Mobility Disability in Older Adults: At the Intersection of People and Places

Sharing Health Care Wishes in Primary Care (SHARE) among older adults with possible cognitive impairment in primary care: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE

Little is known about effective strategies to improve advance care planning (ACP) for persons with cognitive impairment in primary care, the most common setting of care. We describe a randomized controlled trial to test the efficacy of a multicomponent communication intervention, "Sharing Healthcare Wishes in Primary Care" (SHARE).

PARTICIPANTS

Planned enrollment of 248 dyads of adults 80 years and older with possible cognitive impairment and their care partner, from primary care clinics at 2 Mid-Atlantic health systems.

METHODS

The treatment protocol encompasses an introductory letter from the clinic; access to a designated facilitator trained in ACP; person-family agenda-setting to align perspectives about the family's role; and print education. The control protocol encompasses minimally enhanced usual care, which includes print education and a blank advance directive. Randomization occurs at the individual dyad-level. Patient and care partner surveys are fielded at baseline, 6-, 12-, and 24- months. Fidelity of interventionist delivery of the protocol is measured through audio-recordings of ACP conversations and post-meeting reports, and by ongoing monitoring and support of interventionists.

OUTCOMES

The primary outcome is quality of end-of-life care communication at 6 months; secondary outcomes include ACP process measures. An exploratory aim examines end-of-life care quality and bereaved care partner experiences for patients who die by 24 months.

CONCLUSIONS

Caregiver burden, clinician barriers, and impaired decisional capacity amplify the difficulty and importance of ACP discussions in the context of cognitive impairment: this intervention will comprehensively examine communication processes for this special subpopulation in a key setting of primary care.

REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04593472.

Migration status, physical limitations and associated self-rated health: a study of older Indian adults

BACKGROUND

Migrant status with mobility impairment becomes a double burden for health and wellbeing of older adults. This study examined the independent relationships and multitude effects between migrant status, functional and mobility impairments and poor self-rated health (SRH) among older Indian adults.

METHODS

This study utilised nationally representative Longitudinal Ageing Study in India wave-1 (LASI) data, including a sample of 30,736 individuals aged 60 years and above. The main explanatory variables were migrant status, difficulty in activities of daily living (ADL), difficulty in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) and mobility impairments; and the outcome variable was poor-SRH. Multivariable logistic regression and stratified analyses were used to fulfil the study objectives.

RESULTS

Overall, about 23% of older adults reported poor-SRH. Reporting poor-SRH was more prevalent (28.03%) among recent migrants (less than ten years). The prevalence of reporting poor-SRH was significantly higher among older adults who had mobility impairment (28.65%), difficulty in ADL or IADL (40.82% & 32.57%). Migrant older adults (regardless of duration) who had mobility impairment had significantly greater odds of reporting poor-SRH compared with non-migrant older adults who did not have mobility impairment. Similarly, older respondents who had problems in ADL and IADL with migration status had higher odds of reporting poor-SRH than their non-migrant counterparts with no such problems.

CONCLUSIONS

The study revealed the vulnerability of migrant older adults with functional and mobility disability, as well as those with limited socioeconomic resources and suffering from multimorbidity on rating their perceived health. The findings can be utilised to target outreach programmes and provision of services for migrating older individuals with mobility impairments and enhance their perceived health and ensure active ageing.

Determining the Profile of People with Fall Risk in Community-Living Older People in Algarve Region: A Cross-Sectional, Population-Based Study

One in three people aged 65 years or older falls every year. Injuries associated with this event among the older population are a major cause of pain, disability, loss of functional autonomy and institutionalization. This study aimed to assess mobility and fall risk (FR) in community-living older people and to determine reliable and independent measures (health, social, environmental and risk factors) that can predict the mobility loss and FR. In total, 192 participants were included, with a mean age of 77.93 ± 8.38. FR was assessed by EASY-Care (EC) Standard 2010, the Tinetti Test and the Modified Falls Efficacy Scale (MFES). An exploratory analysis was conducted using the divisive non-hierarchical cluster method, aiming to identify a differentiator and homogeneous group of subjects (optimal group of variables) and to verify if that group shows differences in fall risk. Individually, the health, social, environmental and risk factor categories were not found to be an optimal group; they do not predict FR. The most significant predictor variables were a mix of the different categories, namely, the presence of pain, osteoarthritis (OA), and female gender. The finding of a profile that allows health professionals to be able to quickly identify people at FR will enable a reduction in injuries and fractures resulting from falls and, consequently, the associated costs.

