Zeitschrift Fur Gerontologie Und Geriatrie最新文献

Background: The needs and support requirements of double duty caregivers (DDC) by healthcare professionals differ depending on whether they identify themselves as a professional nurse or family caregiver in private care arrangements. Questions of identity are usually not addressed by the DDCs. Resulting misunderstandings have the potential for conflict, which places additional strain on DDCs.

Aim: The aim of this article is to present the essential characteristics of DDCs based on a model corresponding to their identity either as a professional nurse or family caregiver in a private care arrangement.

Methods: A secondary analysis of 32 articles identified after a systematic literature search for a scoping review on the topic was carried out. A total of 18 articles were included in the qualitative content analysis according to Kuckartz and Rädiker.

Results: A model of Continuum of Self-Positioning of Double Duty Caregivers was developed. It describes the characteristics DDCs show in four contexts: caregiving context, family context, healthcare system context, own workplace. Depending on the understanding of their own role in the different care settings, they are able to develop a better understanding of their identity either as a professional nurse or family caregiver, whereby the transitions are fluid.

Conclusion: There are characteristics that can be assigned to the respective presumed identity of the DDCs. Knowing this enables healthcare professionals and family members to interact appropriately with DDCs and thus minimize the potential for conflict.

Vision is a significant determinant of quality of life and autonomy in older people. It declines with age due to natural processes. In the general population this is exacerbated by age-related eye diseases, such as cataract, age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy. The resulting impairments can lead to reduced mobility, independence and mental health and physiological ageing processes of the eye and disease-related changes in visual function are therefore associated with increased morbidity, such as an increased risk of falls and depression. Treatment, prevention and rehabilitation measures can significantly reduce the impairment of older people caused by age-related eye diseases. In order to keep pace with the increasing demand for care and to maintain vision at the highest possible level into old age, not only targeted and timely ophthalmological care are necessary but also more prevention in the field of age-related eye diseases.

Background: Visual impairment increases with age and can adversely affect the quality of life of older people. Ophthalmological care in nursing homes is often inadequate, leading to poor detection and treatment of visual problems. The prevention program "Good vision in care facilities" ("Gutes Sehen in Pflegeeinrichtungen") of the Institute for the Blind Foundation (Blindeninstitutsstiftung) aims to promote the eye health of residents through targeted measures and the training of qualified vision officers.

Objective: The aim was to evaluate the prevention program from the perspective of the vision officers, focusing on their role, the performance of vision assessments, the improvement of the living environment and the qualification measures.

Method: A qualitative evaluation study was conducted through guideline-based interviews with eight vision officers from seven nursing homes. The data were analyzed using Mayring's structured content analysis.

Results: Vision officers consider their role to be important but the success of implementation depends on the available resources. The performance of vision assessment varies due to cognitive impairment and motivation of the residents. Barriers to accessibility were primarily addressed when minimal effort was required. Face to face training sessions contribute significantly to awareness due to their practical content and interaction.

Conclusion: The sustainable implementation of the prevention program requires resource allocation by nursing home management. The qualification of several vision officers in each facility could increase the success of the program. Alternative methods of vision assessment for cognitively impaired residents should be developed.

Background: Mission statements that address a clearly communicated vision can positively influence the implementation of person-centred care in nursing homes. It is known that nursing homes with a dementia care unit can provide further training or an expert on person-centredness compared to those with a traditional care unit. It is unclear how the mission statements of these nursing homes differ in terms of their wording of person-centredness. The aim is to investigate how mission statements of nursing homes that provide different types of care units describe person-centred care.

Methods: We conducted a document analysis of mission statements from German nursing homes from a dataset of the survey study on specialized care for people living with dementia in nursing homes (BeStaDem Survey Study). The nursing homes that provided the mission statements had different care units, including traditional care units and dementia care units. The mission statements were deductively-inductively analysed using content analysis.

Results and conclusions: We analysed 60 mission statements of different nursing homes and identified main categories that include aspects of person-centred care. In particular, mission statements of nursing homes with dementia care units describe combinations of central aspects of person-centred care that mission statements of nursing homes with a traditional care unit without dementia-specific focus do not describe. The variation of different understandings or concepts often becomes evident in mission statements. In order for nursing homes to align their mission statement with a person-centred approach, a comprehensive understanding of person-centred care and a development process that includes all employees, is required.

