Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Long-term effects of three multicomponent exercise interventions on physical performance and fall-related psychological outcomes in community-dwelling older adults: a randomized controlled trial.
To determine the long-term effects of three strength and balance exercise interventions on physical performance, fall-related psychological outcomes, and falls in older people. ⋯ Training focusing on strength, balance, and endurance can enhance physical performance for up to 24 months in community-dwelling older adults. These findings did not translate to improved fall-related psychological outcomes or reduced incidence of falls. This demonstrates the need for a different approach (e.g., regarding intervention dose and components) to gain intervention benefits in the multiple domains that contribute to independence and well-being in older adults.
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To examine the factors associated with life-space mobility in older Mexican Americans. ⋯ Older Mexican Americans had restricted life-space, with approximately 80% limited to their home or neighborhood. Older age, female sex, stroke, high depressive symptoms, BMI of 35 kg/m(2) or greater, and ADL disability were related to less life-space. Future studies are needed to examine the association between life-space and health outcomes and to characterize the trajectory of life-space over time in this population.
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To identify distinct behavioral patterns of diet, exercise, social interaction, church attendance, alcohol consumption, and smoking and to examine their association with subsequent dementia risk. ⋯ Functionally independent older adults appear to cluster into subpopulations with distinct patterns of lifestyle behaviors with different levels of risk for subsequent dementia and AD.
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Although the fields of hospice and palliative medicine and geriatrics have developed from separate origins, they share much in common. They share concerns for optimizing care of older adults with advanced illness. They both seek to address the common problem of care fragmentation for those with chronic illness. ⋯ Hartford Foundation. The goal of the collaboration was to convene leaders in geriatrics and hospice and palliative medicine to identify areas of potential synergy between the two subspecialties and to design a plan for exploring and developing these areas of common interest. This article describes the progress of the collaborative effort to date.
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Comparative Study
Reevaluating the implications of recurrent falls in older adults: location changes the inference.
To compare characteristics of indoor and outdoor recurrent fallers and explore some implications for clinical practice, in which a fall risk assessment for all recurrent fallers has been recommended. ⋯ Characteristics of community-dwelling older people with recurrent indoor and outdoor falls are different. If confirmed, these results suggest that different types of fall risk assessment are needed for specific categories of recurrent fallers.