Publications by authors named "Julia F M Gilmartin-Thomas"
Retention of care support workers in residential aged care facilities and home-based, domiciliary aged care is a global challenge, with rapid turnover, low job satisfaction, and poorly defined career pathways. A mixed-methods systematic review of the workforce literature was conducted to understand the factors that attract and retain care staff across the aged care workforce. The search yielded 49 studies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The protective effects of allopurinol on physical function in older adults are not well understood, despite its potential to improve functional gains and reduce sarcopenia. This study aims to determine the association between allopurinol, persistent physical disability, and frailty in older gout patients.
Methods: This analysis used data from a randomized trial in an older cohort, ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly (ASPREE).
Background: Impaired cerebral blood flow has been associated with an increased risk of falls. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) and variability in MAP have been reported to affect cerebral blood flow but their relationships to the risk of falls have not previously been reported.
Methods: Utilising data from the Aspirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly trial participants, we estimated MAP and variability in MAP, defined as within-individual SD of MAP from baseline and first 2 annual visits.
Objectives: Polypharmacy and frailty are two common geriatric conditions. In community-dwelling healthy older adults, we examined whether polypharmacy is associated with frailty and affects disability-free survival (DFS), assessed as a composite of death, dementia, or persistent physical disability.
Methods: We included 19,114 participants (median age 74.
Study Objective: What is the association between anticholinergic burden and specific domains of cognitive function in older adults who are initially without major cognitive impairment?
Design: Post-hoc analysis of longitudinal observational data from the ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly (ASPREE) study.
Patients: 19,114 participants from Australia and the United States aged 70 years and older (65 years and older for US minorities) were recruited and followed for a median of 4.7 years.
Objective: Evaluate the Pain Impact Index, a simple, brief, easy-to-use, and novel tool to assess the impact of chronic pain in community-dwelling older adults.
Methods: A Rasch modelling analysis was undertaken in Stata using a partial credit model suited to the Likert-type items that comprised the Index. The Index was evaluated for ordering of category thresholds, unidimensionality, overall fit to the Rasch model, measurement bias (Differential Item Functioning, DIF), targeting, and construct validity.
To describe the prevalence, location and impact of moderate to severe pain experienced on most days in community-dwelling older (≥70 years) adults who were ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly (ASPREE) clinical trial participants. Cross-sectional ASPREE Longitudinal Study of Older Persons (ALSOP) data were collected from self-reported questionnaires administered to 16,439 ASPREE participants. Of 14,155 respondents, 41% of males ( = 2651/6475) and 50% of females ( = 3803/7680) reported experiencing pain on most days.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFalls are associated with considerable morbidity and mortality in aged care services and falls risk increasing drugs (FRIDs) are often overlooked as a contributor to falls. This study aims to investigate the association between the risk of falling and use of FRIDs from aged care services. Inverse-probability-weighted multinomial logistic regression was used to estimate the association between falls risk and regular FRIDs in 383 residents from six Australian aged care services.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: To develop an elective workshop designed to equip pharmacy students with skills to effectively communicate with adolescents. To conduct preliminary evaluation of the workshop to assess its impact on pharmacy student perceived confidence and knowledge relating to the importance of adolescent counselling and counselling techniques.
Methods: Academics from three universities in three countries collaborated on the workshop development and evaluation.
Objective: Our objective was to investigate associations between proton pump inhibitor (PPIs) use and infection-related hospitalizations among residents of long-term care facilities (LTCFs).
Methods: This was a case-control study of residents aged ≥ 65 years admitted to hospital between July 2013 and June 2015. Residents admitted for infections (cases) and falls or fall-related injuries (controls) were matched for age (± 2 years), sex, and index date of admission (± 6 months).
Background: Clopidogrel's anti-platelet effects may be attenuated by a pharmacokinetic interaction with co-prescribed proton pump inhibitors, which inhibit oxidative pathways that convert clopidogrel into its active metabolites. Despite this, the impact of PPIs on cardiovascular risk in the absence of clopidogrel is not well defined.
Aim: To report on a systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between PPIs and cardiovascular risk, independent of clopidogrel.
Background: Residents of long-term care facilities (LTCFs) are at high risk of hospitalization. Medications are a potentially modifiable risk factor for hospitalizations.
Objective: Our objective was to systematically review the association between medications or prescribing patterns and hospitalizations from LTCFs.
Background: Clinical practice guidelines for dementia highlight the importance of providing patient-centered care. This can be achieved by improving health professionals' attitudes and knowledge toward people with dementia.
Objective: Quantitatively evaluate the impact of a virtual dementia experience on medical and pharmacy students' knowledge and attitudes toward people with dementia.