3^rd International Conference on Aging, Gerontology & Geriatric Nursing July 18-19, 2018 Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Biography:

Dr Chesser teaches courses in aging over the life span, including AGE 525/825 (Death and Dying), AGE798 (Interprofessional Perspectives on Aging), AGE 517 (Health Communication and Aging) and various graduate courses in aging studies. Her primary research interests are health communication, health literacy, and older adults. She has designed, implemented, and evaluated programs to promote healthier populations through health communication campaigns, and created risk communication training and exercises. She is currently interested in how health communication and media campaigns affect public health issues including the underserved populations. She also serves on the Advisory Board for Health Literacy Kansas.

Abstract:

Statement of the Problem: Stroke in the Elderly: Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States and a leading cause of disability with approximately 795,000 strokes occurring in the United States each year, with nearly 75 percent of all strokes occurring in those 65 years and older. Multiple studies suggest that stroke treatment is delayed due to the failure of symptom recognition by the patient, family, or general bystanders with approximately 60% of stroke-related deaths occur outside the hospital setting.  Compounding this problem is the fact that many stroke patients are still being transported by private vehicle instead of a 911 activation, further delaying treatment. Additionally, low health literacy continues to be a significant problem for persons over age 65.

Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: The purpose of our research was to provide support for a multi-disciplinary approach to stroke education and prevention. Through this research project, the study team implemented an experimentally-designed knowledge and opinions pre- and post-test and six weeks follow up assessment. The study participants included three, separate groups in three study phases: 1) staff and team members at a community senior center, 2) older adults (age 65 and older) living at the senior center, and 3) family members or caretakers of older adults. This was an experimental design, feasibility/pilot study using a convenience sample of participants from a Midwest senior living community.

Findings: Findings from this study are pending until data collection is complete in May of 2018. Conclusion & Significance: We hypothesize that multilevel education and training in an older adult living community will increase positive behavior attributes for contacting emergency services in the event of a possible stroke.

Biography:

Jacqulin Myles has been a nurse educator for over 12 years, and is currently a nursing professor at Keiser University, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.  She received a Bachelor of Science in nursing degree from New York University, Master of Science in nursing degree from University of Phoenix, and Doctor of Nursing Practice degree in Educational Leadership from American Sentinel University. She was a geriatric scholar while attending New York University and has worked in clinical areas including long-term care, medical-surgical, and the acute care for the elderly (ACE) unit.  For many years Dr. Myles observed the attitudes of health care professionals toward older adults and the role attitudes play in achieving best patient outcomes. As a Certified Nurse Educator, she is dedicated to advocating and enhancing the care of the geriatric population. Her primary area of research has focused on interventions to enhance and improve quality of care for older adults.

Abstract:

Statement of the Problem: The preparation of nurses to care for the aging population is one of the major challenges for nursing education leaders. Improving student nurses’ knowledge and attitudes towards older adults is one way to provide adequate care.

The purpose of this quantitative, quasi-experimental, one-group pretest-post-test pilot project, was to analyze the effects of using low-fidelity, role-play simulation in nursing education during a Fundamentals of Nursing laboratory at a private college in South Florida.

Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: The Kolb Experiential Learning Theory was the conceptual framework for the project.  A convenience sample of 25 first-year, associate degree in nursing students (ADN) registered in the Fundamentals of Nursing course at a private college in South Florida were recruited for the project. A total of 23 nursing students participated in the study. Kogan’s Attitudes towards Old People Scale (KAOP) used as pretest and posttests, and a demographic questionnaire was administered. The pretest was conducted before the role-play simulation activity, and the posttest was completed one week post the role-play simulation activity.  Descriptive statistics were used to summarize demographic information.  Scores from the pretests and posttests were    evaluated using the matched-pairs t-test and the Wilcoxon Signed Ranked test to obtain means and standard deviation. 

Conclusion & Significance Students’ attitudes toward older individuals significantly improved (P<.002) after the role-play simulation experience.

Recommendations are made to support the credence that instructive interventions are critical to creating awareness of age-related issues and evidence-based practice in caring for older adults.

