Digital Commons Network^™

Living With Alzheimer’S Disease: A Study Of Adult Day Health Services In Massachusetts, Nina M. Silverstein, Cathy M. Wong, Kristen E. Brueck

Gerontology Institute Publications

The role of adult day health care (ADHC) is gaining increased attention as the nation prepares for the large cohort of baby boomers entering their later years. Many boomers are aging with physical and cognitive impairments, including Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Projections indicate that Massachusetts, along with the nation as a whole, is experiencing an increasing rate of older persons as baby boomers enter late-life. The Commonwealth can expect that persons with Alzheimer's disease and their care partners will need community-based services that are specifically designed for adults with cognitive impairments. However, a report by the Robert Wood Johnson …

Wisdom, Resilience And Successful Aging: Changing Public Discourses On Living With Dementia, Phyllis Braudy Harris, John Keady

Sociology

No abstract provided.

Racial And Ethnic Disparities In Treatment Of Dementia Among Medicare Beneficiaries, Ilene H. Zuckerman, Priscilla T. Ryder, Linda Simoni-Wastila, Thomas Shaffer, Masayo Sato, Lirong Zhao, Bruce Stuart

Scholarship and Professional Work – COPHS

Objectives—Numerous studies have documented disparities in health care utilization between non-Hispanic White and minority elders. We investigated differences in anti-dementia medication use between non-Hispanic White and minority community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries with dementia.

Methods—Using multivariate analysis with generalized estimating equations, we estimated prevalence ratios (PRs) for anti-dementia medication use by race/ethnicity for 1,120 beneficiaries with dementia from years 2001 through 2003 of the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey.

Results—After adjusting for demographics, socioeconomics, health care access and utilization, comorbidities, and service year, we found that anti-dementia medication use was approximately 30% higher among non-Hispanic Whites compared to other racial/ethnic groups (PR = …

Dual Use Of Bladder Anticholinergics And Cholinesterase Inhibitors: Long-Term Functional And Cognitive Outcomes, Kaycee M. Sink, Joseph Thomas Iii, Huiping Xu, Bruce Craig, Steven Kritchevsky, Laura P. Sands

RCHE Publications

To determine the cognitive and functional consequences of dual use of cholinesterase inhibitors (ChIs) and the bladder anticholinergics oxybutynin or tolterodine.

Ultra Wideband Radio: A Novel Method For Measuring Wandering In Persons With Dementia, William D. Kearns, Donna Algase, D. Helen Moore, Sadia Ahmed

Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling Faculty Publications

Wandering by persons with dementia is a complex syndrome of locomotive behaviors shaped by environmental, wanderer-specific and caregiver characteristics that vary the risk level for exiting, elopement, getting lost and accidental death. While valid and reliable methods to measure wandering exist, few have been evaluated for measurement of specific geographical patterns of wandering behavior as they occur in space and over time. In this paper we demonstrate how UWB-RFID can be used to unobtrusively and continuously measure two particularly high-risk wandering behaviors over intervals from weeks to months that occur in proximity to care setting exit points: lingering near exit …

I Know What I Like: Stability Of Aesthetic Preference In Alzheimer's Disease, Andrea R. Halpern, Jenny Ly, Seth Elkin-Franklin, Margaret G. O'Connor

Faculty Journal Articles

Two studies explored the stability of art preference in patients with Alzheimer’s disease and age-matched control participants. Preferences for three different styles of paintings, displayed on art postcards, were examined over two sessions. Preference for specific paintings differed among individuals but AD and non-AD groups maintained about the same stability in terms of preference judgments across two weeks, even though the AD patients did not have explicit memory for the paintings. We conclude that aesthetic responses can be preserved in the face of cognitive decline. This should encourage caregivers and family to engage in arts appreciation activities with patients, and …

A Review Of The Association Between Congestive Heart Failure And Cognitive Impairment., Michael B. Cohen, Paul J. Mather

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

Heart failure is a growing epidemic with an estimated 5 million Americans suffering from this condition. Several clinical trials have demonstrated a high correlation between congestive heart failure (CHF) and cognitive impairment. The severity of cognitive impairment correlates positively with the degree of CHF. The underlying mechanism for cognitive impairment remains unclear but appears to be related to cerebral hypoperfusion and impaired cerebral reactivity with selective impairment of verbal memory and attention domains. Furthermore, cognitive dysfunction represents one aspect of frailty, a novel concept that encompasses a range of clinical conditions that results in functional impairment in patients with heart …

Impact Of Patient Selection Criteria On Prevalence Estimates And Prevalence Of Diagnosed Dementia In A Medicaid Population, Murtuza F. Bharmal, Michael Weiner, Laura P. Sands, Huiping Xu, Bruce A. Craig, Joseph Thomas Iii

RCHE Publications

This study estimated the prevalence of diagnosed dementia among Indiana Medicaid beneficiaries in 2004. The dependence of prevalence estimates upon use of several patient selection criteria to identify patients with dementia also was evaluated.

