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We examined: 1. depression rates among senior center clients; and 2. the acceptability of a lay-delivered intervention for depression ("Do More, Feel Better") from the perspective of key stakeholders prior to its implementation. We conducted cross-sectional surveys at four Seattle-area senior centers of 140 clients, 124 volunteers, and 12 administrators and staff. Client measures included the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) to determine depression severity, and items assessing depression treatment preferences. Following description of "Do More, Feel Better" as a lay-delivered intervention focused on increasing participation in rewarding activities, we used quantitative and qualitative items to assess acceptability to: 1. clients participating in; 2. volunteers administering; and 3. administrators and staff supporting the intervention. 25% of senior center clients (35/140) endorsed elevated depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 ≥ 10). 81% of clients (114/140) reported that they would consider participating in "Do More, Feel Better," and 59% percent of volunteers (73/123) expressed interest in learning how to assist others using the intervention. Administrators and staff reported high comfort levels with proposed volunteer training procedures, and they identified funding and staffing considerations as challenges to sustaining the intervention. Findings indicate high depression rates among senior center clients and support the acceptability of lay-delivered behavioral interventions for depression from a variety of stakeholders. Further investigation of the feasibility, effectiveness, and implementation of "Do More, Feel Better" is warranted, particularly in the context of a lack of health care professionals available to meet the mental health needs of older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to evaluate a hearing loss intervention versus an aging education intervention on activity engagement in the Aging and Cognitive Health Evaluation in Elders pilot (ACHIEVE-P). Forty adults (70–84 years) with hearing loss recruited from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study and de novo participated. Participants were randomized 1:1 to a best practices hearing intervention or a successful aging intervention. Hearing was measured with pure-tone audiometry. The Community Healthy Activities Model Program for Seniors questionnaire measured self-reported time engaging in activities at baseline and 6-month follow-up. At baseline, greater hearing loss was associated with reduced time per week on mental activities (−3.0 hours per 10 dB of hearing loss, 95% confidence interval: −5.8, −0.2). Mental activity engagement increased (mean: +1.3 hours, SD = 6.6) for the hearing intervention group but decreased (mean: −1.1 hours, SD = 4.8) for the aging education group (Cohen's d : 0.41). Hearing loss may be associated with reduced engagement in mental activities. Whether hearing loss treatment impacts activity will be studied in the full-scale ACHIEVE trial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined how cultural values (self-construal) affect subjective well-being through the proximity of clothing to self among older adults in Taiwan. Data included survey responses from 249 older adults from elderly community centers in Taiwan. Structural equation modeling and bootstrapping were employed to test the hypotheses. This study found that older adults with interdependent selves were more likely to have high subjective well-being through self-esteem derived from proximity of clothing to self. In contrast, older adults with independent selves tended to have high subjective well-being through self as structure derived from proximity of clothing to self. These findings inform researchers, family members, caregivers, and government policymakers about the mechanism behind the relationship between cultural values and subjective well-being, and how psychological closeness of clothing to self mediates the relationship between cultural values (self-construal) and subjective well-being. Further, the results inform useful strategies on how to employ clothing to enhance subjective well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Petroclival meningioma (PCM) is considered among the most difficult tumors to be treated by microneurosurgery because of its location and its relation to critical structures. The authors report on the outcome in a series of patients with PCM treated in the new millennium with a tailored approach of gross total excision or subtotal removal and adjuvant Gamma Knife Radiosurgery (GKR) depending on the particular case. Methods: Between 2001 and 2017, 72 consecutive PCMs were operated in a single center by the senior surgeon. Clinical presentation, operative approaches, intraoperative findings, complications, and imaging findings were retrospectively analyzed. Postoperative outcome, adjuvant Gamma knife, and follow-up findings were reviewed. Results: The average age was 47.95 years, and female-to-male ratio was 52:20. Cavernous sinus extension was present in 21 patients. The mean duration of follow-up was 66.65 months. Gross-total resection, near-total resection (NTR), and subtotal resection (STR) resection was achieved in 30, 24, and 18 (42.8%, 34.28%, and 25%) patients, respectively, with recurrences of 10%, 33%, and 50%, respectively. Twenty-two patients (18 STR and 4 NTR) had received postoperative GKR. Only four patients had recurrences following GKR. New cranial nerve deficits were more common in patients in whom a total resection was performed. There was no mortality. Conclusions: Gross total excision had the best recurrence free rate though with a higher morbidity. Upfront GKR is advisable in patients with residual tumor, if the preoperative temporal course had a rapid symptomatology, to reduce recurrence. Wait and watch for a small intracavernous residue and radiosurgery on growth is also a valid option as long as follow-up is not suspect. A flexible approach of individualizing the treatment protocol for a given patient goes a long way toward optimal outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Senior centers serve as an avenue where older adults gain various health, social and psychological resources and information. This study attempted to illuminate the benefits that older Korean immigrants gained at ethno-specific senior centers. Using in-depth interviews among eighteen participants, three major themes were identified as health-related benefits: (a) experiencing self-development, (b) perceiving psychological comfort, and (c) cultivating a healthy lifestyle. This suggests that senior centers not only offered educational and self-learning opportunities but enhanced social and psychological well-being to participants. It also suggests that senior centers create a unique cultural