scholarly journals Innovative care: Using ‘A day in the life’ as a tool to explore opportunities for a tech-enabled home for older Canadians

2020 ◽  
pp. 419-426
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Support ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Health Organizations ◽  
Caregiver Support ◽  
Living Lab ◽  
Innovative Solutions ◽  
External Stakeholders ◽  
Canadian Market ◽  
Older Adult Population

Caregivers play a crucial role in providing physical and emotional support to family members or clients with various health conditions. As the number of older adult population and the potential need for caregiver support increases, innovative solutions are essential in supplementing care provided by caregivers. Many studies have been conducted to date to understand the extent to which technologies can be used to address health conditions and disabilities. Assured Living is a wellness monitoring solution by Best Buy Canada designed to provide caregivers insights on family member’s daily activities and provide alerts. To bring Assured Living into the Canadian market, an A Day in the Life was created as a tool to aid in identifying the needs of the caregivers to explore opportunities in the Canadian market. The knowledge for the A Day in the Life was gathered in multiple ways: 1) meetings with health organizations, 2) meetings with organizations serving caregivers and seniors, 3) conversations with family caregivers, 4) observations during walk-throughs with internal and external stakeholders of the Assured Living lab located in Best Buy Canada headquarters. Five themes gathered from the tool include: 1) Safety 2) Activities of daily living 3) Virtual care 4) Enjoyment of life and 5) Overarching concerns about support and communication. A Day in the Life supported in determining general concerns for caregivers, identifying areas of opportunity for the business, and making collaboration with stakeholders effective.

scholarly journals COMMON UNDERLYING FACTORS FOR KNOWN MODIFIABLE FALL RISKS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S566-S566
Author(s):  
Gwen Bergen ◽  
Ramakrishna Kakara ◽  
Elizabeth Burns ◽  
Mark R Stevens
Keyword(s):  
Older Adult ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Functional Limitations ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Behavioral Risk ◽  
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance ◽  
Risk Factor Surveillance ◽  
Fall Risks ◽  
Physical Limitations ◽  
Older Adult Population

Abstract Certain demographics, health conditions, and functional limitations are associated with increased older adult falls. Health conditions and functional limitations are potentially modifiable and may have underlying factors in common. This study’s objective is to understand whether health conditions and functional limitations related to increased fall risk have common underlying factors that could be useful in designing interventions. Factor analysis and multivariate logistic regression were used to analyze 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey data for adults aged 65+ years. About half of those who reported difficulty dressing (58%), difficulty running errands alone (53%), difficulty remembering (51%) and depression (48%) reported falling compared to 30% of the general older adult population. Two common factors of cognitive and physical limitations were identified and scales created for each. When controlling for demographic characteristics, both cognitive and physical limitations scales were significantly related to a higher odds of falling (Odds ratios=1.5, 1.4 respectively).

scholarly journals National Profiles of Coronavirus Disease – 2019 Mortality Risks by Age Structure and Preexisting Health Conditions

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashton M Verdery ◽  
Lauren Newmyer ◽  
Brandon Wagner ◽  
Rachel Margolis
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Population Health ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
Age Structure ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Risk Profiles ◽  
Mortality Risks ◽  
Older Adult Population ◽  
Cross National

Abstract Background and Objectives Although individual age and preexisting health conditions are well-documented risk factors for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) mortality, it is unclear whether these two factors capture unique dimensions of risk for epidemic severity at the national level. In addition, no studies have examined whether national distributions of these factors are associated with epidemic experiences to date. Research Design and Methods Drawing on surveys of older adults from 42 countries and estimated case fatality ratios by age and preexisting health conditions, we document and compare national profiles of COVID-19 mortality risks among older adults. We develop two measures of national risk profiles: one based on age structures and another based on distributions of preexisting health conditions. Our analysis compares these constructs and documents their associations with national COVID-19 mortality rates. Results National profiles of COVID-19 mortality risk based on age structure and preexisting health conditions are moderately uncorrelated, capturing different aspects of risk. Both types of national risk profiles correlate meaningfully with countries’ COVID-19 mortality experiences to date. Discussion and Implications Measures of population age structure are readily available for every country in the world, while cross-national measures of older adult population health are more limited. In the COVID-19 crisis, these factors give different pictures of the countries with high and low risks of COVID-19 mortality. Moreover, our results suggest that both types of national risk profiles based on population health reflect current COVID-19 mortality severity in several countries, highlighting the need for more cross-national comparative data on older adult population health.

