This paper describes hospitalisations due to falls among people aged 65 years and over resident in the Eastern Region of Ireland. Of the 2,029 hospitalisations recorded for 2002, 78% were female and 68% were aged 75 years and over. Fractures accounted for 1,697 or 84% of cases with nearly half of them (841) sustained to the hip. Females were more likely to have a limb fracture whereas males wer...

Antibodies to a variety of tissues and tissue extracts have been demonstrated in the serum of older persons (Goudie, Anderson, and Gray, 1959; Irvine, 1965). The occurrence of antinuclear factors (ANF) in the ageing has been pointed out by Beck (1963) and Litwin and Singer (1965). These studies, however, have dealt with populations composed of both well and sick individuals and have not related...

BACKGROUND Quality-assurance initiatives encourage adherence to evidenced-based guidelines based on a consideration of treatment benefit. We examined older persons' willingness to take medication for primary cardiovascular disease prevention according to benefits and harms. METHODS In-person interviews were performed with 356 community-living older persons. Participants were asked about their...

Both older persons and persons with kidney failure are highly prone to develop nutritional deficiencies (Table 1). The major nutritional problem experienced by both groups is weight loss associated with protein energy malnutrition. Renal failure patients with low body mass index, weight loss, low albumin, and low cholesterol all have increased morbidity and mortality.1 These are classical compo...

BACKGROUND This study investigated social and psychological determinants of preventive behaviour in HIV-relevant situations. METHODS Using computer-assisted telephone survey methodology, 2275 male and female were interviewed about their sexual habits. RESULTS For the first time in Switzerland, data concerning HIV-relevant protection as well as their determinants were systematically collecte...

The question posed in this research is: in what ways is care of older persons practiced in a transnational setting. It is answered by looking at certain transnational activities where a migrant is helping an older person living in another country. This is done by using the description of care developed by Berenice Fisher and Joan Tronto [Fisher, Berenice & Tronto, Joan. 1990. "Toward a feminist...

Family caregivers of older individuals in rehabilitation have unique needs and concerns that should be addressed in rehabilitation and in community-based programs. Their concerns have a direct bearing on their health and on the health and well-being of their care-recipients. In this paper, we review the major problems facing many caregivers of older individuals who may receive rehabilitation se...

Delirium is defined as an acute, fluctuating syndrome of altered attention, awareness, and cognition. It is common in older persons in the hospital and long-term care facilities and may indicate a life-threatening condition. Assessment for and prevention of delirium should occur at admission and continue throughout a hospital stay. Caregivers should be educated on preventive measures, as well a...

It is now well recognized that a physiological anorexia of aging occurs that is associated with gradual weight loss in older persons [1, 2]. A number of epidemiological studies have shown that weight loss in older persons leads to death (fig. 1) [3–6]. In addition, weight loss has been shown to be associated with hip fracture [7]. When an older person develops a disease, the disease interacts w...

BACKGROUND Peak expiratory flow ("peak flow") predicts important outcomes in older persons. Nevertheless, its clinical application is uncertain because prior strategies for reporting peak flow may not be valid. We thus determined the frequency distribution of peak flow by the conventional strategy of percent predicted (%predicted) and by an alternative method termed standardized residual (SR) p...