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Can mindfulness-based interventions influence cognitive functioning in older adults? A review and considerations for future research
- Authors:
- BERK Lotte, BOXTEL Martin van, OS Jim van
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 21(11), 2017, pp.1113-1120.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Objectives: An increased need exists to examine factors that protect against age-related cognitive decline. There is preliminary evidence that meditation can improve cognitive function. However, most studies are cross-sectional and examine a wide variety of meditation techniques. This review focuses on the standard eight-week mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) such as mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT). Method: The authors searched the PsychINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science, COCHRANE, and PubMed databases to identify original studies investigating the effects of MBI on cognition in older adults. Results: Six reports were included in the review of which three were randomised controlled trials. Studies reported preliminary positive effects on memory, executive function and processing speed. However, most reports had a high risk of bias and sample sizes were small. The only study with low risk of bias, large sample size and active control group reported no significant findings. Conclusion: The authors conclude that eight-week MBI for older adults are feasible, but results on cognitive improvement are inconclusive due a limited number of studies, small sample sizes, and a high risk of bias. Rather than a narrow focus on cognitive training per se, future research may productively shift to investigate MBI as a tool to alleviate suffering in older adults, and to prevent cognitive problems in later life already in younger target populations. (Edited publisher abstract)
Elderly carers: the need for appropriate intervention
- Author:
- WENGER G.C.
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 10(2), June 1990, pp.197-219.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
At least a third of retired people can expect to become carers; discusses their particular needs, based on information from a longitudinal study.
How and how well have older people been engaged in healthcare intervention design, development or delivery using co-methodologies: a scoping review with narrative summary
- Authors:
- COWDELL Fiona, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Health and Social Care in the Community, 30(2), 2022, pp.776-798.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Co-methodological working is gaining increasing traction in healthcare, but studies with older people have been slower to develop. The aim was to investigate how and how well older people have been engaged in healthcare intervention design, development or delivery using co-methodologies. The researchers conducted a systematic search of four electronic databases to identify international literature published between 2009 and November 2019. This study included peer-reviewed empirical research of any design. Three authors screened papers. The review is reported in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute manual for scoping reviews, and the researchers have referred to the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses statement. The researchers data extracted to a bespoke spreadsheet and used the Co:Create Co-production Matrix to guide quality appraisal. Included studies (n = 48) were diverse in nature of interventions, co-methodologies and reporting. This paper offers a narrative summary of included papers. Establishing how older people were engaged in co-methodological work was largely straightforward. How well this was done was more challenging, however the researchers have identified gems of good practice and offered directions for future practice. The Co:Create Co-Production Matrix was the best fit for evaluating papers, however it is not intended as a measure per se. In essence, this paper argues that notions of ‘best’ and ‘scores’ are an oxymoron in co-methodological working, what is important that: (a) researchers embrace these methods, (b) incremental change is the way forward, (c) researchers need to do what is right for people and purpose and (d) have time to consider and articulate why they are choosing this approach and how best this can be achieved for their particular situation. Future evaluation of participant's experience of the process would enable others to learn about what works for who and in what circumstances. (Edited publisher abstract)
Primary care-based interventions addressing social isolation and loneliness in older people: a scoping review
- Authors:
- GALVEZ-HERNANDEZ Pablo, PAZ Luis Gonzalez-de, MUNTANER Carles
- Journal article citation:
- BMJ Open, 12(2), 2022, Online only
- Publisher:
- BMJ Publishing Group
Objectives: Primary care is well positioned to identify and address loneliness and social isolation in older adults, given its gatekeeper function in many healthcare systems. This study aimed to identify and characterise loneliness and social isolation interventions and detect factors influencing implementation in primary care. Design: Scoping review using the five-step Arksey and O’Malley Framework. Data sources: MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, COCHRANE databases and grey literature were searched from inception to June 2021. Eligibility criteria: Empirical studies in English and Spanish focusing on interventions addressing social isolation and loneliness in older adults involving primary care services or professionals. Data extraction and synthesis: The researchers extracted data on loneliness and social isolation identification strategies and the professionals involved, networks and characteristics of the interventions and barriers to and facilitators of implementation. This study conducted a thematic content analysis to integrate the information extracted. Results:32 documents were included in the review. Only seven articles (22%) reported primary care professionals screening of older adults’ loneliness or social isolation, mainly through questionnaires. Several interventions showed networks between primary care, health and non-healthcare sectors, with a dominance of referral pathways (n=17). Two-thirds of reports did not provide clear theoretical frameworks, and one-third described lengths under 6 months. Workload, lack of interest and ageing-related barriers affected implementation outcomes. In contrast, well-defined pathways, collaborative designs, long-lasting and accessible interventions acted as facilitators. Conclusions: There is an apparent lack of consistency in strategies to identify lonely and socially isolated older adults. This might lead to conflicts between intervention content and participant needs. This study also identified a predominance of schemes linking primary care and non-healthcare sectors. However, although professionals and participants reported the need for long-lasting interventions to create meaningful social networks, durable interventions were scarce. Sustainability should be a core outcome when implementing loneliness and social isolation interventions in primary care. (Edited publisher abstract)
The dignity of older individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias: a scoping review
- Author:
- TOROSSIAN Maral R
- Journal article citation:
- Dementia: the International Journal of Social Research and Practice, 20(8), 2021, pp.2891-2915.
