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BMC Geriatr 2020 May 27;20(1):184. Epub 2020 May 27.

Erasmus School of Health Policy & Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Burgemeester Oudlaan 50, 3062 PA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Background: We investigated relationships of broader self-management abilities (self-efficacy, positive frame of mind, investment behavior, taking initiatives, multifunctionality of resources, variety of resources) to social and emotional loneliness among community-dwelling older people while controlling for background characteristics.

Methods: This cross-sectional study employed a representative sample of 41,327 community-dwelling people aged ≥55 years in Limburg, the Netherlands, identified using the population register (weighted per district, complex sampling design). In total, 20,327 (50%) people responded to the questionnaire. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 May 25;20(1):181. Epub 2020 May 25.

Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Box 157, 221 00, Lund, Sweden.

Background: External housing-related control beliefs (HCB) and general self-efficacy (GSE) influence different health outcomes in the general ageing population, but there is no information of their role in people ageing with Parkinson's disease (PD). This study aimed to longitudinally assess the role of external HCB and GSE on the association between housing accessibility and activities of daily living (ADL) among people ageing with PD.

Methods: Baseline and 3-year follow-up data on 130 community-living participants from the Swedish project 'Home and Health in People Ageing with PD' were collected. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 May 25;20(1):182. Epub 2020 May 25.

School of Public Administration and Policy, The Research Center for Health Protection, Renmin University of China, No. 59, Zhongguancun Street, Haidian District, Beijing, 100872, PR China.

Background: Hearing loss is highly prevalent and associated with reduced well-being in older adults. But little is known about the role of social factors in the association of hearing difficulty and its health consequences. This study aims to examine the association between self-reported hearing loss and health-related quality of life (HRQoL, consisted of physical and mental component summary, PCS and MCS), and to investigate whether social engagement mediates this association. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 May 24;20(1):179. Epub 2020 May 24.

Department of Psychiatry, Kern Medical Center, 1700 Mount Vernon Avenue, Bakersfield, CA, 93306, USA.

Background: Aripiprazole, a third-generation antipsychotic medication, has been used to treat a range of psychiatric disorders. According to the U.S. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 May 24;20(1):180. Epub 2020 May 24.

Department of Epidemiology and Statistics, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 17,3 section South Renmin Road, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China.

Background: There is a evidence of negative association between loneliness and sleep quality in older adults. However, little is known regarding the relationship between loneliness and sleep quality among Chinese rural older adults. This study examined the associations of loneliness and sleep quality in a cross-sectional study of older adults. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 May 19;20(1):178. Epub 2020 May 19.

Department of Surgery, Amphia Hospital, P.O. Box 90518, 4800 RK, Breda, The Netherlands.

Background: Health-care systems nowadays rely on complementary patient care by informal caregivers. The need for, and burden on, informal caregivers will likely increase in the upcoming years. This study aimed to examine the burden on caregivers when providing care for elderly patients undergoing major abdominal surgery. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 May 18;20(1):177. Epub 2020 May 18.

Primary Care Unit, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.

Background: Reduced mobility may be responsible for functional decline and acute sarcopenia in older hospitalised patients. The drivers of reduced in-hospital mobility are poorly understood, especially during the early phase of acute hospitalisation. We investigated predictors of in-hospital activity during a 24-h period in the first 48 h of hospital admission in older adults. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 May 18;20(1):176. Epub 2020 May 18.

Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 500 University Avenue, Suite 160, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1V7, Canada.

Background: Dementia is a major public health concern associated with significant caregiver demands and there are technologies available to assist with caregiving. However, there is a paucity of information on caregiver needs and preferences for these technologies, particularly from a sex and gender perspective. To address this gap in research, the objectives of this study are to examine (1) the knowledge of technology, (2) perceived usefulness of technology, (3) feature preferences when installing and using technology and (4) sex and gender influences on technology needs and preferences among family caregivers of persons with dementia (PWD) across North America. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 May 14;20(1):175. Epub 2020 May 14.

Faculty of Health Sciences, OsloMet - Metropolitan University, 0130, Oslo, Norway.

