Biomedical subjects

Lillemor Lundin-Olsson

Publications and source records attributed to Lillemor Lundin-Olsson.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Health status in the oldest old. Age and sex differences in the Umeå 85+ Study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: With an increasing population aged 85 years and over, the aim of this study was to describe health status and living conditions in the oldest old and to estimate age and sex differences in a Northern European population. METHODS: A population-based cross-sectional study, The Umeå 85+ Study, was carried out in the municipality of Umeå in northern Sweden. Out of 319 eligible participants aged 85, 90 and 95 years and over, 253 participated. Structured interviews and assessments were conducted with the participants in their homes, and data were also collected from relatives, caregivers and medical charts. Cognition was screened with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), depressive symptoms with the Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15) and nutritional status with the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA). Activities of daily living (ADL) were assessed applying the Staircase of ADL (including Katz' Index of ADL) and morale with the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale (PGCMS). Participants also rated their own health. RESULTS: Over half of the participants had hypertension, one out of four was depressed, and the same proportion had had a hip fracture; the mean number of drugs taken was 6.4+/-4.0. Younger participants had lower rates of diagnoses and prescribed drugs, and were less dependent in ADL and other functional variables; men had lower rates of diagnoses and reported symptoms. The majority of participants rated their general health and morale as good. CONCLUSIONS: There were large variations in social, medical and functional variables within and between age and sex groups. This northern population of the oldest old seems to have a very high prevalence of hypertension, depression, hip fractures, and many prescribed drugs.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2006

High-intensity functional exercise program and protein-enriched energy supplement for older persons dependent in activities of daily living: a randomised controlled trial.

The aims of this randomised controlled trial were to determine if a high-intensity functional exercise program improves balance, gait ability, and lower-limb strength in older persons dependent in activities of daily living and if an intake of protein-enriched energy supplement immediately after the exercises increases the effects of the training. One hundred and ninety-one older persons dependent in activities of daily living, living in residential care facilities, and with a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score of ? 10 participated. They were randomised to a high-intensity functional exercise program or a control activity, which included 29 sessions over 3 months, as well as to protein-enriched energy supplement or placebo. Berg Balance Scale, self-paced and maximum gait speed, and one-repetition maximum in lower-limb strength were followed-up at three and six months and analysed by 2 x 2 factorial ANCOVA, using the intention-to-treat principle. At three months, the exercise group had improved significantly in self-paced gait speed compared with the control group (mean difference 0.04 m/s, p = 0.02). At six months, there were significant improvements favouring the exercise group for Berg Balance Scale (1.9 points, p = 0.05), self-paced gait speed (0.05 m/s, p = 0.009), and lower-limb strength (10.8 kg, p = 0.03). No interaction effects were seen between the exercise and nutrition interventions. In conclusion, a high-intensity functional exercise program has positive long-term effects in balance, gait ability, and lower-limb strength for older persons dependent in activities of daily living. An intake of protein-enriched energy supplement immediately after the exercises does not appear to increase the effects of the training.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2006

Using a virtual reality system to study balance and walking in a virtual outdoor environment: a pilot study.

Falls and fall-related injuries are a major problem for elderly persons. Most falls occur during walking and turning, and the risk of falling increases when attention is diverted to something besides walking. It is often difficult to standardize methods for testing balance and fall tendency in a clinically relevant setting. We describe the development of a system using a virtual environment (VE) to assess how attention demanding and unexpected events influence a person's capacity to control balance and movement. The hardware in the system consists of a head-mounted display (HMD), a magnetic tracker system, and two SGI computers. The software consists of the image generation of the VE and the management and visualization of motion tracking data. In a preliminary pilot study eight subjects (age 23-80) participated. Each subject walked on a normal floor and was visually presented a familiar outdoor environment in the HMD. They were exposed to different unexpected events, such as a virtual snowfall and tilting of the VE. Disturbances of balance and walking patterns such as changes in speed, stride length and balance reactions like slipping were observed. Two subjects experienced symptoms of cyber sickness with a SSQ score above 25 points. Walking with sensors only did not affect walking time, but in VE the subjects generally walked more slowly. Virtual tilting of the environment had an impact on balance performance during walking. This effect was not observed while the test subjects were walking in a virtual snowfall. The model needs further development but may hold a potential for clinical use.