- Publisher:
- Sage
Background: Supporting human dignity is the essence of delivery of care. Dignity is one’s sense of self-value that is influenced by the perceived value attributed to the individual from others. Individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) are at risk of violations of their dignity, due to their diminished autonomy, the alteration in their sense of self, the loss of meaningful social roles, and their limited interactions with peers and confirmation of identity. Objectives: A scoping review was conducted to explore the state of art regarding the dignity of individuals with ADRD. Methods: A search was conducted using CINAHL, PubMed, Web of Science, and PsycINFO. Relevant articles were analyzed and organized based on the themes they addressed, and a narrative description of findings was presented. Results: Twenty-six articles were included in the review. Findings highlighted characteristics of care that affected the dignity of these individuals. Researchers found that care was task-centered, depersonalized, and lacked a genuine connection. Individuals with ADRD experienced embarrassment, lack of freedom, and powerlessness, which contributed to feelings of being devalued, and threatened their dignity. Studies testing interventions to enhance dignity were either inconclusive, lacked rigor, or had no lasting effect. Conclusion: The dignity of individuals with ADRD may be violated during healthcare interactions. More research is needed to objectively measure the dignity of these individuals and examine the effectiveness of interventions aimed at promoting dignity. (Edited publisher abstract)
Effective implementation approaches for healthy ageing interventions for older people: a rapid review
- Authors:
- OWUSU-ADDO Ebenezer, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 92, January-February 2021, p.104263.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
Background and objectives: Systematic reviews on healthy ageing interventions have primarily focused on assessing their effectiveness, not the implementation processes underpinning them, and the factors influencing program effectiveness. This has created a knowledge gap about what are effective implementation approaches, and how to scale up such interventions at the population level. Our aim in this rapid review was to synthesise the evidence on implementation of effective healthy ageing interventions, and to identify the factors that influence population-level implementation of these interventions. Design and methods: Following the PRISMA checklist, the researchers searched for papers in six databases: Ovid Medline, Ovid Embase, CENTRAL, CINAHL, PsycArticles and PsycINFO. A narrative synthesis was used to summarise the results. Results: Twenty-nine articles reporting on 21 healthy ageing interventions (studies) were included in the review. The findings show that a wide range of approaches to implementation were used including collaborative partnership, co-design, use of volunteers, person centred-care, and self-directed/professional-led approaches. The key implementation drivers were the use of behavioural change techniques, social interaction, tailoring of interventions, booster sessions, and multi-component and multi-professional team approach to intervention design and delivery. Conclusion: The effectiveness of healthy ageing interventions is contingent on a number of factors including the type of implementation approaches used, the context in which programs are implemented, and the specific mechanisms that may be at play at the individual older adult level. (Edited publisher abstract)
Older people and social isolation: a review of the evidence
- Author:
- KINSELLA Sarah
- Publisher:
- Wirral Council Business and Public Health Intelligence Team
- Publication year:
- 2015
- Pagination:
- 16
- Place of publication:
- Wirral
A review of the current literature and evidence on effective interventions to tackle social isolation amongst older people. Based on the findings from the review, the report recommends that: interventions should be targeted at those most at-risk; base their activities on the evidence of what works; and focus on providing group activities, particularly those which have an arts, educational learning or social focus and are participatory. It also recommends exploring the use of using new technologies, such as the internet and Skype. (Edited publisher abstract)
Interventions to address social connectedness and loneliness for older adults: a scoping review
- Authors:
- O'ROURKE Hannah M., COLLINS Laura, SIDANI Souraya
- Journal article citation:
- BMC Geriatrics, 18(214), 2018, Online only
