Associations between specialized dementia care, COVID-19 and central nervous system medication use in assisted living: a population-based repeated cross-sectional study.

Background: Assisted living (AL) is an increasingly common residential setting for persons with dementia; yet concerns exist about sub-optimal care of this population in AL given its lower levels of staffing and services. Our objectives were to (i) examine associations between AL setting (dementia care vs. other), COVID-19 pandemic waves, and prevalent antipsychotic, antidepressant, anti-dementia, benzodiazepine, and anticonvulsant drug use among residents with dementia/cognitive impairment, and (ii) explore associations between resident and home characteristics and prevalent medication use.

The COVID-19 pandemic did not negatively impact frequency or continuity of outpatient care in Alberta, Canada.

Outpatient care patterns have changed markedly during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this population-based retrospective cohort study, we compared the frequency of outpatient care (whether in-person or virtual) and continuity of care for all community-dwelling adults in Alberta between March 1, 2019 and February 29, 2020 (pre-pandemic) versus March 1, 2020 to February 28, 2021 (pandemic). We calculated provider continuity using Breslau's Usual Provider Continuity (UPC) for patients with at least 2 outpatient encounters.

Resident loneliness, social isolation and unplanned emergency department visits from supportive living facilities: a population-based study in Alberta, Canada.

Background: Supportive living (SL) facilities are intended to provide a residential care setting in a less restrictive and more cost-effective way than nursing homes (NH). SL residents with poor social relationships may be at risk for increased health service use. We describe the demographic and health service use patterns of lonely and socially isolated SL residents and to quantify associations between loneliness and social isolation on unplanned emergency department (ED) visits.

Eating a meal is associated with elevations in agreeableness and reductions in dominance and submissiveness.

Many studies have shown that having a meal together with others increases food intake. In contrast, the effects of having a meal on interactions with others have rarely been examined. More specifically, it is unknown if having a social interaction during a meal alters how people feel, behave, and perceive others.

Preparing today's cardiovascular trainees to meet the challenges of tomorrow: team research and interdisciplinary training.

There is a growing focus on interdisciplinary team approaches in science and public health research, including cardiology. This trend is apparent in a large body of team publications and the strong interest from the funding agencies to support interdisciplinary research. Despite this increased emphasis on the importance and roles of teams, schools fail to better prepare their students and trainees with skills that allow them to work in or lead teams.

The influence of light administration on interpersonal behavior and affect in people with mild to moderate seasonality.

Bright light is used to treat winter depression and may also have positive effects on mood in some healthy individuals. However, there is little information on how bright light treatment influences social behavior. We performed a cross-over study in winter comparing the effects of morning bright light administration with placebo (exposure to negative ions) on mood and social behavior in 38 healthy people with mild to moderate seasonality.

Lower urinary tract symptoms and falls risk among older women receiving home support: a prospective cohort study.

Background: Although lower urinary tract symptoms have been associated with falls, few studies have been undertaken to understand this relationship in vulnerable community dwelling older adults. The purpose of this study was to describe the relationship over time of falls risk and lower urinary tract symptoms among community based older women receiving home support services.

Methods: A prospective cohort study which took place in an urban setting in western Canada.

Home-based secondary prevention programs for patients with coronary artery disease: a meta-analysis of effects on anxiety.

Purpose: Anxiety is common among patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Despite the benefits of home-based CAD prevention interventions on quality of life and atherosclerotic risk factors, the efficacy of home-based programs in reducing patient anxiety is unknown.

Methods: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of all randomized trials that examined the effects of home-based interventions on anxiety reduction in patients with CAD published in 18 databases until December 2009.