73 research outputs found
Assessing and managing concurrent hearing, vision and cognitive impairments in older people: an international perspective from healthcare professionals
Background:
there is a significant gap in the understanding, assessment and management of people with dementia and concurrent hearing and vision impairments.
/
Objective:
from the perspective of professionals in dementia, hearing and vision care, we aimed to: (1) explore the perceptions of gaps in assessment and service provision in ageing-related hearing, vision and cognitive impairment; (2) consider potential solutions regarding this overlap and (3) ascertain the attitudes, awareness and practice, with a view to implementing change.
/
Methods:
our two-part investigation with hearing, vision, and dementia care professionals involved: (1) an in-depth, interdisciplinary, international Expert Reference Group (ERG; n = 17) and (2) a wide-scale knowledge, attitudes and practice survey (n = 653). The ERG involved consensus discussions around prototypic clinical vignettes drawn from a memory centre, an audiology clinic, and an optometry clinic, analysed using an applied content approach.
/
Results:
the ERG revealed several gaps in assessment and service provision, including a lack of validated assessment tools for concurrent impairments, poor interdisciplinary communication and care pathways, and a lack of evidence-based interventions. Consensus centred on the need for flexible, individualised, patient-centred solutions, using an interdisciplinary approach. The survey data validated these findings, highlighting the need for clear guidelines for assessing and managing concurrent impairments.
/
Conclusions:
this is the first international study exploring professionalsâ views of the assessment and care of individuals with age-related hearing, vision and hearing impairment. The findings will inform the adaptation of assessments, the development of supportive interventions, and the new provision of services
Int J Geriatr Psychiatry
Objectives Hearing, vision, and cognitive impairment commonly coâoccur in older adults. Improving sensory function may positively impact outcomes in people with dementia (PwD). We developed a âsensory interventionâ (SI) to support hearing and vision in PwD. Here, we report the findings of an international openâlabel field trial, and nested case series, to explore the impact of the SI on dementiaârelated outcomes. Methods This was a homeâbased trial conducted in France, England, and Cyprus. Participants were people with mildâtoâmoderate dementia and hearing and/or vision impairment (n = 19) and their study partners (unpaid carers; n = 19). The âbasicâ SI included a hearing and vision assessment and provision of glasses and/or hearing aids. A subsample received the âextendedâ SI with additional weekly visits from a sensory support therapist (SST). Exploratory analyses of dementiaârelated, health utility and resource utilisation outcomes were performed. Results Quality of life (QoL) and sensory functional ability improved. Change in QoL exceeded the threshold for a minimum clinically important difference. There was a modest improvement (in absolute terms) post intervention in behavioural disturbance, selfâefficacy, and relationship satisfaction. Study partner time assisting instrumental activities of daily living (iADL) and supervision decreased by about 22 and 38 hours per month, respectively, although time for personal ADL support increased. Qualitative data supported effectiveness of the intervention: PwD were more socially engaged, less isolated, less dependent on study partners, and had improved functional ability and communication. Conclusions These findings support the need for a definitive randomised controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention
In situ label-free imaging of hemicellulose in plant cell walls using stimulated Raman scattering microscopy
NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGIC STUDIES OF MARIJUANA: SOME SYNTHETIC AND NATURAL THC DERIVATIVES IN ANIMALS AND MAN *
Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/74859/1/j.1749-6632.1971.tb13996.x.pd
A Functional Group Approach for Prediction of APPI Response of Organic Synthetic Targets
Gesundheitsversorgung und Gesundheitsinformationen aus Sicht von geflĂŒchteten Frauen und von Expertinnen und Experten
Die BerĂŒcksichtigung von vulnerablen Gruppen in der Hospiz- & Palliativversorgung - eine qualitative Analyse
Climate of migration? How climate triggered migration from southwest Germany to North America during the 19th century
This paper contributes to the ongoing debate on the
extent to which climate and climatic change can have a negative impact on
societies by triggering migration, or even contribute to conflict. It
summarizes results from the transdisciplinary project Climate of
migration (funded 2010â2014), whose innovative title was created by
Franz Mauelshagen and Uwe LĂŒbken. The overall goal of this project
