Old Home Research Articles

Role of leisure activity in quality of life and meaning in life of male and female older adults

Context: India at present is experiencing a phenomenal increase in the number of older adults. Old age is marked by challenges across multiple domains of life. To overcome the challenges of old age, the focus should be on improving the quality of life (QOL) and meaning in life (MIL) of older adults. Aim: This study aimed to determine the effect of leisure activity on QOL and MIL of male and female older adults in old-age homes. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 120 male and female retired older adults (65–80 years), living in old-age homes of Hooghly district, West Bengal, using the Older People's Quality of Life Questionnaire (OPQOL-35) by Bowling and Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ) by Steger, Frazier, Oishi, & Kaler. Results: Older adults who engaged in active leisure activities had higher QOL and MIL than those engaged in passive leisure activities. Male older adults had higher QOL and MIL than female older adults. Conclusion: Opportunities to pursue active leisure activities should be promoted among older adults in old-age homes.

Nurses’ empowerment and technology use: Literature Review and Research Agenda

Older adults are a very heterogeneous group with different preferences, needs, and lifestyles. Most older people prefer to stay at home in old age. This is also advocated by policymakers and healthcare providers as it results in lower costs to society compared to institutionalization. Digital technologies such as eHealth can cost-effectively contribute to active aging. To use technology in the care of older adults, we need empowered caregivers who can also educate older adults on the proper use of technology as a tool to maintain health. We used the method of scientific literature review. Articles were selected based on the following criteria: Accessibility, scientificity, relevance of content, and timeliness. After selection, the results were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Content analysis of nine scholarly articles provided insight into how technology is used in caregiving, whether empowered caregivers use technology in caring for older adults, and whether older adults demonstrate some level of autonomy and compliance in their use of technology. We found that technology makes an important contribution to self-management of illness, medication adherence, and contact with older adults with chronic conditions who require constant monitoring. We believe that technology will help improve care and social support for older people and make caregivers' jobs easier. This will be especially evident with the introduction of robotic technology, both in providing social support to older adults and in making it easier for caregivers to lift patients.

Depression and quality of life among elderly: Comparative cross-sectional study between elderly in community and old age homes in Eastern India.

Depression among elderly is an emerging public health concern. Along with other comorbidities, depression affects the quality of life and functional ability of the geriatric population. This study aimed to assess the depression and quality of life among elderly and compare these parameters among the inhabitants of old age home and in the community. A cross-sectional study was conducted among the elderly of the community and old-age homes in the urban areas of Raipur, Chhattisgarh between March and July 2016. Hundred elderly (50 in each group) participated in the study. Geriatric Depression Scale 15 (GDS-15) and Older People Quality of Life (OPQoL)-35 scale were used to assess the geriatric depression and quality of life, respectively. Association between depression and demographic variables were analyzed by Chi-square/Fisher's exact test. Pearson's correlation coefficient was calculated between GDS-15 and OPQoL-35 scale. The prevalence of geriatric depression was 59%. Quality of life was better among the old-age home elderly participants than that of community elderly when compared for score of life over all (11.78 vs. 13.56), health (12.8 vs. 14.0), social relationship (10.48 vs. 13.9), control over life (11.92 vs. 14.08), home and neighborhoods (9.38 vs. 12.36), psychological and emotional wellbeing (10.96 vs. 13.7), financial circumstances (14.5 vs. 16.7), and leisure and activities (13.86 vs. 15.28). Moderate positive correlation was observed between depression and quality of life. The higher prevalence in our study emphasizes the need to delineate the actual burden in the elderly population and provide necessary supportive measures. It needs to be addressed adequately through a coordinated primary care approach and community and social support. Timely and adequate management of depression can improve the quality-of-life outcomes.

