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Self-neglect and cognitive function among community-dwelling older persons
- Authors:
- DONG XinQi, et al
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 25(8), August 2010, pp.798-806.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
While self-neglect with older people is a public health issue, it is unclear to what extent it is associated with cognitive function. As such, this study examined the cross-sectional association between self-neglect and cognitive function. The study identified 1,094 Chicago Health and Aging Project participants who had self-neglect reported to social services, which assessed the self-neglect severity. Cognitive function was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (Perceptual Speed), and both immediate and delayed recall of the East Boston Memory Test (Episodic Memory). An index of global cognitive function scores was derived by averaging z-scores of all tests. Findings indicated that self-neglect was associated with poorer cognitive function. After adjusting for confounders, self-neglect was associated with lower global cognitive function, and perceptual speed. In addition, higher self-neglect severity scores were associated with lower global cognitive function. Greater self-neglect severity was not correlated with worse performance on MMSE, but was correlated with worse performance on both episodic memory, and perceptual speed. While self-neglect was associated with lower cognitive function, episodic memory and perceptual speed, future research is needed to examine the temporality of these associations.
Fifty - the new sixty? The health and social care of older prisoners
- Author:
- WILLIAMS John
- Journal article citation:
- Quality in Ageing and Older Adults, 11(3), September 2010, pp.16-24.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
The fastest growing sector of the prison population is older people. Although the numbers are still relatively small, at under 2,500 in 2007, it would seem that the ‘sameness’ principle within prisons renders older prisoners invisible. The health of older prisoners is a matter of concern - research indicates that you age 10 years faster in prison which can compound the problems that may be associated with ageing. The provision of health and social care do not match those for older people outside of the prison system. This article considers the legal issues surrounding the treatment of older prisoners. It recognises that restrictions on liberty are a component of the prison system; however, it questions whether the consequences of ‘sameness’ infringe the legal rights of older prisons. It recommends a statutory presumption of equivalence of care, which can only be rebutted expressly or by necessary implication.
The relationship between coping, self-esteem and health on outdoor walking ability among older adults in Norway
- Authors:
- BERGLAND Astrid, THORSEN Kirsten, LOLAND Nina Waaler
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 30(6), August 2010, pp.949-963.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
Walking is an essential component of outdoor mobility, and recognised as one of the best forms of physical activity for older adults. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between socio-demographic factors, coping resources, self-esteem and health status with the outdoor walking ability of people aged 55–79 years living in the community. The hypothesis was that there is a positive association between outdoor walking ability and coping, self-esteem and health status. A nationally-representative sample of women and men were initially contacted by telephone and then mailed questionnaires to ask questions regarding socio-demographic attributes, coping resources, self-esteem, health status and outdoor walking ability. This paper concentrates on the 3,069 respondents aged 55-79 years who completed both the telephone interview and the questionnaire. Around one-half of the participants were women, and around one-half were aged 65 or more years. Regarding outdoor walking ability, only 0.7 per cent of the respondents were not able to walk at all, and 80.8 per cent could walk at least one kilometre without a pause. Binary logistic multivariate regression analyses showed that those who had good outdoor walking ability (one kilometre or more) were significantly younger than those who did not, and that they were predominantly men, partnered or married, not in paid work, experienced significantly little pain, had better self-reported health and higher perceived coping.
Establishing the well-being of the rural-urban elderly population: a case study of Indonesia
- Authors:
- MOHD Saidatulakmal, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Hong Kong Journal of Social Work, 44(2), Winter 2010, pp.105-120.
- Publisher:
- World Scientific Publishing Company
- Place of publication:
- Singapore
Indonesia is experiencing an aging population due to longer life expectancy and a decline in fertility. This paper examines the influence of various demographic factors (age, marital status, social class and perceived health) and economic conditions as well as living and familial arrangements on the well-being of the elderly. Data was collected from 302 elderly people covering the rural and urban areas of Jakarta, Yogyakarta and Bali using a survey-interview method. The participants were: 157 elderly with a mean age of 70 in the urban areas; and 145 elderly with a mean age of 74 in the rural areas. A causal model of well-being was employed to analyse the data obtained. The model of well-being was then tested using path analysis to test the causal relationships among the variables. In general, the well-being of the elderly in the urban and rural areas did not show much difference. The causal model of well-being of elderly in the rural areas indicated direct relationships between well-being and age, living arrangement and social status. The causal model of well-being of elderly in the urban areas were more complex, showing direct relationships between well-being and age, familial arrangement, social status and perceived health.
The forgotten age: understanding poverty and social exclusion in later life
- Authors:
- MCKEE Sara, (chair)
- Publisher:
- Centre for Social Justice
- Publication year:
- 2010
- Pagination:
- 251p., bibliog.
- Place of publication:
- London
In this interim report the Centre for Social Justice Older Age Working Group presents an analysis of the nature and scale of the challenge the government faces in tackling poverty and social exclusion among older people in the UK. The review included analysis of statistics, gathered evidence from a range of stakeholders, and commissioned internet-based public polling. It identified several key indicators concerning the poorest older people in society which are used as core report themes. These are: money (including pensioner poverty, impact of the recession, the state pension and state benefits, and fuel poverty), community and lifestyle (including community and neighbourhoods, crime, transport, health, volunteering and digital exclusion), housing (including housing standards, design, adaptation and improvement, sheltered and retirement housing, and old age homelessness), and care (including social care, unpaid care, state provision of care, care at home, and care homes). The Working Group's second and final report, to be published in 2011, will set out a range of policy recommendations based on this analysis.
