Aging & mental health
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Aging & mental health · Jan 2016
Delirium in critical care: a study of incidence, prevalence, and associated factors in the tertiary care hospital of older Thai adults.
Delirium is a common condition in older adults which can have devastating outcomes. The studies about delirium in intensive care units (ICU) are relatively rare compared to studies in the non-ICU setting. This study aimed to study the prevalence, incidence, and risk factors of delirium among older Thai adults in ICU. ⋯ The prevalence and incidence of delirium of older adults in the ICU setting in this study was high and comparable to prior studies. There are several significant risk factors associated with delirium which could be modified. These factors should be considered when designing effective preventive strategies of delirium.
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Aging & mental health · Jun 2015
The utility of the clock drawing test in detection of delirium in elderly hospitalised patients.
Delirium is common neuropsychiatric condition among elderly inpatients. The clock drawing test (CDT) has been used widely as bedside screening tool in assessing cognitive impairment in elderly people. Previous studies which evaluate its usefulness in delirium reported conflicting results. The objective of this study was to evaluate the utility of CDT to detect delirium in elderly medical patients. ⋯ CDT score reflects cognitive impairment, independently of the presence or severity of delirium. The CDT is not a suitable test for delirium in hospitalised elderly patients.
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Aging & mental health · May 2015
Developing the Person-Environment Apathy Rating for persons with dementia.
To develop the Person-Environment Apathy Rating (PEAR) scale that measures environmental stimulation and apathy in persons with dementia and to evaluate its psychometrics. ⋯ This study has successfully developed the PEAR scale and established its psychometrics based on the compatible scales available. The PEAR scale is the first scale that concurrently assesses apathy and environmental stimulation, and is recommended for use in persons with dementia.
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Aging & mental health · Jan 2015
The subjective burden of informal caregivers of persons with dementia: extended validation of the German language version of the Burden Scale for Family Caregivers (BSFC).
In research as well as in the practice of caregiver counselling, the subjective burden of family caregivers is considered an important characteristic of home care. The objective of the present study was to provide an extended validation of the German language version of the Burden Scale for Family Caregivers (BSFC) published in 2001. ⋯ The BSFC score allows for a valid assessment of the total caregiver burden in both research and practice. The BSFC is available for free in 20 languages ( http://www.caregiver-burden.eu ).
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Aging & mental health · Jan 2015
Assessing approaches and barriers to reduce antipsychotic drug use in Florida nursing homes.
Antipsychotic medications have been federally regulated since 1987, yet research suggests they continue to be used inappropriately to alleviate behavioral symptoms associated with dementia. In 2012, the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid launched a new initiative to reduce antipsychotic medication in nursing homes by 15% nationally. The aim of this study was to examine qualitative data to explore strategies that have been implemented, to assess which strategies are evidence-based, and to make recommendations to improve upon practices to reduce antipsychotic medication use. ⋯ Overall findings indicate that the majority of facilities are actively responding to the initiative, but challenges remain in education, finding mental health support, and in reimbursement.