Health & Wellness
 

Nearly 45% of seniors in residential care live with depression or symptoms of depression Canadian Institute for Health Information http://www.cihi.ca/cihiweb/dispPage.jsp?cw_page=media_20100520_e Study finds seniors with depressive symptoms have worse health status, poorer quality of life : May 20, 2010 - More than two in five (44%) Canadian seniors living in residential care homes are diagnosed with or have symptoms of depression, according to a new study released today by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI). The study, Depression Among Seniors in Residential Care, is one of the largest of its kind in Canada to examine the prevalence of depression and the impact it has on persons living in residential care facilities, such as long-term care, nursing or personal care homes. Based on data from CIHI’s Continuing Care Reporting System, the study included nearly 50,000 residents age 65 and older across four provinces and one territory (Nova Scotia, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Yukon). CIHI’s study found that, while about one in four (26%) seniors living in a residential care facility had a diagnosis of depression, a further one in five (18%) had symptoms of depression with no documented diagnosis. Residents were considered to have symptoms of depression if they had a score of at least 3 on the Depression Rating Scale, which measures symptoms such as persistent anger, tearfulness and repetitive anxiety. “Depression can have a major impact on individuals’ quality of life and also represents significant costs to society. Research also suggests that among seniors depression often goes unrecognized and therefore untreated,” explains Nancy White, Manager of Home and Continuing Care Development at CIHI. “As Canada’s population ages, and more people could potentially move into residential care, it is important to understand how this population is affected by depression or depression symptoms in order to be able to identify the right treatment options and improve quality of life for these seniors.” Quality of life worse for seniors with symptoms of depression CIHI’s study shows seniors with symptoms of depression experienced significant medical, social, functional and quality-of-life challenges, regardless of whether they were diagnosed with the mental disorder. Seniors with symptoms of depression were more likely to display aggressive behaviour, have conflicts with family members or staff and withdraw from activities of interest. They were also three times more likely to experience sleep disturbances, were less self-sufficient than seniors with no symptoms of depression and were more likely to have difficulty communicating. Dr. Marie-France Rivard, chair of the Seniors’ Advisory Committee of the Mental Health Commission of Canada and professor of psychiatry at the University of Ottawa, explains, “Moving into a care facility is usually quite stressful and often prompted by significant losses in terms of health, degree of independence and/or social supports. This can contribute to the development of a depressive disorder that may include feelings of hopelessness, self-blame and loneliness, possibly accompanied by physical symptoms such as poor sleep, decreased appetite and lack of energy, often leading to social withdrawal.” People diagnosed with depression more likely to receive mental health evaluations The study showed that seniors who were diagnosed with and had symptoms of depression were twice as likely to receive a mental health evaluation from a licensed mental health practitioner and more than twice as likely to receive antidepressant medication than those with symptoms but no diagnosis. Very few residents received psychological therapy, regardless of the presence of symptoms and/or a diagnosis. Two-thirds of seniors with a documented diagnosis showed no or only mild symptoms of depression on the Depression Rating Scale, suggesting that their symptoms were being effectively managed. Clinical tools allow for better detection of depression symptoms Previous research has shown there can be challenges with diagnosing depression among seniors. Standardized clinical assessment instruments like the RAI-MDS 2.0 used in this study offer better information to identify seniors at risk of poor outcomes as a result of depression or depression symptoms. By focusing on symptoms and behaviours, the RAI-MDS 2.0 provides a more holistic view of the challenges faced by seniors with depression or depression symptoms and can be used to monitor the effectiveness of interventions put into place. At Copper Ridge Place in Whitehorse, Yukon, care providers have been using the outcome scores of this assessment instrument since 2007 to better understand their patient population and provide more focused and comprehensive care plans. “We assess our residents with the RAI-MDS 2.0 when they first enter the facility and we often identify people with depression symptoms that would have previously gone undetected,” says Cynthia Fraser, a licensed practical nurse and an MDS assessor at the facility. “Once we identify a problem we present this to the team who can work with the residents to address their needs. As a result, we have seen real success in reducing residents’ depression symptoms and improving the quality of their lives.”

Heart attacks more likely among lower-income groups, but quality of care about the same for all Canadians Variations in heart attack and hysterectomy rates much greater by region than by socio-economic status OTTAWA, May 27 /CNW Telbec/ - Canadians living in the least-affluent neighbourhoods are more likely to have a heart attack than those in more-affluent areas, according to a new report released today by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI). Canadians living in low-income neighbourhoods have higher rates of hypertension, diabetes, smoking and other cardiac risk factors. However, heart attack patients receive about the same quality of care across the country, regardless of their socio-economic status. The report, Health Indicators 2010, provides more than 40 measures of health and health system performance in Canada for larger health regions, provinces and territories. This year's report includes a special focus on disparities by socio-economic status, through the analysis of two common reasons for hospitalizations in Canada-acute myocardial infarctions (AMIs), commonly known as heart attacks, and hysterectomies. In 2008-2009, almost 67,000 Canadians were hospitalized for a heart attack. After breaking down the Canadian population into five neighbourhood income levels, the report found that Canadians living in the least-affluent neighbourhoods were 37% more likely to have a heart attack than those in the most-affluent areas: 255 per 100,000 population versus 186 per 100,000, respectively. However, the report found that differences in treatment and quality of care for heart attacks were small or insignificant between socio-economic groups. For example Heart attack patients from the most-affluent neighbourhoods were 7% more likely to get a revascularization procedure, such as angioplasty or bypass surgery, than those from the lowest-income neighbourhoods. Medical literature indicates that not every patient is selected for or would benefit from such a procedure. The risk of dying in hospital within 30 days of being admitted for a heart attack was about the same for all socio-economic groups, averaging 8.3%. Hospital mortality risk is a measure of quality of care. The risk of an unplanned readmission to hospital after a heart attack was slightly higher for patients from the least-affluent neighbourhoods, at 5.2%, compared to a 4.7% risk for patients from the most-affluent neighbourhoods. This indicator may reflect quality of care in hospital as well as after discharge.

