GLOBALIZATION, AGEING PROCESS AND ATTITUDES OF YOUNGER GENERATIONS TO AGEING

Due to the increase of aging population in all societies, it seems important to explore this issue from different aspects in order to improve the position of the elderly and recognise their contribution to the society. The aim of this study was to examine the experiences and views of the Generation Z on the discrimination and prejudices against the elderly. There were 6 participants in the focus group, 4 girls and 2 boys, all of whom belong to the Generation Z. The data was collected in the focus group who answered open-ended questions. Results of the qualitative research indicate: 1) that there is an unfavourable attitude towards the elderly in the society; 2) causes of discrimination against the elderly; 3) prejudice against the elderly. Encouraging the society to provide better education (especially for children and young people), direct contact with the elderly (organising exchange of experience and transfer of traditional and cultural values), as well as better presentation of ageing and old age in the media would contribute to the decrease of global ageing and improve attitude of the younger generation towards ageing. Family has the main influence on young people’s views and it is necessary to motivate parents to present ageing and old age in a favourable light. Furthermore, it is important to work with the elderly in terms of empowerment and developing a more positive self-image

Self-Assessment of Social and Family Loneliness in Elderly during COVID-19 Pandemic in Relation to Current Level and Type of Communication Intensity

Due to the spread of coronavirus people throughout the world, many countries, Croatia included, have been forced to impose social distancing resulting in an increased number of people at risk of another public health problem – loneliness. Loneliness can be defined as the presence of negative emotions associated with the perceived social exclusion and is identified as one of the major issues of the aging population. There is a relatively small number of studies either dealing with the use of various communication methods, particularly information and communication technologies, by the elderly during the COVID-19 pandemic or determining potential benefits of such activities. The aim of this research was to determine the difference in self-assessment of social and family loneliness according to the means of communication used by the elderly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research was conducted in March and April 2020 covering the period from the introduction of the epidemiological measures of social distancing and self-isolation until the relaxation of virus-related restrictions in Croatia. The research included 107 subjects over the age of 65 living in their own homes in the Croatian city of Bjelovar. A Frequency of the Used Communication Methods Questionnaire was constructed for the purpose of this research. The Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults was used to determine the level of loneliness. The obtained results indicate that lower levels of social and family loneliness were shown by subjects who stated in their self-assessment a higher intensity level of communication during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as making telephone/mobile phone calls, using information technology (computers for video calls, social networks, etc.) and mobile chat applications (Viber, Skype, WhatsApp, etc.), as well as having face-to-face communication. Subjects who rarely or never communicated by using any means of the abovementioned communication showed higher levels of social and family loneliness. Results of this research suggest that using various communication methods, particularly modern communication technologies, have a positive effect on reducing the level of loneliness in the elderly. Teamwork of gerontologists, communication technologists and other experts who work with older population could introduce them to communication technology thus making them more satisfied and improving their quality of life

Functionality and social support as aspects of quality of life in elderly stroke patients

Functionality in activities of daily living and social support are often used as indicators of quality of life, especially in research involving gerontological and geriatric populations that assesses the functional independence of the patient and their need to rely on help from others.The effects of a stroke can significantly reduce the quality of life of the elderly. Therefore, the aim of this paper was to examine the relationship between functionality and social support and the quality of life of elderly stroke patients. This study included 50 stroke patients over the age of 65 years. All the participants lived at home in Zagreb. The participants’ quality of life was measured using The World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire), which determines quality of life based on four domains (Physical, Psychological, Social relationships, and Environment). Functionality was measured using the Functional Independence Measure, while social support was measured using the Social Support Scale. The correlation between functionality and quality of life was statistically significant with respect to physical health (r = 0.77, p < 0.00), as well as psychological health (r = 0.53, p < 0.00). The correlation between social support and quality of life was also significant with respect to social support from friends in the Social relationships domain (r = 0.40, p < 0.00) and in the Environment domain (r = 0.45, p < 0.00), as well as in the overall social support in Social relationships (r = 0.29, p < 0.04) and Environment domains (r = 0.35, p < 0.01). A higher level of functionality indicates a higher quality of life in the Physical and Psychological domains, as well as in the overall quality of life of elderly stroke patients. Strong social support from friends can encourage and help elderly stroke patients to integrate into their social environment more successfully, thus potentially increasing their quality of life. The results of this study imply that functionality and social support can be important factors in the quality of life in elderly stroke patients

Učinak fizioterapije na rizik od pada kod osoba sa cerebelarnom ataksijom- prikaz slučaja

