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New Advances in Health of Older Adults

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2024 | Viewed by 7434

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ewa Zasadzka

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Guest Editor

Department of Occupational Therapy, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-781 Poznan, Poland
Interests: geriatrics; problems of older people; physiotherapy; occupational therapy

Prof. Dr. Katarzyna Hojan

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Guest Editor

Department of Occupational Therapy, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-781 Poznan, Poland
Interests: cancer; problems of older people; physiotherapy; occupational therapy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As life expectancy increases, we are met with increasing challenges for medicine and public health, and science and technology are continually trying to meet these growing obstacles. This is also the case in the health and care of older people. Important areas related to the health of the elderly are prevention and treatment of large geriatric syndromes (geriatric giants), comprehensive geriatric assessment, difficulties in meeting standards of physical activity—especially during the COVID-19 pandemic—as well as characteristic diseases and problems related to old age. It is also particularly important to apply new technologies to the assessment and therapy of older people. We are seeking submissions that discuss a new approach to this type of problem and present the latest discoveries in fields related to the health of the elderly.

Dr. Ewa Zasadzka
Prof. Dr. Katarzyna Hojan
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

physical activity
diseases of the elderly
physiotherapy
occupational therapy
new technologies
comprehensive geriatric evaluation
sarcopenia
frailty syndrome
geriatric giants
COVID-19 pandemic

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

39 pages, 2304 KiB

Open AccessArticle

“Health Outcomes of Grandparents Caring for Double Orphans in South Africa”: What Are the Determinants?

by Salmon Likoko, Monica Ewomazino Akokuwebe, Godswill Nwabuisi Osuafor and Erhabor Sunday Idemudia

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(24), 7158; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20247158 - 8 Dec 2023

Viewed by 1663

Abstract

In the 21st century, grandparenthood is a significant phenomenon in the fields of demography, gerontology, and sociology. It is mainly explored in the context of ageing, as it is poised to become one of the most significant demographic phenomena and social issues in contemporary South Africa. Therefore, this study examined the determinants associated with grandparents who are parenting as caregivers and the health challenges they are exposed to as caregivers. The National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS) Wave 5 dataset was utilised, and a total of 302,476 grandparents aged 25 years and older, who were reported to be primary caregivers of double orphans, were included in the analysis. Both bivariate and multivariate binary logistic regressions were performed to determine the predictors of the determinants of grandparents parenting as caregivers and their health challenges in South Africa. Estimated odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used, and the threshold for statistical significance was established at ρ < 0.05. A majority of the male and female grandparent caregivers were aged 24–34 years, were Black Africans (69.8%), had secondary education (46.9%), reported health challenges (HC) (59.7%), with 26.4% reporting headaches in the last 30 days. Logistic regression revealed that grandparent caregivers aged 55–64 years were 8.9 times more likely to report health challenges compared to those aged 25–34 years. Non-Black African grandparent caregivers were found to be 0.61 times less likely to report health challenges, compared to Black African grandparent caregivers. Those with perceived poor health status were 3.3 times more likely to report health challenges, compared to those with excellent perceived health status. Therefore, there is an urgent need to redesign health interventions to address these health burdens among grandparent caregivers and to take cognisance of providing economic and social support for these vulnerable populations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Health of Older Adults)

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18 pages, 1549 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Improving Sleep Quality, Daytime Sleepiness, and Cognitive Function in Patients with Dementia by Therapeutic Exercise and NESA Neuromodulation: A Multicenter Clinical Trial

by Esther Teruel-Hernández, José Antonio López-Pina, Sonia Souto-Camba, Aníbal Báez-Suárez, Raquel Medina-Ramírez and Antonia Gómez-Conesa

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(21), 7027; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20217027 - 6 Nov 2023

Viewed by 3429

Abstract

Dementia is a progressive decline in cognitive functions caused by an alteration in the pattern of neural network connections. There is an inability to create new neuronal connections, producing behavioral disorders. The most evident alteration in patients with neurodegenerative diseases is the alteration of sleep–wake behavior. The aim of this study was to test the effect of two non-pharmacological interventions, therapeutic exercise (TE) and non-invasive neuromodulation through the NESA device (NN) on sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and cognitive function of 30 patients diagnosed with dementia (non-invasive neuromodulation experimental group (NNG): mean ± SD, age: 71.6 ± 7.43 years; therapeutic exercise experimental group (TEG) 75.2 ± 8.63 years; control group (CG) 80.9 ± 4.53 years). The variables were evaluated by means of the Pittsburg Index (PSQI), the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and the Mini-Cognitive Exam Test at four different times during the study: at baseline, after 2 months (after completion of the NNG), after 5 months (after completion of the TEG), and after 7 months (after 2 months of follow-up). Participants in the NNG and TEG presented significant improvements with respect to the CG, and in addition, the NNG generated greater relevant changes in the three variables with respect to the TEG (sleep quality (p = 0.972), daytime sleepiness (p = 0.026), and cognitive function (p = 0.127)). In conclusion, with greater effects in the NNG, both treatments were effective to improve daytime sleepiness, sleep quality, and cognitive function in the dementia population. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Health of Older Adults)

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15 pages, 390 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Integrated Patient-Centred Medical Home (PCMH) Care Model Reduces Prospective Healthcare Utilisation for Community-Dwelling Older Adults with Complex Needs: A Matched Observational Study in Singapore

by Grace Sum, Silvia Yu Hui Sim, Junxing Chay, Soon Hoe Ho, Mimaika Luluina Ginting, Zoe Zon Be Lim, Joanne Yoong and Chek Hooi Wong

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(19), 6848; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20196848 - 27 Sep 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1398

Abstract

The global ageing population is associated with increased health service use. The PCMH care model integrates primary care and home-based care management to deliver comprehensive and personalised healthcare to community-dwelling older adults with bio-psycho-social needs. We examined if an integrated PCMH reduced healthcare utilisation burden of older persons in Singapore. We compared the healthcare utilisation between the intervention group and coarsened exact matched controls for a follow-up of 15 months. Baseline matching covariates included socio-demographics, health status, and past healthcare use. We accounted for COVID-19 social distancing effects on health-seeking behaviour. The intervention group consisted of 165 older adults with complex needs. We analysed national administrative healthcare utilisation data from 2017 to 2020. We applied multivariable zero-inflated regression modelling and presented findings stratified by high (CCI ≥ 5) and low disease burden (CCI < 5). Compared to controls, there were significant reductions in emergency department (β = −0.85; 95%CI = −1.55 to −0.14) and primary care visits (β = −1.70; 95%CI = −2.17 to −1.22) and a decrease in specialist outpatient visits (β = −0.29; 95%CI = −0.64 to 0.07) in the 3-month period immediately after one-year enrolment. The number of acute hospitalisations remained stable. Compared to controls, the intervention group with high and low comorbidity burden had significant decreases in primary care use, while only those with lower comorbidity burden had significant reductions in utilisation of other service types. An integrated PCMH appears beneficial in reducing healthcare utilisation for older persons with complex needs after 1 year in the programme. Future research can explore longer-term utilisation and scalability of the care model. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Health of Older Adults)

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