Changes in skilled nursing and home health admissions associated with Medicare payment reforms and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Shortly after Medicare implemented post-acute care payment reforms, the COVID-19 pandemic began, but little is known about how these reforms and the pandemic impacted admissions to the most common post-acute settings-skilled nursing facilities (SNF) and home health agencies (HHAs)-for the full Medicare fee-for-service population.

Methods: Using 100% of Medicare fee-for-service data, we conducted adjusted interrupted time series analyses of 31,730,994 hospital stays of all adult beneficiaries discharged alive from the hospital between 2018 and 2021 to examine whether payment reforms and the pandemic were associated with differences in admissions to SNFs and HHAs compared to pre-reform and pre-COVID (baseline) trends.

Results: At baseline, an average 18.

Association between muscle strength and echogenicity using greyscale ultrasound software: a diagnostic accuracy study in kidney transplant candidates.

Background: Advanced chronic kidney disease disrupts the delicate equilibrium between protein anabolism and catabolism, leading to alterations in muscle quantity, quality, and function. Musculoskeletal ultrasound emerges as a promising assessment tool due to its widespread availability and high reliability.

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of rectus femoris (RF) echogenicity, measured using greyscale software, in identifying diminished muscle quality and strength in candidates for kidney transplant.

COVID-19 health communication strategies for older adults: Chatbots and traditional media.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly accelerated the development and use of new healthcare technologies. While younger individuals may have been able to quickly embrace virtual advancements, older adults may still have different needs in terms of health communication.

Objectives: To identify areas of interest and preferred sources of information related to the COVID-19 pandemic among older adults and to verify their eHealth competencies.

Comparison of treatment of severe rheumatoid arthritis patients with biological agents and JAK-STAT inhibitors. An extension study.

Introduction: This study compared treatment with biologic agents and Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi) in combination with methotrexate (MTX) for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in a real-world setting at a large center in Poland. There is a persistent shortage of such studies, and illustrating the switching of medications in search of a suitable way of treatment for a given patient is a crucial step towards future personalized therapy.

Aim Of The Study: This study is an extension of the initial work published in 2022 in , with the addition of an analysis of patients treated with upadacitinib.

Higher detectability of amyloid with phenol Congo red compared with alkaline Congo red.

Introduction: Amyloidosis is a heterogeneous group of conditions associated with tissue deposition of insoluble abnormal proteins that damage vital organs. Early diagnosis, when the deposits are minimal, determines the prognosis and requires histological confirmation. The commonly adopted gold standard technique is alkaline Congo red (ACR) staining, though its sensitivity is limited.

Can the internet based intervention 'strategies for empowering activities in everyday life' support people with cognitive difficulties to self-manage digital work and everyday life?

Background: Digital work can be cognitively challenging especially for people with cognitive difficulties. New occupational therapy interventions are needed to empower these persons to self-manage challenges in digital work and everyday life. To address this need, the internet-based intervention 'Strategies for Empowering Activities in Everyday Life' (SEE 2.

Preoperative inspiratory muscle training improves lung function prior to elective heart valve surgery and reduces postoperative lung function impairment and pulmonary complications: a randomised trial.

Question: What is the effect of 3 days of preoperative inspiratory muscle training (IMT) on lung function prior to heart valve surgery and on postoperative lung function and pulmonary complications compared with sham and no IMT?

Design: A three-arm, multicentre, randomised controlled trial with concealed allocation, intention-to-treat analysis and blinded assessment of some outcomes.

Participants: This study included 228 adults scheduled for heart valve surgery.

Interventions: The IMT group received 3 days of IMT at 30% maximal inspiratory pressure, the sham IMT group received the same but at 10% maximal inspiratory pressure and the control group received no IMT.

Mild hypohydration in healthy older adults increases pain-related brain activity without affecting pain perception: A single-blind study.

Understanding how hydration status influences pain perception is particularly important in older adults, as both dehydration and pain are prevalent in this population. Ten individuals (70 ± 4 years) completed two randomized and counterbalanced trials. They were exposed to passive heat until they lost 1% body mass through sweat and urine (~ 100 min), with the loss either unreplaced (sham infusion, HYPO) or fully replaced via 0.

London Major Trauma System: a review of an organised trauma system and the challenges it faces.

London Major Trauma System (LMTS) was the first organised trauma system in the United Kingdom. It was created in 2010 in response to multiple reviews that suggested a large number of deaths from trauma may have been preventable. LMTS has all the features of a modern organised trauma system, including regionalisation, integration of care, transfer services, trauma teams, and a world leading research service.

Trajectories of functional decline and predictors in long-term care settings: a retrospective cohort analysis of Canadian nursing home residents.

Unlabelled: Decline in the ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL) or 'functional decline' is a major health concern among aging populations. With intervention, ADL decline may be delayed, prevented or reversed. The capacity to anticipate the trajectory of future functional change can enhance care planning and improve outcome for residents.

Investigating the Associations Between COVID-19, Long COVID, and Sleep Disturbances: Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: COVID-19 has not only resulted in acute health issues but also led to persistent symptoms known as long COVID, which have been linked to disruptions in sleep quality.

Objective: This study aims to investigate the associations between COVID-19, long COVID, and sleep disturbances, focusing on demographic, socioeconomic, and psychological factors among a Chinese population.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 1062 participants from China.

