Geriatrics Commons^™

The Benefits And Accessibility Of Integrative Exercise In Geriatric Populations, Elizabeth Nisper

Honors Projects

There are many physical and mental benefits of conventional exercise and they have been well-studied. However, integrative exercise practices aim to encompass more than physical fitness. There is also a spiritual/ethical component when taking into account aspects such as meditation and mindfulness. By examining a number of different health domains, we can study whether the benefits of yoga and tai chi extend beyond the benefits of exercise more broadly. While the short-term physical fitness benefits of other cardio and strength training may exceed those of integrative practices, yoga and tai chi appear to be equally as beneficial in the long …

Periodontitis And The Elderly: An Overview Of The Disease And Its Impact On An Aging Population, Nicole Grace Weissenfluh

Senior Honors Theses

Periodontitis affects millions of Americans each year, and is especially prevalent among the elderly. Since periodontitis is a chronic, progressive condition, uninterrupted disease progression leads to irreversible oral damage; therefore, periodontitis often reduces the oral health-related quality of life. Furthermore, research strongly suggests a correlation between periodontitis and other systemic diseases (e.g., cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus), highlighting the importance of understanding, treating, and preventing periodontitis. This thesis explores the pathology and etiology of periodontitis, with special focus given to the prevalence and impact of the disease in the elderly population. Additionally, the connection between periodontitis and other systemic diseases …

Motivational Interviewing In A Team-Based Wellness Clinic: Perceptions And Fidelity, Jodi M. Winship

Theses and Dissertations

INTRODUCTION: Motivational Interviewing (MI) is an evidenced based counseling style to elicit health behavior change. Team-based student clinics are an ideal climate for students to learn and practice team-based care, yet little is understood as to how client-centered communication styles such as MI are implemented in a team setting.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this dissertation was to conduct an exploratory study using mixed methods to better understand how an MI training translates to team-based communication with clients, the factors impacting team-based implementation of MI, and how team-based MI impacts clients’ perceived autonomy at a student-led, interprofessional, team-based wellness clinic for …

Conference Proceedings: Aurora Scientific Day 2018

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

This journal supplement includes selected abstracts from among the more than 50 presented at the 44th annual Aurora Scientific Day research symposium. Held May 25, 2018, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Aurora Scientific Day provides a forum for original research conducted by faculty, fellows, residents, and other allied health professionals affiliated with Aurora Health Care, an integrated health system with hospitals and clinics in Wisconsin and Illinois.

Multimodal Pain Management For Older Adults In Primary Care, Bina Solanky

DNP Qualifying Manuscripts

Persistent pain affects 50% to 75% of adults of the age of 65 and it is often underreported and undertreated in primary care. This manuscript discusses how nurse practitioners and other primary care providers can manage persistent pain in older adults utilizing nonpharmacological methods in addition to standard pharmacological treatments.

The Correlation Between Quality Of Care And Type Of Room In Long-Term Care Facilities In The Shenandoah Valley Of The Commonwealth Of Virginia, Hannah Twomey

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The purpose of this study was to examine if there was a present correlation the quality of care a resident in a long-term care facility received and the type of room they resided in. The researcher conducted a quantitative, cross-sectional research study of direct care healthcare providers (n=77) in four long-term care facilities in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia through the documentation of a paper survey. The survey questions were adapted from Nursing Home Survey on Patient Safety Culture and participants responded according to their personal habits regarding the quality of care they gave residents and feelings about their place …

Resilience And Protective Factors In Older Adults, Jessica Mcclain, Katelyn Gullatt, Caroline Lee

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Evidence suggests resilience promotes successful aging in place and protective factors promote resilience. This study sought to investigate whether or not the combination of three protective factors, physical health, social support, and self-efficacy are all of equal importance in predicting resilience among Marin County older adults, or if some individual protective factors have a greater impact on resilience than the others. Fifty-eight participants ages 62 and higher were recruited from senior community programs and personal contacts. Four self-report questionnaires were completed by the participants in this exploratory, cross-sectional, quantitative design. SPSS was used for a descriptive and multivariate analyses to …

Fighting Frailty With The Mediterranean Diet, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

It’s appropriate for each of us to examine our eating habits, not just our nutrition intake. The various aspects of the Mediterranean Diet hold potential benefits beyond the important feature of helping to reduce frailty.

Our Anniversary, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

The Virginia Center on Aging celebrates 40 years.

