Elderly Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Flexible working arrangements (FWAs) provide academics a degree of freedom to control their working time, location and method. Academics need to be agile in managing their multiple work roles, but many universities are still not supportive. This research explores whether FWAs can affect academics’ work-life balance (WLB) and stress levels. Using a focus group discussion, eight academics were interviewed. Findings reveal that FWAs have a positive impact on WLB and reduce stress levels amongst Malaysian academics. Considering the COVID-19 pandemic, working from home (WFH) has become a new normal, paving the way for similar policies to be put in place. Keywords: Flexible working arrangements; academics; work-life balance; stress eISSN: 2398-4287© 2020. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility o...

- by
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- Learning and Teaching, Academic Writing, Women and Work, Elderly

The elderly age seems to be a proper time for finding the meaning of life and personal growth compared to other periods of life. The existence of meaning in life of the elderly is an important factor for the continuation of their life and finding meaning in life serve an important role in mental health and quality of life of the elderly. Therefore, this research aimed to investigate the effectiveness of logotherapy on depression and positive psychological characteristics of the elderly living in Isfahan. The research method was semi-experimental with pretest-posttest and follow-up design with a control group. The participants included all the elderly aged above 60 years old living in Isfahan. First, two centers were selected among Retired Teachers Associations and then, 40 participants were selected purposefully based on inclusion and exclusion criteria and were randomly assigned with an equal ratio into the experimental and control groups (20 participants each). The experiment group were exposed to the Logotherapy for 11 90-minute sessions, while control group did not receive any intervention at this time. Measurs consisted of Yasavage et. al's elderly depression scale and Rashid's positive psychological characteristics scale. Utilized to analyze of the data was SPSS-23 software. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) demonstrated that logotherapy has a significant role in improving depression and positive psychological characteristics of the elderly (P<0.05). According to the findings of the current research, logotherapy can be used as an efficient method at counselling and psychotherapy centers in order to creat good feeling in the elderly, in turn leading to the decrease of their inanity feeling and depression.

- by Aging Psychology and +2
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- Depression, Elderly, Logotherapy, positive psychological characteristics

Objectives This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of self-care empowerment training on life expectancy,
happiness, and quality of life of the elderly in Iranian elderly care centers in Dubai.
Methods & Materials This study was a quasi-experimental research conducted in the form of pre-testpost-
test with control group. The statistical population of this study included all Iranian elderly in the
elderly care centers in Dubai. Of these individuals, a sample of 40 elderly people (20 women and 20 men)
was selected and were involved randomly in two experimental groups (n=20; 10 women and 10 men) and
one control group (n=20; 10 women and 10 men). In this study, the experimental group received self-care
education during 12 sessions for 3 months and a weekly two-hour session, and the control group was put
on a waiting list. The experimental and control groups completed the Snyder Hope Scale (SHS), the Oxford
Happiness Inventory (OHI), and the World Health Organization Quality of Life scale (WHOQOL) in the pretest
and post-test phases. The data were analyzed using Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA).
Results The findings showed that in post-test, self-care empowerment training significantly increased the
hope, happiness, and quality of life in the elderly.
Conclusion Self-care empowerment training in the elderly can be effective in increasing hope, happiness,
and quality of life of these individuals.

- by Salmand: Iranian Journal of Ageing and +1
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- Quality of life, Happiness, Elderly, Life Expectancy

Happiness is an important component of subjective well-being and people generally wish to be happy. There are various factors linked to happiness, e.g. health, family relationships, social support, financial situation, work, personal independence, generosity and so on. It is quite possible that old age is associated with many positive and negative factors in the way of experiencing happiness. As there are many benefits of happiness it is important that this area is explored and individuals are supported in their pursuit of finding and maintaining happiness.

健康公平是全民医保的理论基础，也是医疗保障制度改革追求的目标。本文从“弱者优先”的健康公平理论出发，以浙江为例，以质化研究与量化研究相结合的方式，分析了医疗保障制度改革对老年人群健康公平的影响。基于结构方程的非递归路径模型分析显示，职工医保和城居医保制度提高了老年参保者的医疗服务利用水平，从而增进了健康公平，但新农合的参保老人与未参保老人在医疗服务利用和健康结果方面均未呈现显著差异，原因是其保障待遇过低和制度设计缺陷。质化研究进一步显示，在医疗服务输送过程中几类弱势老年人群的... more

- by Hung WONG
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- Health Equity, Elderly, Health Care Financing, Health Insurance

Psychological distress has been considered a key component in the psychosocial functioning and functional disability of the elderly, but the determining factors of social functioning and psychological distress in the elderly people are not yet fully known. The aim of this study is to perform a gender analysis of the relevance of psychological distress and psychosocial factors in the social functioning of the elderly. A cross-sectional study with a sample of 589 men and 684 women from the general Spanish population aged between 65 and 94 years was conducted. All participants were evaluated through questionnaires and scales that assess psychological distress, social functioning, stress, coping styles, self-esteem and social support. Results: Women scored higher than men in psychological distress, chronic stress, emotional coping and instrumental social support, whereas men scored higher than women in self-esteem and rational coping. Psychological distress was significantly associated in women and men with worse social functioning, which was also lower in older people and in women with lower self-esteem. Psychological distress has a considerable impact on the social functioning of the elderly, and gender is a relevant factor in the psychological distress experienced and its predictors.