Background and objective: Urbanisation and demographic change present social challenges that are often insufficiently addressed in urban and care planning. This study introduces a German-language version of the Age-Friendly Cities and Communities Questionnaire (AFCCQ) as a tool for measuring age-friendliness. The aim is to assess age-friendliness from the perspective of older adults and to identify varying needs within cities. In addition, findings for the city of Oldenburg are presented.

Method: The validation study was conducted with a representative sample of older people in Oldenburg (n = 905). The participants completed the AFCCQ-DE questionnaire, consisting of 23 items, and rated their experiences in the city using a 5-point Likert scale (strongly disagree - strongly agree). A factor analysis and a cluster analysis were then carried out.

Results: The psychometric validity and reliability of the AFCCQ-DE were confirmed. The questionnaire, which was translated into German for the first time, proved to be a robust instrument that can now be used in German-speaking countries. Using cluster-analytical methods, four groups of older people were identified, differing systematically in terms of their personal characteristics and needs.

Discussion: The results highlight the importance of a standardised instrument such as the AFCCQ for planning and evaluating the age-friendliness of cities and municipalities. The collected data provide a basis for the development of targeted urban planning measures that specifically address the needs of older adults and support ageing well in urban environments.

Background: The eyes and the central nervous system (CNS) develop from the same embryonic tissue which explains why retinal changes have been observed in various neurological and neurodegenerative diseases. These changes can be visualized in vivo on a cellular and subcellular level using optical coherence tomography (OCT). This article summarizes which retinal changes occur and how these could be used as potential biomarkers of neurodegenerative diseases.

Objective: The article gives an overview of the literature on the relationship between neurodegeneration, OCT-based retinal characteristics and cognitive functions.

Methods: A literature search was carried out in PubMed until February 2025. The search terms "neurodegeneration", "dementia", "mild cognitive impairment", "mild neurocognitive disorder", "OCT", "OCT angiography (OCT-A)", "retinal biomarkers", "retinal layer", "RNFLT", and "GCL" were used. Relevant publications were reviewed, analyzed and summarized.

Results: In OCT‑A Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia, vascular dementia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis (MS) and Parkinson's disease demonstrate an association with a reduced retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and the ganglion cell layer (GCL) thickness as well as an enlarged foveal avascular zone.

Conclusion: So far retinal changes could not be specifically assigned to a particular form of neurodegenerative disease,; however, they could be meaningful in neuropsychological/radiological examinations and for longitudinal monitoring, as already recommended for MS. Further longitudinal studies are needed to identify and validate retinal biomarkers (patterns).

The updated S3 guidelines on diagnostics, treatment and aftercare of peripheral arterial occlusive disease differ from previous versions in one key respect. While catheter-supported interventional and surgical treatment methods were previously covered in separate chapters, they are now evaluated jointly, depending on the location of arterial obstructions and the clinical stages. The stage of critical leg ischemia is specified in a prognostically relevant manner by the classification of local wound and infection conditions. Geriatric aspects are addressed in a separate chapter. The degree of frailty plays a prognostically relevant role and often requires a modification of the treatment goal. The importance of walking training and its variants as standard treatment in the stage of claudication is emphasized.

Background: Gerontological theories, terms and concepts often cross disciplinary and national boundaries and change or adapt in that process. Accordingly, literature-based studies show that the theoretical understanding of space and ageing differs in the German and French contexts.

Research question: From a lifeworld-oriented perspective, we ask to what extent differences in older people's everyday experience of space can be found in the two countries and what dynamics between the relationship to as well as the personal experience of space and ageing become apparent in each case.

Methods: Based on the Photovoice method the relationship between space and ageing was explored across linguistic, national and disciplinary boundaries through participatory research with older adults.

Results: Thanks to the participation of older co-researchers in the collection and analysis of the material and the development of theory, it became visible that spatial relationships and spatial perception are not linked to national cultural influences but more to aspects such as milieu-specific or generational affiliation. The results show a homogeneity of spatial perceptions and practices across national borders and illustrate how (shared) memories, social transformation processes and biographical transitions shape and change them.

Discussion: Participatory approaches have the potential to open up new perspectives and theoretical approaches to ageing and space that are better suited to the new generation of older adults. In addition, research-based collaboration between scientists and older adults enables transformative learning experiences on both sides.