Interventional Strategies for Enhancing Quality of Life and Health Span in Older Adults


Book Description

This eBook is a collection of articles from a Frontiers Research Topic. Frontiers Research Topics are very popular trademarks of the Frontiers Journals Series: they are collections of at least ten articles, all centered on a particular subject. With their unique mix of varied contributions from Original Research to Review Articles, Frontiers Research Topics unify the most influential researchers, the latest key findings and historical advances in a hot research area! Find out more on how to host your own Frontiers Research Topic or contribute to one as an author by contacting the Frontiers Editorial Office: frontiersin.org/about/contact.







Families Caring for an Aging America


Book Description

Family caregiving affects millions of Americans every day, in all walks of life. At least 17.7 million individuals in the United States are caregivers of an older adult with a health or functional limitation. The nation's family caregivers provide the lion's share of long-term care for our older adult population. They are also central to older adults' access to and receipt of health care and community-based social services. Yet the need to recognize and support caregivers is among the least appreciated challenges facing the aging U.S. population. Families Caring for an Aging America examines the prevalence and nature of family caregiving of older adults and the available evidence on the effectiveness of programs, supports, and other interventions designed to support family caregivers. This report also assesses and recommends policies to address the needs of family caregivers and to minimize the barriers that they encounter in trying to meet the needs of older adults.




Exercise for Aging Adults


Book Description

Exercise has been rightly termed the “fountain of youth” for older adults. Exercise is associated with lower risks of developing many chronic conditions (cardiac disease, diabetes mellitus, osteoporosis) as well as being a key treatment modality for common geriatric problems (osteoarthritis, falls, incontinence, sleep issues, frailty). Exercise, or regularly planned physical activity, is also associated with higher functional levels and well-being, which many older adults consider critical for a high quality of life. Indeed, many physiologic changes formerly attributed to senescence appear due to disuse and thus less inevitable than assumed. The dictum of “use it or lose it” holds true, for people 70 years and older. This user-friendly text provides practical strategies for health care professionals who work with or advise older adults to create exercise prescriptions suitable for specific settings and medical conditions. Expanded and revised, the second edition translates new findings in exercise research for the elderly for busy practitioners, trainees, students and administrators and provides practical strategies that can be implemented immediately in the common settings in which practitioners care for adults. It includes key points and case examples which showcase the strong evidence supporting exercise by older adults as a key to enhance health, prevent serious outcomes, such as hospitalization and functional loss, and as part of the treatment plan for diseases that are common in older adults. Strategies and exercises are discussed for specific care settings and illustrated via video examples to ensure readers can immediately apply described techniques. Written by experts in the field, Exercise for Aging Adults is a valuable guide to maintaining quality of life and functional independence from frail to healthy aging adults for physicians, residents in training, medical students, physical therapists, gerontology advance practice nurse practitioners, assisted living facility administrators, directors of recreation, and long-term care directors.




Retooling for an Aging America


Book Description

As the first of the nation's 78 million baby boomers begin reaching age 65 in 2011, they will face a health care workforce that is too small and woefully unprepared to meet their specific health needs. Retooling for an Aging America calls for bold initiatives starting immediately to train all health care providers in the basics of geriatric care and to prepare family members and other informal caregivers, who currently receive little or no training in how to tend to their aging loved ones. The book also recommends that Medicare, Medicaid, and other health plans pay higher rates to boost recruitment and retention of geriatric specialists and care aides. Educators and health professional groups can use Retooling for an Aging America to institute or increase formal education and training in geriatrics. Consumer groups can use the book to advocate for improving the care for older adults. Health care professional and occupational groups can use it to improve the quality of health care jobs.