- by MARIA DEL PILAR SOCORRO MATUD AZNAR
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- Gender, Stress, Social Support, Self-Esteem

Objectives Assessment of met and unmet needs of the elderly and how meeting unmet needs can increase the quality of their life. Validity and reliability of any measurement instrument essential to use it for research work. The Aim of this study is to evaluate the test-retest reliability, construct validity and criterion validity of the Persian version of CANE questionnaire as a tool for the assessment of the needs of Iranian elderly people with mental health problems and their informal careers. Methods & Materials This cross-sectional study was done in 2016 on 123 elderly (61 men and 62 women) people with mental health disorder (convenient sampling) with mean age 72 years (SD=9.24) and 41 of their informal careers. To assess test-retest reliability, the interview was conducted twice with two-week interval and criterion validity to measure the correlation between the scores of the Camberwell questionnaire , a 36-item questionnaire assessing the quality of life, Modified Barthel Index, and 12-item General health survey was assessed. Construct validity was assessed by creating a correlation matrix for the first section of all 26 items of the questionnaire. The statistical analyses were performed using the software SPSS 19. Results For test-retest reliability purposes, kappa coefficient elderly (K=0.48-1) and their informal caregiv-ers (K=0.65-1); and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) in elderly with 0.95 and their informal caregiv-ers with 0.97, with a significant level of 0.05 were calculated. The results of the criterion validity, high negative Spearman's correlation between the total score of CANE with total score of the SF36 (r=-0.790) and MBI (r=-0.788) and a moderate correlation between unmet needs score of the CANE with total score SF36 (r=-0.474) and also a high correlation between score of career's psychological distress item of CANE with total score of GHQ12 (r=0.875) is revealed. The results showed good construct validity of the Persian version of the CANE. Conclusion Test-retest reliability and also construct and criterion validity of the Persian version of the CANE are good. It suggests that for the other studies, the psychometric properties of the Camberwell questionnaire should be evaluated.

- by Salmand: Iranian Journal of Ageing and +1
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- Elderly, Validity, Reliability, Mental Health Problem, Assessment of needs

Objectives Old age is associated with irregularities in many aspects of body immune system function. During
this period, the immune responses decline with increasing age. In other words, with decreasing number of immune
cells, which are responsible for detecting and direct attack to contaminated cells, the immune response
decreases and results in failure of the immune system. As sports activities could affect the immune system and
old age is associated with progressive immune failure, the study of the effects of exercise on the immune system
function in old age becomes important. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of selected
combined exercises (aerobic and resistance training) on the serum level of cortisol and immunoglobulins in
inactive elderly men.
Methods & Materials In this quasi-experimental study, 24 subjects were selected by convenience sampling
method. Their age and body mass index ranged 60–70 years and 22–25 kg/m2, respectively. Then, they were
randomly assigned into 2 groups (experimental [n=12] and control [n=12]). The experimental group started
the combined training exercise, and the control group continued their inactive usual routines. The combined
training exercise (aerobic-resistance) included running on a treadmill for 20 minutes per session, 3 sessions per
week, for 8 weeks, with an intensity of 60% to 70% HRR. Furthermore, the resistance training comprised 10
circling stationary movements of leg flexion, leg extension, leg press, scott, underarm stretch, chest press, iron
cross with dumbbells, biceps flexion, triceps extension, and rowing motion with rope. This training included an
intensity of 60% to 70% of one maximum repetition with extra load and 10 repetitions in 2 successive times
with 30 seconds rest between each repetition and 2 minutes’ rest between each movement. In this study, the
blood samples were taken 24 hours before the exercise and 24 hours after the last session of the exercise. We
used nephelometer instrument and binding kit site to measure the IgG, IgM, and IgA levels. The cortisol level
was measured by Gamacounter and RIA kit by the immunoradiometric method. To evaluate the consumed
oxygen, we used the protocol on treadmill instrument. In order to compare intra- and inter-group mean variables,
we used analyses of variance for repeated measures. The significant level was set at P<0.05.
Results The results indicated that the combined exercises reduced IgG level (12.75%) in the elderly people
(P=0.04). Although the level of serum IgM was also reduced (15.93%), this decrease was insignificant (P=0.31).
Furthermore, no significant change was seen in the IgA level (P=0.90). The cortisol level was significantly increased
(8.33%) in the experimental group (P=0.001). Based on the results, the mean intergroup changes
in the levels of IgA, IgA, and IgM were not significant (P>0.05). However, a significant difference was seen
between 2 groups with regard to serum cortisol level (P<0.05).
Conclusion Doing physical activities is one of the key factors in changing the function of the immune system.
This issue is associated with the intensity, duration, kind of exercise, body readiness, nutrition, mental status,
and hormonal factors. Based on the results, long and intensive exercises with an increase in the catabolic process
may weaken the immune system of the older people.

- by Salmand: Iranian Journal of Ageing and +1
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- Training, Elderly, Immunoglobulin

Polypharmacy is a clinical condition defined by the use of four or more drugs with or without professional guidance (WHO, 2017). Such drugs when prescribed with the best scientific evidence present in the literature based on strong studies, the drugs can bring quality of life and longevity, minimizing possible damage. However, when the harms of medication outweigh the benefits, from unacceptable amounts of drugs or through unnecessary treatments, polymedication must be re-evaluated (PAYNE., 2020). In patients with Systemic Arterial Hypertension, polypharmacy is quite common, since blood pressure control is important to avoid the risk of cardiovascular mortality. Depending on the severity of the SAH, the simultaneous use of more than one class of antihypertensive medication may be necessary. In this sense, this article aims to address the multifactorial character of the recognition and analysis of possible consequences of the use of polypharmacy in patients who have systemic arterial hypertension. For example, the risk to patient safety due to adverse effects and drug interactions.