How Long Should GPS Recording Lengths Be to Capture the Community Mobility of An Older Clinical Population? A Parkinson's Example

Wearable global position system (GPS) technology can help those working with older populations and people living with movement disorders monitor and maintain their mobility level. Health research using GPS often employs inconsistent recording lengths due to the lack of a standard minimum GPS recording length for a clinical context. Our work aimed to recommend a GPS recording length for an older clinical population. Over 14 days, 70 older adults with Parkinson's disease wore the wireless inertial motion unit with GPS (WIMU-GPS) during waking hours to capture daily "time outside", "trip count", "hotspots count" and "area size travelled". The longest recording length accounting for weekend and weekdays was ≥7 days of ≥800 daily minutes of data (14 participants with 156, 483.9 min recorded). We compared the error rate generated when using data based on recording lengths shorter than this sample. The smallest percentage errors were observed across all outcomes, except "hotspots count", with daily recordings ≥500 min (8.3 h). Eight recording days will capture mobility variability throughout days of the week. This study adds empirical evidence to the sensor literature on the required minimum duration of GPS recording.

Use of the activities and participation profile to assess the functioning of physically inactive elderly

Abstract Introduction: Physical inactivity negatively impacts the functional status of the elderly during aging. Objective: To describe the activity and participation profile of physically inactive elderly and to investigate associated factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study with physically inactive elderly, aged ≥ 60 years, both sexes, with good cognitive function and independent gait. Personal factors, clinical history, history of falls in the last year, and identification of activity and participation profiles were investigated. Nonparametric statistical tests (SPSS 20.0) were performed, considering p < 0.05 significant. Results: The elderly (n = 36) had a mean age of 72.5 years (±7.7). Most were women (78%), with one to four years of education (69%), retired (72%), referring episodes of falling (58%) and affected by two to four comorbidities (53%). In the activities and participation profile, most of the physically inactive elderly presented mild problems for: crawling, kneeling, squatting, walking long distances, walking on different surfaces, walking around obstacles, climbing, and using public transportation. However, kneeling, squatting, walking on different surfaces, and climbing represented higher percentages of elderly who presented some problem. The advancement of age (p = 0.045), female sex (p = 0.022), episodes of falls (p = 0.037), and comorbidities (p = 0.031) were identified as factors that can impact functioning. Conclusion: The physically inactive elderly presented a mild problem in activities and participation items that are more related to strength and walking. Elderly aged over 70, female, with episodes of falls and comorbidities were significantly associated with reduced or impaired functioning.

Uso do perfil de atividades e participação para avaliação da funcionalidade de idosos inativos fisicamente

Resumo Introdução: A inatividade física impacta negativamente a funcionalidade dos idosos durante o envelhecimento. Objetivo: Descrever o perfil de atividade e participação de idosos inativos fisicamente e investigar fatores associados. Métodos: Estudo transversal com idosos inativos fisicamente, ≥ 60 anos, ambos os sexos, boa função cognitiva e independentes na marcha. Foram investigados fatores pessoais, história clínica, histórico de quedas no último ano e identificação do perfil de atividade e participação. Foram realizados testes estatísticos não paramétricos (SPSS 20.0), considerando p < 0,05. Resultados: Os idosos (n = 36) apresentaram média de 72,5 anos (± 7,7). A maioria era mulher (78%), com escolaridade de um a quatro anos de estudo (69%), aposentados (72%), referindo episódios de queda (58%) e acometidos por duas a quatro comorbidades (53%). No perfil de atividades e participação, a maioria dos idosos inativos fisicamente apresentaram problema leve para os itens: engatinhar, ajoelhar-se, agachar-se, andar longas distâncias, andar sobre superfícies diferentes, andar desviando-se de obstáculos, subir e utilizar transporte público. Entretanto, ajoelhar-se, agachar-se, andar sobre superfícies diferentes e subir compreendem maiores percentuais de idosos que apresentaram algum problema. Idade avançada (p = 0,045), sexo feminino (p = 0,022), episódios de quedas (p = 0,037) e presença de comorbidades (p = 0,031) foram identificados como fatores que podem impactar na funcionalidade. Conclusão: Idosos inativos fisicamente apresentaram problema leve nos itens das atividades e participação que estão mais relacionados à força e ao andar. Idosos com mais de 70 anos, do sexo feminino, com presença de episódios de quedas e de comorbidades, apresentaram associação significativa com a funcionalidade reduzida ou prejudicada.

