Posts Tagged ‘frailty’
New blog from Geriatric Medicine Research
Geriatric Medicine Research at Dalhousie University/Capital Health, has a new blog launched earlier this month, that brings you up to date news from the world of research in aging. GMR has been leading the way in patient and carer centrered research into frailty and dementia for two decades: 
Founded in 1991 by Dr. Kenneth Rockwood, Geriatric Medicine Research (GMR) has pioneered an interdisciplinary approach to the study of aging, frailty and dementia that has allowed us to work with artists, philosophers, linguists, sociologists, applied mathematicians and data miners, just to name a few.
Innovative work being done by the GMR team here at Dalhousie University/Capital Health includes tools and services to allow for a more responsive system of care for aging patients, as well as work into the effects of social vulnerability on health and mortality. We have also initiated a specialized clinic to help elderly patients understand the benefits and risks of treatments available to them.Recent work has also begun to help better understand and provide for the needs of those who care for our expanding population of dementia patients, and we currently head up a cross-Canada network for knowledge translation in the field of dementia research.
GMR has a long history of research collaborations with groups as close as Ontario and as far flung as China. We hope you will take a minute to look explore our site, the varied work we do, and the many groups who work with us.
Check out their blog here.
No Comments »
Some medications related to falls in elderly people.
Science Daily reports on recent work by researchers at the University of British Columbia which has highlighted the relationship between certain types of medications and falls in elderly people. As falls or complications arising from these are one of the leading causes of death of elderly people in western nations, understanding how many commonly prescribed medications can crate a dangerous situation reinforces “the need for judicious use of medications in elderly people at risk of falling,” says Carlo Merra, an associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences at UBC. 
The Science Daily article reports: “Antidepressants showed the strongest statistical association with falling, possibly because older drugs in this class have significant sedative properties. Anti-psychotics/neuroleptics often used to treat schizophrenia and other psychoses and benzodiazepines such as valium were also significantly associated with falls.
Prescribing medications to seniors has increased substantially over the past decade, according to the study. For example, the BC Rx Atlas, recently published by UBC researchers, shows that more than one in seven people aged 80 or older filled at least one antidepressant prescription in 2006. In addition, determining which medication classes are associated with falls remains a challenge since seniors are often on multiple medications for multiple health conditions, with new drugs entering the market on a regular basis, says Marra.”
Read the complete article here.
No Comments »
Social Vulnerability in Elderly People
Recent work at the Geriatric Medicine Research Unit has shed light on the link between social vulnerability and mortality. 
Dr. Melissa Andrew, a geriatrician working at the research unit, describes social vulnerability as a variety of factors that make people susceptible to illness, disease, decline in their ability to do things for themselves, or even death. The factors can include low education, low income, lack of family supports, social isolation, not being able to participate in community activities, living in a community with high unemployment and having few opportunities for socializing.
This work on social vulnerability is of vital importance as it has shown that for each additional social vulnerability factor a person had, the likelihood of death increased 5-8%. Working with data from 7000+ Canadian over the age of 65, she has also shown that the older a person is, the higher their level of social vulnerability. Click here to read the work of Dr. Andrew and her colleagues at the open journal PLoS ONE.
The research unit has invested in a series of videos to explain the importance and impact of their work in areas such as social vulnerability, dementia, and frailty. You can see all the videos here.
No Comments »
Free Public Lecture – What Should We Expect of Long Term Care for People with Dementia?
This November 25th, Dr. Kenneth Rockwood, a world leader in dementia and frailty research, will give a free public lecture:
“What Should We Expect of Long Term Care for People with Dementia?”
Dr. Rockwood is a professor of medicine (geriatric medicine and neurology) and the Kathryn Allen Weldon Chair in Alzheimer Research at Dalhousie University here in Halifax, as well as the head of the Geriatric Medicine Research Unit. Dr. Rockwood has published six books and more than 250 peer-reviewed scientific publications and is currently co-editor of the 7th edition of the Brocklehurst’s Textbook of Geriatric Medicine & Gerontology. He is the principal investigator of the Canadian Dementia Knowledge Translation Network, a national, multi-centre project that aims to provide better care for people with dementia by working to put research into practice and policy.
On top of that, he’s known to always give a very engaging talk!
Date: November 25, 2009
Place: Heritage Hall, Pier 21, 1055 Marginal Road, Halifax NS
Pre-reception: 6:30pm
Talk: 7:00pm
The lecture is open to the public and all are welcome.
No Comments »
Tai Chi – an exercise option for elderly adults with many benefits.
Recent studies from Tufts University have shown that the traditional Chinese martial art Tai Chi, known in western countries for its soft, flowing movements, is not only a good exercise option for older adults and the frail, but can benefit heart health and osteoarthritis. 
A report from the Tufts University Program in Evidence-Based Complimentary and Alternative Medicine reports that “studies suggest that Tai Chi is a safe exercise, even for frail elders, and may be beneficial to various aspects of cardiovascular health. It requires no specialized equipment, is relatively inexpensive and can be taught/learned in a group setting. Tai Chi appears to elicit a cardiovascular response equivalent to that associated with moderate intensity exercise, and as such meets the American College of Sports Medicine, American Heart Association, and Centers for Disease Control recommendations for daily performance of low- to moderate-intensity activities.”
And in the November issue of Arthritis Care & Research, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology, researchers reported “that patients over 65 years of age with knee osteoarthritis (OA) who engage in regular Tai Chi exercise improve physical function and experience less pain. Tai Chi (Chuan) is a traditional style of Chinese martial arts that features slow, rhythmic movements to induce mental relaxation and enhance balance, strength, flexibility, and self-efficacy.”
If you would like to learn more about Tai Chi, or even give it a try, you can check out the website of the International Taoist Tai Chi Society – Atlantic Region. Here you will find information on classes all over Nova Scotia.
No Comments »
50 active years after 50
As noted in a recent post here, half of babies living now in the US, UK and other wealthy nations, will live to be 100. While this sounds like great news, consideration must be given to the fact that right now most elderly people die unhealthy - likely after a period of months or years of poor health. 
To address this, Leeds University has launched the “50 Active Years After 50″ research initiative, which aims to develop “new medical devices and regenerative therapies, ensuring that people can continue to be as active during their second half century as they were in their first.”
Their focus will be on our joints, spine, teeth, heart and circulation by developing new technologies for tissue engineering and regeneration, longer lasting joint replacements and spinal interventions.
Visit here for more information.