Search results for ‘Subject term:"older people"’ Sort:
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Intergenerational programs: perspectives of service providers in one Canadian city
- Authors:
- AYALA Jessica S., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intergenerational Relationships, 5(2), 2007, pp.45-60.
- Publisher:
- Routledge
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia
This paper presents the results of a telephone survey in Calgary of 107 individuals in charge of intergenerational programming to bring people of different generations together in purposeful and mutually beneficial ways. Although nearly three-quarters were familiar with the term inter-generational programming, only 18% could articulate its purposeful nature. A total of 71 different programmes were identified that were mainly or partly focused on intergenerational goals, including: young people supporting older ones (e.g. by visiting or providing practical help); older people supporting younger ones (e.g. visiting schools, helping with reading); and old and young working together (e.g. oral history projects). Over 60% of participants said that their programmes were successful or very successful, and some 40% had ideas for how provision could be improved. Interest in intergenerational programming is high, but considerable financial and other barriers to progress remain. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580).
Community-based treatment of late life depression: an expert panel-informed literature review
- Authors:
- FREDERICK John T., et al
- Journal article citation:
- American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 33(3), September 2007, pp.222-249.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
This systematic review employed an expert panel to assess the quality of studies and make judgements on the effectiveness of those interventions for which sufficient data were available. Adequate data existed for depression care management, group and individual psychotherapy for depression, psychotherapy targeting mental health, psychotherapy for carers, education and skills training (to manage health problems besides depression, and for carers), geriatric health evaluation and management, exercise, and physical rehabilitation and occupational therapy. Depression care management was rated as effective; education and skills training, geriatric health evaluation and management, and physical rehabilitation and occupational therapy were rated as ineffective; and the remaining interventions received mixed ratings. Several interventions lacked sufficient data for assessment because of limited numbers of studies and/or poor study quality. The authors stress that some interventions found to be of mixed effectiveness (or even ineffective) may have a part to play in a multifaceted approach to the treatment of depression in later life.
No wonder she's down
- Author:
- -
- Journal article citation:
- Community Care, 18.01.07, 2007, pp.36-37.
- Publisher:
- Reed Business Information
This case study reports on the case of an older woman who has lot two husbands and a daughter in just two years. The practice panel looks at how services could help her to cope with her depression.
Social justice, respect and meaning-making: keys to working with the homeless elderly population
- Author:
- PROEHL Rebecca A.
- Journal article citation:
- Health and Social Work, 32(4), November 2007, pp.301-307.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Substance abuse programs designed for the needs of older adults are rare in the United States, and traditional mental health providers are often reluctant to work with the population, thus making it difficult for the homeless older adult to receive mental health services. This article looks at the work of the Saint Mary's Center in California which obtained funding for three years to provide services for elderly homeless people with mental health problems.
Family caregiving today: what we have learned from 35 years of research and where do we go from here?
- Author:
- ZARIT Steven H.
- Journal article citation:
- Generations Review, 17(1), January 2007, Online only
- Publisher:
- British Society of Gerontology
The author draws on research to discuss: the social context of caregiving; the stress process in caregiving; and promising strategies for intervention research.
The effects of reminiscence on psychological well-being in older adults: a meta-analysis
- Authors:
- BOHLMEIJER Ernst, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 11(3), May 2007, pp.291-300.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
This paper presents the results of a meta-analysis to assess the effectiveness of reminiscence on psychological well-being across different target groups and treatment modalities. Fifteen controlled outcome studies were included. An overall effect size of 0.54 was found, indicating a moderate influence of reminiscence on life-satisfaction and emotional well-being in older adults. Life-review was found to have significantly greater effect on psychological well-being than simple reminiscence. In addition, reminiscence had significantly greater effect on community-dwelling adults than adults living in nursing homes or residential care. Other characteristics of participants or interventions were not found to moderate effects. It is concluded that reminiscence in general, but especially life review, are potentially effective methods for the enhancement of psychological well-being in older adults. However, a replication of effectiveness studies of the well-defined protocols is now warranted.
