This book addresses key questions about the need for palliative care, the current provision of services and the evidence for the effectiveness of a range of alternative models of organisation in palliative care. A broad approach is taken to include the needs of both cancer patients and patients with other terminal diseases and the relationship between palliative care and other aspects of health care services. The book is based on a comprehensive and detailed review of the international scientific literature on evaluation of palliative care, providing an essential evidence base for policy decisions.

This book aims to present the age-related alterations in redox signaling networks and their diagnostic biomarkers in aging cells using multidisciplinary approach. Establishing sensitive and specific biomarkers of dynamic redox homeostasis is crucially important in the development of effective antiaging and senolytic interventions. Recent years have seen tremendous advances in the understanding of redox signaling events which highlight the process of aging and age-related pathologies. A major challenge in biological aging research is developing reliable biomarkers to determine the consequences of disrupted redox signaling networks long before the clinical diagnosis of age-related diseases is made. Therefore, we have chosen to concentrate on aging-induced aberrant redox signaling networks, their biomarkers, and pathological consequences in this book. Although oxidation is a natural metabolic process, the imbalance in the level of oxidants and antioxidants causes oxidative stress and eventually leads to inflammatory conditions, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. Novel redox-sensitive biomarkers for the evaluation of aging-induced proteinopathies such as amyloid ss and tau proteins in Alzheimer's disease, -synuclein in Parkinson's disease, and islet amyloid polypeptides in type 2 diabetes mellitus recently drew the attention of researchers. Inside this textbook, readers will find comprehensive perspectives on the association between redox homeostasis and the aging process both at the molecular and clinical levels. Due to the inherent relationship between impaired metabolic activities and oxidative stress, the temporal interaction between intermediary metabolism and disturbed redox status can lead to greater susceptibility to aging-induced diseases and disorders, such as cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, and diabetes. This knowledge could be a key to continued research toward improving medication regimens such as in cancer and cardiovascular therapies, and procedural outcomes for patients. This book brings together current research evidence and knowledge on redox signaling and biomarkers in aging in chapters written by leading global experts in this rapidly evolving field. We hope that this textbook is of interest to a wide group of researchers, advanced students, scientifically curious non-specialist readers and clinicians alike.

Organised services for those with memory disorders are growing. This growth is stimulated by an increase in the number of people with memory problems and by an increased appreciation of the complexity of the needs of such patients. Further growth is likely, especially now that we appear to have crossed the threshold of effective treatment for many patients with dementia. With these advances has come the recognition of the necessity for an interdisciplinary approach to management. Diagnosis and Management of Dementia: A Manual for Memory Disorders Teams is an edited volume covering all aspects of the operation of a memory disorders team. It is aimed at all those working in the dementia or memory disorders team, whether in a clinic or a community setting. The book is divided into three sections. Section one takes the reader through the practical details of setting up and organising a clinic, from timetabling, through managing information, to the assessments needed and the opportunities such a service provides. Section two deals with the diagnostic process; and section three addresses management issues, from carer support, pharmacological and physiological interventions, through managing common problems, to the role of the primary care physician. An Appendix contains the results of a survey to the memory disorder services. This survey provides the reader with examples of other services and demonstrates the wide variation in how these services operate. The Manual is unique in that it combines up to date thinking on diagnosis and management with practical and helpful ideas on how to run a dementia or memory disorders service.

When the first edition of this book (Terminal Care Support Teams: the hospital-hospice interface, 1990) was written, there were only a few advisory palliative care teams working in hospitals. Since then the number of teams has grown rapidly. The concept of these teams in now widely accepted but there is an increased need for information about setting up a team, how they work and how effective they are. This book looks at the need for hospital- based palliative care teams and the challenges of bringing palliative care into the acute hospital setting. It reviews the needs of patients, their families and their professional carers, and also looks at the theoretical and practical problems which may be encountered. For example there is practical advice on setting up hospital-based palliative care teams, the selection of team members as well as coverage of team dynamics, and the role of the pain clinic and palliation oncology.

The average life expectancy has increased worldwide in the recent decades. This has presented new challenges as old age brings the onset of diseases such as cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis, stroke, and Alzheimer's disease. Studies and research have shown the potential preventive and therapeutic roles of antioxidants in aging and age-related diseases by inhibiting the formation or disrupting the propagation of free radicals and thus increasing healthy longevity, enhancing immune function, and decreasing oxidative stress. This has made an antioxidant rich diet of increasing importance in battling the detrimental effects of the aging process. "The Role of Antioxidants in Longevity and Age-Related Diseases" is the book that compiles research on antioxidants and their biological mechanisms that mediate age-related diseases. This book covers the major issues linked to antioxidants, aging, and age-related diseases, including changes in organ systems over the lifespan, age-related oxidative stress-induced redox imbalance, inflammaging, implications of inflammation in aging and age-related diseases, and the important role of antioxidant-rich foods in their prevention and treatment of various age-related diseases. For researchers seeking a comprehensive single source on antioxidants and their roles in aging and age-related diseases, this novel text provides an up-to-date overview.

