Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
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To clarify the association between anticholinergic drugs and apolipoprotein E epsilon4 allele carrier status (APOE4) and cognitive dysfunction. ⋯ Use of drugs with anticholinergic properties was associated with lower cognitive function irrespective of APOE4 carrier status. Having lower cognitive function as a group, APOE4 carriers may be more vulnerable to this undesirable effect, but a follow-up study is needed to demonstrate this.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Scheduled bright light for treatment of insomnia in older adults.
To determine whether bright light can improve sleep in older individuals with insomnia. ⋯ Except for one subjective measure, scheduled morning or evening bright light effects were not different from those of scheduled dim light. Thus, support was not found for bright light treatment of older individuals with primary insomnia.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Fewer emergency readmissions and better quality of life for older adults at risk of hospital readmission: a randomized controlled trial to determine the effectiveness of a 24-week exercise and telephone follow-up program.
To evaluate the effect of an exercise-based model of hospital and in-home follow-up care for older people at risk of hospital readmission on emergency health service utilization and quality of life. ⋯ Early introduction of an individualized exercise program and long-term telephone follow-up may reduce emergency health service utilization and improve quality of life of older adults at risk of hospital readmission.
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Multicenter Study
Cognitive impairment improves the predictive validity of the phenotype of frailty for adverse health outcomes: the three-city study.
To determine whether adding cognitive impairment to frailty improves its predictive validity for adverse health outcomes. ⋯ Cognitive impairment improves the predictive validity of the operational definition of frailty, because it increases the risk of adverse health outcomes in this particular subgroup of the elderly population.
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Residents of long-term care facilities (LTCFs) are at great risk for infection. Most residents are older and have multiple comorbidities that complicate recognition of infection; for example, typically defined fever is absent in more than one-half of LTCF residents with serious infection. Furthermore, LTCFs often do not have the on-site equipment or personnel to evaluate suspected infection in the fashion typically performed in acute care hospitals. ⋯ It focuses on the typical elderly person institutionalized with multiple chronic comorbidities and functional disabilities (e.g., a nursing home resident). Specific topic reviews and recommendations are provided with regard to what resources are typically available to evaluate suspected infection, what symptoms and signs suggest infection in a resident of an LTCF, who should initially evaluate the resident with suspected infection, what clinical evaluation should be performed, how LTCF staff can effectively communicate about possible infection with clinicians, and what laboratory tests should be ordered. Finally, a general outline of how a suspected outbreak of a specific infectious disease should be investigated in an LTCF is provided.