Building on Age UK’s Index of Wellbeing in Later Life, which found that taking part in ‘creative activities’ such as the arts is closely linked to a strong sense of wellbeing in later life, Age UK delved further into what this really means for older people.
The research found that taking part in activities including dancing, playing a musical instrument, visiting museums, photography, singing and painting are unsurprisingly more prevalent among older people who are in good health, have access to transport, and friends to do things with. Factors such as heavy caring responsibilities, living in a rural area and being unwell make it harder to get out and about and try new things or to keep up activities that have previously been much enjoyed.
The Public Accounts Committee report warns that services for patients are likely to suffer following the collapse of an £800 million contract to provide older people's and adult community services.
104 older people were interviewed, exploring their experiences of emergency admissions. The research focused on whether the older people felt it was appropriate to be admitted to hospital and whether they thought anything could have prevented their admission.
45 surveys were received back from GPs or hospital doctors of the older people in the study. The study also involved interviews or focus groups with 47 health and social care professionals. Birmingham researchers believe this may be the first study in the UK (and possibly internationally) to estimate a rate of ‘inappropriate admissions’ from the perspective of older people.
The analysis by Age UK finds that since 2010, 383,900 more people aged 65 or over are now living with some level of unmet need.
This means nearly 1 in 8 older people are struggling without the help they need to carry out essential everyday tasks, such as getting out of bed, going to the toilet, washing and getting dressed.
Medication-related harm (MRH) events are increasing among older adults especially in the 8-weeks after hospital discharge. The Discharge Medical Service (DMS), a UK initiative, aims to reduce post-discharge MRH. In this study, we will compare the clinical, economic, and service outcomes of the DMS. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
In response to the COVID pandemic when new robust discharge criteria were introduced to facilitate early discharge to optimise hospital capacity, Virtual Frailty Ward (VFW) was established. VFW provides nurse-led telephone follow-up for patients discharged primarily from the Emergency Department (ED) and the Acute Frailty unit (AFU). To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Digital technology, already pervasive in our everyday lives, is increasingly a central factor in rising to this challenge. The received wisdom is that older people, and their baby-boomer children who are themselves over 55 years of age, are resistant to embracing technology in this context. This research paper examined whether this is actually true.
Jo Galloway, chief nursing officer at NHS Redditch and Bromsgrove Clinical Commissioning Group, provides a glimpse into some of the ways the CCG is working to improve the health and wellbeing of its older population.
Open access. Air travel is now a common feature of most of our elderly population's lives. There is little by way of warnings, rules or recommendations for our patients with psychiatric diagnoses, in particular dementia, who intend to travel by plane, in contrast to other specialties. In this article I highlight an adverse outcome of long-haul air travel as a result of delirium and resulting accelerated decline in overall cognitive function. I review literature related to the topic and suggest ways to minimise precipitating factors for stressors prior to and during flights. This article suggests that more thought should be given to the title question.
The aim of this study was to explore the lived experiences of a group of older adults involved in a range of occupational-focused leisure activities provided by the Weekday Wow Factor, a small social enterprise led by an occupational therapist to understand their perceptions of positive ageing and occupational participation. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Community pharmacists’ knowledge deficits about frailty must be addressed and their communication skills enhanced so they may confidently initiate conversations about frailty and medicines use with older adults.
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Resources to support dementia carers from ethnically diverse families are limited. We explored carers’ and service providers’ views on adapting the World Health Organization’s iSupport Lite messages to meet their needs.
To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Staying Sharp is Age UK’s new online hub on brain ageing, which has been developed in collaboration with the Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology (CCACE) at the University of Edinburgh
This grounded theory study sought to explore how older adults’ experience the transition from living at home to a care home with a specific focus on the latter part of the first year of the move. The study was carried out within a large Health Trust in the UK between August 2017 and May 2019. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
Healthcare professionals should not be reluctant to talk to patients about death and dying
A report by the Royal College of Physicians reveals that while open discussions are fundamental to managing care, giving patients choices and control over the rest of their lives, professionals continue to find them challenging. To read the full article, log in using your MPFT NHS OpenAthens details.
This paper aims to explore the concept and practice, of dignity as understood and experienced by older adults and district nursing staff. The paper adds a new, nuanced, understanding of safeguarding possibilities in the context of district nursing care delivered in the home. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.