later life

People aged 55 and over. The elderly men and women in the population. Old people who may be retired and suffering from chronic disease

Our later life Blogs

World Alzheimer’s report highlights the importance of early diagnosis and intervention for dementia

2 Responses »
Profile photo of Andre Tomlin
Posted by
shutterstock_58936477 dementia memory loss jigsaw

This new 70-page report from Alzheimer’s Disease International warns that in countries such as England, 50-80% of dementia cases are not being recognised in primary care. It highlights the fallacy that as people get older they naturally have problems with their memory, and goes on to recommend that primary care staff who see people with [read the full story…]

Decisions resulting in people with learning disabilities moving to residential care for older people were made in haste

No Responses »
Profile photo of John Northfield
Posted by
Age

Researchers in this Australian study were concerned to consider the issue of planning for future care and support of people with learning disabilities after the death of parental caregivers. They were considered the need to adapt support systems to ensure the best possible quality of life for people with intellectual disability as they grow older. [read the full story…]

Problem-solving therapy beats supportive therapy at reducing disability in old people with depression and executive dysfunction

No Responses »
Profile photo of Andre Tomlin
Posted by
shutterstock_75538075 old man talking to doctor

Older people who suffer from depression and executive dysfunction experience significant levels of disability and often don’t respond well to conventional drug treatments. This randomised controlled trial conducted by researchers from Weill Cornell Medical College in New York State, attempted to find out if problem-solving therapy is better than supportive therapy for reducing disability in older [read the full story…]

Oestrogen receptor variations linked with depression in later life

2 Responses »
Profile photo of Andre Tomlin
Posted by
shutterstock_71207473 sad old woman

The hormone oestrogen could play an important role in late-life depression, according to new research published in the August issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry. Oestrogen is best known as one of the significant hormones in reproduction. It is also believed to have a part to play in mood and mental health, because of [read the full story…]

Bright light treatment helps elderly people with non-seasonal depression

No Responses »
Profile photo of Andre Tomlin
Posted by
bright light treatment

Major depressive disorder is a prevalent and debilitating condition in elderly patients. It is accompanied by circadian rhythm disturbances associated with impaired functioning of the suprachiasmatic nucleus, the biological clock of the brain. Circadian rhythm disturbances are common in the elderly. Suprachiasmatic nucleus stimulation using bright light treatment may, therefore, improve mood, sleep, and hormonal [read the full story…]

Benzodiazepines associated with an increase in falls and fractures in older adults

1 Response »
Profile photo of Andre Tomlin
Posted by
iStock_000003478127XSmall old woman feet in wheelchair

This rapid response report from the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health set out to answer four questions: 1. What is the evidence on the safety of using benzodiazepines in older adults to manage disruptive behaviour or treat anxiety? 2. What is the effectiveness of benzodiazepines compared with that of antidepressants in older [read the full story…]

Invisible addicts: new report highlights drug and alcohol misuse among older people

2 Responses »
Profile photo of Andre Tomlin
Posted by
Screen shot 2011-06-21 at 21 Jun 19.37.40

The NHS must wise up to the “growing problem” of drug and alcohol misuse among older people, according to a new report published today by the Royal College of Psychiatrists. The report, written by the Older People’s Substance Misuse Working Group of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, warns that not enough is being done to [read the full story…]

Problem-solving therapy better than supportive therapy for reducing disability in depressed old people with executive dysfunction

No Responses »
Profile photo of Andre Tomlin
Posted by
iStock_000006720937XSmall

A randomised controlled trial published in the Archives of General Psychiatry has found that problem-solving therapy is a useful treatment alternative for elderly people with depression and executive dysfunction who do not respond well to conventional drug treatments. The trial randomised 221 patients to either problem-solving therapy (PST) or supportive therapy (ST) and followed them [read the full story…]

Systematic review of home and community care models for the elderly

No Responses »
Profile photo of Andre Tomlin
Posted by
elderly-people-on-computer

Researchers at the University of New South Wales in Sydney Australia have published a new systematic review that explores three different home and community care models for the elderly. The evidence in this field is patchy.  Studies are heterogeneous (i.e. too different from one another to be pooled in a meta-analysis) and results are inconsistent. [read the full story…]

Tagged with: ,

Online survey throws light on issues in autism spectrum disorder in later life

No Responses »
Profile photo of John Northfield
Posted by
Flipchart men

This study reports an online survey that set out to find out more about autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in later life. The survey consisted of an online questionnaire (biographical information, general health, quality of life, score on Autism Quotient [AQ] measure) of adults in their forties, resident in the UK, diagnosed with ASD or who [read the full story…]

Tagged with: ,