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

Dementia care in hospital: training, leadership and culture change needed

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Caroline Struthers explores a recent realist review of dementia-friendly interventions to improve the care of people living with dementia admitted to hospitals.

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Oral care in nursing homes

This study is the first of its kind from an RCT perspective which clearly shows that treating major depression in older adults using interventions in primary care settings can extend life

Mark-Steven Howe takes a look at a review evaluating the effectiveness of strategies that nursing home care providers can apply to impove the uptake and delivery of oral care in nursing homes

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Antidepressants for depression in Alzheimer’s Disease

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The EQUATOR Publication School #EQPubSchool group summarise a systematic review and meta-analysis on the efficacy of antidepressants for depression in Alzheimer’s Disease, which finds no statistical difference between antidepressants and placebo.

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My watch knows when I’m anhedonic: wearable technology and social functioning in older adults with depression

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Dave Steele explores a recent literature review about the impact and measurement of social dysfunction in late life depression, which focuses on how wearable technology can be used to measure and support social functioning in older adults.

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Life’s good under one roof: can co-residing with our adult children prevent depression in later life?

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Farhana Mann and Gemma Lewis pore over an instrumental variable study, which looks at the effect of co-residing with adult children on depression in later life.

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Depression in later life: who benefits most from antidepressants plus exercise?

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Linda Gask explores an RCT of physical exercise for depression in later life, which considers the best way to customise the intervention for primary care.

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Two-question screening for depression in older adults

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Andrew Sommerlad reviews a new systematic review and meta-analysis and asks: Can two questions identify depression in older people?

This is the second in a new series of Mental Elf blogs produced in partnership with the British Journal of Psychiatry.

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Third wave psychotherapies for depression and anxiety in older people

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Sarah McDonald is left feeling frustrated by this meta-analysis of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy for depression and anxiety in older people.

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Collaborative care may help older adults with subthreshold depression: CASPER trial

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Ben Hannigan summarises the new CASPER trial of collaborative care versus usual care for older adults with subthreshold depression.

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