My historically disadvantaged background: Curation for Inspiration

https://stars.library.ucf.edu/curatingacrosscurriculum-workshops/1001/thumbnail.jp

Effects of Simple Balance Training on Balance Performance and Fear of Falling in Rural Older Adults

SummaryBackgroundPoor balance is a major risk factor for falls and fear of falling, and exercise which specifically challenges balance is the most effective intervention for preventing falls. This cohort study described the effects of participation in a 3-month simple home-based balancing training program on measures of balance performances and fear of falling in Thai older adults.MethodsThe participants included 104 older adults who were living in a rural area of Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, Thailand. The exercise group participated in a 3-month simple home-based balancing training program by trained nurses. Balance was measured by a functional reach test and timed up-and-go test. Fear of falling was measured by Thai Falls Efficacy Scale-International (Thai FES-I).ResultsAfter 12 weeks of balance training, the participants in the exercise group showed a significant difference when compared to baselines for both the functional reach test and timed up-and-go test. The results also showed that the exercise group performed significantly better than the control group in the functional reach test and timed up-and-go test after 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. In addition, fear of falling was reduced in the exercise group after 3, 6, 9, and 12 months.ConclusionThe simple home-based balance training program led by trained nurses is feasible for rural older adults and was safe, effective, and acceptable to older adults and healthcare providers

Embedding Palliative Care Into Healthy Aging: A Narrative Case Study From Thailand

This article provides a conceptual framework for understanding the relationship between palliative care and healthy aging using a narrative case study from Thailand. The Thai context is used to clarify two concepts: Healthy aging and good death. This case study describes a Thai female older adult\u27s perspective and her drive to stay physically, cognitively, and socially active for as long as possible-strong indicators of healthy aging until the end of life. Family support is a vital part of helping older adults stay active and achieve a good death. The Thai healthy aging model explains a lifelong process of how to be a healthy ager in the Thai context. The model is closely related to a palliative care philosophy, which focuses on dying without unnecessary suffering and promotes closeness to family. This model supports the inclusion of palliative care in healthy aging strategies to maximize quality of life and well-being, particularly in older adults experiencing multimorbidity and health inequalities. Improved healthy aging is integrally related to the provision of high-quality palliative care. The earlier systems and providers can promote healthy aging across contexts, the more effectively interventions can be targeted to encourage and improve the experience of care at the end of life

Fear Of Falling And Related Factors In A Community-Based Study Of People 60 Years And Older In Thailand

Background This cross-sectional study was conducted to examine prevalence of fear of falling and their association with measures of health conditions, functional impairment and activities of daily living. Methods The data were collected from 386 Thai community-dwelling adults aged 60 or older during July–December 2010. Fear of falling was measured with a single-item instrument. Participants were asked about basic activities of daily living by using the modified Barthel ADL and they were assessed functional capacities including a balance test and visual acuity test. The data of chronic diseases and the number of medications were collected by reviewing the patients’ medical records. Results Half of the older adults reported a fear of falling sometime, and 36% expressed that they very often had a fear of falling. Fear of falling had highly significant relationships with perceived general health, visual impairment, mobility impairment, balance impairment, stroke, hypertension, antihypertensive drug, number of medications, history of falls, and activities of daily living. In the multivariate analysis, factors associated with fear of falling were balance impairment (OR 3.14; 95% CI 1.74–5.67, P \u3c 0.001), illiteracy (OR 2.18; 95% CI 1.08–4.41), female gender (OR 1.87; 95% CI 1.08–3.23), and poor general health perception (OR 1.77; 95% CI 1.11–2.84). Conclusion Identifying the risk factors of fear of falling can help health care providers developing a screening program and may be useful in developing multidimensional strategies which focus on improving balance performance, literacy, activities of daily living and health perception

Fear of Falling and Related Factors in a Community-based Study of People 60 Years and Older in Thailand

