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Australas J Ageing 2022 May 24. Epub 2022 May 24.

Sydney Nursing School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Objectives: Centre-based aged care services are a key site of early intervention and support for people with dementia and their carers. This paper examines the impact of new aged care funding structures on centre-based aged care service accessibility and delivery. It also examines the challenges and opportunities for change facing the sector in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Read More

Australas J Ageing 2022 May 17. Epub 2022 May 17.

Health and Social Care Economics Group, Caring Futures Institute, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.

Objective: To explore the perceptions of the Australian public regarding Australia's aged care workforce, including their willingness to pay more tax to fund better pay and conditions for aged care workers.

Methods: An online survey was developed and administered to a representative sample of Australian adults (aged ≥18 years) by age group, gender and Australian state. Survey respondents completed a series of attitudinal statements to elicit their perceptions of the value of Australia's aged care workforce and were asked to indicate their willingness to pay additional tax to fund better pay and conditions for aged care workers. Read More

Australas J Ageing 2022 May 12. Epub 2022 May 12.

LGBTIQ+ Health Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Objective: This study examined older lesbian and gay adults' experiences regarding informal caregiving, including challenges and positive aspects of caregiving.

Methods: Interviews were conducted with 16 lesbian women and gay men in Australia, aged 60+, who were engaged in informal caregiving. Analyses involved a qualitative thematic approach. Read More

Australas J Ageing 2022 May 5. Epub 2022 May 5.

Australian Centre for Evidence Based Aged Care, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia.

Objective: To identify factors that health and allied health practitioners consider central to excellence in residential aged care facilities (RACFs) with the objective of supporting improvements in monitoring, accountability and service delivery within the sector.

Methods: In a qualitative, exploratory designed study, interviews were undertaken with seventeen participants from 10 health and allied health disciplines (general practice, dentistry, pharmacy, psychiatry, psychology, neuropsychology, physiotherapy, speech pathology, occupational therapy and palliative care) with experience of working in Victorian RACFs. The interviews focused on how practitioners perceived excellence within RACFs. Read More

Australas J Ageing 2022 May 3. Epub 2022 May 3.

College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.

Objective: We explored the perspectives of professionals working in health and aged care services in South Australia about factors that influenced successful transitions from hospital to home or residential aged care home for older people. We examined successful and recommended strategies that could support safe transitions following hospital discharge and reduce avoidable hospital admissions in South Australia.

Methods: Nineteen professionals from acute, post-acute, primary, community and aged care settings in South Australia participated in semi-structured interviews. Read More

Australas J Ageing 2022 May 2. Epub 2022 May 2.

School of Medicine, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.

Objectives: To explore the diabetes self-management expectations of older adults with diabetes, not yet accessing residential aged care services. Admission to residential aged care (RAC) can create many interruptions to usual food choices and diabetes self-management, and we know little about the concerns of the emerging ageing population.

Methods: This is a qualitative study employing focus groups and inductive thematic analysis involving 18 older adults with diabetes between the ages of 60 and 88, living in their own homes within an Australian city. Read More

Australas J Ageing 2022 Apr 22. Epub 2022 Apr 22.

Department of Management, Macquarie Business School, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Objective: This study aimed to capture stakeholder views and issues arising from the implementation of the innovative single-site employment guiding principles (SSE-GP) that the Australian Government, in consultation with the sector, introduced into hot spot residential aged care facilities (RACFs) in July 2020 in response to COVID-19.

Methods: Interviews with 74 stakeholders around Australia were conducted in October-November 2020. Provider interviews included employees and managerial and human resources staff in profit and non-profit services who did, and did not, have COVID-19 outbreaks. Read More

Australas J Ageing 2022 Apr 21. Epub 2022 Apr 21.

Waitematā District Health Board, Auckland, New Zealand.

Objectives: As people age, they are more likely to require support to maintain activities of daily living. Referral for formal assessment of need (assessed using the 'international Resident Assessment Instrument' [interRAI]) is the first step to access publicly funded services in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ). It is unclear whether ethnic access inequities present in other areas of the NZ health system occur in this referral process. Read More

Australas J Ageing 2022 Apr 20. Epub 2022 Apr 20.

RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Objectives: The socioeconomically disadvantaged oldest old (people aged 85 years and over) are more vulnerable to social exclusion than the general population. Using a population representative sample, this paper examined associations between sociodemographic characteristics and social exclusion among the oldest old.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 307 participants aged 85 years and over from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey. Read More

Australas J Ageing 2022 Apr 19. Epub 2022 Apr 19.

WHO Collaborating Centre for Community Health Services, School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong SAR.

Objectives: To examine loneliness experienced by middle-aged and older Chinese immigrants and its association with accepting technology as a companion (apps, Internet and robots) versus owning pets, when social distancing measures were implemented in New Zealand during the first COVID-19 outbreak.

Methods: This study conducted a community-based cross-sectional survey. Chinese immigrants who were 45-87 years old (n = 173) were invited to answer an online survey in the Chinese language, collecting demographic data, responses to the 6-item De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale and experiences in using technology and pet ownership. Read More

Australas J Ageing 2022 Apr 19. Epub 2022 Apr 19.

Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Zhejiang, China.

Objective: To develop prediction models for sarcopenia in older patients with hip fracture based on a specific set of serum biomarkers aimed at estimating appendicular skeletal muscle mass and diagnosing sarcopenia.

Methods: Older patients with hip fracture admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University from January 2020 to June 2021 were recruited, screened for sarcopenia and tested for peripheral blood levels of specific serum biomarkers preoperatively. Participants were randomly divided into a training set and test set. Read More

Australas J Ageing 2022 Apr 14. Epub 2022 Apr 14.

Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, School of Health Sciences, Bitlis Eren University, Bitlis, Turkey.

Objective: This study investigates the interaction between fear of movement, fall risk, and physical activity levels in ageing individuals who experienced social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: In this descriptive and cross-sectional study, 254 eligible participants used an online background survey. Individuals' fear of movement was evaluated by the kinesiophobia causes scale, fall risk by the falls efficacy scale, and physical activity levels by the physical activity scale for the ageing. Read More

Australas J Ageing 2022 Apr 8. Epub 2022 Apr 8.

Centre for Medicine Use and Safety, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Objective: To systematically review the prevalence of opioid prescribing, dispensing and administration in Australian residential aged care facilities (RACFs).

Methods: MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, AgeLine, Web of Science Core Collection, InformIT and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (inception to September 2021) were searched for studies reporting opioid prevalence in Australian RACFs. Regular and as-required (i. Read More

Australas J Ageing 2022 Apr 5. Epub 2022 Apr 5.

Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia.

Objectives: To investigate the burden of peripheral intravenous catheters (PIVCs) in older hospitalised patients.

Methods: A cross-sectional prospective observational study (2014/2015) to describe the characteristics, indications and outcomes of PIVCs among patients aged ≥65 from 65 Australian hospitals.

Results: Amongst 2179 individual PIVCs (in 2041 patients, mean age 77. Read More

Australas J Ageing 2022 Mar 31. Epub 2022 Mar 31.

School of Design, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Objective: With little research investigating older Australians' experience of companion animal (pet) ownership or wildlife encounters, this paper focuses on the value of animals in their lives.

Methods: Three online focus groups explored 103 older adults' lived experience of home and community, with this paper focused on interactions with animals-companion animals and wildlife.

Results: Most (60%) had at least one pet, which brought love and joy into their lives. Read More

Australas J Ageing 2022 Mar 21. Epub 2022 Mar 21.

School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Objectives: Older adults are an untapped resource for leading sustainability change. This study assessed a pilot study of a Sustainability Ambassadors Training Program for older adults.

Methods: The pilot training program was conducted with a sample of 14 older adults over a single day, with some follow-up activities for participants at home. Read More

Australas J Ageing 2022 Mar 21. Epub 2022 Mar 21.

Department of Geriatric Medicine and Centre for Education and Research on Ageing (CERA), Concord Hospital, Concord, Australia.

Objectives: To explore the nature and severity of behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) and outcomes for patients admitted to a specialist dementia care unit (SDCU) at a tertiary Australian hospital.

Methods: This single-centre retrospective study categorised patients into a recognised seven-tiered model of severity of BPSD using a novel tool developed for this study. Descriptive characteristics, pharmacological management, and range and severity of BPSD were examined. Read More

Australas J Ageing 2022 03;41(1)

Australas J Ageing 2022 Mar;41(1)

Australas J Ageing 2022 Mar 14. Epub 2022 Mar 14.

