Chronic conditions and major depression in community-dwelling older adults

Community-dwelling older adults have raised the scientific community’s interest during the COVID-19 era as their chronic conditions might be aggravated by the consequences of confinement. Digital devices in this field to monitor cognitive impairment are an emerging reality of an innovative nature. However, some groups may not have benefited from these developments as much as, for example, younger people. The aim of this manuscript is to carry out a review on the development of digital devices, and specifically virtual assistants, for the detection of cognitive impairment in older adults. After a screening process, eight studies were found under the given criteria, and this number was even smaller for those using virtual assistants. Given the opportunities offered by virtual assistants through techniques such as natural language processing, it seems imperative to take advantage of this opportunity for groups such as older adults.

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Association between patterns of multiple chronic conditions and cognitive impairment in community‐dwelling older adults in Taiwan

Alzheimer s & Dementia ◽

10.1002/alz.054751 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 17 (S10) ◽

Author(s):

Pei‐Iun Hsieh ◽

Yen‐Ching Chen ◽

Jeng‐Min Chiou ◽

Ta‐Fu Chen ◽

Su‐Ling Yeh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Chronic Conditions ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Multiple Chronic Conditions ◽

Community Dwelling Older Adults

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Predicting Technology Use Among Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic With Community Participation

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.2164 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 567-567

Author(s):

Brittany Drazich ◽

Laura Samuel ◽

Thomas Cudjoe ◽

Melissa Hladek ◽

Sarah Szanton ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Community Participation ◽

Technology Use ◽

Chronic Conditions ◽

New Technologies ◽

Social Activity ◽

Well Being ◽

Study Data ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Community Dwelling Older Adults

Abstract Technology use is important for older adults, particularly in the pandemic. The pattern of technology use among older adults varies significantly. We hypothesized that limitations of activities of daily living (ADL), wellbeing, and community participation of community-dwelling older adults before the pandemic would predict technology use during the pandemic. National Health and Aging Trends Study data on 2924 older adults were utilized. Adjusted for age, gender, race, education, marital status, and chronic conditions, previous well-being predicted more online social activities (OR=1.03, p =.03); previous ADL limitations predicted more telehealth use (OR=1.11, p=.014); and previous community participation predicted: learning new technologies (OR=1.46, p <.001), more telecommunication (OR=1.12, p=.007), more online social activity (OR=1.58, p<.001), and more telehealth use (OR=1.09, p= .04). The results of this study imply that high community participation promotes older adults’ transition to technology use. Older adults with low participation may need extra attention for such a transition.

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Symptom Profiles, Health-Related Quality of Life, and Clinical Blood Markers among Korean Community-Dwelling Older Adults Living with Chronic Conditions

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18041745 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (4) ◽

pp. 1745

Author(s):

Jongmin Park ◽

Nada Lukkahatai ◽

Nancy Perrin ◽

Yoonju Kim ◽

Leorey N. Saligan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Chronic Conditions ◽

Free Testosterone ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Health Related Quality ◽

Symptom Profiles ◽

Related Quality ◽

Health Related ◽

Community Dwelling Older Adults

Older adults suffer from multiple symptoms, which negatively affects their health-related quality of life. The single-symptom management approach has been less than effective. The data of 2362 Korean community-dwelling older adults aged 70 and above were analyzed in the Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study (KFACS) study. A cluster analysis, correlation analysis, and logistic regression were used to analyze the data. We found three symptom clusters: high symptom burden (HSB, n = 1032); pain and fatigue group (PAF, n = 566); and the sleep deprivation group (SDP, n = 764). Participants in the HSB group are more likely to be of old age (OR = 1.1), be female (OR = 2.4), live in a rural area (OR = 1.4), have low physical activity (OR = 0.9), and have multiple chronic conditions (OR = 1.5). The clinical blood markers analysis showed a negative relationship among the physical health, free T4 (r = −0.083, p < 0.01) and insulin (r = −0.084, p < 0.01). The sex-specific blood markers analysis showed differences among three clusters. While free testosterone (male: r = 0.124, female: r = 0.110, p < 0.05) and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) (male: r = 0.352 and female: r = 0.134, p < 0.05) were associated with physical health in the HSB group, only free testosterone was associated with mental health (male: r = −0.093, and female: r = −0.116, p < 0.05) in the SDP group. These findings suggest the potential role of the patient’s sex and sex hormones in symptoms of Korean community-dwelling older adults. Understanding the symptom profiles and impact of biopsychosocial factors may enhance precision symptom management.

