[Geriatric assessment in dentistry : A review of chewing function tests].

Due to increasing life expectancy and the associated demographic changes, more and more people are dependent on care. To identify a possible need for dental treatment, chewing function tests as assessment instruments have proven their effectiveness. In this article, the reader is given an overview of existing chewing function tests and their implementation.

Patient assessment and feasibility of treatment in older patients with cancer: results from the IN-GHO Registry.

Purpose: Predicting feasibility of treatment in older patients with cancer is a major clinical task. The Initiative Geriatrische Hämatologie und Onkologie (IN-GHO) registry prospectively collected data on the comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA), physician's and patient's-self assessment of fitness for treatment, and the course of treatment in patients within a treatment decision aged ≥ 70 years.

Patients And Methods: The registry included 3169 patients from 93 centres and evaluated clinical course and treatment outcomes 2-3 and 6 months after initial assessment.

[Perioperative patient blood management in the aged-more than only transfusion? : Review of the 4th symposium of the working group on anemia on the occasion of the annual meeting of the German Geriatric Society in Frankfurt 2019].

Anemia is frequent in older people with one in two geriatric inpatients being affected. Therefore, in elective surgery, such as endoprosthetic treatment it is very likely that anemia is already present in a preoperative setting. So far there are no particular guidelines about perioperative management of anemia in geriatric patients.

[Wife against advance directive: a case-inspired legal and ethical clarification].

Advance directives and durable powers of attorney are two increasingly used tools for patients' precedent autonomy; however, their combined use, as recommended by major institutions in Germany, might in reality result in various discrepancies between the wording and interpretation of the directive and the surrogate's understanding of the patient's relevant will. In one of the possible conflict constellations, the surrogate wants to overrule a relevant and unambiguous advance directive by reference to a privileged access to the patient's "real" treatment preferences or the presumed will of the patient. Such cases, which must be strictly distinguished from cases with real or alleged leeway for interpretation in the advance directive, can lead to normative uncertainty as well as to substantial psychological distress for all persons involved.

[The geriatric syndrome of anemia-Summary of the symposium of the working group anemia during the annual meeting of the German Geriatric Society 2018 in Cologne, Germany].

This year's symposium of the working group anemia of the German Geriatric Society (DGG) aimed to underline the multicausality of anemia in the aged and to highlight definition parallels with geriatric syndromes. For these reasons, nutritional and malignant causes for anemia were discussed and the influence of oxidative stress on the development of anemia was underlined. The need for ongoing research in the field of anemia in the aged was emphasized by the lack of perioperative transfusion strategies in geriatric patients.

[Anemia in the aged - a geriatric syndrome? : Second position paper on anemia in the aged by the working group anemia of the German Geriatric Society].

Geriatric syndromes are the pathognomonic columns of geriatric medicine. In contrast to many syndromes in younger people, in geriatric patients, the chief complaint does not typically represent the specific pathological condition underlying the change in health status. Geriatric syndromes are usually highly prevalent, multicausal and share a number of common risk factors.

Anemia in the aged is not ageing related: position paper on anemia in the aged by the "working group anemia" of the German Geriatric Society (DGG).

Anemia in the aged is a frequent but still under-estimated problem in geriatric patients. However, in recent years increasing research on anemia in the aged has improved awareness and interest in this clinically relevant problem. Guidelines for diagnostic and therapeutic steps are now required to improve the treatment of anemic aged patients.

[Clinical hematological symptoms of vitamin B deficiency in old age : Summarized overview of this year's symposium of the Working Group "Anemia in the Aged" on the occasion of the annual conference of the German Geriatric Society (DGG) in Frankfurt].

The interdisciplinary symposium of the working group "anemia in the aged" on the occasion of the annual conference of the German Society of Geriatrics focused this year on vitamin B deficiency in aged patients. Experts from hematopathology, clinical geriatrics and geriatric hematology presented the case of a 78-year-old woman and an interdisciplinary discussion was held on the epidemiology, clinical aspects as well as diagnostic and therapeutic steps. This article reviews the symposium on vitamin B deficiency in the aged in the context of the currently available literature.

[Thromboembolism prophylaxis in old age].

Anticoagulation in geriatric patients is challenging regarding the risk of bleeding complications and thromboembolic problems. Age, comorbidities, such as renal insufficiency and polymedication have a vital impact on bleeding and thromboembolic risks; however, age is not an exclusion criterion for withholding anticoagulation. Age is the main risk factor for deep vein thrombosis and atrial fibrillation becomes more relevant with aging.

[Current insights into anemia in old age : Summary of the symposium "Anemia in old age" on the occasion of the annual congress of the German Society for Geriatrics (DGG) 2016 in Stuttgart].

Anemia in advanced age is often a multifactorial condition requiring an interdisciplinary approach. The contributions to the opening interdisciplinary symposium on anemia in older subjects focused on physiological and histopathological as well as on nephrological and neurogeriatric aspects and on the therapeutic implications of this underdiagnosed, yet highly frequent disease. The symposium was the kick-off event for the founding of the German Geriatric Society special interest group on anemia in advanced age.