- by Atena Editora
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- Elderly

The growing trend of aging phenomenon poses the need to pay attention to the issues of the elderly as a social necessity. The decrease of the life expectancy and psychological hardiness can cause difficulties in the elderly. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of group reminiscence on psychological hardiness and life expectancy of the elderly in Tehran, Iran. This was a quasi-experimental study with pretest-posttest design with a control group. The statistical papulation included all the elderly residing in nursing homes in Tehran among which Kahrizak nursing home was selected using convenience sampling method. Thirty elderly were selected according to the inclusion criteria of the study and assigned randomly into experimental (n=15) and control (n=15) groups. The experimental group received eight 2-hour weekly sessions of reminiscence intervention and the control group remained on the waiting list. Cliff's Mental Strength and Miller's life expectancy Questionnaires were applied to collect data. The results of Univariate Covariance Analysis (ANCOVA) indicated that the reminiscence has a significant effect on psychological Hardiness and its components including challenge, life control, self-confidence, interpersonal trust (P<0.05) and has no significant effect on commitment and emotional control components (P<0.05). Moreover, the significant effect of the intervention on life expectancy was confirmed (P<0.05). The findings of this study illustrate the effectiveness of group reminiscence intervention in the elderly. Therefore, it is recommended that psychologists and therapists take advantages of this method in order to improve the psychological problems of the elderly.

- by Aging Psychology and +1
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- Elderly, Life Expectancy, Psychological Hardiness, group reminiscence

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between self-care agency and well-being perceptions of elderly people and to reveal whether or not self-care agency and well-being differ based on some sociodemographic characteristics. In the study, the data were collected by using Self-Care Agency Scale and WHO-5 Well-Being Scale from 394 elderly individuals residing in the city center of Burdur province between November and December 2019. In data analysis, descriptive statistical methods, one-way analysis of variance, two independent groups t-test, reliability analysis, correlation analysis and regression analysis were used. The correlation analysis results of the study indicated that there was a positive and moderate correlation between self-care agency and well-being of the participants (r = 0.41). According to the regression analysis, participants' perception on self-care agency accounted for 17.3% of total variance on well-being. According to this, increasing perceptions on self-care agency statistically increased well-being perceptions (t = 9.069; p < .001). In addition to, it was determined in the study, while participants' well-being scores showed significant differences in terms of age groups, and their' self-care agency and well-being scores showed statistically significant differences according to the educational level.

- by Sümeyye ÖZMEN
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- Social Work, Well-Being, Elderly

Wstęp. Pomyślne starzenie jest determinowane wieloma czynnikami, które wymienia się w definicjach prezentowanych
w literaturze przedmiotu. Celem niniejszego badania było uzyskanie poglądów osób starszych na temat
ważności warunków pomyślnego starzenia.
Materiał i metody. Badanie na temat korzystania z opieki medycznej i zachowań zdrowotnych zostało przeprowadzone
w 2005 roku, w wybranej przychodni w dzielnicy Łódź Górna. Fragment kwestionariusza wywiadu
obejmował problematykę pomyślnego starzenia. Osoby, które wyraziły zgodę na uczestnictwo w badaniu, ustosunkowały
się do 20 stwierdzeń określających warunki pomyślnego starzenia. Do analizy statystycznej zakwalifikowano
dane pochodzące od 173 osób w wieku 65–74 lat.
Wyniki. Badaniem objęto 102 kobiety i 71 mężczyzn w wieku wczesnej starości. Poza możliwością wykonywania
pracy po osiągnięciu wieku emerytalnego wszystkie inne stwierdzenia o pomyślnym starzeniu większość badanych
osób uznała za ważne. Niespełna 2/3 uznało za ważne bardzo długie życie. W przekonaniu wszystkich
badanych istotne jest, aby nie chorować przewlekle. Ocena ważności wyszczególnionych warunków pomyślnego
starzenia zależała od płci i stanu cywilnego oraz wykształcenia. Osoby o wyższym poziomie wykształcenia
istotnie częściej (p < 0,001) wskazywały na ważność warunków decydujących o pomyślnym starzeniu niż osoby
słabo wykształcone.
Wnioski. Uzyskane dane empiryczne pozwoliły na wielowymiarowe, kompleksowe podejście do definicji pomyślnego
starzenia, obejmujących fizyczne, funkcjonalne, psychiczne i społeczne aspekty zdrowia, z uwzględnieniem
osób w wieku wczesnej starości.

- by Marek Bryla and +1
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- Attitudes (Social Psychology), Elderly, Successful Ageing

Community-dwelling older adults have raised the scientific community's interest during the COVID-19 era as their chronic conditions might be aggravated by the consequences of confinement. Digital devices in this field to monitor cognitive impairment are an emerging reality of an innovative nature. However, some groups may not have benefited from these developments as much as, for example, younger people. The aim of this manuscript is to carry out a review on the development of digital devices, and specifically virtual assistants, for the detection of cognitive impairment in older adults. After a screening process, eight studies were found under the given criteria, and this number was even smaller for those using virtual assistants. Given the opportunities offered by virtual assistants through techniques such as natural language processing, it seems imperative to take advantage of this opportunity for groups such as older adults.

- by Isabel Iborra Marmolejo
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- Older Adults, Elderly, Older people, Cognitive Assessment

This study aimed to determine hedonic hunger and affactin factors in Turkish elderly people. Design and Methods: A cross-sectional research data collected face-to-face from 65 year and older 669 elderlies live in Alanya with ≥ 25 SMMSE score. Findings: MNA showed that 60.9% of men and 50.1% of women had normal nutritional status. Nutritional habits, physical activities, existing chronic diseases and medications of the elderly may affect their hedonic which increase the consumption quantity and tendency to delicious food with high fat, sugar and energy, and excite chronic diseases. Practice Implications: Nurses who detect malnutrition in the elderly need to refer the elderly to the relevant physician and dietitian in order to investigate the risk factors and take the necessary precautions, and they must exhibit a multidisciplinary solution approach.

- by PELİN UYMAZ
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- Food Science, Elderly, Hedonic Hunger

Benzodiazepines use in the elderly are associated with morbidity including increased falls, fractures, and mortality. The common reason for re-prescribing benzodiazepine by physicians is dependency. Our project proposal aims to enhance medication safety in the elderly. It requires a multidisciplinary approach and patient-centred care focusing on benzodiazepine deprescribing using the 3Es model of Educating, Empowering, and Engaging. The education starts with patients, providers, and the community about benzodiazepine adverse effects on the elderly and provides alternative approaches for symptoms management. Empowering patients in the decision to deprescribe will prove to be successful when the patient finds value. Engaging stakeholders in the process will facilitate adeptness and attainability in the target community. Using information technology to deliver the protocol will ensure reminders, track changes and suggest alternatives. The project goal is a 50% reduction in benzodiazepine prescription by six months. Limitations, challenges, and modifications anticipated are discussed.