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Self-Management of Multiple Chronic Conditions by Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Concept Analysis

SAGE Open Nursing ◽

10.1177/2377960817752471 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 4 ◽

pp. 237796081775247 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Anna Garnett ◽

Jenny Ploeg ◽

Maureen Markle-Reid ◽

Patricia H. Strachan

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Disease Management ◽

Chronic Conditions ◽

Concept Analysis ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Self Management ◽

Multiple Chronic Conditions ◽

Complex Process ◽

Health And Disease ◽

Community Dwelling Older Adults

The proportion of the aging population living with multiple chronic conditions (MCC) is increasing. Self-management is valuable in helping individuals manage MCC. The purpose of this study was to conduct a concept analysis of self-management in community-dwelling older adults with MCC using Walker and Avant’s method. The review included 30 articles published between 2000 and 2017. The following attributes were identified: (a) using financial resources for chronic disease management, (b) acquiring health- and disease-related education, (c) making use of ongoing social supports, (d) responding positively to health changes, (e) ongoing engagement with the health system, and (f) actively participating in sustained disease management. Self-management is a complex process; the presence of these attributes increases the likelihood that an older adult will be successful in managing the symptoms of MCC.

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Cognitive performance of older adults with a low level of education with and without depression

Dementia & Neuropsychologia ◽

10.1590/1980-57642021dn15-010013 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 (1) ◽

pp. 121-127

Author(s):

Ana Julia de Lima Bomfim ◽

Natália Mota de Souza Chagas ◽

Lívio Rodrigues Leal ◽

Rebeca Mendes de Paula Pessoa ◽

Bianca Letícia Cavalmoretti Ferreira ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Major Depression ◽

Older People ◽

Cognitive Decline ◽

Cognitive Performance ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Assessment Tools ◽

Health Examination ◽

Low Level ◽

Community Dwelling Older Adults

ABSTRACT. Major depression can develop in individuals aged 60 years or older and is commonly associated with cognitive decline in this population, especially the domains of working memory, attention, executive functions, and processing speed. Schooling is a protective factor with regard to cognitive decline. Objective: To compare the cognitive performance of community-dwelling older adults with a low level of schooling with and without major depression. Methods: A descriptive, analytical, cross-sectional study was conducted with 22 community-dwelling older adults with depression and 187 without depression. The following assessment tools were employed: Mini Mental Health Examination, Brief Cognitive Screening Battery, Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease (CERAD), Digit Span Test (forward and backward), and an object similarity test. Results: No statistically significant differences were found between the groups with and without depression on any of the tests. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that there are no differences in the cognitive performance of older people with and without depression on neurocognitive tests commonly used in clinical practice. Future studies with different designs and methods as well as specific tests for older people with a low level of schooling could assist in the understanding of these relations and the mechanisms involved.

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Functional status and its associated factors among community-dwelling older adults in rural Nepal: findings from a cross-sectional study

BMC Geriatrics ◽

10.1186/s12877-021-02286-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Saruna Ghimire ◽

Grish Paudel ◽

Sabuj Kanti Mistry ◽

Mahmood Parvez ◽

Binod Rayamajhee ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Functional Status ◽

Barthel Index ◽

Chronic Conditions ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Poor Functional Status ◽

