Canadian Geriatrics Journal最新文献

{"title":"The Ottawa 3DY Predicts Mortality in a Prospective Cohort Study.","authors":"Philip Donald St John,&nbsp;Frank Joseph Molnar","doi":"10.5770/cgj.25.525","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5770/cgj.25.525","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The Ottawa 3DY (O3DY) is a simple measure of cognition.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>1) To determine if the O3DY predicts mortality; and 2) To compare the discrimination of the O3DY to the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Modified MMSE (3MS).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Analyses of a population based cohort study of 1,751 participants aged 65+; conducted in 1991/2 with follow-up over five years. The O3DY, age, sex, education, comorbid conditions, the MMSE, and the 3MS were measured: 4.5% of the participants had missing data for the O3DY; 42.8% were considered as positive (one or more errors), and 52.7% were considered as negative (no errors). Logistic regression models were constructed with the outcome of death at time 2. A Receiver Operator Curve (ROC) was constructed and the Area Under the ROC (AUROC) was calculated using a c-statistic.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The unadjusted odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for mortality was 1.96 (1.56, 2.47); and the adjusted OR was 1.33 (1.02, 1.72). The AUROC was 0.66 for the 3MS, 0.65 for the MMSE, and 0.60 for the O3DY.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The O3DY predicts mortality over a long time frame, although the discrimination is less than that of longer measures of cognition.</p>","PeriodicalId":56182,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Geriatrics Journal","volume":"25 1","pages":"66-71"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2022-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/2e/e8/cgj-25-66.PMC8887707.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40309386","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Use of Anticonvulsant Adjuncts to Treat Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome in Older Adults.","authors":"Stefanie Montgomery,&nbsp;Karen Dahri,&nbsp;Kaveh Rayani,&nbsp;Jacqueline Kwok,&nbsp;Peter Chan","doi":"10.5770/cgj.25.544","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5770/cgj.25.544","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>We evaluated the prescribing practices of anticonvulsant (AC) adjuncts to benzodiazepines in managing Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome (AWS). We also examined the prescription of relapse prevention agents for Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), and adverse events related to AWS treatment.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Records were reviewed retrospectively pertaining to medically ill adults aged 60 and above with AWS and admitted to a medicine or hospitalist unit of a Canadian centre between June 2013 and June 2018. Duration and dosing of benzodiazepine, dosing and type of AC and AUD agent, and adverse events were collected. A multivariable regression model was employed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>83 encounters were included in the study and 28 were prescribed an AC. The amount and duration of benzodiazepine administered were not statistically different between the benzodiazepine only and the AC adjunct groups, once severe AWS complications were accounted for. Five new prescriptions of traditional AUD agents were provided on discharge. No AC-associated adverse events occurred.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>AC adjuncts for AWS did not decrease the amount of benzodiazepine administered nor shorten the duration of treatment. Their routine use is not supported by our findings. Our study highlights a missed opportunity for AUD agents to be prescribed during hospitalization.</p>","PeriodicalId":56182,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Geriatrics Journal","volume":"25 1","pages":"32-39"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2022-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/19/23/cgj-25-32.PMC8887711.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40309387","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Gender Differences in Mental Health Symptoms Among Canadian Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic: a Cross-Sectional Survey.","authors":"Christina Reppas-Rindlisbacher,&nbsp;Alyson Mahar,&nbsp;Shailee Siddhpuria,&nbsp;Rachel Savage,&nbsp;Julie Hallet,&nbsp;Paula Rochon","doi":"10.5770/cgj.25.532","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5770/cgj.25.532","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Older women's mental health may be disproportionally affected by the COVID-19 pandemic due to differences in gender roles and living circumstances associating with aging.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We administered an online cross-sectional nationwide survey between May 1st and June 30th, 2020 to a convenience sample of older adults aged ≥55 years. Our outcomes were symptoms of depression, anxiety, and loneliness measured by three standardized scales: the eight-item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, the five-item Beck Anxiety Inventory, and the Three-Item Loneliness Scale. Multivariable logistic regression was used to compare the odds of depression, anxiety and loneliness between men and women, adjusting for relevant confounders.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>There were 1,541 respondents (67.8% women, mean age 69.3 ± 7.8). 23.3% reported symptoms of depression (29.4% women, 17.0% men), 23.2% reported symptoms of anxiety (26.0% women, 19.0% men), and 28.0% were lonely (31.5% women, 20.9% men). After adjustment for confounders, the odds of reporting depressive symptoms were 2.07 times higher in women compared to men (OR 2.07 [95%CI 1.50-2.87] <i>p</i> < .0001). The odds of reporting anxiety and loneliness were also higher.