The effect of nutrition on older people's mental health

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (Sup7) ◽  
pp. S12-S16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynn Harbottle
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Mood Disorders ◽  
Care Setting ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Ageing Population ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Healthcare Needs ◽  
Practical Guidance ◽  
Physiological Impact ◽  
Mood Depression

In the context of a rapidly ageing population, with an increasing prevalence of mood disorders and a greater incidence of physical illness in older adults, it is imperative that their healthcare needs are effectively addressed. Nutritional vulnerability increases in later life for various reasons, related to the physiological impact of ageing as well as social and economic challenges. Specific nutrients and overall diet quality may impact on mood. Depression and anxiety in turn impact on interest in and ability to eat and may further distort intake and exacerbate symptoms. Whether working with older adults living at home or in the care setting, nurses need to be aware of and able to identify, refer and support those who need help. This article aims to raise awareness and provides some practical guidance for nurses working with older adults experiencing mood disorders.

Reclaiming Social Space: Adapting Neighbourhoods to Support an Ageing Population

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Lisa McClintock
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Age Structure ◽  
Social Space ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Ageing Population ◽  
Age In Place ◽  
Creative Solutions ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults ◽  
Unique Potential

<p>The age structure of New Zealand’s population is expected to undergo a dramatic change in the next few decades. By 2050, it is thought that approximately one quarter of the population will be aged 65+.  Research indicates that the overwhelming preference of older adults is to age in their own homes and communities if possible. However, loneliness among community-dwelling older adults is widespread.   Architecture as a discipline has unique potential to critique existing neighbourhood design and generate creative solutions to provide a more socially fulfilling environment for residents to age in place. Architecture for ageing must combat loneliness and enable continued contact in later life.   This research explores the sensitive adaptation of inner suburban Wellington neighbourhoods with the aim of empowering inhabitants to age positively in the community.</p>

scholarly journals Towards meaningful mobility: a research agenda for movement within and between places in later life

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Louise Meijering
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Impairments ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Active Ageing ◽  
Ageing Population ◽  
Mobility Patterns ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Quantitative And Qualitative Methods

AbstractMobility or physical movement contributes to health and wellbeing in later life. Most studies have focused on the contribution of outdoor mobility to active ageing, but physical and cognitive impairments restrict the mobility of many older adults. This article aims to explore the gaps in the current literature on mobility in later life, and identify required innovations in the field through laying out key areas for future research. It discusses two, largely separate, areas of research, namely on mobility patterns and mobility experiences. The first focuses on quantitative and spatial research on outdoor mobility patterns in terms of routes, timing and transport modes. The second mainly concerns qualitative research on how older adults perceive mobility in their everyday lives. This article identifies three areas for future research on mobility in later life: (a) beyond outdoor movement; (b) diversity in mobility; and (c) the role of time in mobility. To conclude, addressing these areas jointly will contribute to further unpacking the concept of mobility as meaningful practice and to integrating quantitative and qualitative methods when studying mobility in later life. This will result in policy inputs on the mobility and wellbeing of our ageing population.

scholarly journals RELATION BETWEEN MOOD DISORDERS AND COVID-19 IN OLDER ADULTS DURING THE PANDEMIC

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cássia Rossetto Verga ◽  
Graciela Ishibashi ◽  
Guilherme da Silva ◽  
Tiago Ordonez ◽  
Gabriela dos Santos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Mood Disorders ◽  
Depressive Symptomatology ◽  
Geriatric Depression Scale ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Geriatric Depression ◽  
Cross Sectional

Background: Literature data emphasize that the recent spread of the new Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has triggered several mental health issues such as depression and anxiety disorders. Fear of the illness and social distancing have shown to be risk factors for mood disorders. It is thus necessary to study the relation between mood disorders in older adults during the pandemic. Objective: Analyze the relation between mood disorders and COVID-19 in older adults within the pandemic framework. Methods: Cross-sectional study with the application of the following tools: Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS15) and Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI). Results: 428 older adults with an average age of 67.54±5.65 years were evaluated. Most of them were married females with an education level of 14.72±3.54 years and only 10% of them had fallen ill to COVID-19. 71% of them reported changes in mood and anxiety levels due to the pandemic. There was also a significant statistical difference between this group and the other 29% regarding GDS15 and GAI scores (p <0.001). Meaningful correlations were found between GDS and GAI (rho = 0.52 / ρ = 0,001) in which the larger the depressive symptomatology, the higher the anxiety level was. Conclusion: Results suggest that there have been associations between depression and anxiety symptoms in older adults during the pandemic period. Such findings are important for the implementation of social and health public policies.

