Meaningful Self-Reporting Of Quality Of Life In People Living With Dementia

The aim of this research study is to investigate the hypothesis that people living with dementia can comment meaningfully on their quality of life. A careful literature review revealed that “while it is generally agreed that any appraisal of quality of life should as far as possible rely on the individual’s own perspective, having people with dementia evaluate their own quality of life remains a much-debated issue” although the findings of many recent studies support the theory that people with dementia can evaluate their own quality of life (Cahill et al., 2004, p. 313). A 32-question questionnaire adapted from the Dementia Quality of Life scale (Brod, Stewart, Sands, & Walton, 1999) was administered to nine elder participants with dementia. A family caregiver and a professional caregiver also completed the Quality of Life Scale to reflect how they thought the elder with dementia experienced quality of life. Analysis indicated high inter-item consistency across all items and respondents on the Quality of Life Scale (α = 0.957). Correlations between respondents (participants and informal and formal caregivers) on most subscales were high (τ = .040 to .717) (although correlations often did not reach statistical significance with N = 9), further affirming that the ratings of Quality of Life by participants with dementia were as valid as the ratings of those who knew them and their lives best. The findings provide evidence that comments about quality of life made by people living with dementia can be regarded as meaningful, indicating that this population deserves greater respect regarding their ability to be included in decisions regarding their well-being and quality of life

Ready to Write: Exploring the Student Perspective on the Transition to College

Written communication is a cornerstone of college and career success, yet many students arrive at college underprepared for the writing demands of the academic discourse community. The potential reasons for the perceived gap in writing ability point to the ongoing challenges of education in the United States. As the population pursuing college degrees becomes more diverse, expectations differ between high school and college, equity in education issues persist and standardization focuses on academic skills, overlooking the potential role that nonacademic or soft skills play in student success. When decisions are made to address these concerns, the student perspective is frequently left out of the discussion. By taking a Participatory Action Research approach, this study explored the skills, habits, and behaviors used in the transition to college and college writing from the student perspective. The research team included 20 first-time freshmen college students and one instructor/university researcher in a first semester Written Communication I course. Research data consisted of a survey, journals, discussion board posts, partner dialogues, final research papers and presentations, and reflections on the process. Emergent themes included the need for students to take responsibility and manage themselves, to adjust their attitudes and expectations, and to recognize the role of writing and reading in academic success. The results validated the intricate link between writing and college success and the role that nonacademic skills play in fulfilling academic goals. In addition, the team found value in conducting this type of study during the college transition process. This PAR study emphasized that college students can and should take control of their education and highlighted how colleges and high schools could support students in the preparation and transition stages. The co-researchers made many specific suggestions for future development and further research. However, the research team realized the most immediate benefits by seeing how they were able to use what they observed and researched to improve their own experience and the experiences of future freshmen. By aligning the study with the course goals and learning outcomes, the research team witnessed firsthand the power that can come from writing and having their voices heard

Open Educational Resources in a Core A2 Pilot

This report compiles student insight of particular Open Educational Resources (OER) incorporated into a Rhetoric and Language (R&L) course pilot. Using OER textbooks not only reduced costs for students, but also encouraged students to take ownership in the text assessment process. The views expressed by students through reading reflections, class discussions, and survey feedback created ample information for deciding whether particular texts or readings were a good fit for the course moving forward. While the final decisions around whether to include these texts in future courses, or in a textbook designed specifically for this upper division course, remain to be made, the opportunity to include students in the decision making process was essential, especially as the course pilot extends into a second round and ultimate development of a culminating course in the Rhetoric and Language core curriculum sequence. These findings will be shared with the Department of Rhetoric and Language as well as appearing in this report

Physical Therapy Interventions Via Telehealth For A Child With Developmental Delay During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Case Report

Research presentation slides: Background and Purpose: During the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020, telehealth became widely used as an alternative delivery method of health care services. Due to its infrequent use prior to the pandemic, there is a gap in knowledge regarding the use of telehealth services for physical therapy (PT) in the pediatric population. The purpose of this case report is to discuss the use of PT telehealth services in pediatrics while describing the PT management of a child with gross motor delays in order to enhance care management in this population.Case Description: A five-year-old male being treated in outpatient PT transitioned care to a telehealth delivery model during the Covid-19 pandemic. He presented with a unilateral strength difference and gross motor delay. Interventions provided consisted of a warm-up, body weight strengthening exercises, balance training, and coordination tasks.Outcomes: After completion of nine telehealth visits, the Peabody Developmental Motor Scale-2 (PDMS-2) was used to evaluate progress. His raw locomotion subtest score increased (11 points), beyond the minimal clinical importance difference, but no detachable change was seen in the stationary subscale. Clinical observations suggested improvements in endurance and strength with family reported noted progress.Discussion: The child’s outcomes on the PDMS-2 and narrative family report suggest interventions via telehealth may have contributed to gains in motor skills. The success of telehealth sessions was attributed to his eagerness to participate virtually and his mother’s engagement in the sessions. Telehealth provided an opportunity for him to learn in a natural environment but limited the variety of applicable interventions. Future research is warranted to determine the effectiveness of telehealth in pediatric PT and to explore the PT management of children with developmental delays to inform evidence-based practice.https://dune.une.edu/pt_studcrpres/1001/thumbnail.jp

