The SCAN Foundation - Research

If Your Parents Grew Very Old, You Have a Good Chance to Escape Alzheimer’s Disease

scanadmin — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 21:13:22 +0000

The devastating plague of Alzheimer’s disease—five million victims now, and perhaps 10 million by 2020—forces millions of patients and their families to spend heavily for long-term services and supports, particularly in nursing homes. A new study, “Exceptional Parental Longevity Associated with Lower Risk of Alzheimer's Disease and Memory Decline," provides a picture of some lucky people who may dodge the Alzheimer’s bullet because of their favorable genetic inheritance.

The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Presents the Series, Care of the Aging Patient: From Evidence to Action

scanadmin — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 23:27:58 +0000

JAMA, a peer-reviewed medical journal, launched a news series focused on caring for the aging population in its Oct. 13, 2010 issue. Titled “Care of the Aging Patient: From Evidence to Action," the series aims to improve clinical practice and inform policy in the care of older individuals, especially those who have started to lose their independence or are at risk of doing so. Articles will explore the course of aging as a result of progressive decline and will also analyze how to put existing evidence into practice by using real patient stories and interviews to address pressing care questions.
To access links to the entire series from JAMA's Web site, please scroll down to "Special Collections" on the "JAMA Topic Selections" page by clicking here.

Please click here to read an excerpt of, "Managing Medications in Clinically Complex Elders: 'Nobody Rushes You Through,"' by Chad Boult and G. Darryl Wieland.

Please click here to read an excerpt of, "Linking a Comprehensive Payment Model to Comprehensive Care of Frail Elderly Patients: A Dual Approach," by Arpita Chattopadhyay and Andrew B. Bindman.

Please click here to read an excerpt of, "Managing Medications in Clinically Complex Elders: There's Got to Be a Happy Medium," by Michael A. Steinman and Joseph T. Hanlon.

Please click here to read an excerpt of, "Medication Use in Older Patients: Better Policy Could Encourage Better Practice," by Jerry Avorn.

Please click here for an excerpt of the commentary, "Clinical Care in the Aging Century— Announcing 'Care of the Aging Patient:From Evidence to Action,'" co-authored by Bruce Chernof, president and CEO of The SCAN Foundation.

Please click here for an excerpt of the article, "Medical Care for the Final Years of Life: 'When You're 83, It's Not Going to be 20 Years,'" by David Reuben.

Please click here for an excerpt of the article, "Policy for an Aging Society: A Review of Systems," by Christine K. Cassel.

Please click here for an excerpt of the article, "The Older Adult Driver with Cognitive Impairment, “It’s a Very Frustrating Life," by David B. Carr and Brian R. Ott's.

Please click here for an excerpt of the commentary, "Driving Fitness and Cognitive Impairment: Issues for Physicians," co-authored by David W. Eby and Lisa J. Molnar.

Please click here for an excerpt of the article, "Incontinence in Older Women," by Patricia S. Goode, Kathryn L. Burgio, Holly E. Richter and Alayne D. Markland's article .

Please click here for an excerpt of the commentary, "Talking about Incontinence: The First Step Toward Prevention and Treatment."

Please click here for an excerpt of the article, "The Patient Who Falls: It's Always a Trade-Off," by Mary E. Tinetti and Chadrika E. Kumar.

Please click here for an excerpt of the commentary, "The Patient Who Falls: Challenges for Patients, Families and Communities," by Ruth Katz and Priti Shah.

Volunteering Found to be a Healthy Activity for Older Adults

scanadmin — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 01:13:11 +0000

Frailty can drive people into needing long-term services and supports. “Frailty is a geriatric condition marked by weight loss, low energy and strength, and low physical activity, “according to a January 7, 2010 announcement by UCLA researchers. The researchers discovered that healthy adults who serve as volunteers are less likely to become frail than people of the same age who worked for pay or took care of children.