Background: Worldwide, patient and public involvement (PPI) in health research has grown steadily in recent decades. The James Lind Alliance (JLA) is one approach to PPI that brings patients, carers and clinicians together to identify priorities for future research in a Priority Setting Partnership (PSP). Our study aim was to describe the reflections of informal carers of people with dementia on the possibility of participating in the JLA's PSP process, for both themselves and the recipients of their care. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 May 13;20(1):174. Epub 2020 May 13.

Division of Clinical Public Health, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Room 678 155 College Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 3M7, Canada.

Background: Type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM) affects upwards of 25% of Canadian older adults and is associated with high comorbidity and burden. Studies show that lifestyle factors and self-management are associated with improved health outcomes, but many studies lack rigour or exclude older adults, particularly those with multimorbidity. More evidence is needed on the effectiveness of community-based self-management programs in older adults with T2DM and multimorbidity. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 May 12;20(1):173. Epub 2020 May 12.

Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Section of Sustainable Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.

Background: Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is a strong risk factor for cardiovascular disease and increases with age. While supervised exercise (SE) may be an effective approach, web-based exercise (WE) have other advantages such as being more readily accessible. Therefore, we evaluated the effects of WE on VAT, body composition and cardiometabolic risk markers in centrally obese older adults and compared the effects of WE to SE. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 May 12;20(1):172. Epub 2020 May 12.

Rehabilitation, Aged and Extended Care, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, South Australia, 5001, Australia.

Background: Access to rehabilitation services for people living in residential care facilities is frequently limited. A randomised trial of a hospital outreach hip fracture rehabilitation program in residential care facilities has demonstrated improvements in mobility at four weeks and quality of life at 12 months but was not considered cost-effective by standard health economic metrics. The current study aimed to explore the general public's views on issues involved in the allocation of rehabilitation resources for residents of care facilities. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 May 11;20(1):171. Epub 2020 May 11.

Faculty of Informatics and Management, University of Hradec Kralove, Rokitanskeho 62, 50003, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic.

Background: In this paper, we analyse the economic burden of elder care in the Czech Republic by assessing how family members of senior citizens engage in caregiving. To do this, we examined the time and cost associated with caregiving as a function of age, gender, and income of the caregiver.

Methods: A questionnaire comprising 17 items was used to gather data from 155 informal caregivers whose seniors are affiliated with 200 registered home care agencies. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 May 11;20(1):170. Epub 2020 May 11.

Department of Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, DUMC Box 3805, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.

Background: The burden of hearing loss among older adults could be mitigated with appropriate care. This study compares implementation of three hearing screening strategies in primary care, and examines the reliability and validity of patient self-assessment, primary care providers (PCP) and diagnostic audiologists in the identification of 'red flag' conditions (those conditions that may require medical consultation and/or intervention).

Methods: Six primary care practices will implement one of three screening strategies (2 practices per strategy) with 660 patients (220 per strategy) ages 65-75 years with no history of hearing aid use or diagnosis of hearing loss. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 May 7;20(1):168. Epub 2020 May 7.

Department of Public Health and Nursing, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.

Background: Due to the shift to an older population worldwide and an increased need for 24-h care, finding new and alternative approaches to increase wellbeing among nursing home (NH) residents is highly warranted. To guide clinical practice in boosting wellbeing among NH residents, knowledge about nurse-patient interaction (NPI), inter- (ST1) and intra-personal (ST2) self-transcendence and meaning-in-life (PIL) seems vital. This study tests six hypotheses of the relationships between NPI, ST1, ST2 and PIL among cognitively intact NH residents. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 May 7;20(1):169. Epub 2020 May 7.

Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Academic Centre for Nursing and Midwifery, KU Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 35 blok d - bus 7001, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium.

Background: Restraint use is a complex and challenging issue in home care. Due to socio-demographic trends, worldwide home healthcare providers are faced with an increasing demand for restraint use from informal caregivers, patients and healthcare providers, resulting in the use of various types of restraints in home care. Awareness and knowledge of restraint use in home care, its implications and the ethical challenges surrounding it are of crucial importance to its reduction. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 May 7;20(1):167. Epub 2020 May 7.