- by Anhar Alhussaini
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- Patient Safety, Patient-Centered Care, Elderly, Medication Safety

OBJECTIVES: To examine the association of life events and social support in the broadly defined category of depression in late life.
INTRODUCTION: Negative life events and lack of social support are associated with depression in the elderly. Currently, there are limited studies examining the association between life events, social support and late-life depression in Brazil.
METHODS: We estimated the frequency of late-life depression within a household community sample of 367 subjects aged 60 years or greater with associated factors. ''Old age symptomatic depression'' was defined using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview 1.1 tool. This diagnostic category included only late-life symptoms and consisted of the diagnoses of depression and dysthymia as well as a subsyndromal definition of depression, termed ''late subthreshold depression''. Social support and life events were assessed using the Comprehensive Assessment and Referral Evaluation (SHORT-CARE) inventory.
RESULTS: ''Old age symptomatic depression'' occurred in 18.8% of the patients in the tested sample. In univariate analyses, this condition was associated with female gender, lifetime anxiety disorder and living alone. In multivariate models, ''old age symptomatic depression'' was associated with a perceived lack of social support in men and life events in women.
DISCUSSION: Social support and life events were determined to be associated with late-life depression, but it is important to keep in mind the differences between genders. Also, further exploration of the role of lifetime anxiety disorder in late-life depression may be of future importance.
CONCLUSIONS: We believe that this study helps to provide insight into the role of psychosocial factors in late-life depression.

- by Luís Fernando Tófoli
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- Depression, Psychiatric Epidemiology, Life Events, Brazil

This research study deals with health status of older persons living in countries of the SAARC region (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) such as India, Pakistan, Srilanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Maldives. The emerging changes in the age and sex structure of India's population, particularly at old and older ages will have a profound impact on the demographic landscape and are expected to pose multifaceted developmental challenges. While the knowledge base with regard to the elderly in terms of their demographic, social and economic conditions, health needs and their living arrangements are fairly extensive in SAARC countries, it is woefully inadequate in India. This research study mainly focuses on socio-economic status, work participation and benefits, income and asset holding, living arrangement patterns and familial relations, health status, utilisation and financing of health care, and reach and awareness of social security schemes among the elderly in ...

- by k.srinivasan Vasan
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- Elderly, Social Science Research Network, Saarc Region, Data Analysis of Saarc

The successful elderly seems to be one of the main concepts in gerontology. The elderly is a biological process experienced by all living beings, including humans. The quality of life may affect the elderly's health. Accordingly, the current study was to determine the effectiveness of self-healing training on the quality of life among the elderly in 2020. The method of the present study was quasi-experimental with pretest-posttest and follow-up design with a control group. The statistical population included all women living in a nursing homes in Isfahan, Iran, among whom 40 were selected using convenience sampling and according to the inclusion criteria, by a public call in the mentioned boarding nursing homes, and assigned randomely into two groups (20 members each). The measure applied in the present study was Ware and Sherbourne's quality of life questionnaire. Latifi and Marvi's self-healing training was performed for the experimental group during twelve 60-minute sessions. Data were analyzed by univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) by using SPSS-24 software. The results demonstrated that self-healing training had positive effects on the components of quality of life (including physical function, role limitation due to physical reasons, energy and vitality, emotional well-being, physical pain and general health) in the experimental group compared to the control group significantly in the post-test (p<0.05) and these effects had remained significantly constant in the follow-up phase (p<0.05). However, there was found no significant difference in the other components of quality of life (including limitation of role playing due to emotional reasons and social functioning), both in the posttest and follow-up stages (p>0.05). According to the results of the present study, it can be mentioned that the self-healing approach improves the quality of life and increases the elderly's general health by reducing the physiological stress through methods of treating destructive cellular memories, improving lifestyle and teaching relaxation techniques.

- by Aging Psychology
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- Quality of life, Self-healing, Elderly

The study sought to establish factors that contribute towards food security among elderly headed households and then seek ways of enhancing them. The study was conducted in Mudzi District in Mashonaland East Province of Zimbabwe. Data was collected from wards 11, 12 and 16. The study used cross sectional household data collected using a structured questionnaire. Two measures of food security are used; namely household food insecurity access score and household dietary diversity score. The results showed that food insecurity access score was statistically higher for elderly headed household when compared to those headed by younger people. The study revealed that social capital, remittances, and off farm income generating projects can increase the elderly headed household’s likelihood of being food secure. The study also showed that public assistance is not making a positive contribution towards food security of elderly headed household. This paper argues that it is important for gove...

- by Kefasi Nyikahadzoi
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- Dietary Diversity, Social Support, Food Security, Zimbabwe

Due to the increasing life expectancy in the world, the number of elderly people is also augmenting. Thus, society will have to offer more and more products and services that meet the specific needs and desires of these people, who seek alternatives for entertainment, social interaction and learning. Serious games are an option to provide them learning combined with entertainment. In Brazil, it is known that a small part of the elderly has access to computers, and that a larger part already uses mobile phones. Therefore, we carried out a survey to identify the features that serious mobile games should have, so that older people could feel pleasure and desire to use them. This survey was based on a literature review and also on a case study with a group of seniors who evaluated five serious games for smart phones. From the data collected we compiled a list of guidelines for developing mobile serious games that meet the needs, interests and motivations of older players.

