| 1. |
- Berner, Jessica, et al.
(författare)
-
Factors influencing Internet usage in older adults (65 years and above) living in rural and urban Sweden
- 2015
-
Ingår i: Health Informatics Journal. - : Sage Publications. - 1460-4582 .- 1741-2811. ; 21:3, s. 237-249
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Older adults living in rural and urban areas have shown to distinguish themselves in technology adoption; a clearer profile of their Internet use is important in order to provide better technological and health-care solutions. Older adults' Internet use was investigated across large to midsize cities and rural Sweden. The sample consisted of 7181 older adults ranging from 59 to 100 years old. Internet use was investigated with age, education, gender, household economy, cognition, living alone/or with someone and rural/urban living. Logistic regression was used. Those living in rural areas used the Internet less than their urban counterparts. Being younger and higher educated influenced Internet use; for older urban adults, these factors as well as living with someone and having good cognitive functioning were influential. Solutions are needed to avoid the exclusion of some older adults by a society that is today being shaped by the Internet.
|
|
| 2. |
- Liljeroos, Maria, 1965-, et al.
(författare)
-
Long-term effects of a dyadic psycho-educational intervention on caregiver burden and morbidity in partners of patients with heart failure : a randomized controlled trial
- 2017
-
Ingår i: Quality of Life Research. - Dordrecht : Springer Netherlands. - 0962-9343 .- 1573-2649. ; 26:2, s. 367-379
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundPartners of patients with heart failure provide both practical and emotional support. Many partners assume caregiving responsibilities without being aware of the burden related with this role.ObjectiveOur work has established that a psycho-educational intervention has benefits at 3, but not at 12 months for patients with heart failure. Further we had not described the long-term effects in caregivers. This study aimed to determine the 24-months effects of a dyadic psycho-educational intervention on caregiver burden and morbidity in partners of patients with heart failure and study factors associated with a change in caregiver burden.DesignA randomized controlled study design, with a follow-up assessment after 24 months.Setting and participantsPartners to patients with heart failure were recruited from two hospitals in the southeast of Sweden.InterventionA three session nurse-led psycho-educational program was tested and included psychosocial support to maintain the partners’ physical and mental functions, and perceived control. Several instrument were used to measure caregiver burden, perceived control, physical and mental health, depression and morbidity.ResultsOne hundred fifty-five partners were included. There were no significant differences in any index of caregiver burden or morbidity among the partners in the intervention and control groups after 24 months. Overall, the mean total caregiver burden was found to be significantly increased compared to baseline (36 ± 12 vs 38 ± 14, p < 0.05). A younger partner, less comorbidity, higher levels of perceived control, better physical health and less symptoms of depression in patients, and better mental health in the partners were factors associated with absence of increased caregiver burden over time.Discussion and conclusionOur intervention did not significantly decrease caregiver burden or morbidity. Over time, several aspects of burden increased in both groups. To improve outcomes, individualized and targeted interventions might be beneficial.
|
|
| 3. |
- Hammar, Tora, 1984-, et al.
(författare)
-
Potential drug-related problems detected by electronic expert support system : physicians’ views on clinical relevance
- 2015
-
Ingår i: International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2210-7703 .- 2210-7711. ; 37:5, s. 941-948
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Drug-related problems cause suffering for patients and substantial costs. Multi-dose drug dispensing is a service in which patients receive their medication packed in bags with one unit for each dose occasion. The electronic expert support system (EES) is a clinical decision support system that provides alerts if potential drug-related problems are detected among a patients’ current prescriptions, including drug–drug interactions, therapy duplications, high doses, drug-disease interactions, drug gender warnings, and inappropriate drugs and doses for geriatric or pediatric patients. Objective The aim of the study was to explore physicians’ views on the clinical relevance of alerts provided by EES. Furthermore we investigated if physicians performed any changes in drug treatment following the alerts and if there were any differences in perceived relevance and performed changes between different types of alerts and drugs. Setting Two geriatric clinics and three primary care units in Sweden. Method Prescribed medications for patients (n = 254) with multi-dose drug dispensing were analyzed for potential drug-related problems using EES. For each alert, a physician assessed clinical relevance and indicated any intended action. A total of 15 physicians took part in the study. Changes in drug treatment following the alerts were later measured. The relationship between variables was analyzed using Chi square test. Main outcome measure Physicians’ perceived clinical relevance of each alert, and changes in drug treatment following the alerts. ResultsPhysicians perceived 68 % (502/740) of EES alerts as clinically relevant and 11 % of all alerts were followed by a change in drug treatment. Clinical relevance and likelihood to make changes in drug treatment was related to the alert category and substances involved in the alert. Conclusion In most patients with multi-dose drug dispensing, EES detected potential drug-related problems, with the majority of the alerts regarded as clinically relevant and some followed by measurable changes in drug treatment.
|
|
| 4. |
- Lagergren, Mårten, et al.