Accidental Falls↗

PubMed2006

A high-intensity functional weight-bearing exercise program for older people dependent in activities of daily living and living in residential care facilities: evaluation of the applicability with focus on cognitive function.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Knowledge concerning the applicability and the effect of high-intensity exercise programs is very limited for older people with severe cognitive and physical impairments. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the applicability of a high-intensity functional weight-bearing exercise program among older people who are dependent in activities of daily living and living in residential care facilities. A second aim was to analyze whether cognitive function was associated with the applicability of the program. SUBJECTS: The subjects were 91 older people (mean age=85.3 years, SD=6.1, range=68-100) who were dependent in personal activities of daily living and randomly assigned to participate in an exercise intervention. Their mean score for the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was 17.5 (SD=5.0, range=10-29). METHODS: A high-intensity functional weight-bearing exercise program was performed in groups of 3 to 7 participants who were supervised by physical therapists. There were 29 exercise sessions over 13 weeks. Attendance, intensity of lower-limb strength and balance exercises, and occurrence and seriousness of adverse events were the outcome variables in evaluating the applicability of the program. RESULTS: The median attendance rate was 76%. Lower-limb strength exercises with high intensity were performed in a median of 53% of the attended exercise sessions, and balance exercises with high intensity were performed in a median of 73% of the attended exercise sessions. The median rate of sessions with adverse events was 5%. All except 2 adverse events were assessed as minor and temporary, and none led to manifest injury or disease. No significant differences were observed in applicability when comparing participants with dementia and participants without dementia. In addition, there was no significant correlation between applicability and the MMSE score. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The results suggest that a high-intensity functional weight-bearing exercise program is applicable for use, regardless of cognitive function, among older people who are dependent in activities of daily living, living in residential care facilities, and have an MMSE score of 10 or higher.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2006

Timed "Up & Go" test: reliability in older people dependent in activities of daily living--focus on cognitive state.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: It is unknown how cognitive impairment affects the reliability of Timed "Up & Go" Test (TUG) scores. The aim of the present study was to investigate the expected variability of TUG scores in older subjects dependent in activities of daily living (ADL) and with different levels of cognitive state. The hypothesis was that cognitive impairment would increase the variability of TUG scores. SUBJECTS: Seventy-eight subjects with multiple impairments, dependent in ADL, and living in residential care facilities were included in this study. The subjects were 84.8+/-5.7 (mean+/-SD) years of age, and their Mini-Mental State Examination score was 18.7+/-5.6. METHODS: The TUG assessments were performed on 3 different days. Intrarater and interrater analyses were carried out. RESULTS: Cognitive impairment was not related to the size of the variability of TUG scores. There was a significant relationship between the variability and the time taken to perform the TUG. The intraclass correlations were greater than .90 and were similar within and between raters. In repeated measurements at the individual level, an observed value of 10 seconds was expected to vary from 7 to 15 seconds and an observed value of 40 seconds was expected to vary from 26 to 61 seconds for 95% of the observations. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The measurement error of a TUG assessment is substantial for a frail older person dependent in ADL, regardless of the level of cognitive function, when verbal cuing is permitted during testing. The variability increases with the time to perform the TUG. Despite high intraclass correlation coefficients, the ranges of expected variability can be wide and are similar within and between raters. Physical therapists should be aware of this variability before they interpret the TUG score for a particular individual.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2005

Morale in the oldest old: the Umeå 85+ study.

OBJECTIVE: to describe morale among the oldest old, and to investigate which social, functional and medical factors are associated with morale in this population. DESIGN: a cross-sectional study. SETTING: a population-based study in the municipality of Umeå, a city in Northern Sweden. SUBJECTS: half of the 85-year-old population, and the total population of 90-year-olds and > or = 95-year-olds (95-103) were asked to participate (n = 319) and 238 were interviewed. METHODS: structured interviews and assessments during home visits, interviews with relatives and caregivers and review of medical charts. The 17-item Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale (PGCMS) was used to measure morale. Participants were assessed with the Barthel Activities of Daily Living (ADL) Index, Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), and a symptom questionnaire. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to find independent factors to explain the variation in the PGCMS score. RESULTS: eighty-four per cent (n = 199) of those interviewed answered the PGCMS. Three-quarters had middle range or high morale. GDS score, type of housing, previous stroke, loneliness and number of symptoms, adjusted for age group and sex, explained 49.3% of the variance of total PGCMS score. CONCLUSIONS: a large proportion of the oldest old had high morale. The most important factors for high morale were the absence of depressive symptoms, living in ordinary housing, having previously had a stroke and yet still living in ordinary housing, not feeling lonely and low number of symptoms. The PGCMS seems applicable in the evaluation of morale among the oldest old.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2004

