International journal of geriatric psychiatry
-
Int J Geriatr Psychiatry · Feb 2015
From suffering to caring: a model of differences among older adults in levels of compassion.
Compassion is an important contributor to pro-social behavior and maintenance of interpersonal relationships, yet little is known about what factors influence compassion in late life. The aim of this study was to test theories about how past and current stressors and emotional functioning, resilience, and demographic indicators of life experiences are related to compassion among older adults. ⋯ Older women report more compassion than older men. Resilience and significant life events, independently, also appear to facilitate a desire to help others, while current stress and past and present emotional functioning are less relevant. Specificity of findings to older adults is not yet known.
-
Int J Geriatr Psychiatry · Feb 2015
Service utilisation and family support of people with dementia: a cohort study in England.
This study aimed to compare costs of caring for people with dementia in domiciliary and residential settings, central England. ⋯ Caring for people with dementia at home may be more expensive, and more stressful for carers, than care in residential settings.
-
Int J Geriatr Psychiatry · Jan 2015
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyMemantine improves attention and episodic memory in Parkinson's disease dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies.
In both dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD), attentional dysfunction is a core clinical feature together with disrupted episodic memory. This study evaluated the cognitive effects of memantine in DLB and PDD using automated tests of attention and episodic memory. ⋯ These are the first substantial improvements on cognitive tests of attention and episodic recognition memory identified with memantine in either DLB or PDD.
-
Int J Geriatr Psychiatry · Jan 2015
ReviewAssisted dying in dementia: a systematic review of the international literature on the attitudes of health professionals, patients, carers and the public, and the factors associated with these.
Assisted death and dementia is a controversial topic that, in recent years, has been subject to considerable clinical, ethical and political debate. ⋯ Sociodemographic factors can influence attitudes towards assisted dying. The impact of these, however, may also differ according to the population surveyed. The findings from this review can contribute to current debates and inform clinical practice and future research in this area.
-
Int J Geriatr Psychiatry · Jan 2015
Pain in care home residents with dementia: an exploration of frequency, prescribing and relatives' perspectives.
This study aims to determine pain frequency amongst care home residents with dementia, to investigate variables associated with pain, to explore analgesic use among residents and to seek residents' relatives' views on provision of care and management of pain by the care home. ⋯ This study has reinforced the challenge of assessing and managing pain in this resident population and highlighted issues to be addressed by long-term care providers and clinicians. Participation of people with dementia, and their families, in healthcare research needs to be improved.