Clinical Characteristics of Older Adults Living in Foster Families in the French West Indies: Baseline Screening of the KArukera Study of Aging in Foster Families (KASAF) Cohort.
{"title":"Clinical Characteristics of Older Adults Living in Foster Families in the French West Indies: Baseline Screening of the KArukera Study of Aging in Foster Families (KASAF) Cohort.","authors":"Denis Boucaud-Maitre, Roxane Villeneuve, Christine Rambhojan, Nadine Simo-Tabué, Nathalie Thibault, Leila Rinaldo, Jean-François Dartigues, Moustapha Dramé, Hélène Amieva, Maturin Tabué-Teguo","doi":"10.1093/geroni/igae063","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and objectives: </strong>Foster families for older adults could represent a transitional or alternative model to nursing homes. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics of older adults in foster families and to compare them with those of residents in nursing homes in French West Indies.</p><p><strong>Research design and methods: </strong>This study is a cross-sectional analysis of the KArukera Study of Aging in Foster Families (KASAF) cohort. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were extracted. Dependency was assessed using the Activities of Daily Living (ADL) scale and cognition using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scale. Age, gender, ADL, and MMSE scores were compared with nursing home residents from a twin study of KASAF (<i>n</i> = 332).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 107 older adults (mean age 81.8 years; 61.7% women) were recruited in 56 foster families between September 2020 and May 2021. In all, 25.5% had diabetes mellitus and 45.8% suffered from hypertension. The mean MMSE score was 9.3 ± 10.1 and 76.0% had major cognitive impairment (MMSE score <18); 12.5% were diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, and 42.0% of the residents were confined to bed or in a wheelchair, with a mean ADL score of 1.5 ± 1.8. Almost all the residents (96.3%) benefited from a medical follow-up by a nurse who visited once or twice a day. Compared to older adults living in nursing homes, those in foster families were more frequently women (61.7% vs 49.4%) and had lower ADL score (1.5 vs 2.4) and lower MMSE score (9.3 vs 11.3).</p><p><strong>Discussion and implications: </strong>The clinical profile of foster families' residents was quite similar to that of nursing home residents in terms of demographics, dementia, and dependency. Foster families might represent an interesting strategy to address the unmet clinical and social needs of dependent older adults, especially in countries where nursing homes are not sufficiently developed.</p><p><strong>Clinical trials registration number: </strong>NCT04545775.</p>","PeriodicalId":13596,"journal":{"name":"Innovation in Aging","volume":"8 7","pages":"igae063"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9000,"publicationDate":"2024-06-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11290254/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Innovation in Aging","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igae063","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2024/1/1 0:00:00","PubModel":"eCollection","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"GERIATRICS & GERONTOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
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Abstract
Background and objectives: Foster families for older adults could represent a transitional or alternative model to nursing homes. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics of older adults in foster families and to compare them with those of residents in nursing homes in French West Indies.
Research design and methods: This study is a cross-sectional analysis of the KArukera Study of Aging in Foster Families (KASAF) cohort. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were extracted. Dependency was assessed using the Activities of Daily Living (ADL) scale and cognition using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scale. Age, gender, ADL, and MMSE scores were compared with nursing home residents from a twin study of KASAF (n = 332).
Results: A total of 107 older adults (mean age 81.8 years; 61.7% women) were recruited in 56 foster families between September 2020 and May 2021. In all, 25.5% had diabetes mellitus and 45.8% suffered from hypertension. The mean MMSE score was 9.3 ± 10.1 and 76.0% had major cognitive impairment (MMSE score <18); 12.5% were diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, and 42.0% of the residents were confined to bed or in a wheelchair, with a mean ADL score of 1.5 ± 1.8. Almost all the residents (96.3%) benefited from a medical follow-up by a nurse who visited once or twice a day. Compared to older adults living in nursing homes, those in foster families were more frequently women (61.7% vs 49.4%) and had lower ADL score (1.5 vs 2.4) and lower MMSE score (9.3 vs 11.3).
Discussion and implications: The clinical profile of foster families' residents was quite similar to that of nursing home residents in terms of demographics, dementia, and dependency. Foster families might represent an interesting strategy to address the unmet clinical and social needs of dependent older adults, especially in countries where nursing homes are not sufficiently developed.
期刊介绍：
Innovation in Aging, an interdisciplinary Open Access journal of the Gerontological Society of America (GSA), is dedicated to publishing innovative, conceptually robust, and methodologically rigorous research focused on aging and the life course. The journal aims to present studies with the potential to significantly enhance the health, functionality, and overall well-being of older adults by translating scientific insights into practical applications. Research published in the journal spans a variety of settings, including community, clinical, and laboratory contexts, with a clear emphasis on issues that are directly pertinent to aging and the dynamics of life over time. The content of the journal mirrors the diverse research interests of GSA members and encompasses a range of study types. These include the validation of new conceptual or theoretical models, assessments of factors impacting the health and well-being of older adults, evaluations of interventions and policies, the implementation of groundbreaking research methodologies, interdisciplinary research that adapts concepts and methods from other fields to aging studies, and the use of modeling and simulations to understand factors and processes influencing aging outcomes. The journal welcomes contributions from scholars across various disciplines, such as technology, engineering, architecture, economics, business, law, political science, public policy, education, public health, social and psychological sciences, biomedical and health sciences, and the humanities and arts, reflecting a holistic approach to advancing knowledge in gerontology.
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