Reclaiming Social Space: Adapting Neighbourhoods to Support an Ageing Population

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Lisa McClintock
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Age Structure ◽  
Social Space ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Ageing Population ◽  
Age In Place ◽  
Creative Solutions ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults ◽  
Unique Potential

<p>The age structure of New Zealand’s population is expected to undergo a dramatic change in the next few decades. By 2050, it is thought that approximately one quarter of the population will be aged 65+.  Research indicates that the overwhelming preference of older adults is to age in their own homes and communities if possible. However, loneliness among community-dwelling older adults is widespread.   Architecture as a discipline has unique potential to critique existing neighbourhood design and generate creative solutions to provide a more socially fulfilling environment for residents to age in place. Architecture for ageing must combat loneliness and enable continued contact in later life.   This research explores the sensitive adaptation of inner suburban Wellington neighbourhoods with the aim of empowering inhabitants to age positively in the community.</p>

Auditory Dysfunction in Alzheimer's Disease

2010 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sridhar Krishnamurti
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Care Setting ◽  
Neurodegenerative Disorder ◽  
Disease Process ◽  
Clinical Protocols ◽  
Speech Language Pathologist ◽  
Auditory Dysfunction

Alzheimer's disease is neurodegenerative disorder which affects a growing number of older adults every year. With an understanding of auditory dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease, the speech-language pathologist working in the health care setting can provide better service to these individuals. The pathophysiology of the disease process in Alzheimer's disease increases the likelihood of specific types of auditory deficits as opposed to others. This article will discuss the auditory deficits in Alzheimer's disease, their implications, and the value of clinical protocols for individuals with this disease.

Leisure Activities and the Subjective Well-Being of Older Adults in Croatia

GeroPsych ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ljiljana Kaliterna Lipovčan ◽  
Tihana Brkljačić ◽  
Zvjezdana Prizmić Larsen ◽  
Andreja Brajša-Žganec ◽  
Renata Franc
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
Leisure Activity ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Perceived Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Financial Status

Abstract. Research shows that engagement in leisure activities promotes well-being among older adults. The objective of the current study was to examine the relationship between subjective well-being (flourishing) and leisure activities (total number of different activities in the previous year) in a sample of older adults in Croatia, thereby considering the variables of sex, marital status, financial status, and self-perceived health. The differences in the examined variables between the groups of older adults who reported to be engaged in new activities with those who did not were also examined. The sample of N = 169 older adults aged 60 years and above was drawn from a convenience sample of adult internet users in Croatia. Participants reported their self-perceived health and the number of leisure activities they engaged in over the previous year as well as completing the Flourishing Scale. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that older adults who were engaged in more various leisure activities, who perceived better financial status, and who were married reported higher levels of flourishing. A comparison of the two groups of older adults with and without engagement in leisure activities showed that those engaged in at least one leisure activity were more likely to be women, reported higher levels of flourishing, and perceived their own financial status as better. This study indicated that engaging in leisure activities in later life might provide beneficial effects for the well-being of older adults.

NESTORE Ontology: a Multi-Domain Semantic Tool for the Characterization of Older Adults Status and Behaviour to Promote Healthy Ageing by IoT Systems (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alfonso Mastropietro ◽  
Filippo Palumbo ◽  
Silvia Orte ◽  
Michele Girolami ◽  
Francesco Furfari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Mental Status ◽  
Scientific Knowledge ◽  
Social Behaviour ◽  
Physical Activity Behaviour ◽  
Healthy Ageing ◽  
Physiological Status ◽  
Ageing Population ◽  
Activity Behaviour

