Salmand: Iranian Journal of Ageing
Year:2007 | Volume:2 | Issue:3|Papers Count:11

Alzheimer's disease is the most common and well - known cause of dementia, as a progressive, irreversible brain disorder that affects cognitive function, personality, thought, perception and behaviour. Alzheimer's disease is the fourth leading cause of death in western countries. Interesting to know that this disease was unknown in medical community till 100 years ago and had no name. Dr. Alois Alzheimer, a German psychiatrist was the person who suspected the presence of this new illness and by succinct clinical, neuroanatomic, and neuropathologic examination of some cases; including the first known case of this disease- a woman named Auguste Deter- documented it. In further Emil Kraepe1inby knowing about the cases that Dr. Alzheimer reported, and another reports of this disease that were published in the first decade of the twentieth century, set the name of Alzbeimer on this new disease. Descriptions of Dr. Alzheimer and Kraepelin are the same as the present day descriptions of this disease.Electron microscopy, quantitative morphology and modem biochemistry emerging in the second half of the twentieth century opened a new era in dementia research with description of the ultra structure and biochemistry of senileplaques and neuronfibrillary tangles, the major disease markers of Alzheimer's disease. Basic research gave insight into the molecular genetics and pathophysiology of Alzheimers disease and based on the biochemical findings, new pharmacological treatment options were opened. The future attempts will probably be concentrated on the prevention of this disease.Oxidative stress, excessive transition metal ions, and misfolded / aggregated proteins and inflammation are among the probable causes of Alzheimer's disease and the future research will focus on their better understanding and prevention of their occurrence. As the last word, stem cells grafts that in animals have led to remarkable improvement of brain function may also be a promising course in the cure of Alzbeimer's disease in the future.

Aging period can be experienced dynamic, joyful, hopeful, and dignity.One of the challenging demographic factors in 21st century is the aging population issues in most countries, including Iran. Developed countries have already thought and planed for population aging, but if the developing countries such as Iran which has about 8% of population over 60's does not have proper programming for health services of such aged people, in near future they encounter a serious socioeconomic and health crises. A better understanding of aging society which reflects different dimensions of economic, welfare, health and treatment helps to identify the challenges facing aging individuals within families and a policy design needs to pave the ways to meet their needs.Any plan of action on ageing and health care for older persons should be built upon three basic pillars: First persons and development (participation), which focuses on the need for societies to adjust their policies and institutions to promote the growing older population as a productive force for the good of society; Second, advancing health and well-being into old age (health), which underlines the need for policies that promote good health from childhood and onwards throughout the course of life in order to attain a healthy old age; and third, ensuring enabling and supportive environments (security), which promote policies oriented towards family and community to provide the basis for secure ageing.This report provides a comprehensive description of the older population conditions in developed countries (Japan and USA) to foster a better understanding of their experiences and challenges to provide different hints for a comprehensive strategic plan of aging population in Iran.

Background: One of the most important challenges for modem societies is the increasing of elder population. Caring these people is also another important matter for health systems. Families do most of caring responsibilities of the elders who face with many problems for meeting the elders' needs.Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the problems of families caring a frail elder who came to the clinics of public hospitals in Karaj city in 2002.Materials and Methods: This study was a correlational descriptive research that 90 families were selected through purposive sampling.Data collection tool was a questionnaire. The method of data collection was interview and then filling the questionnaires by the researcher.Results: Findings of the study showed that the age range of elders was 77±9, most of them came to the hospitals for heart diseases. The Activity of Daily Living Independency Score was 46±5.7. The majority of help and support of elders was done by women. Most of families expressed the social family relationship problems from high to medium level, the leisure activity problems from medium to high level and the economical problems from medium to high level. All of woman expressed doing job problems from high to medium level and most of men expressed these problems from medium to low level. As a whole, women caregivers' problems were more than men caregivers' problems. Also the results showed that, an increase in the elder age, dependency in Activity of Daily Living, mental and cognitive disorders of the elder and the time of physical support of the elder by other members would increase.Conclusion: This study show, in regards to increasing the elder population in our country special planning must be designed and done as programs for elders and their families. In case of continuity of caring the elders and not supporting these families by health systems, possibility of existing burnout and burden in them will as such so that elder abuse will happen. In spite of these problems in such families, one can prevent sending the elders to nursing homes through supporting them.

Today, the rate of aged persons in the world population is rapidly rising. For making decision and planning for this proups, we must know their problems exactly. One way for this purpose is to measure quality of life that it is one of the best criteria in the rehabilitation and health assessment.The objective of this study was to assess, quality of life and the some factors that affect such measures.Methods: A cross-sectional conducted and descriptive analytical study which included 300 subjects who were >/=60 years of age chosen randomly.Quality of life assessed, using the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire with four domains: physical, psychological, social and environmental. Data gathering was done with face to face interview method and the data were analyzed by using T-Test, ANOVA and linear regression in SPSS.Result: Research resulted as mean age 68.08 with sd. deviation of 5.75 year. Women were (%74.33) 233 and men were (%25.66) 77 of total samples.The final result indicated that there is a significant difference between the mean of QOL scores with gender in physical (P<0.001) and psychological (P<0.014) domains. Women had lower QOL scores than men. There was significant difference between QOL score and age in physical (P<0.036) and psychological (p<0.097) domains too. Widowed persons had lower levels of QOL scores than married and singles had better scores in physical domain than the others. Quality of life scores were strongly correlated with educational status and currently ill in all domain scores.Conclusion: Some variables and factors such as illness, level of education marital status, gender and and age affect on quality of life's strategies should be directed toward such variables mentioned for planning, in solving problems is present and future.