Psychotherapy with the Underserved Older Adult Population

2019 ◽  
pp. 263-280
Author(s):  
Susan Krauss Whitbourne ◽  
Bruna Martins
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Hospital Staff ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Mental Health Conditions ◽  
Empirically Supported ◽  
Assessment And Treatment ◽  
And Shifts ◽  
Older Adult Population

The older adult population is steadily growing in number, and by 2050, over 20% of the U.S. population is expected to be over the age of 65. Ageism may affect both patients and providers and may limit access to mental health services. This chapter reviews the prevalence of major mental health conditions in older adults, empirically supported treatments for these conditions, and how best to tailor interventions for use with older patients. The authors suggest that psychoeducational training, increasing availability of specialty training programs for providers, intergenerational programs to promote empathy from as early as primary school to hospital staff training, and shifts in policy may boost interactions with older persons in health care settings and decrease avoidance of assessment and treatment for mental health conditions.

Dental fear and anxiety in an older adult population

1991 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 120-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Locker ◽  
Andree Liddell ◽  
David Burman
Keyword(s):  
Older Adult ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Dental Fear ◽  
Fear And Anxiety ◽  
Older Adult Population

scholarly journals Frailty transitions and cognitive function among South Korean older adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatima Nari ◽  
Bich Na Jang ◽  
Hin Moi Youn ◽  
Wonjeong Jeong ◽  
Sung-In Jang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Daily Living ◽  
Mini Mental State Examination ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Geriatric Syndrome ◽  
South Korean ◽  
Adl Disability ◽  
Older Adult Population ◽  
State Examination

AbstractFrailty is considered a multidimensional geriatric syndrome, manifested by the accumulation of age-associated deficits. The consequences of frailty transitions are still understudied. This study evaluated the influence of frailty transitions on cognitive function in the older adult population. We used data derived from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA) (2008–2018) on older adults aged ≥ 65 years. Frailty was assessed using a validated Korean frailty measure known as the frailty instrument (FI), and cognitive function was measured using the Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE). Transitions in frailty and their relationship with cognitive function were investigated using lagged generalized estimating equations (GEE), t-tests, and ANOVA. Respondents who experienced frailty transitions (those with ameliorating frailty), those who developed frailty, and whose frailty remained constant, were more likely to have a lower cognitive function than those who were consistently non-frail. Older age, activities of daily living (ADL) disability, and instrumental ADL disability were more negatively associated with declining cognitive function, especially in the “frail → frail” group. Changes in all individual components of the frailty instrument were significantly associated with impaired cognitive function. The results suggest an association between frailty transitions and cognitive impairment. Over a 2-year span, the remaining frail individuals had the highest rate of cognitive decline in men, while the change from non-frail to frail state in women was significantly associated with the lowest cognitive function values. We recommend early interventions and prevention strategies in older adults to help ameliorate or slow down both frailty and cognitive function decline.

scholarly journals Title I: Modernizing Definitions and Programs Under the Administration on Aging

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 714-715
Author(s):  
Marie Gualtieri
Keyword(s):  
Title I ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Older Americans ◽  
Aging Society ◽  
Program Adaptation ◽  
Older Americans Act ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Older Adult Population

Abstract The recent reauthorization of the Older Americans Act adds language and definitions to current issues facing the aging population. Specifically, Title I includes definitions related to program adaptation and coordination, workforce and long-term care issues, nutrition and social isolation, as well as family caregivers. Different from the last authorization, these definitions span beyond the individual experience to include other entities impacted by an aging society, such as the workforce and families. Overall, the Title I reauthorization seeks to modernize policy to reflect the current influx of the older adult population and its consequences.

The Brief Odor Detection Test (B-ODT) for Very Early Diagnosis of Cognitive Decline: A Preliminary Study

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-210
Author(s):  
Dimitra Savvoulidou ◽  
Efthymia Totikidou ◽  
Chariklia Varvesiotou ◽  
Magda Iakovidou ◽  
Ourania Sfakianaki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Detection Threshold ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Odor Detection ◽  
Olfactory Impairment ◽  
Older Adult Population ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults

Olfactory impairment in older adults is associated with cognitive decline. This study describes the development of a Brief Odor Detection Test (B-ODT), and its pilot administration in community-dwelling older adults. The study aimed at examining whether the test could differentiate older adults with very mild cognitive impairment from their cognitively healthy counterparts. The sample consisted of 34 older adults (22 women), aged from 65 to 87 years. Participants were divided into two groups according to their general cognitive functioning. Odor detection was measured via vanillin solutions at the following concentrations: 150 mg/L, 30 mg/L, 15 mg/L, 3 mg/L, and .03 mg/L. The first condition of the test involved a scale administration of vanillin solutions. The second condition examined the change in air odour and it required vanillin solution of 30 mg/L and a metric ruler of 30 cm. The examiner had to place the solution at a specific distance point from each nostril. Odour identification sensitivity was secondarily measured. The results showed statistically significant differences in odour detection threshold between the two groups. In the unirhinal testing, left nostril differences of the two groups were definite. Hence, the B-ODT seems a promising instrument for very early cognitive impairment screening in older adult population.

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