Department of Human Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Movement Sciences, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Background: The European population is rapidly ageing. There is an urgent need for innovative solutions to reduce fall risk in older adults. Perturbation-based gait training is a promising new method to improve reactive balance responses. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 May 6;20(1):164. Epub 2020 May 6.

Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.

Background: Frailty is a highly recognized geriatric syndrome resulting in decline in reserve across multiple physiological systems. Impaired physical function is one of the major indicators of frailty. The goal of this study was to evaluate an algorithm that discriminates between frailty groups (non-frail and pre-frail/frail) based on gait performance parameters derived from unsupervised daily physical activity (DPA). Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 May 6;20(1):162. Epub 2020 May 6.

Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.

Background: In patients with permanent pacemakers (PPM), physical activity (PA) can be monitored using embedded accelerometers to measure pacemaker detected active hours (PDAH), a strong predictor of mortality. We examined the impact of a PA Counseling (PAC) intervention on increasing activity as measured by PDAH and daily step counts.

Methods: Thirteen patients (average age 80 ± 6 years, 84. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 May 6;20(1):165. Epub 2020 May 6.

Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Institute of Public Health, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.

Background: While physical activity interventions have been reported to reduce hospital stays, it is not clear if, in the general population, usual physical activity patterns may be associated with subsequent hospital use independently of other lifestyle factors.

Objective: We examined the relationship between reported usual physical activity and subsequent admissions to hospital and time spent in hospital for 11,228 men and 13,786 women aged 40-79 years in the general population.

Methods: Participants from a British prospective population-based cohort study were followed for 20 years (1999-2019) using record linkage to document hospital usage. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 May 6;20(1):163. Epub 2020 May 6.

Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Department of Primary and Community Care, Radboud Alzheimer Centre, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.

Background: Several efforts have been made to change management of neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) in nursing homes, however only few were successful. Numerous barriers to change in healthcare were identified, yet only one conceptual model is known to study their interrelationships. Unfortunately, this model does not discuss specific barriers encountered in nursing home practice. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 May 6;20(1):166. Epub 2020 May 6.

Department of Nursing, Gangneung-Wonju National University, 150 Namwon-ro, Heungeop-myeon, Wonju-si, Gangwon-do, 26403, Korea.

Background: Reminiscence therapy (RT) can improve various dysfunctions in people with dementia (PWD), but it may not be a cost-effective intervention. Digital RT allows multiple users to participate in a therapy simultaneously. Moreover, digital RT offers convenience, such as for uploading personal materials and presenting individual triggers of personal memories. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 May 6;20(1):156. Epub 2020 May 6.

Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, 525 North Wolfe St., Rm 426, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.

Background: Less educational training is consistently associated with incident dementia among older adults, but associations between income and financial strain with incident dementia have not been well tested in national samples. This is an important gap because, like education, financial resources are potentially modifiable by policy change and strengthening the social safety net. This study tested whether financial resources (income and financial strain) predict six-year incident dementia independent of education and occupation. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 May 5;20(1):160. Epub 2020 May 5.

Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, and the Gerontology Research Centre (GEREC), Tampere University, P.O. Box 100, 33014, Tampere, Finland.

Background: Geriatric assessment upon admission may reveal factors that contribute to adverse outcomes in hospitalized older patients. The purposes of this study were to derive a Frailty Index (FI-PAC) from the interRAI Post-Acute Care instrument (interRAI-PAC) and to analyse the predictive ability of the FI-PAC and interRAI scales for hospital outcomes.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted by combining patient data from interRAI-PAC with discharge records from two post-acute care hospitals. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 May 5;20(1):161. Epub 2020 May 5.

Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA.

Background: Declines in bone, muscle and physical performance are associated with adverse health outcomes in older adults. However, few studies have described concurrent age-related patterns of change in these factors. The purpose of this study was to characterize change in four properties of muscle, physical performance, and bone in a prospective cohort study of older men. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 May 4;20(1):157. Epub 2020 May 4.

Nursing Department, the third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, Guangdong, China.

