Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
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Controlled Clinical Trial
Caregiver outcomes of partners in dementia care: effect of a care coordination program for veterans with dementia and their family members and friends.
The objective is to test the effectiveness of Partners in Dementia Care (PDC), a care-coordination program that integrates and improves access to medical and nonmedical services, while strengthening the informal care network and providing information, coaching, and emotional support. PDC was delivered via a partnership between Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Centers (VAMCs) and Alzheimer's Association chapters, for caregivers of veterans with dementia living in the community and receiving primary care from the VA. The initial sample was 486 caregivers of 508 veterans with diagnosed dementia. ⋯ Most improvements were evident after 6 months, with more-limited improvements from Months 6 to 12. Some outcomes improved for all caregivers, whereas some improved for caregivers experiencing more initial difficulties or caring for veterans with more-severe impairments. PDC is a promising model that improves linkages between healthcare services and community services, which is a goal of several new national initiatives such as the National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease and a proposed amendment to the Older Americans Act.
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To investigate whether implementing a geriatric resuscitation protocol that uses lactate-guided therapy with early trauma surgeon involvement is associated with lower mortality through the early recognition of occult hypoperfusion (OH). ⋯ Early identification and treatment of OH in elderly adults with trauma using venous lactate-guided therapy coupled with early trauma surgeon involvement was associated with significantly lower mortality. A protocol that uses lactate-guided therapy with early trauma surgeon involvement should be followed to improve the care of elderly adults with trauma.
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Letter Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Intervention to prevent falls in elderly adults living in a residential home.