Lifestyle Redesign


Book Description




Evidence-based Interventions for Community Dwelling Older Adults


Book Description

A critical milestone in the evolution of evidence-based medicine Evidence-Based Interventions for Community Dwelling Older Adults presents an overview of significant evidence-based programs that can improve the health of seniors living in community-based settings. The book examines research conducted on a variety of health-related issues, including depression, care management, falls prevention, physical activity, and medications management. It also looks at research models that were translated into real-life practice settings, explores the benefits of implementing evidence-based models into care settings, and provides examples of how to adapt tested programs to meet local agency and population needs. The health care delivery system in the United States has embraced evidence-based medicine, largely based on its potential to reduce unwanted variations and keep a lid on escalating health care costs. But there are few resources available on how to gather information about model programs and even fewer on how to adapt them for practice. Evidence-Based Interventions for Community Dwelling Older Adults discusses how to effectively manage care beyond the hospital or clinic, as researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and academics provide an overview of evidence-based practice that works toward the best possible care for patients. The book also highlights the efforts of social workers, pharmacists, and case managers, and illustrates the importance of the leadership efforts of the Administration on Aging, National Council on Aging, and the Centers for Disease Control. Evidence-Based Interventions for Community Dwelling Older Adults examines: the effectiveness of geriatric care management medication management screening and intervention multifaceted intervention strategies to prevent and/or reduce falls among older adults physical fitness activities for the frail elderly population at home barriers to depression care and how to reduce them using Problem-Solving Therapy (PST) to address depression and other psychosocial issues using Diffusion of Innovation Theory to duplicate an end-of-life, in-home palliative care model and much more Evidence-Based Interventions for Community Dwelling Older Adults is an essential resource for anyone who works with seniors in medical and community-based settings, including case managers, geriatricians, social workers, pharmacists, and physical therapists. It's equally valuable as a professional aid for program directors, CEOs, and administrators of medical and community-based programs that target older adults.




Resistance Training Methods


Book Description

This book reviews the main principles of resistance training, from basics to modern insights. It includes practical ways to develop most of the strength training methods, including monitoring and testing procedures. It merges practical tips with knowledge about the scientific background concerning program and periodization. It describes procedures for special populations, such as elderly or women. Gathering contributions by authoritative researchers and professors in the fields of sport science and biomechanics, this book provides an integrated view of strength training programming, and describes the most important biological factors associated with this type of training. The evidence-based and detailed description of each single mechanism to be trained to enhance performance is covered in depth. Thanks to its strong academic background, an being self-contained, this book offers a valuable reference guide for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in sports science, as well as an inspiring guide for sport and health researchers and professional trainers alike.




The Cambridge Handbook of Successful Aging


Book Description

Recent studies show that more people than ever before are reaching old age in better health and enjoying that health for a longer time. This Handbook outlines the latest discoveries in the study of aging from bio-medicine, psychology, and socio-demography. It treats the study of aging as a multidisciplinary scientific subject, since it requires the interplay of broad disciplines, while offering high motivation, positive attitudes, and behaviors for aging well, and lifestyle changes that will help people to stay healthier across life span and in old age. Written by leading scholars from various academic disciplines, the chapters delve into the most topical aspects of aging today - including biological mechanisms of aging, aging with health, active and productive aging, aging with satisfaction, aging with respect, and aging with dignity. Aimed at health professionals as well as general readers, this Cambridge Handbook offers a new, positive approach to later life.




Handbook of Psychosocial Interventions with Older Adults


Book Description

In the past decade, evidence based practice (EBP) has emerged as one of the most important movements to improve the effectiveness of clinical care. As the number of older adults continues to grow, it is essential that practitioners have knowledge of effective strategies to improve both the medical and the psychosocial aspects of older persons' lives. The purpose of this work is to present systematic reviews of research-based psychosocial interventions for older adults and their caregivers. The interventions presented focus on a variety of critical issues facing older adults today including medical illnesses (cardiac disease, diabetes, arthritis/pain, cancer, and HIV/AIDS), mental health/cognitive disorders (depression/anxiety, dementia, substance abuse), and social functioning (developmental disabilities, end-of-life, dementia caregivers, grandparent caregivers). For each of these areas the prevalence of the problem, the demographics of those affected, and the nature and consequences of the problem are discussed. The empirical literature is then reviewed. A treatment summary highlights the type and nature of research supporting the interventions reviewed and is followed by a conclusion section that summarizes the status of intervention research for the specified issue. A Treatment Resource Appendix for each area is included. These appendices highlight manuals, books, articles and web resources that detail the treatment approaches and methodologies discussed. This book was previously published as a special issue of the Journal of Gerontological Social Work.