These plays show a fascinating side of the American melodramatic imagination as it was nurtured in the social world of the nineteenth century, and later grew to be a dominant genre in the theatre, film, and television of today. Includes: "The Poor of New York" by Dion Boucicault, "Uncle Tom's Cabin" by George Aiken/Harriet Beecher Stowe, "Under the Gaslight" by Augustin Daly, "The Girl of the Golden West" by David Belasco.

The transitional phase from pre-older adult to older adult affects the wellbeing of the concerned person economically, physically, and psychologically. This book is a description of the aging transition and discusses various psychological, health, and social challenges faced by older adults globally. It also offers a comparative study on the lifestyles of older adults in India and the United States. Although there is no consensus yet on an all-encompassing theory of aging, this book centers on various theories related to aging processes in an effort to advance discussion on different aspects of aging. Various theoretical formulations, such as person-centered, Hinduism, biopsychosocial, and positive psychology, guided the author to address the topics covered in this volume. Aging and Physicians Aging and Retirement Aging, Caregiving, and COVID-19 Aging and Diversity Aging and Longevity Aging, Disease Prevention, and Technology Aging and Spirituality Through the chapters, the author builds an understanding of the fundamental relation of aging with various health and socioeconomic factors, and also emphasizes a person-centered, holistic approach that values personal autonomy, choice, comfort, dignity, and purposeful living to support aging well. Rethinking the Aging Transition: Psychological, Health, and Social Principles to Guide Aging Well has academic value from a multicultural perspective that would be of benefit to graduate and undergraduate students in gerontology and other disciplines that study aging and older adult populations. With the main aim of raising awareness, this book is an important resource for a diverse group of populations globally, including clinical and non-clinical caregivers, other health(care) professionals, and policy-makers.

This edited volume is a compilation of 30 articles discussing what constitutes food for health and longevity. The aim is to provide up-to-date information, insights, and future tendencies in the ongoing scientific research about nutritional components, food habits and dietary patterns in different cultures. The health-sustaining and health-promoting effects of food are certainly founded in its overall composition of macronutrients and micronutrients. However, the consumption of these nutrients is normally in the form of raw or prepared food from the animal and plant sources. The book is divided into four parts and a conclusion, and successfully convenes the well-established information and knowledge, along with the personal views of a diversified group of researchers and academicians on the multifaceted aspects of nutrition, food and diet. The first part reviews the scientific information about proteins, carbohydrates, fats and oils, micronutrients, pro- and pre-biotics, and hormetins, along with a discussion of the evolutionary principles and constraints about what is optimal food, if any. The second part discusses various kinds of foods and food supplements with respect to their claimed benefits for general health and prevention of some diseases. The third part brings in the cultural aspects, such as what are the principles of healthy eating according to the traditional Chinese and Indian systems, what is the importance of mealing times and daily rhythms, and how different cultures have developed different folk wisdoms for eating for health, longevity and immortality. In the part four, various approaches which are either already in practice or are still in the testing and research phases are discussed and evaluated critically, for example intermittent fasting and calorie restriction, food-based short peptides, senolytics, Ayurvedic compounds, optimal food for old people, and food for the prevention of obesity and other metabolic disorders. The overreaching aim of this book is to inform, inspire and encourage students, researchers, educators and medical health professionals thinking about food and food habits in a holistic context of our habits, cultures and patterns. Food cannot be reduced to a pill of nutritional components. Eating food is a complex human behavior culturally evolved over thousands of years. Perhaps the old adage "we are what we eat" needs to be modified to "we eat what we are".

This book discusses gerontological issues and challenges impacting the quality of life of older people in India. The chapters provide different disciplinary insights ranging from sociology, anthropology, psychology, health sciences, social work, demography, gender, and legal perspectives. The chapters are written by experts and practitioners in the field bringing focus to new gerontological insights from an academic and an empirical perspective. It engages the reader with the growth of different branches of gerontology along with concerns faced by older people. It brings attention to concerns related to ageing of the population in different parts of the country, such as among the tribes, the LGBT community, and conflict zones. It highlights gender aspects related to health care and discusses policy responses, strategies to empower older persons, the role of voluntary organizations, issues related to caregiving and family bonding, and aspects of social protection for the older people. It offers a valuable resource for researchers, academics, practitioners, and policymakers in the areas of gerontology, demography, and sociology, as well as all those interested in the study of ageing populations.