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Older women had twice the odds of reporting depressive symptoms compared to men, an important mental health need that should be considered as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds.</p>","PeriodicalId":56182,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Geriatrics Journal","volume":"25 1","pages":"49-56"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2022-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/d3/80/cgj-25-49.PMC8887702.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40309951","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Time-to-Incision for Hip Fractures in a Canadian Level-1 Trauma Centre: Are We Respecting the Guidelines?","authors":"Antoine Denis,&nbsp;Julien Montreuil,&nbsp;Rudolf Reindl,&nbsp;Gregory K Berry,&nbsp;Edward J Harvey,&nbsp;Mitchell Bernstein","doi":"10.5770/cgj.25.529","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5770/cgj.25.529","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Surgical intervention within 48 hours is recommended for hip fractures in the elderly in order to reduce post-operative complications and lower mortality rates. The purpose of this retrospective study is to explore the causes of surgical delays for acute geriatric hip fractures.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This is a retrospective cohort study involving a total of 109 consecutive geriatric patients who sustained proximal femur fractures (\"hip fractures\"), who subsequently underwent definitive fixation. Clinical, demographic, and direct costing data were extracted via a modern system and electronic medical records on a centralized data warehouse. Surgical delays and length of stay were analyzed according to clinical variables.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The established benchmark of a time-to-surgery of less than 48 hours was respected for 63 (57.8%) patients. Patients on oral anticoagulant (ACO) waited significantly longer, on average 58 hours compared to 44 for non-anticoagulated patients (<i>p</i> = .007). Patients with higher ASA scores waited significantly longer (<i>p</i> = .0018). More importantly, patients treated within 48 hours were discharged significantly earlier, on average after 10 days compared to 16 days for patients who waited more than 48 hours before receiving surgical treatment (<i>p</i> = .003), regardless of the pre-operative waiting time.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Fewer than 60% of patients received surgery within the 48-hour benchmark after being admitted for an acute hip fracture in a Level-1 trauma centre. Patients with more comorbidities waited longer and stayed longer in the hospital after surgery. Implementing strategic, evidence-based changes should be done using this data to improve care of this vulnerable population.</p>","PeriodicalId":56182,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Geriatrics Journal","volume":"25 1","pages":"57-65"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2022-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/73/ef/cgj-25-57.PMC8887706.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40309388","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging (CCNA) Partners Forum and Science Days 2021: Abstracts from the trainee poster competition","authors":"L. Krohn, J. Ruskey, Farnaz, Asayesh, S. Laurent, D. Spiegelman, Zalak, Shah, I. Arnulf, Michele T. M. Hu, Y. Jacques, Montplaisir, J. Gagnon, A. Desautels, Y. Dauvilliers, G. Gigli, M. Valente, Francesco Janes, A. Bernardini, B. Högl, Ambra, Stefani., Abubaker Ibrahim, K. Šonka, D. Kemlink, W. Oertel, A. Janzen, G. Plazzi, E. Antelmi, M. Figorilli, M. Puligheddu, B. Mollenhauer, C. Trenkwalder, -. FriederikeSixel, Döring, V. D. Cock, C. Charley, Monaca, A. Heidbreder, L. Ferini-Strambi, F. Dijkstra, M. Viaene, B. Abril, Bradley, F. Boeve, G. Rouleau, R. Postuma, Sonja W. Scholz","doi":"10.5770/cgj.25.596","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5770/cgj.25.596","url":null,"abstract":"Consensus methods have been used in health care for a long time to reach agreement among experts when there is a lack of information or conflicting information on a health topic. The Delphi and nominal group techniques are extensively used in health research. Although both consensus methods are transparent in developing health research agendas, their emphasis on clinical and academic experts is problematic in Indigenous research. Another consensus approach named Glaser’s state-of-the-art is being used in Indigenous research. In this approach, a panel of experts identifies additional experts who collectively engage in iterative rounds to develop a consensus statement based on current research. We will be using a modified Glaser’s state-of-the-art approach to develop an informant-based functional assessment tool to assess the instrumental activities of daily living in people living with dementia. In the first phase, we will form a core research team, set up an Indigenous community advisory group (CAG), and conduct a focus group with health professionals and in-depth interviews with caregivers to develop a draft functional assessment tool. In the second phase, we will refine the tool using a consensus-building process that corresponds to Glaser’s stateof-the-art approach. Using community-engaged research, we aim to shift the focus from expert panels to individuals and communities with lived caregiver experiences from Indigenous perspectives. We will engage with the Indigenous communities and utilize Indigenous data analysis to develop a first-ever culturally grounded functional assessment tool in partnership with Indigenous caregivers. Lay Abstract: We will be using community-engaged research to develop an informant based functional assessment tool to assess Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) in Indigenous population. While developing the tool, our consensus-based approach will shift the focus from expert panel to individuals and communities with lived experiences from Indigenous perspectives. CATEGORY: MASTER’S TRAINEE High-Resolution Diffusion Tensor Imaging of the Hippocampus Shows Differences Between Parkinson’s Disease and Healthy Controls Alexandra Budd1, Myrlene Gee2, Krista Nelles2, Christian Beaulieu3, Richard Camicioli2 . 