Biography:

Dr. Omotayo Omotowa is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Idaho State University (ISU) School of Nursing. Dr. Omotowa is particularly interested in the care of the older adults and staffing standards/levels in nursing homes and public health policy. Dr. Omotowa has served in the Retired & Senior Volunteer Program advisory committee and continues to serve as a member of geriatric symposium planning and health fair planning committees at Idaho State University. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International and did serve as the Governance Chair for the Theta Upsilon Chapter. Dr. Omotowa received her BSN from Lewis Clark State College, Lewiston, Idaho and MSN and PhD from Walden University, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Prior to her nursing education, she received her BSc Political Science from Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria, Masters in Public Administration from the University of Ilorin, Nigeria, and MA in Political Science from the University of Idaho.

Abstract:

Statement of the Problem: Frail and vulnerable older adults residing in nursing homes (NHs) continue to experience poor care outcomes due to nurse staffing levels that are below the levels required for maintaining their well-being. Inadequate licensed nurses staffing hours are detrimental to the residents’ quality and safe outcomes. Studies have shown that care outcomes in nursing homes are related to registered and licensed nurse staffing standards/levels, which are affected by profit maximization. The purpose of this study was to determine and compare if there was a relationship between adherence to nurse staffing standards and resident care outcomes in for-profit (FP) and not-for-profit religious-based (NFPRB) NHs using profit maximization theory. I examined the impact of profit maximization on adherence to staffing standards and nurse sensitive care outcomes.

Methodology: A quantitative correlational approach was employed. Information was collected from government public database and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, nonparametric tests, and binary logistic regression.

Findings: Profit measures were not related to staffing standards and care outcomes in the NFPRB. Significant relationships were found between profits measures and staffing standards in the FP NHs. Profits measures were negatively related to care outcomes in the two NHs. And, there were increased mean of ranks for care outcomes and profits when staffing standards were violated. Unlike the FP NHs, no statistically significant relationships were found between registered and licensed staffing standards and care outcomes in the NFPRB NHs.

Conclusion and Significance: The study results can serve as an advocacy instrument for the vulnerable NHs residents, enhance the evidence base for NHs staffing policy making, and positively impact the cost of healthcare. Recommendations: Further research, longitudinal, qualitative, or mixed methodologies, is needed to study the effects of profit measures on NHs staffing and care outcomes.

Biography:

Dr. Edward Luce is a professor of plastic surgery at the University of Tennessee. His past positions include chairman of plastic surgery at the University of Kentucky and Case – Western Reserve. Offices held include the chairman of the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS), the organization that grants board certification, President of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), American Association of Plastic Surgeons (AAPS), American Society of Maxillo-Facial Surgeons (ASMS) as well as the American Council of Academic Plastic Surgeons (ACAPS). Dr. Luce is in active practice in Memphis, TN.

Abstract:

Considerable emphasis has been placed contemporaneously on quality control in medical care and, more specifically, on physician maintenance of professional competence. Inevitably, this emphasis will focus on the aging physician in general and the surgeon in particular. The important question must be posed: When should surgeons retire? The obvious answer is when loss of competency occurs, but how is that loss determined?

The presentation will summarize the relatively little data available, give the results of a focused survey of 21 senior surgeons (average age 71), draw parallels between the aviation industry, and offer some recommendations for further study.

Biography:

Sonya Dunbar, also known as the Geriatric Toothfairy is a Registered Dental Hygienist she has and over 25 years of dental experience in private practice, skilled nursing facilities, academia and marketing and has proudly served her country in the United States Navy.  For the last 15 years, she worked in long-term care facilities both as a Dental Hygienist providing clinical treatment and as a staff trainer providing in-services and hands on training to the staff and we cannot forget her very entertaining seminars packed with valuable information on Geriatric oral care.  That experience has afforded her the opportunity to learn the concerns, desires, needs and expectations of patients and their families as well as those of facility staff and administration.  Her experience also created a desire in her to do things better to improve the quality of care and level of customer service provided to residents, staff and administration of long-term care facilities.

Abstract:

In my 15 plus years working as a dental hygienist in long term care facilities, I have seen the most reprehensible oral care imaginable. I have witnessed dentures that had not been removed or cleaned in years. I have seen tube-fed residents who had not had their teeth brushed in months because of the staff’s failure to see the necessity of providing oral homecare. I recently treated a patient who had so much tartar build up on his lower anterior teeth that he could not close his mouth or properly chew his food.  I have listened to the countless, heart-wrenching accounts of elders so embarrassed by their dental condition that they were ashamed to smile or even let me examine their mouths. Dental health plays a significant role in mental and emotional health and well-being. Therefore, caregiver provision of proper oral homecare helps maintain the dignity of the geriatric community. 