New Directions In Dementia Care At Home, Tracey Vause-Earland, E. Adel Herge, Catherine Verrier Piersol, Laura N. Gitlin, Janice Burke

Center for Applied Research on Aging and Health Research Papers

No abstract provided.

Caring For People With Alzheimer's Disease Or Dementia In Maine, Stuart Bratesman Mpp, Julie T. Fralich Mba, Catherine Mcguire Bs, Louise Olsen, Romaine Turyn

Disability & Aging

It is clear that caring for people with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia is a growing public health issue. Alzheimer’s is a progressively deteriorating disease that can last anywhere from 1 to 15 years. Families are the primary caregivers and will continue to need support to manage the care of their loved ones, to coordinate services within the long term care system and to maintain their own health and well-being.

Mild Cognitive Impairment, Activity Participation, Functional Difficulty, & Adaptations , Laraine Winter, Laura N. Gitlin

Center for Applied Research on Aging and Health Research Papers

No abstract provided.

Mild Cognitive Impairment, Activity Participation, Functional Difficulty, And Adaptations In Functionally Vulnerable Elderly People: A Closer Look, Laraine Winter, Laura N. Gitlin

Center for Applied Research on Aging and Health Research Papers

No abstract provided.

Immune Function And Psychological Distress In Familial Dementia Caregivers: A Controlled Trial Of A Cognitive -Behavioral Intervention, Kevin Matthew Lancer

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Recent data on the prevalence of Alzhiemer's disease estimate that sufferers could number as high as 4.78 million; that number is expected to quadruple by the year 2050. The vast majority of persons with dementia reside in the community, able to do so because of the care received from their families. The increase in the number of the elderly dependent on others for assistance will continue to increase, straining already limited individual and societal resources. The subjects of this study were Alzheimer's disease and related dementia (ADRD) familial caregivers, representing a portion of society needing assistance and that is growing …

Caregiver Education And Service Utilization In African American Families Dealing With Dementia, Constance L. Coogle

Virginia Center on Aging Publications

For more than a decade attention has been focused on Alzheimer’s family caregivers in African American communities. The Fourth Report of the Advisory Panel on Alzheimer’s Disease to the U. S. Congress and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services calls for “…public education and outreach efforts specifically targeted to ethnic elders and their families and communities through the development and dissemination of culturally relevant materials emphasizing both the established facts about [Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders] and the efficacy of seeking treatment.” (Advisory Panel on Alzheimer’s Disease, 1993, p. 50). While federal financing and state initiatives have addressed …

2004 Annual Report, Office For The Study Of Aging

Office for the Study of Aging: Alzheimer's Registry

The Arnold School of Public Health of the University of South Carolina (USC), in cooperation with the South Carolina (SC) Department of Health and Human Services, the SC Department of Mental Health, the USC School of Medicine, and the SC Office of Budget and Control, maintains a statewide Registry of SC residents diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or related disorders.

This report uses the abbreviation ADRD to indicate “Alzheimer's disease or related disorder.” The “related disorders” refer to dementias associated with vascular disease, and with chronic conditions such as Parkinson’s disease. Where we refer specifically to “Alzheimer’s disease” (AD), we limit …

Caregiver Strategy Use To Contend With Cognitive And Functional Decline In Persons With Dementia , Laura N. Gitlin, Marie P. Dennis, Walter W. Hauck, Laraine Winter, Sandy Schinfeld

Center for Applied Research on Aging and Health Research Papers

No abstract provided.

Management Of Agitation In Individuals With Dementia: An Animal-Assisted Therapy Approach, Karen L. Tanner

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Dementia is not a natural and normal part of aging, but rather a symptom of a disease process. Most individuals with dementia experience emotional distress or behavioral problems best summed up by the term agitation. Approximately 90% of individuals with dementing illnesses demonstrate problem behaviors ranging from repetitive verbalizations and wandering to verbal and physical aggression toward self or others. Each evening thousands of older adults in the community and in institutions become agitated, restless, and confused and begin to wander about or scream. This phenomenon is referred to as sundown syndrome, since it occurs in the evening hours after …

Cognitive Rehabilitation In Occupational Therapy For Individuals With Dementia, Sheila Kemnitz-Hartje, Michelle Theis

Occupational Therapy Capstones

No abstract provided.

The Incidence Of Mental And Behavioral Disturbances In Dementia: The Cache County Study, Martin Steinberg, Jeannie-Marie E. Sheppard, Joann T. Tschanz, Maria C. Norton, David C. Steffens, John C. S. Breitner, Constantine G.. Lyketsos

Psychology Faculty Publications

A population-based prevalence sample of 355 residents of Cache County, Utah, who were diagnosed with dementia, was rated on the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI). Of the 355 residents, 119 had no neuropsychiatric symptoms at baseline and were, consequently, at risk for incident mental and behavioral disturbances. The NPI was readministered approximately 18 months later to 61 surviving participants. Sixty-nine percent developed at least one mental or behavioral symptom. Delusions were most common (28%), followed by apathy (21%), and aberrant motor behavior (21%). When this incidence rate of 69% was combined with a previously estimated prevalence rate of 61%, the cumulative 18-month …

Innovation In Occupational Therapy Practice: Evidence In Working With Families Caring For Persons With Dementia, Laura N. Gitlin

Center for Applied Research on Aging and Health Research Papers

No abstract provided.