BACKGROUND The constant progression in number and share of the ageing population will likely have deep effects in most of the industrialized countries. The Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm can play a key role in facilitating independent living of the ageing population thus trying to reduce the burden on the society. Considering that ageing is a multi-factorial physiological process, the development of novel IoT systems, tools and devices, specifically targeted to older people, must be based on a holistic framework built on robust scientific knowledge in different scientific domains. OBJECTIVE A novel semantic formalization was developed, based on a multidomain healthy ageing model, to support structuring and standardizing heterogeneous scientific knowledge about ageing. The main aim of the paper is to present the new NESTORE ontology, with the purpose thus extending the available ontologies provided by universAAL-IoT (uAAL-IoT). METHODS Well-assessed scientific knowledge, specifically selected to target older adults aged between 65 and 75, was formalized into a holistic model using a multi-domain approach including three main different dimensions related to well-being: (i) Physiological Status and Physical Activity Behaviour, (ii) Nutrition, and (iii) Cognitive and Mental Status and Social Behaviour. Based on this model, within the NESTORE H2020 project, a new ontology was developed in the uAAL-IoT framework, which provides modelling tools and a set of core ontologies. RESULTS The NESTORE ontologies cover all the needed concepts to represent 5 significant domains of ageing. In total, 12 sub-ontologies were modelled with more than 60 classes and sub-classes referenced among them by using more than 100 relations and around 20 enumerations. NESTORE increases the uAAL ontologies collection by 40% and expand the uAAL domain usage for Physiological Status and Physical Activity Behaviour (8 ontologies), Nutrition (3 ontologies) and Cognitive and Mental Status and Social Behaviour (4 ontologies). CONCLUSIONS NESTORE ontology provides innovation both in terms of semantic content and technological approach. The thoroughly use of this ontology can support the development of a decision support system, to promote healthy ageing, with the capacity to do dynamic multi-scale modelling of user-specific data based on the semantic annotations of users’ profile.

Interventions for Mental Health Problems in Later Life

2010 ◽  
pp. 810-837
Author(s):  
Jason M. Holland ◽  
Dolores Gallagher-Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Clinical Psychologist ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Worldwide Population ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Post Traumatic

Older adults are increasingly making up a larger segment of the worldwide population, which presents both challenges and opportunities for the clinical psychologist in the 21st century. In this chapter, we address some of the unique aspects of working with this population, focusing on general guidelines for tailoring interventions for older adults, specific treatments for particular problems commonly faced in later life, as well as issues of diversity and how they might impact psychotherapy with older clients. We also outline several areas in geropsychology that are in need of further investigation, namely the use of technology, post-traumatic stress, and family therapy, and offer some recommendations for future directions in this field of study.

scholarly journals Designing Age-Friendly Communities: Exploring Qualitative Perspectives on Urban Green Spaces and Ageing in Two Indian Megacities

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 1491
Author(s):  
Deepti Adlakha ◽  
Mina Chandra ◽  
Murali Krishna ◽  
Lee Smith ◽  
Mark A. Tully
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Healthy Ageing ◽  
World Health ◽  
Social Resilience ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Activity Promotion

The World Health Organization and the United Nations have increasingly acknowledged the importance of urban green space (UGS) for healthy ageing. However, low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) like India with exponential ageing populations have inadequate UGS. This qualitative study examined the relationships between UGS and healthy ageing in two megacities in India. Participants were recruited using snowball sampling in New Delhi and Chennai and semi-structured interviews were conducted with consenting participants (N = 60, female = 51%; age > 60 years; fluent in English, Hindi, or Tamil). Interviews were recorded, transcribed, translated, and analysed using inductive and thematic analysis. Benefits of UGS included community building and social capital, improved health and social resilience, physical activity promotion, reduced exposure to noise, air pollution, and heat. Poorly maintained UGS and lack of safe, age-friendly pedestrian infrastructure were identified as barriers to health promotion in later life. Neighbourhood disorder and crime constrained older adults’ use of UGS in low-income neighbourhoods. This study underscores the role of UGS in the design of age-friendly communities in India. The findings highlight the benefits of UGS for older adults, particularly those living in socially disadvantaged or underserved communities, which often have least access to high-quality parks and green areas.

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