135,619 research outputs found
Design of a framework to promote physical activity for the elderly
Physical inactivity is estimated to be one of the leading risk factors for global mortality and it is associated with several illnesses, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and various types of cancers. To tackle this issue and promote physical activity amongst the elderly, a system that computes automatically, in real-time, the score of a Boccia game was developed. The objective of this paper is to infer the best design possible for the User Interface (UI) that displays this information. To achieve this, two surveys were conducted involving 45 participants. In the first survey, the participants were asked what features they would like to see in the UI. Based on these remarks, the authors designed an UI, along with several variations. The preferences between these variations were afterwards evaluated in the second survey. Thus, the final design of the UI was validated before being shown to the elders.This article is a result of the project Deus ex Machina: NORTE â 01 â 0145 â FEDER - 000026, supported by Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)
Towards Evidence Based M-Health Application Design in Cancer Patient Healthy Lifestyle Interventions
Cancer is one of the most prevalent diseases in
Europe and the world. Significant correlations between dietary
habits and cancer incidence and mortality have been
confirmed by the literature. Physical activity habits are also
directly implicated in the incidence of cancer. Lifestyle
behaviour change may be benefited by using mobile technology
to deliver health behaviour interventions. M-Health offers a
promising cost-efficient approach to deliver en-masse
interventions. Smartphone apps with constructs such as
gamification and personalized have shown potential for
helping individuals lose weight and maintain healthy lifestyle
habits. However, evidence-based content and theory-based
strategies have not been incorporated by those apps
systematically yet. The aim of the current work is to put the
foundations for a methodologically rigorous exploration of
wellness/health intervention literature/app landscape towards
detailed design specifications for connected health m-apps. In
this context, both the overall work plan is described as well as
the details for the significant steps of application space and
literature space review. Both strategies for research and initial
outcomes of it are presented. The expected evidence based
design process for patient centered health and wellness
interventions is going to be the primary input in the
implementation process of upcoming patient centered
health/wellness m-health interventions.ENJECT COST-STSM-ECOST-STSM-TD1405-220216-07045
The design of caring environments and the quality of life of older people
There has been little systematic research into the design of care environments for older people. This article reviews empirical studies from both the architectural and the psychological literature. It outlines the instruments that are currently available for measuring both the environment and the quality of life of older people, and it summarises the evidence on the layout of buildings, the sensory environment and the privacy of residents. The conclusion is drawn that all evidence-based design must be a compromise or dynamic and, as demands on the caring environment change over time, this compromise must be re-visited in the form of post-occupancy evaluation
Aging in the Social Space
A publication called Aging in the Social Space is a compilation of studies, which deal with theoretical understanding and empirical solutions, learning about problem spheres, specifying content parallels of social, legal, economic, moral and ethical views on senior issues in society, which are closely related to each other and are interconnected. This publication focus on the case study of Poland. It is supposed to provide a multidimensional view of old age issues and issues related to aging and care for old people in society. We believe that it is natural also to name individual spheres, in which society has some eff ect, either direct or indirect, within issues concerning seniors. Learning about these spheres is the primary prerequisite for successful use of social help to seniors in society
Waiting Room Health Promotion for Older Adults in Rural Primary Care
Background: Advances in health care technology have lead to adults living longer than in previous decades. Longer life expectancy in combination with the aging of the Baby Boomer generation is predicted to result in rapid and exponential growth among the older adult population. Adults in the U.S. over the age of 65 have on average five or more chronic illnesses, many of which are often poorly managed. Older adults who experience chronic diseases often report decreased quality of life, limitations in functional ability, loss of independence, and periods of decline and increasing disability. Health promotion efforts can help in delaying the onset of disability and preventing rapid decline associated with many chronic conditions.
Purpose: The purpose of this project was to assess the effectiveness of the implementation of a brief waiting room health promotion activity that informs older adults about the benefits of walking, such as reducing the risk of chronic disease, improving mood, and maintaining weight, physical and cognitive function. This project took place at a federally qualified health center in Plainfield, Vermont.
Methods: The target population for this educational intervention included patients, as well as family members and visitors to the primary care practice who were age 55 and older. All age-eligible participants were encouraged to participate regardless of health status or the presence of comorbid health conditions. The activity comprised of participants viewing a brief audiovisual educational activity explaining the health benefits of walking, supplemented with paper materials to support the health messages; the intervention was then followed by completion of a brief paper survey evaluation.
Results: During the two-month period the health promotion activity was available, 56 individuals participated and completed the survey. Of the 56 participants, 87% indicated they either âstrongly agreedâ or âagreedâ that watching the video increased knowledge about health-related benefits of walking. In total, approximately 73% of participants who participated in this health promotion activity agreed that they paid attention to educational materials in the waiting room setting. Approximately 57% of participants shared a health related goal that they created as a result of the health promotion activity.
