Singap Med J
-
Many older people rely on caregivers for support. Caring for older people can pose significant burdens for caregivers yet may also have positive effects. This study aimed to assess the impact on the caregivers and to determine factors associated with caregivers who were burdened. ⋯ Most caregivers gained satisfaction and felt supported in caregiving. Ethnicity and education level were associated with a caregiver being burdened.
-
Falls, the leading cause of injury and death among older people, can have a significant psychosocial impact on carers. Carers play a crucial role in caring for older persons at home and in fall prevention. This review, which included 15 studies, aimed to identify carers' concern about older people falling and its impact. ⋯ These concerns, in turn, affect carers' physical and psychological health, lifestyle, caregiving burden and use of fall prevention strategies. This paper highlights the importance of recognising carers' fall concern so as to identify carers' needs and awareness of fall prevention in older people living at home. Greater insight into carers' fall concern could facilitate the implementation of new strategies to manage older people's fall risk as well as improve carers' well-being.
-
As populations age globally and the burden of chronic illnesses increases, valid measures of disability are needed for assessment in the older adult population. The aim of the current analysis was to explore the psychometric properties and validity of the 12-item World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0) in an epidemiological survey of older adults in Singapore. ⋯ WHODAS 2.0 was found to be a valid measure of disability among older adults. However, further research is required to determine its usefulness as a responsive instrument that can detect change following interventions.
-
Observational Study
Physical activity and sedentary behaviour of ambulatory older adults in a developed Asian community: a cross-sectional study.
Physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviour (SB) independently influence the health outcomes of older adults. Both provide interventional opportunities for successful ageing. We aimed to determine levels of PA and SB in ambulatory older adults and their associated factors in a developed Asian population known for its longevity. ⋯ The PA of the older adults decreased with increasing age and increased with employment. One-third of them were sedentary for ≥ 8 hours daily. Those who were employed were twice as likely to have SB.