AUSTRALASIAN JOURNAL ON AGEING

Family perspectives on delirium information provision in an inpatient setting
Athithan S, Browne W and Moran C
Delirium is common in older hospitalised patients and is associated with significant distress in family members who witness it. Education-based interventions can support the family of people with delirium. This study aimed to understand the perspective of family members of people with delirium regarding the information they received and opportunities for improvement.
Using real-time Delphi methods to develop a consensus-based framework to improve nursing assessment in residential aged care
Fry M, Curtis K, Considine J, Viengkham C, Watson K, Dunsmore M and Shaban RZ
Evidence-based tools are needed to support aged care nurses in recognising and responding to changes in residents' conditions and clinical deterioration. Systematised emergency nursing frameworks such as HIRAID® (History including Infection risk, Red flags, Assessment, Interventions, Diagnostics, reassessment and communication) assist nurses in accurately assessing and documenting a patient's condition and identifying and prioritising care needs. This study aimed to adapt the HIRAID® emergency nursing framework for use in the residential aged care setting.
Towards cultural inclusion for older adults from culturally and linguistically diverse communities: A commentary on recent aged care reforms
Dakey SK, Maxwell H and Siette J
Due to the high and increasing number of older people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds in Australia, it is essential to ensure that the upcoming Support at Home program and other new initiatives incorporate culturally responsive aged care provision. Failing to address these challenges perpetuates inequalities in access to quality care for CALD older adults.
The prevalence of suboptimal prescribing of medication in First Nations older adults in the Torres Strait
Korinihona T, Thompson F, Russell SG, Quigley R, Miller G, Sagigi B and Strivens E
This study assessed the prevalence of suboptimal prescribing of medicines in First Nations older adults in the Torres Strait. Types of suboptimal prescribing included polypharmacy, over-prescribing, under-prescribing and anticholinergic burden. It also assessed any significant associations between suboptimal prescribing and common age-related problems such as falls, reduced function and cognition.
Responsive service design and workforce strengthening: Recommendations to improve aged care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
Pearson O, Parrella A, Zagler J, Morey K, Veziari Y and Brown A
This study aimed to develop innovative and practical strategies and recommendations for aged care policy and practice that support the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Factors associated with dementia among older people in Malaysia: Findings from National Health and Morbidity Survey
Nasaruddin NH, Ganapathy SS and Tham SW
To identify factors associated with dementia among older people in Malaysia.
Children's opinions about older people: A cross-sectional study in Turkiye
Yuvakgil Z, Utkan HH, Yıldırım S and Varlığan Z
This cross-sectional study aimed to ascertain the opinions of children towards older people and how these opinions change according to the age of the children.
Systematic scoping review of ageing in place strategies in Japan, Singapore and Thailand: A comparative analysis
Satchanawakul N, Liangruenrom N, Thang LL and Satchanawakul N
Given the differing cultural contexts and service needs of older persons in the west and the east, programs or policies should be thoughtfully redesigned to accommodate these diverse societies. This paper presents a systematic scoping review of ageing in place (AIP) strategies in Japan, Singapore and Thailand, emphasising how they are tailored to address the unique challenges of ageing populations in Asia.
Associations between dual-task walking and cognitive impairment in people attending a cognitive diagnostic clinic
Callisaya ML, Piguet O, Munroe M, De Araújo RC, O'Bree B and Srikanth VK
Dual-task walking performance is an early marker of dementia. However, there is uncertainty about which measure of the dual-task test is a better marker. The objective of this study was to determine which dual-task measure best differentiates between normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia.
The Careful Project: Evaluating the acceptability of local virtual reality experiences as a leisure activity for residents in aged care
Porock D, Cain P, Young C, Hilbers J, Bomm M, Ghosh M and Stanley M
The aim of this project was to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of virtual reality (VR) as a leisure activity for people living in residential aged care. Virtual reality experiences may offer alternatives for residents with limited mobility, or during times when older people are unable to leave residential care.
Factors related to the use of physical restraints and hand restraints among older adults receiving home care services
Weng CC, Lee JH, Chen MT, Chang PC, Li YC, Kuo YC and Fan SY
Physical restraints and hand restraints are used in medical settings to provide protection and control. However, few studies have investigated their use among community-dwelling older adults. The study explored variables associated with the use of physical restraints and hand restraints among older adults receiving home care services and the reasons behind their use.
