived loneliness. In this voxel-based morphometry study, we examined the relationships between perceived loneliness and depression recurrence.
Delirium is the most common neuropsychiatric syndrome encountered by clinicians dealing with older adults and the medically ill and is best characterized by 5 core domains: cognitive deficits, attentional deficits, circadian rhythm dysregulation, emotional dysregulation, and alteration in psychomotor functioning.. To read the full article, log in using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens details. SSOTP - You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
People are living longer and enjoying healthy lives, according to the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). However, many are vulnerable to even relatively minor changes in their circumstances, and need particular attention when admitted to hospital.
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Delirium is a common and serious complication of hospitalisation in older adults. It can lead to prolonged hospital stay, institutionalisation, and even death. However, it often remains unrecognised or is not managed adequately. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of an educational intervention for nursing staff on three aspects of clinical practice concerning delirium in older hospitalised patients: the frequency and correctness of screening for delirium using the 13-item Delirium Observation Screening score (DOS), and the frequency of geriatric consultations requested for older patients. The a priori expectations were that there would be an increase in all three of these outcomes.
multi-morbidity is associated with poor outcomes and increased healthcare utilisation. We aim to identify multi-morbidity patterns and associations with potentially inappropriate prescribing (PIP), subsequent hospitalisation and mortality in octogenarians.. To read the full article, log in using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens details. SSOTP - You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
While loss of socioeconomic status (SES) has been linked to suicidal behavior, it is unclear whether this experience is merely a downstream effect of psychopathology (“downward drift”), a sign of hardship, or an independent psychological contributor to suicide risk. We examined the association between the subjective experience of status loss and suicidal behavior and ideation in old age, while accounting for potential confounders. We were also interested in whether status loss was associated with mere thoughts of suicide vs. suicidal behavior.. To read the full article, log in using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens details. SSOTP - You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
Cognitive frailty is characterized by the presence of cognitive impairment in exclusion of dementia. In line with other frailty domains, cognitive frailty is associated with negative outcomes. The Comprehensive Frailty Assessment Instrument (CFAI) measures 4 domains of frailty, namely physical, psychological, social, and environmental frailty. The absence of cognitive frailty is a limitation.. To read the full article, log in using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens details. SSOTP - You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
Previous research suggests that overall experience participating in instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) is associated with reduced IADL impairment in individuals with mild cognitive impairment, possibly because of an increased functional reserve. Given that difficulties managing finances tend to occur with mild cognitive impairment, this study explores whether experience managing one's finances is associated with independence across various IADLs. To read the full article, log in using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens details. SSOTP - You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
Editorial. To read the full article, log in using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens details. SSOTP - You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
Letter. . To read the full article, log in using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens details. SSOTP - You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
Neuropsychology Vol. 32, Iss. 1, (Jan 2018): 89-101.
Objective: The frequency of mind-wandering (MW) decreases as a function of age in healthy individuals. One possible explanation is that MW is a resource-dependent process, and cognitive resources decline with age. The present study provides the first investigation of MW in the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) to further examine the resource model and discontinuities between healthy aging and AD.. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
Health Psychology Vol. 37, Iss. 2, (Feb 2018): 160-169.
Objective: To investigate the relationships between social isolation, health literacy, and all-cause mortality, and the modifying effect of social isolation on the latter relationship.
. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
Exercise programmes with sufficient intensity should be delivered to older community-dwelling people to reduce injurious falls, and combined multifactorial strategies are also effective.
Tailored multifactorial interventions that may include calcium and vitamin D supplementation should be delivered with care to high-risk populations.
Effectiveness trials that investigate how to translate falls prevention evidence into practice are urgently required.
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New research, funded by the MRC, found that older people with very low heart disease risks also have very little frailty, raising the possibility that frailty could be prevented.
Free access. Neuroimaging studies suggest that older adults may compensate for declines in cognitive function through neural compensation and reorganization of neural resources. While neural compensation as a key component of cognitive reserve is an important factor that mediates cognitive decline, the field lacks a quantitative measure of neural compensatory ability, and little is known about factors that may modify compensation, such as physical exercise.
