The BGS SE & SW Thames Joint Region Meeting 2019 was held on 16 October 2019 in West Sussex.
This report is intended to explore how messages of prevention and healthy ageing apply to a population group that may already be ill and frail, and to the healthcare professionals who care for them.
'Fun' and 'safe' do not have to be opposite concepts, writes Susan Shenkin.
Trisha Elliott reflects on how she would like fun to be guarded when she approaches frailty in older age.
Consider whether an activity will bring joy to an older person over whether it is socially appropriate, says Jenni Mack.
Talk to residents about what they want to achieve and you might be surprised, says Caroline Benham.
Many of our most important and fun moments relate to our family, explains David Attwood.
The first article in our fun-guarding series, George Coxon sets out what fun-guarding is and why it is important.
This briefing examines evidence on falls prevention from the Cochrane Library.
Strong, Steady and Straight is an expert consensus statement on physical activity and exercise for osteoporosis from the National Osteoporosis Society, supported by the BGS.
In this study, the Otago Exercise Programme is enhanced with behaviour change techniques with a view to improving adherence to home exercise in frail older people
Ignoring older patients’ potential for personal growth could be a form of ageism, according to Prof John Gladman. “People can still have personal growth independent of the negatives of physical decline and social loss and we should be asking ourselves how we can encourage that.
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!'
A study published recently in Age and Ageing, the scientific journal of the British Geriatrics Society, provides new evidence that workers retiring from occupations which involve high levels of social stimulation may be at greater risk of accelerated cognitive decline in later life
As we pass another World Cancer Day on 4 February 2020, I reflect on why I am passionate about promoting a healthy diet and lifestyle for cancer prevention. 1 in 2 people born after 1960 will develop cancer in their lifetime, and cancer is the commonest cause of premature death in the UK.
Did you know that your hand grip strength can be used to predict future health outcomes? Well, it can! Our recent study provides good evidence that lower grip strength is closely associated with an increase in risk of dying early, some cancers, heart and lung diseases.
This is a review of the book Developing a Relational Model of Care for Older People which aims to clear away the misconceptions surrounding the care of the older people and persuasively argues for a new approach based on interpersonal relationships.
There is a growing interest in the pursuit of happiness to improve health of older people. Happiness or positive emotion has been linked with a range of better health outcomes. However, the evidence of the effect of happiness on living longer is inconclusive.
Despite the rapid gain in life expectancy in the last century, it is not clear if the added years consist of healthy years or years lived in poor health and disability.
This was my first ever BGS conference, just down the road from me, at the Wellcome Collection, London. The day was spent discussing ‘Loneliness in older people and its impact on health’
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.
All too often, GPs are the only human contact that chronically lonely patients have. Three out of four GPs say they see between 1 and 5 people a day who have come in mainly because they are lonely.
The BGS Autumn Meeting will cover the latest in evidence and best practice in the health and care of older people.
The latest scientific research and best clinical practice in healthcare of older people
The BGS has submitted a response to the Welsh Government's 'Connected communities - Tackling loneliness and social isolation' strategy.