Engaging under-represented oldest old in research: An approach for inclusive recruitment
Paine N, Lowe M, Young C and Turrell G
Those aged 80 years and over are the fastest-growing sector of the Australian population but are often excluded from research. Oldest old people living alone, in disadvantaged neighbourhoods, and with ill health or dementia, face additional barriers that may hinder their participation in research.
The prevalence of falls and associated factors in older adults of the Torres Strait
Henry R, Sagigi B, Miller G, Russell SG, Thompson F, Quigley R and Strivens E
To assess the prevalence of falls and examine associations between falls and potential risk factors in older adults of the Torres Strait Region of Australia.
Prescribing patterns in people living with dementia in the community: A cross-sectional study
Lau ECY, Jeon YH, Hilmer SN and Tan ECK
To identify the prevalence of and factors associated with medication use in people living with dementia in the community.
Implementing a perioperative medicine for older people undergoing surgery (POPS) service: A guide for clinical leaders
Lodge ME, Dhesi J, Andrew NE, Srikanth V, Ayton DR and Moran C
This study aimed to translate previous implementation science research describing the implementation of perioperative medicine for older people undergoing surgery (POPS) services into a format that is comprehensible and relevant to clinical leaders contemplating implementing a POPS service.
Frailty in general medicine patients receiving geriatric medicine liaison services is predictive of adverse outcomes
Thompson MQ, Fatema NE, Tucker GR, Khalid A, Huang Y, Smyth CR, Yu S and Visvanathan R
Frailty is in an increasing focus for acute care systems due to its association with adverse health outcomes. The Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) is a judgement-based frailty assessment tool, which classifies the frailty status of older adults, but more research involving general medicine inpatients is necessary. The objectives of this study were to describe the predictive ability of CFS, administered by geriatric medicine trained nurses, for adverse outcomes including the following: acute unit and total length of stay (LOS), new nursing home (NH) admission, 12-month mortality and readmission within 30-day.
The representation of Australians living with dementia in voluntary assisted dying research: A scoping review
Matthys A, Cash B and Moorhead B
To critically examine which stakeholders are participating in voluntary assisted dying (VAD) research, to identify the representation of Australians living with dementia.
The Australian Frailty Network: Development of a consumer-focussed national response to frailty
Reid N, Young A, Baldassar L, Christoffersen A, Comans T, Conroy S, Etherton-Beer C, Ferris J, Singh MF, Fox S, Gordon EH, Ghosh M, Guha C, Hilmer S, Kouladjian O'Donnell L, Logan B, Ludlow K, Miller M, Morgan M, Mudge A, Muscedere J, Reidlinger D, Rockwood K, Saunders R, Ward D, Yates P and Hubbard RE
Frailty is an important concept in the care of older adults. Over the past two decades, significant advances have been made in measuring frailty. While it is now well-recognised that frailty status is an important determinant of outcomes from medical illnesses or surgical interventions, frailty measurement is not currently routinely integrated into clinical practice. In the community setting, it is uncommon for general practitioners to deliver frailty-optimised care. In hospitals, there is substantial variability in how people living with frailty are managed. This variability is notable between and even within disciplines. Furthermore, gains from understanding frailty mechanisms and risk factors are not yet applied/implemented at scale to delay the progression of frailty in community-dwellers. The Australian Frailty Network (AFN) is a national collaborative group of researchers, clinicians, non-government organisations, consumers and policymakers, in which the engagement and active involvement of consumers has been embedded from the outset. The AFN aims to generate new knowledge to improve health outcomes, to ensure evidence-based management is translated into clinical practice and to build capacity in multidisciplinary and translational frailty research. Here, we describe the development of the AFN, highlighting important milestones: (i) securing funding for the network and flagship elements; (ii) an inaugural summit to establish the strategic vision, values and scope with end-users; (iii) sabbatical visits to learn from international examples; and (iv) developing the governance structure and an actionable plan encompassing consumer engagement, research, education and policy and practice to maximise impact.
Swimming upstream in a sea of ageism
Barusch A
Gender disparity regarding the impact of retirement on marital satisfaction: Evidence from a longitudinal study of older Korean adults
Hwang IC, Ahn HY and Park Y
To investigate the impact of retirement on marital satisfaction by gender on Koreans aged >45 years in a large, nationally representative cohort.
Systemic ageism in Australia
Sims J