avenue where older Korean immigrants maintain their cultural values as well as embrace new cultural perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to analyze the scientific production about the performance of multiprofessional home care teams with a focus on monitoring dependent elderly people. An integrative literature review was carried out by consulting the MEDLINE, LILACS, IBECS and BDENF databases. Articles in Portuguese, Spanish and English published between 2015 and 2019 were included. The basic search strategy was: "Patient Care Team" OR "Nursing" AND "Home Care Services" AND "Elderly". Of the total number of articles found, 37 answered the guiding question and, therefore, constituted the final sample of this review. Two categories emerged, which are described and discussed, namely: "Multiprofessional care for the elderly" and "Care centered on the elderly". This study shows us the importance of multiprofessional teamwork for care centered on the person and their family members, as well as providing care in terms of encouraging the preservation of autonomy and independence, as well as strategies for facing central issues in care at home, such as shared decision-making, communication, family dysfunctions, overload, dependence, pain and palliative care, medication use, falls, pressure injuries and mental health. Key-words: Patient Care Team, Home Care Services, Aged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The global older adult population is increasing. Early detection and intervention through health check-ups are crucial for successful aging, as they play a significant role in identifying and addressing diseases. This study explored the relationship between the utilization of senior centers and the promotion of health check-ups. It utilized data from 10,097 individuals aged 65 years and above, sourced from the 2020 Elderly Survey in South Korea. The primary variable of interest was classified into two groups: those who utilized senior centers and those who did not. Subgroups were further categorized based on the frequency of usage and the presence of family members among senior centers users. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess the association between the utilization of senior centers and participation in health check-ups. Both men and women utilizing senior centers demonstrated a higher likelihood of participating in health check-ups compared with those who did not use senior centers. Participants visiting senior centers in a week exhibited a progressively higher likelihood of engaging in health check-ups compared with those who visited such senior centers zero times a week. Senior centers can serve as effective intervention methods to enhance health check-ups among older adults. Furthermore, this can contribute to fostering successful aging among older adults., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

This study intends to develop a system for managing the health of the spinal joints of elderly people who mainly live on Korean floor heating (Ondol). The spine health management system consists of a seat cushion-type posture balance device that can measure the sitting posture, an application for smart devices capable of real-time collection of posture balance data, and a database server for analysis and visualized feedback of the data. Each force signal measured with the four load cells installed in posture balance device is wirelessly transmitted to an Arduino-based Android application, and the center of pressure (COP) value of the sitting position is analyzed using the four load cell data. To test the usability of the spinal health management system, the COP values of front, back, left and right torso tilts of healthy adults in a sitting position were measured with the posture balance device and 3D motion analysis program (Visual 3D, USA). After that, the COP values were compared and analyzed. As a result of the analysis, the COP direction data (front, back, left and right) measured with the posture balance device exactly matched the direction analyzed by the 3D motion analysis system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides a post-hoc analysis in respect to the work of the regional vascular center (RVC) of the City Clinical Hospital named after M. P. Konchalovsky, which operates within the framework of the Regional program on specialized medical care in cases of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The hospital has created a multidisciplinary team of doctors on the basis of RVC. The organizational measures helped to reduce the time interval from the moment of patients admission with ACS to the Hospital ER to the start of mechanical recanalization and stenting of the infarct-related artery. In addition it helped to increase operational activity and reduce the average bed-day of the patient's stay at hospital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: China is facing various societal pressures owing to its rapidly aging population. In order to provide evidence-based suggestions to promote elderly care, this study investigated the community-based elderly care centres (CBECCs) in Chongqing of China, focusing on the site selections, physical environment, facilities, and operation. Methods: All CBECCs in a district of Chongqing were analysed via a single-stage cluster sampling survey design. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data. Results: A total of 69 CBECCs (60 government-run and 9 collective-run centres) were identified and analysed. Most site selections were reasonable. CBECCs that were located inside of apartment complexes with entrance guards, not located on main roads, and near a market were more popular. Only 4 (13.3%) CBECCs that were not located on the ground floor were equipped with elevators. A small number of CBECCs were near a noise pollution (10.1%) or far from a medical institution (11.6%). Nearly half (42.7%) of CBECCs only had an indoor area of < 200 m2. Nearly all CBECCs had sufficient ventilation, natural lighting, and sufficient floor-to-floor height. 