Conclusion: This project has suggested that implementation of waiting room health promotion activities, specifically for older adults, is a simple and cost-effective way to promote good health practices and provide patients with in-depth health care information that may not be addressed during the health care visit. Activities in the waiting room can help to supplement information provided during the clinical encounter, leaving patients more satisfied with their visits, and promoting positive behavior change
Sowing in the autumn season : exploring benefits of green care farms for dementia patients
In the Netherlands an increasing number of farms combine agricultural production with care services for people with care needs. It is generally believed that these green care farms (GCFs) have beneficial effects on the health status of a diversity of target groups. At present, empirical studies testing this hypothesis are scarce. The main objective of the studies described in this thesis was to gain insight into the potential benefits of day care at GCFs for communityâdwelling older dementia patients. Day care at GCFs was therefore compared with day care at regular day care facilities (RDCFs). In view of the differences between both day care types regarding the day care setting and day care program it was hypothesized that they would differ in their effects on the health status of dementia patients. In two crossâsectional studies it was tested to what extent the day program of dementia patients at GCFs differed from those at RDCFs. It appeared that at GCFs, dementia patients were (physically) more active, participated in more diverse activities, were more outdoors, and had more opportunities to perform activities in smaller groups than those at RDCFs. It was tested whether these differences resulted into different effects for five domains of health: dietary intake, cognition, emotional wellâbeing, behaviour, and functional performance. In a comparative crossâsectional study dietary intake of dementia patients attending day care at GCFs or RDCFs was recorded both at home and during their time at the day care facility. The study showed that dementia patients attending day care at GCFs had significantly higher intakes of energy, carbohydrate, and fluid than their counterparts attending day care at RDCFs. In a cohort study, rates of change during 1 year in cognitive functioning, emotional wellâbeing, behavioural symptoms, and functional performance were compared between dementia patients attending day care at GCFs and RDCFs. Functioning in these domains remained rather stable and no differences were observed between subjects from GCFs and RDCFs. In the cohort study, also caregiver burden of family caregivers of these dementia patients was assessed. Caregiversâ quality of life, emotional distress, and feelings of competence remained rather stable in family caregivers of dementia patients from both day care settings. In conclusion, the present work has shown that GCFs exceeded RDCFs in offering older dementia patients a diverse day program and in stimulating their dietary intake. The latter may result into a better preserved nutritional status in dementia patients attending day care at GCFs than in those attending day care at RDCFs. GCFs and RDCFs were equally effective in preventing significant decrease of cognitive functioning, emotional wellâbeing, and functional performance and in preventing significant increase of the number of behavioural symptoms. Both day care types further prevented significant increase of caregiver burden. Day care at GCFs is a new and valuable addition to the present care modalities for communityâdwelling older dementia patients and their caregiver
Can User Experience affect buying intention? A case study on the evaluation of exercise equipment.
Treadmills are increasingly loaded with digital technology for assisting the
individual during the workout sessions by providing information for tracking
relevant training parameters. Also, this technology makes exercise more pleasurable
by keeping the user connected to her/his digital ecosystem (e.g. social networking,
access to multimedia content). Although there is an increasing interest in digital
technologies to be used in fitness, a cursory literature search shows that the interest
towards gym equipment is currently limited to the hardware component, thus
making biomechanics the focus of the investigation. Other types of contributions are
very rare and mostly focused on the design of tools for special populations (e.g.
elderly, disabilities) as well as for promoting physical activity monitoring (eHealth).
In the present study information on the perceived usability of the interface was
collected and analysed along with opinions about buying intention and estimated
pricing. Twenty-three individuals were tested after using a treadmill (Technogym
S.p.A.) equipped with an interface allowing equipment and training management,
activity monitoring and user entertainment. Results indicated a significant influence
of perceived usability of the interface on the intention of buying the whole system,
thus suggesting the existence of a ROI of Human-Centred Design strategies
Extending working life in Belgium. CEPS Working Document No. 386, 22 November 2013
This report aims at understanding how persons aged 50 years and older are and can be integrated into the working society in Belgium. We are interested in how people in this age group can be induced to engage in various forms of employment and lifelong learning. Based on secondary literature, descriptive databases as well as interviews with experts and focus groups, we find that the discussion on active ageing in Belgium is well advanced with numerous contributions by academics, stakeholders, social partners, the public administration and interest groups. The wish to retire at 60 is widely shared, but at the same time the majority of Belgiumâs elderly are able and would be willing to work under specific conditions. Therefore, we recommend that Belgium should invest in more flexible systems including a revision of the tax scheme, such as the part-time retirement system proposed by the insurance company Delta Lloyd. An equally relevant recommendation would be to ensure that public employment agencies, employers and agencies that provide training encourage all workers to work and learn regardless of their age
Quality of life and building design in residential and nursing homes for older people
Older people living in residential and nursing care homes spend a large proportion of their time within the boundaries of the home, and may depend on the environment to compensate for their physical or cognitive frailties. Regulations and guidelines on the design of care buildings have accumulated over time with little knowledge of their impact on the quality of life of building users. The Design in Caring Environments Study (DICE) collected cross-sectional data on building design and quality of life in 38 care homes in and near Sheffield, Yorkshire. Quality of life was assessed using methods which included all residents regardless of their frailty, and staff morale was also assessed. The physical environment was measured on 11 user-related domains using a new tool, the Sheffield Care Environment Assessment Matrix (SCEAM). Significant positive associations were found between several aspects of the built environment and the residents' quality of life. There was evidence that a focus on safety and health requirements could be creating risk-averse environments which act against quality of life, particularly for the least frail residents. Staff morale was associated with attributes of a non-institutional environment for residents rather than with the facilities provided for the staff. The new tool for assessing building design has potential applications in further research and for care providers
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