REPRINTS: Effects of an intergenerational health promotion program for older adults in Japan
- Authors:
- FUJIWARA Yoshinori, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intergenerational Relationships, 7(1), March 2010, pp.17-39.
- Publisher:
- Routledge
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia
It is argued that rather than focusing on the economic burden that may fall on the younger generation because of the expected growth in demand for welfare and health care among the older generations, Japan should be prioritising the social participation of older adults for the benefit of society as a whole. This article describes one such intervention research project, REPRINTS (REsearch of PRoductivity by INTtegrated Sympathy), in which senior volunteers read picture books to children. Sixty-nine volunteers and 72 controls, all aged 60 years and over, living in three urban locations, underwent a baseline health check. After completion of a three-month training seminar, volunteers visited public elementary schools and kindergartens in groups of 6 to 10 for an 18 month period. They were assessed by a follow-up health check. Social network scores (frequency of contact with grandchildren and others around the neighbourhood) and self-rated health improved or was maintained at a significantly higher rate for the 37 individuals volunteering most intensively compared to those who did not volunteer or volunteered minimally. Some effects were also seen on physical performance but these attenuated over the latter part of the study, possibly because both groups were healthy and active at baseline. The authors suggest this warrants further study.
Depressive symptoms and health problems among Chinese immigrant elders in the US and Chinese elders in China
- Authors:
- WU Bei, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 14(6), August 2010, pp.695-704.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
This study examined whether depressive symptoms differed between Chinese immigrant elders in the USA and their counterparts in China and whether health conditions were associated with depressive symptoms in the two samples. Depression and health information was collected from 177 Chinese immigrant elders in Boston in 2000, and from 428 elders in Shanghai in 2003 with similar levels of education and similar gender distribution as the Boston sample. The results showed that, compared to their counterparts in China, immigrants had a significantly lower score on the depression scale used and were also physically healthier and had healthier lifestyle behaviours. The researchers concluded that the study provides some evidence that Chinese immigrant elders might be more resilient than elders in Shanghai despite many challenges they face after moving abroad.
Need fulfillment in caring relationships: its relation with well-being of residents in somatic nursing homes
- Authors:
- CUSTERS Annette F. J., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 14(6), August 2010, pp.731-739.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Based on self-determination theory, this he study investigated the contribution of need fulfilment in the caring relationship to residents' subjective well-being. A total of 88 residents aged 50 years and over in Dutch nursing homes for physical illness participated in the study. Data was collected using questionnaires completed in interviews with research assistants. The results indicated that need fulfilment in the caring relationship was related to lower levels of depressive feelings and more life satisfaction. The results suggest that high quality caring relationships contribute to the need fulfilment of residents and their well-being, and that the quality of caring relationships is therefore an important topic for further research.
Health outcomes of Experience Corps: a high-commitment volunteer program
- Authors:
- HONG S. I., MORROW-HOWELL Nancy
- Journal article citation:
- Social Science and Medicine, 71(2), July 2010, pp.414-420.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
Experience Corps (EC) is a volunteer programme where older people are placed in public elementary schools in US cities to tutor children at risk of reading failure. This study examined a sample of 167 older (50+ years) volunteers, questioning them by telephone prior to their involvement (T1) and two years in (T2), and comparing them with matched groups from the US Health and Retirement Study (2004, 2006). Compared to the latter group, the EC group reported fewer depressive symptoms and functional limitations and there was a statistical trend towards reporting a lower decline in self-rated health over the two year period. These results, say the authors, add to the plethora of evidence supporting high intensity volunteering as a social model for health promotion in adults and older people. Activities such as student interactions, preparations for tutorials and ongoing training, involved cognitive activity. Social activities with school personnel and fellow volunteers, in and out of school, and the physical activities of travelling to and from school, up to three days a week and walking with students around school also contributed to the positive health outcomes observed.
Social involvement, behavioural risks and cognitive functioning among older people
- Authors:
- ENGELHARDT Henriette, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 30(5), July 2010, pp.779-809.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
This study examines data, from 22,949 adults (10,902 men, 12,047 women, average ages 62 and 63 years, respectively) from the non-institutional populations, of Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, and Israel, from the first (2004-2006) wave of the ‘Survey on Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe’, on relationships between cognitive performance, social participation and behavioural risks, such as physical inactivity, smoking, drinking, or obesity. The authors use “stochastic frontier approach methodology”, controlling for age, educational attainment, income, physical activity, body-mass index, smoking and drinking and identifying the effects on age-related declines to cognitive performance, of variables, such as employment status, attending recreational educational courses, doing voluntary or charity work, providing help to family, friends or neighbours, participating in sports, social or other clubs, or in a religious, political or community organisation. Cognitive function measures used were orientation, memory, verbal fluency, numeracy and recall. The pooled results indicated that social involvement enhanced cognitive functions and that smoking, drinking, obesity or physical inactivity reduced cognitive functioning. Variation was found between countries’ examined.