was to analyze the relation between climatic and socioeconomic parameters
and major migration waves from southwest Germany to North America during the
19th century. The article assesses the extent to which climatic
conditions triggered these migration waves. The century investigated was in
general characterized by the Little Ice Age with three distinct cooling
periods, causing major glacier advances in the alpine regions and numerous
climatic extremes such as major floods, droughts and severe winter. Societal
changes were tremendous, marked by the warfare during the Napoleonic era
(until 1815), the abolition of serfdom (1817), the bourgeois revolution (1847/48), economic freedom (1862), the beginning of industrialization
accompanied by large-scale ruralâurban migration resulting in urban poverty,
and finally by the foundation of the German Empire in 1871.The presented study is based on quantitative data and a qualitative,
information-based discourse analysis. It considers climatic conditions as
well as socioeconomic and political issues, leading to the hypothesis of a
chain of effects ranging from unfavorable climatic conditions to a decrease
in crop yields to rising cereal prices and finally to emigration. These
circumstances were investigated extensively for the peak emigration years
identified with each migration wave. Furthermore, the long-term relations
between emigration and the prevailing climatic conditions, crop yields and
cereal prices were statistically evaluated with a sequence of linear models which
were significant with explanatory power between 22 and 38âŻ%
Selbstberichtetes Sehvermögen in der (gerontologischen) Versorgungsforschung und -praxis â ein PlĂ€doyer zur Ăffnung
The use of self-reported vision is an integral part of most population surveys and is primarily used for healthcare monitoring. Since the patient's assessment is not always consistent with the objectively measured clinical parameters, the majority of the literature looks critically at the adequacy of self-reported vision, particularly with respect to answering epidemiological questions; however, it is often misunderstood that self-reported vision measures far more than the directly derived information show. This article shows the complexity of self-reported vision and discusses the importance of health services research and practice, with a special focus on the topic of vision in old age. From the explanations it becomes clear that the self-estimation of vision by a person is determined by various factors apart from the pure organ function and that the need for action and diagnostic conclusions can only be derived from self-reports. This is essential if vision is to be understood as a multifactorial condition and empirically practiced using different survey instruments. The article shows that self-reported vision is a good indicator of the quality of care in its entirety
Reconstruction of flood events based on documentary data and transnational flood risk analysis of the Upper Rhine and its French and German tributaries since AD 1480
This paper presents the long-term analysis of
flood occurrence along the southern part of the Upper Rhine River system and
of 14 of its tributaries in France and Germany covering the period starting from
1480 BC. Special focus is given on the temporal and spatial variations of
flood events and their underlying meteorological causes over time. Examples
are presented of how long-term information about flood events and knowledge
about the historical aspect of flood protection in a given area can help to
improve the understanding of risk analysis and therefor transnational risk
management. Within this context, special focus is given to flood
vulnerability while comparing selected historical and modern extreme events,
establishing a common evaluation scheme.
<br><br>
The transnational aspect becomes especially evident analyzing the
tributaries: on this scale, flood protection developed impressively different
on the French and German sides. We argue that comparing high
technological standards of flood protection, which were initiated by the
dukes of Baden on the German side starting in the early 19th century,
misled people to the common belief that the mechanical means of flood protection
like dams and barrages can guarantee the security from floods and their
impacts. This lead to widespread settlements and the establishment of
infrastructure as well as modern industries in potentially unsafe areas until
today. The legal status in Alsace on the French side of the Rhine did not
allow for continuous flood protection measurements, leading to a constant â
and probably at last annoying â reminder that the floodplains are a
potentially unsafe place to be. From a modern perspective of flood risk
management, this leads to a significant lower aggregation of value in the
floodplains of the small rivers in Alsace compared to those on the Baden side
â an interesting fact â especially if the modern European Flood directive
is taken into account
- âŠ