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- Barbabella, Francesco, 1984-, et al.
(författare)
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Impact of ICT-based interventions on family caregivers : A cross-analysis of 54 good practices in Europe
- 2013
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Ingår i: The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging. - 1279-7707 .- 1760-4788. ; 17:Supplement, June/July, s. S447-S447
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have gained an increasing relevance for delivering innovative care and support services for dependent older people and their family caregivers. Although ICT-based interventions can vary remarkably in terms of functions, target users, operational aspects and technologies used, little knowledge is available concerning their implementationand impact in Europe, a gap that the CARICT project (http://is.jrc.es/pages/EAP/eInclusion/carers.html) has tried to fill.Method: 54 ICT-based interventions addressing needs of older peopleor their family caregivers have been identified in 12 European countries through internet search, literature review and expert interviews. Reports have been delivered for each case studied, and cross-analysed to better understand their potential impact at micro, meso and macro level.Results: Little evidence was found for positive outcomes at micro-level, including improvements in users’ health relatedquality of life and social inclusion. At meso-level, implementation of 1st/2nd generation telecare contributes to reduce hospitalization and institutionalization rates of older users, as well asto cost savings for local care providers. At macro-level, only one intervention shows concrete effects on a larger scale through a targeted program evaluation, while most ICT-based interventions do not useany tool to assess their impact, and can thus demonstrate only technology acceptance or users’ satisfaction.Conclusion: The lack of relevant evidence at all levels, as well as difficulties in comparing and generalising results, strongly urge practitioners to improve impact assessment methodologies and researchers to develop a better general framework of ICT potentials at a conceptual, theoretical and methodological level in this area.
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- Barbabella, Francesco, 1984-, et al.
(författare)
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Increasing inclusion and participation of the young-old and the old-old
- 2013
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Ingår i: The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging. - 1279-7707 .- 1760-4788. ; 17:Supplement, June/July, s. S132-S132
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: While healthy ageing represents a pre-condition for older people to enjoy a longer and disability-free life span, quality of life in older age is dependent also upon society’s ability to grant individuals social protection, as well as to promote their active participation in the community until the very end of life. These issues constitute a challenge for current and future research on ageing.Method: A 2-year consultation process with over 70 international experts was conducted within the FUTURAGE work-stream focussedon social and economic resources in ageing research. This process allowed a comprehensive discussion on most relevant social participation and protection issues involving scientists, users’ organisations, policy makers and other stakeholders, which led to a set of specific research priorities.Results: The main challenges identified for future ageing research concerning social participation are: ageism; migration; life-long learning; digital divide; spirituality; volunteering; mobility and accessibility; discrimination in the labour market; consumption and access to products and services; and work-life balance. As for social protection, the following core issues have been spotted: sustainability; support to informal carers (also through ICT-based services); efficiency; access to care; cost-effectiveness and quality of interventions; initiatives to improve intergenerational solidarity.Conclusion: Societal challenges related to social participation and sustainability of social protection systems clearly urge new actions in research, practices and policy on ageing. In particular, the identification of over-arching issues, barriers and enablers contributes to strengthen scientific research in the field, as well as to support policy makers in improving social life and quality of life of older people.
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- Barbabella, Francesco, 1984-, et al.
(författare)
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Opportunities and challenges of migrant work in the Italian long-term care system
- 2013
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Ingår i: The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging. - 1279-7707 .- 1760-4788. ; 17:Supplement, Juny/july, s. S133-S133
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: Italy is one of the most aged countries in the world, with a longstanding tradition of family care of the dependent elderly. Inrecent times, however, Italy has been witnessing in-depth social and cultural changes, which have been negatively impacting on informal care provision. In addition, the public long-term care (LTC) system highly relies on cash-for-care schemes for supporting older people, whereas “formal” care services are characterised by weak coverage and intensity. This situation has led to a remarkable increase in theprivate employment of migrant care workers (MCWs), whose number increased by four times in the last two decades.Method: An overview of MCWs phenomenon in Italy is provided through the analysis of empirical data retrieved by available official sources at national level, as well as by results from own surveys conducted in recent years on large samples of MCWs.Results: The following opportunities and challenges concerning MCWs’ employment in the LTC sector were identified: improve MCW’s capacity to deliver quality care; reduce therisk of elder abuse and neglect and of meeting MCWs’ own care needs; increase their social integration in destination countries and reduce “care drain” in sending countries; and how to improve stakeholders’ involvement for a better exchange of good practices and more effective policy measures.Conclusion: In these years, privately employed MCWs have contributed to change the traditional Italian “family care model” into a new “migrant-in-the-family care model”. However, the issue concerning the sustainability of this model within the Italian LTC system in the future is still open.
