Discordance between dementia caregivers ’ goal of care and preference for life-extending treatments
ConclusionTo reduce discordance between caregivers ’ overall end-of-life care goal and preferences for life-extending treatments, clinicians can use a shared decision-making approach involving discussions of both their overall end-of-life care goal and treatment preferences. (Source: Age and Ageing)
Source: Age and Ageing - April 22, 2021 Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research
Is point-of-care testing feasible and safe in care homes in England? An exploratory usability and accuracy evaluation of a point-of-care polymerase chain reaction test for SARS-CoV-2
ConclusionsPoint-of-care PCR testing in care homes can be considered with appropriate preparatory steps and safeguards. Further diagnostic accuracy evaluations and in-service evaluation studies should be conducted, if the test is to be implemented more widely, to build greater certainty on this initial exploratory analysis. (Source: Age and Ageing)
Source: Age and Ageing - April 21, 2021 Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research
Models will only get us so far: planning for place of care and death
advance care planningCOVID-19end-of-life careolder people (Source: Age and Ageing)
Source: Age and Ageing - April 20, 2021 Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research
Hyponatraemia in older people is usually multifactorial and commonly iatrogenic
(Source: Age and Ageing)
Source: Age and Ageing - April 19, 2021 Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research
Acceptance and commitment therapy for late-life treatment-resistant generalised anxiety disorder: a feasibility study
ConclusionsThere was evidence of good feasibility and acceptability, although satisfaction with therapy scores suggested that further refinement of the intervention may be necessary. Results indicate that a larger-scale randomised controlled trial of ACT for TR-GAD is feasible and warranted. (Source: Age and Ageing)
Source: Age and Ageing - April 13, 2021 Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research
Examining the role of specialist palliative care in geriatric care to inform collaborations: a survey on the knowledge, practice and attitudes of geriatricians in providing palliative care
ConclusionsGeriatricians find reward in providing generalist palliative care to their patients; however, potential exists for improved collaborations with specialist palliative care services. An evidence base for geriatric patients who benefit most from specialist palliative care services is needed to improve resourcing, collaborative practice and ultimately palliative care delivery. (Source: Age and Ageing)
Source: Age and Ageing - April 9, 2021 Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research
New horizons in cardiogeriatrics: geriatricians and heart failure care —the custard in the tart, not the icing on the cake
AbstractHeart failure (HF) can be considered a disease of older people. It is a leading cause of hospitalisation and is associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality in the over-65s. In 2012, an editorial in this journal detailed the latest HF research and guidelines, calling for greater integration of geriatricians in HF care. This current article reflects upon what has been achieved in this field in recent years, highlighting some future challenges and promising areas. It is written from the perspective of one such integrated team and explores the new role of cardiogeriatrician, working in a multidisciplinary tea...
Source: Age and Ageing - April 9, 2021 Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research
Silver Book II: an international framework for urgent care of older people in the first 72 hours from illness or injury
AbstractThe new edition of the Silver Book, Silver Book II, provides a framework for the urgent care of older people in the first 72 hours from illness or injury. It incorporates principles of geriatric medicine, quality improvement (including patient reported outcome measures) and interdisciplinary care in a balanced, practical and evidence-rich manual on unscheduled and emergent care for older adults. Silver Book II shows how frailty, comprehensive geriatric assessment and shared decision-making can be locally adapted according to national practice and policy across the world. The challenge for all providers is adaptin...
Source: Age and Ageing - April 9, 2021 Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research
Inter-rater reliability of care home staff ’s proxy judgements with residents’ assessments of their own health-related quality of life: an analysis of the PATCH trial EQ-5D data
Conclusionswhilst assessing HRQoL by care staff proxy completion provides a more complete dataset, uncertainty remains as to how representative these values are for different groups of residents within care homes. (Source: Age and Ageing)
Source: Age and Ageing - April 5, 2021 Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research
The relationship between frailty and delirium: insights from the 2017 Delirium Day study
Conclusionsin hospitalized older patients, frailty is associated with delirium and with an increased risk of short-term mortality. (Source: Age and Ageing)
Source: Age and Ageing - March 31, 2021 Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research
Individual changes in anthropometric measures after age 60 years: a 15-year longitudinal population-based study
ConclusionsCC and MAC declined earlier and more steeply than BMI. Cardiometabolic disorders accelerated such declines, while higher education and physical activity could counteract those declines. (Source: Age and Ageing)
Source: Age and Ageing - March 26, 2021 Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research
Differential risk of falls associated with pain medication among community-dwelling older adults by cognitive status
ConclusionDifferential risk factors for falls by cognitive status imply the need for tailored pain management and fall prevention strategies. The provision of fall prevention programmes stressing balance training and medication use is important regardless of cognitive status in community-dwelling older adults. Future research should explore other modifiable factors associated with the risk of falls among community-dwelling adults. (Source: Age and Ageing)
Source: Age and Ageing - March 26, 2021 Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research
Patterns of multimorbidity and their association with hospitalisation: a population-based study of older adults in urban Tanzania
Conclusionwe found an alarmingly high degree of multimorbidity among this ageing urban population where hospitalisation was driven by multimorbidity. As public health resources remain scarce, reducing costly inpatient hospitalisation requires multilevel interventions that address clinical- and structural-level challenges (e.g. food insecurity) to mitigate multimorbidity and promote long-term healthy independent living among older adults in Tanzania. (Source: Age and Ageing)
Source: Age and Ageing - March 26, 2021 Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research
Severe brachial plexopathy secondary to shingles (herpes zoster)
We present the case of a 73 year-old woman with unilateral brachial plexopathy, an unusual but debilitating complication of shingles. Despite treatment with intravenous acyclovir and immunoglobulin she had a marked residual motor paresis that required an upper limb rehabilitation program after discharge. (Source: Age and Ageing)
Source: Age and Ageing - March 26, 2021 Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research
Suboptimal management of hypernatraemia in acute medical admissions
ConclusionThis study highlights suboptimal management of hypernatraemia. Implementation of hypernatraemia guidelines for general medical older inpatients are clearly required with mechanisms to confirm adherence. Health care workers require further education on diagnostic challenges of dehydration in older people and the importance of maintaining adequate hydration. (Source: Age and Ageing)
Source: Age and Ageing - March 26, 2021 Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research