Whether the neglect is due to caregivers’ lack of knowledge or lack of compassion, the result is detrimental to the systemic health of the elderly. Uncontrolled oral bacteria can lead to pneumonia, diabetes, strokes, and heart attacks. It has even been linked to Alzheimer’s disease. Frequently, cognitive impairment intensifies preexisting oral problems. For instance, elders with Alzheimer’s typically have poor oral care and a higher incidence of oral diseases. 

The most deplorable aspect of this situation is the fact that it is readily preventable.  The quality of life and systemic health of residents in long term care facilities can be significantly improved by simple, consistent, and effective oral care practices.

Biography:

Swami Brahmaparananda Saraswati has been mentor and leader in Arshavidya Tirtha, Jaipur, India. He has been working for two decades to combine Indian spirituality with modern world. Social reform and spreading the true sense of Indian spirituality, religion and ethics given a prominent place in his aims and he specific activiities for elderly, children and families. He has been co-authored in international collaborative research studies and published several books.

Abstract:

A number of studies have investigated the therapeutic effects of religion and spirituality, but these have typically been uncontrolled, often focused on patients, and usually concerned with one or a limited number of areas of impact. Arsha Vidya programs are accessible to communities around the country, in urban and rural areas alike, making feasible to follow.

Present study assessed the impact of Arsha Vidya community-based spiritual program on the physical, mental and social wellbeing of elderly. 

Methods:  The data used in these analyses were from a site-specific subsample of ongoing longitudinal study involving three study sites. Eighty-six older adults aged 60 and over from Rajasthan, India were recruited. Participants were randomly assigned to either an intervention (Arshavidya activity) or comparison (usual activity) group.  Self-reported assessments of general physical health, Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale, the Loneliness Scale-III and self-recorded engagement in social activities were taken at baseline and repeated at 6 months.

Results: Assessment questionnaires and self-reported measures were used. There wasn’t any significant difference in demographic or baseline measures between two groups. Post assessment showed significant difference between groups in overall physical health (p<0.001), mental health (p<0.0001) and social activities (p<0.001). The intervention group had better morale and less loneliness, whereas comparison group had a significant decline in social activities (p<0.05).

Implications: The positive impact of spiritual activities for older adults in this study had better overall health, morale, and activities

Biography:

Changzheng Zhang has his expertise in brain aging research, especially in the cerebellum. He has made some investigations on the morphologic and functional alterations in aging cerebellum, such as cell number, neuronal structures, neurotransmitter content, neuronal activities and the behavioral correlates. In recent years, he and his team focus on cholinergic role in cerebellum and other brain regions, and explore the age-related alterations based on the molecular, cellular, neural circuit and behavioral relationships.

Abstract:

Statement of the Problem: The cerebellum is innervated by abundant cholinergic fibers and found with several subtypes of cholinergic receptors (AChRs), through which the cholinergic action plays a subtle role in blood pressure (BP) regulation. The cerebellum undergoes significant morphologic and functional alterations with age, and this study was designed to determine how aging affects cerebellar acetylcholine (ACh)-mediated BP regulation.

Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: The carotid arterial pressure was measured in young (2 mo) and old (16–20 mo) rats after ACh (10, 30 or 100 mM) was microinjected (0.3 µl/5s) into the vermian lobule VI under anesthetization. In some young animals, nonselective nAChR or mAChR agonist, ACh mixed with the nonselective nAChR or mAChR antagonist, the selective M2R agonist, mAChR agonist mixed with the selective M2R antagonist, was used to examine the specific receptor phenotype that participates in the ACh-mediated BP modulation. Finally, the cortical M2R proteins in young and old rats were extracted for western blot analysis. The mean arterial pressure (MAP) and the reaction time (RT) in BP responses, and the relative chemiluminescent intensity in western blot results were analyzed.

Findings: Cerebellar ACh induces a marked depressor effect on systemic BP regulation, and the depressor responses in the old animals are significantly attenuated compared with the young ones. The mAChRs, further the M2R subtypes, rather than the nAChRs, in the cortex are involved in such response. Moreover, the M2R protein expression deceases greatly in the old vs the young rats.

