Efectos del programa educativo GERO-HEALTH sobre el nivel de interiorización de conocimientos de prevención y promoción de la salud en personas mayores

The aim of this paper was to assess the theoretical-practical dimension of the knowledge acquired by 65-year-olds and over according to sex and educational level during a health education program. A cross-sectional quasi-experimental design study was conducted with a sample of 73 senior citizens who completed a questionnaire at the beginning and at the end of the program. The questionnaire measured the level of assimilation of acquired knowledge. The results showed that participants´ knowledge of health issues significantly increased upon completion of the program, particularly in women and in participants with the lowest educational level. The program proved to be effective in promoting active aging, and combined relevant aging-related psychosocial issues such as intergenerational relationships and empowerment processes.El objetivo de este artículo fue evaluar la dimensión teórico-práctica de los conocimientos adquiridos por personas mayores de 65 años, en función del sexo y el nivel educativo, durante un programa de educación para la salud. Se realizó un estudio de tipo cuasi-experimental, transversal, sobre una muestra de 73 mayores, que fueron evaluados al comienzo y al final del programa mediante un cuestionario que determinaba el nivel de interiorización del conocimiento adquirido. Los resultados mostraron que, tras la realización del programa, los sujetos incrementaron significativamente sus conocimientos sobre salud, siendo este efecto mayor en las mujeres, y en los sujetos con menor nivel educativo. El programa se revela, por tanto, como eficaz en la promoción del envejecimiento activo, además de compaginar otros elementos psico-sociales relevantes en la vejez como las relaciones intergeneracionales y los procesos de empoderamiento

RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE INTERNATIONAL CONCERNING THE CARE OF PATIENTS WITH DEMENTIAAND THE SITUATION IN POLAND

According to data of WHO research, there are an estimated 36,5 million people with dementia worldwide. They need long-term care. The nature of this care depends on economic situation of the country - the higher developed it is, the bigger participation of institutions specialized in long-term care and smaller participation of home care. In high income countries around one-third to one-half of people with dementia are cared for in care homes. Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI) predicts that by 2030 number of patients with dementia will double and triple by 2050. This prognosis requires advanced planning, monitoring and coordination actions to improve system of long-term care. To achieve this goal, ADI recommends: promoting broad public awareness of dementia and combating stigma, identifying dementia capable support services at all stages of the disease, assessing and improving the quality of health care, social care and long-term care support and services, assessing availability and access to diagnostic services, promotion of brain health. Caregivers should be valued by society for they demanding and difficult work. Also patients should keep their autonomy and choice. 92% of suffering from dementia patents in Poland are cared at home since beginning of disease until their death. Other 8% stays at different types of home cares. There are also short-term care, daily care and ambulatory care available. The reasons of small participation of those institutions are: maladjusted to growing number of patients with dementia system of care, complicated administrative procedures, lack of money to cover up costs of care and lack of knowledge about dementia in society

Timed Up and Go Test Performance as an Indicator of Fall History in Institutionalized Elderly: A Pilot Study

Background: Ageing is associated with sensory and physical declines and falling risk. Objective: To determine the association between 3 performance-based mobility tests and fall history. Methods: Fifty participants' mobility was assessed by Timed Up and Go (TUG) and 4- and 6-m walking tests (WT). Results: The TUG performance correlated with 4- and 6-m WT performance, and performance on 4-m WT positively correlated with 6-m WT. Only TUG performance showed a strong relationship to fall history. Conclusions: Performance tests could indicate the presence of fall history in the institutionalized older adults; the TUG being the most suitable compared with other common WT

Effects of the GERO-HEALTH education program on the assimilation of information on prevention and health promotion by senior citizens

El objetivo de este artículo fue evaluar la dimensión teórico-práctica de los conocimientos adquiridos por personas mayores de 65 años, en función del sexo y el nivel educativo, durante un programa de educación para la salud. Se realizó un estudio de tipo cuasi-experimental, transversal, sobre una muestra de 73 mayores, que fueron evaluados al comienzo y al final del programa mediante un cuestionario que determinaba el nivel de interiorización del conocimiento adquirido. Los resultados mostraron que, tras la realización del programa, los sujetos incrementaron significativamente sus conocimientos sobre salud, siendo este efecto mayor en las mujeres, y en los sujetos con menor nivel educativo. El programa se revela, por tanto, como eficaz en la promoción del envejecimiento activo, además de compaginar otros elementos psico-sociales relevantes en la vejez como las relaciones intergeneracionales y los procesos de empoderamiento.The aim of this paper was to assess the theoretical-practical dimension of the knowledge acquired by 65-year-olds and over according to sex and educational level during a health education program. A cross-sectional quasi-experimental design study was conducted with a sample of 73 senior citizens who completed a questionnaire at the beginning and at the end of the program. The questionnaire measured the level of assimilation of acquired knowledge. The results showed that participants´ knowledge of health issues significantly increased upon completion of the program, particularly in women and in participants with the lowest educational level. The program proved to be effective in promoting active aging, and combined relevant aging-related psychosocial issues such as intergenerational relationships and empowerment processes

Evaluation with the modified OARS questionnaire on the benefits obtained from the interaction of domestic animals with the elderly group

