Henry Aughterson on a study of longitudinal associations between short-term, repeated & sustained arts engagement and well-being outcomes in older adults.
If you ever daydream about retirement, what do you picture? Lie-ins, instead of being woken by an alarm? Walks on a beach, in place of the morning commute? More time for beloved hobbies? Or perhaps endless open, solitary days, with nothing much to do…?
Retirement is what psychologists term a “major life transition”. As such, it’s regarded as a stressor that carries risks as well as potential rewards. Now that the number of retirees in many countries is soaring, so too is the number of studies into whether retirement is good for your mental and physical health — or not. This work certainly suggests that it can be, but there are a few warnings lurking in the results, too.
Mental health is a hot topic and it is being widely discussed. After seeing a documentary on the topic, Adrian Ashurst was pushed to think about how these issues can affect both residents and staff in care homes and how they can be combatted. To read the full article, log in using your MPFT NHS OpenAthens details.
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People should look out for signs of depression and dementia among older family members and friends over Christmas, NHS England expert Professor Alistair Burns urged today.
Problems that may have been hidden can come to the surface or be easier to spot as families or friends get together over the festive season, Prof Burns said.
Depression should not be written off as inevitable in old age and can be treated effectively. Emotional changes can also be the first indication that someone has dementia.
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This study adds to our understanding of how exercise can help keep people fit and healthy as they age.
In addition to the benefits of exercise already known – such as improved heart and lung health, lower cholesterol, better mental health, and stronger bones and muscles – exercise may also protect us from ageing at a cellular level.
But there are limitations to what the study can tell us. The high dropout rate indicates that adopting an exercise regime that required 45 minutes of training, 3 times a week, isn't always easy.
Roughly two-thirds of all studies demonstrated that interventions improved frailty.
Interventions that included strength training and increased protein intake or supplementation were consistently rated highest in terms of effectiveness and ease of implementation.
Interventions that were similarly easy to implement but in the mid-range of effectiveness included tai-chi, health education, increased calories. Treatments such as hormone replacement or osteoporosis medicines were also in the mid-range of effectiveness, but harder to implement.
Health chiefs have today united to urge people aged 65 and over to take advantage of the NHS’s biggest ever flu vaccination programme.
Older people across the country are being offered the most effective vaccine in the world as part of the programme which is providing a record 8.5 million doses, free of charge.
And this week sees the launch of a campaign to promote flu vaccines to the over 65s, as part of the annual campaign to encourage the public to stay well before the winter period.
Our research found that while a number of barriers exist, planning and preparing for later life is both possible and likely to be beneficial. While it’s not a silver bullet, there are plenty of things that can be done ahead of time to try and ensure we have a good later life.
This study gives us an interesting snapshot into the habits of a group of older adults who are using supplements alongside their prescription medications.
But we don't know how representative this study is of the wider population of older adults in the UK
This study supports current understanding that for older adults with no previous history of cardiovascular disease, the benefits of taking aspirin are small and do not outweigh the risks.
But if you have been advised to take aspirin due to a history of cardiovascular disease you should not stop taking it without first talking to your GP.
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The question is whether this small change would make a meaningful difference to a person's everyday life and risk of fractures, and whether it would be worth taking supplements with uncertain effects in the long term.
Retirement is a major life transition which may influence health behaviours and time use. Little is known about how sedentary behaviour changes as a result of increased time availability after retirement. The aim of this study was to examine changes in non-occupational sedentary behaviours across the retirement transition. In addition, we examined which preretirement characteristics were associated with these changes. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
The importance of staying active in older age is becoming increasingly clear, but many older people find it difficult to meet targets set for the wider population.
This study provides useful information about physical activity levels in a group of older men in the UK and how activity may be linked to length of life.
News from our partners Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin
Local charity Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin will be offering weekly adult ballet sessions as a new activity to complement their Living Well programme for older people.