- by Lucila Ishitani
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- Psychology, Serious Games, Motivation, Elderly

Cette etude qualitative sur le sentiment d’insecurite des personnes âgees a ete realisee sur mandat de la Police cantonale genevoise. Visant a mesurer la perception par les aines euxmemes des risques auxquels ils sont exposes dans leur vie quotidienne, elle poursuit les objectifs suivants : (1) cartographier les risques ressentis par la population âgee, dans ses propres termes, (2) comprendre les strategies developpees par les aines pour faire face a l’insecurite et (3) mettre en avant leurs besoins en matiere de politiques de securite. Une cinquantaine d’entretiens semi-directifs a ete menee aupres de personnes âgees de plus de 70 ans vivant a domicile. La population etudiee est diversifiee en matiere de niveau socioeconomique, d’integration sociale et d’etat de sante. Les resultats soulignent que le sentiment de securite prevaut dans l’espace prive. Cependant, les transformations de l’environnement immediat – par exemple les personnes âgees qui decedent ou quittent l’immeuble, les...

- by Leah Kimber
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- Fear of Crime, Quality of Life and Elderly People, Elderly, Sécurité

Aging appears to be a biological process experienced by all living beings including humans. Hence, it seems crucial to pay pertecular attention to the elderly and prevent disorders such as suicide ideation and death anxiety among them. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to probe the effectiveness of positivism training on suicide ideation and death anxietyin the elderly. It was a quasi-experimental study with pretest-posttest and control group design. The statistical population included all the elderly men living in Dezful, Iran in 2020. The sample consisted of 30 elderly men (60 to 70 years old) selected using the convenience sampling method and considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The experimental group underwent eight 90-minute weekly sessions. Applied in the study were the Beck’s suicide ideation scale and Collet–Lester’s fear of death scale. Data were analyzed using univariate analysis in SPSS-22 software. The results indicated that there is a significant difference between experimental and control groups in terms of suicide ideation and death anxiety in the posttest (P<.001). That is, the positivism training resulted in the deacres of suicide ideation and death anxiety. According to the findings of the present study, the positivism training can be suggested as an efficient method in the reduction of suicide ideation and death anxietyin the elderly men.

- by Aging Psychology
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- Death Anxiety, Elderly, SUICIDE IDEATION, Positivism training

Research Paper: The Effect of 8-Week Strength Training, Balance Training and Combined Training on the Dynamic and Static Balance of the Elderly Inactive Men Purpose: of the most critical changes in the elderly is the weakness in keeping their balance that can expose them to severe injury risks. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of 8 weeks of strength, balance, and combined (strength and balance) training programs on the dynamic and static balance of inactive older men. Methods: Forty older men, who were the members of Robat Karim Social Security Retirement Association, voluntarily participated in this study. The subjects were randomly assigned to 1. The strength training group; 2. The balance training group; 3. The combined (strength and balance) training group; and 4. The control group. To assess the samples' static balance, we used the Sharpened Romberg test. Also, their dynamic balance was assessed by the Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT). To analyze the difference in means between groups variables in the pre-test and post-test, the Paired t-test and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) with Tukey's post hoc test were used. The significance level was set at P≤0.05. Results: The results of this study showed that strength, balance, and combined exercise programs improved the dynamic and static balance of older men (P=0.001). Conclusion: Balance is essential for everyday activities for all people, especially older adults. To reduce the probability of falling in older adults, we recommend applying strength, balance, and combined exercise programs for improving balance in these people.

Objectives The beliefs and perceptions regarding aging have an important effect on the well-being of the
elderly population. One of the useful theoretical models to explain the role of perceptions and beliefs
about aging in determining the health outcomes of older people is the self-regulation model. The aim
of this study was to determine the relationship between aging-related perception and elderly general
health in self-regulation framework.
Methods & Materials This study was conducted in a descriptive and survey design. Data were gathered
from 300 elderly people (144 males and 156 females) in Rasht city. These older people were selected
using the available sampling method from nursing homes and communities. The measuring instruments
were Aging Perception Questionnaire (APQ), and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ).
Results There was a significant positive correlation between most components of the perception to aging,
such as chronic and cyclical time-line, consequences positive and negative, emotional representations,
control positive and negative, and components of elderly general health. Hierarchical multiple
regression analysis showed that the components of aging perception i.e. control positive and negative,
consequences negative, and cyclical time-line, explained for 31.2% of the variance in elderly general
health.
Conclusion The perception toward aging is one of the important determinants and main predictors of
elderly general health. Also, the self-regulation model is an appropriate framework to explain the role
of beliefs, perceptions, and understanding of the experiences of aging on physical and mental health
status. Therefore, the potential role of perception of aging and cognitive and behavioral interventions in
modifying attitudes about aging with the aim of promoting the physical and mental health of the elderly
is important.

Breve resumen sobre características del Síndrome de Diógenes

- by Sarfraz Khan
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- Family, Health, Elderly, Old Age

Background: India has begun to feel the burden of an aging society. Aging individuals are now living longer with increasing life expectancy and availability of better health facilities but are also requiring more assistance or care to manage their day to day activities. Objective: This paper examines gender differences in the term of care of older parents in India by studying the expected provision of care by family members. Gender differences in care are important, as the socio-cultural environment of India shapes the role of married children. While married sons are expected to provide long-term care for their biological parents, married daughters have limited scope to do so. This paper examines the level of care of the elderly on basis of gender in the family. Method: To conduct the above-mentioned study the present researcher used both quantitative and qualitative methods. Present study has been conducted based on the 2011 census of Kolkata City in the West Bengal, India, 150 res...

