Shedding Light on Falls: The Effect of Lighting Levels on Fall Risk in Long-Term Residential Care Facilities.

To compare lighting levels in care facilities with local recommendations and determine their cross-sectional association with fall rate, we recruited residents ( = 126) from 12 long-term care facilities (mean ± SD age 85.1 ± 7.9 years; 64.

Cultural adaptations of the WHO iSupport for dementia: A scoping review.

Introduction: The World Health Organisation (WHO) has developed iSupport for Dementia, a self-paced online training programme for caregivers of people with dementia which is adaptable to different cultural contexts. This scoping review aims to understand the iSupport adaptation process in different countries and provide recommendations for future adaptations.

Methods: A systematic search was done in electronic databases such as Pubmed, MEDLINE, APA PsycINFO, and EMBASE to obtain relevant publications up to 18 February 2024.

Changes in indicators of well-being on moving from home to long-term care for Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand: A retrospective cohort study.

Objective: To investigate changes in well-being measures for older Māori after moving from community to long-term care (LTC).

Methods: We undertook a retrospective cohort study of older Māori in New Zealand (NZ) who had received assessments for their health needs whilst living at home (interRAI-HC assessment) as well as a subsequent assessment after moving into a care facility (interRAI-LTCF). All interRAI-HC assessments from 01 July 2013 to 21 December 2018 were identified and matched to LTCF assessments that were undertaken at least 6 months later.

Characterizing Walking Behaviors in Aged Residential Care Using Accelerometry, With Comparison Across Care Levels, Cognitive Status, and Physical Function: Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Walking is important for maintaining physical and mental well-being in aged residential care (ARC). Walking behaviors are not well characterized in ARC due to inconsistencies in assessment methods and metrics as well as limited research regarding the impact of care environment, cognition, or physical function on these behaviors. It is recommended that walking behaviors in ARC are assessed using validated digital methods that can capture low volumes of walking activity.

Ethnic variation in access to publicly funded care for unintentional injuries in older adults in Aotearoa New Zealand: a retrospective study.

Background: Māori (the Indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ)) are more likely to experience injury than non-Māori, but less likely to have effective access to publicly funded injury care services. It is unknown if this pattern extends into older age. This retrospective study analysed Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC; national no-fault injury compensation scheme) claims data to investigate ethnic variation in unintentional injury claims and related costs for older adults (≥50 years).

Preventive interventions to improve older people's health outcomes: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Systematic reviews of preventive, non-disease-specific primary care trials for older people often report effects according to what is thought to be the intervention's active ingredient.

Aim: To examine the effectiveness of preventive primary care interventions for older people and to identify common components that contribute to intervention success.

Design And Setting: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 18 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) published in 22 publications from 2009 to 2019.

Association of ethnicity with unintentional injury-related hospitalisation and mortality among older people residing in two regions of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Objectives: To characterise unintentional injury-related hospitalisation and mortality amongst older adults (aged 50+ years) in the Lakes and Bay of Plenty District Health Boards of Aotearoa New Zealand and to examine whether hospitalisation patterns differed by ethnicity.

Methods: This observational study analysed unintentional injury-related hospitalisations and deaths among older adults between 2014 and 2018. Routinely collected national data sets were used to calculate annualised, age-standardised injury rates.

Effects of an Exercise Program to Reduce Falls in Older People Living in Long-Term Care: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objectives: To investigate the effect of an exercise program on falls in intermediate and high-level long-term care (LTC) residents and to determine whether adherence, physical capacity, and cognition modified outcomes.

Design: Randomized controlled trial.

Setting And Participants: Residents (n = 520, aged 84 ± 8 years) from 25 LTC facilities in New Zealand.

Walking Bout Detection for People Living in Long Residential Care: A Computationally Efficient Algorithm for a 3-Axis Accelerometer on the Lower Back.

Accurate and reliable measurement of real-world walking activity is clinically relevant, particularly for people with mobility difficulties. Insights on walking can help understand mobility function, disease progression, and fall risks. People living in long-term residential care environments have heterogeneous and often pathological walking patterns, making it difficult for conventional algorithms paired with wearable sensors to detect their walking activity.

Sociodemographic and Health Indicators of Diet Quality in Pre-Frail Older Adults in New Zealand.

Unlabelled: This study aimed to identify sociodemographic and health indicators of diet quality in pre-frail community-dwelling older adults. Pre-frail older adults are those at risk of progression to clinical manifestations of frailty and are targets for preventative intervention. We previously reported that pre-frail older adults have reasonably good overall diet quality.

Interventions to improve the appropriate use of polypharmacy for older people.

