scholarly journals Christmas Allowance as a Non-System Tool for Sustainability of Quality of Life of Slovak Seniors

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 3810 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jarmila Vidová ◽  
Peter Sika

Creating conditions for a sustainable level of quality of life for older people is considered the dominant priority when setting up the pension system with an emphasis on the income situation of Slovak seniors for old-age pensions. An old-age pension as a systemic benefit is an important element in maintaining the quality of life of older people. The amount of old-age pensions is currently at the center of discussions between institutions and the Government of the Slovak Republic. A major social but also economic problem in the coming decade will be how to maintain the income of older people, pensioners, needed to ensure their sustainable quality of life. In particular, it is necessary to ensure that pensioners receive sufficient income so that they do not become a population at risk of poverty as the groups at risk of poverty or social exclusion also includes people over the age of 65. The paper focuses on the analysis of the socio-economic situation of Slovak pensioners in the Slovak Republic in connection with material deprivation. At the same time we analyze the Christmas contribution as a non-systemic benefit which, on the one hand, has a positive social impact on the recipients of pension benefits who are entitled to the Christmas benefit but, on the other hand, has a negative impact on the general government budget.

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 138-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret Ralston ◽  
Enid Schatz ◽  
Jane Menken ◽  
Francesc Xavier Gómez-Olivé ◽  
Stephen Tollman

Author(s):  
Tine Buffel ◽  
Samuèle Rémillard-Boilard ◽  
Kieran Walsh ◽  
Bernard McDonald ◽  
An-Sofie Smetcoren ◽  
...  

Developing ‘Age-Friendly Cities and Communities (AFCC)’ has become a key part of policies aimed at improving the quality of life of older people in urban areas. Despite this development, there is evidence of rising inequalities among urban elders, and little known about the potential and limitations of the age-friendly model to reduce old-age exclusion. This article addresses this research gap by comparing how Brussels, Dublin, and Manchester, as three members of the Global Network of AFCC, have responded to social exclusion in later life. The article combines data from document analysis and stakeholder interviews to examine: first, the age-friendly approach and the goal of reducing social exclusion; and second, barriers to developing age-friendly policies as a means of addressing exclusion. The paper suggests that there are reciprocal benefits in linking age-friendly and social exclusion agendas for producing new ways of combatting unequal experiences of ageing in cities.


2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 838-848 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sayem Borhan ◽  
Alexandra Papaioannou ◽  
Olga Gajic‐Veljanoski ◽  
Courtney Kennedy ◽  
George Ioannidis ◽  
...  

2012 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vellingiri Raja Badrakalimuthu ◽  
Andrew F. Tarbuck

SummaryAnxiety has reported prevalence rates between 38 and 72% among people with dementia. It has a negative impact on cognitive impairment and is associated with agitation and poor quality of life. The presence of excessive anxiety can be difficult to establish in people with dementia, especially when expressive or receptive speech is impaired. Unfortunately, there is a lack of research on the treatment of anxiety in dementia, and also on the wider issue of the management of anxiety disorders in old age. We explore the prevalence, presentation and diagnosis of anxiety in dementia and discuss the therapeutic options available.


2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 195-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Larissa Corradi-Dias ◽  
Saul Martins Paiva ◽  
Henrique Pretti ◽  
Isabela Almeida Pordeus ◽  
Lucas Guimarães Abreu

Objective: To evaluate the impact of the first six months of orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances on the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of adolescents, comparing boys and girls, using a specific condition questionnaire. Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: School of Dentistry of the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil Participants: Adolescents aged 10–17 years. Methods: Forty-six adolescents participated in this study. Adolescents’ OHRQoL was evaluated using the Brazilian version of the questionnaire Impact of Fixed Appliances Measure. This questionnaire comprises 43 questions distributed across nine domains: aesthetics; functional limitation; dietary impact; oral hygiene impact; maintenance impact; physical impact; social impact; time constraints; and travel/cost/inconvenience implications. The answer options follow the Likert scale, in the range of 1–5. A higher score indicates a more negative impact on the OHRQoL. Adolescents’ malocclusion was assessed using the Dental Aesthetic Index. Information on family income, adolescents’ age and tooth extraction was also collected. A directed acyclic graph was used to identify potential confounders. Statistical analysis involved the chi-square test, the Student’s t test and the analysis of covariance. The minimal clinically important difference was also calculated. Results: Of the 46 participants, 25 were girls and 21 were boys. The female adolescents presented a more negative impact from the orthodontic treatment on the quality of life when compared to the male adolescents ( P < 0.001), regardless of the influence of the confounding variables. The most negative repercussions were identified in the domains of oral hygiene ( P = 0.002), physical impact ( P < 0.001) and social impact ( P < 0.001). Conclusion: The impact of the first six months of orthodontic treatment on OHRQoL is more negative in female individuals than in male individuals. The results of this study may be useful for the oral healthcare provider during the counselling of adolescents undergoing fixed appliance therapy.