Into The Elder Law Trenches At Wake Forest University School Of Law, Kate Mewhinney

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives:

1. Examine the benefits of a medical-legal partnership for training law students how to represent older clients.

2. Review common legal issues in the field of elder law.

3. Explore broader policy concerns facing an aging population.

Silver Saddles: An Equestrian Intervention For Older Adults With Dementia, Christine Jensen, Jessica Lyon, Tina Thomas, Rachel Scrivano

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. Demonstrate the encouraging outcomes therapeutic horseback riding programs can have for older adults with memory loss.

2. Describe the importance of trained volunteers and staff at both the riding center and the long-term care community for aiding older adults with memory loss during the therapeutic riding program.

3. Showcase the research process and pilot results.

4. Highlight lessons learned and future directions for Silver Saddles.

Purple Urine Bag Syndrome: An Educational Case Of A Colorful Condition In The Chronically Catheterized, Teshome Gebrmichael, Fikirte Feleke, Waseem Ahmed, Madhulika Urella, Samson Teka

Marshall Journal of Medicine

Purple Urine Bag Syndrome is a rare condition characterized by purple discoloration of the urinary drainage bag. It is typically seen in elderly patients with chronic indwelling urinary catheterization, and is associated with urinary tract infections with high bacterial load, female gender, severe disability, constipation, and alkaline urine. This phenomenon occurs when tryptophan metabolites in the urine are broken down by bacteria containing indoxyl sulphatase and phosphatase enzymes. This results in the production of indigo and indirubin, which combine to give a purple appearance. This article presents a 78-year-old male with chronic urinary retention requiring intermittent Foley catheterization for the …

In The Information Age, Do Dementia Caregivers Get The Information They Need? Semi-Structured Interviews To Determine Informal Caregivers’ Education Needs, Barriers, And Preferences, Kendra Peterson, Howard Hahn, Amber J. Lee, Catherine A. Madison, Alireza Atri

Dartmouth Scholarship

Most patients with dementia or cognitive impairment receive care from family members, often untrained for this challenging role. Caregivers may not access publicly available caregiving information, and caregiver education programs are not widely implemented clinically. Prior large surveys yielded broad quantitative understanding of caregiver information needs, but do not illuminate the in-depth, rich, and nuanced caregiver perspectives that can be gleaned using qualitative methodology. We aimed to understand perspectives about information sources, barriers and preferences, through semi-structured interviews with 27 caregivers. Content analysis identified important themes

Polypharmacy And Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use In Geriatric Oncology., Manvi Sharma, Kah Poh Loh, Ginah Nightingale Pharmd, Bcop, Supriya G. Mohile, Holly M. Holmes

College of Pharmacy Faculty Papers

Polypharmacy is a highly prevalent problem in older persons, and is challenging to assess and improve due to variations in definitions of the problem and the heterogeneous methods of medication review and reduction. The purpose of this review is to summarize evidence regarding the prevalence and impact of polypharmacy in geriatric oncology patients and to provide recommendations for assessment and management. Polypharmacy has somewhat variably been incorporated into geriatric assessment studies in geriatric oncology, and polypharmacy has not been consistently evaluated as a predictor of negative outcomes in patients with cancer. Once screened, interventions for polypharmacy are even more uncertain. …

Animal Cruelty And Elder Abuse, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

Continuing and expanding the American Psychological Association's guidance that those in counseling roles be alert to and ask questions about care of animals could provide some early warnings, perhaps in time to avoid harm to both animals and people. Encouraging our children to interact with kindness towards animals can’t help but pay dividends over the life course. We need to pay attention to the link of indifference or neglect of pets leading to the same with humans, with those in later life.

Palliative Care Is More Care, Not Less, Rachel Selby-Penczak

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives:

1. Discuss the origins of hospice and palliative care.

2. Compare and contrast Curative, Palliative, and Hospice Models of Care.

3. Identify when palliative care is appropriate.

Palette: An Intergenerational Art Program To Improve Health Care Delivery And Health Outcomes Of Older Adults, Sadie Rubin

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives:

1. Demonstrate the positive out-comes of the PALETTE model in training and educating health pro-fessional students in gerontological experiences.