This book discusses the contemporary medico-social, psychological, legal, and therapeutic concerns related to people affected by dementia as a patient or as a caregiver. It provides global emerging responses to dementia. It highlights different dimensions of dementia in terms of issues, concerns, policies, and strategies all around the globe. The contributing authors present issues from cross-cultural education visible in dementia studies and discuss the power of music, art therapy, artistic collaborations, and many innovative practices in dealing with dementia. Written by international specialists from various disciplines, the chapters include challenges and emerging issues related to the role of family caregivers, the concern with vulnerability to elder abuse and neglect, and the role of technology in dementia care. The book provides a diverse perspective to dementia care not covered in such a broad way by any other books on the topic. This book is intended for academics from a wide range of fields such as sociology, geriatrics, community medicine, public health, clinical psychology, social work all of which, collectively, bear on the problem and the solutions for better dementia care.

This book addresses the practical aspects of vibration exercise and vibration therapy. In addition, it describes the technical and physiological background, providing applied scientists and doctors with a deeper understanding of the therapeutic potential that vibration exercise holds. Having first emerged two decades ago, vibration exercise has since established itself as a widespread form of physical exercise, used in all rehabilitation areas. The goal of this book is to close the gap between scientific knowledge and practice.Given that occupational exposure to vibration leads to well-known unfavorable effects, the book is also dedicated to potential risks, hazards and contra-indications and of course, the application of vibration therapy in a number of specific conditions is presented in a clinically usable fashion. Given its breadth of coverage, this book will be of interest to physiotherapists and exercise scientists, but also to a wider range of physicians working in the field of rehabilitation.

This book aims to be a single point of reference for advances in the care of geriatric populations across medical and surgical specialties. The aging population is a unique demographic with its own health challenges. Geriatricians are specifically trained to address these challenges but few medical students or residents enter geriatrics, even as the demand for geriatric expertise increases. The practices of many medical and surgical specialists are dominated by older patients who may themselves see many specialists but rarely visit geriatricians. This updated edition elucidates the most common medical conditions seen in aging patients and translates approaches to those conditions for physicians across specialties. Divided into three sections that assemble crosscutting issues, medical specialties, and surgical and related specialties, this book serves as a guide for clinicians of all backgrounds who will work with older patients as the demographic ages further. This second edition of Geriatrics for Specialists expands the number of specialist chapters to reflect growth in research in aging and clinical care for older people in dermatology, plastic surgery, and behavioral neurology. All original chapters from the first edition are extensively revised and updated to reflect the rapid growth of new knowledge in the field.

The global population is aging rapidly, and as a result emergency abdominal surgery for acute abdomen in the elderly has become a global issue. Demographic changes in the population have also altered the profile of emergency abdominal surgery, with typical causes of acute abdomen in the elderly including acute cholecystitis, incarcerated hernia, bowel obstruction and appendicitis. In these patients, recovery from surgery is often complicated, leading to longer hospital stays compared with younger patients. Laparoscopy in the emergency setting is well established and offers a number of advantages over open surgical approaches, such as reduced postoperative pain, length of hospital stay and complication rates. While laparoscopic surgery for acute diverticulitis has become more widespread, in other conditions, like small bowel obstruction and perforated peptic ulcer, laparotomy is still used in about 70% of cases. Further, despite the urgent need for knowledge regarding surgical treatment of acute abdomen in the elderly, there is still a lack of evidence in this relevant clinical field.This book analyzes the management strategies and critically evaluates the outcomes of laparoscopic emergency surgery for acute abdomen in the elderly according to the principles of evidence-based medicine. Discussing each topic clearly, and promoting the use of emergency laparoscopy in elderly patients, the book is intended for young general surgeons and surgeons in training with at least a basic knowledge of surgery for acute abdomen. It is also useful as a quick reference tool during on-call shifts.

This book offers a concise and updated guide for all readers (physicians and non-physicians) interested in gaining a comprehensive and precise understanding of sarcopenia. Over the last several years, sarcopenia has increasingly developed from being a concept known only in research settings to one that is commonly explored in journals and scientific meetings for various disciplines, such as geriatrics, rheumatology and rehabilitation medicine. Thus, all domains of sarcopenia, from molecular aspects to clinical management, represent highly active areas of research and clinical practice for health professionals in a variety of fields, including geriatric medicine, nutrition, and epidemiology. Despite being a relatively new concept in medicine, sarcopenia is increasingly being recognized as an important determinant of other health conditions, including mortality and disability. This book, written by experts from around the globe, covers several core aspects of sarcopenia management, from molecular mechanisms to genetics, epidemiology, diagnosis and finally treatment, including the clinical impact of sarcopenia as a risk factor, the known genetic and molecular aspects that can aid in predicting sarcopenia, and selected treatment and therapy concepts, including indications for nutrition and physical exercise. Sharing data from the latest studies, it will be of considerable interest not only for geriatricians, but also for a wide range of other readers.

