Social isolation has been implicated in the development of cognitive impairment, but research on this association remains limited among racial-ethnic minoritized populations. Our study examined the interplay between social isolation, race–ethnicity and dementia.

We analyzed 11 years (2011–2021) of National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) data, a prospective nationally representative cohort of U.S. Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years and older. Dementia status was determined using a validated NHATS algorithm. We constructed a longitudinal score using a validated social isolation variable for our sample of 6,155 community-dwelling respondents. Cox regression determined how the interaction between social isolation and race–ethnicity was associated with incident dementia risk.

Average longitudinal frequency of social isolation was higher among older Black (27.6%), Hispanic (26.6%) and Asian (21.0%) respondents than non-Hispanic White (19.1%) adults during the 11-year period (t = −7.35, p < .001). While a higher frequency of social isolation was significantly associated with an increased (approximately 47%) dementia risk after adjusting for sociodemographic covariates (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 1.47, 95% CI [1.15, 1.88], p < .01), this association was not significant after adjusting for health covariates (aHR = 1.21, 95% CI [0.96, 1.54], p = .11). Race–ethnicity was not a significant moderator in the association between social isolation and dementia.

Older adults from racial-ethnic minoritized populations experienced a higher longitudinal frequency of social isolation. However, race–ethnicity did not moderate the positive association observed between social isolation and dementia. Future research is needed to investigate the underlying mechanisms contributing to racial-ethnic disparities in social isolation and to develop targeted interventions to mitigate the associated dementia risk.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with worse outcomes in stroke, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD), but diagnosis is challenging in these groups. We aimed to compare the prevalence of high risk of OSA based on commonly used questionnaires and self-reported OSA diagnosis: 1. within groups with stroke, AD, PD and the general population (GP); 2. Between neurological groups and GP.

Individuals with stroke, PD and AD were identified in the Canadian Longitudinal Study of Aging (CLSA) by survey. STOP, STOP-BAG, STOP-B28 and GOAL screening tools and OSA self-report were compared by the Chi-squared test. Logistic regression was used to compare high risk/self-report of OSA, in neurological conditions vs. GP, adjusted for confounders.

We studied 30,097 participants with mean age of 62.3 years (SD 10.3) (stroke n = 1791; PD n = 175; AD n = 125). In all groups, a positive GOAL was the most prevalent, while positive STOP was least prevalent among questionnaires. Significant variations in high-risk OSA were observed between different questionnaires across all groups. Under 1.5% of individuals self-reported OSA. While all questionnaires suggested a higher prevalence of OSA in stroke than the GP, for PD and AD, there was heterogeneity depending on questionnaire.

The wide range of prevalences of high risk of OSA resulting from commonly used screening tools underscores the importance of validating them in older adults with neurological disorders. OSA was self-reported in disproportionately small numbers across groups, suggesting that OSA is underdiagnosed in older adults or underreported by patients, which is concerning given its increasingly recognized impact on brain health.

Depression is among the main contributors to older adults’ mental health burden. Retirement, one of the major life transitions, has been claimed to influence mental health substantially. Following up on a previous meta-analysis, the study aims to assess from a longitudinal perspective short- and long-term impacts of transitioning to retirement on depression risk and suicidality in older adults across Europe.

We conducted a longitudinal study using data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), collected between 2004 and 2020 in 27 European countries plus Israel. To estimate relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for depression and suicidality at seven time intervals before and after retirement, we fitted adjusted generalized estimating equation models for repeated measures.

We included 8,998 individuals employed at baseline and retired at follow-up (median follow-up time: 9 years; maximum: 16 years). Compared to the year of retirement, the risk of depression was 11% lower in the following year (RR 0.89; 95% CI 0.81–0.99), 9% lower after 2 years (RR 0.91; 95% CI 0.82–1.00) and after 3 years (RR 0.91; 95% CI 0.81–1.01). Significant estimates remained among females, married individuals, those with an intermediate or higher level of education, former manual workers and those who retired at or before their country’s median retirement age. A significant increase in depressive symptoms emerged from the tenth year after retirement among former non-manual workers (RR 1.21; 95% CI 1.05–1.40) and late retirees (RR 1.37; 95% CI 1.16–1.63). No heterogeneity emerged among strata. As for suicidality, we reported an increase in risk only 5 years or more after retirement, namely +30% 5–9 years after retirement (RR 1.30; 95% CI 1.04–1.64) and +47% 10 or more years after retirement (RR 1.47; 95% CI 1.09–1.98). Sensitivity analyses excluding subjects who reported a diagnosis of depression over the study period and those retirees who declared to receive a disability pension confirmed the results obtained in the overall analysis.

Longitudinal adjusted data suggest an independent effect of retiring associated with a reduction in depression and suicidality risk in the short run, with its effect decreasing in the long run. Such trends are particularly evident among selected subgroups of elderly populations. If greater flexibility in pensionable age may help prevent depression late in life, the transition to retirement is to be accompanied by targeted health promotion interventions. In an ageing society, welfare policies should be evaluated, considering their long-term impact on mental health.

The aim of this study is to develop a post-stroke home care checklist for the use of primary care professionals.

