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During the pandemic, restrictive measures were implemented at Portuguese residential care facilities (PRCF), such as isolating residents and ceasing collective activities. It is important to understand how PRCF are implementing activities that allow residents to occupy their time and fight isolation. As such, we aim to analyze whether: 1. new activities were implemented for residents (identifying which were carried out); 2. occupation activities were provided to isolated residents in their rooms (identifying which were carried out); 3. the implementation of activities is associated with variables like the amount of staff. This is an exploratory, quantitative, and cross-sectional study. An online questionnaire was sent by email to 2325 PRCF and entities were asked to share it with their workers. The study was also divulged on social networks. Data collection occurred between July 8th and October 18th, 2020. The study had 784 staff members participating and 90.8% reported that new activities were implemented at their facilities, predominantly videocalls. Concerning isolated residents most respondents (64.4%) stated that providing activities was impossible. Results showed that those PRCF that expanded teams had a higher percentage of new activities and activities with residents isolated in bedrooms. These results are alarming because while residents should have had more resources to cope with the pandemic, higher risks of unoccupied time and isolation existed, a dramatic situation for its potentially harmful consequences. Focusing on sanitary issues (and less on older adults) may reinforce traditional care models that had shown negative impacts before the pandemic. This highlights the need to evolve the care paradigm during and beyond the pandemic at PRCF: with Person-Centered Care as an option. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective for this study is to analyze the impact of a positive reminiscence therapy program (REMPOS) in cognitive functioning and depressive symptomatology for older adults in different vital situations (healthy aging, mild cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer's disease). This is a transcultural comparative study (older people from Spain and Mexico). A randomized design with pre-posttest measurement and twelve groups was formulated, during a period of six months of intervention (3 in Mexico and 3 in Spain). The design had: 6 experimental groups with REMPOS intervention (3 in Mexico and 3 in Spain) during a period of six months and 6 control groups that received cognitive stimulation. While a key aspect of this study is the cross-cultural differences, an important part is to determine whether each experimental group had similar results in terms of the change in magnitude between the pre and post analysis. In general, intervention significantly improved cognitive function and decreased depressive symptoms. These findings provide further evidence about the efficacy of the REMPOS therapy between different types of aging and both geographical and cultural contexts (Spain and Mexico). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases has been significantly increasing in the last decades, and it is expected to continue to grow. These health disorders can impair patients' decision-making capacity in healthcare. The capacity to make healthcare decisions is a fundamental pillar of informed consent, therefore, it should be carefully assessed. Clinicians' assessment, when not supported by a standardized tool, has revealed to be unreliable, so the recourse to an instrument of capacity assessment is crucial. The present paper aims to identify and summarize published instruments of healthcare decision-making capacity. To do so, a search of peer-reviewed articles in English, Portuguese and Spanish was conducted. A total of eighteen articles, detailing seventeen assessment instruments were selected. Instruments differ on format, structure, assessed abilities and psychometric properties. Likewise, instruments' targeted population also varies, with a few being specifically developed for patients with dementia. Although a high number of instruments were found, there is still no gold standard for healthcare decision-making capacity assessment. The lack of a gold standard highlights the need for more research in this field, as well as an effort to develop guidelines and normative data, in order to improve clinical practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are not many studies about affirmative competence and practices among mental health professionals working with Lesbian, Gay, and/or Bisexual (LGB) clients. Thus, the objectives of this research are to assess the levels of affirmative competence and practices of professionals in Ibero-American countries. The sample consists of 630 mental health professionals from various countries whose ages range from 22 to 75 years old, with a mean age of 41.46 years. The study utilizes the following measures: a socio-demographic questionnaire, the Sexual Orientation Counselor Competency Scale, and the Affirmative Practice Questionnaire. Results show that mental health professionals who present higher levels of Affirmative Competence are those who have higher levels of education and training on LGBT topics, show left-wing political affiliations, self-identify as LGB, and have no religious affiliations. Regarding Affirmative Practices, it was found that single participants show lower practices, and more studies are needed to better understand this result. Regression models demonstrate that Affirmative Practices and Competences are predicted by the hypothesized variables, namely, religious and political beliefs, and training/education. Hence, this study indicates that mental health professionals could undergo some type of academic or professional training and/or possess experience in regard to working with LGB clients, in order to enhance their approach when working with this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]