The global burden of geriatric hip fractures is enormous. From both the patient's and physician's perspective, the injury is complex. A hip fracture often changes a patient's life and/or the life of the patient's family permanently. From the physician's perspective, care of geriatric hip fracture patients requires a multidisciplinary team, which is led by the surgeon and which includes internists and other subspecialists within internal medicine, anesthesiologists, nurses, operating room technicians, social workers, physical therapists, and rehabilitation center coordinators and staff. Nowhere in the orthopedic literature is there a text that guides care for these complex patients from injury through recovery. This text is the first to do so by organizing and synthesizing a large body of literature. Its main themes include pre-operative, operative, and post-operative care of the patient who sustains a geriatric hip fracture. Its main objective is to organize the current body of literature into a cohesive whole so that the busy orthopedic surgeon does not have to undertake a literature search each time he or she wants an answer to the myriad questions that characterize a patient's injury, treatment, and recovery course. With regard to pedagogy, because orthopedic surgeons in training will utilize this book, and because the case study is the central pedagogical tool in the field of orthopedic surgery, this book includes case studies within each chapter, with the author's preferred treatment and decision-making rationale for each case. Selected video supplements reinforce real-world application of knowledge. Practicing orthopedic surgeons, as well as orthopedic residents and fellows in training, will find Geriatric Hip Fractures: A Practical Approach a highly useful and informative resource.

The growing proportion of older people in Western countries means that the proper provision of suitable care facilities is of increasing importance. This timely new book is based on solid practical research carried out over 12 years in over 300 different establishments, and offers a conceptual framework for evaluating group residences for older adults, and new procedures for measuring their quality. It also proposes guidelines for designing new facilities as well as improving existing facilities.

Your best tool to optimize patient care by minimizing restraint use Frontline nurses face fraught decisions every day about whether and how to use restraints in dementia care. They need to consider many complicated issues: legislation governing the use of restraints, the policies of health-care facilities, the expectations of families, and--most importantly--the well-being, dignity, and safety of patients and care providers. Frontline nurses need the right support to navigate decisions about restraint use. Dr. Atul Sunny Luthra and his colleagues have developed an algorithm to provide that support. Their work comes from focus-group consultations with frontline staff, a review of current literature on restraint use, and a clear summary of key legislation. The algorithm's systematic approach ensures restraints are a last-resort measure, and puts the right steps in place when restraints are necessary. This short guide includes: A review of nurses' perspectives on restraint use. Alternatives to restraints in patient management and assessment of clinical indicators for restraint use. Procedures to ensure informed consent when restraints are necessary. A reference on appropriate and inappropriate restraint use in everyday clinical situations.

This book analyzes the development of medical big data projects in Japan.Japan is experiencing unprecedented population aging, and labor productivity has decreased accordingly. Big data analysis of the Japanese medical real-world database (RWD) has the potential to tackle this issue.To allow readers to gain an understanding of Japanese medical big data analysis, the book discusses the original Japanese system that generates medical RWDs in the hospital medical records system, the nationwide standardized health checkup system, and the public medical insurance system in Japan.After introducing four major big data projects in the healthcare-medical field in Japan, the book explains the importance of creating information standards to maintain data quality and to analyze medical big data. It enables readers to analyze which standards are installed in which RWDs, how the standards are maintained, and which issues are prevalent in Japan.This book also describes the ethical processes involved in big data projects involving medical RWDs in Japan.

Depression is one of the most common mental health problems facing older people, and it is often unrecognised and usually under-treated. Integrated Management of Depression in the Elderly provides an entirely new approach to understanding late-life depression, by using a series of case studies with commentaries from practitioners internationally. The book covers the epidemiology, presentation and diagnosis of depression in older people and outlines current evidence for effective management drawing on recently published work. The substantive part of the book presents ten case studies of increasing complexity, each case has a commentary from a primary care clinician and a health or social care professional, to outline how professionals should work together to manage the patient within their community. Contributions from world experts give the book an international appeal. It will appeal to a wide audience of health and social care professionals together with psychiatrists-in-training.

