Background and Objective: A positive family functionality is a significant factor to a good quality of life in the elderly. This study sought to determine the factors that contribute to family dysfunction among community-dwelling older persons. Methods: A cross-sectional study was done among community-dwelling elderly ages 60 years old and above through the outpatient department of a tertiary government hospital. A researcher-assisted interview was done to gather socio-demographic factors such as age, sex, family type, and, GDS-S score, and family APGAR. Multiple linear regression analysis was done to determine the association of the said socio-demographic factors and likelihood of depression through GDS-S with family function through family APGAR. Results: Among the 309 respondents, the average age of respondents was 69 years(SD=6.53), with female predominance of 61.8%, and a higher frequency of older persons belonging to an extended family. The mean GDS-S score is 1.69(SD=1.83), with a frequency of 13.9%. A very minimal percentage of 8.06% (25, N=309) showed to exhibit family dysfunction. Regression studies revealed association of advancing age, and female sex with family dysfunction. The type of family, and GDS-S are not significantly associated with family dysfunction. Conclusion Advancing age and female sex are associated with family dysfunction. There is no specific family type that is significantly associated with family dysfunction. Likelihood of depression does not necessarily imply family dysfunction in an elderly.
Elderly

Background: Hypertension is an important risk factor that increases the cardiovascular disease-related morbidity and mortality, especially in elderly people. Objectives: The study aims to identify the hypertension rate among elderly residents of Can Tho city and some demographic, economic and social factors that were associated with hypertension in view of hypertension is changing with social and economic development. Subjects and method: The cross-sectional study involved 594 elderly people who were living in Can Tho city. Blood pressure was measured by the Korrotkoff method. The demographic, economic and social information was collected using questionnaire-based direct interviews. Results: The hypertension rate was quite high in the elderly group (51.9%). According to the WHO\u2019s ISH criteria, stage III occupied nearly 10%, stage II was approximately 15% and nearly one third of them in stage I. Age and living location were found to have significant impact to blood pressure status. Compared to the age group of 60 to 69, the elderly people in the age group of 70 to 79 were more likely to have hypertension by one and half times. And the risk was more than twice as high in the age group of 80 and above. These relationships were significant to p<0.05. The elderly people who were living in rural areas had twice the chance of having hypertension than those living in urban areas (p<0.001). Conclusion: The hypertension rate was quite high in elderly people in Can Tho city, Viet Nam. Age and living place were factors related to hypertension status in the elderly.
Hypertension ; Elderly

The Philippines has an increasingly aging population thereby increasing the demand for healthcare and support from families. Studies showed that the family is the main caregiver of elderly parents/adults as dictated by the Filipino culture of filial piety and respectful behavior towards older people. However, this caring culture is now slowly declining, and Filipino older adults also experience abuse, exploitation, and other forms of neglect from their families. This special article described that the declining caring culture was due to deteriorating family values and societal influences brought about by modernization. This paper also highlights the crucial role of the family and the community in inculcating the preservation of this valued caring Filipino culture, especially among the youth. In cases where senior citizens are being abused and neglected by their families, the state steps in to safeguard the welfare and protection of Filipino senior citizens. Enacted and promulgated laws ensure social justice and protection of human dignity among Filipino older adults as well as the provision of socioeconomic and health needs. In conclusion, the preservation of a caring culture through educating the youth coupled with the implementation of enacted and promulgated laws of the country ensures the quality of aging life among Filipino older adults.

No abstract available.
Aged ; Frail Elderly* ; Humans

Background: Limitation of daily activities is the obstacle that prevents the elderly from achieving their desires. Objective: Aim to discover the prevalence and risk factors of the limitation in daily activities in the elderly. Subject and methods: This cross - sectional study was conducted in 4 provinces: Thai Nguyen, Ha Tay, Hue and Can Tho during June to December 2006 among 2.644 people at the age of 60 and above. Results: The overall prevalence of limitation of the elderly is 5.6%, and 4.3% is totally dependent and 1.3% is partly dependent. This proportion increases with age. It happens more in urban areas as opposed to rural and mountainous areas. Those living with their spouse have lower proportion of limitations. Can Tho and Ha Tay has the higher proportion of limitation than Hue and Thai Nguyen. Factors related to these limitations are aging (OR = 1.08; 1.06-1.10), not working at the current time (OR = 0.11; 0.05-0.28), ethnicity (OR = 2.25; 1.45-3.49), lack of physical exercise (OR = 2.24, 1.75-3.85), brain damage (OR = 15.18; 9.47-24.35), dementia (OR = 2.39; 1.62-3.54) and loss of vision (OR =1.32; 1.05-1.65). Conclusion: The limitation in daily activities tremendously affects the quality of life for the elderly. Age, working status, race, physical activity, accident of cerebral vessels, dementia and vision loss are statistic significant related factors for the limitation in daily activities of the elderly
Elderly ; daily activities

In study series of author, the incidence of acute appendicitis in older patients is 8.57%. The classic symptoms such as pain, anorexia and nausea presented in older patients but are less pronounced than in younger adults. Pain in the right lower quadrant: 80.95%, localization occurs later than in younger patients. 42 (85%) patients have comorbidity. In older patients with appendicitis, the diagnosis is often delayed with 66.66% of cases have been perforated. The mortality rate is 3.57%. Rate of complications is 50%. The most common complication is infection, occurred in 38.09% of patients.
Appendicitis ; Frail Elderly ; aged

BACKGROUND

Depression is a widespread mental disorder that affects 3.8% of the global population, with a total prevalence rate of 5.7% in the age group of 60 and older. Symptoms include feelings of guilt, hopelessness, and thoughts of dying or suicide. The Philippines has a high mental health issue among its older adults, with 7.5 million accounting for 7.5% of the population. The country ranks third in the Western Pacific Region, with 6 million Filipinos suffering from depression and anxiety.

