Geriatrics gerontology

Older age is associated with reduced social networks while social skill abilities are important assets for older people to cope with these situations. To better understand older people's social skill ability and important demographic correlates, the present cross-sectional survey research interviewed 1000 Taiwanese older volunteers from 73 community care centers. Findings of a mixed model indicated that education and serving area outweighed other demographic factors significantly correlated with older volunteers' social skill ability...

Transgender older adults have a long history of exclusion that shapes current experiences with social services. However, scant gerontological research uses archival data, which can provide critical context for service providers. Moreover, sparse research examines how exclusion can be a catalyst for change that social workers could leverage. Empowerment theory provides a theoretical tool to explain how this is possible. This multidisciplinary case study blends community member interviews and archival data to answer this question: How did exclusion shape empowerment and social change for transgender Americans? This study focuses on the events before and after the Compton's Cafeteria Riot, one of the first acts of LGBTQIA+ collective resistance that led to new services for and by transgender Americans...

This study explored the association between diabetes, cognitive imFpairment (CI), and mortality in a cohort of 2931 individuals aged 60 and above from the 2011 to 2014 NHANES. Mortality data was gathered through 2019, and multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to determine the association between diabetes, CI, and mortality adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle factors, and comorbidity conditions. The study spanned up to 9.17 years, observing 579 deaths, with individuals having both diabetes and CI showing the highest all-cause mortality (23...

Home care (HC) aides experience numerous safety hazards in clients' homes; many hazards also put clients at risk. We hypothesized that safety coaching led by nurse managers (NMs) during their initial HC needs assessment could prompt clients to improve safety conditions in their homes. Following a 2-arm proof-of-concept intervention study design, intervention NMs used motivational interviewing (MI), facilitated by a safety handbook and video, to coach clients on home safety improvements. Control arm NMs performed intake assessments with no changes to usual practices...

This study investigates the "Negative Spillover Effect"-a conceptual framework that highlights the correlation between older adults' community safety concerns and depressive symptoms. It explores the moderating influence of the sense of freedom in this relationship. Through the analysis of data from 3408 participants in the China Labor-force Dynamics Survey, employing a two-stage least squares regression approach, the study uncovers the intricate role of the sense of freedom in influencing the depressive symptoms of older adults based on their community safety concerns...

Little empirical research informs understanding of the disparate active aging experiences among working older adults, especially in terms of the association with living circumstances and life satisfaction. To address this knowledge gap, this study used latent class analysis on data from the 2020 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) core interview and focused on 1,194 employed adults aged 50 and above. The results revealed four subtypes of the quality of working life in older workers. Notably, in contrast to the other identified classes, higher levels of housing satisfaction and feelings of neighborhood safety were significantly associated with an increased likelihood of being a member of the group of older adults with the highest work capacities and the healthy work-life balance...

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Project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) enables healthcare providers to share knowledge and best practices via telementoring. The ECHO model builds provider capacity and improves care for patients with a variety of health conditions. This study describes a Canada-wide National ECHO pilot project in the area of geriatric mental health and reports on the program's impact on providers' care practices. A mixed-methods approach was used to analyze surveys completed by participating healthcare providers...

BACKGROUND: Oral vitamin C supplementation has been associated with lower risk of chronic postsurgical pain. However, the effect of dietary vitamin C on pain in a non-surgical setting is unknown. We aimed to investigate the association between dietary vitamin C intake and changes over time in chronic pain and its characteristics in community-dwelling adults aged 60+ years. METHODS: We pooled data from participants of the Seniors-ENRICA-1 (n=864) and Seniors-ENRICA-2 (n=862) cohorts who reported pain at baseline or at follow-up...

BACKGROUND: Hospital patients with behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) are vulnerable to a range of adverse outcomes. Hospital-based Special Care Units (SCUs) are secure dementia-enabling environments providing specialised gerontological care. Due to a scarcity of research, their value remains unconfirmed. OBJECTIVE: To compare hospital based SCU management of BPSD with standard care. DESIGN: Single-case multiple baseline design...

AIM: Advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) are irreversibly and heterogeneously formed compounds during the non-enzymatic modification of macromolecules, such as proteins. Aging and lifestyle habits, such as high-fat and high-protein diets, and smoking, promote AGEs accumulation. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between fall risk and AGEs in community-dwelling older adults. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included patients from the 2022 Yakumo Study who were evaluated for fall risk index 5-items version, locomotive syndrome stage and AGEs...