This book discusses the intersections between culture, context, and aging. It adopts a socio-cultural lens and highlights emotional, social, and psychological issues of the older adults in urban India. It is set in multiple sites such as Ahmedabad, Delhi, Kolkata, and Saskatoon to indicate how different cultural practices and contextual factors play an integral role in determining the course of aging. It also focuses on different narratives such as older adults living with adult children, older adults living with spouse, and older adults living alone to demonstrate the intricate process of growing old. Drawing from various sites and living arrangements of older adults, it sheds light on cultural constructions of growing old, ideas of belonging, the inevitability of death, everyday processes of aging, perceptions associated with growing old in India, acceptance of the aging body, and intergenerational ties in later lives. Given its scope, the book is essential reading for students and researchers in the fields of sociology, demography, and social scientists studying aging.

This volume highlights the socioeconomic concerns related to medical care for homeless patients and places them at the interface of common psychiatric and medical problems clinicians encounter. Written by experts in psychiatry and other medical specialties, this volume is a concise, yet comprehensive overview of the homeless crisis, its costs, and ultimately, best practices for improved outcomes. The text begins by examining the scope and epidemiology of the problem and discusses its costs. It then examines the best practices for both physical and psychiatric care before concluding with a section on working with special populations that have unique concerns across the country including LGBTQ, women, children, veterans, and aging adults. As the first medical book on homelessness, it is designed to cover a broad range of concerns in a concise, practical fashion for all clinicians working with homeless patients. Clinical Management of the Homeless Patient is written by and for psychiatrists, general internists, geriatricians, pediatricians, addiction medicine physicians, VA physicians, and all others who may encounter this crisis in their work.

This book covers current controversies in women's health care. It takes a broad interdisciplinary approach to the subject. With topics ranging from the controversies in breast and cervical cancer screening, through osteoporosis and the menopause, to the relationships of older women with their doctors, it provides a well-rounded view of health care for older women. Each chapter has been written by an authority in that field and includes issues of current debate. The book is suitable both for students new to the area and for specialists wishing to read about the work of others in related fields, as well as being a useful source of information for general practitioners about the provision of women's health care from a primary care perspective.

This book provides concrete scientific basis that we can conceive the possibility of modifying or even completely canceling aging process, despite the fact that aging is commonly regarded as the result of the overall effects of many uncontrollable degenerative phenomena. The authors illustrate in detail the mechanisms by which cells and the whole organism age. Actions by which it is possible, or will be possible within a limited time, to operate for modifying aging are also debated. The discussion is conducted within the frame and the concepts of evolutionary medicine, which is also indispensable for distinguishing between the manifestations of aging and: (i) diseases that worsen with age, and (ii) acceleration of normal aging rates, caused by unhealthy lifestyle habits and other avoidable factors. The book also discusses the impact of aging on overall mortality and the strange situation that, according to official statistics, aging does not exist as cause of death. This book is a turning point between a gerontology and geriatrics conceived as the study and vain treatment of an incurable condition and one in which these disciplines examine the how and why of a physiological phenomenon that can be modified up to a possible total control. This means transforming the medical prevention and treatment of physiological aging from the greatest failure to the greatest success of medicine.

This book summarizes findings from the National Health and Nutrition Survey Epidemiologic Follow-up Study (NHEFS) for persons 55 years of age and older at initial examination. This is the first prospective study of health and health-related behaviour in a representative sample of the US population.Included in the follow-up study approximately 10 years later were all 14,407 participants who were examined at baseline in 1971-1974 (National Health and Nutrition Survey I-NHANES I). This book reports on the 5,215 individuals who were 55-74 years of age at baseline and who could be traced for further examination.The prospective nature of this research permits the authors to estimate the incidence of new disease, to examine changes in health related behaviour over time, and to access the probability of subsequent disease, given the presence of risk factors at baseline. Their analyses provide new insights into disease causation and outcome in an aging population in the US.

This book examines the worldwide growth of elderly populations and its consequences for future care, and the associated costs for this sector of the population. Living a longer life does not necessarily imply an improvement in the quality of life. Important issues concerning the overall quality of additional years gained through increase in life expectancy are addressed in this book. Progress in specific dimensions of wellbeing are described. Recent gains in knowledge are reviewed, together with advances in our understanding of falls, sensory disorders, mental health in old age, osteoporosis, incontinence, drug therapy and iatrogenic disorders. The book extends outside medical care to encompass the family, which is the key issue in developing countries, community care, nursing home and hospice care; health care services that are particularly appreciated by older people are described. It will provide readers with a knowledge base for developing policies and programs that will advance the wellbeing of the elderly people of the world.