by Feliciano Villar  , Montserrat Celdrán  , Rodrigo Serrat  and Valentina Cannella

Received: 07 November 2018;  Published: 26 December 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1804027

Active aging is a concept used to describe and promote lifestyles that contribute to successful aging. However, these lifestyles vary widely, and the concept of active aging encompasses many activities. This paper considers two axes to classify the range of activities that can contribute to active aging: the resources needed to carry out such activities and the main orientation of the activities (individual or collective). To illustrate this classification, three main activities were analyzed: p [...]

by Robert Zheng

Received: 05 October 2018;  Published: 25 December 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1804026

The current article addresses the working memory constraints experienced by older people in caregiving training. Two different approaches aiming to free the older people’s working memory space were discussed. They include multi-modal visual processing and Gc activation. The emphasis was on the theoretical underpinnings of both approaches with empirical evidence from the research and literature to demonstrate their effectiveness in older people’s caregiving training. Further discussion was made w [...]

by Craig A Talmage  and Richard C Knopf

Received: 30 October 2018;  Published: 24 December 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1804025

(1) Background: Wisdom and curiosity require greater attention in the lifelong learning literature pertaining to older adulthood. Lifelong learning can assist older adults in amalgamating wisdom and pursuing their curiosities, but how wisdom is amalgamated and how curiosity is pursued in older adulthood needs more exploration. (2) Methods: This qualitative study investigates subthemes of wisdom amalgamation and curiosity pursuits elucidated from interviews of older adults who participant in a u [...]

by James S. Powers  , Barbara Clinton  , Kayse Martin  , Margaret A. Genendlis  and Grace S. Smith

Received: 26 October 2018;  Published: 13 December 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1804024

Background: The majority of long-term care provided to older adults and persons with disabilities is provided by unpaid family caregivers and friends. Employers have a stake in long-term care services as well since 60% of caregivers are employed outside the home, 49% have gone in late, left early, or taken time off during the day to deal with caregiving issues, and 15% have taken a prolonged leave of absence. Additionally, 87% of employed caregivers make telephone calls for caregiving from wor [...]

by Lisa M. Manderino  , Mary Beth Spitznagel  , Divya Yogi-Morren  , John P. Kirwan  , Sangeeta Kashyap  and John Gunstad

Received: 01 August 2018;  Published: 05 December 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1804023

Background: Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and metabolic syndrome are linked to pathological changes in the brain and increased likelihood of cognitive impairment. Vitamin D insufficiency is commonly found in this population and is associated with cognitive dysfunction in other patient groups. The present study aims to demonstrate the presence of cognitive deficit in individuals with T2DM and metabolic syndrome, and determine if level of vitamin D is associated with cognitive deficit in this population. [...]

by Terence Seedsman  and Nilufer Korkmaz Yaylagul

Received: 17 July 2018;  Published: 28 November 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1804022

With rapidly aging populations worldwide there will be an increasing need to focus attention on the expected increase in disability with advancing age. Drawing upon established literature this paper aims to highlight the contribution of anthropology including selected research findings and contemporary understandings surrounding aging and disability. A quality of life and lifecourse approach is offered including social system failures known to arise from the influence of ageism. Disability is po [...]

by Yoram Barak  and Paul Glue

Received: 04 October 2018;  Published: 26 November 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1804021

Patients with AD have shortened life expectancy than the general older population is well established. Loneliness may be another risk factor to consider if we wish to understand and improve the premature mortality of AD.

by Coad Thomas Dow  and Julia Szepieniec

Received: 01 August 2018;  Published: 25 November 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1804020

Improved understanding of the underlying cellular dysfunction and resultant neuropathology of sporadic Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is needed to stem the anticipated public health crisis due to this increasingly common neurodegenerative disease. The four main risk factors for sporadic AD are age, female gender, genetic carriage of the APOE4 allele and type two diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Each of these four risk factors is associated with impaired and/or dysfunctional autophagy suggesting that perturba [...]

by Ladislav Volicer

Received: 04 November 2018;  Published: 08 November 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1804019

Behavioral symptoms of dementia

by G. Kevin Randall  and Alex J. Bishop

Received: 24 August 2018;  Published: 06 November 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1804018

Abstract Background: This study investigated the influence of positive psychological predictors, religiosity and forgiveness, on subjective and objective successful aging outcomes among incarcerated males. Methods: Male prison inmates (N=261), aged 45 to 82 and incarcerated in eight state-managed correctional facilities, were sampled from the prison census database (Oklahoma Department of Corrections or DOC). Exclusion criteria, per the Oklahoma DOC, were those housed in medical or psychiatric [...]

by Francisca S. Rodriguez

Received: 19 June 2018;  Published: 31 October 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1804017

(1) Background: Cognitive reserve describes the capacity to function cognitively normal despite brain damage. Previous research on cognitive reserve outlined how characteristics of the brain promote good cognitive functioning, but it is not yet clear what cognitive processes help individuals to maintain a good cognitive functioning if the brain is damaged. (2) Methods: Literature search cognitive and/or psychometric characteristics of cognitive reserve with a narrative review of relevant article [...]

by Koji Naruishi

Received: 06 September 2018;  Published: 26 October 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1804016

Japan is a steadily aging society, and the number of hospitalized elderly patients have been increasing. Elderly people are vulnerable with regard to poor health, and the number of hospitalized elderly patients has been increasing rapidly. A marked increase of elderly patients may weaken the economy because of the burden of medical expenses. Therefore, it is important for both society and the individual to reduce the incidence of geriatric diseases such as aspiration pneumonia among elderly peop [...]

by Paul M. Valliant  , Charlotte Aelick  , Amber Sinclair  and Joseph M. Caswell

Received: 07 August 2018;  Published: 18 October 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1804015

Previous research has found that a number of factors are necessary for positive aging. These include genetics, healthy diet, exercise, a stress-free environment, and cognitive enrichment. It is imperative current research evaluate the attitudes that others have toward older adults. A positive attitude will ensure support by the community. The current study contributes to the literature as it evaluates attitudes toward older adults. The population included Caucasian and Indigenous people residing [...]

by Chrisann Fahy  and Lisa Hollis-Sawyer

Received: 19 January 2018;  Published: 10 October 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1804014

The purpose of this project thesis was to develop and pilot test a holistic enrichment program manual to be used with “Institutionalized Home Care Facilities” (IHCF) that encompasses motor skill, social, cognitive and self- enrichment outcomes. The enrichment manual is centered on the theoretical theory of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs while integrating holistic care through training modules. In the needs analysis phase the researcher anticipated that the feedback from the focus group would assi [...]

by Bruce Walmsley  and Lynne McCormack

Received: 23 June 2018;  Published: 08 October 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1804013

Background: Minimal research investigates negative and positive perspectives of wellbeing in families, when a member with dementia is limited in their speech, or speech is absent. Methods: Seeking to explore this phenomenon further, semi-structured interviews sought negative and positive subjective interpretations from 27 family carers (mild to profound dementia). Interviews explored the participants’ experience of changing relational and social engagement when a family member lives with deme [...]