51.5% and 88.4% of the CBECCs fully met the criteria of 'four rooms and one canteen' and 'eight functional zones', but no significant difference was found in terms of the number of people served per month between the CBECCs that met the criteria and those that did not. A quarter of the CBECCs were operated by part-time staff. Only half provided home services (54.5%). The median of average number of people they served every month was 100 (interquartile range = 10– 300). Conclusion: Certain problems existed in the current CBECCs. Better elderly care especially calls for adequate elevator establishment, sufficient indoor and outdoor space, appropriate facilities and service, qualified managers and caregivers. A feasible and evidence-based plan to optimize the physical environment and facilities, functional layout and service provision is crucial to improve the CBECC service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Dilemas Contemporáneos: Educación, Política y Valores is the property of Dilemas Contemporaneos: Educacion, Politica y Valores and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Managing the heterogeneity of Parkinson's disease symptoms and its progressive nature demands strategies targeting the hallmark disrupted neurotransmission but also the comorbid derangements and bolstering neuroprotection and regeneration. Strong efforts are done to find disease-modifying strategies, since slowing disease progression is not enough to hamper its burden and some motor symptoms are resistant to dopamine-replacement therapy. The inclusion of non-pharmacological strategies can provide such a multitarget umbrella approach. The silent long-term biological process that precedes the clinical onset of disease is a challenge but also an opportunity to reinforce healthy lifestyle known to exert preventive/therapeutic effects. These non-pharmacological strategies are foreseen as able to reduce the prevalence and the global impact of long-term diseases demanding strong management of patient-caregiver quality of life. In this regard, European guidelines for Parkinson's disease recommend physical-related activities such as aerobic exercise and dancing known to improve functional mobility and balance in patients. Here, we propose "PasoDoble," a novel dance/music patient-caregiver intervention with additional preventive value. The rationale is founded on evidence-based therapeutic benefits of dance/music therapy and the singular features of this widely extended Hispanic dance/music targeting motor symptoms, mood/cognition, and socialization: (i) As a dance, an easy and simple double-step pattern (back-and-forward and lateral movements) that evolves from a spontaneous individual dance to a partnered dancing, performed in social groups and involving dancing-figures of increasing complexity; (ii) "PasoDoble," as a music that can be sung, has musical rhythmicity with high groove and familiarity that will help to synchronize the steps to the rhythm of music; (iii) Widely extended (Spain, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Colombia, and USA) and easy-to-learn for others. As a regular dancing "PasoDoble" can improve and preserve function, mood and socialization, as an intervention the method is structured to improve gait and balance; facilitate movement, reaching and grasping; muscle power and joint mobility; reduce of risk of falls, and increase of aerobic capacity. Finally, this easy-to-implement into patient care and free-living environments (elderly social centers, home care) rehabilitation programs can promote positive emotions and self-esteem, with added general improvement of social attachment and recognition, thus improving the quality of life of patient-caregiver. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The November–December, 2020 issue of Krytyka opens with an article on “Shifting the Wall Further East. Kundera’s Tragedy of ‘Central Europe’ Three Decades Later” by Mykola Riabchuk, writer and critic, Honorary President of the Ukrainian PEN Center and Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Political and Ethnic Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Since its inception in the Enlightenment, ‘philosophical geography’ has played a fatal role in the history of the Orient. It was especially sinister for Eastern Europeans at the end of World War II, legitimizing the transfer of ‘less valuable’ Eastern Europe under the control of Stalinist Russia. Churchill and Roosevelt turned to such ‘knowledge’ to justify the fact that Eastern Europe was opportunistically handed over to their situational communist ally. The experience of Eastern Europeans with their western neighbors is traumatic, burdened with vain hopes, bitter insults and poorly hidden psychological complexes – inferiority, betrayal, deception, underestimation. Eastern Europeans could not help but feel the gap between the high ideals proclaimed by Western democracies and practical policies that are much less guided by ideals and much more by pragmatically calculated national interests. The ambivalent attitude towards the seemingly close and native, but really distant and treacherous West was clearly manifested in the mid-1980s in the concept of Central and Eastern Europe, which they invented as a powerful argument in favor of their own European affiliation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The predicted mean vote (PMV) is the most widely used model around the world to assess thermal comfort in indoor environments. The year 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of the PMV model and also the year in which the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. In this context, hospital environments and health professionals are at the center of attention, and a good indoor environment for those professionals to develop their activities is essential. Thus, considering the PMV model and focusing on hospital environments, this study performed a literature review of studies published between 1968 and August 2020. The research identified 153 papers on thermal comfort and its application in hospitals, health centers, and elderly centers. Specific inclusion and exclusion criteria were adopted to determine the most relevant studies for the four research questions proposed in this study. After applying the exclusion criteria, 62 studies were included in order to identify their main characteristics. In the universe of the 62 studies, this review identified 24 studies that applied the PMV model and 12 where there was a comparison of PMV and the thermal sensation votes (TSV) reported by people. The main findings of this research are: (i) A good thermal environment for professionals and patients is important, and more studies are needed; (ii) there are little explored topics, such as productivity related to thermal comfort in hospital environments; (iii) in addition to thermal comfort, other indoor environmental quality (IEQ) parameters have also been evaluated, such as indoor air quality (IAQ); (iv): the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted how the quality of indoor spaces is important in order to ensure occupant's health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Walk-up buildings are common in China today since they were almost the only type of residential buildings constructed from the 1950s to the 1990s. Objectives: This study examined how a vertical mobility obstacle, that is, mandatory stair climbing in walk-up residential buildings, may impact whether seniors go outdoors. Methods: We collected and examined 1,608 valid data records from 64 Chinese senior participants in Shanghai wearing Fitbit HR wristbands that tracked their mobility and physical activity for 31 consecutive days. Multilevel