"Daily hours" by the word means times. Leisure is the concept of comfort, rest, relation and free of any working situations. And technically; It consists of times and opportunity that have reminded after daily job and performance of any types of activity.Sociologists leisure has anew conceptuality in compare to do believe society in which such phenomenon can't be considered as classical unemployment, as was in the past.Object: This research is about needs in Elderlies' leisure times. This research shows that all leisure programs are sum of nearly all complete practical programs in domination of adult's leisure times. A performed with careful planning and programming and multifactorial rather than expansion of accomplishment's are beneficial is our country.Method of study: We distributed special research questionnaires as accidental mode among adults, in general parks of Qzvin province.We assessed archive information by use of unparametric statistics of expansion. In addition, we used piraloon coefficient of correlation too.Result and discussion: According to achieve result of research among elderlies' leisure programs which consist of" Film showing", sport and art programs which have allocated extended portion for their own.Elderlies' views about sport were very positive. Exercise of sport has been considered as effective to their heath and their soul and society cultural promotions.All keeping centers of elderlies have T.V, radio and other facilities for showing video-films which consist of sports, Also complete installation of sports, Arts used as human drives, were very useful in optimizing elderlies' leisure times objectives.

Introduction: Disability in the elderly period is result of different factors which inactivity and incorrect use of muscle is the most trigger. Applying of activity programs can improve elderly women's quality of life. This study investigates the effect of exercise on elderly women quality of life in jahandidegan club foundation in 2007.Methods: This study is a quasi- experimental research that was carried out in jahandidegan club foundation for elderly women, in 2007.Population of this study was 400 elderly women which of this numbers 232 elderly women aged 60 - 79 years were allocated to two groups of experimental (n= 116) and control (n =116) with randomized permuted block. Instrument for data collection was client demographic characteristics and leipad questionnaire. The client in experimental group received 30 minutes of exercise for 24 consecutive days during6 - 7 mornings.Quality of life measured in both groups before and after intervention. Data were analyzed by use of chi - esquare, independent statistical test (T test), kolmogorov- smornov test, Mann Whitney test, pair t- test, wilcoxon and covariance analysis.Results: Mean of quality of life before of exercise in experimental group was 70/60and control group was 70.99.After exercise mean of quality of life in experimental group was 75/80 and control group was 70.64.Different between two group was significant in 95% level (p = 0.13).Conclusion: According to the result, exercise was effective to increase elderly women quality of life levels, therefore it can be used as simple and complementary method for improving women elderly quality of life.

Introduction: Moderate hearing impairment in older age can affect physical and psychosocial health of people. The rate of isolation, lack of self confidence, depression and probably dementia in this people is high.Objective: This study was conducted to study the hearing aid effect on older adults depression in Tehran nursing homes.Methods and Materials: In this study depression was assessed in 3 groups of older adults: 30 normal hearing older adults, 30 hearing impaired older adults without hearing aid and 20 hearing impaired older adults with hearing aid. Beck Depression Inventory (II) was used to assess depression.For analyzing data one way ANOVA was used.Results: mean scores in BDI was 11.43, 21.53, 16.40 for groups. The difference between groups was significant. Correlation between age and depression was significant in 1 and 3 groups.Conclusion: It seems that hearing aid use is effective in decreasing depression in older adults.

Introduction and goal: Toady with growth of different sciences, amount - of dies decrease and life hope is going to increase, so world population tends to old ages.In old ages physiologic changes effect on nutrition needs, therefore nutrition cares have the most important role in their health improvement. The goal of this study is the surveying situation of active and inactive elder men nutrition health in Shiraz city.Methods: This study has a descriptive method and for these purpose, we randomly selected 156 elder men upper than 60 years old from 4 main park's of Shiraz as statistical sample. They divided into two elder groups by their physical activities' active elder' and 'inactive elder'. We use of investigate health situation questioner as our Instrument in this study.Results: Findings show that 34.61 Percent of 156 elder men (35 active and 19 inactive elder) have a suitable nutrition situation and 37.81 percent of them (28 active and 31 inactive elder) are in average danger of malnutrition and 27.56 percent (15 active and 28 inactive elder) of them are in high danger of malnutrition.Conclusion: results of this study show that generally old ages don't have a satisfy nutrition situation, although active old age have a better level rather than inactive ones. Therefore physical activities could have a positive role in old age healthy nutrition. It is necessary to plan suitable strategies for protecting and educating old age nutrition in order to improve and correct their diet. Also propagation of physical activities by organization and vast media is suggested.

Studies show that the elderly are more prone to chronic diseases in comparison to other age groupS. Medical Treatment is very common in aged people.On average, every aged person uses 4.5 prescribed and 2.1 over the counter medicines. And every year they have 12 to 17 prescriptions.Indeed, medicines are mostly used in hospitals and geriatrics. (1) The most common used medicines are: Analgesics, Anti-inflammatory, Hypertensive drugs, Cardiovascular medicines & tranquilizers.Natural trend of aging emphasizes on need of change in the way of drug administration in aged people.Because of different age-related diseases, the prescriptions and dosing of different drugs has been changed specially in hospitals and Geriatrics.The changing in quality of life style in aged people has also affected the way of drug administration.In this article we emphasize treatment problems, drug side effects, physiological variations and their effects on pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic of drugs in aging population and we also have many suggestions for increasing health in the aged and their quality of life.