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At risk alcohol drinking in primary care patients aged 75 years and older
- Authors:
- WEYERER Siegfried, et al
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 24(12), December 2009, pp.1376-1385.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
This study looks at alcohol consumption patterns among older patients. The subjects were 3,224 non-demented patients aged 75 and over attending general practitioners in 6 cities in Germany. Detailed assessment of alcohol consumption was determined by structured clinical interviews. The results showed that 50.1% were abstainers and that 43.4% were moderate drinkers. The prevalence of at-risk alcohol consumption (over 20g alcohol per day for women and over 30g alcohol per day for men) was 6.5%. This was significantly higher for men (12.1%) than women (3.6%). Compared to moderate drinking, at-risk drinking was significantly higher in men, individuals with liver disease, and current smokers. Apart from the liver disease, at-risk drinking in this population was associated with relatively good physical and mental health. The authors suggest that public prevention measures should focus on at-risk drinkers to make them aware of potential risks of high alcohol consumption in old age.
Evaluation of special and traditional dementia care in nursing homes: results from a cross-sectional study in Germany
- Authors:
- WEYERER Siegfried, SCHAUFELE Martina, HENDLMEIER Ingrid
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 25(11), November 2010, pp.1159-1167.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Two-thirds of all residents in nursing homes in Germany suffer from some type of dementia. This study investigated whether or not dementia patients receiving special (segregated or partially segregated) care exhibited a better quality of life than their counterparts residing in traditional integrative nursing homes. In a cross-sectional study in 28 special dementia care facilities in the city of Hamburg 594 residents were compared to a group of 573 nursing home residents with dementia in 11 randomly selected nursing homes who were receiving traditional integrative care. Primary features such as cognitive and functional impairment, and behaviour problems were assessed by qualified nursing staff. The results showed that the dementia patients in special care units had higher levels of volunteer caregiver involvement and that there was more social contact with staff, fewer physical restraints, more involvement in home activities, and more frequent use of psychiatrists as compared to the reference group. There was no significant difference between the two care settings with regard to overall use of psychotropic drugs, however, residents in special dementia care used antipsychotics significantly less often and antidepressants more often. The article concludes that significant differences for a number of indicators of the quality of life point in favour of special dementia care.