8,413 research outputs found

    Population Health Matters, Spring 2013, Vol. 26, No. 2. Download Full PDF

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    Collaborating to Create Elder Friendly Communities in New Hampshire: A Scan of the Current Landscape

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    The fact that the population of the United States is aging is no surprise; the demographic projections are well documented. There have never been as many older adults living as there are today, and this number will only increase. Northern New England is aging more rapidly than the rest of the country, with Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire having the oldest populations in term of median age (U.S. Census, 2014). New Hampshire is expected to be the fastest aging state in New England through 2030, with nearly one-third of its population being over the age of 65 (Norton, 2011). This phenomenon is anticipated to place substantial pressure on publicly-funded health programs and long-term services and supports in the Granite State. But the story of the aging of the population is not only about increased numbers. As longevity increases, the average age of the older population will see a dramatic increase. The number of persons over the age of 85 in the United States is expected to increase five-fold by 2040. As the possibility for functional limitations and disability increases with age, the need for long-term, formal, and informal supports is expected to increase as the number of older adults, particularly those over the age of 85 increases. In addition, women continue to live longer than men; on average, life expectancy for women is three years longer than for men. These factors create a complex picture of aging, which includes a growing population of older adults, a majority of whom will be women; and a growing number of those over the age of 85, who are more likely to require some type of assistance as they age. It is a mistake to look at our aging population in a singular way. Although we tend to make generalizations about older adults, as a group, they are more physiologically and socially diverse than any other age group (Brummel-Smith & Mosqueda, 2003). As we age, we become more and more diverse, as there are no two people who have had the same life experiences, shaping who we are over our lifetimes. The baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) are likely to be the most diverse cohort of older adults we have seen to date, and it is likely that they will redefine our conception of age and aging. Older adults bring a diverse set of skills, talents, and knowledge that should be tapped as a significant natural resource to support a new and exciting vision of aging

    Providing Personalized Interest-Based Activities to Prevent Delirium: A Multicomponent Quality Improvement Initiative in an Acute Care Setting

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    Background: Hospital-induced delirium is a prevalent condition across inpatient settings, frequently impacting older adults’ recovery. A 10-week multi-component quality improvement (QI) project was designed for an existing delirium prevention program in four acute care units, aiming to support patient and caregiver engagement in delirium prevention activities. Method: The participants were hospitalized adults who were 70 years of age and older and met specific inclusion criteria. The project provided personalized interest-based activities, orientation stimulation, and caregiver education. An abbreviated version of the Modified Interest Checklist was used to identify the participants’ activity choices. Activity daily logs, satisfaction survey, and delirium and fall incidence were collected to measure project participation and outcomes. Results: Thirty-two older adults participated in the QI project (mean age = 79.63 years). The most frequently selected interest-based activities were cognitive stimulation activities, such as word searches, and reading activities related to instrumental activities of daily living. Among 25 satisfaction surveys completed, 24 (96%) participants reported feeling “very supported” by the project. Only two QI participants developed delirium, and none of them had a fall during the hospital stay. Conclusion: This QI project showed high participant use and satisfaction with promising low rates of delirium incidence and falls indicating further investigation

    TV-Based Caring Videophone System for the Elderly in the Smart Home Environment

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    Intervention Best Practices

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    The Intervention Best Practices resource summarizes some of the best practices being used in programs and initiatives designed to address social isolation and/or loneliness. The various case studies included display innovative thinking and ideas from around the world. This resource can be used to inform program planning and implementation. This resource is included in the Social Isolation and Loneliness Toolkit, created by the Centre for Elder Research in Oakville ON, Canada. The Toolkit is part of a research project titled “Building Connected Communities: improving Community Supports to Reduce Loneliness and Social Isolation in Immigrants 65+”. The research focused on exploring strategies to effectively reach out to, and support, older immigrants who may be experiencing, or are at risk of experiencing, social isolation and/or loneliness.https://source.sheridancollege.ca/centres_elder_building_connected_communities_resources_intervention/1000/thumbnail.jp

    ERMHAN: A Context-Aware Service Platform to Support Continuous Care Networks for Home-Based Assistance

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    Continuous care models for chronic diseases pose several technology-oriented challenges for home-based continuous care, where assistance services rely on a close collaboration among different stakeholders such as health operators, patient relatives, and social community members. Here we describe Emilia Romagna Mobile Health Assistance Network (ERMHAN) a multichannel context-aware service platform designed to support care networks in cooperating and sharing information with the goal of improving patient quality of life. In order to meet extensibility and flexibility requirements, this platform has been developed through ontology-based context-aware computing and a service oriented approach. We also provide some preliminary results of performance analysis and user survey activity
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