Geriatrics Commons^™

Interdisciplinary Aspects Of Cultural Engagement In Older Adults: Who/What/Why/When/How, Penny Roberts

Crossroads of Music and Wellness

The population of the United States is aging. Caring for older adults requires a variety of approaches and collaboration among professionals. One approach, cultural engagement, involves experiences rooted in cultural activities, such as choir singing, group music, art- and craft-making, drama involvement, etc. Cultural engagement provides opportunities to address aging-associated issues that will not interfere with medication or other treatments. The concept of cultural engagement has been successfully applied to a number of fields including chronic disease management, addictive behaviors, and pain control.

Increasing Adult's Awareness Of The Importance Of End-Of-Life Care Discussions, Taylor Gardner

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

For many American families, end-of-life care is often not discussed, until advanced illness or injury has fully disrupted everyday life. There are many benefits to discussing end-of-life care prior to any medical complications. Research has shown that individuals who plan their end-of-life processes with a hospice service provider and family members report a higher quality of death than individuals receiving common health care during their final six months of life. In order to make families and friends more comfortable with end-of-life discussions, I will conduct two one-hour educational sessions to students at California State University, Monterey Bay.

A Sensory-Based Program To Enhance Occupational Performance For Dementia, Ivy Annahi Torres-Flores, Jacob Gantan, Heather Anne August, Naomi Grace Wong

Occupational Therapy | MSOT Capstone Projects

Dementia is a neurological disease, causing behavioral and cognitive symptoms, that progressively impairs an individual’s ability to engage in meaningful activities. Progressive deterioration associated with dementia impacts occupational performance and independence and quality of life. Sensory based interventions, such as drumming groups, have been hypothesized to be a non-pharmacological intervention for individuals with dementia. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of a sensory based intervention program, in this case participation in a drumming group, on functional engagement during self-feeding for individuals with dementia. Researchers gathered data over the course of two days using the Functional Behavior …

Getting Personal With Dementia: Physician Assistant Student Virtual Reality Immersion, Diane Visich, Dana Vilmore, Elizabeth Dyer

MaineHealth Maine Medical Center

Introduction:

Approximately 5.7 million people in the United States are living with dementia, with numbers expected to rise to 13.8 million by 2050 As prevalence grows, it is crucial to train future providers to meet the complex and diverse needs of patients and caregivers. Virtual reality (VR) is a growing tool in medical education, but few studies explore this tool for dementia education. One study found VR had a positive impact on medical and pharmacy students’ knowledge and attitudes toward people with dementia.Another study found VR increased the understanding and empathy in medical and physician assistant (PA) students for adults …

Validation Of A 5-Minute Vpc Test To Assess And Compare Cognitively Intact Individuals And Individuals With Cognitive Impairments, Spencer Smith

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The prevalence of cognitive impairments in the older adult population is growing. Finding treatment solutions to impede a cognitive decline can possibly lead to fewer cases of mild cognitive impairment, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease. A Visual Paired Comparison (VPC) could serve as a tool to predict, monitor, and regulate people who are susceptible to a cognitive decline. The purpose of this study was to 1) to determine the validity of the Neurotrack 5-minute VPC test with the Neurotrack 30-minute VPC test, 2) to determine the test-retest reliability of the Neurotrack 5-minute VPC test, 3) to compare Neurotrack 5-minute VPC scores …

Factors Associated With Food Insecurity Among Individuals, Aged Sixty And Older, In Clark County, Nv, Lisa M. Segler

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Food insecurity is defined as a lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life. In Nevada, an estimated 80,000 individuals, aged 60 years or older, were food insecure in 2016. The primary aim of this study was to identify factors that are associated with food insecurity in older adults, aged sixty and older, in Clark County, NV. The secondary aim of this study was to identify which factors interact with each other to explain food insecurity among individuals aged sixty and older, in Clark County, NV. A secondary data analysis was conducted using data collected by …

Internamente Solo: Escuchando Y Resistiendo La Soledad De Adultos Mayores En La Araucanía, Chile / Internally Alone: Hearing And Resisting The Loneliness Of Seniors In La Araucanía, Chile, Grace Ellrodt

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Research Question: Which current patterns drive or diminish loneliness among seniors of the Region of the Araucanía in the city of Temuco and surrounding rural communes?

Objectives: Understand and interpret the roots and the antidotes of the loneliness phenomenon experienced by seniors in Temuco and surrounding communes in the present moment.

Identify and analyze the drivers of pathological elder loneliness in structural, intermediary, and proximal factors.

Highlight the perspectives and narratives of seniors, community leaders, and health resources with respect to strategies to reduce the crisis.

Background: Currently, the population of seniors has risen and will continue to rise in …

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 …

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 …

Is Technology The Key To Prevention Of Falls Among The Elderly In Rapidly Aging Societies? A Case Study Of Kunming, China, Phoebe Kiburi

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As the aging society rapidly becomes more dominant in the world, there is a pressing need for different stakeholders to tend to the needs of the aging sufficiently. This is crucial in ensuring the robustness of the healthcare system as a whole; given that it can only be as strong as its weakest link. This study focuses on one of the areas of need of the ageing society: fall prevention.