Background: This cross-sectional study was conducted to examine prevalence of fear of falling and their association with measures of health conditions, functional impairment and activities of daily living. Methods: The data were collected from 386 Thai community-dwelling adults aged 60 or older during July–December 2010. Fear of falling was measured with a single-item instrument. Participants were asked about basic activities of daily living by using the modified Barthel ADL and they were assessed functional capacities including a balance test and visual acuity test. The data of chronic diseases and the number of medications were collected by reviewing the patients' medical records. Results: Half of the older adults reported a fear of falling sometime, and 36% expressed that they very often had a fear of falling. Fear of falling had highly significant relationships with perceived general health, visual impairment, mobility impairment, balance impairment, stroke, hypertension, antihypertensive drug, number of medications, history of falls, and activities of daily living. In the multivariate analysis, factors associated with fear of falling were balance impairment (OR 3.14; 95% CI 1.74–5.67, P < 0.001), illiteracy (OR 2.18; 95% CI 1.08–4.41), female gender (OR 1.87; 95% CI 1.08–3.23), and poor general health perception (OR 1.77; 95% CI 1.11–2.84). Conclusion: Identifying the risk factors of fear of falling can help health care providers developing a screening program and may be useful in developing multidimensional strategies which focus on improving balance performance, literacy, activities of daily living and health perception

THE PREVALENCE AND CORRELATES OF FALLS AMONG RURAL OLDER ADULTS

<p>Falls are a serious problem among older adults, but there is little knowledge<br>about the prevalence and correlated factors among Thai rural older adults. This crosssectional study was conducted among 386 Thai rural older adults in a province of<br>southern Thailand. The researcher examined the prevalence of falls and association<br>with measures of health conditions, functional impairment, and activities of daily living.<br>Participants were interviewed about sociodemographic data, health conditions,<br>activities of daily living and history of falls. Following this interview, an examination of<br>visual acuity and balance were given. Regarding the falling frequency, 19.4% of the<br>older adults reported having suffered at least one fall during the previous year, and 27.8<br>% declared recurrent episodes. The fall group contained more visual impairment,<br>mobility impairment, and balance impairment than the non-fall group (p < 0.001).<br>Logistic regression analyses showed that participants who had visual, mobility and<br>balance impairment had more than two times the risk of falling as those without<br>impairment (p < 0.05). In addition, participants who had been using a sedative drug had<br>more than five times the risk of falling of those who were not using a sedative drug (p <<br>0.05). Abetter understanding of prevalence and correlates of falls can contribute to the<br>early identification and detection of the risk group among rural older adults.</p> <p> </p

Development, Reliability and Validity of the Thai Healthy Aging Survey

We describe the development of a healthy aging survey for older Thai adults. Domains of physical, psychological, social and spiritual health were identified as relevant based on focus groups of older Thai adults and a synthesis of Western and Thai literature on aging. A 4-phase approach was employed. First, for each domain, we selected measures that had been used in Thailand and/or in other countries, and adapted them for older Thai adults. Second, 2 forward translations from English to Thai and 1 back translation were conducted. Third, the survey was pretested by using a general debriefing pretest and cognitive interviewing. Last, the final scales were selected based on factor analysis and psychometric properties assessed in a sample of 350 older Thai community-dwelling adults. Factor analysis explained 61.8 - 74.5 % of the variance within each domain. The final survey consisted of 72 items with 16 scales. Most scales achieved good reliability; 13 scales had a Cronbach’s alpha greater than 0.70 (range 0.48 and 0.93). A 2-week test-retest reliability showed acceptable Pearson correlations. The first-generation survey demonstrates good psychometric properties and provides the basis for measuring healthy aging in the older Thai adult population. The survey may also be applicable to other cultures

The Electronic Health Record System and Hospital Length of Stay in Patients Admitted with Hip Fracture

Abstract: Information technology is rapidly changing the manner in which health care is provided to consumers. The purpose of this research study was to determine if Epic®, an electronic health record, impacted the hospital length of stay (LOS) for patients admitted with hip fracture. When comparing six months of data pre- and post- implementation of Epic, there was not a significant difference in the hospital LOS for patients admitted with hip fracture. Although there was not a decrease in the hospital LOS post-implementation of an EHR, there was also no increase in hospital LOS, which might be expected with a major system change that required process and workflow modifications