[Resumen] El envejecimiento poblacional hace que cada vez surjan nuevas alternativas coducentes a mejorar la calidad de vida de las personas mayores. En nuestro trabajo, exponemos los resultados obtenidos sobre una muestra de 19 ancianos que han sido evaluados tras convivir con un animal de compañía durante 4 meses, y entre los que destacan los obtenidos sobre el área de la salud mental, mejorando la autoestima y la sensación de compañía percibida entre otros factores. La terapia con animales de compañía es una gran alternativa, que a bajo coste, puede generar grandes efectos en los mayores.[Abstract] Population ageing makes that new alternatives to improve elderly people's quality of life arise increasingly. In our study, we show the results obtained from a sample of 19 elderly people who have been evaluated after having coexisted with a pet for 4 months. Among these results, we can emphasize the ones realted to the area of mental health, observing that this fact improves self-esteem and the sensation of company, among others. Therapy with pets is an alternative that, with a low cost, can generate great effects on elderly people

Low-Volume Cycling Training Improves Body Composition and Functionality in Older People With Multimorbidity: A Randomized Controlled Trial

[Abstract] Physical exercise, when practiced regularly and in adequate doses, is a proven nonpharmacological measure that helps to prevent and reverse noncommunicable diseases, as well as reduce mortality rates from any cause. In general, older adults perform insufficient physical activity and do not meet the doses recommended by the World Health Organization for the improvement of health through physical activity. However, there is little evidence on adequate doses of exercise in older people, especially in those with multimorbidity. Our main aim was to evaluate the effect of a 6-week intervention on health-related outcomes (body composition, hemodynamic and functionality changes) in 24 individuals aged 65 and older with multimorbidity in a randomized controlled trial. The intervention consisted of a very low volume (60 min per week) of low-to-moderate intensity exercise training (perception of effort from 3 to 6 on an 11-point scale). After the intervention, blood pressure was significantly (p = 0.038) reduced in the exercise group (EG), with a higher reduction in men. Furthermore, the EG decreased their waist circumference (p = 0.005), a proxy of abdominal adiposity, and demonstrated an increased likelihood (73%) that a randomly selected change in muscle mass score from the EG would be greater than a randomly selected change score from the control group. The exercise intervention was particularly effective in enhancing the functionality of older adults with multimorbidity, especially in walking speed and balance skills. Perceptually regulated intensity during exercise training seemed to be a very interesting strategy to train individuals with low physical fitness and comorbiditiesThis work was supported by the Xunta de Galicia [ED431C 2017/49, ED431F 2017/09, FrailNet network IN607C 2016/08, and REGIDEM network IN607C 2017/02]. Laura Lorenzo-López was supported by the “Ramon y Cajal” Postdoctoral Senior Grant (RYC-2015-18394) from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, co-financed by the European Social Fund. Sponsors were not involved in the study design, collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, in the writing of the report, or in the decision to submit the article for publicationXunta de Galicia; ED431C 2017/49Xunta de Galicia; ED431F 2017/09Xunta de Galicia; IN607C 2016/08Xunta de Galicia; IN607C 2017/0

Enfermedad tromboembólica venosa en personas mayores: revisión de la literatura

La trombosis venosa profunda y el tromboembolismo pulmonar son dos presentaciones de la misma enfermedad, la enfermedad tromboembólica venosa. Su alta incidencia entre la población anciana junto con numerosos factores de riesgo asociados y la dificultad del diagnóstico hacen de esta un importante problema de salud con afectación directa sobre el profesional enfermero. Método: revisión de la literatura científica, incluyendo artículos publicados entre 1993 y 2013. Conclusiones: la incidencia de las enfermedades tromboembólicas se ve incrementada con la edad. Esta es aún mayor en personas que presentan factores de riesgo tales como, inmovilidad, cáncer y cirugía. Un diagnóstico y tratamiento precoz ayuda a disminuir las complicaciones y casos de mortalidad

Frailty in Older Adults Is Associated With Plasma Concentrations of Inflammatory Mediators but Not With Lymphocyte Subpopulations

Frailty denotes a multidimensional syndrome that gives rise to vulnerability to stressors and leads to an increase of the age-related decline of different physiological systems and cognitive abilities. Aging-related alterations of the immune system may compromise its competence culminating in a chronic low-grade inflammation state. Thus, it has been proposed that frailty is associated with alterations in the concentration of pro-inflammatory molecules and in different lymphocyte subpopulations. To provide further support to the validity of that hypothesis, we conducted a cross-sectional study in a population of Spanish older adults (N = 259, aged 65 and over) classified according to their frailty status. Biomarkers analyzed included percentages of several lymphocyte subsets and several inflammation mediators, namely concentrations of interleukin 6 (IL6), C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), and 75 kDa soluble TNFα receptor II (sTNF-RII). Reference ranges for the inflammation mediators were established for the first time in robust older adults. A significant increase in the CD4+/CD8+ ratio and a significant decrease in the % CD19+ cells were observed in the frail group. Progressive increases with frailty severity were obtained in all inflammatory mediator concentrations, especially notable for IL6 and sTNF-RII. Area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve obtained for sTNF-RII (0.90, 95% CI 0.85–0.94, P < 0.001) indicates a high accuracy in the predictive value of this biomarker for frailty. Although results from the current study revealed limited strength associations between frailty and the lymphocyte subsets assessed, data obtained for the inflammatory mediators provide further support to involvement of inflammaging in frailty status in older adults