scholarly journals Negotiating the Joint Career: Couples Adapting to Alzheimer's and Aging in Place

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renée L. Beard ◽  
Sasha Sakhtah ◽  
Vanessa Imse ◽  
James E. Galvin
Keyword(s):  
Population Aging ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Aging In Place ◽  
Memory Loss ◽  
Community Services ◽  
Cognitive Status ◽  
Care Practices ◽  
The Impact ◽  
With Memory ◽  
Analyze Data

To understand the impact of memory loss on aging in place, this paper investigated dyads where one spouse had been diagnosed with memory loss. In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with ten couples (N=20). Grounded theory methods were used to collect, code, and analyze data into themes. Data revealed consensus among and between dyads that it was best to focus on living, rather than what had been or might someday be lost. Nonetheless, differences according to gender and cognitive status (e.g., diagnosed or spouse) were reported. Given population aging, identifying the impact of gender roles and social norms on the potential for aging in place with memory loss is critical. Community services and care practices must be sensitive to the ways that couples prioritized and organized their relationship prior to diagnosis in order to encourage positive patterns of care between couples, foster successful adaptation to changing needs, and support in-home arrangements as long as possible.

scholarly journals COGNITIVE STIMULATION THERAPY FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH MEMORY LOSS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S186-S186
Author(s):  
Max Zubatsky
Keyword(s):  
Memory Loss ◽  
Psychosocial Interventions ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cognitive Stimulation ◽  
Healthcare Organizations ◽  
Saint Louis ◽  
Community Activities ◽  
Cognitive Stimulation Therapy ◽  
The Impact ◽  
With Memory

Abstract Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) is a non-pharmacological approach for individuals with mild to moderate dementia. It is one of the age friendly community activities of the GWEP to engage older adults with memory challenges. We explored the impact of caregiver-assisted CST (CA-CST) on participants’ overall memory, mood, and retention in the groups. We also investigated the impact of this CST format on the overall well-being of dementia caregivers. Four CST groups (N=28) entered the CA-CST groups meeting once per week for 14 weeks in a university setting. 61 % of participants who completed the group (n=17) showed a .5 point improvement on the Saint Louis University Mental Status Exam (SLUMS), a 2-point decrease on the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (p<.01), and 1.5 point increase in overall caregiver well-being. Continued psychosocial interventions for dementia are needed not just in university settings, but healthcare organizations and other age-friendly settings.

Abstract 133: "I’m Not the Same Person....": Understanding Cardiac Arrest Survivorship and Long -Term Outcomes From the perspective of Survivors and Families

Circulation ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 138 (Suppl_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katie N Dainty ◽  
Bianca Seaton ◽  
Richard Verbeek
Keyword(s):  
Cardiac Arrest ◽  
Outcome Measures ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Sudden Cardiac Arrest ◽  
Memory Loss ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
Qualitative Work ◽  
The Impact

Background: Of those victims that are discharged alive following sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), the five-year survival rate is upwards of 75%. However, the survivor experience of “living” and their quality of life after such a life-changing event can be quite variable. Unfortunately traditional outcome measures in the SCA literature make gross, snapshot assumptions about what constitutes a “good” outcome and rarely account for life after hospital discharge. The objective of this study was to understand the survivor and family/caregiver experience of life after SCA and what outcomes are important to them as “life goes on”. Methods: In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with survivors and their families/caregivers at various stages of survival. Survivors and family members were interviewed together and separately. The interviews focused on concepts such as what their recovery journey was like, what long-term issues were most important to them and how we might implement measures of such concepts into more research and practice. Interviews were audio-taped, transcribed verbatim and analyzed by the authors using constant comparative thematic analysis techniques. Results: During in-depth interviews with more than 30 survivors and caregivers we heard that despite being a relatively high functioning group, their lives have been deeply affected by their cardiac arrest experience. They spoke about the importance of both psychologic and physical recovery and the influence of latent depression, anxiety, memory-loss, fatigue, infertility, changes in body image and relationships with loved ones. For some there have also been unique challenges with having an implanted cardiac defibrillator (ICD). Spouses/family members spoke about the caregiver burden, anxiety around their loved ones health and the impact of not having any sense of what to expect after discharge. Conclusions: The psycho-social type outcomes identified as very influential by survivors and families are almost entirely unmeasured in the resuscitation literature. This robust qualitative work gives us important insight that we hope to use to design more survivor-centred outcome measures for prospective use in research and practice. (*Abstract will be co-presented with an SCA survivor)

scholarly journals Aging in Place with Age-Related Cognitive Changes: The Impact of Caregiving Support and Finances

