Biomedical subjects

J A van der Bom

Publications and source records attributed to J A van der Bom.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1992

[Homes for the aged: a source of increasing concern? (5). The last stage of life].

The object of this study was the physical and psycho-social functioning of residents of an old people's home in the last period of their life. Because of the size of the sample, it was possible to distinguish residents who died before from residents who died after changes in the organisation had been implemented. All residents declined physically over the last eight months or over the last twenty months before dying. However, in the period after the organizational changes had been introduced, psycho-social functioning developed independently from physical infirmity: in psycho-social aspects there was no further decline. Thus, our results disconfirm the generally held deficit model. Which means that residents of the old people's home are capable to function in a psychologically fulfilling way until the last moment of their life.

Affect↗

PubMed1988

[Homes for the aged: a source of increasing concern (3). The effect of organizational changes].

The decline of residents of the old people's home we published about in this journal in 1983 and 1985 appears to be able to slow down both by adaptation of the organisation (scaling down the wards and simultaneously increasing the number of them) and the working methods of the staff (oriented towards the residents). The measures we suggested were meant to give the residents more hold of their own lives and to stimulate social contacts. After some changes in the organisation there was no further increase of physical and psychosocial problems of the residents. The newly admitted people benefitted most of the changes. Those who were admitted after these changes did function on a better level than those who were admitted before. Furthermore there was no question of a decline during the first year of stay at the former group, unlike the latter. Even in the group that participated from the start in this research there was an improvement of the physical and psychosocial functioning. Those who died or those who were relocated to a nursing home did not show any change in physical and psychosocial functioning after the measures that were taken in the organisation. But in the last period less people were relocated to nursing homes. Our conclusion is that merely by adaptation of organisation and working methods positive effects can be reached. The next question is whether we can achieve more by giving extra individual stimulation of the people.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1985

[The home for the aged: a source of growing concern (2). Behavior assessment over a 2 1/2-year period].

In 1983 we published the results of 12 months of behaviour assessment in an old people's home. We noticed an increase in physical and psychosocial problems. In the following 18 months we observed a further increase, both in the cross-sectional group as well as in the longitudinal group. Newly admitted people have rather serious problems from the onset. Furthermore, there is a marked increase from then on. The most vulnerable category consists of those elderly who die or are relocated to a nursing home within a short period of time. In the past the temporary increase in care for this group was compensated by the admittance of relatively healthy and young people. This equilibrium is now disturbed by the more advanced age and greater dependency of newly admitted elderly. In our research we find minor differences in psychosocial aspects between people dying and those relocated to a nursing home. The question remains, whether people in their last period of life should be relocated to a nursing home. We think the old people's home has an important task here. Because the lack of social contact plays an important role in the development of other problems, we plead for interventions in this area. We mentioned two possible modes of intervention. Our first impression is rather positive.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1984

Double-blind clinical and psychologic study of ergoloid mesylates (Hydergine) in subjects with senile mental deterioration.

A double-blind study of 24 weeks' duration was conducted to investigate the effects of ergoloid mesylates (Hydergine) on symptoms of senile mental deterioration. Fifty-eight residents of old people's homes were included in the trial. Thirty were treated with ergoloid mesylates and 28 with placebo, and the effects of treatment were determined by means of medical and psychological examinations. On the Sandoz Clinical Assessment Geriatric Scale, the group receiving ergoloid mesylates showed significant improvement in all items. The group receiving placebo showed slight deterioration. Psychological examination showed that no changes were observed for either group in quantitative psychometric test results, although qualitative aspects of performance such as attention and concentration did improve. There was a close correlation between improved cognitive function scores on the SCAG and improved evaluations of behavior during the psychological examinations. There were marked individual differences in the degrees of improvement.

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PubMed1983

[Nursing homes: a source of increasing concern. Behavior assessment by the nursing staff].

In recent times the need for physical care of residents of Dutch old people's homes has clearly increased. This is strongly related to the ageing of the population of these homes as well as to the introduction of legal measures concerning the admission of new residents. Staff members have also noted an increase in the mental and social problems of residents. In this article we describe a rating scale devised for the assessment of psychosocial problems in a home for the aged. The staff completed this scale and an ADL scale four times at three-month intervals. The prevailing problems appear to be loneliness, isolation and depression. Longitudinal analysis indicates that the number of residents with physical and psychosocial problems is increasing. The relationship between these two domains however is relatively weak. This development requires a new orientation of management and staff and adaptation of education and training of personnel.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Intervention measures in the Netherlands].

The authors begin with an overview of the policy measures for the aging dutch population from a behavioral and social scientific point of view. They describe these measures chronologically. It appears that first the basic needs (income and health) received the most attention, followed by (public) health and housing. The last area to receive attention was the social-cultural development of the individual older person. In the second part the concept of intervention is discussed. Every measure can not be interpreted as intervention. Many measures are a necessary answer to real problems. But their impact is not directly to change the roots of the ageing fenomenon. In the last part the authors discuss the conditions for a realistic strategy of intervention. These conditions concern not only the definition of old age, but also the attitude toward old age. A life-span outlook in students, as well as in adults and older people, bridges the gap in attitudes between young-adult and the adult-old people. Examples for educational systems from the University of Nijmegen are given.

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