Business Unit, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the financial well-being of older Australian retirees.

Methods: Thirty Australian retirees (16 females and 14 males), older than 65 years of age, were asked 'Have your finances been affected by the events surrounding COVID-19?'. Data were analysed using Braun and Clarke's six-step approach, and Bronfenbrenner's socio-ecological model was utilised to analyse thematic responses at individual, household, community and societal levels. Read More

Australas J Ageing 2022 Mar 12. Epub 2022 Mar 12.

ACH Group Inc, Mile End, South Australia, Australia.

Objectives: The Australian aged-care sector employees are diverse, with a wide range of training backgrounds and work experience. Compassion and person-centred care (PCC) are essential for quality care. Effective training is required to facilitate compassion and PCC in the diverse workforce. Read More

Australas J Ageing 2022 Mar 10. Epub 2022 Mar 10.

Geriatrician, Royal North Shore Hospital, University of Sydney, St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia.

Australas J Ageing 2022 Mar 10. Epub 2022 Mar 10.

Peninsula Clinical School, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Objective: To explore older persons' perceptions of the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on participating in community activities after discharge from inpatient rehabilitation.

Methods: Mixed-methods study design. Participants were older adults who were discharged home following inpatient rehabilitation. Read More

Australas J Ageing 2022 Mar 8. Epub 2022 Mar 8.

South Western Sydney Nursing and Midwifery Research Alliance, Western Sydney University and Ingham Institute of Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia.

Objectives: To determine whether delirium prevention interventions reduce the risk of falls among older hospitalised patients.

Methods: A systematic search of health-care databases was undertaken. Given the frequency of small sample sized trials, a trial sequential meta-analysis was conducted to present estimate summary effects to date. Read More

Australas J Ageing 2022 Mar 2. Epub 2022 Mar 2.

School of Nursing and Midwifery, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Objectives: In recent years, the concept of general self-efficacy has increased in popularity. General self-efficacy is positively associated with quality of life and has the potential to act as a psychological buffer against adverse events and circumstances. However, due to the long-term influences that are said to shape general self-efficacy beliefs, they may be resistant to intervention, particularly within the older population. Read More

Australas J Ageing 2022 Mar 2. Epub 2022 Mar 2.

Manchester Centre for Health Psychology, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.

Public health initiatives aim to improve health outcomes for populations by preventing disease and ill-health consequences of environmental hazards and natural or human-made disasters. Whilst public health initiatives have been used successfully to modify behaviours for chronic diseases, many initiatives targeting reduced dementia risk in older adults suffer from conceptual and statistical flaws that greatly limit their usefulness. The limited success in modifying lifestyle dementia risk factors has led us to fall short in building a successful roadmap to dementia risk reduction. Read More

Australas J Ageing 2022 Mar 2. Epub 2022 Mar 2.

Research Institute for Sport and Exercise, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.

Objective: To ensure accurate data capture for a fall study through a system of daily contact with participants.

Methods: Fifty-eight adults older than 60 years of age and living independently in the community in Canberra, Australia, were recruited for a prospective fall study. We adopted a system of daily contact with study participants for at least 12 months, either by email or by text, asking whether they had suffered a fall in the previous 24 h. Read More

Australas J Ageing 2022 Mar 1. Epub 2022 Mar 1.

School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Objective: To understand health-care burden from fall-related injury, we investigated patterns of health service use in participants of the Australian statewide Stepping On fall prevention program.

Methods: Routinely collected ambulance, emergency, hospital and mortality data for 9163 participants across NSW Local Health Districts between 2009 and 2015 were analysed for patterns in fall-related health service use three years before and after the Stepping On program using negative binomial regression analyses.

Results: Overall fall-related health service use increased over the 6-year study period. Read More

Australas J Ageing 2022 Mar 1. Epub 2022 Mar 1.

Human Science of Sport, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, China.

Objectives: To investigate age-associated changes in functional fitness (FF) among Chinese older women and to identify any urban-rural disparity.

Methods: Nine hundred and sixty-five participants aged 60-84 yrs were assessed for their functional fitness. They were stratified into five groups by age and two groups by residential areas. Read More

Australas J Ageing 2022 Feb 28. Epub 2022 Feb 28.

Department of Medicine and Aged Care, @AgeMelbourne, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.