Associations of Social and Behavioral Determinants of Health Index with Self-Rated Health, Functional Limitations, and Health Services Use in Older Adults.

Objectives: To characterize the cumulative risk factors of social and behavioral determinants of health (SDoH) and examine their association with self-rated general health, functional limitations, and use of health services among US older adults.

Design: Cross-sectional analysis of the 2013-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Setting: Nationally representative health interview survey in the United States.

Cost-Related Medication Nonadherence Among Older Adults: Findings From a Nationally Representative Sample.

Objectives: To estimate the rate of and risk factors associated with cost-related medication nonadherence among older adults.

Design: Cross-sectional analysis of the 2017 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS).

Setting: Nationally representative health interview survey in the United States.

Functional Outcomes After Hip Fracture in Independent Community-Dwelling Patients.

Objectives: To determine predictors of new activities of daily living (ADLs) disability and worsened mobility disability and secondarily increased daily care hours received, in previously independent hip fracture patients.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Academic hospital with ambulatory follow-up.

Prognosis Reconsidered in Light of Ancient Insights-From Hippocrates to Modern Medicine.

Whereas modern clinicians are often reluctant to discuss prognosis with their patients, such discussions were central to medical practice in ancient Greece. A historical analysis has the potential to explain the reasons for this difference in prognostic practices and provide insights into overcoming current challenges. Many scholars consider prognosis to be the principal scientific achievement of the Hippocratic tradition.

Access to Care for Older Adults: An Insurmountable Flight of Stairs?

Inability to climb stairs safely can lead older adults to miss desired medical appointments. To facilitate adequate access to routine medical care for older adults, affordable transportation assistance up and down stairs should be available. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:663-664, 2019.

Group A Streptococcal Bacteremia following Streptococcal Pharyngitis in an Older Patient with Diabetes: A Case Report .

Group A streptococcus (GAS) is responsible for a wide range of both invasive and noninvasive infections. Severe invasive group A streptococcal infection is associated with morbidity and mortality and has been linked to chronic medical conditions with skin and soft tissues involvement, and intravenous drug use (IVDU). Invasive diseases are, however, rare and have been recognized to affect the extremes of age (younger than 10 years of age and older than 74).

An Epidemiologic Study on Ageing and Dysphagia in the Acute Care Geriatric-Hospitalized Population: A Replication and Continuation Study.

United States census data project dramatic increases in the geriatric population ageing demographics by 2060 with concomitant health-care consequences. The purpose of this replication and continuation study was to collect new 2014 demographic data relative to ageing, swallow evaluation referral rates, and oral feeding status in geriatric-hospitalized patients for comparison with published data from 2000 to 2007. This was a planned data acquisition study of consecutive hospitalized patients referred for swallow assessments.

Guardianship and End-of-Life Decision Making.

As the population ages, more adults will develop impaired decision-making capacity and have no family members or friends available to make medical decisions on their behalf. In such situations, a professional guardian is often appointed by the court. This official has no preexisting relationship with the impaired individual but is paid to serve as a surrogate decision maker.

Systematic review: Health-related characteristics of elderly hospitalized adults and nursing home residents associated with short-term mortality.

Objectives: To identify the domains of health-related characteristics of older hospitalized adults and nursing home residents most strongly associated with short-term mortality.

Design: Systematic review.

Setting: Studies published in English in MEDLINE, Scopus, or Web of Science before August 1, 2010.

Everyday decision-making ability in older persons with cognitive impairment.

Objective: To demonstrate the reliability and validity of the Assessment of Capacity for Everyday Decision-Making (ACED), an instrument to evaluate everyday decision-making.

Methods: The authors administered the ACED to 39 persons with very mild to moderate cognitive impairment and 13 cognitively intact caregivers.

Results: Intraclass correlation coefficients showed good reliability for the measures of understanding, appreciation and reasoning, and Cronbach's alpha coefficients were > or =0.

Access to primary care for Medicare beneficiaries.

Objectives: To determine the acceptance rate of new Medicare patients by all primary care physicians. Among primary care physicians accepting new patients, to determine whether demographic and geographic factors are associated with the likelihood of accepting new Medicare patients.

Design: Cross-sectional.

Who can stay at home? Assessing the capacity to choose to live in the community.

While the courts have final responsibility, physicians are often asked to evaluate the ability of an older individual to remain living alone in the community. A person's capacity to make this decision can be more difficult to assess than the capacity to make medical decisions. Unsafe actions alone do not restrict the choice of individuals.