Uvod: Cerebelarne ataksije razvijaju se kao rezultat lezije malog mozga, i/ili aferentnih i eferentnih puteva malog mozga. Ataksičan hod i poremećaj ravnoteže utječu na povećan rizik od pada, smanjuju pokretljivost, izazivaju strah od ponovnog pada, ograničavaju aktivnosti i socijalne participacije te posljedično smanjuju kvalitetu života i neovisnost. Cilj: Utvrditi postoji li utjecaj fizioterapijskog tretmana na rizik od pada kod osoba s cerebelarnom ataksijom. Materijali i metode: U radu je prikazan slučaj ispitanice s cereberalnom ataksijom. Fizioterapija se provodila u periodu od jedne godine, u ciklusima od 20 terapija, 3 puta tjedno. Terapija se provodila 60 – 90 minuta po tretmanu. Učinak fizioterapije na rizik od pada provjeravao se s Berg Balance Scale, Dynamic Gait Scale i International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale. Fizioterapijska procjena se provodila na početku i na kraju svakog ciklusa terapije, sveukupno 10 puta. Rezultati: Berg Balance Scale pokazala je statistički značajnu razliku u mjerenju (p = 0,001) i time je ispitanica ušla u kategoriju niskog rizika od pada te postigla 48 % bolji rezultat u zadnjem mjerenje u odnosu na 1. mjerenje. Dynamic Gait Test pokazuje statistički značajni rezultat (p = 0,001) i 17 % bolji rezultat u zadnjem mjerenju u odnosu na 1. mjerenje, iako pacijentica od 1. do 10. mjerenja pripada u kategoriju rizika od pada. International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale pokazuje najmanje pomake u rezultatima, ali ipak statistički značajne (p = 0,016). U zadnjem mjerenju rezultat je manji 4 % u odnosu na 1. mjerenje, a manji broj bodova predstavlja bolji rezultat. Zaključak: Fizioterapija koja je problemski orijentirana i usmjerena prema odgovarajućim funkcionalnim ciljevima pokazuje povoljan učinak na rizik od pada kod osoba s cerebelarnom ataksijom, čime se može povećati razina funkcionalnosti i kvaliteta života oboljelih

OTAGO PROGRAM I SPREČAVANJE PADOVA KOD OSOBA STARIJE ŽIVOTNE DOBI

UVOD: Starenje je stalan proces u kojem postupno slabe funkcije čovjeka. To se događa na svim tjelesnim sustavima tako i na koordinaciji i mišićnoj snazi. Između ostalih tegoba koje prate proces starenja su i padovi. Sa svakim padom se povećava mogućnost ozbiljnije lezije posebno lokomotornog sustava. Tjelovježba je jedan od načina očuvanja mišićne snage i koordinacije te višeg stupnja sigurnosti izvođenja svakodnevnih aktivnosti, a time i sprečavanje padova METODE: U istraživanju je sudjelovalo 20 osoba starije životne dobi, koji su u prošlosti imali iskustvo pada ali kod toga nisu doživjeli ozbiljnije ozljede i u vrijeme testiranja nisu imali poremećaje lokomocije. U trajanju od dva mjeseca su svi sudjelujući izvodili vježbe iz Otago programa, koji se sastojao od 30 minutne tjelovježbe tri puta tjedno. Namjera je bila provjeriti učinkovitost Otago programa za sprečavanje padova kod osoba starije životne dobi. Za testiranje smo upotrebljavali sit-to stand test (pet puta ustajanje i sjedanje na stolac), test 30-sekundnog ustajanja i sjedanja i četverostruki test ravnoteže po Gardner, Buchner, Robertson i Campbell. Testovi su bili izvedeni na početku i na kraju dvomjesečne tjelovježbe. REZULTATI: Potvrđeno je, da Otago program unapređuje mišićnu snagu i ravnotežu. Rezultati su pokazali, da je sa testom 30-sekundnog ustajanja i sjedanja utvrđeno značajno povećanje broja ustajanja i sjedanja, u prosjeku za 24,14% ( prosjek -2,1, CI 95% od -2,9 do -1,29, p<0,05). Semi-tandem test je pokazao poboljšanje ravnoteže u prosjeku za 32,46% (prosječna vrijednost -3,245, CI 95% od -3,71 do -2,77, p<0,05). Za usporedbu je bio izveden i tandem test, koji je također pokazao poboljšanje ravnoteže u prosjeku za 32,7% (prosjek -3,27, CI 95% od -3,86 do -2.67, p<0,05). Rezultati sit-to stand testa su pokazali poboljšanje mišićne snage u prosjeku za 16,1%. A rezultati testa stajanja na jednoj nozi su pokazatelji za 18,57% bolje ravnoteže kod testiranih osoba. ZAKLJUČAK: Sudeći po rezultatima testova izvedenih prije i poslije dvomjesečnog redovnog vježbanja ustanovljeno je, da je Otago program učinkovit način za poboljšanje ravnoteže i mišićne snage kod osoba starije životne dobi. Rezultati svih izvedenih testova su pokazali značajno poboljšanje prije navedenih sposobnosti, koje značajno utječu na pojavnost pada kod osoba starije životne dobi. Zbog toga je moguće potvrditi, da je Otago program primjeren za tjelovježbu čijoj je cilj između ostalog i sprečavanje padova

