scholarly journals A Qualitative Exploration of Choral Singing in Community-dwelling Older Adults

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (5) ◽  
pp. 340-347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darina V. Petrovsky ◽  
Justine S. Sefcik ◽  
Pamela Z. Cacchione

Recent research has recognized the value of participatory arts, including choirs, as a strategy to engage older adults in the community. Less is known about the participation of minority older adults of low socioeconomic status (SES) in choirs. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore the perceived benefits of choral singing among older adults from Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) day centers. We elicited perceptions from 19 choir participants from three focus groups, the majority of whom were Black or African American (N =17/19), each held at a different PACE center. One main theme emerged, “Something for us to do that we love,” with two subthemes, “Joyful time together” and “Uplifting experience performing for others.” These study findings have implications for promoting choir singing in older adults to serve as a place for engagement in social interactions in a lifelong activity they love.

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 114-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Koren L. Fisher ◽  
Elizabeth L. Harrison ◽  
Brenda G. Bruner ◽  
Joshua A. Lawson ◽  
Bruce A. Reeder ◽  
...  

The purpose of this study was to explore cross-sectional relationships between self-reported physical activity (PA) and personal, social, and environmental factors in community-dwelling adults aged 50 years and older. Accounting for clustering by neighborhood, generalized estimating equations were used to examine associations between selected correlates and the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE) score while adjusting for confounders. Data for 601 participants were analyzed: 79% female, 37% married, mean age 76.8 (± 8.7) years, mean PASE score 112.6 (± 64.8). Age, living in seniors’ housing, using nursing/home care services, receiving encouragement to be active, and having benches available in the neighborhood were inversely associated with PASE. Self-efficacy, SF-12 score, PA barriers, social support, and the presence of trails showed positive associations. Several personal, social, and environmental factors associated with PA were identified. The inverse association between PA and living in seniors’ housing units should be considered when developing PA programs for older adults.


Author(s):  
Ziyan Li ◽  
Mimi Tse ◽  
Angel Tang

Background: Chronic pain is a major health problem among older adults and their informal caregivers, which has negative effects on their physical and psychological status. The dyadic pain management program (DPMP) is provided to community-dwelling older adults and informal caregivers to help the dyads reduce pain symptoms, improve the quality of life, develop good exercise habits, as well as cope and break the vicious circle of pain. Methods: A pilot randomized controlled trial was designed and all the dyads were randomly divided into two groups: the DPMP group and control group. Dyads in the DPMP group participated in an 8-week DPMP (4-week face-to-face program and 4-week home-based program), whereas dyads in the control group received one page of simple pain-related information. Results: In total, 64 dyads participated in this study. For baseline comparisons, no significant differences were found between the two groups. After the interventions, the pain score was significantly reduced from 4.25 to 2.57 in the experimental group, respectively. In the repeated measures ANOVA, the differences in pain score (F = 107.787, p < 0.001, d = 0.777) was statistically significant for the group-by-time interaction. After the interventions, the experimental group participants demonstrated significantly higher pain self-efficacy compared with the control group (F = 80.535, p < 0.001, d = 0.722). Furthermore, the elderly increased exercise time significantly (F = 111.212, p < 0.001, d = 0.782) and reported developing good exercise habits. Conclusions: These results provide preliminary support for the effectiveness of a DPMP for relieving the symptoms of chronic pain among the elderly.


2005 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 1275-1285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jodi Dunmeyer Stookey ◽  
Carl F Pieper ◽  
Harvey Jay Cohen

AbstractObjectiveThe fluid recommendation for adults aged 70+ years has been criticised on the basis of a low prevalence of dehydration in community-dwelling older adults. This study explores whether the low prevalence might reflect limitations of individual dehydration indices.DesignCross-sectional data on plasma sodium, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, glucose and potassium were used to classify 1737 participants of the 1992 Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (EPESE) (70+ years) according to multiple dehydration indices. Associations between dehydration indices, health and functional status were evaluated.ResultsDepending on the indicator used, the prevalence of dehydration ranged from 0.5% for hypotonic hypovolaemia only (plasma tonicity <285 mOsm l−1 with orthostatic hypotension) to 60% with dehydration defined as either plasma sodium ≥145 mEq l−1, BUN/creatinine ratio ≥20, tonicity ≥295 mOsm l−1, or hypotonic hypovolaemia. Elevated tonicity and BUN/creatinine ratio were respectively associated with chronic disease and functional impairment.ConclusionsThe true prevalence of dehydration among community-dwelling adults may be low or high, depending on the indicator(s) used to define dehydration. Before we can pinpoint a generalisable prevalence of dehydration for community-dwelling seniors and draw conclusions about fluid recommendations, validation studies of dehydration indices and longitudinal studies of dehydration, health and functional status are needed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roohollah Farhadloo ◽  
Sarallah Shojaei ◽  
Hamid Torabian ◽  
Mostafa Vahedian ◽  
Masoumeh Zakerimoghadam ◽  
...  