Societies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 31
Author(s):  
Alexandra Wagner
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Aging In Place ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cognitive Changes ◽  
Age In Place ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Personal Finances ◽  
The Impact ◽  
At Home

In the United States, aging in place is a common concept that refers to older adults’ desire to remain in their homes as they age. However, this ability to age in place is a complex process that is not only impacted by the home’s accessibility or individual functional abilities. This paper aims to examine different factors, such as home environment and home modification, caregivers, finances, and other supports present in the participants’ lives, that impact older adults with age-related cognitive changes (ARCC) (in)ability to age in place. Qualitative interviews with older adults with ARCC (n = 5) and their caregivers (n = 5) were conducted. The participants’ experiences while aging in place indicate that finances and caregiving support greatly impacted their lives at home and ability to age in place. Personal finances dictated where some of the participants could age and the support, they could afford from home health aides. Additionally, informal and formal caregivers were an important source of support that aided in the older adults’ ability to remain home. As researchers, we need to continue to address personal finances and the support that the individual has in their lives to most effectively promote aging in place and their life at home.

scholarly journals Course and outcome of patients with alcohol use disorders following an alcohol intervention during hospital attendance: mixed method study

BJPsych Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophia E. Chambers ◽  
David S. Baldwin ◽  
Julia M. A. Sinclair
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Clinical Characteristics ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Community Services ◽  
Alcohol Intervention ◽  
Coordinated Care ◽  
Acute Hospitals ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

Background Alcohol-related presentations to acute hospitals in the UK are increasing, but little is known of the clinical characteristics or natural history of this patient group. Aims To describe the clinical characteristics, drinking profile and trajectory of a cohort of patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) attending hospital, and explore participant perspectives of the impact of hospital attendance on their relationship with alcohol. Method We conducted a mixed method, prospective, observational cohort study of patients with AUD seen in an acute hospital. Participants were interviewed with a range of questionnaires at baseline and followed up on at 6 months. A subsample also completed in-depth qualitative interviews. Results We recruited 141 patients; 132 (93.6%) were followed up at 6 months and 26 completed qualitative interviews. Of the 141 patients, 60 (42.6%) stated the index hospital episode included the first discussion of their alcohol use in a secondary care setting. Most rated discussion of their alcohol use in hospital as ‘very positive’ or ‘positive’ (102/141, 72.3%), but lack of coordinated care with community services undermined efforts to sustain change. At 6 months, 11 (7.8%) patients had died, but in those who survived and completed assessment (n = 121), significant and clinically meaningful improvements were seen across a range of outcomes, with 55 patients (45.5%) showing a favourable drinking outcome at 6 months. Conclusions Patients with AUD have high levels of morbidity and mortality, yet many made substantial changes following intervention in hospital for their alcohol use. Prospective trials need to identify the effect of alcohol care teams in optimising this ‘teachable moment’ for patients.

scholarly journals False Memories: The Other Side of Forgetting

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 545-556 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine W. Turk ◽  
Rocco Palumbo ◽  
Rebecca G. Deason ◽  
Anna Marin ◽  
Ala’a Elshaar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Family Members ◽  
Memory Loss ◽  
False Memories ◽  
The Other ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
Older Subjects ◽  
The Impact ◽  
State Examination ◽  
With Memory

