Geriatric nursing
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This study aims to examine age differences in the relationship between frailty and depression among older adults METHODS: A total of 1789 community-dwelling older adults were recruited from eastern China. Physical frailty and depressive symptoms were assessed using the Frailty Phenotype and the 5-item Geriatric Depression Scale, respectively. ⋯ Frailty is more likely to cause depressive symptoms among the young-old than among the old-old, reflecting the age-related positivity effect. This highlights that interventions on emotional regulation should particularly target the young-old to reduce the effect of frailty on depression.
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This study aimed to understand the coping strategies used by a group of Black older adults to manage chronic pain. To this end, a focused ethnography was completed within a senior housing facility. Following participant observation, 106 residents completed informal interviews and surveys comprised of a demographic tool, the Brief Pain Inventory, the PROMIS Global Health scale, and the Psychological Stress Measure - 9. ⋯ The adaptive coping strategies used by participants to manage pain included: remaining positive, remaining active, being engaged in the community, prayer/meditation, and maintaining positive support systems. Effective coping strategies lead to compensated levels of adaptation for participants. A middle range schema of pain is presented that may guide future nursing pain management practice.
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Older adults use the Emergency Department (ED) more than any other age group besides infants. Despite high utilization, both the physical environment and care processes in the traditional ED are poorly suited to address the complex needs of older adults. As a result, older adults often experience poor outcomes in the ED. ⋯ As frontline providers with frequent patient contact, nursing brings critical viewpoints to these issues. This article provides some resources and other ideas for how frontline nurses can improve care for older adults in the ED. Ultimately, to have meaningful impacts on care of older adults in the ED, there is a dire need for greater financial investment specific to geriatric nursing education, training, and research in the ED.
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The older adult population is growing in number and diversity, and this population has unique care needs that the current healthcare system is ill prepared to meet. In order to ensure older adults receive safe, person-centered care that supports their goals, the John A. Hartford Foundation has developed and, with their partners at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, the American Hospital Association, and Catholic Health Association of the United States, is implementing across the United States the Age-Friendly Health Systems Initiative. This article provides an overview of the Age-Friendly Health Systems Initiative and how within it nurses can serve as leaders in ensuring age-friendly care for older adults.