Salmand: Iranian Journal of Ageing
Year:2017 | Volume:11 | Issue:4|Papers Count:13

Objectives: Attitudes of health care providers towards patients can be an important underlying factor for providing efficient and effective care. Positive attitude of the nurses towards the patients coupled with more motivation and determination can be a mantra to better clinical services. The present study was conducted to determine the attitude of nursing students in relation to the care of the elderly.Methods & Materials: This study is a descriptive study conducted on 211 students in Nursing and Midwifery, in Kermanshah Province, Iran in 2015. Data collection tool was a questionnaire consisting of 21 questions. Data analysis, including independent t test was done using SPSS 22.Results: The mean (SD) age of the participating nursing students was 97.5 (63.72) and nurse practitioners 27.7 (6.74) years. There was a statistically significant difference (P<0.05). The majority of trainees (8.89%) and nurse practitioners (3.81%) had moderate approach to the care of the elderly. Items of ((nursing of the elderly is a waste of time because they have reached the end of his life)) from the perspective of Trainees 57.0±67.4 and nurse practitioners 47.0±73.4 had the highest average among the items that there was no significant difference between the two averages (P>0.05).Conclusion: Although the majority of students have average attitude (not good) toward the elderly, it is felt that more specialized training is needed to improve knowledge and attitudes of aging. Considering that the nurse practitioners had a more positive attitude, teaching them is effective to create a positive attitude.

Objectives: As people get older, their body systems become disrupted. As the elderly lose their abilities, they become more dependent on others. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between visual, hearing, and memory disabilities as well as hand grip strength and the systems usability available to the elderly living in nursing homes in Kerman, Iran.Methods & Materials: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 110 elderly participants (58 men and 52 women) living in nursing homes in Kerman. To investigate hearing, memory, and visual disabilities, the audiometry method, standard memory assessment questionnaire and E chart were utilized, respectively. Jamar Dynamometer was used to measure hand grip strengths. The systems usability (television, radio, and refrigerator) was measured via System Usability Scale (SUS) and analyzed by statistical tests with 0.05 level of significance.Results: The average age of the participants was 75.35 years. Hearing and visual disabilities were significantly different in left ears and eyes. There was no significant difference between men and women regarding their memory disability. However, hand grip strengths were significantly different in men and women (P=0.0001). The highest usability for both men and women groups was in using the refrigerator and the lowest in using television. The mentioned disabilities and hand grip strength of the elderly had a significant relationship with the ability to use television, refrigerator, and radio.Conclusion: With increasing age, the disabilities of the elderly get intensified and their ability to use systems decrease. Thus, it is necessary to prevent their loss of abilities in order to enhance their systems usability.

Objectives: Aging is a biological process, experienced by all living things, including humans. The most important factor in this period is the death anxiety. This study aimed to determine death anxiety and its relationship with social support and adherence to religion in unmarried and married men and women.Methods & Materials: In this study, causal-comparative and correlation methods were used. The study was conducted on 376 people; 190 men and 186 women (married and unmarried). The participants were selected from high school graduates from districts 2, 3, 5, 6, and 22. They were 60 and 75 years, and selected by using convenience sampling. Death anxiety scales 27-item form, 19-item form for social support questionnaire and 26-item form for religious attitudes were used to measure study variables. Data were analyzed by 1-way ANOVA and the Pearson tests using the SPSS 21.Results: The results of correlation analysis indicated significant and direct relationship between social support and the fear of dying (P<0.05) and fear of death by others (P<0.05), as well as with the overall death anxiety (P<0.01). With regard to the relationship between adherence to religion and death anxiety components, only the relationship between faith and fear of the consequences of dying was significant (P<0.01). The analysis of variance indicated a significant difference between unmarried and married men with regard to death anxiety. Unmarried men experienced more death anxiety (P<0.01). The average death anxiety scores among women was more than that among men (P<0.01), but there was no significant difference between unmarried and married women with regard to death anxiety.Conclusion: Increased social interaction, adherence to religion and marriage can decrease death anxiety and improve the mental health of the elderly, especially elderly women.

