Quality Of Life In Elderly Persons Research Articles

Increased masticatory activity and quality of life in elderly persons with dementia-a longitudinal matched cluster randomized single-blind multicenter intervention study

BackgroundWorldwide, millions of people are suffering from dementia and this number is rising. An index of quality of life (QoL) can describe the impact a disease or treatment has on a person’s wellbeing. QoL comprises many variables, including physical health and function, and mental health and function. QoL is related to masticatory ability and physical activity. Animal studies show that disruption of mastication due to loss of teeth or a soft diet leads to memory loss and learning problems. Since these are common complaints in dementia, it is hypothesized that improvement of masticatory function and normalization of diet consistency can increase QoL in elderly persons suffering from dementia. Therefore, the goal of the present study is to examine whether an increase in masticatory activity, achieved by increased food consistency and enhancement of masticatory function through improved oral health care has a positive effect on QoL, including cognition, mood, activities of daily living (ADL), and circadian rhythm in elderly persons with dementia.Methods and designThe described study is a prospective longitudinal matched cluster randomized single-blind multicenter study. Participants are elderly persons living in the Netherlands, suffering from dementia and receiving psychogeriatric care. An intervention group will receive improved oral health care and a diet of increased consistency. A control group receives care as usual. Participants will be assessed four times; outcome variables besides QoL are cognition, mood, independence, rest-activity rhythm, blood pressure, and masticatory function.DiscussionThis research protocol investigates the effect of an intervention executed by daily caregivers. The intervention will increase masticatory activity, which is achieved by three different actions, (providing oral health care, increasing food consistency, or a combination of both). There is a certain amount of variety in the nature of the interventions due to local differences in nursing homes. This might be a scientific weakness in the study design; however, a practical implementation of any findings will be subject to the same factors, making this study design clinically relevant.Trial registrationNTR1561

Quality of life of elderly persons with cancer: a 6‐month follow‐up

The aim of this study was to investigate possible changes in quality of life (QoL) in elderly persons diagnosed with cancer (65 years and above), in relation to age, contact with the health-care system, activities of daily living, hope, social network and support. The investigation points were at time of diagnosis (baseline), and again 3 and 6 months after the diagnosis. The study also aimed to investigate which of the aforementioned factors predicted deteriorated QoL in elderly persons with cancer from baseline to the 6-month investigation. At baseline, the sample consisted of 101 individuals aged (age 65+) recently diagnosed with cancer (74 women, 27 men), but was reduced to 75 (57 women, 18 men) by the 6-month investigation point. EORTC QLQ C30, Katz ADL, Nowotny's Hope Scale and Interview Schedule for Social Interaction were used in structured personal interviews and questionnaires. Emotional function improved significantly over time, and complaints of nausea and vomiting decreased. Contact with a district nurse at baseline predicted deteriorated QoL from baseline to 6 months later. Support from grandchildren increased significantly. About 30% of the total sample deteriorated in QoL, by the significant >/=10 units, from baseline to 6-month follow-up, while about 70% remained stable in QoL from baseline. The majority of the elderly persons with cancer showed an ability to adjust to the new condition. However, in clinical practice, specific attention should be paid to the most vulnerable groups of elderly persons with cancer: those with advanced disease and decreased hope, and those with increased need of both informal and formal assistance.

Health promotion behaviors and quality of life among community-dwelling elderly in Korea: A cross-sectional survey

As individuals live longer, health promotion behaviors become even more important, particularly with regard to maintaining functional independence and improving quality of life (QoL). The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between health promotion behaviors and QoL in Korean elderly living in the community. This study was a descriptive-correlational study to explore the relationship between health promotion behaviors and QoL among the community-dwelling elderly in Korea. A convenience sample of 2000 community residents who were over 65 years old and cognitively intact were selected from 32 senior centers and 242 public health centers in Korea. A total of 1920 were included in the analyses, following the exclusion of 80 incomplete questionnaires and subject refusals. Participants who consented to participate in the study were interviewed by trained interviewers with a structured questionnaire. The results of the study showed that there were statistically significant differences in QoL of the elderly related to exercise participation, alcohol abstinence and blood pressure (BP) check-up ( p<.05). Multiple regression analysis revealed that perceived health status, number of chronic illnesses, activities of daily living, BP checkup, exercise, and gender were statistically significant predictors of QoL. R 2 for this whole regression model was .412, indicating that approximately 41.2% of the variance in QoL was accounted for by the linear combination of these variables. Nurses should enhance the QoL in elderly persons by facilitating health promotion behaviors through formal nursing interventions which will maintain and increase a healthy and active life.

Study of cardiovascular risk factors and hemostatic molecular markers in elderly persons.

In this study, plasma concentrations of hemostatic molecular markers were investigated in 118 elderly persons with normal renal function (aged 65 to 97 years) who could manage their activities of daily living (ADL) by themselves, to find a strategy for conservation or elevation of ADL and quality of life (QOL). In all subjects, the frequency by which hemostatic markers exceeded their upper limit of normal range was 35.9% for thrombin-antithrombin HI complex (> or = 3.7 ng/ml), 38.3% for soluble fibrin monomer (> or = 4.0 microg/ml), 41.8% for D-dimer (> or = 1.0 microg/ml), 49.0% for plasmin-alpha2 plasmin inhibitor complex (> or = 1.0 microg/ml), and 53.7% for thrombomodulin (> or = 20 ng/ml). The mean plasma levels of these markers were slightly higher than the upper limit of their normal range. These markers were also investigated in samples of patients with and without cardiovascular risk factors and with and without cardiovascular diseases (ischemic heart disease and/or cerebral infarction). Furthermore, the results were analyzed in relationships between cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular risk factor or aging. The findings suggest that aging exerts a stronger influence on plasma levels of these hemostatic molecular markers than the presence of cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular diseases. From the viewpoint for conservation or elevation of ADL and QOL in elderly persons, also other factor, such as drug intake, lifestyle, aging, and so on, must be considered to clarify the relationship between the plasma levels of the hemostatic molecular markers and cardiovascular risk factors or cardiovascular diseases.