Geriatrics Commons^™

Knowledge Of Pain Management In Older Adults As A Content Area For Continuing Professional Education For Licensed Nurses, Wanda Cleveland Dubuisson

Dissertations

The research of the last 30 years has revealed the inadequacy of pain management in the older adult. Although evidenced-based clinical practice guidelines exist to direct the management of pain in the older adult, health care providers are either unaware or lack the proper understanding of the guidelines. This study investigated the differences in knowledge of pain management in older adults when examining licensed acute care nurses and extended care nurses. It sampled 118 acute care nurses working in two hospitals in Mississippi and 78 extended care nurses working in six extended care facilities (ECF) in Mississippi.

Based upon the …

Intracerebral Hemorrhage For The Palliative Care Provider: What You Need To Know., B Brent Simmons, Susan M Parks

Department of Family & Community Medicine Faculty Papers

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) makes up 10%-30% of all strokes. Palliative care providers are often asked to get involved with ICH cases to aid with development of short-term and long-term goals. Prognosis can be calculated using the ICH score (based on Glasgow Coma Score score, ICH volume, presence of intraventricular hemorrhage, age, and location of origin) or the Essen score (based on age, NIH Stroke Scale [NIHSS], and level of consciousness). Do-not-resuscitate (DNR) status is important to discuss with families. Expert consensus states DNR is appropriate if the patient has two of the following: severe stroke, life-threatening brain damage, or significant …

Focus On Rna Isolation: Obtaining Rna For Microrna (Mirna) Expression Profiling Analyses Of Neural Tissue, Wang-Xia Wang, Bernard R. Wilfred, Donald A. Baldwin, R. Benjamin Isett, Na Ren, Arnold J. Stromberg, Peter T. Nelson

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are present in all known plant and animal tissues and appear to be somewhat concentrated in the mammalian nervous system. Many different miRNA expression profiling platforms have been described. However, relatively little research has been published to establish the importance of 'upstream' variables in RNA isolation for neural miRNA expression profiling. We tested whether apparent changes in miRNA expression profiles may be associated with tissue processing, RNA isolation techniques, or different cell types in the sample. RNA isolation was performed on a single brain sample using eight different RNA isolation methods, and results were correlated using a conventional …

Focal Cerebral Ischemia In The Tnfalpha-Transgenic Rat, L. Creed Pettigrew, Mark S. Kindy, Stephen W. Scheff, Joe E. Springer, Richard J. Kryscio, Yizhao Li, David S. Grass

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: To determine if chronic elevation of the inflammatory cytokine, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha), will affect infarct volume or cortical perfusion after focal cerebral ischemia.

METHODS: Transgenic (TNFalpha-Tg) rats overexpressing the murine TNFalpha gene in brain were prepared by injection of mouse DNA into rat oocytes. Brain levels of TNFalpha mRNA and protein were measured and compared between TNFalpha-Tg and non-transgenic (non-Tg) littermates. Mean infarct volume was calculated 24 hours or 7 days after one hour of reversible middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Cortical perfusion was monitored by laser-Doppler flowmetry (LDF) during MCAO. Cortical vascular density was quantified by stereology. …

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 …

Response Of Endothelial Cells To Stressors: The Impact Of Aging And Diabetes, Katie Mclellan

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Preliminary research indicates there is some impairment of the endothelial cells to respond to single stressors such as local heat, shear stress, and global heat in older people and people who have diabetes. The response of the skin blood flow to local heat is an indicator of the endothelial cells ability to cope with stress. In addition, factors such as thicker subcutaneous fat and skin moisture may impair the skin’s ability to dissipate heat. For older people and people with diabetes, this endothelial dysfunction may cause an even more diminished response to multiple stressors. However, no studies have examined the …

A New Age In Dementia Care: Turning Evidence Into Practice

Center for Applied Research on Aging and Health Conferences

A New Age in Dementia Care: Turning Evidence into Practice Come celebrate the opening of the new Living Laboratory for Elder Care.

September 17, 2008 7:30 am - 4:30 pm Thomas Jefferson University, Dorrance H. Hamilton Building 1001 Locust St., Philadelphia, PA 19107

Speakers Include:
Christine Arenson, MD Associate Professor Director, Division of Geriatric Medicine Department of Family and Community Medicine Jefferson Medical College Director, Eastern-Pennsylvania Delaware Geriatric Education Center Co-Director Jefferson InterProfessional Education Center Thomas Jefferson University

Louis D. Burgio, PhD Harold R. Johnson Endowed Chair in Gerontology, Professor of Social Work Research Professor, Institute of Gerontology School …

The Aging Services Network: Accomplishments And Challenges In Serving A Growing Elderly Population, Carol O'Shaughnessy

National Health Policy Forum

In 1965, Congress enacted the Older Americans Act, establishing a federal agency and state agencies to address the social services needs of the aging population. The mission of the Older Americans Act is broad: to help older people maintain maximum independence in their homes and communities and to promote a continuum of care for the vulnerable elderly. In successive amendments, the Act created area agencies on aging and a host of service programs. The “aging services network,” broadly described, refers to the agencies, programs, and activities that are sponsored by the Older Americans Act. The Act’s funding for services is …