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- Bildtgård, Torbjörn, 1970-, et al.
(författare)
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Attitudes, experiences and expectations on new intimate relationships in later life : results from a Swedish national survey
- 2013
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Ingår i: The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging. - : Springer. - 1279-7707 .- 1760-4788. ; 17:Suppl. 1, s. 109-
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Introduction : More than a million, or almost half, of the 60+ population (46%) in Sweden today are singles (never married, divorced, widows/widowers), a majority are women and the actual number as well as the proportion of divorcees is increasing. Still, we know very little about the intimate lives of non-married elderly people or about re-partnering in later life. This presentation focuses attitudes to, expectations on, and experiences of new intimate relations in later life.Method : It is based on results from a new representative survey of 3 000 Swedes, 60-90 years old (boosted with regards to non-married people), that was developed from questions generated by a recent qualitative interview study with 28 Swedes who had established a new relationship after the age of 60.Results : We describe attitudes, expectations and experiences in the older population generally, but also in different groups defined on the basis of gender, class, life-course phase, sexual orientation, degree of urbanization and intimacy career. We also focus the importance of intimate relationships for older people’s quality of life, and reason about how structures of informal support may look for older people who enter new intimate relationships.Conclusion : As of november 2012 we are still in an early phase of the survey work, thus conclusions are pending.
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- Bökberg, Christina, et al.
(författare)
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Professional care providers and stakeholders’ views of best practice in the care for persons with dementia in Sweden
- 2013
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Ingår i: The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging. - Heidelberg : Springer. - 1279-7707 .- 1760-4788. ; 17:Suppl. 1, s. S369-S370
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: Dementia implies progressive loss of mental and physical functions during the trajectory of the disease (Porter & Kaplan, 2012). Persons with dementia need involvement of various and several care providers throughout the stages of dementia, and more knowledge is needed about best practice strategies in this complexity of care (Gurner, 2001). The aim of the study was to explore professional care providers and stakeholders’ views of best practice in concepts of information, collaboration and communication in the care for persons with dementia in Sweden.Method: The study had a qualitative approach based on three focus group interviews with a variation among participants regarding professions and workplaces to represent different types of care for persons with dementia from diagnosis to end of life care. The transcribed verbatim was analyzed with qualitative content analysis.Preliminary results: In early stages primary health care specialized in dementia had close collaboration, training and mentoring, with memory clinic and home care. In the later stages the person with dementia had less frequent contacts with primary health care. Day care played an important role in information delivery of the disease, in collaboration with home and institutional care. In the latest stage the family had an important role as a proxy for the person with dementia about desires in the care.Conclusion: A well-functioning network in professional care seems to have an impact on persons with dementia to remain at home despite loss of mental and physical functions.On the behalf of RightTimePlaceCare consortium. http://www.righttimeplacecare.eu.