Impact of dentures on oral health-related quality of life in assisted living facility elders, Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh

Background: Dentures can improve dental function and appearance in older people, but they may reduce oral health-related quality of life. Further research is needed to determine how denture wearing affects the general health and well-being of assisted living home residents. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was performed among 587 inmates of old-age homes in Andhra Pradesh with a self-administered, pretested questionnaire that consists of two sections. The first section of the questionnaire includes information on demographic factors and duration of stay in an old-age home, and data about denture maintenance and usage. The second section of the questionnaire consists of an Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP). For data presentation and analysis, IBM SPSS Statistics was used; descriptive statistics, the Chi-square test, and correlation were employed. P ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: In this study, the total satisfaction rate of complete denture (CD) users with good responses was 21.4% and for removable partial denture (RPD) users was 23.7%, which was statistically significant and was positively correlated. The overall OHIP for 1–5 years of denture users was high, with a mean of 53.8 ± 78.102, and a statistically significant difference existed between the CD and RPD users (P = 0.028). Conclusion: The overall satisfaction rate of RPD users was higher than the CD users and esthetics mainly impacts the satisfaction of dentures and the overall OHIP for 1–5 years of denture users was high.

Pneumococcal Vaccine Recommendations for Old-Age Home Indian Residents: A Literature Review.

Advancing age is accompanied by decreased immunity, poor health, and physiological changes, which render the elderly population highly susceptible to infectious diseases. We aim to identify the guidelines for pneumococcal vaccines in old-age facilities in India. We performed an extensive review of Indian literature (indexed and non-indexed publications) from 2010 to 2020 using search strings “Pneumococcal vaccine AND Recommendations AND India,” “Pneumococcal vaccine AND Guidelines AND India,” followed by a hand search to identify the most updated versions of recommendations. We reviewed immunization guidelines recommended by nine medical associations and societies in India—Association of Physicians of India (API), Geriatric Society of India (GSI), Indian Society of Nephrology (ISN), Mass Gathering Advisory Board Consensus Recommendation, Indian Medical Association (IMA), Indian Chest Society and National College of Chest Physicians (ICS-NCCP), Research Society for Study of Diabetes in India (RSSDI), Indian Association of Occupational Health Guidelines for Working Adults (IAOH), and API guidelines for immunization during COVID19 pandemic. All bodies recommend pneumococcal vaccines, sequence and preference of which depend on factors such as age, underlying conditions, and immune status. Integration of society recommendations and their implementation into public and private vaccination programs are required to promote adult immunization.

Low COVID-19 Mortality in Old Age Homes in Western India: An empirical study

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has emerged as a public health crisis globally. Management of old age homes have been challenged during the ongoing pandemic crisis, as the elderlies are by far the most vulnerable population group in context to prone to infection of COVID-19 disease. Objective: The study intended to understand the effect of COVID-19 on western Indian elderly care homes, the actions taken by the administration, and the challenges faced during and post-lockdown period. Method: A total of 44 care homes across three states of western India were contacted for data collection during the period of September-December 2020. Semi-structured interviews of the administrators were taken to gather the required information to achieve the study objectives. Results: Out of 44 care homes, ten care homes reported 169 cases of coronavirus infection and seven deaths. Hence, the rate of reported COVID-19 cases was found to be 1074 per 10,000 residents. Discussion: Results of the study indicated the significant steps taken by these old-age care homes to stave off the infection spread among the occupants. It was observed that an average of 26% of the occupants was sent back to their home/relative’s home before the lockdown to decongest the care homes. Care homes in western India seemed to have a very low infection rate and a very low number of deaths as compared to the Global Scenario. The present study also highlights the gaps in policy and calls for urgent action by the government for the regulation of old age homes in India.

The Impact of Interaction with Orphanage Children on Quality of Life of Elderly Females Residing in Old-Age Homes in a South Indian District

