Physical activity (PA) has multiple benefits for older adults (≥70 years old). Despite this many older adults do not undertake the World Health Organisation guideline recommended amount of PA. This systematic review examines barriers and motivators to PA in adults aged ≥70 years.
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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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In this narrative review we describe innovative methods in pharmacovigilance studies of medicines in older people that leverage the increasing availability of digital health technologies, electronic health records and real-world health data to identify and quantify medication related harms in older people. Open access article - no login required.
Our study investigated the association between patients’ willingness to have medications deprescribed and medication adherence. This longitudinal sub-study took place in Swiss primary care settings. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
This study aimed to classify people by MLTC and social care needs (SCN) into distinct clusters and quantify the association between derived clusters and care outcomes. It highlights those at risk of worse care outcomes, including nursing home admission. Open access article - no login required.
Why you should read this article:
To recognise how comorbidities in older people, including frailty, increase the risk of polypharmacy.
To increase your awareness of the burden of polypharmacy for patients and healthcare services.
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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.
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Caregivers expressed feelings of frustration, confusion and joy. Emerging themes included: (i) feeling like a ‘criminal’ amidst visitor restrictions and rules; (ii) experiencing uncertainty and disappointment in the quality of care of long-term care homes; (iii) going through burnout; and (iv) focusing on small joys and cherished memories.
Open Access Article
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”.
The aim of this study was to describe close relatives’ perspectives of the everyday activities of older adults who are repeatedly readmitted to hospital and discharged to home. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Deprescribing aims to address the problem of medication overuse in older adults. We aimed to describe the categories of trials included in recent systematic reviews, and to make recommendations for future research. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
The Village model, most extensively developed in the USA, is an innovative response to ageing populations and older adults who wish to remain living independently within their community. The “Urban Villages” participatory action research study aimed to test the potential of the Village model to work with groups of older adults in two economically deprived, inner-city neighbourhoods in Manchester, UK.
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Results of this study suggest that people aged≥85 living at home with disability, visual and/or cognitive impairment will have difficulty taking their medications, regardless of how many they are prescribed. Therefore, healthcare professionals should routinely ask about, assess and address problems that these patient groups may have with taking their medicines, independent of the number of drugs taken. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
The aims of the study were to describe sleep quality among community-dwelling older people; determine the association between sleep quality (total and multidimensional), frailty and overall health; study frailty as a mediator in the association between sleep quality and overall health.
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The objective of this systematic review is to present older individuals’ views on the advance care planning (ACP) process and the factors affecting those opinions.
Open Access Article
Advance care planning is an effective and feasible strategy to facilitate frail elderly to express their healthcare wishes timely and improve their outcomes. This study could provide proof for a better understanding of the subject and help direct future clinical practice.
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Previous research has identified the critical role of primary care for suicide prevention. Although several suicide prevention resources for primary care already exist, it is unclear how many have been created specifically for older veterans. This environmental scan sought to assemble a compendium of suicide prevention resources to be utilized in primary care.
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Implications for practice and research
-While virtual wards are now an accepted model of care delivery for older people further research and evaluation of this model specifically focused on patient selection, the use of technology, impact on carers, and patient and carer satisfaction is needed.
-The use of virtual modalities of care for older people can be a viable alternative to face to face assessment and care.
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This study aimed to investigate the associations between inappropriate prescribing and number of medications identified at discharge from geriatric rehabilitation with subsequent post-discharge health outcomes. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Implications for practice and research:
-Increasing light exposure in care facilities improves mood and behaviour in older adults with intellectual disability (ID).
-Light exposure protocols should be implemented and investigated to determine the optimal intervention parameters.
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