mixed-effects logistic regressions were performed on the binary leaving-home-or-not probability by the level of vertical obstacles controlled for physical–demographic factors, socioeconomic factors, outdoor activity habits, and weather. Results: Our observations revealed that each floor above ground level reduced the likelihood of outdoor trips by approximately one third per floor. After controlling for the physical, demographic, and socioeconomic factors of the participants as well as weather and holidays, we found that significantly fewer going-out incidents were also associated with more frequent outdoor activities within the community, especially in paved areas, but no associations were observed with self-reported visit frequencies to green spaces, senior centers within the community, or other places outside the community. Conclusion: This study offered the in situ observation that seniors' probability of leaving their homes is correlated with the degree of vertical circulation as a mobility barrier (i.e., the number of stairs between their living space and access to the outdoors), which may impact policy making for regulations concerning elevators in residential codes and renovations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: The purpose of the present study was to developing the model of psychological well-being in elderly based on life expectancy through mediation of death anxiety. Materials and Methods: The research method is correlational and structural modeling equation. The statistical population of this study included all the elderly hospitalized in the sanatorium and the elderly at home in Tehran in 2019. The sample included 400 elderly people selected by cluster sampling. In this way, among the elderly care centers and neighborhood house, 10 centers were selected randomly from districts 2, 3 and 5 in Tehran and then 40 elderly people were randomly selected from each center 400 elderly in total and the questionnaires were completed by them and in the presence of the researcher. Research instruments included Ryff Psychological Well-being Questionnaire (1989), Templer Death Anxiety Scale (1970) and Snyder Hope Scale (1991). The research data were analyzed by structural equation modeling and Sobel intermediate test. Results: The results of the conceptual model test indicated that the fit indices of the research model were in good condition (GFI=0.98). Hope had a direct effect on psychological well-being (p<0.05, β=0.47). The hypothesis regarding the indirect effect of hope on the psychological well-being of the elderly through death anxiety was also confirmed (p<0.05, β=0.13). Conclusion: The findings of the study indicated that the conceptual model of the research was appropriate. Therefore, in elderly care centers, it is necessary to pay attention to the antecedents of hope and death anxiety in order to increase the level of psychological well-being and Improving the health of the elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Established relationships between researchers, stakeholders and potential participants are integral for recruitment of potential older adult participants and Evidence-Based Programs (EBPs) for chronic disease management have empirically been shown to help improve health and maintain healthy and active lives. To accelerate recruitment in EBPs and potential future research, we propose a Wellness Pathway allowing for delivery within multipurpose senior centers (MPCs) linked with medical facilities among lower-income urban older adults. The study aims were to: 1) assess the effectiveness of three MPC-delivered EBPs on disease management skills, health outcomes, and self-efficacy; and 2) assess the feasibility of the proposed Wellness Pathway for lower-income urban-dwelling older adults of color.Methods: We administered surveys and conducted a pre-post analysis among participants enrolled in any 1 of 3 MPC-based EBPs (n=53). To assess feasibility of the pathway, we analyzed survey data and interviews (EBP participants, MPC staff, physicians, n=10).Results: EBP participation was associated with greater disease management skills (increased time spent stretching and aerobic activity) but not improvements in self-efficacy or other health outcomes. Interviews revealed: 1) older adults valued EBPs and felt the Wellness Pathway feasible; 2) staff felt it feasible given adequate growth management; 3) physicians felt it feasible provided adequate medical facility integration.Conclusions: MPC-based EBPs were associated with improvements in disease management skills among older adults; a proposed Wellness Pathway shows early evidence of feasibility and warrants further investigation. Future efforts to implement this model of recruiting older adults of color into EBPs should address barriers for implementation and sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aging population has become a significant concern in many countries, including Malaysia. As a developing country, Malaysia is still struggling to provide better care for the elderly segment, which is increasing in number and demands distinctive attention, care, and treatment from both family and society. This study aims to examine the relationship between Perception of Health and Happiness, Behavioral Attitude, Health Promotion, and Education, Quality Care, Proactive Environment, and Elderly Care Services in Aging care centers in Malaysia. A probability simple random sampling technique was utilized in distributing a survey-based questionnaire, and 328 responses were collected from entrepreneurs of both registered and non-registered aging care centers. The research model was assessed using Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modelling. The remarkable results of the research are: (1) Perception of Health and Happiness do not affect Quality Care and Proactive Environment. (2) Behavioral Attitude, Health Promotion, and Education significantly affect the quality care and Proactive Environment. (3) Quality Care and Proactive Environment significantly mediate the relationship between Behavioral Attitudes, Health Promotion, and Education. (4) Quality Care insignificantly mediates the relationship between Proactive Environment and Perception of Health and Happiness. The findings revealed that Behavioral Attitude, Health Promotion, and Education have a significant effect. Hence, the present study should further be strengthened to enhance the aging care of elderly care center services for the betterment of elderly care centers, especially those that are operated by entrepreneurs. The implication of the study is discussed in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives While older adults' social participation has attracted sustained attention, the realities faced by seniors with impairments in this area are still understudied. Social representations are formed from socially constructed opinions regarding