2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (10) ◽  
pp. 2041-2047
Author(s):  
Anna K. Ojala ◽  
Harri Sintonen ◽  
Risto P. Roine ◽  
Timo E. Strandberg ◽  
Camilla Schalin-Jäntti

Abstract Background Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and thyroid dysfunction are common in older people, but little is known about how they affect health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Methods We assessed HRQoL with the 15D instrument in 329 home-dwelling patients aged ≥ 75 years with stable CVD and compared the results to those of an age- and gender-matched general population (n = 103). We also studied the impact of age, BMI, number of medications, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) concentration, levothyroxine (L-T4) substitution and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) on HRQoL. Results Overall HRQoL was impaired in older people with stable CVD (mean 15D score 0.777 vs 0.801, p = 0.001), and also on single dimensions of breathing, sleeping, discomfort and symptoms, distress, vitality (all p < 0.001), and depression (p = 0.016) compared to the age- and gender-matched general population. Furthermore, in the patients, L-T4 substitution associated with impaired sleeping (p = 0.018) and sexual activity (p = 0.030). Moreover, MMSE points, number of medications used, age (all p < 0.001) and BMI (p = 0.009) predicted impaired HRQoL. Conclusions Older people with stable CVD are characterized by impaired HRQoL compared to age- and gender-matched controls. We demonstrate that this is the consequence of impaired breathing, sleeping, discomfort and symptoms, distress, vitality, and depression. L-T4 substitution has a negative impact on HRQoL in old patients with stable CVD. MMSE score, number of medications, age and BMI predict worse HRQoL.


Author(s):  
Maria M Johansson ◽  
Marco Barbero ◽  
Anneli Peolsson ◽  
Deborah Falla ◽  
Corrado Cescon ◽  
...  

This study deals with how pain characteristics in conjunction with other factors affect quality of life (QoL) in a vulnerable primary care population. We recruited vulnerable older people (75+, n = 825) living in south-eastern Sweden. A postal questionnaire included pain aspects, QoL (EQ-5D-3L, RAND-36 physical functioning, attitudes toward own aging, and life satisfaction), functional status, social networks, and basic demographic information. Pain extent and localization was obtained by digitalization of pain drawings reported on standard body charts. Most respondents were experiencing pain longer than 3 months (88.8%). Pain frequency varied mostly between occasionally (33.8%) and every day (34.8%). A minority reported high pain intensity (13.6%). The lower back and lower legs were the most frequently reported pain locations (>25%). Multiple linear regression model revealed three characteristics of pain (intensity, frequency, and extent) remained inversely associated with the EQ-5D-3L index score (R2 = 0.57). Individually, each of these pain characteristics showed a negative impact on the other three dimensions of QoL (R2 = 0.23–0.59). Different features of pain had impact on different dimensions of QoL in this aging population. A global pain assessment is useful to facilitate individual treatment and rehabilitation strategies in primary care.


2021 ◽  
pp. 000348942110506
Author(s):  
Gemma M. Clunie ◽  
Catherine Anderson ◽  
Matthew Savage ◽  
Catherine Hughes ◽  
Justin W. G. Roe ◽  
...  

Objectives: To investigate how the symptoms of mucus and cough impact adults living with laryngotracheal stenosis, and to use this information to guide future research and treatment plans. Methods: A survey was developed with the support of patient advisors and distributed to people suffering with laryngotracheal stenosis. The survey comprised 15 closed and open questions relating to mucus and cough and included the Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ). Descriptive statistics, X2 and thematic analyses were completed. Results: In total, 641 participants completed the survey, with 83.62% (n = 536) reporting problems with mucus; 79% having daily issues of varying severity that led to difficulties with cough (46.18%) and breathing (20.90%). Mucus affected voice and swallowing to a lesser degree. Respondents described a range of triggers; they identified smoky air as the worst environmental trigger. Strategies to manage mucus varied widely with drinking water (72.26%), increasing liquid intake in general (49.35%) and avoiding or reducing dairy (45.32%) the most common approaches to control symptoms. The LCQ showed a median total score of 14 (interquartile range 11-17) indicative of cough negatively affecting quality of life. Thematic analysis of free text responses identified 4 key themes—the Mucus Cycle, Social impact, Psychological impact, and Physical impact. Conclusion: This study shows the relevance of research focusing on mucus and cough and its negative impact on quality of life, among adults with laryngotracheal stenosis. It demonstrates the inconsistent advice and management strategies provided by clinicians for this issue. Further research is required to identify clearer treatment options and pathways.


2013 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tai-Yin Wu ◽  
Wei-Chu Chie ◽  
Kuan-Liang Kuo ◽  
Wai-Kuen Wong ◽  
Jen-Pei Liu ◽  
...  

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