Associations between Disability in Activities of Daily Living and Social Capital aspects among older adults: a scoping review

Social capital aspects are playing an important role in activities of daily living (ADL) performance, thus on independent living. This paper was aimed to present an overview of the associations and adverse effects between social capital aspects and disability in ADL and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in an older population aged 65 years old and over. Α scoping review was designed following the guidelines of PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) and the review was conducted by 3 authors. A total of 185 primary studies were extracted and, finally, 40 studies did meet the inclusion criteria and critically appraised in two main categories; Category 1(29 studies) ‘social capital and disability in ADL’ deducing that as greater a social capital as better ADL performance and Category 2 (11 studies) ‘Social capital and HRQoL’ concluding that people 65 years old and over with lower social capital were presented with a poor HRQoL. Study synthesis highlights the impact of social capital suggesting that nurses caring for older people must focus on their engagement in terms of social diversity and trust in the community.

"When I need to travel, I feel feverish": Everyday experiences of transport inequalities among older adults in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Background and Objectives

Buses are the most common form of public transport for older adults in developing countries. With over 37% of total trips, buses are the principal mode of transport in Dhaka. The majority of older adults are dependent on buses because of their affordability relative to other modes such as auto-rickshaws, rideshares, and taxis. This study aims to investigate key barriers in accessing buses in Dhaka and the consequences of these barriers to the everyday mobility of older adults.

Research Design and Methods

Thirty participants aged 60 and older were recruited from 2 socioeconomically different neighborhoods in Dhaka. We employed a thematic analysis of visual surveys and in-depth interviews to understand older adults’ spatial and cultural context and their experiences using buses in their everyday lives.

Results

Boarding and deboarding buses were common barriers for older adults due to overcrowding and traffic congestion. In addition, older adults faced challenges such as ageism, gender discrimination, and undesirable behavior by transport personnel and co-passengers. These barriers affected their independent mobility and influenced their access to work and social life, contributing to their social exclusion.

Discussion and Implications

This study illustrates the challenges faced by older adults when accessing public transport and the need to improve access to work, health care, and social life. Inclusive transport policies are essential in low- and middle-income countries to improve the well-being of older adults.

Neighborhood Resources Associated With Active Travel in Older Adults-A Cohort Study in Six European Countries

OBJECTIVES

To study associations between perceived neighborhood resources and time spent by older adults in active travel.

METHODS

Respondents in six European countries, aged 65-85 years, reported on the perceived presence of neighborhood resources (parks, places to sit, public transportation, and facilities) with response options "a lot," "some," and "not at all." Daily active travel time (total minutes of transport-related walking and cycling) was self-reported at the baseline (n = 2,695) and 12-18 months later (n = 2,189).

RESULTS

Reporting a lot of any of the separate resources (range B's = 0.19-0.29) and some or a lot for all four resources (B = 0.22, 95% confidence interval [0.09, 0.35]) was associated with longer active travel time than reporting none or fewer resources. Associations remained over the follow-up, but the changes in travel time were similar, regardless of the neighborhood resources.

DISCUSSION

Perceiving multiple neighborhood resources may support older adults' active travel. Potential interventions, for example, the provision of new resources or increasing awareness of existing resources, require further study.

Independent living with mobility restrictions: older people's perceptions of their out-of-home mobility

We studied older people's perceptions of how they organise their out-of-home mobility and independent living when they face mobility restrictions, based on seven focus groups with older people (N = 28) from a suburb in Finland. This article provides an everyday life view of how the ability to move outside the home evolves through interdependencies between older people and their neighbourhoods, social relations and societal arrangements. Our findings show that supportive socio-material surroundings can provide older people with new ways to move outside their home despite mobility restrictions and new ways to organise their daily life with decreased mobility. In contrast, restrictive socio-material surroundings can lead to situations in which older people forgo certain out-of-home journeys and activities. The findings contribute to an understanding that organising one's daily life and out-of-home mobility is an act of interdependence. Policies promoting independent living in old age should recognise these fundamental interdependencies and support versatile ways of living rather than overemphasise activity and self-reliance. Based on older people's everyday life perspectives, both sides of the coin need to be considered: how to enable the out-of-home mobility of older people facing mobility restrictions and how to support them in managing and enjoying daily life with decreased mobility.