Home care is an integral part of primary health care. In the literature, several scales are available to help determine elderly individuals’ need for home care services; however, there are no standard care criteria or guidelines for the home care of stroke survivors. Therefore, a standardized post-stroke home care tool specific for use by primary care professionals is needed to identify patients’ needs and to detect intervention areas.

This is a checklist development study carried out between December 2017 and September 2018 in Turkey. A modified Delphi technique was used. In the first stage of the study, a literature review was carried out, a workshop was conducted with healthcare specialists in the stroke area, and a 102-item draft checklist was created. In the second stage, two written Delphi rounds were carried out via email with 16 healthcare professionals providing post-stroke home care. In stage three, the agreed items were reviewed, and similar items were grouped together to create the final checklist.

A consensus was achieved in 93 of the 102 items. The final checklist, consisting of four main themes and 15 headings, was created. The four main areas of assessment in post-stroke home care are ‘assessment of current status’, ‘identification of risks’, ‘evaluation of the care environment and caregiver’, and ‘planning follow-up care’. The Cronbach alpha reliability coefficient of the checklist was found to be 0.93. In conclusion, the PSHCC-PCP is the first checklist created to be used by primary care professionals in post-stroke home care. However, it needs to be assessed in terms of effectiveness and usefulness with further studies.

The aim of this study was to investigate the factors influencing urban–rural differences in depressive symptoms among old people in China and to measure the contribution of relevant influencing factors.

A cross-sectional research. The 2018 data from The Chinese Longitudinal Health Longevity Survey (CLHLS).

Twenty-three provinces in China.

From the 8th CLHLS, 11,245 elderly participants were selected who met the requirements of the study.

We established binary logistic regression models to explore the main influencing factors of their depressive symptoms and used Fairlie models to analyze the influencing factors of the differences in depressive symptoms between the urban and rural elderly and their contribution.

The percentage of depressive symptoms among Chinese older adults was 11.72%, and the results showed that rural older adults (12.41%) had higher rates of depressive symptoms than urban (10.13%). The Fairlie decomposition analysis revealed that 73.96% of the difference in depressive symptoms could be explained, which was primarily associated with differences in annual income (31.51%), education level (28.05%), sleep time ( − 25.67%), self-reported health (24.18%), instrumental activities of daily living dysfunction (20.73%), exercise (17.72%), living status ( − 8.31%), age ( − 3.84%), activities of daily living dysfunction ( − 3.29%), and social activity (2.44%).

The prevalence of depressive symptoms was higher in rural than in urban older adults, which was primarily associated with differences in socioeconomic status, personal lifestyle, and health status factors between the urban and rural residents. If these factors were addressed, we could make targeted and precise intervention strategies to improve the mental health of high-risk elderly.

Avoidable disability associated with depression, anxiety, and impaired cognition among older adults is pervasive. Incentives for the detection of mental disorders in late life include increased reimbursement, reduced cost, and less burden for patients and families.

Mental health problems in the elderly are major public health issues around the world. Thai older adults who experience mental illness rarely seek care from mental health specialists; rather, they tend to seek help from a general physician. Primary health care is, therefore, an important setting for the detection of mental health symptoms and subsequent treatment. We describe the design and implementation of a mental health care model in the Thai primary care system. Initial results of screening for behavioral and emotional problems are reported.

This work is intended to explore mental health conditions in Thai elderly people to provide of identifying and non-pharmacological treating psychiatric conditions in the Primary care unit. The instruments used in the survey, which consists of twelve symptoms found in the elderly, developed into an online program to suit pandemic conditions.

In an effort to document mental health problems in the primary care system, 4,854 veterans (mean age 68) from 46 provinces across Thailand were screened for multiple mental health symptoms. The sample divided into 1,701 males (35%) and 3,153 females (65%).

While screening for depressed mood is now common in primary care, we found it useful to screen for specific symptoms of depression in older persons (including insomnia, change in eating habits, facial expression, and anxiety) in a primary setting.

No significant relationships.

Loneliness and social isolation condition the health of those over 65 years of age, increasing morbidity and mortality. The pandemic caused by Covid-19 has been a health emergency in which the negative effects have been increased by loneliness. We can define several types of loneliness: physical loneliness, moral loneliness and social isolation.

The objective was to analyze the impact of Covid-19 on the feeling of loneliness in those over 65 years of age during the last year of the pandemic.

A bibliographic search was carried out in Pubmed with the terms “loneliness in elderly in the covid-19 pandemic” with the filters “abstract” and “in the last 1 year”, selecting the studies whose title included the terms “loneliness”, “elderly” or “older people” and “Covid-19 ” or “SARS-Cov-2”. The search gave rise to 13 results, of which the content of the abstracts was qualitatively analyzed.

All studies found an increase in loneliness in the elderly, and more than 50% reported a decrease in this feeling in the elderly trained in new technologies. Other aspects that stood out to influence were comorbidity, resilience, economic situation, social support and subjective feeling of vulnerability.

Older adults avoid direct social contact to protect themselves. This may result in loneliness, that can have serious consequences in terms of morbidity and mortality. To mitigate loneliness they can use online social media, but older adults need to be trained. Institutions and public powers have the obligation to ensure individual and collective security, and protect the integrity of people from dangers.

No significant relationships.