Dementia And Elder Abuse In Domestic Settings, Karen Ann Anderson, Ann Watschke-Dixon

Theses Digitization Project

America's growing elder population affects every segment of the social, political and economic landscape. This population has generated public concern and debate reagarding the problems faced by this often-vulnerable group, including the issue of elder abuse. This research project examined associations between dementia and elder abuse in domestic settings utilizing secondary data obtained from Adult Protective Services of San Bernardino County.

Dispute Resolution And Dementia: Seeking Solutions, Erica F. Wood

Georgia Law Review

With the rise in dementia, 2nd and 3rd party disputes will be more frequent. The elderly population with cognitive impairments is growing rapidly. By 2030, the population aged 65 years and older is expected to reach 70 million, more than double the number in 1998.1 Moreover, the older population itself is getting older. While a decline in mental function is not an inevitable part of the normal aging process, the likelihood of dementia or related brain disorders increases with advancing age. The prevalence of dementia doubles every five years in the elderly, growing from a disorder that affects one percent …

Dementia And Alzheimer's Disease: An Overview, Peter V. Rabins

Georgia Law Review

Dementia is a syndromic diagnosis defined by three criteria: cognitive decline, multiple impairments, normal level of consciousness. It is an acquired disorder characterized by multiple impairments of cognition (distinct elements of intellectual processing such as memory, abstraction, judgment, and language) occurring in an individual who is fully alert and attentive. It is now known that at least seventy-five distinct diseases can present as this syndrome and that most of these diseases have specific syndromic patterns that allow clinicians to distinguish among them.

Cognition In Non-Demented Elderly With A Family History Of Alzheimer's Disease, Christopher John Weight

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Objective: To assess differences in cognition in a population of non-demented elderly individuals as a function of a family history of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Methods: We screened 5092 elderly residents of Cache County, UT for dementia, using standard DSMIII-R dementia criteria, in a stepwise protocol involving a brief cognitive test, an informant telephone Dementia Questionnaire, and a clinical examination. The resultant non-demented study population (4505) consisted of all remaining self-responding individuals who agreed to apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotyping. Using multiple linear regression models, controlling for age, gender, education, health status on day of testing, past medical conditions, and …

Issues Raised By Research Using Persons Suffering From Dementia Who Have Impaired Decisional Capacity, Peter V. Rabins

Journal of Health Care Law and Policy

No abstract provided.

1996 Annual Report, Office For The Study Of Aging

Office for the Study of Aging: Alzheimer's Registry

The Prevention Center, University of South Carolina (USC) School of Public Health, in cooperation with the South Carolina (SC) Department of Health and Human Services, the SC Department of Mental Health, and the USC School of Medicine, maintains a statewide registry of SC residents diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder. The registry is located in the Prevention Center, School of Public Health. All cases are identified from a computerized medical records search. The goals of the registry include:

• reporting annual prevalence of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders by demographic characteristics,

• providing data to public agencies for …

The Relationship Between The Classification Of Dementia And Social Policy And Consequent Delivery Of Services, Brigitte Pennington

Theses & Honors Papers

The American population is getting older, and with the aging of the population the prevalence of chronic illnesses will increase. Current social policies that are intended to assist elderly persons and their families in case of illness are no longer sufficient to meet that need, and will decline further as the number of older persons increases. This is especially true for patients who have developed dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, because dementias are still considered that "peculiar disease of the cerebral cortex" described by Alois Alzheimer in 1907 that seems not to fit any current classification. This study was designed to …

1995 Annual Report, Office For The Study Of Aging

Office for the Study of Aging: Alzheimer's Registry

The Prevention Center, University of South Carolina (USC) School of Public Health, in cooperation with the South Carolina (SC) Department of Health and Human Services, the SC Department of Mental Health, and the USC School of Medicine, maintains a statewide registry of SC residents diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder. The registry is located in the James F. Byrnes Center for Geriatric Medicine, Education and Research. All cases are identified from a computerized medical records search; inclusion in the registry is voluntary. The goals of the registry include:

• reporting annual prevalence of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders …

Perceived Caregiver Burden As A Function Of Differential Coping Strategies, Kevin Scott Olin

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

1994 Annual Report, Office For The Study Of Aging

Office for the Study of Aging: Alzheimer's Registry

The University of South Carolina School of Public Health, in cooperation with the SC Health and Human Services Finance Commission and the SC Department of Mental Health, maintains a statewide registry of SC residents diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder. The registry is located in the James F. Byrnes Center for Geriatric Medicine, Education and Research. All cases are identified by a medical records search; inclusion in the registry is voluntary. The goals of the registry include:

• reporting annual prevalence of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders by demographic characteristics,

• providing data to public agencies for planning …