BMC Geriatrics

BackgroundDementia is a terminal condition often requiring palliative care delivered in residential care settings. While informal caregivers (ICGs) are pivotal in care-based decision-making, they have higher rates of physical and mental illness than ICGs of people with other terminal conditions. Identifying the needs of ICGs of people living with dementia (PLwD) is essential, to mitigate these risks and develop effective support systems. ObjectiveOur objective was to understand the first-hand e...

IntroductionIn Ireland, there has been a substantial recent investment in the Community Specialist Team for Older People (CST OP) service model. This approach provides timely integrated assessment and intervention for older adults in the community by a specialist multidisciplinary team. To inform the ongoing development and refinement of the CST OP service model, and ensure it is responsive to the needs and preferences of older adults, it is important to understand how older adults experience th...

BackgroundCaring for someone with moderate to advanced dementia within a domestic home setting can be burdensome and time-consuming. To ensure the effectiveness of care planning and delivery, especially towards the end of life, understanding the nature and impact of such caregiving on the family carer is important. Synthesising existing research will allow greater insight into this experience. Review question How do family carers describe their experience of providing home-based care for people...

BackgroundDementia has no cure but interventions can stabilize the progression of cognitive, functional, and behavioral symptoms. Primary care providers (PCPs) are vital for the early detection, and long-term management of these diseases, given their gatekeeping role in the healthcare system. However, PCPs rarely implement evidence-based dementia care due to barriers such as limited dementia knowledge and time. Training PCPs and linking them to dementia care navigators may address these barriers...

BackgroundOlder adults usually experience polypharmacy which increases their risk of adverse drug events, drug-drug interactions, and medication non-adherence. Clinical pharmacists, with specialized expertise in pharmacotherapy, are capable of engaging in deprescribing interventions aimed at reducing potentially inappropriate medications and overall medication burden. However, the overall impact of these pharmacist-led strategies remains unclear due to heterogeneity in study designs, settings, a...

ObjectivesThis pilot study examines effectiveness of an innovative pharmacy design change on over-the-counter (OTC) medication misuse in older adults (ages [≥]65). Few interventions have attempted to decrease older adult OTC misuse, and none have addressed system barriers. A structural redesign of the pharmacy (the Senior Section) was conceptualized to increase awareness of higher-risk OTC medications. The Senior Section contains a curated selection of OTC medications (for pain, cough/cold, a...

BackgroundThe increasing prevalence of depression and functional disability in older adults highlights the need for targeted interventions, with sleep as a potentially modifiable factor, yet the longitudinal effects and mediating role of sleep remain poorly understood. MethodsThis review and conceptual framework aimed to examine the pairwise bidirectional associations between sleep, depression, and functional disability and identify the longitudinal mediating role of sleep in the bidirectional ...

Purpose of the StudyIn India, the rate of population aging, the greater burden of chronic disease-related care, and smaller families question the sustainability of traditional family based, home long term support and services (LTSS). However, little is still known about Indians perception of formal LTSS. Design and MethodsA mixed-methods design of family caregivers for older adults from Jodhpur, Rajasthan (n=30 in-depth interviews; n=100 quantitative survey). Inductive qualitative data analysis...

BackgroundBecause of a growing older population, the sexual health (SH) of older adults, including sexual violence (SV), is becoming an increasingly important public health concern. Yet, reliable SV prevalence rates and risk factors are lacking, due to methodological shortcomings in current studies. SV research involves challenges regarding safety and disclosure, especially in older adults. In this paper we reflect on the methods used in a SH&V study in older adults balancing between GDPR impose...

ObjectiveThis study explored nurses willingness to work in assisted living institutions for the aged. BackgroundAssisted living institutions are multifunctional facilities that provide clinical and ambulatory (day hospital) care for somatic and psychogeriatric elderly with multiple pathology, disability, and handicaps. MethodsThe study used a mixed-methods approach in which qualitative data was collected first before the quantitative data. Data was collected through focused group discussions (...

Sexual violence (SV) is an important public health issue with a potential major impact on victims and their peers, offspring and community. However, SV in older adults is under-researched. This paper aims to establish the prevalence and nature of SV in older adults in Europe, link this with existing policies and health care workers response to sexual health needs in older age and critically revise the current used frameworks in public health research. We applied a Critical Interpretative Synthe...

BackgroundCare home residents have complex care and support needs, as demonstrated by their vulnerability during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a perception that the needs of residents have increased, but evidence is limited. We investigated changes in health and functioning of care home residents over two decades in England and Wales. MethodsWe conducted a repeated cross-sectional analysis over a 24-year period (1992-2016), using data from three longitudinal studies, the Cognitive Function an...

IntroductionSupervised physical activity (PA) interventions have demonstrated efficacy and safety in improving health outcomes among frail populations. However, the growing disparity between limited healthcare resources and the rapidly aging population poses a significant challenge. Remotely delivered PA interventions may offer a viable solution for resource-limited regions. This study presents preliminary findings from a pre-designed protocol, examining the health benefits of a remotely supervi...

Background and PurposeResistance training has been widely studied in the older adult population as it relates to strength and function, however, there is limited research on the use of concentric resistance-only training using hydraulic exercise equipment. This study aimed to determine the effects of a 6 week performance-based concentric only resistance training protocol on isometric muscle strength, balance, fall risk, and perceived lower extremity function in older adults. MethodsThirteen old...

PurposeAdults living in residential-aged-care-homes (RACHs) with oropharyngeal dysphagia may not have timely access to instrumental swallowing assessment due to barriers, including the need to travel off-site for assessment. This study describes the feasibility, utility, and acceptability of mobile Flexible-Endoscopic-Swallowing-Assessment (mFEES) in Australian residential-aged-care-homes (RACHs). MethodResidents with dysphagia living in RACHs were assessed using onsite mFEES. Feasibility, util...

BackgroundOlder adults with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) face an increased risk of adverse health outcomes including mortality. Ethical guidelines consider allocation of limited resources based on likelihood of survival, frilty, co-morbidities and age. However, the association of frailty with clinical outcomes in older COVID-19 patients remains unclear. ObjectivesTo determine the association between frailty and short-term mortality in older adults hospitalized for COVID-19. DesignRetros...

In Adult Social Care, UK local authorities have statutory responsibilities for assessing needs and delivering services to ensure adults wellbeing. Administrative data collected during this process may help local authorities compliance with these duties. We developed and internally validated predictive models for older people (>- 60 years) receiving social care for whether they remained at home or were admitted to care homes, two years after index assessments, using administrative data from one E...

In line with population ageing, the number of global deaths is predicted to increase. There have been projections that, within the next 20 years, in England and Wales, care homes may become the most common place of death. In order to respect the autonomy of their residents, it is therefore, vital that care home staff are able to have Advance Care Planning conversations. However, care home staff may lack the knowledge or confidence to have such discussions. Further, a systematic review found a pa...

BackgroundPhysical inactivity negatively affects gait performance and postural stability in older adults, which results in a higher risk of fall accidents. Previous research has shown that in-person dance training improves various aspects of balance and lower extremity function, however, the potential benefits of dance training delivered online on variables used for fall risk stratification in older adults have yet to be studied. We aimed to explore the benefits of a 12-week online dance trainin...

BackgroundMobility loss is common in hospitalized older adults, and resources to prevent mobility loss are finite. Our goal was to develop a rapid, universal screening tool that identifies individuals at risk of losing the ability to walk during hospitalization on the first hospital day. Second, we determined if the model could inform the use of mobility-preserving interventions. MethodsWe included patients admitted to a general medical service, aged [≥]65 years, who could walk on admission ...