Lower-rated facilities get more Alzheimer’s admissions: study
Highly rated operations had 3% fewer newly admitted residents with Alzheimer’s. CNA wages and Medicaid add-ons may play a role in the findings, report investigators.
Mental Health
Conversation starter: Social distancing more damaging for some residents
Seniors who perceive themselves as younger are less likely to suffer the mental health effects of social distancing, say researchers.
As negative thoughts accumulate, so might Alzheimer’s risk
Repetitive negative thinking is linked to cognitive decline and brain deposits seen in early Alzheimer’s disease, a new study has found.
Mental distress spikes among U.S. adults during pandemic
Seniors responding to an April survey reported distress symptoms at rates double those of 2018. Researchers attribute the spike to turmoil caused by the pandemic.
Antidepressant fails to improve apathy in Alzheimer’s patients
Bupropion had no effect in the largest trial yet to study apathy treatment in Alzheimer’s, say investigators.
Residents feel strain of continuing isolation: providers
A tendency toward resilience is common in seniors, but the strain of continued coronavirus lockdown in eldercare communities is beginning to show, say providers.
Mental health risk is low in coronavirus, but long-term delirium may occur
An analysis of mental health outcomes from past SARS and MERS outbreaks may offer useful predictions about coronavirus outcomes for clinicians, say British researchers.
‘Stress first aid’ for healthcare workers can help to prevent PTSD: expert
Frontline caregivers can use strategies adopted by the military to lessen the impact of pandemic-related job stress, according to a new report.
Clinical Briefs for Monday, May 18
COVID-19 social distancing is complicating a ‘silent epidemic’ of hearing loss in senior living … New End of Life Care in Frailty guidelines released … Late-life depression is tied to chronic disease, study finds
Mental health concerns prompting facilities to request renewed socializing
Some Florida eldercare facility administrators are asking for eased restrictions that would allow limited socializing within their communities.