Numerous studies have been done on interventions by the government, private entities, elderly people and their caregivers to prevent occurrence and recurrence of falls. However, most of these have been …

Tobacco Smoking And Dementia In A Kentucky Cohort: A Competing Risk Analysis, Erin L. Abner, Peter T. Nelson, Gregory A. Jicha, Gregory E. Cooper, David W. Fardo, Frederick A. Schmitt, Richard J. Kryscio

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Tobacco smoking was examined as a risk for dementia and neuropathological burden in 531 initially cognitively normal older adults followed longitudinally at the University of Kentucky’s Alzheimer’s Disease Center. The cohort was followed for an average of 11.5 years; 111 (20.9%) participants were diagnosed with dementia, while 242 (45.6%) died without dementia. At baseline, 49 (9.2%) participants reported current smoking (median pack-years = 47.3) and 231 (43.5%) former smoking (median pack-years = 24.5). The hazard ratio (HR) for dementia for former smokers versus never smokers based on the Cox model was 1.64 (95% CI: 1.09, 2.46), while the HR for …

Evaluating Trajectories Of Episodic Memory In Normal Cognition And Mild Cognitive Impairment: Results From Adni, Xiuhua Ding, Richard J. Charnigo, Frederick A. Schmitt, Richard J. Kryscio, Erin L. Abner, Alzheimer’S Disease Neuroimaging Initiative

Statistics Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Memory assessment is a key factor for the diagnosis of cognitive impairment. However, memory performance over time may be quite heterogeneous within diagnostic groups.

METHOD: To identify latent trajectories in memory performance and their associated risk factors, we analyzed data from Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) participants who were classified either as cognitively normal or as Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) at baseline and were administered the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning test (RAVLT) for up to 9 years. Group-based trajectory modeling on the 30-minute RAVLT delayed recall score was applied separately to the two baseline diagnostic groups.

RESULTS: There were …

Depressive Symptoms In People With Vision Impairment: A Cross-Sectional Study To Identify Who Is Most At Risk, Claire Nollett, Barbara Ryan, Nathan Bray, Catey Bunce, Robin J. Casten, Rhiannon Tudor Edwards, David Gillespie, Daniel J. Smith, Miles Stanford, Tom H. Margrain

Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior Faculty Papers

Objective To identify the risk factors for significant depressive symptoms in people with visual impairment in England and Wales to provide information on who is most at risk and to whom support services could be targeted in future. Design A cross-sectional study using baseline data from a pragmatic randomised controlled trial. Setting and participants 990 participants aged 18 or over attending 1 of 14 low-vision rehabilitation primary care optometry-based clinics in South Wales or two hospital clinics in London. Outcome measure A score of ≥6 on the Geriatric Depression Scale-15 was classed as clinically significant depressive symptoms. Results In a …

Loneliness In Later Life, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

The National Social Life, Health and Aging Project (NSHAP) at the University of Chicago notes that persistent loneliness in later life is the exception rather than the rule. When it occurs, it’s most likely to be a transient condition and remediable.

Blue Zones And Longevity, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

We can embrace the generalizable characteristics of Blue Zones: a plant-based diet, friendships, spiritual or religious grounding, awareness of and immersion in our community, physical activity as a regular, normalized part of our daily routine, and, more philosophically, an opening up to our own sense of place and purpose.

Dementia-Friendly Resources, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

While dementia caregiving challenges continue for individual caregivers and communities, Alzpossible.org and Dementia Friendly America (dfamerica.org) can offer immediate support and a hopeful vision.

Interprofessional Geriatrics: Improving The Health Of Older Adults, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

We have received a five-year award (2019-2024) from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to grow our Virginia Geriatric Education Center (VGEC) project, which aims to improve health outcomes across Virginia for older adults by developing a healthcare workforce that maximizes patient and family engagement, integrating geriatrics and primary care, and demonstrating measurable impact.

The Mason Music & Memory Initiative (M3i), Catherine J. Tompkins, Emily S. Ihara, Megumi Inoue, Christi Clark, Kristen Suthers Rumrill

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. Explain the benefits of a nonpharmacological intervention, such as the M3I, for persons with dementia.

2. Describe the work of M3I and its collaboration with students and faculty throughout the state.

3.Highlight lessons learned and future directions for the M3I.

Virginianavigator/Gwep Community Outreach Training For Older Adults, Caregivers, And Service Programs, Adrienne Johnson, Kim Tarantino

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. Demonstrate how VirginiaNavigator (VN) can support self-care and connecting with community resources.

2. Discuss how VN can assist service providers who work with older adults and their families.

3. Explain how VN relates to six focus areas of the Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) to improve the well-being of older adults.

The Senior Mentoring Program At Vcu’S School Of Medicine, Leland H. Waters, Madeline Mcintyre

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. To demonstrate the value of senior mentoring in geriatrics education for medical students.

2. To provide a framework for positively influencing student attitudes toward older adults.

3. To describe the underlying human relationships that contribute to patient-centered care.

4. To describe effective verbal and non-verbal skills to establish and build relationships.