Geriatric Nursing Commons^™

Physical Activity, Daily Step Counts And Functional Ability In Older Adults: Using Nhanes Database, Chunfang(Maggie) Chen

Doctoral Dissertations

Maintaining functional ability and independence are essential in the healthcare of older adults. Physical activity(PA) has been acknowledged as effective and economical health promotion strategies in older population. However, the amount of PA needed to maintain functional ability in older adults remains unclear. This investigation used PRISM Dose-response Curves Stimulation Variable slope model to explore the relationships between the amount of PA and functional ability in community-dwelling young-old, middle-old and old-old age group adults. ANOVA analysis was used to examine the relationship between functional ability and self-perceived active level changes compared to 10 years ago. NHANES 2005-2006 older participants datasets …

Efficacy, Acceptance, And Feasibility Of Virtual Reality For Chronic Pain Relief In Older Adult Veterans Residing In Long Term Care, Valicia Philibert

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Older adults residing in Long-Term Care (LTC) have a high prevalence of chronic pain. Pain management strategies have primarily focused on pharmacological approaches, but with physiological changes associated with aging, this population is at an increased risk for adverse effects from prescribed medications. More research is needed on innovative non-pharmacological interventions in the LTC setting. This study examined the feasibility, acceptance, and preliminary efficacy of Virtual Reality (VR) for chronic pain among older adult veterans in LTC. In this quasi-experimental, 12 older adult participants living with chronic pain in a long-term care facility received two sessions of VR. Pain intensity …

Evaluating Mindfulness On Loneliness In An Older Adult Population, Jessica Tieskoetter

Dissertations

Problem: Loneliness is a widespread public health concern and has negatively impacted mortality and health outcomes among older adults. This quality improvement project’s purpose was to evaluate mindfulness on loneliness and quality of life among adults aged 65 years and older, participating in a weekly befriending socialization program.

Methods: A descriptive cohort design was utilized to assess loneliness pre-and post-implementation of a mindfulness telephone line over three months. A convenience sample of 22 older adults enrolled in a befriending socialization program was used. The Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice framework was applied to guide the implementation of a practice change …

Fall Risk Assessment And Intervention To Reduce Fall-Related Injuries And Hospitalization In Older Adults, Pittawat Emerson

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Falls among older adults is a major issue that has become a leading cause of injuries and deaths. This study is an evaluation of fall-risk assessment using the Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths & Injuries (STEADI) tool and physical activity intervention in older adults aged 65 and above during their annual wellness visits to reduce fall-related injuries and hospitalizations. The results showed a reduction of fall-related injuries by up to 11.8% after the 12-week intervention. Patients with moderate-to-high fall risk saw a decrease in injury by 12.9%. Patients with moderate-to-high fall risk scores saw a decrease by 12.9%, from 25.9% to …

Factors Affecting Quality Of Life And Asthma Control In Older Adults With Asthma., Karen Schuckmann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Approximately 7.7 percent of adults over the age of 65 have asthma in the United States (U.S), further, the population of older adults in the U.S. will increase to 20% by 2030. Health Related Quality of Life is low for this age group and asthma is often misdiagnosed and undertreated creating a need for research to improve factors that influence Asthma Quality of Life. Aims: This study explored two aims. The first aim evaluates the relationship between medication numeracy and asthma self-management knowledge with asthma self-efficacy. The second aim evaluates medication numeracy, asthma self-management knowledge, asthma self-efficacy, and asthma …

Reducing Medication Non-Adherence With Improved Health Literacy Interventions: An Evidence-Based Practice Quality Improvement Project, Unity Wiles

DNP Projects

Introduction

Health literacy is the ability to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate healthcare decisions and follow instructions for treatment. Patients with low health literacy have been predicted to have poor health outcomes. The inclusion of the single-item literacy tool into the admission process of this project involved the patient-centered-care characteristics of improved patient experience, lower health cost, improved clinical experience, and better outcomes.

Purpose

The National Action Plan to improve Health Literacy seeks to engage organizations, professionals, policymakers, communities, individuals, and families in a linked multi-sector effort to improve health literacy. Low …

A Physical Therapy Mobility Checkup For Older Adults: Feasibility And Participant Preferences From A Discrete Choice Experiment, Dalerie Lieberz, Hannah Borgeson, Steven Dobson, Lindsey Ewings, Karen Johnson, Kori Klaysmat, Abby Schultz, Rachel Tasson, Alexandra L. Borstad

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: Physical performance measures, like walking speed, identify and predict preclinical mobility disability but are rarely used in routine medical care. A preventive model of care called Mobility Checkup is being designed to reduce mobility disability in older adults. This study had two purposes: 1) determine feasibility and outcomes of the Mobility Checkup, and 2) identify preferences of older adults regarding this model of care using a discrete choice experiment.

Methods: Adults over 55 years of age were recruited from the community. In the study’s first phase, participants completed a Mobility Checkup, with feasibility evaluated using 6 criteria. In the …