Exploring Older Adults' Perspectives on Digital Home Care Interventions and Home Modifications: Focus Group Study.

Background: Emerging gerontechnology seeks to enable older adults (OAs) to remain independently and safely in their homes by connecting to health and social support and services. There are increasing attempts to develop gerontechnology, but successful implementations are more likely limited because of the uncertainty of developers about the needs and priorities of OAs. As the global population ages, the challenges faced by older OAs in maintaining independence and well-being within their homes have become increasingly important.

Improving Surgical Outcomes for Older Adults with Adoption of Technological Advances in Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment.

Frailty is a well-recognized predictor of poor surgical outcomes for older adults, yet effective measurements and interventions remain limited. Technological advances offer an opportunity to address this gap and improve surgical care for older adults. This paper reviews the background of frailty and comprehensive geriatric assessments in surgery, and how technological innovations can advance frailty measurement and intervention in surgical settings.

The efficacy and feasibility of an immersive virtual reality game to train spatial attention orientation after stroke: A stage 2 report.

Spatial neglect is a post-stroke attention deficit for which there is no evidence-based intervention. Immersive virtual reality (IVR) may increase treatment efficacy, as it allows to train spatial attention in a rich environment. This study evaluated the efficacy and feasibility of an IVR patient-tailored training (HEMIRehApp).

"It's like it's the old boys club"-the age-related experiences of diverse older women living with HIV: A scoping review and consultative exercise.

Objectives: HIV is often under-recognized in older individuals, particularly women, despite a significant number of new cases being diagnosed in those aged >50 years. This review aimed to understand the age-related experiences and challenges faced by women aged ≥50 years living with HIV through an intersectional perspective.

Methods: We conducted a systematic scoping review using the framework by Arksey and O'Malley, refined by Levac, Colquhoun, and Peters, and informed by a Sex- and Gender-Based Analysis Plus (SGBA+) approach.

Evaluating changes in recovery in people living with severe and persistent mental illness after psychiatric rehabilitation services at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Eldoret, Kenya.

Objective: People living with severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI) in Kenya lack access to recovery-based services. In this study, we assessed changes in recovery in people living with SPMI in Kenya 6 months after receiving services at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital Nawiri Recovery and Skills Centre (Nawiri).

Methods: A retrospective evaluation was conducted using a pretest/posttest design analyzing Nawiri care program data collected on admission and 6 months after discharge for recovery metrics.

Balance and gait disorders in de novo Parkinson's disease: support for early rehabilitation.

Background: Postural instability is considered a late complication of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, growing evidence shows that balance and gait problems may occur early in the disease.

Objective: To describe balance, gait, and falls/near falls in persons with newly diagnosed, untreated PD ("de novo"), and to compare this with persons with mild-moderate PD (Later PD).

A Brief Report on Sex-Specific Differences in Persistent Depression, Anxiety, and Loneliness Among Canadian Veterans During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Introduction: Older adults are at increased risk of severe illness and mortality from Coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) infection. However, public health strategies aimed at reducing spread of COVID-19 may have resulted in increased mental health symptoms, particularly among older adults. Currently, little is known about whether older Veterans were more likely to experience persistent mental health symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic than non-Veterans.

Screening for frequent hospitalization risk among community-dwelling older adult between 2016 and 2023: machine learning-driven item selection, scoring system development, and prospective validation.

Background: Screening for frequent hospitalizations in the community can help prevent super-utilizers from growing in the inpatient population. However, the determinants of frequent hospitalizations have not been systematically examined, their operational definitions have been inconsistent, and screening among community members lacks tools. Nor do we know if what determined frequent hospitalizations before COVID-19 continued to be the determinant of frequent hospitalizations at the height of the pandemic.

Multimodal prehabilitation combined with perioperative enhanced recovery after surgery care for older patients undergoing spinal fusion surgery in China: protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled trial (PRACTICE trial).

Introduction: Besides the comorbid risk factors shared by older and younger patients, older individuals may also experience malnutrition, as well as cognitive or functional impairments. The accumulation of frailty and various geriatric syndromes in older individuals results in decreased physiological reserves, which makes the recovery process after spine surgery particularly challenging. Theoretically, combining the presurgery optimisation provided by a multimodal prehabilitation programme with the reduction of surgical stress provided by an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) programme could improve postoperative recovery of older patients.

Proximity to public transportation and incidence of depression risk among older adults: A three-year longitudinal analysis from the Japan Gerontological evaluation study.

Objective: Depression in older adults has been associated with environmental factors, such as green spaces and walkable neighborhoods; however, evidence on the relationship between proximity to public transportation and mental health is scarce. This multi-municipality longitudinal study examined the association between proximity to public transportation and risk of depression among older adults and considered car usage.

Methods: We analyzed data from 4947 functionally independent adults, aged 65 years and older who resided in 25 municipalities across Japan.

Subchronic cyanuric acid treatment impairs spatial flexible behavior in female adolescent rats through depressing GluN2B-dependent neuronal and synaptic function.

Subchronic exposure to cyanuric acid (CA) and its structural analogue melamine induces long-term effects on brain and behavior in male rodents. To examine if this exposure induced negative effects on cognitive function in females, we examined the behavioral performance and further attempted to investigate synaptic and neuronal function. CA was intraperitoneal treated with 20 or 40 mg/kg/day to adolescent female rats for 4 consecutive weeks.