Quality of life of patients in the sub-acute and chronic phases of recovery after a stroke

Moždani udar glavni je uzrok trajne tjelesne onesposobljenosti u svijetu i u Hrvatskoj. Iako najčešće pogađa stariju populaciju, pogađa i velik broj radno sposobnih osoba te se moždani udar smatra ne samo zdravstvenim već i velikim socioekonomskim problemom. Najčešće su posljedice moždanog udara gubitak motoričkih sposobnosti, poteškoće s hodanjem i finom motorikom, a mogu biti prisutni i simptomi umora, problemi s vidom te promjene osobnosti koje utječu na kvalitetu života oboljelih. Oporavak do tri mjeseca nakon moždanog udara smatra se akutnom/subakutnom fazom oporavka, dok se oporavak nakon šest mjeseci smatra kroničnom fazom oporavka nakon moždanog udara. Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je ispitati kvalitetu života osoba nakon moždanog udara u subakutnoj i kroničnoj fazi oporavka nakon moždanog udara. Za ispitivanje kvalitete života osoba nakon moždanog udara korišten je upitnik Stroke Specific Quality Of Life Scale (SSQOL). U istraživanju je sudjelovalo 60 ispitanika podijeljenih u dvije skupine: 30 ispitanika u subakutnoj fazi oporavka (SF) i 30 ispitanika u kroničnoj fazi oporavka nakon moždanog udara (KF). Rezultati istraživanja pokazali su da su najizraženiji negativni aspekti kvalitete života u području brige o sebi, funkcionalne produktivnosti, društvenog života i osobnosti kod svih ispitanika. Statistički je dokazano da ispitanici u kroničnoj fazi oporavka od moždanog udara pokazuju bolju kvalitetu života od ispitanika u subakutnoj fazi oporavka. Statistički se značajnom pokazala povezanost dobi ispitanika i kvalitete života, no ne i kategorija spola kao ni povezanost broja moždanih udara i kvalitete života. Zaključak je istraživanja da je kvaliteta života osoba koje su preživjele moždani udar narušena najviše smanjenjem brige o sebi, funkcionalnom ovisnosti, društvenom neaktivnosti te problemima osobnosti. Rana rehabilitacija koju provodi multidisciplinaran tim primjenjujući individualan, holistički i funkcionalan pristup mogla bi omogućiti bolju skrb i kvalitetu života nakon moždanog udara.Stroke is the leading cause of permanent physical disability both in the world and in Croatia. Although the most affected population is the elderly, stroke also affects a large number of working people, making stroke not only a health problem, but also a major social and economic problem. The most common consequences of a stroke are a loss of motor skills, walking ability, and fine motor skills, although fatigue, vision problems, and personality changes can also be present, influencing the patient’s quality of life. Recovery up to 3 months after a stroke is considered the acute/sub-acute phase of recovery, while recovery after 6 months is considered the chronic phase of recovery. The aim of this study was to examine the quality of life of stroke survivors in the sub-acute and chronic phases of recovery. The Stroke-Specific Quality of Life Scale (SS-QOL) questionnaire was used to examine the quality of life in patients after stroke. The study included 60 subjects divided into two experimental groups: 30 subjects in the sub-acute phase of recovery and 30 subjects in the chronic phase of recovery after a stroke. Among all subjects, the most negative aspects of quality of life were found in the area of self-care, functional productivity, social life and personality. Subjects in the chronic phase of recovery after stroke showed significantly better quality of life than subjects in the sub-acute phase of recovery. Quality of life correlated significantly with the age of subjects, but not with their gender or number of strokes. These results suggest that the quality of life of stroke survivors diminishes mostly due to decreased self-care, functional dependence, social isolation, and personality problems. Early rehabilitation under the supervision of a multidisciplinary team, together with an individual, holistic and functional approach could provide better care and quality of life for patients after a stroke