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- Carlsson, Maine, 1955-, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of high-intensity exercise and protein supplement on muscle mass in ADL dependent older people with and without malnutrition : a randomized controlled trial
- 2011
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Ingår i: The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1279-7707 .- 1760-4788. ; 15:7, s. 554-560
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Loss of muscle mass is common among old people living in institutions but trials that evaluate interventions aimed at increasing the muscle mass are lacking. Objective, participants and intervention This randomized controlled trial was performed to evaluate the effect of a high-intensity functional exercise program and a timed protein-enriched drink on muscle mass in 177 people aged 65 to 99 with severe physical or cognitive impairments, and living in residential care facilities. Design Three-month high-intensity exercise was compared with a control activity and a protein-enriched drink was compared with a placebo drink. A bioelectrical impedance spectrometer (BIS) was used in the evaluation. The amount of muscle mass and body weight (BW) were followed-up at three and six months and analyzed in a 2 × 2 factorial ANCOVA, using the intention to treat principle, and controlling for baseline values. Results At 3-month follow-up there were no differences in muscle mass and BW between the exercise and the control group or between the protein and the placebo group. No interaction effects were seen between the exercise and nutritional intervention. Long-term negative effects on muscle mass and BW was seen in the exercise group at the 6-month follow-up. Conclusion A three month high-intensity functional exercise program did not increase the amount of muscle mass and an intake of a protein-enriched drink immediately after the exercise did not induce any additional effect on muscle mass. There were negative long-term effects on muscle mass and BW, indicating that it is probably necessary to compensate for an increased energy demand when offering a high-intensity exercise program.
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- Carlsson, Maine, et al.
(författare)
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Poor nutritional status is associated with urinary tract infection among older people living in residential care facilities
- 2013
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Ingår i: The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1279-7707 .- 1760-4788. ; 17:2, s. 186-191
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- To investigate factors associated with poor nutritional status in older people living in residential care facilities. Methods: 188 residents (136 women, 52 men) with physical and cognitive impairments participated. Mean age was 84.7 y (range 65-100). The Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), Barthel ADL Index, Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), and Geriatric Depression Scale were used to evaluate nutritional status, activities of daily living, cognitive status and depressive symptoms. Medical conditions, clinical characteristics and prescribed drugs were recorded. Univariate and multivariate regressions were used to investigate associations with MNA scores. Results: The mean MNA score was 20.5 +/- 3.7 (range 5.5-27) and the median was 21 (interquartile range (IQR) 18.8-23.0). Fifteen per cent of participants were classified as malnourished and 66% at risk of malnutrition. Lower MNA scores were independently associated with urinary tract infection (UTI) during the preceding year (beta = -0.21, P = 0.006), lower MMSE scores (beta = 0.16, P = 0.030), and dependent in feeding (beta = -0.14, P = 0.040). Conclusion: The majority of participants were at risk of or suffering from malnutrition. Urinary tract infection during the preceding year was independently associated with poor nutritional status. Dependence in feeding was also associated with poor nutritional status as were low MMSE scores for women. Prospective observations and randomized controlled trials are necessary to gain an understanding of a causal association between malnutrition and UTI.
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- Dullemeijer, C., et al.
(författare)
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Plasma very long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and age-related hearing loss in older adults
- 2010
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Ingår i: The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1279-7707 .- 1760-4788. ; 14:5, s. 347-351
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: Age-related hearing loss is a common social and health problem in the older adult population. Up until now, very little scientific attention has been given to the potential role of fatty acids in age-related hearing loss. In this study we investigated whether plasma very long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are associated with age-related hearing loss over three years.DESIGN: Cross-sectional and 3-year longitudinal analyses.SETTING: Wageningen, the Netherlands.PARTICIPANTS: 720 men and postmenopausal women (50-70 years of age) without middle ear dysfunction or unilateral hearing loss.MEASUREMENTS: Fatty acid proportions were measured in plasma cholesteryl esters. Hearing thresholds (in decibels, dB) at baseline and after three years were measured with pure-tone audiometry. Hearing loss was calculated as the increase in mean hearing thresholds in the low (0.5-kHz, 1-kHz, and 2-kHz) and high (4-kHz, 6-kHz, and 8-kHz) frequencies over three years.RESULTS: Subjects in the highest quartile of plasma very long-chain n-3 PUFA had less hearing loss in the low frequencies over three years than subjects in the lowest quartile (p < 0.01, ANCOVA, difference in mean adjusted hearing thresholds= -1.2 dB). There were no significant differences between the quartiles of plasma very long-chain n-3 PUFA in hearing loss in the high frequencies (p=0.49, ANCOVA). These associations are adjusted for baseline mean hearing thresholds, age, sex, level of education and alcohol consumption.CONCLUSION: This study is the first to show an inverse association between plasma very long-chain n-3 PUFAs and age-related hearing loss. These results are encouraging, but require confirmation from future studies.
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