a given object and have four functions (knowledge, identity, orientation, justification). The purpose of this article is to document the social representations that exist within seniors' organizations regarding participation by older people with impairments. Research Design and Methods In this mixed-methods study, an exploratory sequential design was applied. First, a qualitative phase involved meetings with five focus groups to explore how participants would manage difficult situations in which the inclusion of an older person with impairments must be addressed. Second, a quantitative phase consisted of a questionnaire administered to 86 respondents to examine the components of social representations about the participation of older people with impairments. Results Results show that, although research participants acknowledge that all seniors have the right to participate, this right confronts a collective identity infused with aging model that demands a youthful, "un-disabled" appearance and activities. In terms of the orientation function, making participation a reality is seen as relying on the efforts of people with impairments, but when there is a failure of inclusiveness, the reasons offered to justify it concern the resources available, rather than possible prejudices. Discussion and Implications Interpretation of the results leads to recommendations for both implementing an inclusion philosophy and practices in seniors' organizations and revisiting the view of impairment in old age as otherness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Pixo: Revista de Arquitetura Cidade e Contemporaneidade is the property of Pixo Revista de Arquitetura Cidade e Contemporaneidade and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the article a virus transmission model is constructed on a simplified social network. The social network consists of more than 2 million nodes, each representing an inhabitant of Slovenia. The nodes are organised and interconnected according to the real household and elderly-care center distribution, while their connections outside these clusters are semi-randomly distributed and undirected. The virus spread model is coupled to the disease progression model. The ensemble approach with the perturbed transmission and disease parameters is used to quantify the ensemble spread, a proxy for the forecast uncertainty. The presented ongoing forecasts of COVID-19 epidemic in Slovenia are compared with the collected Slovenian data. Results show that at the end of the first epidemic wave, the infection was twice more likely to transmit within households/elderly care centers than outside them. We use an ensemble of simulations (N = 1000) and data assimilation approach to estimate the COVID-19 forecast uncertainty and to inversely obtain posterior distributions of model parameters. We found that in the uncontrolled epidemic, the intrinsic uncertainty mostly originates from the uncertainty of the virus biology, i.e. its reproduction number. In the controlled epidemic with low ratio of infected population, the randomness of the social network becomes the major source of forecast uncertainty, particularly for the short-range forecasts. Virus transmission models with accurate social network models are thus essential for improving epidemics forecasting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Virtual reality (VR) technology is a potential method to use in cognitive intervention, but the use of VR in cognitive stimulation intervention for older adults has not been investigated. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the mood change of older adults after participating in the VR cognitive stimulation activity.Methods: This is a multicenter randomized controlled, cross-over trial. The intervention was a VR cognitive stimulation activity, and the control was a paper-and-pencil activity. The participants were older adults with age over 60 and recruited in the elderly community centers. The Positive and Negative Affect Score (PANAS) was used to measure mood change. Mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was calculated. The Simulator sickness questionnaire was used to measure adverse events.Results: A total of 236 participants from 19 community centers were recruited. After the VR activity, the participants had a significant increase in total PANAS positive affect score (MD = 2.09, 95% CI = 0.69 to 3.49), and a significant reduction in total negative affect score (MD = -1.99, 95% CI = -2.55 to -1.43). The reduction in negative affect score was significantly larger in VR activity than paper-and-pencil activity (MD = -0.48, 95% CI = -0.98 to 0.00). Besides, only three participants reported severe advance events after VR activity.Conclusions: The use of VR technology is well accepted by older adults. Therefore, the use of VR technology through smartphone and a mobile app can be a potential method for future cognitive training interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supportive housing later in life tends to be a key concern for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) elders. Most senior care providers are un(der)prepared to meet the needs of older LGBT adults. This study evaluated the efficacy of a 4 hours, face-to-face, research-based, LGBT-diversity training designed to improve senior housing facility staff's cultural competency regarding the needs of LGBT elders. Findings from this study found a significant increase in LGBT content knowledge between pre- and post-intervention assessments and a significant decrease in perceived preparedness when working with LGBT elders. These effects remained significant after controlling for staff designation, religion, educational attainment, and training session. Findings suggest that staff's cultural competence affected their perceived readiness to address LGBT elders' needs. Implications are related to the concept of cultural humility or the lifelong process of understanding others' experiences based on the recognition of lack of un(der)preparedness to create a culturally supportive residential environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The social position, identity and role of the person in the society determine the levels of positive interactions with the environment and the ability of the individual to count on a stable social network. This network affects the availability of social resources needed to face traumatic events. The stigma, isolation and negative roles promote exclusion spaces for people with intellectual disabilities, preventing them to pursue an autonomous and quality life plan. To live in a community does not imply belonging, integration and active participation. In order to enhance life quality, intervention must be intended to increment stable and functionally positive social networks, integration and community participation. The spaces for social inclusion must