Geriatrics Commons^™

Establishing A Routine Process Of Medication Reconciliation In A Rural Primary Care Clinic To Address Unnecessary Polypharmacy In Patients 65 And Older, Jessica Kirkwood-Harp

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Medication safety by reducing the proportion of older adults who use inappropriate medications is a Healthy People 2030 goal (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, n.d.(a)). The research for this proposal supported an established medication reconciliation (MR) to reduce errors and adverse drug events (ADEs). Consistent MR is essential for patient safety and positive patient outcomes in rural outpatient primary care clinics, as these patients possess multiple comorbidities.

Purpose: This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) quality improvement project (QIP) established a routine MR process within a rural primary care clinic with reduced unnecessary polypharmacy and decreased risk of …

Effects Of Meditation On Chronic Pain Management Among Older Adults, Katelyn R. Forsell

Doctor of Nursing Practice

The older adult population is expected to continue to grow. This population is more susceptible to facing chronic health conditions that often contribute to pain. Pain affects many aspects of an individual's life and can be debilitating, affecting physical and mental wellbeing. Chronic pain among older adults is often not well managed. Mindfulness meditation is a holistic healing modality that literature supports for pain mitigation (Creswell & Khoury, 2019). This scholarly project provided mindfulness meditation sessions to older adults in an independent and assisted living facility setting to help educate and guide them in reducing chronic pain. Pain reduction scores …

The Ecology Of Mental Health And The Impact Of Barriers On Mental Health Service Utilization, Alisha Aggarwal

Theses & Dissertations

Mental health has emerged as a major public health concern in recent times with several disparities and barriers related to adequate health service utilization. Different age groups experience diverse symptoms and face distinct barriers in accessing and utilizing healthcare. Policies like Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act were launched to improve insurance coverage and delivery of mental health services. However, a large gap of unmet needs exists for adequate mental health service utilization in the country. This dissertation aims to describe the financial and non-financial barriers to mental health service utilization …

The Impact Of Social Isolation And Cognitive Decline In Older Adults: A Systematic Literature Review, Jody L. Doll-Wilhelm

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, deaths of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and dementia patients surged. Increased social isolation and decreased activity levels in older adults have been suggested as contributing factors to accelerating AD and dementia. However, assessment tools to gauge interventions and outcomes of cognitive decline are variable among the literature.

Objective: Examine the impact of social engagement versus social isolation, like that experienced with the COVID-19 pandemic, on cognitive decline/dementia in older adults (greater than 60 years of age).

Method: A systematic search for studies evaluating the relationship between social isolation and social activity in cognitive …

Implementation Of An Evidence Based Screening Protocol To Improve The Diagnosis Of Dementia In A Home-Based Primary Care Setting, Lauren Liesbeth Sutton

Doctoral Projects

Dementia is a major public health concern that is both debilitating and deleterious to those afflicted with its various forms. The number of those living with dementia is increasing exponentially as the population continues to rise, with 46.8 million people worldwide currently afflicted with dementia (Chow et al., 2018). Dementia causes cognitive impairment that is severe enough to affect everyday function (Chow et al., 2018). The impairment and disability resulting from dementia indicates a significant health problem in primary care. Findings from research studies indicate that prophylactic and periodic screening for dementia can heighten provider suspicion and translate into earlier …

A Descriptive Study Of The Elderly In California Substance Abuse Treatment Programs, David Berenschot

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

As gerontologists may know, there are a great deal of studies and a variety of academic literature on the misuse of alcohol and prescription medication amongst the elderly population. While there is a plethora of information on alcohol and prescription misuse, there is little reported data about the prevalence of other substance misuse experienced by this population. This study aims to help to fill that gap in the data by using quantitative methods to describe the scope of substance abuse of individuals 55-years or older. This study utilizes data from the Treatment Data Set Admission (TEDS-A). The TEDS-A is a …

A Structured Telephonic Transition Program For Heart Failure Patients, Julia E. Robinson

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

HF is a fatal condition affecting more than 5 million Americans leading to frequent hospitalizations, poor quality of life and death. The annual cost to the healthcare system is approximately $38 billion, ranking HF as one of the costliest conditions to manage. Significant evidence exists that HF self-care management programs improve patient self-care and decrease HF-related readmissions. Current guidelines recommend health professionals provide comprehensive HF education focused on knowledge, skills of management, and self-care behaviors.

