Geriatrics & gerontology international
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Geriatr Gerontol Int · Apr 2010
Multicenter StudyAbbey Pain Scale: development and validation of the Japanese version.
The purpose of this study was to develop and validate the Japanese version of the Abbey Pain Scale (APS-J), to assess pain of older adults who live in nursing homes in Japan. ⋯ Findings show some evidence for the reliability and validity of APS-J.
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Geriatr Gerontol Int · Apr 2010
ReviewWould the elderly be better off if they were given more placebos?
Placebos are useful in the medical care of the elderly, although the exact definition of a "placebo" or "placebo effect" is difficult to define precisely. They have an important role as control treatments in research trials, but a non-specific "placebo effect" may also be beneficial part of many physician-patient interactions. Physicians also give them deliberately according to several studies worldwide to satisfy patient demands or because they believe in a "placebo effect" among other reasons. ⋯ Placebos have often been considered a deception and thus unethical. On the other hand, some physicians and ethicists have suggested conditions for appropriate uses for placebos. A placebo might offer the theoretical advantage of an inexpensive treatment that would not cause adverse drug reactions or interactions with other medications, potentially avoiding complications of polypharmacy.
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Geriatr Gerontol Int · Apr 2010
Factors influencing death at home in terminally ill cancer patients.
The purpose of this study is to investigate factors affecting terminally ill cancer patients dying at home. ⋯ The results suggested the stronger involvement of families' preferences regarding the patients' place of death over patients' own preferences. Therefore, factors affecting families' preferences need to be clarified for the dissemination of death at home for terminally ill cancer patients.