Nutritional status can be easily assessed, and problems can often be addressed quickly. Key questions about diet, appetite and weight should be on the menu of any Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment.
Bladder control problems are a common problem in older people and result from a variety of causes. Continence issues are an essential part of any Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment, and this guide examines the causes, assessment, management and treatments available.
Infectious diseases account for a significant proportion of hospital admissions and deaths in the elderly. Unfortunately the immunological response to vaccines in older individuals is less than that in younger adults. We assess best practice in immunisation programmes among older people.
The incidence of under nutrition among patients admitted to hospitals in UK is around 28% and is 25% greater in older people. Under nutrition results in longer lengths of stay in hospital. In care homes, 30% of residents were found to be undernourished.
The Faculty of Dental Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons of England is concerned about the significant impact that poor oral health is having on older people’s general health and quality of life.
Deconditioning and loss of functional abilities in frail older people may start soon after arriving in hospital. Many end up in a care home prematurely because of it. This campaign, with downloadable resources, aims to encourage patients to 'Sit up, get dressed, keep moving!'
In recent years, the architecture and actions of arteries have gained increasing importance in understanding the cardiovascular system, with arterial stiffness emerging as a robust, non-invasive technique for assessing cardiovascular risk
Yoga-based exercise offers a safe and accessible way to improve health-related quality of life and mental well-being for people over 60. Evidence for a moderate benefit of yoga in later life now extends beyond improved balance and flexibility.
Older people are not only at risk because they drink more often, but also because quantities of alcohol that may have been safer earlier in life have the potential to damage an older person’s health.
Bacteria accumulates in the mouth on a daily basis, and if patients don’t get rid of it by brushing and flossing twice a day, they could put themselves at risk of many health conditions. Now, a recent study has found that losing teeth could even result in frailty, which is especially a concern for seniors.
In 2001, an international Joint Expert Consultation of scientists working on behalf of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization defined probiotics as “live microorganisms which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host".
Maxine Burrows and Yvonne Obaidy describe a pilot of intergenerational working that they pioneered in Olton in the West Midlands, with two local partners a residential care home for older adults and a day nursery.
Much has been written about the need for healthcare systems to adapt to meet the growing demands associated with demographic changes and an ageing population worldwide. For this to truly happen, we need a culture change, says Diarmuid O’Shea, Consultant Geriatrician at St Vincent’s University Hospital in Dublin.
Is getting old about decline or about personal growth? John Gladdman, of Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, ruminates on the implications of increased life expectancy ahead of the talk he gave at the BGS Spring Meeting.
A study published in Age and Ageing, the scientific journal of the BGS, reports that the number of older people diagnosed with four or more diseases will double between 2015 and 2035.
Although regarded as a disease of children and young adults, evidence suggests that late onset asthma carries a poorer prognosis. In those aged over 75 the death rate from asthma has doubled. Dominick Shaw looks at this problem.
Adapting the home can vastly improve its comfort and usability for older people, ensuring they can carry out daily activities safely, comfortably and with dignity. Yet at least half a million people in England are living without the adaptations they need - and this is probably an underestimate.
World AIDS Day is dedicated to fighting stigma and discrimination, and raising awareness of the HIV /AIDS pandemic. We mark this day by, in turn, raising awareness of older people with HIV.
Despite increasing lifespans, there is little evidence that older people today are living healthier than their predecessors did at the same age. This is a major cause of concern for many. Ruby Yu examines the findings of a long term study of frailty and old age in Hong Kong.
Insomnia is a very common medical complaint, and increases with age. Patients with insomnia often report increased daytime fatigue, confusion, anxiety, and depression. But sleeping tablets may not be the best course, thinks Ilan Matok.
Despite geriatric medicine being one of the largest medical specialties in the UK, a majority of older people in hospital or community care aren't under the direct care of a geriatrician. There simply aren't enough of them to go around. Could Advanced Clinical or Nurse Practitioners support our growing number of frail patients?
Diarmuid O’Shea and Carmel Hoey look at the importance of Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment in Ireland as they seek to modernise the model of care in the Republic, in the face of the challenge of an ageing population.
Nowadays a majority of people above the age of 65 remain active. Vedamurthy Adhiyaman discusses why we should redefine old age.
Baroness Sally Greengross considers what the economic and societal effects of a global ageing society will be and says there's an increasing need for healthy older people to be employed into their seventies. She argues that the global phenomenon of ageing is not all bad news.
Exercise has been dubbed 'the miracle cure'. Sir Muir Gray argues that exercise not only prevents disease, disability and the factors that contribute to frailty but improves treatment outcomes, and urges BGS to establish a Living Well Special Interest Group.
Hospital-associated deconditioning is high on the agenda across hospitals in the UK and many hospital trusts have jumped on the ‘endPJparalysis’ bandwagon to encourage patients to get up and get moving. So, what is the current evidence behind exercise in the acute care setting?
The conference will cover the latest scientific research and the best clinical practice in healthcare of older people. Our ageing population is stimulating extensive NHS service redesign to deal with the challenge of caring for larger numbers of older people both in and out of hospitals.