Background: Improving lifestyle, increasing lifespan and life expectancy have led to the phenomenon of aging in societies. The increasing population of older adults is one of the most important economic, social, and health challenges in the current century. Objectives: This study was conducted to measure the mental health of older adults in Qom City and its relationship with socioeconomic factors. Methods: This is a cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study on 400 older adults over 60 years in the urban areas of Qom in 2018. A multi-stage sampling method was used for this study. The research tools were a demographic questionnaire, the Kessler Psychological Distress scale (K6), and a standard psychological well-being scale. Data were analyzed by Stata 12 software using the t-test. The significance level was considered less than 0.05. Results: Considering the mental health status, based on the K6, 55% of the elderly showed signs of low depression anxiety, 34% moderate, and 11% showed severe anxiety symptoms. Regarding the status of well-being, 49.50% were in good condition (11.3 ± 3.3), 27.75% were in moderate condition (13.8 ± 2.9), and 22.75% were in poor condition (7.3 ± 2.6). Anxiety and depression had significant relationships with gender, having an illness, marital status, having a caregiver, and income. Conclusions: The results showed that about half of the elderly in Qom had moderate anxiety and depression disorders, as well as moderate mental well-being, which indicates the moderate level of anxiety and mental disorders in the elderly in Qom.


Gerontology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 201-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maximilian König ◽  
Maik Gollasch ◽  
Ilja Demuth ◽  
Elisabeth Steinhagen-Thiessen

Background: In aging populations with an ever-growing burden of risk factors such as obesity, diabetes, and hypertension, chronic kidney disease (CKD) is on the rise. However, little is known about its exact prevalence among elderly adults, and often albuminuria is not included in the definition of CKD. Moreover, novel equations for the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) have recently emerged, which have not been applied comprehensively to older adults. Data on CKD awareness among the elderly are sparse. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of CKD among older adults by eGFR and albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR), compare the performance of 6 established and novel eGFR formulas, explore risk factors, and determine the awareness of CKD in a large cohort of community-dwelling elderly from Germany. Methods: A total of 1,628 subjects from the Berlin Aging Study II (BASE-II) were included in this analysis (mean age 68.7 years; 51.2% female). Extensive cross-sectional data on sociodemographics, lifestyle, medication, and diagnoses were inquired during structured interviews and a medical examination, and blood and urine parameters were measured. Results: In all, 77.1% of the subjects had hypertension, 12.4% had diabetes, and 18.3% were obese. The prevalence of CKD strongly depended on the eGFR equations used: 25.4% (full age spectrum [FAS] equation), 24.6% (Berlin Initiative Study), 23.1% (Lund-Malmö revised), 19.3% (Cockcroft-Gault), 16.4% (Chronic Kidney Disease-Epidemiology Collaboration [CKD-EPI]), and 14.7% (Modification of Diet in Renal Disease [MDRD]). Of the subjects with an eGFRFAS <60 mL/min/1.73 m2 and/or an ACR >30 mg/g, only 3.9% were aware of having CKD. Polypharmacy, age, BMI, coronary artery disease, non-HDL cholesterol, and female sex were independently associated with CKD. Conclusions: CKD is prevalent among older adults in Germany, but awareness is low. The FAS equation detects higher rates of CKD than MDRD and CKD-EPI, which are most widely used at present. Also, when CKD is defined based on eGFR and albuminuria, considerably more people are identified than by eGFR alone. Finally, polypharmacy is associated with an increased risk for CKD in the elderly.


Author(s):  
Pak Kwong Chung ◽  
◽  
Chun Hu ◽  
Chun-Qing Zhang ◽  
◽  
...  

"Introduction: Resilience, which is defined as the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress, is important for older adults to maintain a healthy life. This qualitative study aimed to identify the characteristics that contribute to resilience among a group of community-dwelling older adults in Hong Kong. Methods: Individual and focus group interviews were conducted to collect information on life adverse events, attitudes towards adversity, and beliefs underlying the approaches to overcoming adversity among 25 Chinese older adults (2M and 23F) aged 69 to 100 years old (M=80.00, SD=39.08). The transcripts were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results: Seven characteristics were emerged under the three factors, including equanimity, positive attitudes towards life, meaningfulness, and self-reliance (internal factor), social support and environmental support (external factor), and spirituality and faith (existential factor). Conclusion: In addition to identifying the seven characteristics that contribute to resilience, this study also identified “taking part in physical activity” as an individual resource contributing to resilience. The study also found “government support” is an important environmental factor contributing to positive adaptation to stressful life of the elderly in Hong Kong. The results and findings may facilitate the development of interventions on enhancing older adults’ resilience."


