OBJECTIVE: To describe a population of cognitively functioning seniors aged 80 years and older who are livingin dependently in the community. DESIGN: Descriptive cross-sectional study based on the enrolment cohort of a randomized controlled trial. SETTING: St John's, Nfld. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 236 cognitively functioning seniors aged 80 years and older living independently in the community. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Demographic characteristics including age, sex, marital status, and education; health status and quality of life measured by the Short Form-36 and the CASP-19 (control, autonomy, self-realization,and pleasure); use of formal and informal community services;satisfaction with family physician care as measured by the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire-18; and use of health care resources (family physician visits, emergency department visits,hospitalizations, and laboratory and diagnostic imaging tests). RESULTS: Overall, 66.5% of those in the group were women and the average age was 85.5 years. A quarter had postsecondary diplomas or degrees; 54.7% were widowed (69.4% of women and 25.3% of men). The cohort scored well in terms of health status and quality of life, with a range of scores on the Short Form–36 from 57.5 to 93.5 out of 100, and a score of 44 out of 57 on the CASP-19; they were satisfied with the care received from family physicians, with scores between 3.8 and 4.3 out of 5 on the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire-18; and use of health services was low-70% had no emergency department visits in the previous year and 80% had not used any laboratory or diagnostic services. CONCLUSION:Seniors aged 80 years and older living in dependently are involved in the social fabric of society. They are generally well educated, slightly more than half are widowed,and two-thirds are female. They score well on scales that measure well-being and quality of life, and they use few health services. They are the healthy aged. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT00452465 (ClinicalTrials.gov).
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE: To describe a population of cognitively functioning seniors aged 80 years and older who are livingin dependently in the community. DESIGN: Descriptive cross-sectional study based on the enrolment cohort of a randomized controlled trial. SETTING: St John's, Nfld. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 236 cognitively functioning seniors aged 80 years and older living independently in the community. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Demographic characteristics including age, sex, marital status, and education; health status and quality of life measured by the Short Form-36 and the CASP-19 (control, autonomy, self-realization,and pleasure); use of formal and informal community services;satisfaction with family physician care as measured by the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire-18; and use of health care resources (family physician visits, emergency department visits,hospitalizations, and laboratory and diagnostic imaging tests). RESULTS: Overall, 66.5% of those in the group were women and the average age was 85.5 years. A quarter had postsecondary diplomas or degrees; 54.7% were widowed (69.4% of women and 25.3% of men). The cohort scored well in terms of health status and quality of life, with a range of scores on the Short Form–36 from 57.5 to 93.5 out of 100, and a score of 44 out of 57 on the CASP-19; they were satisfied with the care received from family physicians, with scores between 3.8 and 4.3 out of 5 on the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire-18; and use of health services was low-70% had no emergency department visits in the previous year and 80% had not used any laboratory or diagnostic services. CONCLUSION: Seniors aged 80 years and older living in dependently are involved in the social fabric of society. They are generally well educated, slightly more than half are widowed,and two-thirds are female. They score well on scales that measure well-being and quality of life, and they use few health services. They are the healthy aged. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT00452465 (ClinicalTrials.gov).
Authors: F Intorre; G Maiani; M Cuzzolaro; E E A Simpson; G Catasta; D Ciarapica; B Mauro; E Toti; M Zaccaria; C Coudray; S Corelli; L Palomba; A Polito Journal: J Nutr Health Aging Date: 2007 Mar-Apr Impact factor: 4.075