Development of Detection Instrument Models for Mobility Impairment in The Older Adults Based on A Mobile Health Nursing Application in A Public Health Center

Introduction: Mobility impairment is a problem in the older adults who have decreased in mobility as it may affect their daily activity. The development of a detection model to identify the problem of mobility impairment in older adults has become a solution that can increase the health care for older adults. This study aimed to develop a health detection instrument models using a mobile health nursing application to detect mobility impairment in older adults.Methods: This study used action research through a purposive sampling method involving three nurses and twenty-seven cadres to perform the detection process of mobility impairment focused on one hundred and seventy-five older adults in three public health centers in two provinces using an m-health application.Results: Based on direct observation and questionnaires addressed to the user of the m-health nursing application, 80% stated that the information contained in the mobile health nursing application was appropriate. In terms of speed, only 43.33% stated that the application worked fast, but overall, 66.67% of users stated that they were delighted with the application-based of the instrument model and that they were helped in detecting the mobility disorders that occurred in the older adults.Conclusion: These applications can be developed into a model that can help nurses, older adults and their family to detect other older adult problems in addition to mobility problems like cognitive function etc.

Hilliness and the Development of Walking Difficulties Among Community-Dwelling Older People

Objective: The objective of this study is to study the associations of objectively defined hilliness with the prevalence and incidence of walking difficulties among community-dwelling older adults, and to explore whether behavioral, health, or socioeconomic factors would fully or partially explain these associations. Method: Baseline interviews ( n = 848, 75-90 years) on difficulties in walking 500 m, frequency of moving through the neighborhood, and perceived hilliness as a barrier to outdoor mobility were conducted. Two-year follow-up interviews ( n = 551) on difficulties in walking 500 m were conducted among participants without baseline walking difficulties. Hilliness objectively defined as the mean slope in 500-m road network. Results: Logistic regression showed that hilliness was associated with incident walking difficulties at the 2-year follow-up (odds ratio [OR] = 1.66, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.09, 2.51]) but not with the prevalence of walking difficulties at baseline. Adding behavioral, health, or socioeconomic factors to the models did not markedly change the results. Discussion: Greater hilliness should be considered a risk factor for developing walking difficulties among older adults.

Sociodemographic Predictors of Physical Functioning in the Elderly: A National Health Survey

We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of sociodemographic factors with the presence and different degrees of walking difficulties in elderly above 65 years, and to analyze association between evaluated variables and the presence and degree of waking difficulties. In the population based study, 3540 individuals age above 65 years from Serbia were recruited. Further predictors were analyzed: gender, age, level of education, marital status, body mass index (BMI), index of well-being and place of residence. We assessed difficulty in walking half a km on level ground without the use of any aid (Group-1); and difficulty in walking up or down 12 steps (Group-2). Walking difficulties were categorized as no difficulty, some difficulty, a lot of difficulty and cannot do at all. For present difficulty significant predictors were: age (Group-1 (OR-3.022)/Group-2 (OR-3.825)), gender (Group-1 (OR-0.337)/Group-2 (OR-0.311)), educational level (Group-1 (OR-0.689)/Group-2 (OR-0.556)) and place of residence (Group-2 (OR-1.523)) while for non-performing the task, significant predictors were: age (Group-1 (OR-1.998)/Group-2 (OR-2.096)), gender (Group-1 (OR-0.629)/Group-2 (OR-0.495)), BMI (Group-1 (OR-1.219)/Group-2 (OR-1.305)), marital status (Group-1 (OR 0.764)/Group-2 (OR-0.769)), educational level (Group-1 (OR-0.679)/Group-2 (OR-0.719)) and index of well-being (Group-2 (OR-0.764)). Understanding of predictors, and their role on functional decline in elderly is of great importance for the development of specific population-based health programs to prevent further functional loss and preserve achieved functional gains.

Association between socioeconomic and physical/built neighborhoods and disability: A systematic review

The aim of this systematic review was to assess the association between the characteristics of the socioeconomic and physical/built neighborhoods and disability in basic activities of daily living (ADL) and/or instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). Six databases were searched. Fourteen from the 1811 identified studies were included. Neighborhoods with socioeconomic disadvantage were associated with ADL/IADL disabilities in 7 out of the 11 studies with this objective. Worst features of the physical/built neighborhoods were associated with disabilities in only 3 of the 7 studies that investigated this. Relative to the physical/built, the socioeconomic neighborhood and ADL/IADL disabilities were more consistently associated in the still scarcely available literature on the subject.

Reliability and validity of the EASYCare-2010 Standard to assess elderly people in Portuguese Primary Health Care

Introduction

The EASYCare is a multidimensional assessment tool for older people, which corresponds to the concerns and priorities of older people in relation to their needs, health, and quality of life. The EASYCare instrument has been used in many countries worldwide. Lack of reliability evidence has recently been raised by researchers. This study aimed to test the validity and reliability of the EASYCare-2010 instrument in community-dwelling Portuguese older people attended in Primary Health Care centres.

