The journal of nutrition, health & aging
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J Nutr Health Aging · Jan 2017
Randomized Controlled TrialTrajectories of Nutritional Status and Cognitive Impairment among Older Taiwanese with Hip Fracture.
This paper describes the trajectories of nutritional status and cognitive impairment and their correlation among older Taiwanese over 1 year after hip-fracture surgery. ⋯ A good nutritional-status trajectory after hip fracture was associated with better cognitive function. To treat and care for elderly hip-fractured patients, specific interventions need to target those who are malnourished or at risk of malnutrition to decrease their risk for cognitive impairment.
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J Nutr Health Aging · Jan 2017
High-Technology Based Gait Assessment in Frail People: Associations between Spatio-Temporal and Three-Dimensional Gait Characteristics with Frailty Status across Four Different Frailty Measures.
We analyzed associations between a battery of gait characteristics and frailty status across four different frailty instruments in old patients. ⋯ Gait changes in frail patients include more than solely a reduction in walking speed.
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J Nutr Health Aging · Jan 2017
Comparative StudyCognitive Frailty in Italian Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Prevalence Rate and Its Association with Disability.
Cognitive frailty is the simultaneous clinical manifestation of both physical frailty and cognitive impairment. This paper aimed to propose and test an operational definition of cognitive frailty. The following specific aims were pursued: (i) to rate the prevalence of cognitive frailty; (ii) to evaluate differences in cognitive functioning among robust, pre-frail, and frail individuals; (iii) to examine the association of cognitive frailty with disability, in a sample of Italian community-dwelling older adults. ⋯ The one-way ANCOVA, controlling for age and gender, showed a significant difference (p< .001) among robust, pre-frail, and frail participants for the cognitive functioning. Moreover, cognitively frail individuals showed a difference (p<.001) in disability in comparison with non-frail participants. Our results are significant and provide empirical evidence about the usefulness of the cognitive frailty concept.
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J Nutr Health Aging · Jan 2017
The Impact of Trained Volunteer Mealtime Assistants on the Dietary Intake of Older Female In-Patients: The Southampton Mealtime Assistance Study.
Malnutrition among older hospital inpatients is common and is associated with poor clinical outcomes. Time-pressured staff may struggle to provide mealtime assistance. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of trained volunteer mealtime assistants on the dietary intake of older inpatients. ⋯ Trained volunteers were able to deliver mealtime assistance on a large scale in an effective and sustainable manner, with the potential to release time for nursing staff to complete other clinical tasks. The study participants had a low median intake of energy and protein highlighting the importance of patient factors associated with acute illness; a stratified approach including oral and parenteral nutritional supplementation may be required for some acutely unwell patients. The level of mealtime assistance required was the factor most strongly associated with patients' poor intake of energy and protein and may be a useful simple indicator of patients at risk of poor nutrition.
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J Nutr Health Aging · Jan 2017
Use of Health Resources and Healthcare Costs associated with Frailty: The FRADEA Study.
Frailty is associated with adverse health outcomes, but its association with hospital healthcare costs has not been analyzed. The main objective was to estimate the adjusted annual costs and use of hospital healthcare resources in frail older adults compared to non frail ones. ⋯ Frailty and comorbidity are meaningful and complementary associated with increased hospital healthcare resources use, and related costs.