Background: Endotracheal intubation is known to pose significant physiological, pharmacokinetic, and dynamic changes and postoperative respiratory complications in patients under general anesthesia.

Method: An RCT trial was organized by the Third Affiliated Hospital at Sun Yat-sen University, China. Patients were eligible for inclusion in the trial if they were over 60 years old and had upper-abdominal surgery during the induction of anesthesia and had enrolled in endotracheal intubations. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 May 4;20(1):158. Epub 2020 May 4.

Institute of Gerontology, King's College London, Strand Campus, Strand Campus, London, WC2R 2LS, UK.

Background: Social prescribing is encouraged to promote well-being, reduce isolation and loneliness. Traditional, generalist day centres for older people could be suggested by social prescribing, but little is known about their clientele or their outcomes. As part of a larger study of the role, outcomes and commissioning of generalist English day centres for older people, the characteristics of attenders at 4 day centres, their reasons for attendance and outcomes were explored. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 May 4;20(1):159. Epub 2020 May 4.

Department of Internal Medicine, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Gong-Ti South Road 8#, Chao-Yang District, Beijing, China.

Background: Frailty describes an age-related clinical state and can be regarded as a predictive factor for fall, disability, hospitalization, and death in the elderly. Previous studies proved that frailty could be reversed or attenuated by multi-disciplinary intervention. However, only a few studies have been performed in non-dialysis patients with chronic kidney disease. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 Apr 28;20(1):154. Epub 2020 Apr 28.

Geriatria, Accettazione geriatrica e Centro di ricerca per l'invecchiamento, IRCCS INRCA, Ancona, Italy.

Background: The efficiency of the fast-track (FT) process in the management of patients in Emergency Departments is well demonstrated, but there is a lack of research focused on older adults. The aim of our study was to verify whether the FT process is efficient and safe for older adults admitted to ED.

Methods: Observational case-control single-centre study. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 Apr 28;20(1):155. Epub 2020 Apr 28.

Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Department of Neurology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Background: Ocular imaging receives much attention as a source of potential biomarkers for dementia. In the present study, we analyze these ocular biomarkers in cognitively impaired and healthy participants in a population aged over 90 years (= nonagenarian), and elucidate the effects of age on these biomarkers.

Methods: For this prospective cross-sectional study, we included individuals from the EMIF-AD 90+ study, consisting of a cognitively healthy (N = 67) and cognitively impaired group (N = 33), and the EMIF-AD PreclinAD study, consisting of cognitively healthy controls aged ≥60 (N = 198). Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 Apr 23;20(1):153. Epub 2020 Apr 23.

Department of Human Kinetics and Health Education, Faculty of Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria.

Background: Retirees face numerous challenges, including disassociation from persons in their social networks in Nigeria. Perceived social isolation or loneliness could impair the quality of life in old age, and lead to mental disorders. However, it is uncertain whether perceived loneliness has an independent association with depressive and anxiety symptoms and comorbid conditions in Nigerian retirees. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 Apr 22;20(1):151. Epub 2020 Apr 22.

Lipids and Atherosclerosis Research Unit, Avda. Menéndez Pidal, s/n, Reina Sofia University Hospital, Maimonides Institute for Biomedical Research in Cordoba (IMIBIC), University of Córdoba, 14004, Córdoba, Spain.

Background: Aging is associated with a high risk for cardiovascular disease. The relation of obesity and risk of cardiovascular events appears to be more closely linked to certain clinical or metabolic phenotypes than to obesity itself. Our aim was to establish whether aging influenced the metabolic phenotypes regarding to cardiovascular risk, evaluated by changes in the intima media thickness-common carotid (IMT-CC), in coronary heart disease (CHD) patients. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 Apr 22;20(1):150. Epub 2020 Apr 22.

Erasmus School of Health Policy & Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, P.O. Box 1738, 3000, DR, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Background: There has been a shift from institutional care towards home care, and from formal to informal care to contain long-term care (LTC) costs in many countries. However, substitution to home care or informal care might be harder to achieve for some conditions than for others. Therefore, insight is needed in differences in LTC use, and the role of potential informal care givers, across specific conditions. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 Apr 22;20(1):149. Epub 2020 Apr 22.