The Iowa Model of Evidence Based Practice provided the foundation for the practice change. Structured telephonic support (STS) was based on Bandura’s Self- Efficacy behavior …

Elderly Patient Adherence To Ocular Pharmaceuticals; Impact Of Educational And Physical Barriers, Lucky Wagner

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this research was to assess and evaluate elderly patient's attitudes and behavior regarding educational and physical barriers and the impact on adherence to ocular pharmaceuticals. A 19 question survey was developed and in order to collect data. The survey was administered in person at the Edina Senior Center and the Burnsville Senior Center and online via Zoomerang survey software regarding elderly patient attitudes on educational and physical barriers and their impact on ocular pharmaceutical adherence. Findings from this study indicate elderly patients treating an ocular condition with ocular pharmaceuticals expressed strong agreement with improving upon both educational …

Design Of A Medical Walker With An Integrated Crutch Mechanism, Harrison Bourikas

Honors Theses

Many elderly people and injured people suffer from physical complications that make it difficult or dangerous for them to perform everyday activities, thereby inhibiting their mobility. Some of these activities include walking, standing, and sitting. As a result, it is no surprise that many companies in the medical industry have already attempted to construct an array of options to aid these people, including basic medical walkers, and standing-assist furniture, poles, and machines. Although these options are fair choices, they fail to integrate portability, simplicity, and multi-functionality together. Therefore, this thesis focuses on designing and building a dual purpose machine that …

Does Laughter Therapy Improve Symptoms Of Depression Among The Elderly Population?, Audrey L. Shaw

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or
not laughter therapy improves symptoms of depression among the elderly population.

STUDY DESIGN: A review of three studies written in the English language published between 2007 and 2011.

DATA SOURCES: Two randomized controlled trials and one pilot study comparing the effect of laughter therapy on depression were found using PubMed, Medline, OVID, and Cochrane databases.

OUTOMES MEASURED: Outcomes measured in the studies included depression, quality of life, and life satisfaction.

RESULTS: Laughter therapy was shown to be beneficial as both an independent …

Influence Of A Short-Term, Multicomponent Intervention On Balance And Strength Among The Elderly, Pamela C. Webert

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Background: Few studies have combined strength and balance training to assess improvement of activities of daily living among subjects over the age of 65. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate how an eight-week balance and strength training program can lead to improvements in activities of daily living among elderly individuals.

Methods: The subjects consisted of 14 elderly women and 3 elderly men who were all residents of an independent living community. There were 10 subjects in the intervention group and 7 subjects in the control group. The intervention group participated in a supervised balance and strength …

Will The Use Of Fiber Be As Effective As Laxatives In Relieving Constipation In The Geriatric Population?, Saunders Batunkyi

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not the use of fiber can be as effective as laxatives in relieving constipation in the geriatric population.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of three journals published in English in peer-reviewed journals.

DATA SOURCES: Two randomized controlled trials and one parallel interventional trial investigating the effectiveness of supplemental dietary fiber in managing constipation in elderly populations that are presently reliant on prescription laxatives.

OUTCOMES (S) MEASURED: The outcomes were measured by the frequency of defecation, ease of bowel movement, patient discomfort, patient well being, and undesired effects …

Relationship Between Functional Level And Cost Of Care Of Nursing Home Residents As Measured By The Functional Component Of The Minimum Data Set And The Breines Functional Assessment Scale, Jeanne Turnamian

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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An Examinaton Of The Enhanced Primary Care Model For The Organization Of Team Care In Managing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus In The Elderly Population, Carolyn Morcom Rutledge

Health Services Research Dissertations

The healthcare system is faced with overwhelming demands as a result of the growing elderly population, especially those with chronic illnesses. One disease that significantly impacts the morbidity and mortality of the elderly population, especially the minority and poor population, is type 2 diabetes. This population often lacks access to resources and quality healthcare that may be due to inadequate knowledge by the patients and their healthcare providers regarding available services. Current models of healthcare have not been effective in meeting the healthcare demands of this population. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Enhanced …