(författare)
-
Horizontal and vertical targeting : a population-based comparison of public eldercare services in urban and rural areas of Sweden
- 2016
-
Ingår i: Aging Clinical and Experimental Research. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1594-0667 .- 1720-8319. ; 28:1, s. 147-158
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The concepts of target efficiency can be used to assess the extent to which service provision is in line with the needs of the population. Horizontal target efficiency denotes the extent to which those deemed to need a service receive it and vertical target efficiency is the corresponding extent to which those who receive services actually need them. The aim of this study was to assess the target efficiency of the Swedish eldercare system and to establish whether target efficiencies differ in different geographical areas such as large urban, midsize urban and rural areas. Vertical efficiency was measured by studying those people who received eldercare services and was expressed as a percentage of those who received services who were functionally dependent. To measure horizontal target efficiency, data collected at baseline in the longitudinal population study SNAC (Swedish National study on Aging and Care) during the years 2001-2004 were used. The horizontal efficiency was calculated as the percentage of functionally dependent persons who received services. Functional dependency was measured as having difficulty with instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) and/or personal activities of daily living (PADL). Services included long-term municipal eldercare services (LTC). Horizontal target efficiency for the public LTC system was reasonably high in all three geographical areas, when using dependency in PADL as the measure of need (70-90 %), but efficiency was lower when the less restrictive measure of IADL dependency was used (40-50 %). In both cases, the target efficiency was markedly higher in the large urban and the rural areas than in the midsize urban areas. Vertical target efficiency showed the same pattern-it was almost 100 % in all areas for IADL dependency, but only 50-60 % for PADL dependency. Household composition differed in the areas studied as did the way public long-term care was provided to people living alone as compared to those co-habiting.
|
|
| 5. |
- Karlsson, Staffan, 1959-, et al.
(författare)
-
Trends in treatment with antipsychotic medication in relation to national directives, in people with dementia : a review of the Swedish context
- 2017
-
Ingår i: BMC Psychiatry. - London : BioMed Central. - 1471-244X. ; 17, s. 1-9
-
Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: The aim of this study was to explore trends in treatment with antipsychotic medication in Swedish dementia care in nursing homes as reported in the most recent empirical studies on the topic, and to relate these trends to directives from the national authorities. Methods: The study included two scoping review studies based on searches of electronic databases as well as the Swedish directives in the field. Results: During the past decade, directives have been developed for antipsychotic medication in Sweden. These directives were generic at first, but have become increasingly specific and restrictive with time. The scoping review showed that treatment with antipsychotic drugs varied between 6% and 38%, and was higher in younger older persons and in those with moderate cognitive impairment and living in nursing homes for people with dementia. A decreasing trend in antipsychotic use has been seen over the last 15 years. Conclusions: Directives from the authorities in Sweden may have had an impact on treatment with antipsychotic medication for people with dementia. Treatment with antipsychotic medication has decreased, while treatment with combinations of psychotropic medications is common. National directives may possibly be even more effective, if applied in combination with systematic follow-ups.
|
|
| 6. |
- Fagerström, Cecilia, Docent, 1973-, et al.
(författare)
-
Everyday Health among Older People : A Comparison between Two Countries with Variant Life Conditions
- 2017
-
Ingår i: Journal of Aging Research. - : Hindawi Limited. - 2090-2204 .- 2090-2212. ; 2017
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study described health factors of importance for everyday health, such as pain, tiredness, and sleeping problems, in a cross-national context. Data for persons 60+ years were obtained from the Poverty and Health in Aging study, Bangladesh, and the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care-Blekinge. The strongest associations with everyday health in Sweden were found for pain and tiredness, while in Bangladesh they were financial status, tiredness, and sleeping problems. As similarities were found regarding the associations of tiredness on everyday health, tiredness may be a universal predictor of everyday health in older adults irrespective of country context.
|
|
| 7. |
- Wimo, Anders, et al.
(författare)
-
Formal and informal care of community-living older people : A population-based study from the swedish national study on aging and care
- 2017
-
Ingår i: The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging. - : SPRINGER FRANCE. - 1279-7707 .- 1760-4788. ; 21:1, s. 17-24
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: Study formal and informal care of community-living older people in the Swedish National study of Aging and Care (SNAC). Design: Cross-sectional, population based cohort. Setting: Three areas in Sweden: Municipality of Nordanstig, Stockholm and Skane County. Participants: 3,338 persons >= 72 years. Measurements: Patterns and amounts of informal and formal care by cognition and area of residence. Results: 73% received no care; 14% formal care; and 17% informal care (7% received both). In the whole study population, including those who used no care, individuals in small municipalities received 9.6 hours of informal care/month; in mid-size municipalities, 6.6; and in urban areas, 5.6. Users of informal care received 33.1 hours of informal care/month in small municipalities, 54.6 in mid-size municipalities and 36.1 in urban areas. Individuals with cognitive impairment received 14.1 hours of informal care/month, 2.7 times more than people with no/slight impairment. In the whole study population, individuals in small municipalities received an average of 3.2 hours of formal care/month; in mid-size municipalities 1.4; and in urban areas, 2.6. Corresponding figures for formal care users were 29.4 hours in small municipalities, 13.6 in mid-size municipalities and 16.7 in urban areas. Formal care users received 7.1 hours, and informal care users, 5.9 hours for each hour/month received by people in the study population as a whole. Conclusions: More informal than formal care was provided. Informal care is more frequent in small municipalities than urban areas and for those with than without cognitive impairment. The relationship between data on the whole population and the data on users or care indicates that population-based data are needed to avoid overestimates of care.
