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Objective: To investigate the influence of single and dual sensory impairments prospectively on cognition in adults aged ⩾50 years. Method: Community-dwelling English adults (n = 4,621) were followed up from 2008 to 2014. Self-reported hearing and vision were collected in 2008. Change in cognitive performance on working memory and executive function between 2008 and 2014 was evaluated. Results: Compared with good hearing and good vision, respectively, poor hearing and poor vision were associated with worse cognitive function (hearing: unstandardized coefficient B = 0.83, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] = [0.29, 1.37]; vision: B = 1.61, 95% CI = [0.92, 2.29] adjusted for age, sex, baseline cognition). Compared with no sensory impairment, dual sensory impairment was associated with worse cognition (B = 2.30, 95% CI = [1.21, 3.39] adjusted for age, sex, baseline cognition). All associations remained after further adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle factors, chronic conditions, falls, mobility, depression, and lack of companionship. Discussion: The findings are important as age-related sensory impairments are often preventable or modifiable, which may prevent or delay cognitive impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Mild frailty is common in later life, increasing the risk of hospitalisation, loss of independence and premature death. Targeted health promotion services may reduce adverse outcomes and increase quality of life; however, effective, well‐developed theory‐based interventions are lacking. We aimed to explore perceptions of health promotion behaviours undertaken by older people with mild frailty, barriers and facilitators to engagement, and identify potential components for new home‐based health promotion services. We carried out 17 semi‐structured qualitative interviews and six focus groups with 53 stakeholders, including 14 mildly frail older people, 12 family carers, 19 community health and social care professionals, and 8 homecare workers, in one urban and one semi‐rural area of England. Transcripts were thematically analysed. Older people with mild frailty reported engaging in a variety of lifestyle behaviours to promote health and well‐being. Key barriers or facilitators to engaging in these included transport, knowledge of local services, social support and acceptance of personal limitations. Older people, carers and professionals agreed that any new service should address social networks and mobility and tailor other content to each individual. Services should aim to increase motivation through focussing on independence and facilitate older people to continue carrying out behaviours that improve their well‐being, as well as provide information, motivation, psychological support and practical support. Stakeholders agreed services should be delivered over a sustained period by trained non‐specialist workers. New services including these components are likely to be acceptable to older people with mild frailty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To examine the association between hearing impairment and incident frailty in older adults. Design Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses with 4-year follow-up using data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Setting Community. Participants Community-dwelling individuals aged 60 and older with data on hearing and frailty status (N = 2,836). Measurements Hearing impairment was defined as poor self-reported hearing. Having none of the five Fried frailty phenotype components (slow walking, weak grip, self-reported exhaustion, weight loss and low physical activity) was defined as not frail, having one or two as prefrail, and having three or more as frail. Participants who were not frail at baseline were followed for incident prefrailty and frailty. Participants who were prefrail at baseline were followed for incident frailty. Results One thousand three hundred ninety six (49%) participants were not frail, 1,178 (42%) were prefrail, and 262 (9%) were frail according to the Fried phenotype. At follow-up, there were 367 new cases of prefrailty and frailty among those who were not frail at baseline (n = 1,396) and 133 new cases of frailty among those who were prefrail at baseline (n = 1,178). Cross-sectional analysis showed an association between hearing impairment and frailty (age- and sex-adjusted odds ratio ( OR) = 1.66, 95% confidence interval ( CI) = 1.37-2.01), which remained after further adjustments for wealth, education, cardiovascular disease, cognition, and depression. In longitudinal analyses, nonfrail participants with hearing impairment were at greater risk of becoming prefrail and frail at follow-up ( OR = 1.43, 95% CI = 1.05-1.95), but the association was attenuated after further adjustment. Prefrail participants with hearing impairment had a greater risk of becoming frail at follow-up ( OR = 1.64, 95% CI = 1.07-2.51) even after further adjustment. Conclusion Hearing impairment in prefrail older adults was associated with greater risk of becoming frail, independent of covariates, suggesting that hearing impairment may hasten the progression of frailty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To outline the organisation and responsibility for health and social care provided to older people in Denmark, Finland and Sweden., Methods: Non-quantifiable data on the care systems were collated from the literature and expert consultations. The responsibilities for primary healthcare, specialised healthcare, prevention and health promotion, rehabilitation, and social care were presented in relation to policy guidance, funding and organisation., Results: In all three countries, the state issues policy and to some extent co-funds the largely decentralised systems; in Denmark and Sweden the regions and municipalities organise the provision of care services - a system that is also about to be implemented in Finland to improve care coordination and make access more equal. Care for older citizens focuses to a large extent on enabling them to live independently in their own homes., Conclusions: Decentralised care systems are challenged by considerable local