Dementia and geriatric cognitive disorders
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People have various and changing needs as they age, and the number of people living with some form of dementia is steadily increasing. Smart homes have a unique potential to provide assisted living but are often designed rigidly with a specific and fixed problem in mind. ⋯ There is a great need to integrate technology with living spaces to provide assistance and independent living, but to smarten these spaces for lifelong living, the technology and the smart home applications must be flexible, adaptive, and changeable over time. However, people do not just live at home, they live in communities. Looking at the big picture (communities), as well as the small (homes), we consider how to progress beyond smart-ready homes towards smart-ready communities.
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Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord · Jan 2019
Muslims' Affective and Cognitive Attitudes towards Formal Dementia Care in South Africa: Do They Vary according to Family Structure and the Experience of Familial Caregiving?
The feelings and beliefs of some social groups sharing the same values about formal care institutions impacts their likelihood of using such services. Socialisation theory posits that there should not be any difference in attitudes towards formal care in the Muslim community, as they are influenced by the principles of Confucianism. However, demographic, epistemological, and socio-economic trends, as well as globalisation, may be impacting the efficacy of caring for people with dementia (PWD) at home. ⋯ With up to 90% of PWD moving into formal care before they die in some countries, governments and other service providers of formal care need to provide culturally congruent care. There is also a need to build relationships with minority social groups that are not cared for by geriatric service organisations (governmental and non-governmental) in order to break down the negative attitudes that families have about formal care, and provide the families caring for PWD at home with coping strategies and support programmes to enhance the caregiving experience.
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Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord · Jan 2019
Association between Deep Gray Matter Changes and Neurocognitive Function in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease: A Tensor-Based Morphometric MRI Study.
Atrophy of the deep gray matter (DGM) has been associated with a risk of conversion from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to Alzheimer's disease (AD) and the degree of cognitive impairment. However, specific knowledge of the associations between degenerative DGM changes and neurocognitive functions remains limited. ⋯ Atrophy of the DGM structures, especially the thalamus and caudate nucleus, is related to cognitive impairment in AD. DGM atrophy is associated with tests reflecting both subcortical and cortical cognitive functions.
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Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord · Jan 2019
Dementia Knowledge and Attitudes of the General Public among the Bangladeshi Community in England: A Focus Group Study.
Increasing life expectancy worldwide means more people will develop dementia. Despite the rapid growth in older Bangladeshi immigrants living in the UK, there is little evidence of how community members understand and view the process of ageing and dementia. However, Bangladeshis have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease, both of which are important indicators of dementia development in old age. This study aimed to explore and analyse the perception and knowledge of, and attitudes towards, ageing and dementia among the Bangladeshi community. ⋯ Future research must highlight the importance of raising dementia awareness among, and providing information about dementia caregiving to, Bangladeshi community members, as well as providing religiously sensitive healthcare services.
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Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord · Jan 2017
Combined Impact of Telomere Length and Mitochondrial DNA Copy Number on Cognitive Function in Community-Dwelling Very Old Adults.
This study was conducted to investigate the combined impact of telomere length and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number on cognitive function in community-dwelling very old adults. ⋯ Our results collectively suggest that the combination of telomere length and mtDNA copy number may be useful for monitoring cognitive decline in older adults.