- by Dr. Sheeba Khalid
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- Geriatrics, Gerontology, Aging, Elderly

Aging appears to be a global phenomenon that will be considered as one of the most important social and welfare challenges in developing countries in the near future, and it seems necessary to try to solve the problems of the elderly, namely their psychological problems. Therefore, the present study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment-based therapy (ACT) on the quality of life and death anxiety in the elderly living in Kermanshah, Iran. This was a quasi-experimental study with pretest-posttest and control group design. The statistical population included all the elderly living in Kermanshah in 2020. The sample size included 30 aged people (60 to 70 years old) selected by convenience sampling method and according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the study. The experimental group received ten 90-minute sessions of ACT, twice a week, and the control group assigned to a waiting list for the treatment. The measures used in this study included the WHO Quality of Life Questionnaire and Cult-Leicester's Death Anxiety Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) in SPSS-25. The results indicated that there is a significant difference between experimental and control groups in terms of both quality of life and death anxiety. In other words, ACT caused an improvement in quality of life and a reduction in death anxiety in the elderly (P<0.05). Given the results of the present study, therapists and health-related practitioners can take advantages of ACT in conducting health-related interventions, particularly in order to improve the quality of life and to reduce the death anxiety in the elderly.

- by Aging Psychology
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- Quality of life, Death Anxiety, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Elderly
- by Tushar Vachharajani
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- Fistula, Elderly, Hemodialysis, End stage renal diseases

Elderly caregivers of other elderly people suffer from double vulnerability because they must deal with demands for care and for their own health. The objective of this study was to identify the association between double vulnerability and quality of life of elderly caregivers. The 148 participants were evaluated in relation to socio-demographic variables, quality of life, health self-assessment, perceived burden, measures of physical health of the caregiver and physical and cognitive vulnerability of the elderly who is the target of care. The hierarchical multivariate analysis showed that the elderly caregivers with the highest risk of worse quality of life were those with three or more diseases, with medium or high burden and with a worse health evaluation compared to the past. Greater health weakness is expected over the course of ageing; therefore, to study elderly caregivers, the perception of changes in health is a more pertinent measure than just the assessment of immediate health. Resumo: Idosos que cuidam de outros idosos sofrem dupla vulnerabilidade, pois precisam lidar com demandas do cuidado e da própria saúde. O objetivo desse estudo foi identificar a associação entre dupla vulnerabilidade e qualidade de vida de idosos cuidadores. Os 148 participantes foram avaliados com relação às variáveis sociodemográficas, qualidade de vida, autoavaliação de saúde, sobrecarga percebida, medidas de saúde física do cuidador e de vulnerabilidade física e cognitiva do alvo de cuidados. A análise multivariada hierárquica mostrou que os cuidadores idosos com maior risco de pior qualidade de vida foram os com três ou mais doenças, com sobrecarga média ou alta e com pior avaliação de saúde comparada com passado. É esperada uma maior debilidade na saúde ao longo do envelhecimento; portanto, talvez, para estudar cuidadores idosos, a percepção de mudanças na saúde seja uma medida mais pertinente do que apenas a avaliação da saúde imediata. Ancianos que cuidan a los ancianos: doble vulnerabilidad y calidad de vida Resumen: Los ancianos que cuidan a otros ancianos sufren doble vulnerabilidad, pues necesitan lidiar con demandas del cuidado y de la propia salud. El objetivo de este estudio fue identificar la asociación entre doble vulnerabilidad y calidad de vida de ancianos cuidadores. Los 148 participantes fueron evaluados con relación a las variables sociodemográficas, calidad de vida, autoevaluación de salud, sobrecarga percibida, medidas de salud física del cuidador y de vulnerabilidad física y cognitiva de la persona que es objeto de cuidados. El análisis multivariado jerárquico mostró que los cuidadores ancianos con mayor riesgo de peor calidad de vida fueron los con tres o más enfermedades, con sobrecarga media o alta y con peor evaluación de salud comparada con el pasado. Se espera una mayor debilidad en la salud a lo largo del envejecimiento; por lo tanto, para estudiar cuidadores ancianos, la percepción de cambios en la salud es una medida más pertinente que sólo la evaluación de la salud inmediata.

- by Meire Cachioni
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- Elderly

decline steadily in the elderly. Given that older people can preserve to some extent verbal and visual divergent thinking , these findings have important implications for active aging, that is, divergent thinking might be fostered in... more

- by Massimiliano Palmiero
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- Creativity, Well-Being, Elderly, Active Ageing

Adapted for the screen by Sir Richard and Charles Wood and directed by Sir Richard Eyre, Iris tells the life story of famous British philosopher and novelist, Iris Murdoch. Her husband, John Bayley writes two books entitled Iris: A Memoir and Elegy for Iris with reference to the health problems, Murdoch has towards the end of her life. Relying on these two books, the movie Iris came out in 2001, three years after Murdoch’s death. In the movie, it is shown how Iris suffers from loss of brain power and Alzheimer as she gets older and how this situation gives pain both to her and her husband, Bayley. Hence, in this study, how lives of elderly and their loved ones change after illnesses and their pain will be analyzed in reference to Iris Murdoch’s real life story as it is depicted in the movie, Iris.

- by Fatma Kalpaklı Yeğin
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- British Literature, Geriatrics, Media Studies, Elderly Falls (Geriatrics)

Life-review interventions (LRI) are psychotherapeutic techniques originally derived from gerontology, which can be distinguished from other biographical and reminiscing techniques. They have been systematically implemented and investigated not only in elderly clients with depression, cognitive decline, in oncology units and in hospices but also in adolescents with various mental problems. LRI are mainly based on the elaboration of the autobiographical memory as well as on personal identity consolidation. This bears the potential for the systematic introduction, use, and evaluation of LRI within the field of psychotraumatology. This article gives a general overview and outlines a structured LRI by means of a case example of a World War II-traumatised patient. Other applications and implementations of LRI in psychotraumatology and other related areas are presented. So far, only uncontrolled or controlled LRI case studies have been investigated with traumatized samples. The importance ...

- by Andreas Maercker
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- Bioinformatics, Psychology, Depression, Life Sciences

Multimorbidity is common in older persons. It is associated with higher disability, poor functional status, poor quality of life and higher mortality. This article highlights the extent of the problem and apparent inadequacy of comprehensive assessment and management strategies. Role of clinicians, patients and the systems to address multimorbidity is emphasized.

