News Archive: Aging and Health
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2006
Ethnic variations in caregiving exists for minority elders with dementia — Dec. 19, 2006
Focus groups of caregivers from a variety of ethnicities reveal differing perspectives in caregiving and stigmas associated with dementia. Topics breeched included the benefits of caregiving, spirituality or religion to ease burdens, and language barriers. The proportion of minority elders with dementia in the U.S. is expected to rise in the coming years.
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Cataract surgery is found to be cost-effective for low-probability patients — 2006
Patients who have a low predicted probability for improvement may still find cost-effective benefits from cataract surgery when compared against watchful waiting. This study monitored 250 patients who had a less than 30% probability of reporting improvements in post-operative visual function.
Influenza outbreaks in nursing facilities is influenced by staff and resident immunizations — Nov. 2006
Facilities having high percentages of staff and resident immunizations are less likely to have an influenza outbreak than counterpart facilities with lower immunization percentages. However, once an outbreak occurs, vaccination does not seem to reduce the negative effects of influenza.
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Qatar Supreme Council for Family Affairs database of social indicators — Aug. 2006
This report addresses questions related to the implementation of a social indicators database by the Qatar Supreme Council for Family Affairs for the promotion of the well-being of families.
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Disparities in health care among older adults may be related to English proficiency — Aug. 2006
Older adults with limited English proficiency experienced worse access to care and worse health status than their English-speaking counterparts. Providing language assistance services to patients may reduce barriers, improve access to care, and ultimately improve health status for these vulnerable populations.
Use of restraints in nursing homes associated with decline in mental health — July 2006
Nursing home residents who are restrained are more likely to experience depression and a reduction in cognitive performance and social engagement.
Patients' ratings do not reflect technical quality of medical care — May 2006
Researchers studying vulnerable older patients found that while patients on average rated the quality of their medical care a 9 on a 10-point scale, comprehensive reviews of their medical records found they received recommended care just 55 percent of the time.
Arthritis care for older patients is poor — Apr. 2006
The quality of medical care received by older people with arthritis is relatively poor, with patients receiving recommended information about potential hazards of their medication less than half the time.
Breast cancer screening recommended up to age 75 for Dutch women — Mar. 2006
A study of breast cancer screening among older Dutch women found that age 75 was an appropriate upper age limit for breast cancer mammography screening, particularly in consideration of the balance between screening benefits and harmful side effects after a certain age.
Research on improving care for heart failure rarely reforms services — Mar. 2006
Many patients suffering from chronic heart failure do not benefit from research demonstrating how to improve their care because the research rarely finds its way into routine clinical practice in the United States.
Urinary incontinence in nursing homes much more prevalent than previously estimated — Feb. 2006
Medical records of nursing home residents typically show a very low rate of urinary incontinence, however, the true prevalence of bladder dysfunction is much higher according to clinical surveys. Results highlight the limitations of using administrative data to study this disorder.
Staff turnover in nursing homes associated with organizational characteristics — Feb. 2006
Findings suggest that staff turnover in nursing homes is higher for those facilities that are lower quality, owned for-profit, have lower staffing levels, and higher bed sizes.
Older Americans with depression and pain face greater economic burden — Feb. 2006
In this study, patients aged 55-65 with both depression and pain experienced a greater economic burden than those with depression alone. These patients faced increased costs and worse functioning, and were also more likely to receive government support.
Comparing administrative and medical records to measure quality of care in the elderly — Feb. 2006
Administrative data are often used to determine quality of care provided by health plans, but medical records may provide a better source of data. The number of quality indicators that can be measured for vulnerable elderly patients is far greater for medical records than administrative data.
Pricing of health insurance affects financial risk behavior of the elderly — Jan. 2006
As health care costs continue to rise, medical expenses have become an increasingly important contributor to financial risk. This study explores the connection between the availability and pricing of health insurance and the financial risk-taking behavior of the elderly.
Omega-3 fatty acids may be associated with reduced risk of dementia — Jan. 2006
This study finds that there is not enough data to conclude that omega-3 fatty acids have an effect on cognitive function in normal aging or on the incidence or treatment of dementia, however, there is a possible reduction in the risk of dementia.
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