Conclusion & Significance: Cerebellar cholinergic tone exerts depressor effect on BP regulation, and such effect undergoes retrogression with aging, which may be contributed by the decreased M2R expression during aging.

Biography:

Raine Verar, Mariah Danica Velasco, Leah Vicente, Carmella Villanueva, and Beatrice Villespin are senior nursing students from the University of Santo Tomas, College of Nursing in the Philippines. They have studied gerontology and geriatric nursing in the oldest Catholic University in Asia. They were supervised and guided by Mr. Dennis S. Cuadra, a professor who is a Master’s degree holder in nursing. He specializes in adult health nursing and is currently teaching in the prestigious Catholic University of the Philippines. Their Mancala/Sungka wooden board game research intervention is a non-pharmacologic and cost-effective intervention, that aims to delay the onset of Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease and reduce cognitive decline among elderly people. The researchers incorporated the study into a structured routine program in order to promote socialization, exercise, and stimulate the cognitive function among the elderlies.

Abstract:

Introduction: As people age, their mental and physical functions diminish due to their inactivity. The purpose of this study is to use Sungka to reduce cognitive decline and enhance cognitive aspects (memory and retention, attention and concentration, executive function, and mood) among institutionalized elderly in Metro Manila.

Methods: The playing of Sungka was incorporated into a structured routine program, entitled COMPLY: Communicate-Move-Play (which includes social, physical and cognitive activities). The subjects were 12 elderlies, who came from an elderly institution in Metro Manila, selected under purposive sampling. The study was conducted for 45 minutes to one hour, once a week for four weeks. Quasi-experimental design was utilized through a pre- and post-intervention test using Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE). Two researcher developed tools were used in determining the effect of the structured routine program. The consent of the institution and the subjects were obtained and was assured that their privacy, confidentiality, and anonymity were secured. Measure of pre-and post MMSE scores of were analyzed through Dependent T-Test, while, cognitive aspects under the research developed tool were analyzed through repeated measures ANOVA.

esults: Findings revealed that there is a significant difference between the pre- and post- MMSE (p=0.001). The results suggest that Sungka is effective in reducing cognitive decline in geriatric subjects. Further, attention and concentration were shown to have a significant change (F=4.600, p=0.030) indicating that the subjects were being taught lesser every session has transpired. However, memory and retention (F=1.882, p=0.169), executive function (F=0.792, p=0.502) and mood (F=1.0000, p=0.339) had no significant change.

Discussion: The significant difference in the pre- and post- MMSE shows that the use of Mancala/Sungka can reduce cognitive decline among institutionalized geriatric subjects in Metro Manila. Further research is needed to extend the length of application of the said structured program.

Biography:

Laura Hovsepian since 1967 worked at the Institute of Biochemistry named Buniatyan, in 1967, enrolled in graduate school, she graduated with a thesis on the title “The changes in the absorption and release of brain phospholipids after unilateral removal of the superior cervical sympathetic ganglion” in 1970. After that, she was awarded the PhD degree. With 1987 she works at the Institute of Molecular Biology NAS RA. The main area of research is the study Hovsepyan regulatory role of lipids in the tissue respiration, changes in hydroxylation processes, processes of lipid peroxidation and protein. Hovsepyan head of the Laboratory of Molecular membranology. She is the author of 170 scientific papers. Hovsepyan Member of Scientific Council at the Institute of Molecular Biology, member of Armenian Association of Biochemists affiliated to Federation of the European Biochemical Societies (FEBS), Member Armenian Association of and Cellular Biology and Immunology.

Abstract:

Oxidative processes and lipid metabolism were studied in young (4–5 months) and old (25–28 months) rats. The increased rate of lipid peroxidation (hydroperoxides, malondialdehyde, nitric oxide), as well as the accumulation of products of the oxidative modification of proteins, was observed in the mitochondrial fraction of rat brain tissues. The study of lipid diversity in brain tissues of old rats demonstrated that aging is accompanied by changes in the qualitative and quantitative phospholipid composition. It was found that changes in the metabolism of neutral glycolipids result in a decrease in the expression of cerebrosides and sulfatides. Also, an increase was observed in the sphingosine level (a product of hydrolysis of neutral glycolipids). It was shown that disorders in lipid metabolism play a key role in pathological changes during aging. Thus, the data we obtained on changes in oxidation and lipid metabolism can be useful for better understanding the mechanisms of aging.