be created to approach critically the relationships with society. Residents of social care facilities for people with disabilities and residential care centers for the elderly were interviewed (125). The results show deficits in the levels of psychosocial well-being, which correlates significantly with the quality life. The results will be analysed according to the type of facility, sex and degree of disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of IUG Journal of Humanitarian Research is the property of Islamic University of Gaza and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: ABUSE is among the meaning of deprivation of human rights and grandeur that appear as negligence, authority negation, financial exploitation, physical and psychological vexations, and rejection. This study was done to investigate the ABUSE of family with rural elderly in the city of Ivan in 2019. Methods: 92 elderlies who lived in two villages of the city of Ivan in 2019 were selected by stage cluster sampling in this descriptive cross-sectional study. An 8-point Iranian questionnaire of ABUSE related to the elderly in the family and with scores ranging from 0 to 100 was the research tool. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics in SPSS-16 software. Results: There was no physical ABUSE and rejection, but the highest level of ABUSE was emotional negligence. The mean scores of financial ABUSES were less than 10%, authority negation less than 15%, financial neglect less than 20%, caring neglect and psychological ABUSE less than 25%, and emotional negligence less than 55% in both villages. Conclusion: It is suggested that the ABUSE level be measured using the elderly in homes and centers such as hospitals, nursing homes, etc. the injured elderly should be screened and receive necessary consultation and support services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renal transplantation is the treatment of choice in end-stage renal disease. With the aging of the population and better medical care available, the number of high-risk patients in terms of age and comorbidities on transplant waiting lists is increasing. Due to severe organ shortage, the use of expanded criteria and elderly donors is also increasing. We will review the outcomes of graft function and survival from a series of transplants from elderly deceased donors and compare the characteristics of the organs from donors older and younger than 70 years. We collected data from our transplant unit from 1993 until May 2019 and considered 2 groups of donors: donors A (aged ≥70 years) and donors B (aged <70 years). The donors A group had more comorbidities with consequently higher Kidney Donor Profile Index scores than the donors B group, although there was no statistical difference regarding pre-donation serum creatinine level. Among transplant recipients, we also considered 2 groups, according to the age of the organ received: recipients A and recipients B. No difference was found between groups regarding the number of HLA mismatches, incidence of delayed graft function, number of hospitalizations, or incidence of acute rejection. Recipients' age, cold ischemia time, and graft function 1 year after transplant were worse in the recipients A group. Although kidney graft function was worse in recipients from elderly donors, this difference had no clinical relevance, showing a possible benefit in patient survival compared with permanence in dialysis, so this type of transplant could be considered for older recipients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) suggests that linkages between primary care practices and community-based resources can improve health in lower income and minority patients, but examples of these are rare. We conducted a prospective, mixed-methods observational study to identify indicators of primary care–community linkage associated with the frequency of visits to community-based senior centers and improvements in diabetes-related outcomes among 149 new senior center members (72% Hispanic). We used semistructured interviews at baseline and 9-month follow-up, obtaining visit frequency from member software and clinical assessments including hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) from colocated primary care clinics. Members' discussion of their activities with their primary care providers (PCPs) was associated with increased visits to the senior centers, as well as diabetes-related improvements. Direct feedback from the senior centers to their PCPs was desired by the majority of members and may help to reinforce use of community resources for self-management support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Housing choices for older adults in the United States generally fall into two categories: continuing to live relatively independently or moving into designated senior housing with formal services. Interest in a third option is growing: innovative housing models that bridge the gap between facing aging alone and paying for services. Three options drawing increasing attention include elder cohousing, senior cooperative housing, and home sharing. These models create an environment for older adults to "age better together intentionally," encouraging them to approach aging through mutual support and healthy interdependence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As communication technology develops, various sensory stimuli can be collected in service spaces. To enhance the service effectiveness, it is important to determine the optimal stimuli to induce group emotion in the service space to the target emotion. In this paper, we propose a stimuli control system to adjust the group emotion. It is a stand-alone system that can determine optimal stimuli by utility table and modular tree-structured Bayesian networks designed for emotion prediction model proposed in the previous study. To verify the proposed system, we collected data using several scenarios at a kindergarten and a senior welfare center. Each space is equipped with sensors for collection and equipment for controlling stimuli. As a result, the system shows a performance of 78% in the kindergarten and 80% in the senior welfare center. The proposed method shows much better performance than other classification methods with lower complexity. Also, reinforcement learning is applied to improving the accuracy of stimuli decision for a positive effect on system performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We explored sex-related differences in sociodemographic, medical, psychological, and functional conditions in older adults attending to senior citizens' centers. Materials and Methods: An exploratory study was conducted as part of the VERISAÚDE project, a cross-sectional population-based study of individuals aged ≥65 years enrolled in senior community centers located in Galicia, Northwest of Spain (n = 749). A