Background: Inappropriate polypharmacy is a particular concern in older people and is associated with negative health outcomes. Choosing the best interventions to improve appropriate polypharmacy is a priority, so that many medicines may be used to achieve better clinical outcomes for patients. This is the third update of this Cochrane Review.

Improving continence management for people with dementia in the community in Aotearoa, New Zealand: Protocol for a mixed methods study.

Background: The number of people living with dementia (PLWD) in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) was estimated at 96,713 in 2020 and it is anticipated that this number will increase to 167,483 by 2050, including an estimated 12,039 Māori (indigenous people of NZ) with dementia. Experiencing urinary incontinence (UI) or faecal incontinence (FI) is common for PLWD, particularly at the later stages of the disease. However, there is no robust estimate for either prevalence or incidence of UI or FI for PLWD in NZ.

Validation of an Algorithm for Measurement of Sedentary Behaviour in Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

Accurate measurement of sedentary behaviour in older adults is informative and relevant. Yet, activities such as sitting are not accurately distinguished from non-sedentary activities (e.g.

The Role of a Composite Fitness Score in the Association Between Low-Density Cholesterol and All-Cause Mortality in Older Adults: An Individual Patient Data Meta-Analysis.

Background: In the general population, an increase in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) predicts higher cardiovascular disease risk, and lowering LDL-C can prevent cardiovascular disease and reduces mortality risk. Interestingly, in cohort studies that include very old populations, no or inverse associations between LDL-C and mortality have been observed. This study aims to investigate whether the association between LDL-C and mortality in the very old is modified by a composite fitness score.

Chronic health conditions and mortality among older adults with complex care needs in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Background: Older people have more comorbidities than younger groups and multimorbidity will increase. Often chronic conditions affect quality of life, functional ability and social participation. Our study aim was to quantify the prevalence of chronic conditions over a three-year period and their association with mortality after accounting for demographics.

Using Digital Technology to Quantify Habitual Physical Activity in Community Dwellers With Cognitive Impairment: Systematic Review.

Background: Participating in habitual physical activity (HPA) can support people with dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to maintain functional independence. Digital technology can continuously measure HPA objectively, capturing nuanced measures relating to its volume, intensity, pattern, and variability.

Objective: To understand HPA participation in people with cognitive impairment, this systematic review aims to (1) identify digital methods and protocols; (2) identify metrics used to assess HPA; (3) describe differences in HPA between people with dementia, MCI, and controls; and (4) make recommendations for measuring and reporting HPA in people with cognitive impairment.

Evaluating the Effect of Activity and Environment on Fall Risk in a Paradigm-Depending Laboratory Setting: Protocol for an Experimental Pilot Study.

Background: Knowledge about the causal factors leading to falls is still limited, and fall prevention interventions urgently need to be more effective to limit the otherwise increasing burden caused by falls in older people. To identify individual fall risk, it is important to understand the complex interplay of fall-related factors. Although fall events are common, they are seldom observed, and fall reports are often biased.

Living with Dementia in Aotearoa (LiDiA): A Feasibility Study for a Dementia Prevalence Study in Māori and Non-Māori Living in New Zealand.

Introduction: Recent estimations have projected a threefold increase in dementia prevalence in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) by 2050, particularly in Maori and Pacific peoples. However, to date, there are no national data on dementia prevalence, and overseas data are used to estimate the NZ dementia statistics. The aim of this feasibility study was to prepare the groundwork for the first full-scale NZ dementia prevalence study that is representative of Māori, European, Pacific and Asian peoples living in NZ.

Dietary Protein Intake and Physical Function in Māori and Non-Māori Adults of Advanced Age in New Zealand: LiLACS NZ.

The population of older adults is growing exponentially. Research shows that current protein intake recommendations are unlikely to meet the ageing requirements and may be linked to reduced physical function. Ensuring optimal function levels is crucial for independence and quality of life in older age.

Atrial fibrillation incidence and outcomes in two cohorts of octogenarians: LiLACS NZ.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common cardiac arrhythmia in the general population, has significant healthcare burden. Little is known about AF in octogenarians.

Objective: To describe the prevalence and incidence rate of AF in New Zealand (NZ) octogenarians and the risk of stroke and mortality at 5-year follow-up.

Is the Utility of the GLIM Criteria Used to Diagnose Malnutrition Suitable for Bicultural Populations? Findings from Life and Living in Advanced Age Cohort Study in New Zealand (LiLACS NZ).

Objectives: To investigate associations between nutrition risk (determined by SCREEN-II) and malnutrition (diagnosed by the GLIM criteria) with five-year mortality in Māori and non-Māori of advanced age.

Design: A longitudinal cohort study.

Setting: Bay of Plenty and Lakes regions of New Zealand.