California Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Blog

Poor Incontinence Care Can Deteriorate Quality of Life

August 19, 2016 | by Yeroushalmi Law

Urinary and faecal incontinence are serious health problems that are detrimental to overall health and quality of life and commonly affect older adults. Both types of incontinence are prevalent among the elderly population all over the world. According to statistics, nearly 800,000 people residing in the Netherlands suffer from some level of incontinence, although the actual statistic could be greater due to reluctance to disclose such personal information and get help. It is common among people to find incontinence a difficult topic to discuss, even with a general practitioner. One of the reasons why people may be uncomfortable talking about incontinence is because of the stigma that the health issue is associated with ageing. It is commonly believed that there are no available treatment options for incontinence, as well, which is a myth. Often times, patients appear to have suffered from incontinence for a long duration of time prior to seeking help from a general practitioner.

Diet is a Major Predictor of Future Cognitive Impairment

August 17, 2016 | by Yeroushalmi Law

As the older adult population continues to grow worldwide, age-related health issues will further increase the high clinical, economic, and social challenges of caring for the elderly. Alzheimer’s disease and dementia are two cognitive health problems that are increasing in prevalence among older adults. Currently, no cure for dementia exists, and available treatment options provide primarily symptomatic reliefs. Therefore, finding ways to prevent or delay the development of dementia through implementing lifestyle changes, such as diet, is critical.

Exercise is Better Than Memory Supplements in Preventing Cognitive Decline

August 11, 2016 | by Yeroushalmi Law

A long-held, popular belief in the health stratosphere is that supplements such as ginko biloba, fish oil, and many others have the power of boosting memory and preventing cognitive-related illnesses. In fact, millions of dollars are spent on these memory supplements every year. According to the Nutrition Business Journal, Americans spent almost $91 million on ginkgo biloba in 2015. However, many of the positive cognitive effects revolving around these supplements have been refuted by scientific experts and recent studies.

Physical Exercise Is Effective in Combatting Frailty in Older Adults

August 4, 2016 | by Yeroushalmi Law

The prevalence of age-related frailty is high in older adults, ranging from 7% to 16.3%. The prevention and treatment of frailty has long been a major concern in geriatrics, especially in the clinical medicine. Frailty is the primary determinant of longevity and quality of life in the older adult population. Frailty is defined as an age-related, biological syndrome that causes a reduction of biological reserves due to the dysfunction of various physiological systems, which increases an older adult’s vulnerability to minor stressors, and is related to adverse health outcomes (such as disability, hospital admission, and death). Frailty is a stronger indicator for negative outcomes in older ages than chronic disease. It is important to note that frailty is reversible in its early stages. Importantly, a frail person can become nonfrail if frailty is identified and addressed at the onset.

Non-Pharmaceutical Approaches To Therapy For Dementia Patients Can Be Effective

August 3, 2016 | by Yeroushalmi Law

Animal assisted interventions (AAI) have become a growing topic of interest in research in recent years. The possibility of AAI was first realized when a psychiatrist named Boris Levinson recognized the benefits that AAI produced as his dog accompanied him when he would visit a behaviorally disturbed child under his care. In later years, interest in the therapeutic use of animals in long-term care grew. The Alzheimer’s Association encourages the use of AAI with patients suffering with Alzheimer’s disease as a management strategy. According to the Association, “Meaningful activities, such as those that involve music, art and pet visits, can help enrich the lives of people with Alzheimer’s disease. Pets, for instance, have been shown to reduce depression and boost self-esteem.” A study conducted in 2003 found that animal-assisted therapy significantly decreased agitated behaviors in elderly patients with severe dementia and increased meaningful social interactions during the intervention. However, both of these positive effects stopped once the intervention was removed. Studies found that, in general, therapy using pets appeared to lower levels of aggression, promote prosocial behavior, and enhance health outcomes in patients with dementia.