1University of Alberta; 2Department of Medicine, Division of Neurology and Neuroscience, University of Alberta; 3Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alberta. Question Addressed: Do measures obtained using highresolution diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) of the hippocampus differ between patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and healthy elderly controls? Additionally, are these measures associated with age and global cognition? Methods: Manual hippocampal tracing was performed on novel high-resolution DTI scans in 36 individuals with PD (mean age: 68.86 years ± 7.97) and 35 controls (mean age: 66.66 years ± 6.80). Diffusion measures [fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD)] and global","PeriodicalId":56182,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Geriatrics Journal","volume":"25 1","pages":"110 - 126"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2022-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49037933","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Depression and Functional Mobility Decline in Long Term Care Home Residents with Dementia: a Prospective Cohort Study.","authors":"Charlene H Chu,&nbsp;Amanda My Linh Quan,&nbsp;Katherine S McGilton","doi":"10.5770/cgj.24.511","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5770/cgj.24.511","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Assess the association between depression among new long-term care residents (<3 months stay) with dementia and functional mobility decline.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A multi-site prospective cohort study was carried out among 26 participants diagnosed with dementia. Functional mobility was measured by Timed-Up-and-Go (TUG) and 2-Minute walk test (2MWT) at baseline, and 60-day post-baseline while participants received usual care. Linear mixed models were applied to examine the association between depression and functional mobility decline.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Residents experienced a statistically significant decline in functional mobility in as soon as 60 days. Each additional year of age was associated with a 2% increase in TUG. The interaction between depression and time spent in LTC was statistically significant. Age and time living in LTC were significantly associated with functional mobility decline in new residents with dementia.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Further work determining why residents with dementia experience decline in functional mobility at an accelerated rate is needed.</p>","PeriodicalId":56182,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Geriatrics Journal","volume":"24 4","pages":"325-331"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2021-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/1b/8c/cgj-24-325.PMC8629506.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39841646","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fear of Falling in Older Adults: A Scoping Review of Recent Literature.","authors":"Scott MacKay,&nbsp;Patricia Ebert,&nbsp;Cathy Harbidge,&nbsp;David B Hogan","doi":"10.5770/cgj.24.521","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5770/cgj.24.521","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Fear of falling (FOF) is prevalent among older adults and associated with adverse health outcomes. Over recent years a substantial body of research has emerged on its epidemiology, associated factors, and consequences. This scoping review summarizes the FOF literature published between April 2015 and March 2020 in order to inform current practice and identify gaps in the literature.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 439 articles related to FOF in older adults were identified, 56 selected for full-text review, and 46 retained for data extraction and synthesis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The majority of included studies were cross-sectional. Older age, female sex, previous falls, worse physical performance, and depressive symptoms were the factors most consistently associated with FOF. Studies that measured FOF with a single question reported a significantly lower prevalence of FOF than those using the Falls Efficacy Scale, a continuous measure. FOF was associated with higher likelihoods of future falls, short-term mortality, and functional decline.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Comparisons between studies were limited by inconsistent definition and measurement of FOF, falls, and other characteristics. Consensus on how to measure FOF and which participant characteristics to evaluate would address this issue. Gaps in the literature include clarifying the relationships between FOF and cognitive, psychological, social, and environmental factors.</p>","PeriodicalId":56182,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Geriatrics Journal","volume":"24 4","pages":"379-394"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2021-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/51/bb/cgj-24-379.PMC8629501.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39729090","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Respiratory Function and Muscle Strength Vs. Past Work Type: a Cross-Sectional Study Among Retirees.","authors":"Tomasz Trzmiel,&nbsp;Anna Pieczyńska,&nbsp;Ewa Zasadzka,&nbsp;Mariola Pawlaczyk","doi":"10.5770/cgj.24.501","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5770/cgj.24.501","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess the effects of past occupational activity on muscle strength and respiratory function among retirees.