Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
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There has been growing concern about racial and ethnic disparities in completion rates of advance directives (ADs) in community-dwelling older populations. Although differences in AD completion rates between non-Hispanic whites and African Americans have been reported, not much is known about the awareness and completion of ADs in other groups of ethnic minorities. ⋯ In both models, acculturation was found to be a significant predictor; those who were more acculturated were more likely to be aware of ADs and to have completed ADs. This study contributes to the knowledge about the role of acculturation in explaining AD awareness and completion in Korean-American older adults and provides recommendations for possible AD educational interventions for this older adult minority population.
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Older adults are more likely to have chronic wounds than younger people, and the effect of chronic wounds on quality of life is particularly profound in this population. Wound healing slows with age, but the basic biology underlying chronic wounds and the influence of age-associated changes on wound healing are poorly understood. ⋯ Poorly defined outcomes and variables; lack of standardization in data collection; and variations in the definition, measurement, and treatment of wounds also hamper clinical studies. The Association of Specialty Professors, in conjunction with the National Institute on Aging and the Wound Healing Society, held a workshop, summarized in this article, to explore the current state of knowledge and research challenges, engage investigators across disciplines, and identify research questions to guide future study of age-associated changes in chronic wound healing.
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To determine the perspectives of seriously ill individuals on reasons for 30-day hospital readmission. ⋯ Participants identified potentially avoidable reasons for hospital readmission as well as causes that require rethinking regarding how community support is targeted and delivered. Participant preference for aggressive care, inability to provide self-care, and lack of caregiver support suggest the need for new and innovative mechanisms to support seriously ill community-dwelling individuals.