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of depression and its associated factors among the elderly group ages 60 and older in Barangay Cabangahan, Consolacion, Cebu.

This study used a cross-sectional research design. Respondents were randomly selected through convenient sampling through house-to-house visitation and face-to-face interviews. Assessment tools were distributed assessing the demographic profile, Family APGAR, and Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9). The depression scale was adapted to determine the prevalence of depression among the elderly. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data, which displayed the frequency distribution and percentage of the respondents’ demographic profile, family function, and prevalence of depression. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to determine the association of the demographic profile and family function with the prevalence of depression.

The demographic profile of the elderly group is mostly women, comprising 93 (80.87%) of the population; 53 (46.09%) belong to the young-old age group (aged 60–65), and 65 (56.53%) are married. The majority are elementary school graduates, 72 (62.61%); their source of financial support is their children, 42 (35.5%), and employment is 35 (30.43%). Most live together with their immediate family, 106 (92.17%). This study identified 60 (52.17%) of the 115 respondents as having a highly functional family. Only 35.65% (41) of the respondents had mild depression, while 54 (46.09%) reported no or minimal depression. Among the demographic profiles, living alone, having more than one comorbidity, and taking more than one medication may lead to depression among the elderly, with r-values of .191,213 and.222, respectively. The study indicates a significant relationship between family function and the prevalence of depression in the elderly, with a p-value of 0.022 and a weak negative correlation with an r-value of -.214.

The elderly population is predominantly women, with most being married and living with their immediate family. Highly functional families are evident, while the prevalence of depression is low, with only 35.65% experiencing mild symptoms. The study suggests improving the quality of life for the elderly through intervention programs, health education, and strong, cohesive community networks. Additional assessment instruments, such as the Geriatric Depression Scale, are recommended, as well as increasing the study’s sample size and geographic setting.

The number of elderly diabetic patients has continued to increase year by year. Home-visit nursing care is beneficial to homebound elderly diabetic patients and there is a large number of senior citizens utilizing this form of health service. We conducted a questionnaire survey of home-visit nursing care of elderly diabetic patients. Those queried were participants in the diabetes workshop. Eighty-five of them responded to our questionnaire.The results showed that 87% of the respondents experienced care of diabetic patients and acute complications of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia as well. It was also found that many home helpers extended assistance in drug compliance, indicating that home helpers play an important role in the medical care of elderly diabetic patients.On the other hand, many problems became apparent such as lack of observation of foot care, lack of knowledge of methods of treating hypoglycemia, and inadequate observation of drug compliance due to the limited availability of home visit time.Training and collaboration of local home-visit nursing care personnel are considered necessary in the future in order to improve on the home care of elderly diabetic patients.
Elderly ; Care given by nurses ; Questionnaires ; Home ; Surveys

The author founded the “Society of the New Elderly” in 2000 and launched a campaign to redefine old age. It was some 50 years back that the elderly were defined as those people over the age of 65 in industrially advanced countries.However, with the average life expectancy of Japanese at birth topping 82, the author suggested five years ago that the elderly should refer to those people 70 and over. The Society adopted the following four slogans:(1) to love, (2) to initiate, (3) to endure, and (4) to promote world peace by letting school children learn how peace could be realized through the stories of the horrors of war told by the aged who experienced them during World War II.It was emphasized that good models of the elderly should be shown to the young generation through hearty communication at their homes or at public places.The author recently visited Dr. Schweitzer's hospital at Lambarene in Gabon and learned how the Alsatian medical missionary had dedicated himself to the people there to let them know how precious the life of humans and all other living things, because they were created by God.Finally, the author mentioned the latest research we had been conducting with the participation of volunteers among the memebers of the Society. Through the cohort study, it is to investigate how their genus are influenced by their lifestyle.The author has been trying to persuade health professionals in different disciplines into working together more closely in order to improve the quality of health care.
Elderly ; seconds ; Societies <1> ; Age, NOS ; peace

In January 2004, a panel of experts (chairman : Satoshi Ueda) commissioned by the Health and Welfare Bureau for the Elderly, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, came up with an idea suggesting a direction the nation’s rehabilitation project for the aged should take in the future. This has rekindled the debate over the way the rehabilitation work for the old people should be carried out the inevitable subject of discussion that had been taken place on and off since the nursing care insurance system came into being.We have been involved in the rehabilitation of those people mainly with the after-effects of strokes since the early 1960’s when the Japanese government embarked on the rehabilitation project for the elderly.In this paper, we examined our ways of grappling with the task of rehabilitation for the aged people in retrospect. At the same time, from the standpoint of the philosophy that the rehabilitation work for the aged should be aimed at recovering their mental and physical functions to improve their quality of life, we envisioned the future of the rehabilitation project for the old people with stress placed on the following two points :(1) the working on a rehabilitation program for the aged after the model of the international classification of functioning, disability and health ; and(2) the building up of a community-based rehabilitation system interlocked with an overall program for the promotion of health care, welfare and security in the local community.
Rehabilitation aspects ; Work ; Future ; Elderly ; Rehabilitation therapy