Comprehensive geriatric assessment of frail older people: ideals and reality.

We explored different professionals' views on and experiences of comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) of frail older people. Forty-six professionals working in hospitals, primary care, or municipal health and social care participated in 10 focus groups. Professional groups comprised of occupational therapists, physiotherapists, nurses, physicians, and social workers.

The caregivers' perspectives of burden before and after an internet-based intervention of young persons with ADHD or autism spectrum disorder.

Background: Everyday life in a family with a young person with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and/or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is multifaceted and may be a burden to the caregivers. The aim was to explore experiences of the caregiver situation, and how they were affected when the young persons received Internet-Based Support and Coaching (IBSC).

Method: A multiple descriptive case design was used.

For whom is a health-promoting intervention effective? Predictive factors for performing activities of daily living independently.

Background: Health-promoting interventions tailored to support older persons to remain in their homes, so-called "ageing in place" is important for supporting or improving their health. The health-promoting programme "Elderly Persons in the Risk Zone," (EPRZ) was set up for this purpose and has shown positive results for maintaining independence in activities of daily living for older persons 80 years and above at 1- and 2 year follow-ups. The aim of this study was to explore factors for maintaining independence in the EPRZ health-promoting programme.

Screening for frailty among older emergency department visitors: Validation of the new FRESH-screening instrument.

Background: The identification of frail older persons in different health care settings is widely seen as an important step in improving the healthcare system. Screening at an emergency department (ED) should be handled in just a few minutes without the use of tests or measurements. The FRESH-screening was developed for this purpose.

Self-determination among community-dwelling older persons: explanatory factors.

Background: Although it is acknowledged that exercising self-determination in daily activities affects older people's health and well-being, few studies have focused on the explanatory factors for self-determination in daily life.

Objective: To investigate explanatory factors for self-determination in the context of community-dwelling older persons.

Method: This cross-sectional study combined two sets of data that included community-dwelling persons 80 years and older (n = 456).

Health Promotion Can Postpone Frailty: Results from the RCT Elderly Persons in the Risk Zone.

Objective: Very old persons (80+) are often described as "frail", implying that they are particularly vulnerable to adverse health outcomes. Elderly Persons in the Risk Zone was designed to determine whether a preventive home visit or multiprofessional senior group meetings could postpone deterioration in frailty if the intervention is carried out when the person is not so frail.

Design And Sample: The study was a RCT with follow-ups at 1 and 2 years.

Speech production, intelligibility and oromotor function in seven individuals with Möbius sequence.

Purpose: Möbius sequence is a rare disease characterized by congenital facial and abducent nerve palsy. Other cranial nerves may be affected. Cleft palate, intellectual disability and neuropsychiatric disorders are associated with the diagnosis.

Shifting between self-governing and being governed: a qualitative study of older persons' self-determination.

Background: Older persons' right to exercise self-determination in daily life is supported by several laws. Research shows that older persons' self-determination is not fully respected within the healthcare sector. In order to enable and enhance older persons' self-determination, extensive knowledge of older persons' self-determination is needed.

Self-rated health and health-strengthening factors in community-living frail older people.

Aim: The aim of this study was to analyse the explanatory power of variables measuring health-strengthening factors for self-rated health among community-living frail older people.

Background: Frailty is commonly constructed as a multi-dimensional geriatric syndrome ascribed to the multi-system deterioration of the reserve capacity in older age. Frailty in older people is associated with decreased physical and psychological well-being.

Impact on Participation and Autonomy: Test of Validity and Reliability for Older Persons.

In research and healthcare it is important to measure older persons' self-determination in order to improve their possibilities to decide for themselves in daily life. The questionnaire Impact on Participation and Autonomy (IPA) assesses self-determination, but is not constructed for older persons. The aim of this study was to examine the validity and reliability of the IPA-S questionnaire for persons aged 70 years and older.

Positive health outcomes following health-promoting and disease-preventive interventions for independent very old persons: long-term results of the three-armed RCT Elderly Persons in the Risk Zone.

Unlabelled: The aim of this study was to analyze the long-term effect of the two health-promoting and disease-preventive interventions, preventive home visits and senior meetings, with respect to morbidity, symptoms, self-rated health and satisfaction with health. The study was a three-armed randomized, single-blind, and controlled trial, with follow-ups at one and two years after interventions. A total of 459 persons aged 80 years or older and still living at home were included in the study.

Self-determination and older people--a concept analysis.

Background: Self-determination has emerged as an important concept within health care, used to emphasize clients' control and independence as they participate in rehabilitation. To strengthen clients' self-determination is a central aim in occupational therapy. However, there is a lack of a clear definition of self-determination concerning community-dwelling older people.

Life Satisfaction and Frailty Among Older Adults.