Effects of a fall prevention program including exercise on mobility and falls in frail older people living in residential care facilities.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Impaired mobility is one of the strongest predictors for falls in older people. We hypothesized that exercise as part of a fall prevention program would have positive effects, both short- and long-term, on gait, balance and strength in older people at high risk of falling and with varying levels of cognition, residing in residential care facilities. A secondary hypothesis was that these effects would be associated with a reduced risk of falling. METHODS: 187 out of all residents living in 9 facilities, > or =65 years of age were at high risk of falling. The facilities were cluster-randomized to fall intervention or usual care. The intervention program comprised: education, environment, individually designed exercise, drug review, post-fall assessments, aids, and hip protectors. Data were adjusted for baseline performance and clustering. RESULTS: At 11 weeks, positive intervention effects were found on independent ambulation (FAC, p=0.026), maximum gait speed (p=0.002), and step height (> or =10 cm, p<0.001), but not significantly on the Berg Balance Scale. At 9 months (long-term outcome), 3 intervention and 15 control residents had lost the ability to walk (p=0.001). Independent ambulation and maximum gait speed were maintained in the intervention group but deteriorated in the control group (p=0.001). Residents with both higher and lower cognition benefited in most outcome measures. No association was found between improved mobility and reduced risk of falling. CONCLUSIONS: Exercise, as part of a fall prevention program, appears to preserve the ability to walk, maintain gait speed, ambulate independently, and improve step height. Benefits were found in residents with both lower and higher cognitive impairment, but were not found to be associated with a reduced risk of falling.

Accidental Falls↗

PubMed2003

Predicting falls in residential care by a risk assessment tool, staff judgement, and history of falls.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: It is of great importance to consider whether a tool's predictive value is generalizable to similar samples in other locations. Numerous fall prediction systems have been developed, but very few are evaluated over a different time period in a different location. The purpose of this study was to validate the predictive accuracy of the Mobility Interaction Fall (MIF) chart, and to compare it to staff judgement of fall risk and history of falls. METHODS: The MIF chart, staff judgement, and fall history were used to classify the risk of falling in 208 residents (mean age 83.2 +/- 6.8 years) living in four residential care facilities in northern Sweden. The MIF chart includes an observation of the ability to walk and simultaneously interact with a person or an object, a vision test, and a concentration rating. Staff rated each resident's risk as high or low and reported the resident's history of falls during the past 6 months. Falls were followed up for 6 months. RESULTS: During the follow-up period, 104 residents (50%) fell at least once indoors. Many of the factors commonly associated with falls did not differ significantly between residents who fell at least once and residents who did not fall. In this validating sample the predictive accuracy of the MIF chart was notably lower than in the developmental sample. A combination of any two of the MIF chart, staff judgement, and history of falls was more accurate than any approach alone; more than half of the residents classified as 'high risk' by two approaches sustained a fall within 3 months. CONCLUSIONS: Residents classified as 'high risk' by any two of the MIF chart, staff judgement, and history of falls should be regarded as particularly prone to falling and in urgent need of preventive measures.

Accidental Falls↗

PubMed2003

Prediction of falls among older people in residential care facilities by the Downton index.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Falls are frequent among older people living in residential care facilities. The aim of this study was to investigate the prediction accuracy of the Downton fall risk index among older people living in residential care facilities at 3, 6 and 12 months, and with two different definitions of falls. METHODS: Seventy-eight residents in one residential care facility, 56 women and 22 men, mean +/- SD age 81 +/- 6 years, participated in this study. Forty-seven percent of participants had dementia, 45% depression, and 32% previous stroke. Forty-one percent of participants used a walking device indoors, and the median score of the Barthel ADL Index was 16. At baseline, the Downton fall risk index was scored for each individual. A score of 3 or more was taken to indicate high risk of falls. Participants were followed up prospectively for 12 months, with regard to falls indoors. RESULTS: At 3, 6 and 12 months, and using a fall definition including all indoor falls, sensitivity ranged from 81 to 95% with the highest value at 3 months, and specificity ranged from 35 to 40%. The prognostic separation values ranged from 0.26 to 0.37. Within 3 months, the risk of falling was 36% in the high-risk group (index score > or = 3) and 5% in the low-risk group. The accuracy of predictions did not improve when applying a fall definition in which falls precipitated by acute illness, acute disease, or drug side-effects were excluded. CONCLUSIONS: Already after 3 months, the Downton fall risk index appears to be a useful tool for predicting falls, irrespective of their cause, among older people in residential care facilities.