Objectives: In recent decades, it has become important to approach aging issues from the point of view that can ensure older adults’ Quality of Life (QoL). As a result, countries have adopted a positive perspective with regard to aging, including active aging. The fact is that indigenous understanding of active aging is an unavoidable necessity for every society. Thus, the current study’s aim was to understand active aging strategies based on older adults’ experience.Methods & Materials: This qualitative study, conducted during 2014-2016, used the Grounded theory method. It was initiated with the help of purposeful sampling and continued by way of applying theoretical sampling. The study field was cultural centers, artistic-cultural associations, and parks of Tehran. Data saturation was achieved through semi-structured interviews carried out among 35 elders. Data were analyzed and coded through coding suggested by the Strauss and Corbin method. Reliability of data was fulfilled in accordance with the Schwandt, Lincoln and Guba criteria.Results: Based on the experience of elders, active aging strategies consisted of 41 concepts, 7 subcategories, and 5 main categories. The categories and subcategories included primary strategies of isolation avoidance (not staying at home and interactionism), social participation (including continuity of career roles, volunteerism and institutional participation), strategies of active attitude and learning, physical activity and management of home’s time and daily life.Conclusion: Active aging requires applying strategies in 3 areas: elders’ attitude, home environment, and society. For active aging in the country, practitioners and social planners need to strictly consider these 3 areas.

Objectives: Self-Efficacy is an important variable in the field of elderly, to which little attention has been paid. Quality of Life (QoL) is also one of the most important factors of human development. This study aimed to determine and investigate the relationship between self-efficacy and QoL among elders residing in Tehran nursing homes in 2015.Methods & Materials: In this cross-sectional descriptive-analytic study, the statistical population comprised the residents of nursing homes, especially catering to the elderly, in Tehran. The sample size was 210 individuals, who were selected based on the research criteria. For the elderly people residing in elderly care centers, quota random sampling was performed, and random sampling in each nursing home was made proportionate to the number of elderly residents therein. General self-efficacy scale (GSE- 10), elderly quality of life questionnaire (LIPAD), and demographic questionnaire were utilized to collect data. The tools were investigated in terms of reliability. The elderly residents’ average (SD) age was 78.66 (11.78) years. After sampling and gathering the questionnaires, the collected data were entered into SPSS Version18, and analyzed with descriptive indexes and analytic tests, including frequency, mean, standard deviation, Chi-square test, Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, ANOVA, and independent t test.Results: The findings showed that the mean (SD) score of self-efficacy among the elder residents of Tehran nursing homes was 17.68 (4.00), and the mean (SD) score of QoL was 27.88 (9.80). There is no significant correlation between self-efficacy and demographic characteristics such as age, sex, or marital status, but there was a significant correlation between the education level (P=0.042) and self-efficacy. There also happened to be a significant correlation between QoL, and age (P=0.047) and education level (P=0.038). Again, there was no significant correlation between QoL, and sex and marital status. In this particular research, the confidence level was considered as 95%.Conclusion: According to the results of the study, self-efficacy of residential elderlies and their quality of life was low. Increase in self-efficacy among the elderly residents of the nursing homes led to a rise in their QoL.

Objectives: Cognitive functions such as reaction time undergo change with aging. Given the importance of preparation in response to reaction time in various life situations, this study aimed to examine the effect of various foreperiods (0.5, 1.5, 2.5, and 3.5 s), and handedness at the time of simple and choice auditory reaction time.Methods & Materials: The current research followed a quasi-experimental methodology and was carried out using a self-made software. The study population comprised all old people living in Ahvaz City. Of them, 30 people were selected through purposive sampling method and allocated into two groups of right- and left-handed people. Each individual was randomly tested for simple and selective reaction with randomly chosen foreperiods.Results: The findings demonstrated a significant difference (P<0.05) between the different periods, and between simple and choice reaction time. It means that short (0.5 and 1.5 s) foreperiods result in the increase of reaction time and that left-handed individuals are associated with shorter reaction times compared with their right-handed counterparts.Conclusion: Since cognitive processing occurs slower in the elderly, it is recommended that foreperiods with very short durations be avoided when preparing elders for different motor skills. In addition, the dominance of the right hemisphere, which contains higher numbers of neurons, among the left-handed might lead them to possess lower reaction times compared with right-handed individuals.

Objectives: In recent years, psychology and psychotherapy have received particular attention, especially with regard to the elderly. As a direct consequence of the growing number of mental disorders among the elderly, it has become more important to identify factors affecting the mental health of the elderly. The purpose of this research was to study the relationship between psychological well-being and mental toughness among elders, with physical activity playing the mediator role.Methods & Materials: This research is a descriptive correlational study. The study subjects included 217 active and non-active elderly people (average age 65.38±3.12 y) selected through a purposeful sampling method. They completed international physical activity, psychological well-being and mental toughness questionnaires. The data were analyzed using the Pearson correlation coefficient. Full consciousness and mental health of inclusion criteria were having. Data were analyzed by using Pearson correlation test was used Bootstrap to determine Mediating Role of Physical Activity. SPSS-21 and AMOS version 18 was used to analyze data. The significance level was considered as P<0.05.Results: Based on the physical activity questionnaire results, the participants were divided into two groups: active and non-active. The results revealed that there were positive and significant relationships between the majority of subscales of mental toughness and psychological well-being. It was also found that the average mental toughness and psychological well-being was higher among active elders than those who were inactive.Conclusion: In accordance with the results of this study, the elders should be encouraged to perform physical activities, which in turn improves aspects of mental health such as psychological well-being and mental toughness.