variations, possibly jeopardising care equity. State-level decision and policy makers need to be aware of these challenges and monitor developments to prevent further health and social care disparities in the ageing population., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Aim: To outline and discuss care transitions and care continuity following hospital discharge of older people with complex care needs in three Nordic cities: Copenhagen, Tampere and Stockholm., Methods: Data on potential pathways following hospital discharge of older people were obtained from existing literature and expert consultations. The pathways for each system were outlined and presented in three figures. The hospital discharge process of the systems was then compared., Results: In all three care systems, the main care path from hospital is to home. Short-term intermediate healthcare can be provided in all three systems, possibly creating additional care transitions; however, once home, extensive home healthcare may prevent further care transitions. Opportunities for continuity of care include needs assessments (all cities) and meetings with the patient about care upon return home (Copenhagen, Stockholm). Yet this is challenged by lack of transfer of information (Tampere) and patients' having to apply for some services themselves (Tampere, Stockholm)., Conclusions: Comparisons of the discharge processes studied suggest that despite individual care planning and short- and long-term care options, transitional care and care continuity are challenged by limited access as some services need to be applied for by the older person themselves., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Background: The shift towards home-based care has resulted in increased provision of home healthcare and home help to older adults. Infections acquired in older adults while receiving home care have increased too, resulting in unplanned yet avoidable hospitalizations. In recent years, several studies have reported an array of factors associated with risk of infection; however, no previous systematic review has compiled such evidence, which is important to better protect older adults. Therefore, we have outlined the work of a systematic review that aims to identify risk factors for infection in older adults receiving home healthcare and/or home help., Methods: Searches for relevant studies will be conducted in five databases [MEDLINE, EMBASE (Excerpta Medica Database), Web of Science Core Collection, Cinahl (Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature) and Sociological Abstracts]. All types of studies will be included. Exposures considered refer to medical, individual, social/behavioral and environmental risk factors for infection (outcome). Two researchers will independently go through the records generated. Eligible studies will be assessed for risk of biases using the Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool and an overall interpretation of the biases will be provided. If the data allow, a meta-analysis will be conducted. It is possible that both quantitative and qualitative studies will be identified and eligible. Therefore, for the analysis, the Joanna Briggs Institute Reviewers' Manual for mixed methods systematic reviews will be used as it allows for two or more single method reviews (e.g., one quantitative and one qualitative) to be conducted separately and then combined in a joint overarching synthesis., Results: The findings of the planned systematic review are of interest to healthcare professionals, caregivers, older adults and their families, and policy- and decisions makers in the health and social care sectors as the review will provide evidence-based data on multiple factors that influence the risk of infection among older adults receiving care in their homes., Conclusion: The results could guide future policy on effective infection control in the home care sector., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflict of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2022 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Importance: Sensory acuity tends to decrease with age, but little is known about the relationship between having multiple sensory impairments and well-being in later life., Objective: To examine associations between concurrent multisensory impairments and aspects of well-being and mental health, namely quality of life and depressive symptoms., Design, Setting, and Participants: Cross-sectional analysis of participants in the English Longitudinal Study of Aging wave 8 (May 2016 to June 2017). This is a representative sample of free-living English individuals 52 years and older. Analysis began April 2018., Main Outcomes and Measures: Linear and logistic regression models were used to assess the association of self-reported concurrent impairments in hearing, vision, smell, and taste with quality of life (0-57 on the 19-item CASP-19 scale; Control, Autonomy, Self-realization and Pleasure) and depressive symptoms (≥4 items on the 8-item Centre for Epidemiologic Study Depression Scale)., Results: Using a representative sample of 6147 individuals, 52% (weighted) were women (n = 3455; unweighted, 56%) and the mean (95% CI) age was 66.6 (66.2-67.0) years. Multiple sensory impairments were associated with poorer quality of life and greater odds of depressive symptoms after adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle factors, chronic conditions, and cognitive function. Compared with no sensory impairment, quality of life decreased linearly as the number of senses impaired increased, with individuals reporting 3 to 4 sensory impairments displaying the poorest quality of life (-4.68; 95% CI, -6.13 to -3.23 points on the CASP-19 scale). Similarly, odds of depressive symptoms increased linearly as the number of impairments increased. Individuals with 3 to 4 senses impaired had more than a 3-fold risk of depressive symptoms (odds ratio, 3.36; 95% CI, 2.28-4.96)., Conclusions and Relevance: In this cross-sectional study, concurrent sensory impairments were associated with poorer quality of life and increased risks of depressive symptoms. Therefore, assessing and managing sensory impairments could help improve older adults' well-being.