Cognitive and physical decline often go hand-in-hand. Although there are no drugs that can be prescribed to prevent cognitive decline, a prescription for physical activity might help to stave it off. "In just 20 years, it’s estimated that people over 65 years of age will make up one-quarter of Canada’s population. Whether those boomers will, in fact, be living out their “golden years” will depend largely on their ability to live independently. Their old age will be healthy and happy only if they conquer the geriatric challenges of cognitive impairment and decreased mobility...Research on seniors with mild cognitive impairments shows that exercise has positive results on cognition and reduces the number of falls. Conversely, cognitive brain training exercises increase mobility and the ability to exercise." To read more about one author's view of the importance of physical activity on a person's cognitive and physical wellbeing, check out this opinion piece recently appearing in the Montreal Gazette: http://montrealgazette.com/health/seniors/opinion-physical-and-mental-exercise-contribute-to-a-happy-and-healthy-old-age
0 Comments
Just as the general population is aging rapidly, so too is the population behind bars. The California Men's Colony, a minimum and medium security prison in California, started a pilot program in 2012 to train those who are incarcerated to become dementia aids in order to help provide 24/7 care for fellow inmates who have developed dementia while in prison. Dementia aids attend to all of an inmate's personal care and emotional needs while fostering the development of a new-found sense of purpose, empathy, and trust. To learn more about this program check out this video published by the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/video/health/100000001367225/dementia-behind-bars.html Substance use and problematic gambling don't discriminate based on age in older adulthood. However, societal perceptions of aging may make us less likely to identify risky behaviours in this population. A recently published article in the Miami Herald gives a well-informed overview of such behaviours in seniors. "Think older adults are just sitting around and watching TV? Not always so. They may be engaging in risky behaviors that can impact their physical and emotional health and finances. The four biggest concerns, experts say: unprotected sex, gambling, binge drinking and misusing drugs." To learn more, visit : http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health-fitness/article19325847.html With no cure available for Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, the Hebrew Home in New York has started an innovative pilot program to improve the quality of life of their residents with dementia using video technology. To see the effect that this project is having check out the video from the Associated Press below. With an aging population, it isn't surprising that the prevalence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia is also increasing. There has been a significant amount of research in recent years looking at ways to prevent the onset of MCI and dementia. A recent study published in Neurology has found that engagement in creative activities can prevent memory impairment. "People who engaged in artistic activities, such as painting, drawing and sculpting, in both middle and old age were 73% less likely to have memory and thinking problems, such as mild cognitive Impairment, that lead to dementia.The study also revealed that craft-based activities such as sewing, woodworking and ceramics in midlife and old age, were 45% less likely to encounter cognitive issues." To read more about the study's findings, check out this article recently published by CNN. Put your knowledge and skills to the test with a case of a 76 year old man, who was admitted to hospital after a fall and reports feeling depressed and tired, and wants all life sustaining therapies withdrawn and tells his family and healthcare team that he "has had enough, i'm done" and to "just let me go". The patient's medical history includes hypertension, diabetes and CAD. While in hospital for the fall he developed pneumonia that led to respiratory failure and the need for a tracheostomy. He then developed c difficile colitis and ARF that required temporary renal replacement therapy. During his hospital stay he was transferred to the ICU multiple times, once for management of ileus where he required an NG tube, a second time for management of a pneumothorax, and the third time for bronchoscopy and ventilation. In terms of mental health history, he reports a 30 year history of depression managed with trials of medications, psychotherapy and even ECT. How would you assess this patient's capacity to make treatment decisions? How would you manage this patient? "Depressed and sick with ‘nothing to live for’" by Alyson Kepple, Priya Gopalan, and Pierre N. Azzam (Current Psychiatry) There are many challenges caregivers face when looking after a loved one with dementia in the community. Some of these challenges include sundowning, increased confusion and agitation in the evening, and day-night reversal which leaves the individual with dementia and their caregiver on opposite sleep schedules. A nursing home in New York City runs an innovative program, titled Elderserve at Night, to help. "Many people with dementia are more alert at night than they are all day—just when their caregivers need to sleep. Rather than try to alter this mismatch, Elderserve At Night embraces it. The program is the brainchild of David Pomeranz, the executive director of the Hebrew Home, who opened the program in 1996. He says the idea came to him after hearing heartbreaking stories from struggling families. 'People were sleeping in front of doorways because they were concerned that mom or dad would wander out of the house,' Pomeranz says." To read more about this overnight camp-style respite program check out this article. It is commonly perceived that eating disorders present solely during adolescence and young adulthood. However, eating disorders can present at any age and stage of life. Eating disorders later in life are often underdiagnosed and under-treated as "family members or helping professionals may attribute weight loss, malnutrition or unexplained symptoms such as vomiting or diarrhea to a 'normal' aging process or some other medical condition, rather than a mental health disorder." To learn more about eating disorders in this population as well as the unique challenges faced by older adults living with them check out this interesting article: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/290023.php |
Description
Supporting and enhancing students' and health professionals' knowledge and understanding of mental health and psychiatry
Archives
June 2017
Categories
All
|