School of Sport Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, No. 1 Wenyuan Road Qixia District, Nanjing, 210046, China.

Background: This study explored the effects of physical activity and sedentary behaviour on the decline of cognitive ability among the elderly. To compensate for the limitations of self-reported physical activity, objective measures were used.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 308 aged people mean 68. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 Apr 22;20(1):152. Epub 2020 Apr 22.

National Health and Medical Research Council Centre of Research Excellence in Trans-Disciplinary Frailty Research to Achieve Healthy Ageing, Adelaide, Australia.

Background: Frailty exposes older people to an elevated risk of a range of negative outcomes. Emerging evidence that frailty can be effectively treated within community settings has stimulated calls for more proactive screening within primary care. Assessing feasibility is a critical preliminary step in assessing the efficacy of interventions such as screening. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 Apr 21;20(1):148. Epub 2020 Apr 21.

Department of Health Informatics, Kyoto University School of Public Health, Yoshida Konoe-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan.

Background: Outbreaks of norovirus infection can have detrimental impacts on long-term care facilities. This study investigated the incidence, clinical picture, treatment and resource use of norovirus gastroenteritis in long-term care facilities.

Methods: Nineteen facilities in Osaka and Kyoto, Japan participated in questionnaire surveys conducted between 2009 and 2011 regarding the incidence of norovirus gastroenteritis. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 Apr 20;20(1):147. Epub 2020 Apr 20.

Aix-Marseille Univ, Marseille, France.

Background: Inappropriate drug prescribing causes preventable drug-related adverse events that result in increased morbidity and mortality, additional costs and diminished quality of life. Numerous initiatives have been launched to improve the quality of drug prescribing and safeguard the security of drug administration processes in nursing homes. Against the backdrop of implementation of telemedicine services, the focus of the present work is to evaluate the impact of a telemedication review carried out by a hospital physician and pharmacist as part of the telemedicine offer. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 Apr 19;20(1):145. Epub 2020 Apr 19.

School of Rural and Northern Health, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario, P3E 2C6, Canada.

Background: Indigenous people continue to experience high rates of multiple chronic conditions (MCC) at younger ages than other populations, resulting in an increase in health and social care needs. Those who provide services designed to address MCC for Indigenous communities require synthesized information to develop interventions that meet the needs of their older adult population. This review seeks to answer the research question: What are the health and social care needs, priorities and preferences of Indigenous older adults (living outside of long-term care settings) with MCC and their caregivers?

Methods: A scoping review, guided by a refinement of the Arksey & O'Malley framework, was conducted. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 Apr 19;20(1):146. Epub 2020 Apr 19.

Laboratory of Exercise Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Sport Science, Sungkyunkwan University, 2066 Seobu-Ro, Jangan-Gu, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea.

Background: This study investigated the association between non-exercise based estimation of cardiorespiratory fitness (eCRF) and metabolic syndrome (Mets) in Korean adults aged 18 years and older (13,400 women and 9885 men).

Methods: Data from the 2008 and 2011 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys IV and V in South Korea were analyzed. eCRF was assessed with a previously validated procedure. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 Apr 19;20(1):144. Epub 2020 Apr 19.

Geriatric Department, GHdC, Charleroi, Belgium.

Background: Frailty is a multidimensional syndrome that leads to an increase of an age-related disorder of several physiological systems, and cognitive abilities decline. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of frailty among older persons in Belgium and we examined the factors associated with frailty with a principal focus en cognitive, dietary status, and inflammatory parameters.

Methods: A total of 124 participants (90 women, 34 men; age: mean ± SD: 85. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 Apr 19;20(1):143. Epub 2020 Apr 19.

Department of Geriatric Cardiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.

Background: Obesity is a disease characterized by much fat accumulation and abnormal distribution, which was related to cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus (DM) and muscular skeletal diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of appendicular skeletal muscle mass to total body fat ratio (ASM/TBF) in screening for the risk of obesity in elderly people.