- by Journal of Geriatric Care and Research (JGCR)
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- Health Care, Older Adults, Elderly, Old Age

- by Rajeswari Raju
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- Sociology, Learning and Teaching, Academic Writing, Women and Work

Late adulthood is a period which a human reaches after completing third quarter of their life journey. In fact, as a part of aging it is a period in which they experiences physical disabilities due to deterioration of physical... more

- by Anjali Us
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- Rehabilitation, Elderly, Adult Day Center

Traditional media play a large role in shaping the image of the elderly as weak and sick members
of society, while the gerontologists say the health of the elderly is quite specific. In a study of the views of the
Internet audience, we tried to find out what this ITcompetent part of society thinks about aging and what
meanings they associate with aging and active longevity.

- by irina Grigoryeva
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- Elderly
- by Alex França
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- Metacognition, Elderly, MEASUREMENTS

Complexity of the changes taking place in modern societies makes it is necessary to deepen the analysis of the impact of social inequality on the activity of old people. Dissemination of new technologies and organizational forms allows solving many social problems and improving the quality of human life. At the same time broadens the range of areas in which old people are losing their authority and differ in expertise required for the achievement of socially valued goods. Article aims to highlight the importance of inequality for the activity of the elderly and its relationship to social capital in conditions of shaping social dispersion space order. Study brings closer chosen results of empirical studies portraying the dimensions of internal diversity of seniors.
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Złożoność przemian zachodzących we współczesnych społeczeństwach sprawia, iż niezbędne staje się pogłębienie analiz oddziaływania nierówności społecznych na aktywność ludzi starych. Upowszechnianie się nowych technologii i form organizacyjnych pozwala na rozwiązanie wielu problemów społecznych i podniesienie jakości życia ludzkiego. Jednocześnie poszerza się zakres dziedzin, w których ludzie starzy tracą swój autorytet oraz różnią się między sobą kompetencjami wymaganymi do osiągania społecznie cenionych dóbr. Celem artykułu jest zwrócenie uwagi na znaczenie nierówności dla aktywności ludzi starych oraz jej związków z kapitałem społecznym w warunkach kształtowania się w polskiej przestrzeni społecznej ładu rozproszonego. Opracowanie przybliża wybrane wyniki badań empirycznych, które ukazują wymiary zróżnicowania kategorii społecznej ludzi starych.

- by Andrzej Klimczuk
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- Social Capital, Aging, Social Inequality, Elderly

Objective: To identify the prevalence of bloodstream infection in elderly hospitalized in a surgical clinic of a general hospital. Methodology: This is an epidemiological study, retrospective, descriptive with quantitative approach. The sample consisted of 68 patients hospitalized in 2013 in a referral and teaching hospital in Teresina-PI. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 10.0 and the research project was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Federal University of Piauí (CAAE: 18110614.10000.5214). Results: Of the 68 patients diagnosed with positive culture for BSI, the prevalence of elderly (60 and over) was 49%. Patients were predominantly female (58%) and married (43%). The most prevalent microorganisms were Acinetobacter baumannii (23.5%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (19.65), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (19.05%) and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (17.3%). Conclusion: The high prevalence of BSI reveals the need to evaluate preventive measures for this age group.
Descriptors: elderly; nosocomial infection; infection control; prevalence.

- by Álvaro Sousa and +1
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- Infectious Diseases, Elderly, Older people, Infection Control

En gériatrie, les décisions de soins touchent généralement trois groupes d'acteurs: les patients, les familles et les professionnels de la santé. Plus spécifiquement, la triade de soins lors d'une prise de décision médicale est composée de la personne âgée, de son proche aidant et du médecin. Le patient âgé est central dans la prise de décision; sans lui, I'action décisionnelle risquerait de ne pas répondre à ses objectifs de soins. Ensuite, il est fréquent qu'un membre de la famille soit identifié comme proche aidant. Enfin, les écrits traitant du processus décisionnel amenant à un choix de traitement s'intéressent principalement au rôle du médecin. Le médecin est un interlocuteur privilégié, car il joue un rôle très actif dans le processus décisionnel lié au choix de traitements; il a un rôle pivot pour faire le point concernant l'état de santé du patient et pour discuter des options de traitements disponibles. Pour mieux comprendre l'expérience de chacun des acteurs de la triade de soins lors du processus décisionnel Iié au choix de traitements en soins palliatifs gérontologiques, nous avons tenté de répondre à la question suivante : quels facteurs influenceront individuellement la personne âgée, le proche aidant et le médecin dans le processus décisionnel menant à un choix de traitement en fin de vie ? En premier lieu, une recension des écrits est présentée suivie de la méthode choisie pour cette étude. Ensuite, les résultats pour chacun des types d'acteurs de la triade seront soulevés. Nous terminerons en présentant la discussion et la conclusion.

- by Marie Beaulieu
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- Palliative Care, Family Caregivers/Carers, Elderly

Etude de la prévalence des démences chez les retraités des forces armées et les anciens combattants de plus de soixante ans. Objectif : Etude de la prévalence de la démence chez les personnes âgées (> 60 ans) dans les forces armées, chez les anciens combattants et les personnes à charge se présentant aux consultations externes. Matériel et méthodes : Etude transversale, conduite chez les personnes âgées et les personnes à charge des anciens combattants relevant des soins externes, et atteintes de démence selon les critères du DSM IV. Les patients inclus ont été évalués à travers leur histoire, l'interrogatoire de l'aidant, l'examen par contraste non monophotonique (PTNC) du cerveau et les examens de laboratoire comprenant la thyréostimuline et le taux sérique de vitamine B12. Résultats : La prévalence de la démence a été de 6,9 %. La maladie d'Alzheimer (MA) est la cause la plus fréquente avec 35,5 % (71/200) suivie par la démence vasculaire à 29 % (58/200), la démence associée à la maladie de Parkinson dans 15,5 % des cas (31/200) et la démence à corps de Lewy à 8,5 % (17/200). Des symptômes neuropsychiatriques ont été observés dans 84 % des cas. Ils étaient de modéré à sévère avec un score « Zarit moyenne Interview » (ZBI) de 59,94 (±10,85). Conclusion :