The free morning of presentations and discussion will take place at Guildhall, UCS’s learning and research base in Frankwell Quay, from 9am to 1pm, on Tuesday 19 June 2018.
computerised interventions have been suggested as an effective strategy to reduce potentially inappropriate prescribing (PIP) for hospitalised older adults. This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the evidence for efficacy of computerised interventions designed to reduce PIP in this patient group.. To read the full article, log in using your MPFT NHS OpenAthens details.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) updated its Clinical Guideline and its Quality Standard on hip fracture in 2017. Three quality statements relate to the organisation of care—having a multidisciplinary hip fracture programme, and both operating and starting rehabilitation without delay—while three relate to surgical aspects, the most recent being the requirement to offer total hip replacement rather than hemiarthroplasty for those with displaced intracapsular fractures who could mobilise outdoors with a stick. Some evidence exists to support this, but the timely provision of this more complex and specialised operation presents a logistical challenge to many units. The evidence for many more general aspects of the care of hip fracture patients is still extrapolated from other populations, and more research is needed to guide the care of this specific group.. To read the full article, log in using your MPFT NHS OpenAthens details.
When a patient becomes ill, care home staff ensure that they receive a ‘red bag’ that contains details regarding their health, history and also personal belongings. This means that on admission or discharge to hospital a health care professional will have direct access to important patient information allowing them to identify the care they need to treat them quickly and efficiently; helping to reduce their hospital stay (in some cases) by up to 4.4 days.
Despite the benefits of exercise for older adults, elderly nursing home residents remain largely inactive. This study examined differences in outcome expectations for exercise, and self-efficacy for exercise between older adults in nursing home care, and older adults in the community. We also assessed the association between these exercise beliefs and participants' physical, psychological and medical conditions. To read the full article, log in using your MPFT NHS OpenAthens details.
To quantify the burden of common neurological disease in older adults in terms of lifetime risks, including their co-occurrence and preventive potential, within a competing risk framework.. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
Frailty is a term that presents many difficulties for policy makers and clinicians due to the lack of consensus in defining frailty in a way that meets the needs of older people. A principle-based concept analysis was used to examine the scientific literature across four perspectives: medicine, nursing, social sciences, and occupational and physiotherapy. The purpose was to identify the conceptual components of frailty as revealed by analysis of the literature, and to develop a theoretical definition of frailty. To read the full article, log in using your MPFT NHS OpenAthens details.
These resources are designed to support commissioners in improving the oral health of vulnerable older people in all settings.
The toolkit gives an overview of the impact of oral diseases in vulnerable older people and presents the evidence of what works to improve oral health to inform commissioning.
Falls and fall-related injuries are a serious cause of morbidity and cost to society. Environmental hazards are implicated as a major contributor to falls among older people. A recent Cochrane review found an environmental assessment, undertaken by an occupational therapist, to be an effective approach to reducing falls. However, none of the trials included a cost-effectiveness evaluation in the UK setting. This protocol describes a large multicentre trial investigating the clinical and cost-effectiveness of environmental assessment and modification within the home with the aim of preventing falls in older people. Open Access Article
Open access. While there is strong evidence that fall prevention interventions can prevent falls in people aged 65 and over, translating evidence into routine practice is challenging. Research regarding how allied health professionals (AHPs) respond to this challenge is limited. As part of the Integrated Solutions for Sustainable Fall Prevention (iSOLVE) project, this study aimed to explore how AHPs were making fall prevention practice routine in primary care and the factors that influenced their fall prevention practice.
With the older segment of its population reaching 25% and still increasing, Friuli-Venezia Giulia put in place an integrated system to promote healthy ageing. The system incorporates new models of social protection and fosters new social relations and networks in local areas in order to promote sustainability; solidarity in relationships, behaviours and actions; and social responsibility
Implications for practice and research
Fear of falling (FOF) is common, even in the absence of recent falls. Health professionals should assess older people who present with falls, near falls or unsteady gait for the presence of FOF, and if identified, exercise or cognitive–behavioural intervention should be considered.
Future research should evaluate the effectiveness of interventions to address FOF on preventing or minimising development of incident disability. To read the full article, log in using your MPFT NHS OpenAthens details
Open access. Comment. Self-harm and suicide among older adults is a worldwide population health issue.1 Risk factors for self-harm among older adults have been widely explored, including the influence of mental health conditions, physical illness, and psychosocial factors.1, 2 Self-harm research in older adults has largely focused on describing the incidence and identifying risk factors for self-harm with the use of emergency department presentation, hospital admission, registry, and mortality data. Research examining self-harm among older adults using primary care records is scarce.3
Understanding the circumstances associated with feeling lonely and explaining what we know works in supporting people to tackle feelings of persistent loneliness.