Introduction: Improving the quality of life (QOL) of the elderly has been one of the crucial challenges of public health with increasing life expectancy. The study was done to assess the impact on QOL and psychiatric morbidities among elderly females in old age homes (OAH) who had interaction with orphanage children. Materials and Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among 105 elderly females who were residing in OAHs in Chittoor District, India, from Sep–Dec 2019. Data were collected using older people's QOL scale, Hamilton's Scales (HAM-A and HAM-D). Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Ethics Committee. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), software version 20. Results: About 82.9% of elderly females in OAHs who were interacting with orphanage children had good QOL when compared to those who were not (8.6%). A significant difference was observed in domains scores for overall life, independent home and neighborhood, psychological and emotional well-being, and religion in the elderly who were interacting with orphanage children when compared to those who did not. Mean scores for depression and anxiety were significantly higher (P = 0.001) in those who were not interacting with the orphanage children (23.23, 43.74) than with interaction (13.46, 43.74). Conclusions: Overall QOL was better in elderly females who had interaction with orphanage children when compared to those who did not. Furthermore, psychiatric morbidities (depression and anxiety) were significantly higher in those who were not having interaction with orphanage children than those with interaction (P = 0.001).

Epidemiology of geriatric syndromes among older people residing in six old-age homes of Delhi-NCR.

The frequency of geriatric syndromes (GSs) such as cognitive impairment (CI), depression, and malnutrition among older people residing in old-age homes (OAHs) of Delhi-National Capital Territory Region (NCR) has not been reported. The availability of such data determines the quality of health care. The present study aims to assess the frequency of GS among residents of six OAHs in Delhi-NCR. The study was carried out after obtaining informed written consent from all participants. The team comprising doctors, physiotherapists, and nurses visited the OAHs and assessed GSs using a psychometrically validated screening tool ICT-BRIEF 30. Other standard tools such as Snellen's chart, whisper voice test, mini nutritional assessment, time up and go test score, Mini-Cog, and geriatric depression scale 5 were used to assess vision, hearing, nutrition, mobility, cognition, and mood, respectively. Out of 131 participants, low vision was observed in 69.47%, hearing impairment in 20.61%, malnutrition in 12.9%, risk of fall in 18.32%, CI in 46.56%, and depression in 62.59% of the participants. Hearing impairment was found to be significantly associated with quality of life and cognition. The present study from Delhi showed high frequency of vision impairment, CI, frailty, depression, and malnutrition in older people residing in OAHs. 20% of the participants had functional loss due to various reasons. Hence, the owner/caretaker of OAHs of Delhi/NCR needs to be proactive in screening the residents for various GSs to provide quality care to the residents.

HUMAN ACTIVITY RECOGNITION AND FALL DETECTION

Personalized monitoring and its application is increasing with the advancement of technology. And during pandemics its become very essential to keep an eye on the prone area and one of the area to identify was old age home. Dizziness, unconsciousness, and others are the common problems associated with elderly people due to weakness and this was also the symptoms of covid. So an unusual activity of falling of elderly people was very difficult to identify and also to monitor. The technology was updated till now to identify posture of normal activity such as running, walking, jumping and many but revert to that falling was an area need to explore. During the fall of an elderly person, the injuries are very fatal, and to void this case we proposed a design to identify the fall and try to notify the system about its fall. Although we try to predict the fall so that it becomes easy to monitor and provide medical help as soon as possible. The main theme is to identify the posture activity and once identify we will compare the activity with trained datasets and if it’s normal in vision them no notification occurred and if the percentage of falls was high then we can predict the system as fall video

Mobile Application for Food Donation

This application is designed for any random user who’s willing to donate and have no proper chance or time to donate the food to orphanages, old-age homes, foodless and even stray animals. This application includes the history, status of donation and profiles of the donor, receiver and volunteer. This android application uses the information given by the donors, like-food type, mobile no., etc. to locate and collect the food. Then our NGO’s or volunteers distribute the food for the needed. This application mainly has 3 types of users: donor, receiver, volunteer. Donors log-in to their account and fill the details of food to be donated like- type, quantity and time at which food is prepared. Receivers (orphanages, old-age homes and foodless) log-in to their account using their credentials and mention their requirements like quantity of food and the type of food. Volunteers are mainly NGOs which can use the food for their purpose of feeding needy. Whenever there is a request from the donor, app notifies the volunteers of that city. All these details are stored in the main database.