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 205 community-dwelling older adults participated in the study. Age (≥60 years) and cessation of professional activity (retirement) constituted the inclusion criteria. The International Standardized Classification of Occupations (ISCO-08) was used to stratify the participants into white- or blue-collar groups. Forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume (FEV) in the first second, inspiratory vital capacity (IVC) parameters, and hand grip strength were tested.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Statistically significant differences in IVC and FVC scores were found in white- and blue-collar workers after adjusting for sex and age (ANCOVA). White-collar men had significantly higher IVC as compared to blue-collar men.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Blue-collar male workers may be prone to deteriorating respiratory function in older age. It is vital to promote physical activity and educate blue-collar workers about the need to use respiratory protective equipment.</p>","PeriodicalId":56182,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Geriatrics Journal","volume":"24 4","pages":"297-303"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2021-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/cb/40/cgj-24-297.PMC8629504.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39606059","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prevalence and Factors that Influence Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use among Thai Elderly in Primary Care Settings.","authors":"Pasitpon Vatcharavongvan,&nbsp;Vanida Prasert,&nbsp;Chanuttha Ploylearmsang,&nbsp;Viwat Puttawanchai","doi":"10.5770/cgj.24.516","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5770/cgj.24.516","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Older age increases the likelihood of chronic diseases and polypharmacy with the likelihood of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) in secondary and tertiary care levels, but in the primary care settings of Thailand there still is a need for more evidence. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of PIM in primary care settings, and to identify factors that influence the use of PIM.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional retrospective study was conducted in 2017. Eight primary care units from four regions of Thailand were randomly selected. People aged ≥ 60 years in the eight units were studied as participants. The List of Risk Drugs for Thai Elderly (LRDTE) was used as the reference. Multivariate logistic regression was carried out to identify factors that influence.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 4,848 patients aged ≥60 years with 20,671 prescriptions were studied. The mean age was 70.7±8.3 years for males, and 61.2% for females. A little more than 5% (5.1%) had ≥ 3 chronic diseases and 15.0% received polypharmacy (≥5 medications). The prevalence of prescriptions with PIMs was 65.9%. The most frequent PIMs were antidepressants: amitriptyline (28.1%), antihistamines: dimenhydrinate (22.4%) and chlorpheniramine maleate (CPM) (11.2%); and Benzodiazepines: lorazepam (6.5%). Three factors that significantly influenced prescribing of PIMs were polypharmacy (adjusted OR 3.51; 95% CI 2.81-4.32), having ≥3 chronic diseases (adjusted OR 1.44; 95% CI 1.04-2.01), and age ≥75 years (adjusted OR 1.18; 95% CI 1.01-1.38).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>More than two-thirds of elderly Thai patients in the primary care settings were prescribed PIMs. Multidisciplinary prescription review and PIM screening in patients aged ≥75 years who have ≥3 chronic diseases or polypharmacy should be implemented in primary care and supportive computerized PIMs alert system is needed.</p>","PeriodicalId":56182,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Geriatrics Journal","volume":"24 4","pages":"332-340"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2021-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/08/8a/cgj-24-332.PMC8629499.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39841647","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Characteristics of Older Adults Accessing Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD): a Descriptive Study.","authors":"Debbie Selby,&nbsp;Brandon Chan,&nbsp;Amy Nolen","doi":"10.5770/cgj.24.520","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5770/cgj.24.520","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) is an end-of-life option for Canadians accounting for 2% of all deaths in Canada in 2019. Adults over 80 years old represent a significant proportion of these deaths, yet little is known about how they compare with their younger counterparts.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study retrospectively reviewed our tertiary care institution's MAiD database to compare MAiD recipients <65, 65-80, and >80 years of age. Extracted data included basic demographics, illness characteristics, functional status, social living arrangements/contacts, and outcomes of MAiD assessments.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of 267 patients assessed for MAiD, 38.2% were over 80. Compared to the younger groups, those over 80 were more likely to be female, to live alone, and to be widowed; however, they did not self-identify as 'socially isolated'. The majority fit into the illness categories of malignancy, cardiopulmonary or neurologic diseases, but those over 80 were more likely to have other more chronic/subacute conditions leading to the MAiD request.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Older adults accessing MAiD are distinct in that they tend to be increasingly frail and without a predominant underlying diagnosis as compared with younger adults, but rather have an accumulation of losses resulting in global functional decline and subsequent loss of autonomy and independence.</p>","PeriodicalId":56182,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Geriatrics Journal","volume":"24 4","pages":"312-318"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2021-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/76/9e/cgj-24-312.PMC8629503.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39841644","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}