The three new areas we have now been asked to review and will report on individually by December are:
Staffordshire
Leeds
Reading
We have also been asked to choose three local system areas, from those that we carried out in our programme of work in 2017/18, to follow up on progress made.
The three follow-up areas are:
Stoke-on-Trent
York
Oxfordshire
Open access. To evaluate the association between selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) use and risk of fractures in older adults.
Health and care leaders have pledged to work together to improve services for Stoke-on-Trent residents with their first task to develop an action plan to drive through areas for improvement.
As part of the review, which took place between 4 and 8 September, the work of public sector organisations including Stoke-on-Trent Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), Stoke-on-Trent City Council, University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM), and Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Partnership NHS Trust* was examined. It focused on how services including GPs, care homes, hospitals, health commissioners and the local authority work together.
Norfolk trust aims to offer gold standard of care for over-eighties
The NHS’s first emergency department (ED) for older people is being set up to meet the needs of an ageing population.
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screening for cognitive impairment in Emergency Department (ED) requires short, reliable tools.. To read the full article, log in using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens details. SSOTP - You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
Between one in four and one in five older people admitted to hospital will experience the unpleasant condition of delirium [1, 2]. Delirium has a significant impact on the health service (extended lengths of stay, requirement for increased nursing resource). It is a cause of distress for patients and their carers, and has been associated with poor outcomes (accelerated cognitive decline, new care home and admission and death) [3].. To read the full article, log in using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens details. SSOTP - You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) is now the accepted gold standard for caring for frail older people in hospital. However, there is uncertainty about identifying and targeting suitable recipients and which patients benefit the most. . To read the full article, log in using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens details. SSOTP - You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
An 8 week contemporary dance programme with a specific focus on modifying physical factors (physical activity status, mobility, sedentary behaviour patterns) and psychosocial factors (depressive state, fear of falling) that can contribute to falls.
The importance of staying active in older age is becoming increasingly clear, but many older people find it difficult to meet targets set for the wider population.
This study provides useful information about physical activity levels in a group of older men in the UK and how activity may be linked to length of life.
This month an Observer headline reported a 177% increase in deaths from falls among men over 85 from 2008 to 2016, although the population of over 85s rose only 19%. It linked the story to serious cuts in social care funding and provision in that period: a fall from 15% to 9% of over 65s receiving council funded care. It’s hard to establish a causal link, but the story highlights the importance of falls to our health and care services.
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Falls pose a major threat to the well-being and quality of life of older people. Falls can result in fractures and other injuries, disability and fear and can trigger a decline in physical function and loss of autonomy. This article synthesises recent published findings on fall risk and mobility assessments and fall prevention interventions and considers how this field of research may evolve in the future.. To read the full article, log in using your MPFT NHS OpenAthens details. SSOTP (legacy account) - You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
there is evidence suggesting that several chronic diseases have their origins in utero and that development taking place during sensitive periods may affect the aging process. We investigated whether early life determinants would be associated with frailty in old age.. To read the full article, log in using your MPFT NHS OpenAthens details. SSOTP (legacy account) - You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
The editorial presented here aims to complement the importance of the research carried out by Chiu Ming-Jang et al.’s Diagnostic accuracy of instrumental Activities of daily Living for dementia in community-dwelling older adults [1]. This study shows how the functional evaluation in instrumental activities of daily living, and consequently with the use of scales of functional assessment in instrumental activities of daily living, can help to obtain a clinical orientation as a result of the evolution towards a dementia, similar to that obtained with a cognitive evaluation.. To read the full article, log in using your MPFT NHS OpenAthens details. SSOTP (legacy account) - You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
older adults are known to have increased falls rates and functional decline following hospital discharge, with substantial economic healthcare costs. This systematic review aimed to synthesise the evidence for effective falls prevention interventions in older adults recently discharged from hospital.. To read the full article, log in using your MPFT NHS OpenAthens details. SSOTP (legacy account) - You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
physical function (PF) and physical activity (PA) both decline as adults age and have been linked to negative outcomes, including dementia, depression and cardiovascular diseases. Although declines in each are associated with numerous negative outcomes, the longitudinal relationship between these two measures is unclear.. To read the full article, log in using your MPFT NHS OpenAthens details. SSOTP (legacy account) - You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
To explore the extent to which environmental factors are associated with resident thriving.. To read the full article, log in using your MPFT NHS OpenAthens details. SSOTP (legacy account) - You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
To determine the effectiveness of exercise on fall prevention in nursing home residents.. To read the full article, log in using your MPFT NHS OpenAthens details. SSOTP (legacy account) - You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
Antipsychotic drugs are frequently prescribed to older adults, but they may be associated with serious adverse effects. The objective was to investigate the association between use of antipsychotics in older adults and the risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs).. MPFT staff can use the OVID link, or you can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
The question is whether this small change would make a meaningful difference to a person's everyday life and risk of fractures, and whether it would be worth taking supplements with uncertain effects in the long term.