Community Dwelling Older Adults

Abstract Background The high burden of chronic conditions, coupled with various physical, mental, and psychosocial changes that accompany the phenomenon of aging, may limit the functional ability of older adults. This study aims to assess the prevalence of poor functional status and investigate factors associated with poor functional status among community-dwelling older adults in rural communities of eastern Nepal. Methods Data on 794 older adults aged ≥ 60 years from a previous community-based cross-sectional study was used. Participants were recruited from rural municipalities of Morang and Sunsari districts of eastern Nepal using multi-stage cluster sampling. Functional status was assessed in terms of participants’ ability to perform activities of daily living using the Barthel Index. Covariates included sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle factors, and self-reported chronic conditions. A binary logistic regression model was used to investigate factors associated with poor functional status. Results The overall prevalence of poor functional status was 8.3 % (male: 7.0 % and female: 9.6 %), with most dependence noted for using stairs (17.3 %), followed by dressing (21.9 %) on Barthel Index. In the adjusted model, oldest age group (odds ratio [OR] = 2.83, 95 %CI: 1.46, 5.50), those unemployed (OR = 2.41, 95 %CI: 1.26, 4.65), having memory/concentration problems (OR = 2.32, 95 %CI: 1.30, 4.13), depressive symptoms (OR = 2.52, 95 %CI: 1.28, 4.95), and hypertension (OR = 1.78, 95 %CI: 1.03, 3.06) had almost or more than two times poor functioning. Conclusions One in 12 older adults had poor functional status as indicated by their dependency on the items of the Barthel Index; those in the oldest age bracket were more likely to exhibit poor functional status. We suggest future studies from other geographies of the country to supplement our study from the rural setting for comprehensive identification of the problem, which could guide the development of prevention strategies and comprehensive interventions for addressing the unmet needs of the older adults for improving functional status.

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What Factors Shape Self-Reported Health Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults? A Scoping Review

Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement ◽

10.1017/s0714980820000124 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-16

Author(s):

Carly Whitmore ◽

Maureen Markle-Reid ◽

Kathryn Fisher ◽

Carrie McAiney ◽

Jenny Ploeg

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Chronic Conditions ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Future Research ◽

Key Factors ◽

Comprehensive Understanding ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Reported Health ◽

Community Dwelling Older Adults

ABSTRACT Self-reported health is a predictive measure of morbidity and mortality across populations. A comprehensive understanding of the factors that shape self-reported health among community-dwelling older adults, a growing population globally, is lacking. The aim of this review was to summarize the factors that are associated with self-reported health among this population and identify key areas for future research. Accordingly, we conducted a scoping review using the stage-wise framework developed by Arksey and O’Malley. We summarized 42 factors, as identified in 30 publications, and organized them into four categories. Key factors shaping self-reported health included the presence of chronic conditions and depressive symptoms. As the population of community-dwelling older adults continues to increase, there remains a need to understand how these identified factors shape self-reported health. To date, empirical research has been limited to observational and cross-sectional designs. There is a need to further explore these factors in longitudinal data.

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Health literacy and use of healthcare services among community-dwelling older adults living with chronic conditions

Clinical Nursing Studies ◽

10.5430/cns.v7n2p79 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 79 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Isabelle Dufour ◽

Anaϊs Lacasse ◽

Maud-Christine Chouinard ◽

Yohann Chiu ◽

Sarah Lafontaine

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Health Literacy ◽

Health Information ◽

Chronic Conditions ◽

Healthcare Services ◽

Correlation Study ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Self Report ◽

Adequate Health Literacy ◽

Community Dwelling Older Adults

Objective: Only 12% of the Canadian older adults have adequate health literacy (HL) to understand and handle health information sufficiently. A descriptive correlation study was conducted to describe HL and to examine its relationship with healthcare services use among community-dwelling older adults living with chronic conditions in a distant region of Quebec, Canada.Methods: Data was collected through self-report instruments including the Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ), which assesses HL on nine dimensions.Results: Based on health characteristics of the nine HLQ dimensions, the results showed significant differences between subgroups of participants as well as a negative association between the HLQ dimension Appraisal of Health Information and the number of consultations with healthcare professionals (incidence rate ratio: 0.66; p = .027).Conclusions: The results highlight the need to improve older adults HL, in order to improve their health status and use of healthcare services.

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