As the older adult population continues to grow worldwide, age-related health issues will further increase the high clinical, economic, and social challenges of caring for the elderly. Alzheimer’s disease and dementia are two cognitive health problems that are increasing in prevalence among older adults. Currently, no cure for dementia exists,…
A long-held, popular belief in the health stratosphere is that supplements such as ginko biloba, fish oil, and many others have the power of boosting memory and preventing cognitive-related illnesses. In fact, millions of dollars are spent on these memory supplements every year. According to the Nutrition Business Journal, Americans…
The prevalence of age-related frailty is high in older adults, ranging from 7% to 16.3%. The prevention and treatment of frailty has long been a major concern in geriatrics, especially in the clinical medicine. Frailty is the primary determinant of longevity and quality of life in the older adult population.…
Animal assisted interventions (AAI) have become a growing topic of interest in research in recent years. The possibility of AAI was first realized when a psychiatrist named Boris Levinson recognized the benefits that AAI produced as his dog accompanied him when he would visit a behaviorally disturbed child under his…
According to a recent report by the International Psychogeriatrics Association, one in five older adults living in Europe with a functional impairment receives long-term care in a long-term care facility. Over 50% of these older adults suffer with dementia and often are challenged by some kind of neuropsychiatric symptoms throughout…
Loneliness isn’t just a feeling, it’s a powerful syndrome that affects many older adults worldwide. According to a recent article published in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association (JAMDA), loneliness can promote the deterioration of health and cognitive function, lower quality of life, and increase the rate of…
Ensuring that dependent older adults with complex health problems receive high quality long-term care has been a long-standing challenge for the health care systems around the world. Currently, the need is greater than ever, considering that older adults battling with a multiple of chronic diseases and functional and/or cognitive disabilities…
Dementia is a serious group of cognitive conditions that promotes progressive deterioration in cognition, increased apathy, and reduced level of physical functioning. Many older adults, especially those living in long-term care settings such as those in nursing homes or assisted living facilities, suffer from dementia. According to recent reports, more…
Older adults, especially those residing in assisted living facilities, are highly vulnerable to dangerous drug-drug interactions (DDIs) because of comorbidities and the prescription of a higher number of drugs. These serious DDIs can result in adverse clinical outcomes and should be avoided at all times. This issue has been receiving…
Assisted living has become one of the primary providers of long-term residential care to the growing older adult population, especially elderly individuals with cognitive illnesses such as dementia. According to statistics, close to one million adults reside in over 30,000 assisted living residences throughout the United States, with some housing…