The Expression Of Microrna Mir-107 Decreases Early In Alzheimer's Disease And May Accelerate Disease Progression Through Regulation Of Β-Site Amyloid Precursor Protein-Cleaving Enzyme 1, Wang-Xia Wang, Bernard W. Rajeev, Arnold J. Stromberg, Na Ren, Guiliang Tang, Qingwei Huang, Isidore Rigoutsos, Peter T. Nelson

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small regulatory RNAs that participate in posttranscriptional gene regulation in a sequence-specific manner. However, little is understood about the role(s) of miRNAs in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We used miRNA expression microarrays on RNA extracted from human brain tissue from the University of Kentucky Alzheimer's Disease Center Brain Bank with near-optimal clinicopathological correlation. Cases were separated into four groups: elderly nondemented with negligible AD-type pathology, nondemented with incipient AD pathology, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) with moderate AD pathology, and AD. Among the AD-related miRNA expression changes, miR-107 was exceptional because miR-107 levels decreased significantly even in patients with …

It's About The People, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

The Virginia Center on Aging celebrates 30 years and the people who have made accomplishments possible.

Geriatric Training And Education (Gte) Projects, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

The Geriatric Training and Education (GTE) initiative is supporting 15 different projects in the current fiscal year that are affecting Virginians in each region, from certified nursing assistants to family caregivers of relatives with dementia to long-term care staff helping elders at the end of life.

Tackling Elder Abuse, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

The Central Virginia Training Alliance to Stop Elder Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation was selected to pilot a three-year training initiative for criminal justice professionals on elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Our overall intention is to improve the expertise of each component in investigating and prosecuting maltreatment against our elders.

Priorities In A Time Of Crisis, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

Now, amidst economic stress, is the time to defend certain sections of the budget, including the protection of those among us who are least able.

No Wrong Door: Virginia’S Key Strategic Initiative For Long-Term Care, Molly Huffstetler

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. Describe the rationale, current activities, and vision for No Wrong Door as it pertains to seniors, adults with disabilities, and their caregivers throughout Virginia.

2. Demonstrate the positive potential for collaboration among local long-term care service providers, both public and private.

3. Illustrate the benefits of coordinating long-term care services for an individual through Virginia’s No Wrong Door.

Confident Living Program For Senior Adults Experiencing Combined Vision And Hearing Loss, Paige Berry, Mia Kelley-Bock, Christine Reid

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. Identify needs common among older adults who have combined vision and hearing loss.

2. Describe a model program that provides information, resources, and training to older adults experiencing combined vision and hearing loss.

3. Describe how the program benefits not only consumers, but also family, friends, caregivers, students, and service providers.

Making Affordable Assisted Living Work: The Mountainside Senior Living Story, Cheryl Cooper, Gordon Walker

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. Describe the challenges of providing affordable assisted living in Virginia.

2. Describe the experience of the Jefferson Area Board for the Aging (JABA), an Area Agency on Aging, in becoming owner and operator of an assisted living facility.

3. Describe the culture change that made Mountainside a unique and award-winning facility.

The Aging Together Partnership: Collaborating To Improve Quality Of Life For Older Adults, April Holmes, Chris Miller

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives 1. Demonstrate how the Aging Together experience improves services for older adults. 2. Describe the partnership structure and participation that makes this an effective model for community services amidst demographic changes. 3. Illustrate tangible service improvements resulting from Aging Together collaborations.

Micrornas (Mirnas) In Neurodegenerative Diseases, Peter T. Nelson, Wang-Xia Wang, Bernard W. Rajeev

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Aging-related neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) are the culmination of many different genetic and environmental influences. Prior studies have shown that RNAs are pathologically altered during the inexorable course of some NDs. Recent evidence suggests that microRNAs (miRNAs) may be a contributing factor in neurodegeneration. miRNAs are brain-enriched, small (~22 nucleotides) non-coding RNAs that participate in mRNA translational regulation. Although discovered in the framework of worm development, miRNAs are now appreciated to play a dynamic role in many mammalian brain-related biochemical pathways, including neuroplasticity and stress responses. Research about miRNAs in the context of neurodegeneration is accumulating rapidly, and the goal of …

Comparison Of Long-Term Care Residents' Food Intake, Body Weight, And Food Costs Between Two Meal Service Styles, Dee Murphy

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if residents (n = 26) living in an Iowa long-term care facility had differences in food intake at their noon meal and body weight when served traditional tray meal service for 10 weeks compared to being served restaurant-style meal service for 10 weeks. The study also evaluated the facility’s raw food costs of the two meal service styles.

Mean meal intake scale scores improved when residents were served restaurant-style meal service (0.4±0.3) compared to traditional tray meal service. Residents did not show a significant percent weight (1.1%±3.7%) change or percent BMI (0.9%±3.7%) …