The number of traffic accidents and the number of fatalities are on a downward trend. On the other hand, the number of traffic accidents involving the elderly is on the increase. One of the reasons ...for this is the decline in driving ability due to aging. In this study, we focused the characteristics of the decline in driving ability such as the inability to brake sufficiently in an emergency. Specifically, by comparing two sitting postures (user-selected and instructed), we analyzed the characteristics of the accelerator pedal-to-brake pedal movement and the braking force of the elderly. In addition, the characteristics of aging were also analysed by comparing the results with those of younger subjects. The results showed that the step-over time was faster in the instructed posture for both the young and the elderly. The maximum braking force was stronger in the instructed posture for both the young and the elderly. There was no difference in braking force between the young and the elderly.
The current scientific article presents the results of assessing the living standard of elderly people, their well-being, livelihoods in conditions of economic instability and changing social ...space. Global and all-Russian official statistics indicate an increase in the ageing process of the population. Besides, there is a steady growth in the share of pensioners in its structure. In recent years, in the Russian Federation in general and in the Republic of Bashkortostan in particular, there has been a real trend of ageing population, longer life expectancy (73 years), and a greater number of senior citizens in total (28.5 %). Old age is associated with a period of loss and separation from the usual way of life. The assessment found the key problems of this category: deterioration of health, narrowing of the social world, loneliness, low living standard, and financial difficulties. It is identified that the Russian pensioners belong to the main group of the poor, especially the lonely ones. Their poverty is determined by a decline in living standards and material security, rising inflation, and the high cost of medical care along with utilities. It was revealed that for an elderly person, the main income source is a pension, and in-kind income from personal subsidiary farms is an additional one. Despite the generally low level of pensions, a significant part of non-working pensioners provides financial support to their family members at the cost of personal well-being. Therefore, family values dominate in the minds of older people, and many of their needs are realised in the household.
Many studies on driving behaviour and human characteristics often use multiple questionnaires, that is burdensome for older drivers. It works efficiently if only valid items are used to adequately ...represent differences among older drivers. The aim of the present report is to develop an exhaustive questionnaire incorporating several driving-related scales. The analysis was conducted using the latent rank theory. As a result, the 121 items of the existing questionnaire could be reduced to 45 items without significant loss of information. With the new questionnaire, it is possible to measure 8 different subjective assessments, such as safe driving orientation and awareness of change.
Sixty-five elderly drivers participated in an experiment to develop a risk estimation test that can measure self-monitoring ability. The test consisted to point hazards, blind spots, signals and road ...sign by touching display in a Three-Dimensional Computer Graphics (3DCG) image from the driver's viewpoint on a 21-inch touch panel display. After the test, participants were asked to self-evaluate the rate of the total objects they could touch for safety, and to select a velocity for their next driving. The results were compared with those of non-elderly drivers. And the relationship with cognitive function measured by the TMT-B was also examined. In addition, the variables affecting velocity selection were analyzed. The results revealed the following points. The hazard pointing rate of elderly drivers was significantly lower than that of non-elderly drivers. There were many elderly drivers whose self-estimation of the hazard pointing rate was high, even though the actual rate was low. There was a significant correlation between the decline in cognitive function and the decline in the potential hazard like blind spots at intersections pointing rate. There was no relationship between cognitive function or self-estimation of hazard pointing rate and selection velocity.
•We examined residents’ MNA®-SF score & 30-month mortality in Japanese nursing homes.•During the study, 157 (42.8%) participants died.•MNA®-SF scores were significantly lower in the deceased ...residents than survivors.•After adjusting for confounders, MNA®-SF score was associated with mortality.•MNA®-SF is an effective predictor of mortality in nursing homes in Japan.
We examined whether the Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA®-SF) predicted mortality in 367 nursing home residents (82% women; mean age = 84.4 ± 8.5 years) in Japan.
We examined participants’ basic characteristics (sex, age, height, weight, and medical history), the Barthel index (BI), clinical dementia rating (CDR), and six items of the MNA®-SF. The association between the MNA®-SF and 30-month mortality was assessed using a Cox proportional regression analysis.
During the study, 157 (42.8%) participants died. MNA®-SF scores in the Survival group were significantly higher than in the Death group (9.4 ± 2.1 vs. 8.4 ± 2.3, respectively; p < .001). After adjusting for age, sex, history of aspiration pneumonia, BI, and CDR, MNA®-SF scores were significantly associated with 30-month mortality (hazard ratio: 0.89, 95% confidence interval: 0.82–0.97, p = .005).
The MNA®-SF was an effective predictor of mortality among nursing home residents in Japan, even after adjusting for potential confounders. These results indicate that periodically evaluating nutritional status using the MNA®-SF, and nutritional interventions according to status, may result in maintenance and improvement of nutritional status, as well as lead to reduced mortality.
This study aimed to test the hypothesis derived from a previous report suggesting that improving walking ability can reduce the occurrence of foot position errors, such as stepping on the accelerator ...instead of the brake. We implemented a supervised walking ability improvement program in a group of 30 elderly participants and analyzed its effects. Over a 12-week period with at least three sessions per week, the training program significantly improved balance function and walking ability, leading to a significant reduction in foot position errors. Additionally, the study confirmed that the elderly responded positively to the program.
PDF