Functional and physical impairment are factors believed to lead to declined life satisfaction among older adults. This study aimed to examine life satisfaction among older adults and the influence of frailty. Baseline data from two studies addressing frail older adults aged 80+ in Gothenburg, Sweden, (n=577) were used.

One-year outcome of frailty indicators and activities of daily living following the randomised controlled trial: "Continuum of care for frail older people".

Background: The intervention; "Continuum of Care for Frail Older People", was designed to create an integrated continuum of care from the hospital emergency department through the hospital and back to the older person's own home. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of the intervention on functional ability in terms of activities of daily living (ADL).

Methods: The study is a non-blinded controlled trial with participants randomised to either the intervention group or a control group with follow-ups at three-, six- and 12 months.

Health despite frailty: exploring influences on frail older adults' experiences of health.

The aim of this study was to explore and identify influences on frail older adults' experience of health. A sample of older adults, 11 men and 11 women aged 67-92, with diverse ratings of self-perceived health ranging from poor to excellent were selected through a purposeful strategic sampling of frail older adults taken from a broader sample from a quantitative study on health. In total, 22 individual qualitative interviews were analyzed using qualitative content analysis in which themes were developed from raw data through a systematic reading, categorization of selected text, theme development and interpretation.

Occupational therapists' experiences of rehabilitation of patients with limited awareness after stroke.

Aim: The aim of this study was to describe occupational therapists' experiences of rehabilitation of patients with limited awareness after stroke.

Methods: To capture occupational therapists' experiences, a qualitative approach was chosen using five focus groups consisting of 22 participants engaged in group discussions with open-ended questions based on the aim. Discussions were taped, transcribed verbatim, and analysed according to Kreuger's method.

Positive Effects on Life Satisfaction Following Health-Promoting Interventions for Frail Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Study.

Life satisfaction among older adults is known to decrease over time and with deteriorated health. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of the health-promoting intervention study Elderly Persons in the Risk Zone on life satisfaction. A randomized, three-armed, single-blind, and controlled trial with follow-ups at 3 months, 1 and 2 years.

Comparison of visual acuity charts identifying visual impairment among older people outside the eye clinic.

Purpose: Evaluate the construct validity and describe sensitivity, specificity and predictive value of two short charts of visual acuity (VA) and examine whether these can identify and detect signs of visual impairment among older people.

Method: The study included 43 persons, >65 years, with age related eye disease, living in their own homes. An ophthalmologist assessed the individuals' VA at an eye clinic with the 5 m KM chart.

Long-term outcome for ADL following the health-promoting RCT--elderly persons in the risk zone.

Purpose: To examine independence in activities of daily living (ADL) at the 1- and 2-year follow-ups of the health-promoting study Elderly Persons in the Risk Zone.

Design And Method: A randomized, three-armed, single-blind, and controlled study. A representative sample of 459 independent and community-dwelling older adults, 80 years and older, were included.

Health-promoting interventions for persons aged 80 and older are successful in the short term--results from the randomized and three-armed Elderly Persons in the Risk Zone study.

Objectives: To examine the outcomes of the Elderly Persons in the Risk Zone study, which was designed to evaluate whether it is possible to delay deterioration if a health-promoting intervention is made when an older adult (≥80) is at risk of becoming frail and whether a multiprofessional group intervention is more effective in delaying deterioration than a single preventive home visit with regard to frailty, self-rated health, and activities of daily living (ADLs) at 3-month follow-up.

Design: Randomized, three-armed, single-blind, controlled trial performed between November 2007 and May 2011.

Setting: Two urban districts of Gothenburg, Sweden.

Design of a randomized controlled study of a multi-professional and multidimensional intervention targeting frail elderly people.

Background: Frail elderly people need an integrated and coordinated care. The two-armed study "Continuum of care for frail elderly people" is a multi-professional and multidimensional intervention for frail community-dwelling elderly people. It was designed to evaluate whether the intervention programme for frail elderly people can reduce the number of visits to hospital, increase satisfaction with health and social care and maintain functional abilities.

Getting used to assistive devices: ambivalent experiences by frail elderly persons.

The aim was to learn how frail elderly people experienced becoming assistive device users and how assistive devices affected their independence in daily activities. Focus-group methodology was used, including people 80 and older with multiple health problems. Five group discussions were conducted with a total of 18 people including 14 women and four men.

Elderly persons in the risk zone. Design of a multidimensional, health-promoting, randomised three-armed controlled trial for "prefrail" people of 80+ years living at home.

Background: The very old (80+) are often described as a "frail" group that is particularly exposed to diseases and functional disability. They are at great risk of losing the ability to manage their activities of daily living independently. A health-promoting intervention programme might prevent or delay dependence in activities of daily life and the development of functional decline.