Author(s):  
Jovana Sibalija ◽  
Mallory L. Ciminsky ◽  
Katharine Fuchigami ◽  
Marie-Helene L.S. He ◽  
Yuyuan Chen ◽  
...  

In December 2013, Canada Post announced they would be converting approximately five million households from door-to-door mail delivery to community mailboxes (CMB). The decision was made to address decreasing letter mail volume and operating losses experienced by the crown corporation. The CMBs will be phased in over the five years mainly in urban areas across the country. The decision to convert to CMBs makes Canada the only among the G8 countries to end home delivery of mail. As a result, no research exists on the implications of the change. Particular concern has been raised over how the conversion will affect older adults. One area that needs examination is the consequences of the CMBs delivery model on fall rates among older adults in the winter. Falls are common among seniors, with 20-30% community dwelling older adults falling each year. The risk of falling is increased in the winter when there is snow and ice on the ground. Injuries dues to falls consume a great deal of healthcare resources. The purpose of this scoping literature review was to determine: What are the implications for the elderly population of Canada Post’s decision to convert home delivery of mail to community mailbox delivery? Specifically, the review focused on how the conversion may impact fall rates among older adults in the winter.


Author(s):  
Sara E Espinoza ◽  
Robyn L Woods ◽  
A R M Saifuddin Ekram ◽  
Michael E Ernst ◽  
Galina Polekhina ◽  
...  

Abstract BACKGROUND Frailty is associated with chronic inflammation, which may be modified by aspirin. The purpose of this study was to determine whether low dose aspirin reduces incident frailty in healthy older adult participants of the ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly (ASPREE) trial. METHODS In the U.S and Australia, 19,114 community-dwelling individuals aged ≥70 years (U.S minorities ≥65 years) and free of overt cardiovascular disease, persistent physical disability, and dementia, were enrolled in ASPREE, a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 100mg daily aspirin versus placebo. Frailty, a pre-specified study endpoint, was defined according to a modified Fried frailty definition (Fried frailty) and the frailty index based on the deficit accumulation model (frailty index). Competing risk Cox proportional hazards models were used to compare time to incident frailty by aspirin versus placebo. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to include frailty data with and without imputation of missing data. RESULTS Over a median 4.7 years, 2252 participants developed incident Fried frailty, and 4451 had incident frailty according to the frailty index. Compared with placebo, aspirin treatment did not alter the risk of incident frailty (Fried frailty HR: 1.04, 95% CI 0.96-1.13; frailty index HR: 1.03, 95% CI 0.97-1.09). The proportion of individuals classified as frail, and the trajectory in continuous frailty scores over time, were not different between the aspirin and placebo treatment groups. The results were consistent across a series of subgroups. CONCLUSIONS Low dose aspirin use in healthy older adults when initiated in older ages does not reduce risk of incident frailty or the trajectory of frailty.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Monserrat Conde ◽  
Gordon J. Hendry ◽  
Jim Woodburn ◽  
Dawn A. Skelton

Abstract Introduction Foot problems are likely to contribute to falls risk in older adults. Foot and ankle exercises may be beneficial, but uptake may be influenced by cultural factors. Few studies have explored the views of older adults from different cultural backgrounds about foot-specific falls risk factors, and foot and ankle falls prevention exercises. Objectives To explore the views of Scottish and Portuguese community-dwelling older adults who have experienced a fall, about any foot risk factors for falls, and foot and ankle exercises. Methods Cross-cultural qualitative study with (n = 6) focus groups exploring the perceptions of Scottish (n = 10, mean age 76 yrs) and Portuguese older adults (n = 14, mean age 66 years) aged, applying thematic analysis. Results One main theme `evolving awareness about feet and falls prevention´ and three subthemes; (i) Feet are often forgotten, (ii) the important role of footwear, (iii) need to look at my feet and do the exercises were identified. Scottish participants had more experience of falls prevention but there was a lack of knowledge surrounding foot-specific falls risk factors, and the role of ankle and foot exercise in the prevention of falls. Portuguese participants exhibited a fatalistic approach to falls. Conclusions Older adults from both nations had little knowledge of foot-specific falls risk factors, being initially unaware of the functional status of their feet and of the role of exercise in foot care and falls management. There were differences between national groups that should be accounted for when developing culturally adequate interventions.


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