Physical and mental health status and their correlations among older wheelchair users with dementia in long-term care facilities

Depressive symptoms and physical function among the elderly in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic in China: A cross-sectional study

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has placed a heavy burden on global healthcare. Depressive symptoms and physical function impairment are 2 common health problems among the elderly, but the association between depressive symptoms and physical function in nursing homes have not been extensively investigated during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to investigate the current status of depressive symptoms and physical function and analyze the prevalence and related factors of depression among elderly people in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. A cross-sectional study was conducted. 381 elderly people were included in 4 nursing homes who were 60 to 100 years old with more than 3 months' residential in Weifang City, Shandong Province using convenience cluster sampling. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was performed to evaluate geriatric depression, the Barthel Index (BI) was administered to assess the activities of daily living, and a self-designed demographic data questionnaire was used to collect the demographic data. Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted. 103 (27.0%) old residents reported depression according to PHQ-9. 279 (73.2%) old residents reported impaired self-care ability according to BI. The mean score of PHQ-9 and BI in the elderly was 3.56 ± 3.76 and 5.76 ± 7.05. The total PHQ-9 score of the elderly in nursing homes was positively correlated with the total activities of daily living score (R = 0.503, P < .01). Regression analysis showed that gender, self-care ability, more chronic diseases and medicines, especially Alzheimer's disease and cataract were risk factors for depression among elderly people in nursing homes (P < .05). Our study showed 27.0% depression rate among old residents in nursing homes in China in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Depression is relatively prevalent among the elderly in China, and we should pay attention to those with poor self-care ability and more chronic diseases and medicines.

A Scoping Review of the Measurement of Depression in Older Adults with Cognitive Impairment

OBJECTIVES

Depression and cognitive impairment are disabling conditions that commonly occur together in older adults. The interaction is challenging when choosing appropriate measurement scales. This review aimed to summarize the scales to measure depression symptoms in older people with cognitive impairment, investigating how cognitive impairment is related to the choice of measurement, and how the setting may affect the choice of measurement.

METHODS

A scoping review of literature published between 2015 and 2021.

RESULTS

After screening 1580 articles, 26 were included in the review with 11 different measures of depression symptoms identified. The measures mostly commonly used were the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD) and the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI-Q). Most studies did not report on the usability of depression scales used with people with cognitive impairment and only two scales (CSDD and NPI-Q, not GDS) have been validated for use with this population.

CONCLUSIONS

Severe cognitive impairment was under-represented in the identified studies, and no association was detected between study setting, cognitive impairment and type of measure used.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

Clinicians and researchers should consider both the cognitive status of participants and the setting they live in when choosing a measure of depression symptoms.

Psychophysical Health Factors and Its Correlations in Elderly Wheelchair Users Who Live in Nursing Homes

Background: The aging is a multi-faceted process comprising both-the physical and mental alterations. Thus, the aim of the study was to evaluate the variables affecting the psychophysical state of the elderly people using wheelchairs and living in nursing homes (NH). Methods: 165 older wheelchair users were included in the study after meeting the inclusion criteria and expressing written consent. The assessment involved cognitive functioning, depression, body balance and flexibility, lung capacity and upper limbs dexterity, strenght and endurance. The results showed negative correlation between depression and balance, upper limb dexterity and endurance and shoulder flexion. A positive correlation between cognitive functioning and balance, upper limb dexterity, strenght and endurance, lung capacity and joint mobility was determined. Also, the study proved positive correlation between daily functioning and functional fitness, muscle strength and endurance, body flexibility, joint mobility. The regression analysis showed that better scores in balance test and joint mobility implied with higher scores in cognitive functioning. The most important determinants of functional fitness were balance, hand grip strenght and joint mobility. Conclusion: The future study should be focused on developing interventions aimed at senior wheelchair users living in NHs to prevent the deterioration of their mental and physical fitness.