comprehensive gerontological evaluation was used to assess the social, medical, psychological, and functional characteristics of the sample. Results: Women presented a higher prevalence of frailty (p = 0.017), a higher risk of malnutrition (p = 0.029), more medication consumption (p = 0.002), and polypharmacy (p = 0.008), higher depressive scores (p = 0.007), and lower cognitive scores (p = 0.045) than men, who showed a higher prevalence of hearing impairment (p = 0.034), toxic habits (all ps = 0.0001), and comorbidity (p = 0.002), and better quality of life (p = 0.030), and social resources (p = 0.002). Participants considered that attending and being involved in senior centers has a positive influence on their health and promotes successful aging. Discussion: Important differences were found between women and men in health variables, suggesting that sex exerts a powerful influence on health status in older age. These differences should be identified and taking into account when designing interventions to promote active aging and to improve the quality of life of older adults. Taking a sex perspective during the evaluation process could lead to a higher number of older people being effectively treated in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This report introduces a new closure technique for the management of intraoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage during endoscopic endonasal surgery. The procedure is based on the combination of a traditional autologous tissue flap with a heterologous fibrin graft (TachoSil). We performed a retrospective analysis on 121 patients with pituitary adenomas treated in our center by the senior neurosurgeon (author V.R.B) in the previous 4 years. Only one patient (0.8%) developed a CSF leakage and no adverse events were found related to the use of TachoSil. Compared with other techniques used previously, sellar diaphragm reconstruction with TachoSil seems to be an effective and inexpensive alternative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Reliable change methods can assist neuropsychologists in determining whether observed changes in a patient's performance are clinically meaningful. The current study sought to validate previously published standardized regression-based (SRB) equations for the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) Indexes and subtests. Methods: Duff and colleagues's SRB prediction equations, developed from 223 cognitively intact primary care patients, were applied to an independent sample of robustly cognitively intact (n = 129) community-dwelling older adults assessed with the RBANS twice over a one-year period. Results: Results suggest that the cognitively intact participants in the current validation sample possessed significantly better Observed Follow-up scores than was predicted based on Duff's developmental sample across most RBANS Indexes and many RBANS subtests, though significantly lower Observed Follow-up scores were observed for the Visuospatial/Constructional Index than was predicted. As a result of these findings, the current study calculated updated prediction algorithms for the RBANS Index and subtest scores from the sample of 129 cognitively intact participants. Conclusions: Duff's 2004 and 2005 SRB prediction equations for the RBANS Index and subtest scores failed to generalize to a sample of cognitively intact community-dwelling participants recruited from senior living centers and independent assisted living facilities. These updated SRB prediction equations – being developed from a more medically "clean" sample of cognitively intact older adults who remained stable over 12 months – have the potential to provide a more accurate assessment of reliable change in an individual patient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study was done to identify senior center nurses’ experience on emergency management. Methods: From May to August 2018, data were collected through three focus group interviews (FGIs) with 11 senior center nurses. All recorded data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results: In the research, there were barriers and facilitators for emergency management. Two themes, four categories, and eight sub-categories were found. Themes were ‘barriers to emergency management’ and ‘facilitators to emergency management’. Categories for the first theme were: 1) burden of emergency response; 2) insufficient emergency response support. For the second theme, categories were: 1) improved senior center nurses’ competency; and 2) senior center nurses' network. Conclusion: Emergency nursing services are essential for health of elders in senior centers. For the safety of senior center users, it is urgent to provide support to solve barriers to emergency management and improve facilitators. The cooperation of agencies and staff in the development of an emergency management manual and provision of manpower support, improvement in record systems, and materials are also needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Senior centers offer important opportunities for physical activity and social interaction. Seniors who visit a senior center regularly can gain physical activity from transportation and from specific activities offered within the senior center. However, there is very little knowledge regarding the specific physical activity gains obtained from regular visits to senior centers, and no effort has been made to use device-based measures of physical activity to test the potential physical activity benefits of attending a senior center.Methods: To fill this gap, the present study examined the physical activity patterns of 227 seniors living in the Barcelona Metropolitan Area in Spain. Using GPS and Accelerometer 7-day tracking data, and GIS measures we assessed the light physical activity and moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) benefits of attending the senior center on a weekly and daily basis.Results: Seniors who attended a senior center at least once a week did not accumulate significantly more daily physical activity (211.6 min; 95% CI 196.6; 226.6) than seniors without any visit 215.9 min; 95% CI 202.7; 229). However, on a day-to-day basis, it was found that visiting a senior center had positive effects in physical activity and was associated with less sedentary time among younger participants in general (- 18.2 daily min 95% CI - 33.2;-3.3 p = 0.016) and among older female participants in particular (- 19.7 daily min 95% CI -21.06;-18.5 p = 0.011).Conclusions: The benefits of attending senior centers in terms of physical activity should not be viewed as universal, but rather as contingent to the demographics of the user, and the type of activity that the visit is replacing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to determine the services and programs needed and/or desired by the baby boomer generation that will prompt them