European Society for Swallowing Disorders - European Union Geriatric Medicine Society white paper: oropharyngeal dysphagia as a geriatric syndrome.

This position document has been developed by the Dysphagia Working Group, a committee of members from the European Society for Swallowing Disorders and the European Union Geriatric Medicine Society, and invited experts. It consists of 12 sections that cover all aspects of clinical management of oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) related to geriatric medicine and discusses prevalence, quality of life, and legal and ethical issues, as well as health economics and social burden. OD constitutes impaired or uncomfortable transit of food or liquids from the oral cavity to the esophagus, and it is included in the World Health Organization's classification of diseases.

[Anaemia in the elderly].

In the elderly, even mild anaemia leads to significantly decreased quality of life and reduced survival rate. Therefore even mild anaemias should be worked up especially in the elderly. More than 75 % of all anaemias have a specific and treatable cause.

Evaluation of geriatric assessment in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia: Results of the CLL9 trial of the German CLL study group.

Multidimensional geriatric assessment (GA) has been demonstrated to predict outcomes in older patients with cancer. This study evaluated GA in a cohort of older patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Seventy-five of 97 subjects with CLL who were enrolled in a clinical trial of the German CLL Study Group underwent GA prior to the start of study treatment (low-dose chemotherapy with fludarabine).

Multimodal activity monitoring for home rehabilitation of geriatric fracture patients--feasibility and acceptance of sensor systems in the GAL-NATARS study.

Background: Demographic change will lead to a diminishing care workforce faced with rising numbers of older persons in need of care, suggesting meaningful use of health-enabling technologies, and home monitoring in particular, to contribute to supporting both the carers and the persons in need.

Objectives: We present and discuss the GAL-NATARS study design along with first results regarding technical feasibility of long-term home monitoring and acceptance of different sensor modalities.

Methods: Fourteen geriatric participants with mobility-impairing fractures were recruited in three geriatric clinics.

Information and communication technologies for promoting and sustaining quality of life, health and self-sufficiency in ageing societies--outcomes of the Lower Saxony Research Network Design of Environments for Ageing (GAL).

Many societies across the world are confronted with demographic changes, usually related to increased life expectancy and, often, relatively low birth rates. Information and communication technologies (ICT) may contribute to adequately support senior citizens in aging societies with respect to quality of life and quality and efficiency of health care processes. For investigating and for providing answers on whether new information and communication technologies can contribute to keeping, or even improving quality of life, health and self-sufficiency in ageing societies through new ways of living and new forms of care, the Lower Saxony Research Network Design of Environments for Ageing (GAL) had been established as a five years research project, running from 2008 to 2013.

Five years of interdisciplinary research on ageing and technology: Outcomes of the Lower Saxony Research Network Design of Environments for Ageing (GAL)--an introduction to this Special Issue on Ageing and Technology.

This Special Issue of Informatics for Health and Social Care is presenting outcomes of the Lower Saxony Research Network Design of Environments for Ageing (abbreviated as GAL), probably one of the largest inter- and multidisciplinary research projects on aging and technology. In order to investigate and provide answers on whether new information and communication technologies can contribute to keeping, or even improving quality of life, health and self-sufficiency in ageing societies through new ways of living and new forms of care, GAL had been established as a five-year research project, running from 2008 to 2013. Ambient-assisted living technologies in personal and home environments were especially important.

[Care requirements for elderly cancer patients].

The oncology care system is insufficiently directed to the treatment situation of elderly tumour patients. There is a lack of specific studies focusing on the application and effects of antineoplastic substances in elderly patients to forward the utilisation of all available therapeutical options. The reality of care of elderly patients, especially elderly women, is marked by problems of access to the treatment opportunities.

Integrate, innovate, imitate: surviving and thriving in the world of breast cancer economics.

The pursuit of excellence in the breast care delivery process involves a program of integration, innovation, and imitation designed to yield sustained quality and economic improvement. Many stand-alone breast centers in the United States have adopted this approach and have become financially successful while delivering very high quality care. This article reviews basic economic principles governing breast care as a business enterprise.

Reduction of venous thromboembolism following prolonged prophylaxis with the low molecular weight heparin Certoparin after endoprothetic joint replacement or osteosynthesis of the lower limb in elderly patients.

The peri- and postsurgical thromboembolic prophylaxis with low molecular weight heparins is a well established therapy regimen, but the optimum duration of prophylaxis after surgery still remains uncertain. A few studies have pointed to the fact that the thromboembolic risk of high-risk patients persists longer than the in-hospital period correlating with respective hypercoagulatory conditions. The aim of the present study was to test if a prolongation of thromboprophylaxis with the low molecular weight heparin Certoparin further reduces the rate of thromboembolism in high-risk patients after orthopedic surgery.

New tools for cost-effective delivery of breast imaging.

Breast imaging has a deserved reputation as a very difficult financial proposition for hospitals. Regulation, low reimbursement, costly new technologies and staff shortages all combine to create an operational environment that is difficult, at best. While it may not be possible for every hospital to make breast imaging profitable, it is the obligation of every hospital to make this and all service lines as cost-effective as possible.