Inhaled air pollutants (AirP) comprise extraordinarily diverse particles, volatiles, and gases from traffic, wildfire, cigarette smoke, dust, and various other sources. These pollutants contain numerous toxic components which collectively differ in relative levels of components, but broadly share chemical classes. Exposure and health outcomes from AirP are complex, depending on pollutant source, duration of exposure, and socioeconomic status. We discuss examples in the current literature on organ responses to AirP, with a focus on lung, arteries, and brain...

AIM: To investigate the effect of cholecalciferol supplementation on hand grip strength, walking speed, and expression of vitamin D receptor (VDR), interleukine-6 (IL-6) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in monocyte in pre-frail older adults. METHODS: We conducted a randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled clinical trial for 12 weeks, involving 120 pre-frail older adults who were randomized to the cholecalciferol group (cholecalciferol 4000 IU/day) or the placebo group...

BACKGROUND: Contemporary data on the quantity and quality of medication use among older adults are lacking. This study examined recent trends in number and appropriateness of prescription medication use among older adults in the US. METHOD: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2011 and March 2020 were used and 6336 adult participants aged 65 and older were included. We examined the number of prescription medication, prevalence of polypharmacy (≥5 prescription drugs), use of potentially inappropriate medication (PIM), and use of recommended medications (ACEI/ARBs plus beta-blockers among patients with heart failure and ACEI/ARBs among patients with albuminuria)...

INTRODUCTION: To determine if demographic variables and measures of cognitive function, functional mobility, self-reported balance self-efficacy, and self-reported physical activity can predict gait speed variability during single-task walking (STgscv), during cognitive-motor dual-tasking (DTgscv), and dual-task effect on gait speed variability (DTEgscv) in older adults. METHODS: In 62 older adults, demographics were recorded and cognitive function (including the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, MoCA), functional mobility, balance self-efficacy (Activity-Specific Balance Confidence Scale, ABC), and self-reported physical activity (Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly, PASE) were assessed...

PURPOSE: To apply the ESPEN-EASO diagnostic criteria for Sarcopenic Obesity (SO) in older women and to assess its association with the risk of falls, fear of falls (FOF), and bone mineral density (BMD). METHODS: After exclusion criteria, 232 women aged ≥60 years (68.2 ± 6.1) were enrolled in the study. Volunteers had handgrip strength (HGS; dynamometer) and body composition assessed by DXA before risk of falls was evaluated using the QuickScreen and FOF evaluated by the Falls Efficiency Scale...

BACKGROUND: The breakdown of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is intricately linked to the onset and advancement of cognitive impairment and dementia. This investigation explores the correlation between blood-brain barrier permeability, assessed through the cerebrospinal fluid/serum albumin ratio (QAlb), in a clinical cohort and the evolution of cognitive decline. METHODS: This prospective observational cohort study included 295 participants. Cognitive decline progression was characterized by an escalation in the overall deterioration scale and/or clinical dementia rating scores...

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to systematically review the additional value of providing real-time postural feedback during balance and mobility training in older people. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, and Web-of-Science were searched from inception to August 2023. Studies comparing the effectiveness of feedback-based versus non-feedback-based postural balance or mobility training on balance or mobility outcomes were selected. Similar outcomes were pooled in meta-analyses using a random-effect model...

Addressing depression and social isolation among solo-living older adults in South Korea requires a multi-faceted approach. This study aims to explore the advantages and obstacles of a robotic elder care program by analyzing social workers' viewpoints regarding interactions between older adults and a companion robot named Hyodol. Through the purposive sampling method, we conducted comprehensive interviews with 10 social workers who are pioneering the integration of robots in elder care. The study participants observed and compared the demographic characteristics of users and non-users, elucidated usage patterns, described the roles of robot companions, and shared remarkable instances...

BACKGROUND: The development of disability related to activities of daily living (ADL) is of great concern in the aging population, particularly for Hispanic and Non-Hispanic (NH) Black older adults, where disability prevalence is greater compared to NH Whites. ADL-disability is typically measured across many functional tasks without differentiating upper- versus lower-limb limitations, hindering our understanding of disability burden. Despite the importance of the upper limbs for completing ADL and known age-related declines in function, racial/ethnic differences in upper limb function remain largely unknown...