California Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer BlogAs older adults continue to age, they become more vulnerable not only to diseases and disability, but also to cognitive frailty. Cognitive frailty is defined as the simultaneous development of physical frailty and cognitive impairment. An older adult who experiences late-life depression can be susceptible to both physical frailty and cognitive impairment, especially speed of processing […]
Search Results for: depression
Reminiscence Therapy Has the Potential to Improve Cognitive Impairment and Depressive Symptoms in Older Adults with Dementia
Many older adults with dementia suffer from cognitive impairments and experience depressive symptoms. These symptoms have the potential to reduce physical activities and mental wellbeing, impair social or occupational abilities, and debilitate health-related quality of life. Moreover, research has shown that depressive symptoms are significantly related to aggravated psychological functions in older adults with dementia. […]
Antidepressants Should Not Be Used as the Only Treatment for Depressive Symptoms of Nursing Home Residents
A recent study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association that explored whether the effects of depressive symptoms and antidepressant use at baseline predicted the subsequent decline in physical capability and number of hospitalizations in nursing home residents in Hong Kong. A supplement purpose was to understand the role of antidepressant […]
Antidepressants Should be Prescribed to Older Adults with Extreme Caution
Depression is a debilitating psychological illness that is prevalent in the older adult population living in long-term care settings. According to a report from the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association (JAMDA), older adult residents in long-term care are 3 to 4 times more likely to have depression compared to their community-dwelling counterparts.
Long-Term Care Providers Must Assess Their Patients’ Cognitive Functioning and Provide Appropriate Care
Today, more than 5 million people in the United States are living with Alzheimer’s disease. Not only will this number continue to rise to almost 14 million by 2050, almost 30 million Baby Boomers will develop Alzheimer’s disease in the next 35 years. It is crucial that cognitive decline is identified early and accurately. Impaired […]
Assisted Living Facilities Should Look Out for Residents with Slow Walking Speed and Depressive Symptoms to Prevent Disability
The aging population in Japan is the fastest growing in the world—by 2035, one out of every three people will be over the age of 65. With such a rapidly increasing aging population, combating age-related health issues, like physical and mental frailty or illness, is becoming critical. It is crucial that older adults maintain as […]
Interventions Can Be Used to Identify Older Adults at Risk of Depressive Symptoms
A recent study found that approximately 25% of older adults experience depressive symptoms. Candidate genes that are known to influence depression and that have been commonly studied include those that effect serotonin, dopamine, or nueroplasticity. However, the majority of candidate gene studies have not considered the relationship of genetics, demographic, clinical, and behavioral markers and […]
Nursing Homes Must Be Diligent When Managing Their Residents’ Medications
The prescription of potentially inappropriate medications to older adults is known to be highly prevalent in the United States, estimating from 12% for community-living seniors to 40% for those dwelling in nursing homes (NHs). When prescribed drugs are clearly indicated, founded on scientific evidence, and are well tolerated, medication use is considered beneficial. Medications that […]
Assisted Living Facilities Should Implement More Gender-Specific Physical Activities for Their Residents
Aging causes individuals to become more vulnerable to chronic diseases and functional disabilities, which in turn diminishes quality of life and incurs more healthcare costs. Thus, improving the health of older adults is a critical concern in healthcare. As the older population rapidly increases, so does the need for long-term care. Compared with elderly people […]
Pet Therapy as an Approach to Improve Nursing Home Residents’ Quality of Life
A nursing home in St. Paul, Minnesota is giving its residents something to smile about every day—an employee’s teacup poodle. Nala, who has become the nursing home’s perky mascot, lovingly interacts with the residents on a daily basis, riding the nursing home’s elevator and leaping onto wheelchairs and beds to greet patients. Although Nala is […]