AbstractObjective:To measure caregivers’ and clinicians’ perception of false memories in the lives of patients with memory loss due to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) using a novel false memories questionnaire. Our hypotheses were that false memories are occurring as often as forgetting according to clinicians and family members.Method:This prospective, questionnaire-based study consisting of 20 false memory questions paired with 20 forgetting questions had two forms: one for clinicians and the other for family members of older subjects. In total, 226 clinicians and 150 family members of 49 patients with AD, 44 patients with MCI, and 57 healthy older controls (OCs) completed the questionnaire.Results:False memories occurred nearly as often as forgetting according to clinicians and family members of patients with MCI and AD. Family members of OCs and patients with MCI reported fewer false memories compared to those of the AD group. As Mini-Mental State Examination scores decreased, the mean score increased for both forgetting and false memories. Among clinicians, correlations were observed between the dementia severity of patients seen with both forgetting and false memories questionnaire scores as well as with the impact of forgetting and false memories on daily life.Conclusion:Patients with AD experience false memories almost as frequently as they do forgetting. Given how common false memories are in AD patients, additional work is needed to understand the clinical implications of these false memories on patients’ daily lives. The novel false memories questionnaire developed may be a valuable tool.

Retaining identity: Creativity and caregiving

Dementia ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 1641-1656
Author(s):  
Anne Mondro ◽  
Cathleen M Connell ◽  
Lydia Li ◽  
Elaine Reed
Keyword(s):  
Memory Loss ◽  
Evaluation Process ◽  
Care Recipient ◽  
Art Making ◽  
Dementia Caregivers ◽  
The Arts ◽  
Art Activities ◽  
Professional Artists ◽  
The Impact ◽  
With Memory

Arts programming for people living with dementia and their caregivers has gained popularity as a way to provide opportunities for social interaction, expression, and continual learning. The goal of the present study, referred to as Retaining Identity: Creativity & Caregiving is to: (1) describe the process of designing and implementing a structured art experience for people living with memory loss and their co-residing caregiver; and (2) to summarize feedback provided by caregivers at the conclusion of the program. Retaining Identity is an eight-week program offered by professional artists who instructed dementia caregivers in four visual art activities, which they then taught to their care recipient. The program was designed for individuals with no art experience and the art projects were carefully developed to be engaging for both people living with dementia and their caregivers. The evaluation process included a qualitative survey completed by the caregivers to measure the impact of the program on the caregiver/care recipient relationship. The main themes that emerged from the survey were: caregiver growth, caregiver awareness, and creative discovery. The participants’ artwork supports that art making has the potential to encourage an equitable exchange and outcome for people with memory loss and their caregivers. Although the survey is limited in scope, the results support the use of the arts to positively impact caregivers and their relationship with their care recipient.

Contact precautions for colonisation with multidrug-resistant organisms and haemodialysis patient quality of life and mood: a pilot case-control study

2019 ◽  
pp. 19-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rathika Krishnasamy
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Social Function ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Contact Precautions ◽  
Dialysis Vintage ◽  
Multidrug Resistant Organisms ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Impact

Background: The rate of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) colonisation in dialysis populations has increased over time. This study aimed to assess the effect of contact precautions and isolation on quality of life and mood for haemodialysis (HD) patients colonised with MDRO. Methods: Patients undergoing facility HD completed the Kidney Disease Quality of Life (KDQOL–SFTM), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Personal Wellbeing-Index Adult (PWI-A). Patients colonised with MDRO were case-matched by age and gender with patients not colonised. Results: A total of 16 MDRO-colonised patients were matched with 16 controls. Groups were well matched for demographics and co-morbidities, other than a trend for older dialysis vintage in the MDRO group [7.2 years (interquartile range 4.6–10.0) compared to 3.2 (1.4–7.6) years, p=0.05]. Comparing MDRO-positive with negative patients, physical (30.5±10.7 vs. 34.6±7.3; p=0.2) and mental (46.5±11.2 vs. 48.5±12.5; p = 0.6) composite scores were not different between groups. The MDRO group reported poorer sleep quality (p=0.01) and sleep patterns (p=0.05), and lower social function (p=0.02). BDI scores were similar (MDRO-positive 10(3.5–21.0) vs. MDRO-negative 12(6.5–16.0), p=0.6). PWI-A scores were also similar in both groups; however, MDRO patients reported lower scores for “feeling safe”, p=0.03. Conclusion: While overall scores of quality of life and depression were similar between groups, the MDRO group reported poorer outcomes in sleep and social function. A larger cohort and qualitative interviews may give more detail of the impact of contact precautions and isolation on HD patients. The necessity for contact precautions for different MDRO needs consideration.