Methods: A prospective study was carried out with 446 participants (non-obese elderly people with body mass index (BMI) < 28 kg/m) who underwent baseline and an average around 2. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 Apr 17;20(1):142. Epub 2020 Apr 17.

Department of Health Services Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany.

Background: In Germany, advance care planning (ACP) was first introduced by law in 2015. However, ACP is still uncommon in Germany and only few people have advance directive forms. This study aims to evaluate an ACP program in care dependent community-dwelling persons, compared to optimised usual care. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 Apr 16;20(1):141. Epub 2020 Apr 16.

Faculty of Public Health, College of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hue University, Hue, Vietnam.

Background: Fear of falling (FoF) in the elderly is one of the major public health concerns in this era of aging of the population. As there is limited evidence on how cognitive function may differ by social support level in relation to FoF among the elderly, this cross-sectional study aims to investigate the prevalence of FoF and the associations between cognitive impairment and FoF by the social support level, after adjustments for potential confounders.

Methods: Data from the "Health needs assessment of elderly in Thua Thien Hue Province, Vietnam in 2018" survey of 725 elderly aged 60 years or older were used for analysis. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 Apr 15;20(1):137. Epub 2020 Apr 15.

Department of Health and Physical Education, The Education University of Hong Kong, 10 Lo Ping Road, Tai Po, N.T, Hong Kong.

Background: Many reviews with conflicting findings on dementia caregiver interventions have been published. A meta-review was conducted to synthesize the findings of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

Methods: MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL and Cochrane Library were searched to identify reviews published during 2006-2018. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 Apr 15;20(1):134. Epub 2020 Apr 15.

Geography Department, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.

Background: Senior centers offer important opportunities for physical activity and social interaction. Seniors who visit a senior center regularly can gain physical activity from transportation and from specific activities offered within the senior center. However, there is very little knowledge regarding the specific physical activity gains obtained from regular visits to senior centers, and no effort has been made to use device-based measures of physical activity to test the potential physical activity benefits of attending a senior center. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 Apr 15;20(1):133. Epub 2020 Apr 15.

Center on Aging and Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.

Background: Families do not fully disengage from care responsibilities following relatives' admissions to residential long-term (RLTC) care settings such as nursing homes. Caregiver stress, depression, or other key outcomes remain stable or sometimes increase following a relative's RLTC entry. Some interventions have attempted to increase family involvement after institutionalization, but few rigorous studies have demonstrated whether these interventions are effective in helping families navigate the potential emotional and psychological upheaval presented by relatives' transitions to RLTC environments. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 Apr 15;20(1):138. Epub 2020 Apr 15.

Global Health Institute, King's College London, London, UK.

Background: The relationship between frailty and dementia is unclear and there are very few population-based studies regarding this issue in China. The purpose of this study is to estimate the association between frailty and incident dementia in China, and to explore different effects of frailty established by three definitions of frailty on dementia incidence.

Methods: A five-year prospective cohort study was carried out in 2022 participants aged 65 years and over in urban and rural sites in Beijing, China. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 Apr 15;20(1):136. Epub 2020 Apr 15.

School of Nursing, Fujian Medical University, No. 1 Xuefu North Road, University Town, Fuzhou, 3500108, Fujian, China.

Background: Living arrangements have impact on life satisfaction among older adults. However, the mechanism how it works has received less attention. This study aims to examine the mediating role of meaning in life and social support in the relationship between living arrangements and life satisfaction. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 Apr 15;20(1):135. Epub 2020 Apr 15.

Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation, Division of Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

Background: With the increasing number of people surviving into older age in Africa, dementia is becoming a public health concern. Understanding the social dynamics of dementia in resource-limited settings is critical for developing effective interventions. We explored community perceptions about people with dementia in southwestern Uganda. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2020 Apr 15;20(1):140. Epub 2020 Apr 15.

Victorian Rehabilitation Centre, ARCH Healthscope and La Trobe Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine Research, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia.

Background: Hospital falls remain a frequent and debilitating problem worldwide. Most hospital falls prevention strategies have targeted clinician education, environmental modifications, assistive devices, hospital systems and medication reviews. The role that patients can play in preventing falls whilst in hospital has received less attention. Read More