The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences
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J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci. · Mar 2008
Randomized Controlled TrialEffects on health care use and associated cost of a home visiting program for older people with poor health status: a randomized clinical trial in the Netherlands.
Home visiting programs have been developed to improve the functional abilities of older people and subsequently to reduce the use of institutional care services. The results of trials have been inconsistent and their cost-effectiveness uncertain. Home visits for a high-risk population rather than the general population seems a promising approach. We therefore studied the effects of a home visiting program for older people with poor health. This article describes the effects on health care use and associated cost. ⋯ The home visiting program did not appear to have any effect on the health care use of older people with poor health and had a low chance of being cost-effective. We conclude that these visits are probably not beneficial for such persons within the health care setting in the Netherlands or comparable settings in other Western countries.
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J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci. · Jan 2008
Randomized Controlled TrialMulticomponent geriatric intervention for elderly inpatients with delirium: effects on costs and health-related quality of life.
The detrimental effects of delirium on functioning and mortality are well known, but health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and costs of care have rarely been investigated among patients with delirium. We studied the effects of multicomponent geriatric treatment on costs of care and HRQoL in delirious inpatients. ⋯ Comprehensive geriatric intervention improved HRQoL without increasing overall costs of care.
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J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci. · Dec 2007
Randomized Controlled TrialEffectiveness of a community-based multifactorial intervention on falls and fall risk factors in community-living older adults: a randomized, controlled trial.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a 12-month community-based intervention on falls and risk factors (balance, lower extremity strength, and mobility) in community-living older adults. ⋯ A community-based multifaceted intervention was effective in improving balance, mobility, and leg strength, all known fall risk factors. Although the incidence of falls was lower, the confidence interval included the possibility of no intervention effect on falls.
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J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci. · Aug 2007
Randomized Controlled TrialKnee strength maintained despite loss of lean body mass during weight loss in older obese adults with knee osteoarthritis.
The effects of weight loss on muscle function in older adults have not been well studied. This study determined the effects of a 6-month weight-loss intervention on muscle strength and quality in older obese adults with knee osteoarthritis. ⋯ Hypocaloric dieting in combination with exercise training had beneficial effects on muscle strength/quality, despite loss of lean body mass in this sample of older men and women. Greater fat loss was associated with greater gains in muscle strength and quality. More studies are needed regarding the mechanisms by which loss of fat mass increases muscle strength and quality.
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J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci. · Feb 2007
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyAssociation between psychomotor activity delirium subtypes and mortality among newly admitted post-acute facility patients.
Delirium is common among hospitalized elders and may persist for months. Therefore, the adverse impact of delirium on independence often occurs in the post acute care (PAC) setting. The effect of psychomotor subtypes on delirium remains uncertain. The purpose of this study is to examine the association between psychomotor activity delirium subtypes and 1-year mortality among 457 newly admitted delirious PAC patients. ⋯ All three psychomotor disturbance subtypes had an elevated risk of dying during the 1-year follow-up relative to the normal psychomotor group, though the hypoactive group had the highest mortality risk and was the only group with a statistically significantly elevated risk relative to the normal group.