- Publisher:
- BioMed Central Ltd
Background: Older adults are at risk for loneliness, and interventions to promote social connectedness are needed to directly address this problem. The nature of interventions aimed to affect the distinct, subjective concepts of loneliness/social connectedness has not been clearly described. The purpose of this review was to map the literature on interventions and strategies to affect loneliness/social connectedness for older adults. Methods: A comprehensive scoping review was conducted. Six electronic databases were searched from inception in July 2015, resulting in 5530 unique records. Standardized inclusion/exclusion criteria were applied, resulting in a set of 44 studies (reported in 54 articles) for further analysis. Data were extracted to describe the interventions and strategies, and the context of the included studies. Analytic techniques included calculating frequencies, manifest content analysis and meta-summary. Results: Interventions were described or evaluated in 39 studies, and five studies described strategies to affect loneliness/social connectedness of older adults or their caregivers in a qualitative descriptive study. The studies were often conducted in the United States (38.6%) among community dwelling (54.5%), cognitively intact (31.8%), and female-majority (86.4%) samples. Few focused on non-white participants (4.5%). Strategies described most often were engaging in purposeful activity and maintaining contact with one’s social network. Of nine intervention types identified, the most frequently described were One-to-One Personal Contact and Group Activity. Authors held divergent views of why the same type of intervention might impact social connectedness, but social contact was the most frequently conceptualized influencing factor targeted, both within and across intervention types. Conclusions: Research to test the divergent theories of why interventions work is needed to advance understanding of intervention mechanisms. Innovative conceptualizations of intervention targets are needed, such as purposeful activity, that move beyond the current focus on the objective social network as a way to promote social connectedness for older adults. (Edited publisher abstract)
Effective treatments for older adult baby boomers with alcohol-use disorders: a literature review
- Authors:
- QUINN Adam, MOWBRAY Orion
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Social Work Practice in the Addictions, 18(4), 2018, pp.389-410.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Research on patterns of alcohol use among the older adult baby boomer birth cohort suggests considerable challenges to the health care system in the coming decades. This review contributes to the growing knowledge base by summarizing and categorizing the most effective alcohol-use treatments for use with the baby boomer cohort. Following a manual search of more than 7,000 articles published between 1990 and 2015, a review of 19 relevant articles was performed based on guidelines set by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Five articles were rated as good, 11 were rated as fair, and 3 were rated as poor. The publications were divided into 4 interpretive categories consisting of clinic-based interventions, mail-based interventions, primary care physician feedback, and day treatment. Overall, the results suggest that cognitive behaviour-based treatments for alcohol-use disorders, both clinic-based and mail-based, might be effective in reducing drinking among baby boomers. Implications and future research are discussed. (Edited publisher abstract)
Older women and domestic abuse
- Author:
- ALLCOCK Annelies
- Publisher:
- IRISS
- Publication year:
- 2018
- Pagination:
- 27
- Place of publication:
- London
This evidence summary identifies effective interventions for older women experiencing domestic violence and abuse. The review looked at academic research published within the last 10 years, focusing mainly on UK sources. It identifies literature covering the following areas: impact and how abuse affects older women; barriers to seeking help, including access to services, attitudes, financial concerns, caregiving, and receiving care. It then identifies evidence relating to interventions. The literature retrieved suggests that there is a lack of knowledge of the impact of domestic abuse on older women amongst service providers and professionals. Limited training available on the specific issues faced by older victims of domestic abuse may mean that practitioners lack the skills and knowledge to respond to it confidently. (Edited publisher abstract)