Psychotropic Drugs Are Inappropriately Prescribed To Nursing Home Patients

August 2, 2016 | by Yeroushalmi Law

According to a recent report by the International Psychogeriatrics Association, one in five older adults living in Europe with a functional impairment receives long-term care in a long-term care facility. Over 50% of these older adults suffer with dementia and often are challenged by some kind of neuropsychiatric symptoms throughout the progression of the disease. These patients commonly express challenging behaviors that include verbal and physical aggression, depression, agitation, wandering, sleep disturbances, oppositional behaviors, and psychotic symptoms. Presently, not many pharmacologic options exist for the treatment of neuropsychiatric symptoms. However, elderly residents with dementia are frequently prescribed psychotropic medications.

Loneliness Can Negatively Affect an Older Adults Overall Wellbeing

July 28, 2016 | by Yeroushalmi Law

Loneliness isn’t just a feeling, it’s a powerful syndrome that affects many older adults worldwide. According to a recent article published in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association (JAMDA), loneliness can promote the deterioration of health and cognitive function, lower quality of life, and increase the rate of mortality. The term constitutes a subjective feeling, a state in which an individual’s social network in reality does not meet their own expectations. Thus, a person can suffer from loneliness even while surrounded by others. Older adults commonly experience feelings of loneliness. According to recent statistics, 4% to 9% of older adults living in the community experience continual loneliness, and an additional one-third could suffer from some degree of loneliness. However, not much research has been done to understand the prevalence of loneliness in older adults living in nursing home facilities, even though it is known that residents in these long-term care settings are suggested to be at high risk for loneliness. One Norwegian study found that more than half of nursing home residents who were cognitively intact suffered from loneliness. It is important to note though, that cognitively intact residents make up a small fraction of the nursing home population.

Elderly Patients In Long-Term Care Are Entitled to High Quality Care

July 27, 2016 | by Yeroushalmi Law

Ensuring that dependent older adults with complex health problems receive high quality long-term care has been a long-standing challenge for the health care systems around the world. Currently, the need is greater than ever, considering that older adults battling with a multiple of chronic diseases and functional and/or cognitive disabilities are becoming more prevalent as the elderly population worldwide continues to expand. Nursing home facilities provide 24-hour intensive care for individuals who are commonly physically or cognitively disabled, or both. The delivery of quality of care and maintenance of quality of life in nursing homes are often unsuccessful, however, and has long been a great concern to consumers, providers of care, and policy makers. The evidence that nursing home residents frequently suffer from preventable adverse outcomes (such as negative drug events, bed sores, falls resulting in serious injury, physical and pharmaceutical restraint use, delirium, and elder abuse) continues to grow and increase the risk of morbidity and mortality.

Social Engagement is Essential for Older Adults with Severe Dementia

July 26, 2016 | by Yeroushalmi Law

Dementia is a serious group of cognitive conditions that promotes progressive deterioration in cognition, increased apathy, and reduced level of physical functioning. Many older adults, especially those living in long-term care settings such as those in nursing homes or assisted living facilities, suffer from dementia. According to recent reports, more than half of the elderly nursing home population suffer from symptoms of agitation and almost 40% suffer from depressed mood. These findings are highly similar to those of international studies that have explored the prevalence of neuropsychiatric symptoms expressed in nursing home patients with dementia. Specifically, they found that the prevalence of neuropsychiatric symptoms significantly increases with severe dementia. Therefore, it is no surprise that substantial evidence has proven that there is a strong association between dementia’s symptoms of depression and behavioral disorders and decreased quality of life.

Older Adults in Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Are Vulnerable to Adverse Drug-Drug Interactions

July 21, 2016 | by Yeroushalmi Law

Older adults, especially those residing in assisted living facilities, are highly vulnerable to dangerous drug-drug interactions (DDIs) because of comorbidities and the prescription of a higher number of drugs. These serious DDIs can result in adverse clinical outcomes and should be avoided at all times. This issue has been receiving increasing attention in the elderly population due to multiple medication use being more common in the management of diseases. Studies that have examined DDIs in hospital and outpatient settings, as well as drug registers, report DDI prevalence rates of up to 26%, whereas studies exploring DDIs in community-settings reveal a prevalence as high as 63%. Prevalence rates in hospital settings are also varied, including wards, which have a rate of 57.8%, and emergency departments, which have a rate of 0.7%.