by Em V. Adams  , Marieke Van Puymbroeck  , Heather S. Torphy  , Brian C. Helsel  , Karen A. Kemper  , Cheryl Dye  and Arlene A. Schmid

Received: 03 October 2019;  Published: 03 January 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2001097

Falls have negative consequences for older adults, but falls can be reduced through interventions that target the reduction of fall risk factors. Cognitive behavioral education programs and therapeutic yoga are two interventions that have independently been used as a means to reduce the risk of falls. The purpose of this study was to determine if adding therapeutic yoga following an education intervention improved well known fall risk factors. Potential participants were recruited through a senior center for a 12-w [...]

by Malith Kadirappulli-Hewage  and Rasika Jayasekara

Received: 30 August 2019;  Published: 02 January 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2001096

Social isolation and social disconnectedness have resulted in some older adults ending their lives by suicide; therefore, improving social connectedness has become an integral part of suicide prevention programmes. The purpose of this literature review was to assess the impact of social connectedness interventions for preventing suicide in older adults. It is evident that interventions aimed at promoting social connectedness are intended to alleviate stress and depressive symptoms due to social separation and traum [...]

by Jeanneane Wood-Nartker  , Emily Beuschel  and Denise Guerin

Received: 28 August 2019;  Published: 16 December 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1904095

As people age, environments supporting changing needs can potentially impact their quality of life. Aging often leads to a decrease in the ability of people to interpret sensory cues within their environment. Using Pastalan’s Empathic Model as a framework, a list of guidelines was established to address the extrinsic risk factors affecting falls within the built environment. Attention to these items may not prevent all falls but will mitigate some of the external risks that cause falls for older adults. It is [...]

by María Izal  , Roberto Nuevo  and Ignacio Montorio

Received: 19 June 2019;  Published: 12 December 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1904094

We analyze the confluence between two paradigms of health from different theoretical backgrounds: successful (or healthy) aging (SA) and positive psychology (PP). In this cross-sectional study, 169 healthy older adults completed several questionnaires to assess central constructs for successful aging and positive psychology frameworks. Participants were recruited from recreational centers for older adults. Confirmatory factor analyses with a two-latent-factor structure (SA and PP) showed an adequate fit between t [...]

by Alyson Holland  and Amanda Lorbergs

Received: 29 October 2019;  Published: 12 December 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1904093

Beliefs about the daily experience of a disease are used to identify risk and motivate participation in prevention. For osteoporosis, a disease that is affected by health behaviours throughout the lifecourse, individual perceptions of the disease can affect health decisions and future disease prevalence. Understanding how the experience of osteoporosis is perceived by women at different stages of life can illuminate factors that influence engagement in prevention. Women representing three life stages - young adults [...]

by Renate Verkaik  , Iris van der Heide  , Eugenie van Eerden  , Peter Spreeuwenberg  , Erik Scherder  and Anneke L. Francke

Received: 02 April 2019;  Published: 11 December 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1904092

Background: Studies of the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions indicate that sensory stimulation is a promising approach to reduce psychological and behavioural disturbances in people with dementia. A relatively new approach is enriched multi-sensory stimulation. Enriched multi-sensory stimulation includes the simultaneous stimulation of multiple senses by stimuli that are related to positive themes. Methods: A pilot - randomized controlled trial was conducted with repeated measurements and two conditions: [...]

by Horst J. Koch

Received: 06 August 2019;  Published: 04 December 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1904091

The prevalence of Late-life Depression (LLD) is estimated between 10 and 15 % and therefore LLD is a considerable world-wide problem. The psychopathology is not substantially different from that of depressive episodes in young adults, but somatic complaints in combination of end-of-life perspective leave an imprint on emotional experience. Frequent suicide ideation, especially in old unmated men, remains a particular challenge. It is important to combine psychiatric and somatic diagnostics including modern methods [...]

by Katrine Hygum  , Jakob Starup-Linde  , Torben Harsløf  and Bente Langdahl

Received: 29 August 2019;  Published: 04 December 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1904090

Background: The increased fracture risk in persons with diabetes is underestimated by conventional fracture predictors. The aims of this study were to conduct a systematic review and a meta-analysis to compare the levels of bone turnover markers (BTM) in persons with diabetes with and without fractures. Methods: We conducted a systematic literature search. Eligibility criteria were studies investigating BTMs in persons with diabetes with/without fractures. For the meta-analysis, we used the standardised mean differ [...]

by Siu Fai Ho  , Avril Thomson  , Tricia Moylan  , Julie McGuckin  and Andrew Kerr

Received: 23 September 2019;  Published: 02 December 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1904089

Background The sit-to-stand (StS) movement is a frequently performed task critical to independent living that is both difficult to perform and associated with falls in older populations. Consequently, the recovery of this movement through supervised practice is a priority during the rehabilitation of older people. Technology may enable self-practice, potentially improving rehabilitation outcomes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical feasibility and effectiveness of an automated movement feedbac [...]

by Elizabeth Midlarsky

Received: 14 August 2019;  Published: 25 November 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1904088

Louise H., Ph.D was referred to me by her long-term primary care physician (PCP) who was certain that his patient was seriously depressed and in need of medication and possibly psychotherapy. My own assessment, in consultation with a neurologist, was that Louise’s problems with coping were primarily neurological, and that her issues were due to serious (and in one case embarrassing) symptoms. Her neurological problems (mild Parkinsonism and PseudoBulbar Affect, or PBA) are currently being addressed by the neurolo [...]