Fear of Falling

scanadmin — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 22:48:08 +0000

“An elderly person’s fear of falling can actually exacerbate underlying physical conditions, creating a ‘vicious circle,’ which could lead to a greater risk of falling,” according to May 17, 2010 story in McKnight’s Long-Term Care News. Falling often will disable a person, making them unable to function independently. They may be forced into requiring extensive long-term services and supports, according to the article “Gait Disturbances in Old Age,” from the Neurological Hospital and Health Center of the Ludwig Maximilians University in Germany.

Delirium a Great Threat to Older Patients

scanadmin — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 19:34:51 +0000

Delirium, a temporary state of extreme mental confusion with hallucinations, brings a heightened risk of death among older adults, according to the 2010 study "Predictors of In-Hospital Mortality Among Older Patients," published in the National Library of Medicine. People receiving long-term services and supports may be referred to geriatric care units when they fall ill, and if their illness is accompanied by delirium, they have a much greater risk of dying.

Falls Are Dangerous, But Can be Prevented

scanadmin — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:33:46 +0000

A fall can be a disaster for any older adult, potentially leading to hospitalization and permanent frailty, requiring dependence upon costly long-term services and supports. Among people age 65 and older, an estimated 35% to 40% will fall, and 20% will suffer serious injuries. Training programs facilitated by community fall prevention services or standard medical and social care are shown to reduce the rate of falls by 55%. This was the finding in the report, “Community Falls Prevention For People Who Call An Emergency Ambulance After A Fall: Randomised Controlled Trial,” by a team of British researchers reporting in the May 2010 issue of the British Medical Journal.

Long-Term Care - A look at the relationship between researchers and policymakers

scanadmin — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 17:43:20 +0000

The following entry is considered a seminal work.
The article "Long-Term Care Research and Policy," by Peter Kemper (The Gerontologist (2003) 43 (4): 436-446.) takes a close look at the intersection between the work of researchers and the activities of policymakers who develop programs and allocate funds. “LTC research makes important contributions to policy, but its contributions easily go unrecognized because they are subtle and often depend on research investments made many years before policy is affected,” the article said. It makes suggestions for researchers to enhance their contribution to policy.

Meds, Vitamins and Exercise Can’t be Confirmed as Effective Fighters against Alzheimer’s Disease

scanadmin — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 22:46:53 +0000

The deep fear of Alzheimer’s disease sends families searching for hope and help as they struggle to provide long-term services and supports for loved ones. Vitamins, medications, physical and mental exercises all have been touted as approaches to stave off or ameliorate the dreaded disease. However, the latest consensus report from the experts at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) says there is no proof that any of these approaches can slow down or modify the cognitive decline that comes with the disease. Despite that finding, the April 2010 study, “Preventing Alzheimer's disease and Cognitive Decline: Draft Statement,” does not shut the door of hope entirely.

Dementia and Figuring Out When to Take Away the Car Keys

scanadmin — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 21:46:54 +0000

Driving is a key element of living independently, but aging can cause physical and cognitive changes that make people drive less safe. Taking away car keys leads to a major increase in the need for long-term services and supports because the individual now needs more help with shopping, going to doctor’s appointments and other common but vital tasks. Doctors need assistance “to identify those people at higher risk of unsafe driving, without unnecessarily restricting those who are safe drivers,” according to Dr. Donald J. Iverson, lead author of an April 2010 report by the American Academy of Neurology on factors that help determine when seniors should not drive due to safety issues.

Hopes for Blocking Alzheimer’s Disease Through Mental and Physical Exercises Are Dubious

scanadmin — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 20:18:07 +0000

Alzheimer’s patients undergo a sad and steady deterioration as the disease progresses and develop an increased need for costly long-term services and supports. The ranks of those with the disease, now about five million in the US, will rise steadily with the aging of the baby-boomer generation. Widespread hope that physical and mental exercise will ward off the disease is still just a hope without convincing scientific evidence, according to an April 29, 2010 Reuters story.