2. Describe the partnerships devel-oped and their importance in exe-cuting PALETTE programs.

3. Highlight student experiences in intergenerational visual arts and intergenerational movement arts.

Reporting Practices, Knowledge And Opinion Of Policy Regarding Drivers With Dementia Among Arkansas Neurologists And Geriatricians, Erika Martin Gergerich

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: States have various policies regarding a physician's ability or responsibility to report at-risk drivers with dementia to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Some states have mandatory reporting policies, others have optional reporting policies and some have no policy regarding this issue. Arkansas has no reporting policy regarding drivers with dementia to the DMV. Therefore, physicians in Arkansas face the risk of liability if they report a patient against their will to the DMV in good faith. Neurologists and geriatricians are often in a position to diagnose and treat individuals with dementia. Research Questions: The following three research questions …

Disappearing Before My Eyes, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

Dr. Edward Ansello details the last memories he made and recalled with his mother, who struggled with memory loss in later life.

Preventing Financial Exploitation, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

Financial exploitation of older adults isn’t going away. We each need to be aware and proactive.

Remembering Our Friends, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

We remember three men whose caring for others was, indeed, exceptional: Bill Egelhoff, Benny Lambert, and Frank Hall.

Available Telephone Services For Older Virginians Who Are Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing, Clayton E. Bowen

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives:

1. To identify signs of hearing loss in older adults.

2. To introduce the Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (VDDHH) and some of its programs and services.

3. To examine three VDDHH services and qualification guidelines.

4. To review how service recipients benefit from these programs.

Sleep Disorders And Cardiac Consequences, Robert D. Vorona

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives:

1. Review the clear relationship between obstructive sleep apnea and hypertension.

2. Discuss the cardiac consequences of sleep apnea, including coronary heart disease, heart failure, and different dysrhythmias.

3. Understand that sleep disorders beyond obstructive sleep apnea, such as insufficient sleep itself, may have an impact on the cardiovascular system.

4. Appreciate the potential benefits of identifying and treating sleep disorders for our health.

Building Interprofessional Teams Through Evidence Based Practice Training In Falls Prevention, Constance L. Coogle, Edward F. Ansello, Patricia Slattum, Pamela L. Parsons

Case Studies from Age in Action

Objectives

1. Analyze an Evidence Based Practice (EBP) program on falls prevention as a vehicle for successful interprofessional team-building.

2. Examine ways that organizational characteristics can affect team functioning.

3. Compare interprofessional teambuilding in two sites.

4. Discuss elements of interprofessional teams that contributed to practice changes.

Impact Of Poor Air Quality On Chronic Respiratory Problems Among The Elderly, James D. Blando, My Ngoc Nguyen, Manasi Sheth-Chandra, Muge Akpinar-Elci

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

[First Paragraph] There is a considerable body of evidence that suggests poor ambient air quality contributes to increased mortality and morbidity. ^1,2,3,4,5 The impact of ambient air quality on different segments of the general population, including children and among the elderly has also been investigated.^6,7,8,9 In light of the well documented public health significance of air pollution, it is imperative that investigators continue to evaluate details regarding the impact of poor air quality. In particular, it is interesting to note that some research has indicated an increased risk of the young and the elderly being admitted to the hospital …

[Sabbatical Report], Dana Burr Bradley

Sabbatical Reports

Write, submit and present information on geriatrics.

The Lifelong Learning Institute In Chesterfield: Ten Years Of Growing, Edward F. Ansello, Monica Hughes

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. To review changes in patterns of continuing learning and non-traditional education.

2. To profile membership and their interests in lifelong learning.

3. To highlight the development of the Lifelong Learning Institute of Chesterfield as a possible model for replication.

Protecting The Vulnerable: Free Ways To Prevent Financial Exploitation, Christopher Desimone

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. Relate recurring patterns of perpetrators who exploit older adults.

2. Describe no-cost actions to protect assets from financial exploitation.

3. Explain differences among types of power of attorney.

Remembering Through Music: Music Therapy And Dementia, Melissa Owens

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. Define music therapy and its benefits with older adults with dementia and related disorders/ diseases.

2. Describe active and passive music therapy interventions and strategies for older adult populations.

3. Identify the ways a non-musician can use music to engage older adults and mitigate some symptoms of dementia.

The Necessity Of Leisure And Physical Activity, Alison Clarke, Stephanie Goode

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. Explain the value and benefit of physical and leisure activity across the lifespan, regardless of physical limitations.

2. Identify barriers to participation in physical and leisure activity.

3. Discuss strategies to engage and maintain physical and recreational activity participation.