to participate in senior center activities. Eighty-five participants in eight focus groups responded to the questions. The results showed that the current senior centers are not meeting baby boomers' expectations and/or needs in order to successfully age in their own homes and communities. Therefore, if changes are not made to the current senior center to attract baby boomers, it will no longer be considered a major service provider due to low participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aesthetic education is currently an educational issue receiving substantial attention, and to increase the accessibility of aesthetic education, working to implement aesthetic education programs should be for all age groups. The aesthetic education for senior citizens, providing the participants with positive aesthetic experiences not only increases sensory stimulation but also facilitates new connections to the world, are critical in maintenance of senior citizens' physical and social functions. In the literature, few aesthetic education studies have targeted senior citizens, despite the increase in senior-activity-center-related projects and programs since 2015 in Taiwan. Most individuals who attend programs at senior activity centers are senior citizens from nearby communities. Systematic arrangement and planning of aesthetic courses at these centers may further community-based aesthetic education efforts. This study chose a Taipei City senior activity center for an action study exploring design approaches for aesthetic education community-based classes and activities for 25 senior citizens. The findings include understanding the initial experiences of senior citizens in collective art projects, adjustment of instruction method through reflection and conversation, senior citizens' class participation and feedback enhanced aesthetic literacy and interpersonal interaction, future course improvement and enrichment. The researcher reviewed feasible approaches for promoting senior aesthetic education to provide useful information to community senior activity centers and their managers and senior aesthetic education promoters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aging of the population is a global phenomenon that all the countries of the world are presently facing. Many of these elderly people arrive in residential centers, in the absence of the caregivers who care for them and take care of them. Life in residential centers in our country is not at a quality level comparable to that of centers in advanced countries. The small number of available staff, the poverty of the activities proposed to the elderly lead to a poor appreciation of the quality of life of these people. Objectives: The main objective of our research was to improve the quality of life of the elderly in the Arad Elderly Care Center. In this sense, the following hypothesis was formulated: the more obvious the involvement of the multidisciplinary team in the diversification of the cultural activities proposed to the elderly, the more the quality of life of these people from the residential centers increases. Methodology: Out of about 130 elderly people in the care of the Arad Center, a number of 65 persons were taken into consideration and constituted the group on which the research was carried out. The methods used were: the assessment on a Likert scale of the quality of life in the center before and after the end of the research program (at a 3-month interval). Learning activities of painting or music carried out in collaboration with the Arad High School, visits to exhibitions and participation in concerts were proposed to the elderly. Results: Elderly people rated on a Likert scale from 1 (very poor) to 5 (very good) quality of life in the institution and the services offered by it, before the start of the research and after a 3-month interval at the end of the research. The obtained results showed that the formulated hypothesis was confirmed in practice: the more cultural activities were offered, the higher the appreciation of the quality of life by the elderly increased. Conclusions: The social worker can contribute through appropriate programs and methods to improve the lives of elderly people in residential centers. It is necessary to collaborate with specialized institutions and to set up cultural volunteer programs in order to contribute significantly to the feeling of satisfaction of the old people regarding the quality of their life. Research, of an interdisciplinary nature, can be a first step in the implementation of programs that change the quality of life of people in residential centers in the sense of improving its quality and increasing the satisfaction with the life of older people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Older adults often take multiple medications, leading to a myriad of medication-related problems. Addressing these problems requires thoughtful approaches that align with patients' perspectives and experiences. Objective: To (1) identify and categorize medication-related problems from the patient perspective and (2) understand patient and clinician attitudes toward these problems and experiences with addressing these problems. Design: Qualitative, semi-structured interviews with patients and focus groups with physicians and pharmacists. Participants: Twenty older adults recruited from an academic medical center and from a community senior center; 14 primary care physicians and 6 pharmacists affiliated with an academic medical center. Approach: Hybrid deductive-inductive thematic analysis. Key Results: Older adults identified a variety of medication-related problems that could be classified into four broad categories: (1) obtaining medications (e.g., problems with cost and insurance coverage); (2) taking medications (e.g., organization and remembering to take pills); (3) medication effects, including side effects and concerns over lack of effectiveness; and (4) communication and care coordination, including information related to medications. Many of the problems described by older adults were framed within the person's socioemotional context, including the impact of medications on interpersonal relationships, emotional wellbeing, and activities that add meaning and quality to life. In contrast, clinicians almost exclusively focused on discrete medication issues without reference to this larger context and expressed relatively little interest in learning more about their patients' perspectives. Conclusions: Older adults experience medication-related problems as inseparable from their broader life context. Incorporating the social and emotional context of medications and related communication into a problem-focused framework can guide clinicians in specific actions and interventions to address medication-related problems from the patient perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]