IAGG/IAGG GARN International Survey of End-of-Life Care in Nursing Homes.

This article reports the findings of a survey on end-of-life (EOL) care in nursing homes of 18 long-term care experts across 15 countries. The experts were chosen as a convenience-based sample of known experts in each country. The survey was administered in 2016 and included both open-ended responses for defining hospice care, palliative care, and "end of life," and a series of questions related to the following areas-attitudes toward EOL care, current practice and EOL interventions, structure of care, and routine barriers.

PALLIATIVE CARE FOR OLDER ADULTS: STATE OF THE ART IN LEBANON.

Palliative care (PC) for older adults constitutes an important human rights challenge and a major public health care priority due to the aging of the population and the lack of health care services addressing the needs of the older people. In Lebanon, the surge in the number of older people with complex needs is unmatched by any increase in the services offered to them. PC in Lebanon is still under- developed and is subject to a number of challenges.

International palliative care: Middle East experience as a model for global palliative care.

Care for elderly people with life-limiting illness cannot be delivered primarily by geriatricians or palliative care practitioners. The role of these clinicians is to help carers become adept in palliative care medicine. In a culture in which family ties run deep, the offer of palliative care from an outsider may be met with suspicion.

Incorporating geriatrics into undergraduate medical education in Lebanon.

Background: Although the proportion of older adults in Lebanon is expected to increase rapidly over the next few decades, the current healthcare workforce is unprepared to address the needs of this population. Currently, emphasis on geriatrics is lacking in medical education curricula of most universities in Lebanon, and there is a shortage of geriatricians in the country.

Methods: In this paper we present specific methods of integrating geriatrics into the undergraduate medical curriculum based on the experience of medical schools in the United States.

An international definition for "nursing home".

There is much ambiguity regarding the term "nursing home" in the international literature. The definition of a nursing home and the type of assistance provided in a nursing home is quite varied by country. The International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics and AMDA foundation developed a survey to assist with an international consensus on the definition of "nursing home.

Integration of complementary medicine in supportive cancer care: survey of health-care providers' perspectives from 16 countries in the Middle East.

Introduction: In this multinational Middle-Eastern study, we assessed health-care providers' (HCPs) perspectives on their patients' use of complementary and traditional medicine (CTM) and identified the leading barriers to CTM integration in supportive cancer care.

Methods: A 17-item questionnaire was developed and administered to HCPs attending palliative medicine workshops conducted across the Middle East by the Middle East Cancer Consortium.

Results: 339 HCPs from 16 countries across the Middle East completed the questionnaire (80.

Evaluating palliative care needs in Middle Eastern countries.

Background: Cancer incidence in Middle Eastern countries, most categorized as low- and middle-income, is predicted to double in the next 10 years, greater than in any other part of the world. While progress has been made in cancer diagnosis/treatment, much remains to be done to improve palliative care for the majority of patients with cancer who present with advanced disease.

Objective: To determine knowledge, beliefs, barriers, and resources regarding palliative care services in Middle Eastern countries and use findings to inform future educational and training activities.

Urinary incontinence in older adults.

Urinary incontinence is a common problem in the elderly which is under-reported and under-treated.It can have profound effects on the quality-of-life of affected persons and their companion or caregiver. Though common, incontinence is not an inevitable consequence of aging, but multiple anatomic and physiologic age-related changes increase the risk of UI with advancing age.

Sleep disturbance in palliative care.

Sleep disturbance in palliative medicine is a common and challenging condition that significantly adds to the burden of suffering experienced by patients with advanced stage diseases. Sleep disorders may be primary or, more commonly, a secondary symptom of the advancing disease process. The diverse nature of patients under palliative care makes management of sleep disorders particularly challenging and highly individualized.

Cancer in the elderly: is it preventable?

It is the goal of the American Cancer Society to decrease the mortality from cancer by 50% and the incidence of cancer by 25% by the year 2015 in the United States. Achieving this goal requires intervention at the primary (incidence) and secondary (mortality) prevention stages, and will involve a concerted effort of the individual practitioner, governmental agencies, local, state, and national interest groups, and the population at large. Primary care practitioners must increase their level of enthusiasm for cancer prevention, and actively counsel patients about cancer risks and preventive measures.

Osteoporosis for the home care physician. Part 1: etiology and current diagnostic strategies.

Osteoporosis affects over 20 million individuals in North America and is responsible for over 1.5 million fractures in the US. Although most cases of osteoporosis are primary, in 20% of older women and 40% of older men presenting with vertebral fractures, a secondary cause can be identified.

Sexuality in the nursing home, part 2: managing abnormal behavior--legal and ethical issues.

Everyone, regardless of age, needs love, touch, companionship, and intimacy. The 1.6 million elderly in the 20,000 U.

Sexuality in the nursing home, part 1: attitudes and barriers to sexual expression.

Sexuality is a basic human need that begins at birth and continues throughout life. The sexual needs of the elderly are similar to those of the young, but with variations in frequency, intensity, and mode of expression. Regardless of age, every individual has a need for love, intimacy, and companionship.

Sex and the nursing home.

Despite the known benefits of continued sexual activity on physical, mental, and emotional health, the nursing home resident continues to be sexually invisible. There are so few opportunities where the quality of life can be enhanced so greatly by so basic interventions. Sexuality in the nursing home is one of them.

Sexuality in the nursing home, part 1: attitudes and barriers to sexual expression.

Sexuality is a basic human need that begins at birth and continues throughout life. The sexual needs of the elderly are similar to those of the young, but with variations in frequency, intensity, and mode of expression. Regardless of age, every individual has a need for love, intimacy, and companionship.

Sexuality in the nursing home, part 2: Managing abnormal behavior-legal and ethical issues.

Everyone, regardless of age, needs love, touch, companionship, and intimacy. The 1.6 million elderly in the 20,000 U.