- by V K Sashindran and +1
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- Indian studies, Dementia, Elderly

Este artigo apresenta o resultado de uma avaliação de interface do Termoquiz, um jogo educativo para a terceira idade, desenvolvido para aparelho celular. O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar se também são válidas para aparelhos celulares as métricas de usabilidade recomendadas para interface de aplicativos para desktops ou notebooks, considerando o grupo em questão. A escolha de aparelhos celulares baseou-se em resultados de pesquisa que indicam que pessoas de terceira idade possuem menor aversão ao celular do que ao computador [2]. Os resultados obtidos apontam para a necessidade de adequações da interface para melhorar a experiência de uso pelos idosos.

- by Lucila Ishitani
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- Elderly, Usabilidade
- by Niar Abustan
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- Elderly, Immunity, Infection

Objectives: Explore the psychometric properties of a sleep quality index to be used with the elderly population.
Methods: 99 elderly (mean age, M=78.65; SD= 6.92; range=60-95) under social responses in institutions from Coimbra Council were assessed through a sleep questionnaire, composed of a sleep quality index and questions assessing sleep correlates. The sleep index is composed by seven items assessing sleep latency, difficulty in falling asleep, number of night awakenings, waking up spontaneously too early, subjective perception that waking up too early constitutes a problem for the person and two items that evaluate general subjective sleep quality and sleep depth.
Results: KMO = .830; Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity ≤.001. A principal components analysis and the scree plot inspection revealed a one-factor solution, explaining 48.8% of the total variance. Very good internal consistency (Cronbach alpha coefficient; α=.812).
Conclusion: This sleep quality index presents good psychometric properties. Since, in terms of assessment, it is important not to overload the elderly population, this very short instrument constitutes a good option to assess sleep quality.

- by Joana Matreno
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- Learning & Memory, Psychometrics, Aging, Cognitive Aging

This article describes how residents and staff of an eldercare and Alzheimer's home in a small South African town joke with each other. Residents are mostly white and staff mostly black, but there are exceptions, and both groups are multilingual. Jokes between the two groups in the home are racialized, if not sometimes racist, in light of historical and contemporary post-apartheid socio-political and economic circumstances. Yet the relations between these two groups are forged mostly in joking about residents’ diminished cognitive and bodily abilities, staff work, multilingualism and interpersonal ties. In describing joking encounters in three ethnographic scenes, the article traces the ways in which age and race combine in institutionalized relationships of dependency to innovate social theory about human mutuality from the vantage point of multiracial, multicultural, postcolonial Africa.

- by Casey Golomski
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- Social Psychology, African Studies, Medical Anthropology, Postcolonial Studies

Psychodynamic psychotherapy for people in the second half of their lives. The article discusses the basic notions of psychodynamic psychotherapy for people in the second half of their lives, that is for people in their mid- and late adulthood. The topic is of current interest due to the rapid ageing of the society, but even so it remains neglected. The article presents the developmental perspective and discusses the reasons for which persons in the second half of their lives undergo treatment. It puts forward the conditions necessary for patients to qualify for therapy and analyses the issue of prognosis. It discusses the meaning of early childhood experiences for the psychopathology of middle and late adulthood and the related technical problems. It reflects on the problematic experience for the middle and, in particular, late adulthood. This experience is essential for the psychopathology of these periods of life and includes: death, loneliness and dependence. Finally, the article discusses the characteristics of several factors necessary for the process of psychotherapy which are also typical for people in the second half of their lives: specific regression and countertransference.

- by Marcin Sękowski
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- Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Psychoanalysis, Developmental Psychology

With age and the onset of the elderly, people are more prone to mental disorders including feeling of loneliness, anxiety, and depression, due to numerous losses such as loss of spouse, relatives, friends, occupation, social and economic status, beliefs, etc., as well as due to the reduction of physiological functions and mobility. Accordingly, this study aims to compare the effectiveness of metacognitive therapy and spiritual therapy on cognitive dissonance and feeling loneliness in the elderly living in nursing homes. This was a quasi-experimental study with pretest-posttest follow-up (PPF) and control group design. The statistical population consisted of all the elderly, aged from 60 to 75 years living in nursing homes of Tehran, Iran, among which Kahrizak nursing home was selected using convenience sampling method. In this way, 30 aged people (three groups of 10) with an average age of 60-75 years were selected using convenience sampling along with inclusion and exclusion criteria, and were randomly assigned into two experimental and one control groups. Participants were exposed to eight 90minute sessions (2 sessions a week) of Wells' metacognitive therapy and Boalhari's spirituality therapy. The follow-up step was conducted one month after the posttest step. Utilized to collect data were Harmon-Jones dissonance arousal reducing questioner and Dehshiri et al.'s loneliness questionnaires. Data were analyzed using univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and Bonferroni post-hoc test in SPSS-22. The results demonstrated that both metacognitive therapy and spiritual therapy groups had a significant difference with control group in terms of the components of cognitive dissonance and feeling of loneliness in posttest and follow-up steps (P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference between two groups of metacognitive therapy and spiritual therapy in terms of the components of cognitive dissonance and loneliness (P>0.05). Given the findings of this study, metacognitive therapy and spiritual therapy can be effective in reducing cognitive dissonance and loneliness in the elderly.

- by Aging Psychology
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- Cognitive Dissonance, Elderly, Loneliness, Meta Cognitive Therapy
- by Feisal Subhan
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- Exercise Physiology, Yoga, Exercise Science, Elderly