This paper sets out the case for why NHS England should make some bold commitments to healthy ageing in its long-term plan and suggests some ideas for actions it could take and some areas for action with others.
This debate article aims to evaluate whether current diagnostic and therapeutic options for suicidal geriatric patients with depression suffice, and which adapted strategies might be helpful. We hope to encourage clinicians to consider special approaches when treating the elderly.
The report, 'Homes that help: A personal and professional perspective on home adaptations', is based on interviews carried out by Northumbria University, with older individuals and their families, as well as professionals including Occupational Health specialists, handyperson services and local authority staff. It also involved an innovative camera study with 30 individuals documenting the way they navigated their homes – the first time this technology has been used in this setting.
Open access. Pain and delirium are common in people with dementia admitted to hospitals. These are often under-diagnosed and under-treated. Pain is implicated as a cause of delirium but this association has not been investigated in this setting.
To estimate the 6‐month prevalence of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) in primary care patients aged 70 years and over in Quebec, and to describe their clinical profile, including types of worries.. To read the full article, log in using your MPFT NHS OpenAthens details.
GeroPsych: The Journal of Gerontopsychology and Geriatric Psychiatry Vol. 32, Iss. 2, (2019): 79-92. DOI:10.1024/1662-9647/a000203
Models of the use of assistive technologies (ATs) have only moderate value for predicting older people’s actual use of ATs. To find further predictors, we performed a systematic literature review and – applying an action-theoretical approach – a metasynthesis of seven qualitative studies about the reasons older people use or fail to use ATs. We found 25 reasons referring to user’s beliefs and desires (e.g., related to demand, act of using ATs, its consequences), 18 of which were not contained in existing AT use models. Some reasons generalized across ATs (e.g., perceived unreliability), whereas others (e.g., privacy concerns, desire to avoid burden to others) appeared specific to telealarm or smart-home technology. We discuss findings with respect to improving AT use models and developmental counseling.. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
Psychology and Aging Vol. 34, Iss. 3, (May 2019): 389-404. DOI:10.1037/pag0000347
Research on close relationships in later life has received increased attention over the past decade. However, little is known about sexuality and intimacy in old age. Using cross-sectional data from the Berlin Aging Study II (BASE-II; Mage = 68 years, SD = 3.68; 50% women; N = 1,514), we examine age differences in behavioral (sexual activity), cognitive (sexual thoughts), and emotional (intimacy) facets of sexuality and investigate associations with physical health and psychosocial resources for successful aging.. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
Balance training using unstable support surfaces is widely used in clinics and research and can reduce the risk of falls in older people. This study aimed to investigate the effect of an exercise programme using a foam bead bag on older adults' ability to balance and the strength of their lower extremities and compare the effect with no exercise and foam pad exercise using the same programme. To read the full article, log in using your MPFT NHS OpenAthens details.
A smaller social network is associated with worse health‐related outcomes in older people. We examined the impact of social connections and social support on the risk of injurious fall and on fall‐related functional decline and mortality.. To read the full article, log in using your NHS Athens details. To access full-text: click “Log in/Register” (top right hand side). Click ‘Institutional Login’ then select 'OpenAthens Federation', then ‘NHS England’. Enter your Athens details to view the article.
Open access. Although currently available evidence suggests that physical exercise can be beneficial for depressed patients and might be comparable to antidepressant treatment, the best way of implementing this recommendation in clinical practice is not known. This study therefore aims to ascertain the non-inferiority of supervised physical exercise to antidepressant drug treatment, in terms of reducing depressive symptoms among patients presenting with clinical criteria of a depressive episode (ICD-10), across a follow-up period of 6 months.