Methods

The sample for this transversal study (N = 244) was collected from Portuguese Primary Health Care Centers. Categorical Principal Component Analysis was used to assess the underlying dimensions of EASYCare-2010. Construct validity was evaluated through correlation with the World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment Instrument-Short Form.

Results

A two-factor model (labelled “mobility and activities of daily life”, and “general well-being and safety”) was found. The EASYCare-2010 instrument showed acceptable levels for internal consistency (≥0.70). The EASYCare-2010 factors were correlated with measures of quality of life. Results showed that in most polytomous items, some of the more extreme categories were not considered at all or only by a residual number of participants.

Conclusion

EASY Care -2010 version is a valid and reliable instrument for holistic assessment of the older people attended in Primary Health Care centres in Portugal.

Understanding Socioenvironmental Contributors to Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Disability Among Older Americans

Our understanding of the mechanisms through which racial/ethnic disparities in disability in older adults develop and are maintained is limited. We examined the role of physical impairment, socioeconomic factors and health for racial/ethnic disparities in activities of daily living (ADL), and the modifying role of the indoor home environment. Data come from the National Health and Aging Trends Study ( N = 5,640), and negative binomial regression models were specified separately for men and women. Blacks and Hispanics reported more ADL difficulty than Whites. Living in homes with clutter was associated with higher rates of ADL difficulty, but it was not related to racial/ethnic disparities. Racial/ethnic differences were explained by physical impairment for men, but not for women. Socioeconomic factors and health accounted for remaining disparities for Black, but not for Hispanic women. Attention to individual and environmental factors is necessary to fully understand and address race/ethnic disparities in disability in older Americans.

Lessons Learned from an LGBTQ Senior Center: A Bronx Tale

This article describes an interdisciplinary pilot study exploring the impact of LGBTQ senior centers on the lives of center members. Many LGBTQ adults face the future having experienced stigma and bias, restricted rights, and rejection from family of origin, and are now growing older without the support of a partner and adult children. As a result, older LGBTQ adults experience higher rates of depression, loneliness and isolation, and shortened life expectancy as compared to non-LGBTQ peers. Findings from focus group and key informant interviews highlight features of LGBTQ senior center experiences that can significantly improve members' quality of life. These include providing family, acceptance and a home, which can have an impact on outlook and outcomes. Moreover, findings suggest the need for re-thinking hetero-normative definitions of "community" in the context of LGBTQ aging. Beyond sharing findings from the study, suggesting a conceptual framework for deepening understanding about LGBTQ aging, and identifying lines of future inquiry, the article articulates implications for social work research, practice and education. Ultimately, the article argues that social work is well positioned to improve quality of life for this under-served population when it adopts a cultural humility stance in research, practice and education.

Analysis of awareness of health knowledge among rural residents in Western China

BACKGROUND

Lifestyle diseases could be prevented and controlled by disseminating health knowledge. This study explored the health knowledge awareness and the impact factors of health knowledge awareness, and the way people received health knowledge in western China.

METHODS

We undertook a cross-sectional survey in 8 counties, 24 townships and 72 villages from July 2011 to April 2012 in Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Chongqing and Qinghai in China. Collected data, which were publicly available, consisted of two parts, namely, socio-demographic information and the 1466 corresponding rural residents' awareness and the approach of health knowledge. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to explore the impact factors of health knowledge awareness. Multiple linear regressions was then applied to examine the potential predictors of health knowledge awareness.

RESULTS

Four predictors-age (negative factor), educational level (positive factor), distance from home to the nearest medical institution (negative factor) and annul disposable household income (negative factor) were in the final liner regression model (p < 0.05). The results showed that awareness of health knowledge associated with risk factors was the highest (58.85%). The highest awareness rate of health knowledge is the title "Whether secondhand smoke is harmful to myself" (69.78%) and the lowest title is "Whether eating with hepatitis B patients will be infected Hepatitis B" (21.69%). The main way to receive health knowledge was traditional way such as doctors (80.45%). About more than half of the residents received health knowledge through television, video, newspaper and magazines (65.78%), family members, neighbors (67.38%) and the village health bulletin boards (53.16%).

CONCLUSION

Health knowledge awareness of rural residents was quite low and the way of receiving health knowledge was simple and traditional. One of the critical factors was education level. Direct results showed that lower income families always obtained higher health knowledge level than the rich families. The main way to receive health knowledge was traditional ways. In the process of health education, different means of education should be adopted for different groups so as to achieve ideal effect. Potential interventions may be different from education process which should be adapted to different income level families.