Senior Citizen Homes: Search for a Viable Business Model

The case pertains to the decision regarding business model to be decided by the developer of a proposed senior citizen homes. Due to a number of reasons, enumerated in the study, the elderly people prefer to live in community living projects. The protagonist Mr Pankaj Pawa, MD, Pawa Group, wants a scalable Old Age Home (OAH) concept, which can be replicated across India. Accordingly, he has identified upper-middle-class senior citizens as the potential segment. As per his surveys, this segment is neglected till date. The project will need to be planned as a community project, where the residents become part of the community by sharing common resources. The developer’s main concern is selecting the best business model, which allows him to expand. Simultaneously, the project should not lead to his capital blockage as the real estate market has faced liquidity crisis. Furthermore, he needs to be convinced that the senior citizens are a financially viable customer segment, and an exclusive project for them will be self-sustaining in the long term.

HOW DEPRESSED ARE THE ELDERLY PERSONS IN OLD-AGE HOMES? A PILOT STUDY IN AN OLD-AGE HOME OF SILIGURI

INTRODUCTION: With the increasing trend of nuclear families in the society, the care of older persons in the families gets difcult and they are forced to shift to old age homes. There are lack of close family ties and reduced connections with their culture of origin, which leads to high risk of depression among olders. OBJECTIVE:Determine the Prevalence of depression among the inmates of old-age home and identify associated factors METHODS: Study type and design: 7 Observational study, Cross sectional design Study setting:The study was conducted in Aapnaghar old-age home of Siliguri, West Bengal (The old age home was chosen by lottery method). Study population:In-mates of Aapnaghar old-age home Study period: 2 months Sample size: All inmates of Aapnaghar old-age home was included by complete enumeration method; total 75 participants DISCUSSION:In Mild mood disturbance to borderline clinical depression, 28 (54.9%) patients were Male and 9 (37.5%) patients were Female. In Moderate to severe depression, 15 (29.4%) patients were Male and 15 (62.5%) patients were Female. Association of Gender vs Normal, Mild mood disturbance to borderline clinical depression and Moderate to severe depression was statistically signicant (p<0.0001). In Normal, 6 (42.9%) patients were married, 1 (4.2%) patients were unmarried and 1 (2.7%) patients were others. In Mild mood disturbance to borderline clinical depression, 7 (50%) patients were married, 19 (79.2%) patients were unmarried and 11 (29.7%) patients were others. CONCLUSION: In the current study, the BDI has been utilized to detect the prevalence of depression. Although it is not designed for diagnostic purposes, its epidemiologic utility has been evaluated in several studies. Depression was a common nding among the elderly in old-age home. These results could help to clarify the attributes of target populations for depression and provide insight to prevent depression among elderly

Correlates of institutionalization among the oldest old-Evidence from the multicenter AgeCoDe-AgeQualiDe study.

There is a lack of studies identifying the correlates of institutionalization specifically among the oldest old. Therefore, our aim was to fill this gap in knowledge. Cross-sectional data (Follow up wave 9; n=633 observations in the analytical sample) were used from the multicenter prospective cohort study "Needs, health service use, costs and health-related quality of life in a large sample of oldest-old primary care patients (85+)" Correlates of institutionalization among the oldest old-Evidence from a multicenter cohort study. The sample consists of primary care patients aged 86 years and over (mean 90.5 years, SD: 2.9 years). Sociodemographic and health-related independent variables were included in our regression model. Institutionalization was defined as living in a nursing home or an old-age home (not including assisted living facilities). Out of the 633 participants, 502 individuals (79.3%) did not live in an institutionalized setting, whereas 73 individuals (20.7%) lived in an institutionalized setting. Multiple logistic regressions showed that the likelihood of institutionalization increased with being divorced/widowed/single (compared to being married; OR: 5.35 [95% CI: 1.75-16.36]), the presence of social isolation (OR: 2.07 [1.20-3.59]), more depressive symptoms (OR: 1.11 [1.01-1.23]), increased cognitive impairment (OR: 1.67 [1.31-2.15]) and higher levels of frailty (OR: 1.48 [1.07-2.06]). The study findings identified various sociodemographic and health-related factors associated with institutionalization among the oldest old. Longitudinal studies are required to gain further insights into these associations.

