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Background: The aging of our societies leads to a higher prevalence of multimorbidity and therefore polypharmacy, which often results in inappropriate drug treatment. To address this issue, numerous listing approaches, such as the Fit fOR The Aged (FORTA) list have been developed. FORTA's positive impact on the quality of medications and relevant clinical outcomes has been shown. Based on new emerging evidence and experiences with the existing FORTA lists, we aimed to update the FORTA lists in several European countries/regions. Methods: Two-step Delphi consensus procedures were conducted in Poland, UK/Ireland, Italy, Spain, the Nordic countries, The Netherlands and France. The existing European FORTA lists served as survey proposals. Results: Thirty-two experts agreed to take part in this study (return rate: 96.9%). The country/region-specific overall consensus for all items and participants after the first round was > 90%. FORTA lists from six participating countries, plus the FORTA list for the German-speaking countries, were collated into the new EURO-FORTA List, which now contains 267 items aligned to 27 indications. Three items were added to the EURO-FORTA List, and no drugs were deleted. Eight FORTA items were relabeled, and 96.9% of the labels remained unchanged. Conclusion: In this study, seven new country/region specific FORTA lists, as well as a new overarching EURO-FORTA List, were developed. An overall increase in the mean consensus coefficient and increases for all disease-specific mean consensus coefficients show a wider consensus among participants. The new lists have the potential to improve drug therapy in older people internationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines differences in work restrictions of midlife family carers of older people in terms of prevalence, gender and explanatory variables, in six European countries: Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Sweden and the United Kingdom. A sample of 2,897 carers aged 45–64 was extracted from the EUROFAMCARE (Services for Supporting Family Carers of Older People in Europe: Characteristics, Coverage and Usage) European project database, in order to analyse four possible work restrictions experienced in connection with the activity of care-giving: the reduction of working hours; giving up working; difficulties in career developments and forced occasional work. The results show that work restrictions are experienced differently between countries especially by women: they are reported to a higher degree in the United Kingdom, Germany and Greece, less so in Italy, and seldom in Poland and Sweden. Gender differences within countries are not so marked. Country differences are explained in the light of the different welfare regimes characterising the countries under investigation, in order to elucidate how policy makers may act to improve working carers' conditions through appropriate policies. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose: The present study attempts to further validate the COPE Index on a large sample of corers drawn from six European countries. Design and Methods: We used a cross-sectional survey, with approximately 1,000 corers recruited in each of six countries by means of a common standard evaluation protocol. Our saturation recruitment of a designated quota of carers occurred by means of several channels, in identified geographical zones within countries. Interviews were carried out with primary informal corers by use of a common assessment tool. We subjected items of the COPE Index to principal component analysis and we assessed emergent components through the use of Cronbach's alpha reliability procedures. We examined factor components as summative scales for confirmatory correlations with caregiving and psychological variables. Results: Three components emerged, which we identified as the negative impact of caregiving, the positive value of caregiving, and the quality of support for caregiving. Internal consistency was good for negative impact and satisfactory for positive value and quality of support. Negative value was most consistently and strongly correlated with caregiving and psychological variables, although we did find diverse associations between these variables and the COPE Index subscales. Implications: The COPE Index is a brief, first-stage assessment of some sophistication that can enable health and social care professionals to develop appropriately targeted interventions to enhance the positive aspects of the caregiving experience and quality of support, as well as reduce the negative impacts of caregiving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article encloses definition of water role and its body requirement, review of water balance and management in older persons regarding characteristic of this age group and concomitant disorders. Based on current literature and expert's opinion the recommendations for water consumption were expressed with estimation of insufficient apply and oversupply, evaluation of hydration state, domestic water sources in diet with accent on influence of proper hydration on comfort and good health.

This study examines rural-urban differences in informal caregivers' perceptions of caregiving. The study's theoretical framework is based on the two-factor model of caregiving, which views caregiving as having both positive and negative impact. Data were collected in personal interviews with 126 rural and 127 urban caregivers in the Bialystok region. The COPE-Index was used to assess caregivers. Rural caregivers reported a greater negative impact of caregiving than their urban counterparts, controlling for caregiver socio-demographic characteristics and care-recipient disability level. There was no difference in caregivers' perceptions of positive aspects of caregiving. These findings are consistent with previous research, which suggests that rural caregivers experience greater caregiver burden. Better understanding of rural-urban differences in caregiving outcomes can be useful in designing supportive services for informal caregivers in Poland.

