Smartphone ownership, digital literacy, and the mediating role of social connectedness and loneliness in improving the wellbeing of community-dwelling older adults of low socio-economic status in Singapore.

Introduction: During the COVID-19 pandemic, safe-distancing measures resulted in many community-dwelling older adults being socially isolated and lonely, with its attending negative impact on wellbeing and quality of life. While digital technology may have mitigated this, older adults of low socioeconomic status (SES) are more likely to be digitally excluded and hence susceptible to the adverse effects of social isolation and loneliness. This study aims to understand the factors that affect digital literacy, smartphone ownership, and willingness to participate in a digital literacy program (DLP), and to test the hypothesized relations between digital literacy, social connectedness, loneliness, wellbeing, and quality of life amongst community dwelling older adults of low SES.

Building Digital Literacy in Older Adults of Low Socioeconomic Status in Singapore (Project Wire Up): Nonrandomized Controlled Trial.

Background: In a rapidly digitalizing world, the inability of older adults to leverage digital technology has been associated with weaker social connections and poorer health outcomes. Despite the widespread digital adoption in Singapore, older adults, especially those of lower socioeconomic status (SES), still face difficulties in adopting information and communications technology and are typically digitally excluded.

Objective: We aimed to examine the impact of the volunteer-led, one-on-one, and home-based digital literacy program on digital literacy and health-related outcomes such as self-reported loneliness, social connectedness, quality of life, and well-being for older adults of low SES.

Bridging Connectivity Issues in Digital Access and Literacy: Reflections on Empowering Vulnerable Older Adults in Singapore.

This article describes a ground-up initiative for a volunteer-run digital literacy program in Singapore targeting vulnerable older adults, focusing on the barriers faced in running this program and training these beneficiaries. It further offers possible solutions to overcome these hurdles, providing insight for individuals or organizations seeking to start similar ground-up initiatives.

Acute radiological features facilitate diagnosis and prognosis of anti-N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) and anti-voltage-gated potassium channel (VGKC) encephalitis in adults.

Background: Anti-N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) and anti-voltage-gated potassium channel (VGKC) encephalitis are the commonest antibody-associated autoimmune encephalitides (AIE). Acute clinical features have been well-described, but data on the role of radiological findings in diagnosis and prognosis of AIE are limited.

Methods: Anti-NMDAR and anti-VGKC encephalitis patients from the National Neuroscience Institute were identified.

Bridging the intergenerational gap: the outcomes of a student-initiated, longitudinal, inter-professional, inter-generational home visit program.

Background: Older persons consume disproportionately more healthcare resources than younger persons. Tri-Generational HomeCare (TriGen), a service-learning program, aims to reduce hospital admission rates amongst older patients with frequent admissions. The authors evaluated the educational and patient outcomes of TriGen.

The Role of Vitamin D Receptor Polymorphisms in Predicting the Response to Therapy for Nonmuscle Invasive Bladder Carcinoma.

Purpose: Clinical and pathological predictors of bladder carcinoma recurrence and progression are relatively well defined. However, there is a paucity of genetic data specifically on the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms in specific genes for predicting recurrence and progression following immunotherapy. The VDR gene was found to regulate the immunomodulatory effects of vitamin D and it enhances the innate immunity system.