Aadhaar Number Labeled Complete Denture: A Case Report

Personal identification is of prime importance for forensic and medicolegal purposes especially in case of natural calamities, accidents, state of unconsciousness, or loss of memory. Denture identification systems are important not only for patients in health-care facilities, old-age homes, and hospitals but also in medico-legal cases. In India, no standardized method is being followed for labeling of the dentures. This article proposes a technique of denture marking that gives permanent, unique, and global identification to all the Indian nationals using Aadhaar - a universally accepted identity for Indian nationals.

Depression and its associated factors among elderly people of old age homes and community of Kathmandu district, Nepal: a comparative study

Background: Depression is a common public health problem among elders worldwide and is associated with high morbidity and disability. This study aims to assess depression and its associated factors among elderly in old-age homes and a community of Kathmandu district.Method: A comparative cross-sectional study recruited 122 elderly from old-age homes and a community of Kathmandu district. Depression was measured using the Geriatric Depression Scale-short scale (GDS-15). Socio-demographic and medical history was collected using semi-structured questionnaire. We utilized bivariate logistic regression to assess the association of depression with each variable. Results: The prevalence of depression among elderly in old-age homes was 74.6% and in community was 41.8%. The study found that elderly residing at old age homes were four (OR=4.087; 95% CI=2.373-7.038) times more likely to have depression than those residing in the community. Age was found to be associated with depression among the respondent of both settings. In old-age homes, not receiving old-age allowance, bad perception of life, bad social relation, having a chronic disease, lack of care from family, stress and weeping as stress coping strategy were associated with depression. In the community, stress, non-involvement in family decision making, feeling of neglect, dysfunctional capability, bad social relation, lesser monthly income had positive relation with depression.Conclusion: Depression is highly prevalent among Nepalese elderly, with higher burden in those living in old-age homes. This emphasizes the need for screening of depression among elderly, to initiate early intervention measures.

Sound Prohibited Zone for Smart Cities using IoT

One of the dominant causes of noise pollution is the disruptive honking while traveling on a road and is particularly problematic as well as resulting in irritating sound. This results in many effects that need to be addressed taking into consideration stress, depression, mental and physical illnesses. The proposed system comprises of an embedded module that will be of great benefit to citizens of society adjacent to heavily populated roads, students studying in schools near crowded roads, patients admitted to roadside hospitals, etc. Noise Armor's alternative approach needs immense expenditure and personnel for both repair and surveillance as there is the need for expensive noise absorbers. By developing a real-time (smart) honking device that automatically allows vehicles on the road to reduce the volume of horn near conscious areas such as schools , hospitals, old-age homes, baby care centers and other organizations that are adversely damaged, our research aims to develop an effective solution for excessive honking.

Medication Management Service for Old Age Homes in Hong Kong Using Information Technology, Automation Technology, and the Internet of Things: Pre-Post Interventional Study.

BackgroundInnovation in technology and automation has been increasingly used to improve conventional medication management processes. In Hong Kong, the current practices of medication management in old age homes (OAHs) are time consuming, labor intensive, and error prone. To address this problem, we initiated an integrated medication management service combining information technology, automation technology, and the Internet of Things in a cluster network of OAHs.ObjectiveThis pilot study aimed to evaluate the impact of the medication management program on (1) medication management efficiency, (2) medication safety, and (3) drug wastage in OAHs. We compared the time efficiency and the reductions in medication errors and medication wastage in OAHs before and at least 2 weeks after the implementation of the program.MethodsFrom November 2019 to February 2020, we recruited 2 OAHs (serving 178 residents) in Hong Kong into the prospective, pre-post interventional study. The interventional program consisted of electronic medication profiles, automated packaging, and electronic records of medication administration. Using 3-way analysis of variance, we compared the number of doses prepared and checked in 10-minute blocks before and after implementation. We received anonymous reports of medication errors from OAH staff and analyzed the results with the Fisher exact test. We also calculated the quantity and cost of wasted medications from drug disposal reports.ResultsThe number of doses prepared and checked in 10-minute blocks significantly increased postimplementation (pre: 41.3, SD 31.8; post: 70.6, SD 22.8; P<.001). There was also a significant reduction in medication errors (pre: 10/9504 doses, 0.1%; post: 0/5731 doses; P=.02). The total costs of wasted medications during January 2020 in OAH 1 (77 residents) and OAH 2 (101 residents) were HK $2566.03 (US $328.98) and HK $5249.48 (US $673.01), respectively.ConclusionsOur pilot study suggested that an innovative medication management program with information technology, automation technology, and Internet of Things components improved the time efficiency of medication preparation and medication safety for OAHs. It is a promising solution to address the current limitations in medication management in OAHs in Hong Kong.