Cognitive plasticity in people at risk for dementia: Optimising the testing-the-limits-approach
- Authors:
- SCHREIBER M., SNEIDER R.
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 11(1), January 2007, pp.75-81.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
A topic of great interest in gerontology research is the prediction of cognitive deterioration which marks the transition from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to dementia. In this area, the term cognitive plasticity can be of great interest. We examined the utility of the Adaptive Figure Series Learning Test (ADAFI) to evoke cognitive plasticity and to show whether reduced plasticity can be found in people with MCI. In a pre-test–intervention–post-test design, intervention with the ADAFI was compared to an unspecific brain jogging task in MCI participants and healthy controls. A total of 42 subjects were included. Independent of mental health status only using the ADAFI led to pronounced improvements in post-test performances, but MCI participants profited less from the intervention with the ADAFI than healthy controls, that is, showed lower cognitive plasticity. Thus, the overlap in performance distributions between healthy participants and MCI individuals at pre-test was reduced at the time of post-test once the ADAFI had been given as intervention. The findings of the present article indicate that plasticity oriented information can be gained when the ADAFI is given as an intervention in a pre-test–training–post-test-design. The cognitive plasticity approach seems potentially useful for purposes of early identification of dementia.
Analysis and treatment of self-neglectful behaviors in three elderly female patients
- Author:
- THIBAULT Jane M.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect, 19(3/4), 2007, pp.151-166.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Three cases of self-neglect in elderly women (aged 84-92) suffering from chronic, non-terminal illnesses are discussed. One lived in the community and two in assisted living facilities, and behaviours included refusal to eat, non-adherence to prescribed medication, and extreme social withdrawal. Initial interviews strongly suggested that these behaviours were a purposeful (if inappropriate) response to aversive events or other negative stimuli. The goals of treatment were to identify the factors precipitating these potentially life-threatening actions, and develop behavioural approaches to modify them. The outcomes are described as moderately positive, with a clinically significant reduction in self-neglectful behaviours that was maintained in the three months following the end of treatment. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580).
A cognitive intervention to enhance institutionalized older adults' social support networks and decrease loneliness
- Authors:
- WINNINGHAM R. G., PIKE N. L.
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 11(6), November 2007, pp.716-721.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Nearly all older adults experience social losses, which can disrupt their social support networks and impair their quality of life. Events such as retirement, an inability to drive, death of a spouse and/or close life-long friends, or moving to an elder care facility may negatively affect the quality of older adults' social support networks. Low levels of perceived social support are associated with increased depression, impaired immune functioning and reduced life expectancy. Moreover, social interactions can be cognitively stimulating and may help older adults preserve their cognitive abilities. In the present study, institutionalized older adults were exposed to either a cognitive enhancement programme designed to enhance social networks or a control group. Measures of perceived social support and loneliness were administered before and after a 3-month, group-based intervention. There was a significant interaction between group and time. Those who did not participate in the intervention experienced a decrease in perceived social support and an increase in perceived loneliness. Participants in the intervention group stayed the same on the above measures. Helping older adults increase or maintain the quality of their social networks may lead to enhanced cognitive functioning, decreased depression and improved quality of life. Recommendations to help assisted living facilities, nursing homes, retirement communities and senior centres develop social and cognitive interventions are provided.
Individualized piano instruction enhances executive functioning and working memory in older adults
- Authors:
- BUGOS J. A., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 11(4), July 2007, pp.464-471.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
This study evaluates transfer from domain-specific, sensorimotor training to cognitive abilities associated with executive function. The authors examined individualized piano instruction (IPI) as a potential cognitive intervention to mitigate normal age-related cognitive decline in older adults. Thirty-one musically naïve community-dwelling older adults (ages 60-85) were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (n = 16) or control group (n = 15). Neuropsychological assessments were administered at three time points: pre-training, following six months of intervention, and following a three-month delay. The experimental group significantly improved performance on the Trail Making Test and Digit Symbol measures as compared to healthy controls. Results of this study suggest that IPI may serve as an effective cognitive intervention for age-related cognitive decline.