International psychogeriatrics
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Multicenter Study
Determinants of thoughts of death or suicide in depressed older persons.
In depressed persons, thoughts of death and suicide are assumed to represent different degrees of a construct: suicidality. However, this can be questioned in older persons facing physical and social losses. Thoughts of death in depressed older persons are hardly examined in the absence of suicidal ideation. Furthermore, most depression instruments do not discriminate suicidal ideation from thoughts of death only. We examined whether determinants of thoughts of death differ from determinants of suicidal ideation in late life depression. ⋯ In depressed older persons thoughts of death and suicide differ in relevant demographic, social, and clinical characteristics, suggesting that the risks and consequences of the two conditions differ.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Passive movement therapy in severe paratonia: a multicenter randomized clinical trial.
Paratonia causes severe movement dysfunction in late stage dementia. Passive Movement Therapy (PMT) is often used to decrease high muscle tone, but the efficacy has never been shown. The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of PMT on muscle tone after two and four weeks of treatment. ⋯ PMT has no beneficial effects and should therefore not be recommended as an intervention in severe paratonia.
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Multicenter Study
The Nottingham Health Profile: a feasible questionnaire for nursing home residents?
The Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) assesses perceived emotional, social, and physical health problems and the extent to which such problems affect daily activities. The objective of our study was to determine the feasibility of the NHP for nursing home residents. ⋯ The NHP is a feasible questionnaire for residents with normal cognitive function and moderate cognitive impairment, and can be administered in nursing homes.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Evaluations of end of life with dementia by families in Dutch and U.S. nursing homes.
The End-of-Life in Dementia (EOLD) scales comprise the most specific set of instruments developed for evaluations of patients' end of life by their families. It is not known whether the EOLD scales are useful for cross-national comparisons. ⋯ The Dutch families rated end of life with dementia in nursing homes as somewhat better than did U.S. families. Although differences were small, the observed patterns were consistent. This suggests validity of the SM and CAD to assess differences in quality of dying and possible sensitivity to differences between countries or time frames. Larger, simultaneous, cross-national studies are needed to confirm usefulness of the scales and to detect areas which need improvement in the respective countries.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Validation study of the Camberwell Assessment of Need for the Elderly (CANE) in Portugal.
The Camberwell Assessment of Need for the Elderly (CANE) is widely used for multidimensional evaluation of older people with mental health problems. The aim of this study was to evaluate reliability and validity of a Portuguese version of CANE. ⋯ The psychometric proprieties of CANE seem to be consistently good, in accordance with other studies. Robust results on ecological, face, content, criterion and construct validity, as well as good reliability, were achieved. This version is a promising tool for research and practical use in Portuguese old age settings.