Despite of higher operative risk in the elderly, coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is more often performed in this age group to achieve the remission of the disease and to improve the quality of life. The aim of the study was to assess some subjective and objective health indices in the elderly two years after CABG (I group) in comparison to analogous group of older patients just waiting for CABG (II group). 109 patients aged 65 years and older, consecutively discharged from the Cardiac Surgery Department 2 years ago, were analyzed as well as 60 patients currently waiting for such surgery. Both groups of patients did not differ with demographic features. The health related quality of life was measured with the EASYCare questionnaire and similar one of own construction supplemented with some items of the WHOQol-BREF scale. Two years after CABG, 100 patients were available for the study (six persons died and three persons refused). Response rate was 92%. Significant reduction of symptoms of the coronary artery disease were shown. The chest pain was declared in 18% in I group vs 70% in II group; palpitation in 23% in I group vs 38% in II group and effort angina in 38% in I group vs 65% in II group. The positive evaluation of the health status was declared significantly more often in the patients of I group in comparison to patients in II group. CABG caused positive change concerning health-related quality of life in the elderly two years after surgery.

Unlabelled: Hypertension is a serious medical, social and economical problem. It is accepted that high blood pressure is one of the major risk factors of all kinds of cardiovascular diseases. The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence of hypertension and evaluate the difficulties with antihypertensive treatment in the rural and urban community dwelling elderly in advanced old age. The survey was carried out, as a screening, in systematically sampled 463 people 75 years old and over, coming from area served by primary health units (230 in urban area--Białystok and 233 in rural area--Sokółka). Estimation of blood pressure (single measure) and medical anamnesis concerning earlier diagnoses and pharmacological treatment was made in proband's home by general practitioner or community nurse. The diagnosis of hypertension was established according to the WHO-ISN criteria., Results: In general 49.1% of the elderly in urban and 70.4% in rural area had elevated systolic or/and diastolic blood pressure independently on antihypertensive medication; significantly more frequent in female than in male. 32% of the elderly in urban and 22% in rural area had normal blood pressure without antihypertensive treatment ("healthy"), whereas respectively 19% and 7% had normal blood pressure with antihypertensive treatment. 21% of persons in Białystok city and 38% in Sokółka had elevated high arterial pressure and hadn't any antihypertensive treatment. The results of the study confirm the high prevalence of hypertension in elderly population, higher in rural than urban area. Therapy of hypertension in studied group was ineffective in most of the hypertensive patients, mainly in neglected rural area. The differences between urban and rural samples can be partly explained by socio-demografic characteristic of the two studied population.

The development of civilization and progress in medicine made the prolongation of the life span and increased share of the advanced old age people in the population. The consequence of this process is growth in frequency of diseases related to age including dementia. However diagnosis of cognitive impairment is still difficult and it makes some problems in an everyday medical practice. The aim of this report is to define main and significant determinants of dementia basing on the MMSE scale. This could make it easier to suspect the cognitive disorders to make indepth diagnosis and to start earlier therapy. The sample consisted of 124 community dwelling persons 75-year old and over. 64 of them were mildly, moderately or severely demented according to Katzman scale administered previously and 60 were intellectually intact. The both groups of persons were tested with MMSE. Geriatric Depression Scale, ADL scale (EASY-Care questionnaire) and short internal and neurological examination. The multiple regression model were used, where dependent variable was the MMSE score and independent variables social-demographic data, ADL and GSD scales and data from interview and medical examination. 72 variables were included to the model and 39 of them were significantly connected with cognitive impairment. The valid factors explained dementia in 78.7% (adjusted R2 = 0.787). The strongest connection was found with (1) an ignorance of own date of birth, (2) low education level, (3) behaviour disorders and (4) an advanced old age. These determinants, including difficulties with handling own money, have explained dementia in 57%. The presence such symptoms could make easier to suspect the cognitive disorders, to make in-depth diagnosis, and to start earlier therapy.