Family Resources Survey: United Kingdom 2010/11

The Family Resources Survey collects information on the incomes and circumstances of private households in the United Kingdom. It has been running since October 1992. This report summarises the results for the 2010/11 full survey year in which approximately 25,000 households were interviewed. The report is divided into sections covering: Income and State Support Receipt; Tenure; Savings and Investments; Disability; Carers; Occupation and Employment; and Pension Participation

Zapatista healthcare in a civilian targeted warfare zone: Chiapas, Mexico

2010 Spring.Includes bibliographic references (pages 129-136).Covers not scanned.Print version deaccessioned 2022.Indigenous people in Chiapas, Mexico have endured hundreds of years of attacks on their cultures and life ways. They have been marginalized, excluded, and oppressed. They have experienced the loss of ancestral lands and the destruction of their natural resources and environment. They have been denied fundamental human rights including access to land, education, and healthcare. They have suffered disproportionately high infant and maternal mortality rates and deaths from curable, preventable disease. They have survived without access to clean water, sanitation facilities, or electricity. Finally in 1994 with the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement and other Neoliberal economic projects on the horizon, over three thousand Indigenous people came together, called themselves Zapatistas, and declared war on the Mexican government. The world watched as the Zapatistas demanded basic human rights and the Mexican government promised reform. When the government failed to honor their promises, the Zapatistas responded by creating autonomous communities with their own form of government, education, and health care. The purpose of this study is to assess the autonomous Zapatista healthcare system in the Oventic caracole following the Zapatista rebellion using a political ecology theoretical approach. Specifically, does the Zapatista healthcare system operate successfully and how has this model changed healthcare access and well being of the people living in this civilian targeted warfare zone? What effect has the militarization had on health care? This research has the potential to provide valuable contributions to the Zapatista struggle as they continue to develop and improve the healthcare system in autonomous communities living in resistance. Additionally, this work may serve as a resource and guide for local and international non-governmental organizations, non-profit organizations, medical professionals, and Zapatista support groups who wish to contribute to the growth, sustainability, success, and autonomy of the Zapatista healthcare system

Tracking the Trends of the Self-Represented Litigant Phenomenon: Data from the National Self-Represented Litigants Project, 2019-2021

The last report covering data collected by the National Self-Represented Litigants Project (NSRLP) (information shared by self-represented litigants between January 1, 2018 and June 30, 2019) was published in January 2020, a mere two months before courts across Canada were left scrambling to adapt to a new reality: the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly eighteen months later—after thousands of virtual hearings, new protocols, and public health challenges that both improved and destabilized access to justice in myriad different ways—the NSRLP is bringing forward its findings collected from SRLs from July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2021, from a total of 279 respondent

Physiotherapy Following Emergency Abdominal Surgery

Physiotherapy following elective abdominal surgery has been well documented, but following emergency abdominal surgery, despite poorer outcomes and increased complication rates, physiotherapy interventions for this patient group remain largely uninvestigated. The most common complication following upper abdominal surgery is the development of a post-operative pulmonary complication (PPC). Risk factors for the development of PPCs include duration of anaesthesia, emergency upper abdominal surgery, current smoker status, respiratory comorbidities, obesity, increased age and multiple surgeries. Physiotherapy interventions aim to prevent or remediate PPCs and post-operative complications associated with the sequelae of immobility such as venothrombotic events and to facilitate recovery from surgery and a return to normal activities of daily living and function. Physiotherapy interventions after major surgery include early mobilisation and respiratory physiotherapy techniques. Respiratory therapies include deep breathing and coughing exercises, positive expiratory pressure devices, incentive spirometry and non-invasive ventilation. Early mobilisation has been demonstrated to be safe and efficacious following elective abdominal surgery and for patients who are critically ill. This chapter reviews the evidence in these populations and propose that, until further studies are available to direct care, this evidence is extrapolated to patients following emergency abdominal surgery. As abdominal surgery impacts on physical recovery and health-related quality of life, post-discharge rehabilitation programmes may improve long-term outcomes; however, rehabilitation following major cavity surgery is in its infancy. This chapter investigates post-operative rehabilitation research to date in this population in an attempt to determine the effectiveness of such programmes and make recommendations for future practice