Accidental Falls↗

PubMed2003

Fall and injury prevention in residential care--effects in residents with higher and lower levels of cognition.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of a multifactorial fall and injury prevention program in older people with higher and lower levels of cognition. DESIGN: A preplanned subgroup comparison of the effectiveness of a cluster-randomized, nonblinded, usual-care, controlled trial. SETTING: Nine residential facilities in Umeå, Sweden. PARTICIPANTS: All consenting residents living in the facilities, aged 65 and older, who could be assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE; n = 378). An MMSE score of 19 was used to divide the sample into one group with lower and one with higher level of cognition. The lower MMSE group was older (mean +/- standard deviation = 83.9 +/- 5.8 vs 82.2 +/- 7.5) and more functionally impaired (Barthel Index, median (interquartile range) 11 (6-15) vs 17 (13-18)) and had a higher risk of falling (64% vs 36%) than the higher MMSE group. INTERVENTION: A multifactorial fall prevention program comprising staff education, environmental adjustment, exercise, drug review, aids, hip protectors, and postfall problem-solving conferences. MEASUREMENTS: The number of falls, time to first fall, and number of injuries were evaluated and compared by study group (intervention vs control) and by MMSE group. RESULTS: A significant intervention effect on falls appeared in the higher MMSE group but not in the lower MMSE group (adjusted incidence rates ratio of falls P =.016 and P =.121 and adjusted hazard ratio P <.001 and P =.420, respectively). In the lower MMSE group, 10 femoral fractures were found, all of which occurred in the control group (P =.006). CONCLUSION: The higher MMSE group experienced fewer falls after this multifactorial intervention program, whereas the lower MMSE group did not respond as well to the intervention, but femoral fractures were reduced in the lower MMSE group.

Accidental Falls↗

PubMed2002

Fall and injury prevention in older people living in residential care facilities. A cluster randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: Falls and resulting injuries are particularly common in older people living in residential care facilities, but knowledge about the prevention of falls is limited. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether a multifactorial intervention program would reduce falls and fall-related injuries. DESIGN: A cluster randomized, controlled, nonblinded trial. SETTING: 9 residential care facilities located in a northern Swedish city. PATIENTS: 439 residents 65 years of age or older. INTERVENTION: An 11-week multidisciplinary program that included both general and resident-specific, tailored strategies. The strategies comprised educating staff, modifying the environment, implementing exercise programs, supplying and repairing aids, reviewing drug regimens, providing free hip protectors, having post-fall problem-solving conferences, and guiding staff. MEASUREMENTS: The primary outcomes were the number of residents sustaining a fall, the number of falls, and the time to occurrence of the first fall. A secondary outcome was the number of injuries resulting from falls. RESULTS: During the 34-week follow-up period, 82 residents (44%) in the intervention program sustained a fall compared with 109 residents (56%) in the control group (risk ratio, 0.78 [95% CI, 0.64 to 0.96]). The adjusted odds ratio was 0.49 (CI, 0.37 to 0.65), and the adjusted incidence rate ratio of falls was 0.60 (CI, 0.50 to 0.73). Each of 3 residents in the intervention group and 12 in the control group had 1 femoral fracture (adjusted odds ratio, 0.23 [CI, 0.06 to 0.94]). Clustering was considered in all regression models. CONCLUSION: An interdisciplinary and multifactorial prevention program targeting residents, staff, and the environment may reduce falls and femoral fractures.

Accidental Falls↗

PubMed2002

Falls among frail older people in residential care.

AIMS: A prospective study was carried out to investigate the incidence, circumstances, and injuries from falls among frail older people living in three different types of Swedish residential care settings. METHODS: The settings were senior citizens' apartments, an old people's home, and a group dwelling for people with dementia. The falls were registered during the three-year study period on a semi-structured fall report, and injurious falls were categorized according to severity. RESULTS: In total 428 falls occurred among 121 residents. The incidence rate of falls at the group dwelling was twice the rates of the old people's home and senior citizens' apartments (4282 compared with 1709 and 2114 falls per 1000 person-years respectively). Some 27% of the falls occurred during the night (2100h to 0600h) and 28% were related to a visit to the lavatory. The presence of acute disease at the time of a fall was diagnosed in 23% of the falls. Some type of injury occurred in 118 falls (28%) and 36 of these (8%) led to moderate or serious injuries. In total 48 fractures were diagnosed. CONCLUSIONS: In a preventive programme for falls and injuries in residential care settings, areas of particular interest should include falls after mealtimes and falls at night, conditions of acute diseases, rising up from sitting, walking, and activities in progress, especially visits to the lavatory.

Accidental Falls↗