Mechanisms of liver damage in COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (19) ◽  
pp. 39-46
Author(s):  
T. V. Pinchuk ◽  
N. V. Orlova ◽  
T. G. Suranova ◽  
T. I. Bonkalo
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Liver Transplantation ◽  
Risk Factor ◽  
Liver Disease ◽  
Liver Function ◽  
Liver Damage ◽  
The World ◽  
Coronavirus Infection ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Analyze Data

At the end of 2019, a new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) was discovered in China, causing the coronavirus infection COVID-19. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic poses a major challenge to health systems around the world. There is still little information on how infection affects liver function and the significance of pre-existing liver disease as a risk factor for infection and severe COVID-19. In addition, some drugs used to treat the new coronavirus infection are hepatotoxic. In this article, we analyze data on the impact of COVID-19 on liver function, as well as on the course and outcome of COVID-19 in patients with liver disease, including hepatocellular carcinoma, or those on immunosuppressive therapy after liver transplantation.

Forms of physical activity of the elderly

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 221-228
Author(s):  
Piotr Czarnecki ◽  
◽  
Justyna Podgórska-Bednarz ◽  
Lidia Perenc ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Elderly People ◽  
Population Aging ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Good Health ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Polish Society ◽  
Central Statistical ◽  
Key Phrases ◽  
The Impact

Introduction. Physical activity is known to be an important factor influencing health throughout human life. This issue has become crucial for public health due to the aging of the population in both developed and developing countries. Aim. is to present a literature review on the forms of physical activity undertaken by the elderly, as well as on issues related to physical activity and the population aging. Material and methods. The study was prepared on the basis of a review of Polish and foreign literature. The following databases and data sources were used: EBSCO, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar. An additional source of data were the websites of the Central Statistical Office. Strictly defined key phrases were used during the collection of literature. The work has been divided into thematic subsections on the aging of the society, the impact of physical activity on health and the main topic, i.e. forms of physical activity selected by the elderly. Analysis of the literature. The number of elderly people in Polish society has increased by almost 3.7 million over three decades. Therefore, an important topic is prophylaxis aimed at increasing the number of days in good health, largely covering the broadly understood activation of the elderly. The available data indicate that only 12% of elderly people undertake physical activity once a week. The most common form of spending free time actively is walking (as many as 73% of people in this population declare this form of physical activity in one of the presented studies). Conclusion. Organized forms of physical activity are undertaken much less frequently by the analyzed age group mainly due to financial limitations and limited availability of sports infrastructure.

The Status of Mind and Intellect in Digital Environment

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 123-143
Author(s):  
Elena I. Yaroslavtseva
Keyword(s):  
Human Life ◽  
Cognitive Activity ◽  
Memory Loss ◽  
Natural Material ◽  
Human Being ◽  
Connection To Nature ◽  
Digital World ◽  
The Status ◽  
Natural Foundation ◽  
The Impact

The article examines the impact of digitalization on human life and intellectual experience. The development of computer technology demands an understanding of new aspects of human development and requires a capability to overcome not only external conditions but also ourselves. Entering a new level of development cannot imply a complete rejection of previous dispositions, but should be accompanied by reflection on personal experience and by the quest for new forms of interaction in society and with nature. Communicative and cognitive activity of a person has an ontological basis and relies on processes that actually evolve in nature. Therefore, the creation of new objects is always associated with the properties of natural material and gives rise to new points of support in the development of man. The more audacious his projects, the more important it is to preserve this connection to nature. It is always the human being who turns out to be the initiator who knows how to solve problems. The conformity of complex technical systems to nature is not only a goal but also a value of meaningful construction of development perspectives. The key to the nature orientation of the modern digital world is the human being himself, who keeps all the secrets of the culture of his natural development. Therefore, the proposed by the Russian philosopher V.S. Stepin post-non-classical approach, based on the principle of “human-sizedness,” is an important contribution to contemporary research because it draws attention to the “human – machine” communication, to the relationship between a person and technological systems he created. The article concludes that during digital transformation, a cultural conflict arises: in an effort to solve the problems of the future, a person equips his life with devices that are designed to support him, to expand his functionality, but at the same time, the boundaries of humanity become dissolved and the forms of human activity undergo simplification. Transhumanism engages society in the fight against fears of vulnerability and memory loss and ignores the flexibility and sustainability of natural foundation.

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