Search results for " HOME CARE"
showing 10 items of 90 documents
Association of Self-Reported Hearing Difficulty to Objective and Perceived Participation Outside the Home in Older Community-Dwelling Adults
2015
Objective: To investigate whether hearing difficulty is associated with objective and perceived participation in social and leisure activities outside the home in older adults. Method: Self-reported hearing difficulty, frequency of participation, perceived participation and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) were obtained from 848 community-dwelling men and women aged 75 to 90. Results: Among persons with MMSE ≤ 24, hearing was not associated with participation. In persons with MMSE > 24, relative to persons who reported no difficulty hearing, participants with major hearing difficulty had a higher odds ratio [OR] for infrequent participation in group activities (OR 2.1, 95% confidenc…
Activity of Thigh Muscles During Static and Dynamic Stances in Stroke Patients: A Pilot Case-Control Study
2014
Impaired postural control is a key characteristic of mobility problems in stroke patients and has great impact on the incidence of falls and on the level of independence in activities of daily living. The role played by the thigh muscles in balance impairment in stroke patients has not been sufficiently investigated. This study investigated the activities of the thigh muscles in stroke patients during standing balance manipulations.Ten stroke patients and 15 healthy subjects performed 5 upright standing tasks on a force platform: normal standing with eyes open, normal standing with eyes closed, feet together, semi-tandem standing, and a dynamic measurement along a predefined route. The post…
Emergencies in patients with advanced cancer followed at home.
2012
Abstract CONTEXT: Patients with advanced cancer stay at home for most of their time, and acute problems may occur during home care. Caregivers may call medical services for an emergency, which can result in patients being admitted to the hospital. No data exist on emergencies in patients followed by a home care team. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this multicenter prospective study was to assess the frequency, reasons for, and subsequent course of emergency calls for patients followed at home by a palliative care team. METHODS: A consecutive sample of patients admitted to home care programs was surveyed for a period of seven months. Epidemiological data, and characteristics of emergency calls and o…
Prognostic factors of survival in patients with advanced cancer admitted to home care
2011
Abstract CONTEXT: Data regarding prognostication of life expectancy in patients with advanced cancer are of paramount importance to patients, families, and clinicians. However, data regarding patients followed at home are lacking. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between various factors recorded at the beginning of home care assistance and survival. METHODS: A sample of consecutive patients admitted to two home care programs was surveyed. A preliminary consensus was achieved as to the possible variables easy to be recorded at home. These included age at the time of home care admission, gender, residence, marital status, primary cancer diagnosis, Karnofsky Pe…
The frequency of alcoholism in patients with advanced cancer admitted to an acute palliative care unit and a home care program
2015
Abstract Context Cancer patients with a history of alcoholism may be problematic. The frequency of alcoholism among patients with advanced cancer has never been reported in Italy or other European countries. Objectives The aim of this prospective study was to determine the frequency of alcoholism, assessed with a simple and validated instrument, among patients with advanced cancer who were referred to two different palliative care settings: an acute inpatient palliative care unit (PCU) of a comprehensive cancer center in a metropolitan area and a home care program (HCP) in a territorial district, localized in the mountains of Italy. Methods A consecutive sample of patients admitted to an in…
Electromyographic comparison of conventional machine strength training versus bodyweight exercises in patients with chronic stroke
2017
OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether bodyweight exercises can induce comparable levels of muscle activity as conventional machine exercises in chronic stroke patients.METHODS: Eighteen patients performed three repetitions of bilateral- and unilateral machine leg press and the bodyweight exercises chair rise and hip thrust. Surface electromyography (EMG) was recorded from 10 lower extremity muscles and normalized to maximal EMG (nEMG) of the non-paretic leg.RESULTS: For the paretic leg, the bodyweight exercises showed comparable levels of nEMG in 6 out of 10 muscles compared with the bilateral leg press. Vastus lateralis nEMG was higher during bilateral leg press compared with hip thrust (38% […
Do Associations Between Perceived Environmental and Individual Characteristics and Walking Limitations Depend on Lower Extremity Performance Level?
2017
Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze whether the associations between perceived environmental and individual characteristics and perceived walking limitations in older people differ between those with intact and those with poorer lower extremity performance. Method: Persons aged 75 to 90 ( N = 834) participated in interviews and performance tests in their homes. Standard questionnaires were used to obtain walking difficulties; environmental barriers to and, facilitators of, mobility; and perceived individual hindrances to outdoor mobility. Lower extremity performance was tested using Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). Results: Among those with poorer lower extremity perf…
Opioid switching in patients with advanced cancer followed at home. A retrospective analysis.
2013
Abstract CONTEXT: Opioid switching has been found to improve opioid responsiveness in different conditions. However, data on opioid switching performed at home are almost nonexistent, despite the fact that most patients are followed at home. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this retrospective survey was to determine frequency, indications, usefulness, and safety of opioid switching when treating advanced cancer-related pain in patients followed at home. METHODS: A retrospective review of data from patients with advanced cancer followed at home by three home care teams for a period of two years was performed. Patients who had their opioids switched were selected. Reasons for switching opioid doses and…
Hilliness and the Development of Walking Difficulties Among Community-Dwelling Older People
2018
Objective: The objective of this study is to study the associations of objectively defined hilliness with the prevalence and incidence of walking difficulties among community-dwelling older adults, and to explore whether behavioral, health, or socioeconomic factors would fully or partially explain these associations. Method: Baseline interviews ( n = 848, 75-90 years) on difficulties in walking 500 m, frequency of moving through the neighborhood, and perceived hilliness as a barrier to outdoor mobility were conducted. Two-year follow-up interviews ( n = 551) on difficulties in walking 500 m were conducted among participants without baseline walking difficulties. Hilliness objectively defin…
Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus from pressure ulcers in patients receiving home care in Palermo, Italy
2009
Dear Sir,Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a frequent and serious threat to hospitalized patients globally and now represents a challenge for public health, as community-acquire...