Unlabelled: The aim of the paper was the indepth comparison of the health services use by the elderly living in rural and urban area of Poland. The representative survey of the 65-year old and older people was carried out in the year 2000, as a comparative study to the Piotrowski's survey from 1967. The sample (total N = 1821; consisted of 743 people living in rural and 1078 in urban area), was corresponding to the demographic structure of the general older population in Poland., Results: As far as concerning socio-demographic features there were found slightly higher percentage of 'old old' people in rural community, their much worse living conditions and material situation in comparison to counterparts in urban community. The elderly living in the countryside have shown the worse subjective and objective health and functional indices. The positive selfrated health was found only in 12% of respondents living in rural and in 22% living in urban area. 71% people living in villages declared three or more complaints simultaneously while in the cities much less (57%). Moreover, the impairment of vision, hearing, chewing were found significantly more frequently among rural inhabitants, as well as almost twice higher percentages of dependence on P-ADL. The use of health services by the elderly during the last 12 months, in term of doctor's outpatient consultations, dentist visits rehabilitation, except of nurse visits, was significantly lower in countryside than in the cities. Use of an emergency (17%) and hospital stays (22%) was the same in the both sites., Conclusions: (1) Health status and functional ability of the older people living in rural area are dramatically worse than in cities. (2) Health care system for elderly people in Poland does not fulfill the geriatric standards in term of the commonness, availability and complexity. (3) The chance to improve health care on the elderly is an enhancement of knowledge and competence of practitioners in gerontology. The development of the geriatric base in the Medical Universities is a crucial for that.

As the giants of geriatrics are considered: immobility, instability, incontinence, intellectual impairment, depression, visual and auditory impairment. They have multiple causation, chronic course, no simple cure and make the elderly person dependent on others for care. The paper presents the results of the study on the prevalence of the giants of geriatrics in community dwelling elderly people 75 yers old +. The study design: cross-sectional questionnaire study, survey. Population studied lived in two chosen areas (the urban and the rural one) with the high percentages of the demographic senility. The interviewers were doctors and nurses serving the studied areas. 463 randomly selected elderly people (233 from the rural and 230 from the urban area) took part in the study. The serious locomotive disability (III/IV group according to J. Piotrowski) was observed in 17.1% of the probands (20.4% in the urban and 13.7% in the rural area; the worse locomotive ability was observed in women and in the older age groups.). Falls were reported by 45.1% of the group (more frequently by women and in the rural area--58.3% vs. 31.9% in the city). Visual impairment reported 21.1% of probands in the urban area and above 50% in rural one and auditory impairment respectively 30.8% and 53.9% of them (in both cases positive correlation with the age was noticed). Incontinence of urine was found in 31.7% of cases in the city and in 46% of them in the rural area (more frequently in women) and incontinence of faeces in 6% (without urban/rural differences). The pathologic result of the Geriatric Depression Scale was observed in 49.2% of the elderly (more frequently in women) and of the Cognitive Impairment Test by Katzman in 20.5% (more frequently in women and in the older age groups). Only 18.4% of the studied group of the elderly maintained the community nurse visited their home during the last 12 months (27.8% in the city and 9% in the rural area) and more frequently--34.3%--general practitioner (respectively 48.7% and 20.2%). The marginal percentage of the elderly (and only in the city) received any kind of physical rehabilitation or contacted the social worker. In the presence of high rate of disability in the elderly population the most important need is the development of community care for the elderly with the great emphasis on the role of community/home nurses and rehabilitation institutions for the elderly on the primary care level.

Indications for CABG (coronary artery bypass grafting) procedures are on the rise with ageing population. Because in the world literature there is not consensus on the elderly patients operative risk estimation we have conducted a retrospective analysis of 300 consecutive patients treated at Cardiac Surgery Department of Bialystok University Centre. The postoperative mortality and morbidity rates were assessed in an each case. 103 patients over 65 and 197 younger patients were included to the study. An operative risk was assessed according to EuroSCORE protocol and was higher in the elderly group. Strangely enough, this was not accompanied by higher mortality and morbidity rates, which were rather similar in the two groups. A female gender and an inclination to gastrointestinal bleeding were the independent risk factors in the elderly group. Probably diabetes mellitus is to be held for the higher mortality rate amongst them. In conclusion, the results of the presented investigation suggest that a biological and not a chronological age is essential in the qualification for CABG procedures.