Objectives: Given the reduction of the ability to correctly predict stimuli, the aging process is often associated with an increase in reaction time. This is particularly more pronounced in the elderly. The neurofeedback program can influence the cognitive function and physical performance by auto-tuning the brain wave abnormalities. The main objective of the current study was to investigate the impact of neurofeedback exercises upon the improvement of the reaction time in elderly, passive males.Methods & Materials: The study was a quasi-experimental research in which 18 elderly males, with an average (SD) age of 65.38 (3.12) years, were selected and randomly assigned in experimental and control groups. A YB-1000 reaction timer was used to evaluate the reaction time of the subjects across 3 sets of measurements (pretests, midtests, and posttests). The subjects in the experimental group participated in 12 neurofeedback exercise sessions (increase of beta and decrease of theta powers). To eliminate the impact of empathy, the control group was subject to a similar training plan in which they only observed the recorded waves of the experimental group exercises.Results: Statistical analysis of the results based on the MANCOVA test demonstrated a significant improvement in the reaction time of the experimental group compared with the control group following the neurofeedback exercising (P<0.5).Conclusion: Based on the reinforcement or inhibition of the brain waves as well as the improvement of the memory use, neurofeedback exercises can serve as an effective means to improve the cognitive processes (e.g. the reaction time) of the elderly.

Objectives: Self-efficacy is a very important factor as far as old age is concerned. Because of the numerous physical and physiological changes occurring in elder’s bodies, self-efficacy has initiated a broad discussion among experts. Numerous studies have revealed that self-efficacy is one of the most important predictors of health behaviors among the elderly and adults in general. Keeping these facts in mind, this study was conducted to evaluate the self-efficacy among the elderly in Fereydunshahr City.Methods & Materials: The present study was a descriptive-analytical one and was conducted by means of a cross-sectional survey. Two hundred elderly people in Fereydunshahr City were selected by the systematic randomly sampling method. The average (SD) age of the elderly was 68.02 (3.7) years, and 101 (50.5%) of them were women, and 99 (49.5%) were men. The data were collected with a couple of questionnaires. The first questionnaire included demographic characteristics of the elderly, and the second was the Scherer self-efficacy questionnaire. Data were analyzed by SPSS (ver.20) through descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, Spearman test, and Independent t test.Results: The mean (SD) score of self-efficacy among elderly was 26.6 (6.8); the independent t test showed that the self-efficacy score in those with chronic diseases was significantly lower than healthy elders. The average score of self-efficacy in the elderly who lived with family was significantly higher than those who lived alone, and the average self-efficacy score in the elderly people with jobs was significantly higher than those who were unemployed.Conclusion: Given that self-efficacy is an important component of lifestyle changes, it can be effective in changing behaviors or help in the initiating of healthy behaviors. In this study, self-efficacy of the elderly was moderate. Therefore, designing and implementing educational interventions and promoting healthy practices are recommended.

Objectives: Dialysis is a therapeutic method suitable for elderly people with chronic renal failure. However, the patient faces with multiple challenges. This study explores the challenges of elderly people with dialysis for better identification and prevention of its side effects.Methods & Materials: In this study, a comprehensive search of electronic databases of PubMed, Web of science, ProQuest, Scopus, Elsevier, Google scholar, and IranMedex was conducted using the key words "Aged, " "Renal dialysis, " "challenges, " and “elderly syndromes" with no time limitation until the end of 2015.Results: Elderly people undergoing dialysis have multiple physical and mental problems. They consume more drugs and have comorbidity compared to young people. This leads to lower quality of life in them compared to other age groups. Elderly people under dialysis experience more challenges, such as aging syndromes (including falls, functional disability, frailty, and cognitive impairment) compared to healthy people. The prevalence of these disorders is more in the elderly people undergoing dialysis leading to disability and loss of independence and increased mortality rate.Conclusion: The number of elderly people undergoing dialysis has increased, and it seems that we need to know more about the problems of this age group. With the increasing awareness and knowledge about these problems, we can plan prevention, care, and rehabilitation programs for the elderly people with dialysis.