|
|
| 8. |
- Lin, Chung-Ying, et al.
(författare)
-
Validation of the 5-Item Medication Adherence Report Scale in Older Stroke Patients in Iran
- 2018
-
Ingår i: Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing. - : Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. - 0889-4655 .- 1550-5049. ; 33:6, s. 536-543
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: There is a lack of feasible and validated measures to self-assess medication adherence for older patients with stroke. In addition, the potential determinants of medication adherence for older patients with stroke remain unclear. Objectives: The aims of this study were to (1) examine the psychometric properties of a 5-item questionnaire on medication adherence, specifically the 5-item Medication Adherence Report Scale (MARS-5), and (2) explore the determinants of medication adherence. Methods: Stroke patients older than 65 years (N = 523) filled out the MARS-5 and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. The medication possession rate (MPR) was calculated to measure the objective medication adherence. Several clinical characteristics (stroke types, blood pressure, comorbidity, HbA1c, quantity of prescribed drugs, fasting blood glucose, and total cholesterol) and background information were collected. We used Rasch analysis with a differential item functioning test to examine psychometric properties. Results: All 5 items in the MARS-5 fit in the same construct (ie, medication adherence), no differential item functioning items were displayed in the MARS-5 across gender, and the MARS-5 total score was strongly correlated with the MPR (r = 0.7). Multiple regression models showed that the MARS-5 and the MPR shared several similar determinants. In addition, the variance of the MARS-5 (R-2 = 0.567) was more than that of the MPR (R-2 = 0.300). Conclusions: The MARS-5 is a feasible and valid self-assessed medication adherence for older patients with stroke. In addition, several determinants were found to be related to medication adherence for older patients with stroke. Healthcare providers may want to take heed of these determinants to improve medication adherence for this population.
|
|
| 9. |
- Håkansson, Krister, 1952-, et al.
(författare)
-
BDNF Responses in Healthy Older Persons to 35 Minutes of Physical Exercise, Cognitive Training, and Mindfulness : Associations with Working Memory Function
- 2017
-
Ingår i: Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. - : IOS Press. - 1387-2877 .- 1875-8908. ; 55:2, s. 645-657
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has a central role in brain plasticity by mediating changes in cortical thickness and synaptic density in response to physical activity and environmental enrichment. Previous studies suggest that physical exercise can augment BDNF levels, both in serum and the brain, but no other study has examined how different types of activities compare with physical exercise in their ability to affect BDNF levels. By using a balanced cross over experimental design, we exposed nineteen healthy older adults to 35-minute sessions of physical exercise, cognitive training, and mindfulness practice, and compared the resulting changes in mature BDNF levels between the three activities. We show that a single bout of physical exercise has significantly larger impact on serum BDNF levels than either cognitive training or mindfulness practice in the same persons. This is the first study on immediate BDNF effects of physical activity in older healthy humans and also the first study to demonstrate an association between serum BDNF responsivity to acute physical exercise and working memory function. We conclude that the BDNF increase we found after physical exercise more probably has a peripheral than a central origin, but that the association between post-intervention BDNF levels and cognitive function could have implications for BDNF responsivity in serum as a potential marker of cognitive health.
|
|
| 10. |
- Iwarsson, Susanne, et al.
(författare)
-
Understanding User Involvement in Research in Aging and Health
- 2019
-
Ingår i: Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine. - : SAGE Publications. - 2333-7214. ; 5
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- User involvement in research is advocated as an avenue for efficient societal developments. In this article, we identify potentials, problems, and challenges related to research on aging and health, and identify and illustrate research priorities using an evolving research program as an example. Involving user representatives in the development phase, the UserAge program engages researchers at four universities in Sweden. The program builds upon previous and ongoing research with user involvement. The goals are to maximize the impact of user involvement, enhance the execution of high-quality research, increase the knowledge about what difference user involvement can make, and evaluate the impact of research about and with user involvement. Taken together and communicated in the international scientific community as well as in a wide range of public arenas, the empirical results, capacity-building, and modeling efforts of UserAge will have an impact not only on the present situation but also on the future.
|
|
