A prospective observational study to investigate the association between abnormal hand movements and delirium in hospitalised older people.

Objective: to examine the relationship between carphology (aimlessly picking at bedclothes), floccillation (plucking at the air) and delirium in older patients admitted to specialist elderly care wards.

Design: daily observation for behaviours of carphology and floccillation embedded within a 'before' and 'after' study.

Setting: three specialist elderly care wards in a general hospital.

European courts and old people.

There are two major European Courts, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The ECJ deals with legal matters, mainly involving the interpretation of EU law and ensuring that the law is applied evenly across all 27 EU member states. The ECHR aims to make certain that civil and political rights of citizens in the 46 member states of the Council of Europe are observed.

Hospital bathrooms and showers: a continuing saga of inadequacy.

Previous surveys of UK hospitals have highlighted many deficiencies in the standards of hospital inpatient washing and bathing facilities--especially inadequate access for wheelchair users, insufficient bathing equipment, and unsatisfactory cleanliness and privacy. We conducted a qualitative survey in three hospitals in the North of England to see whether these facilities have improved. There have been some improvements, particularly in the provision of bath hoists, adapted taps, alarm call systems, shower seats and wheelchair access to bathrooms.

Is stair negotiation measured appropriately in functional assessment scales?

Background: A decline in mobility may result in problems with the negotiation of stairs, which can potentially be hazardous. In practice, stair negotiation is an important aspect of daily living and therefore needs to be assessed carefully.

Methods: We conducted a systematic literature review to identify the way functional assessment scales assess stair negotiation.

Pacemaker explosions in crematoria: problems and possible solutions.

The number of artificial cardiac pacemakers is increasing, as is the number of bodies being cremated. Because of the explosive potential of pacemakers when heated, a statutory question on the cremation form asks whether the deceased has a pacemaker and if so whether it has been removed. We sent a questionnaire to all the crematoria in the UK enquiring about the frequency, consequences and prevention of pacemaker explosions.