15-minute workout can keep you fit http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/lifestyle/15-minute-workout-can-keep-you-fit.html May 30th, 2010 - 2:40 am ICT by IANS - London, May 30 (IANS) A 15-minute workout at the gym helps keep you young as well as fit, according to a study. Researchers found that brief vigorous exercise tends to slow the ageing process. Just 15 minutes of energetic activity a day reduces stress and prevents the deterioration of vital cells which lead to us feeling and looking older, reports express.co.uk. Even if we are stressed, which tends to speed up the ageing process, we can hold time at bay by working up a sweat. Psychologist Eli Puterman, who led the groundbreaking research, said the study is built on previous work that showed how changes in DNA result in ageing. “We have extended those findings to show that, in fact, there are things we can do about it,” said Puterman. “If we maintain the levels of physical activity recommended by public health bodies we can prevent the damage that psychological stress may have on our body,” he added.

Aging baby-boomers will have to innovate Having fewer children, they will be counting on an extended family and non-traditional networks. MONTREAL, May 31 /CNW Telbec/ - As their autonomy fades, tomorrow's elderly will need to create non-traditional support networks or pay for the care they receive. This is the conclusion of Jacques Légaré, professor at the Université de Montréal, who studies aging baby-boomers, a generation for whom children are relatively rare and stable couples almost an exception. In a paper presented at the 2010 Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences, held this week at Concordia University in Montreal, Mr. Légaré shows how the family circle available to the elderly will evolve from now until 2030. It is usually the elderly person's family circle that provides care. Mr. Légaré notes that about 70 per cent of the care provided for frail seniors comes from the informal network - essentially the spouse or the children. This is only possible because today's elderly - baby-boomers' parents - have more children to care for them and generally live in stable couples. This situation will soon change. Divorce, common-law unions, blended families and relatively few children per couple are factors to consider. In addition to this, death rates have declined considerably, to the point where average life expectancy has grown considerably. Couples who have not split up will be living together longer. "Tomorrow's elderly - today's boomers - had far fewer children. Who will take care of them?" the professor wonders. "They risk finding themselves in difficult circumstances and might have to turn to the public system or pay their way." According to Mr. Légaré, baby boomers not interested in paying or who can't afford to pay will have to innovate and seek out non-traditional networks - friends, siblings and even cousins. The research on boomers must adapt as well. Demographers, who are increasingly turning to micro-simulation to make projections, will have to factor in the recourse to these non-traditional networks. According to professor Légaré, new programs must be developed to model these extended families and new support systems. If informal services change, the public system must also adapt. "Boomers have done nothing like the others," Mr. Légaré points out. "They stand out from the other cohorts, and we believe they will do so again." Get more from the Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences Organised by the Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, the annual Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences brings together about 9,000 researchers, scholars, graduate students, practitioners, and policy makers to share groundbreaking research and examine the most important social and cultural issues of the day. Montréal's Concordia University is the host of Congress 2010, May 28 to June 4. The Congress program includes original research from across disciplines in the Humanities and Social Sciences, providing a great collection of expert sources and innovative story leads. Contact the Congress Media room for assistance connecting with researchers at Congress.

'Comparing salary with others makes you unhappy' PTI | 2010-05-29 14:47:13 | Last Updated: 2010-05-29 14:50:50 London: People who compare their income with those of family and friends are less happy than those who do not, according to a new study. Mukesh Ambani caps salary at Rs 15 cr Using a Europe-wide survey, researchers at the Paris School of Economics found that those who compared their incomes with others tended to be less happy. The responses showed that the greater the importance people attached to such comparisons, the lower they ranked themselves on measures of satisfaction with life and standard of living, as well as on feeling depressed, the BBC reported. According to the researchers, three-quarters of respondents in the European Social Survey, which covered 19,000 participants in 24 countries, thought it important to compare their incomes with others. Effective management of salary hikes But those who compared salaries seemed less content, especially if they looked at those of friends and family rather than work colleagues. There was no difference seen between men and women in how much they compare their income with those around them. But limiting comparisons to work colleagues seemed to be the most innocuous - as comparisons with friends appeared to be twice as painful as comparisons with colleagues. The research paper appeared in the Economic Journal also found the poor were most affected. People in poorer countries were found to compare their incomes more than people in richer ones and, within countries, poorer people were more likely to compare their incomes than richer people. 40% employees plan to switch jobs in next 6 months The researchers suggest that when it comes to comparing your salary with colleagues’ earnings, it may help boost feelings about the prospects for potential future income. They concluded: “Constantly looking over one’s shoulder seems to make the world a less happy - and more unequal - place.” Study leader Professor Andrew Clark added that the larger effect seen in poorer groups was a surprise. “I had thought that richer people would compare more because if you’re down towards the bottom what really matters is just getting the minimum required , but it didn’t come out that way.”