POSITIVE SIDE OF OLD AGE HOMES

Background and Aims:The Geriatric population is growing throught the world . Care of elderly of society is an unmet need .In India, Old Age Homes (OAH) are looked upon rather negatively, and family is stigmatized if their elder is kept in OAH .This is unlike the situation in Western countries , where the care homes are considered a necessity and an asset for the aging population.Less is known about response of Indians about residing in care home , hence this study was conducted . Methods: We interviewed 26 inmates of an old age home using a questionnaire Results: We observed that 80 percent of inmates in the old age home that we studied were happy due to the pleasant ambience , caring attitude of employees , disciplined routine , appropriate entertainment and reasonable facilities. Conclusions: Instead of treating care homes as a stigma , we must accept them as a necessity and make it Geriatric friendly .It is better to look at the positive side of Old age homes as many of the aged may have to spend the last years of their lives in these facilities .

Views of the elderly living in old-age homes on psychosocial care needs

Background: Older adults are likely to experience psychological and social problems due to decline in physical strength, increased health issues, inadequate financial resources, and family dynamics. In this context, they need psychosocial care services to handle such challenges. Particularly, inmates of old-age homes are more vulnerable to experience such challenges as they are away from the family care. In this background, knowing their views on psychosocial care needs while living in old-age homes is significant to improve old-age home-based care. The aim of this study is to explore the psychosocial care needs expressed by the inmates of old-age homes. Materials and Methods: Inmates of old-age homes were selected using purposive sampling. A total of twenty residents out of four old-age homes of Bengaluru Metropolitan City were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide. The qualitative content analysis has been carried out to identify core psychosocial care needs out of the text data. Results: Three themes, namely “health-care needs,” “concerns regarding the behavior of the staff,” and “mental health needs,” are emerged. Conclusion: The current study findings provide insiders' views and highlight the importance of psychosocial care services to address their needs at every old-age home.

Prevalence of depression amongst the Elderly population in old age homes of Mangalore city

Context:Depression is a silent killer. The people living in the old age homes (OAHs) appear to be overtly neglected by the community and depression is easily overlooked in such individuals especially in elderly people with comorbidities. Its early detection and treatment are imperative to improve quality of life.Aim:To find the prevalence of depression and the socio-demographic factors associated with depression among the elderly of OAHs.Materials and Methods:A Cross-sectional study in geriatric population of OAHs around Mangalore city was conducted over a duration of 5 months. About 142 elderly above the age of 60 years participated in the study. The study tools used were Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15), Activities of Daily Living Scale (Katz index) and socio-demographic questionnaire.Statistical Analysis Used:The results were expressed in percentages and proportions. Univariate logistic regression analysis was done to find out the associated sociodemographic factors. Means and standard deviation of the GDS-15 and KATZ index scores were calculated and correlation was assessed between both the scores.Results:The overall prevalence of depression was 47.8% by using the GDS. The GDS score and Katz score were found to have a significant negative correlation. (r = -0.245 P = 0.003). Less social interaction amongst the peers was found to be associated with depression.Conclusions:The prevalence of depression in this study population was moderately high. Spending time with other residents was protective and functionally able people were less likely to have depression.