Game of Attitudes: educational gerontotechnology for the elderly undergoing haemodialysis.

Objective: To develop and apply educational gerontotechnology through the articulation of playfulness, aimed at promoting the health of the elderly undergoing haemodialysis.

Method: Convergent Care Research, following phases: conception, research structure (problem, objective and literature review); instrumentation, involving decisions about delimitation/detailing of the location (haemodialysis clinic), participants (ten elderly patients on haemodialysis), data collection instruments (semi-structured interview, participant observation and documentary/medical analysis); screening, rigorous investigation of haemodialysis treatment and analysis, guided by apprehension, synthesis, theorization and transfer.

Results: Health needs of emerging elderly: Complications and worsening of chronic kidney disease; Self-care; Empowerment; Deficit of activities; Health promotion and Nursing care; and Importance of the family.

STOP-Bang questionnaire should be used in all adults with Down Syndrome to screen for moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea.

Study Objectives: To determine the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in adults with Down syndrome (DS), to investigate factors related to OSA severity and to identify which sleep questionnaire is the most appropriate for the screening of OSA in this population.

Methods: Cross-sectional study that consecutively included 60 adults with DS. All patients underwent type III polysomnography and clinical and laboratory data were collected; sleep assessment questionnaires were applied.

[Campaign against smoking in a home for the elderly: the report of an experiment].

Studies on institutionalized elderly smokers are important for developing appropriate preventive measures. This was a cross-sectional population-based study of individuals over 60 admitted to a Home for the Elderly in the Federal District. The following aspects were investigated: smoking prevalence, socio-demographic and clinical profile, gender, education, probable depression, degree of motivation to stop smoking, prior use of medication to stop smoking and perception of the harm of smoking to health.

Study on Chagas disease occurrence in the municipality of Monte Negro, State of Rondônia, Brazilian Amazon.

Introduction: Studies on Chagas disease deal with the perspective of its occurrence in the Amazon region, which is directly correlated to the population growth and the spread of the bug biotope. The state of Rondônia has an immense source of vectors (Triatomine) and reservoirs of Trypanosoma cruzi. Environmental changes brought forth by the deforestation in the region may cause vector behavior changes and bring these vectors to a closer contact with humans, increasing the probability of vector infection.

Smoking in elderly patients admitted to long-term care facilities.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of smoking among elderly patients admitted to long-term care facilities (LTCFs) and to determine whether the degree of nicotine dependence is associated with sociodemographic variables, affective ties, motivation for smoking cessation and depression.

Methods: Cross-sectional, population-based study involving 573 individuals over the age of 60, admitted to 13 LTCFs in the Federal District of Brasília, Brazil. We analyzed the following variables: type of LTCF, gender, age, level of education, monthly income, marital status, retirement status, affective ties, probable depression, motivation for smoking cessation and degree of nicotine dependence.

[Smoking in elderly in Brazilian homes for the aged].

Objective: To know the prevalence of elderly individuals (more than 60 years old), who are regular smokers, interned in Homes for the Aged in Distrito Federal.

Methods: 13 Homes for the Aged were studied in Distrito Federal. The identification of the smokers was made through the information given by the local nursing staff, added to the researcher observation and the confirmation provided by the elderly individuals themselves.