Hospital Discharge Decisions Concerning Older Patients: Understanding the Underlying Process.

ABSTRACTWe aimed to understand clinical decision-making processes that influence the orientation of older patients after hospital discharge. We compared discharge decisions (i.e.

The decision-making capacity of elderly hospitalized patients: validation of a test on their choice of return home.

Elderly hospitalized patients have uncertain or questionable capacity to make decisions about their care. Determining whether an elderly patient possesses decision-making capacity to return at home is a major concern for geriatricians in everyday practice. To construct and internally validate a new tool, the dream of home test (DROM-test), as support for decision making hospitalization discharge destination for the elderly in the acute or sub-acute care setting.

Factors influencing time between onset of signs/symptoms and referral for dementia in elderly outpatients.

Background: The few studies that have focused on Time between Onset of Signs and Symptoms and Referral (TOSR) for dementia to a memory center suggest a substantial delay of 1-3 years. This delay has a negative impact on both patients' and their caregivers' quality of life.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate this delay and the factors associated with it in a cohort of community-dwelling elderly people attending a memory clinic, as well as assess the impact of the Third French National Alzheimer Plan (2008-2012).

Reactive oxygen species induce apoptosis of synoviocytes in vitro. Alpha-tocopherol provides no protection.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are released during the inflammation of the synovial membrane associated with cartilage degradation in osteoarthritis. In this work, we exposed synoviocytes to superoxide anions at concentrations that may cause either apoptosis or necrosis. We studied membrane organization, dehydrogenase mitochondrial activity and nuclear morphology and integrity, to determine the nature of the death process initiated by superoxide anions and tried to counteract ROS effects with alpha-tocopherol.