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Biomedical subjects

L Beaumont

Publications and source records attributed to L Beaumont.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

"Special steps": an effective visiting/walking program for persons with cognitive impairment.

A program for elderly persons with cognitive impairment and their caregivers was evaluated for its effectiveness and efficiency with regard to caregiver burden, sense of coherence, satisfaction, and cost to the health-care system. The program consisted of a weekly 2-hour visit and walk by volunteers. During a 9-month period in 1997, all eligible referrals were randomly assigned to receive the service immediately (experimental group) or be placed on a waiting list to receive it 6 weeks later (control group). Eleven caregivers/recipients formed the experimental group; 10 caregivers/recipients formed the control group. All completed questionnaires at randomization and at 6-week follow-up. Perceived burden decreased by 8% only for the caregivers in the experimental group (F = 6.8, p = .02). They indicated that they appreciated the respite and support and that the care recipient enjoyed the visit/walk. Although this study was short in duration and small in sample size, improvements were noted in perceived caregiver burden and caregivers expressed satisfaction with the program. The program did not result in additional health and social-service expenditures.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Problem-solving counseling for caregivers of the cognitively impaired: effective for whom?

BACKGROUND: Individualized problem-solving counseling for caregivers of cognitively impaired relatives is thought to help caregivers cope with the stress and burden of caregiving. Few studies have shown the effectiveness of counseling for these caregivers. OBJECTIVES: To determine the effectiveness of individualized problem-solving counseling by nurses for caregivers and the expenditures of health care utilization. METHOD: Caregivers (n = 77) of the cognitively impaired living at home were randomized to receive nurse counseling or not. Psychosocial adjustment to their relative's illness, psychological distress, burden, coping skills, and expenditures were measured after 6 months and 1 year. RESULTS: Although on average, all caregivers receiving nurse counseling indicated no improvement in psychosocial adjustment to their relative's illness, psychological distress, or caregiver burden, they found counseling very helpful and it was effective for a subgroup of caregivers. Those with poor logical analysis coping skills at baseline had decreased psychological distress (F(1,53) = 9.7, p = .003) and improved psychosocial adjustment (F(1,53) = 4.7, p = .035) after 1 year. Caregivers in control and counseling groups whose relatives entered a nursing home improved their psychosocial adjustment 23% on average whereas those continuing to live in the community decreased by 8%. Almost half as many relatives entered nursing homes in the counseling group (n = 9 vs. n = 5) but these compared to control group relatives had greater annualized per person expenditures for health and social services (Cdn$23,437 vs. Cdn$15,151). CONCLUSIONS: Caregivers found nurse counseling most helpful. Those indicating infrequent use of logical analysis coping skills showed benefits.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Peritoneal macrophage cytotoxicity induced by serum in vitro.

The authors studied the effects of peritoneal macrophages on the growth of HP2 cells, a continuous line isolated from the transplanted Harding-Passey mouse melanoma. They found that normal peritoneal macrophages can exert a strong cytostatic effect on HP2 cells, as expressed by cell number and tritiated thymidine uptake by the target cells. The data indicates that normal heat inactivated sera from various species can render macrophages cytostatic. In addition, normal serum can amplify the cytostatic properties of macrophages from immunized animals. The results are discussed in the light of present knowledge of macrophage metabolism.

Animals↗