A group of Dutch and British researchers investigated which factors are associated with an increased risk of developing early-onset dementia. They analyzed data from more than 356,000 study participants recorded in the UK Biobank, a large-scale long-term study in Great Britain. If the first...
Loneliness and social isolation are important issues for older adults. This is particularly true for those with dementia, which is often still associated with feelings of stigma. But it's not just those affected who can suffer from being alone. Caregivers and family members involved in care can also experience…
The social integration of older adults should be given higher priority. This is the wish of the authors of a Swedish study. In it, they investigated the connection between loneliness and social isolation with mortality. The Corona pandemic and the associated restrictions have made many people realize the consequences of loneliness and social isolation…
Digital solutions in care? From 2022, digital care applications (DiPAs) are to be reimbursed by long-term care insurance funds, thus improving the care of the chronically ill and easing the daily routine of caring relatives. Especially in outpatient care settings, the use of digital solutions, such as apps or web-based applications, can offer a...
Volunteers are an important building block in the care of people with dementia and in relieving the burden on their family caregivers. Due to demographic change, changing family structures, and the increasing number of dementia cases, the promotion of volunteer engagement in the field of dementia has increasingly come into the political focus. Furthermore…
The last few months, with the COVID-19 contact restrictions, have shown in some dramatic ways how social isolation and loneliness can affect people. For some time now, there have been indications that socially isolated or lonely people have a higher risk of developing dementia. A research team from Florida and France has investigated this…
A person's lifestyle influences their risk of developing dementia later in life – research agrees on this. Relevant factors include nutrition, exercise, and social contacts. However, since social contacts are difficult to measure, British researchers specifically investigated the dementia risk of people living alone. Little social contact is...
Video calls, online fitness classes, digital game nights: Especially during the Corona pandemic, many people used internet applications to stay in touch with each other despite contact restrictions. What about older people? Do digital technologies help them participate in community life? This was the question addressed in a study by Pascale Heins from the...
Das Gefühl der Einsamkeit ist unter älteren Menschen im Zuge der Corona-Pandemie offenbar gestiegen. So fühlten sich im Sommer 2020 laut den Ergebnissen des Deutschen Alterssurveys (DEAS) 14 Prozent der 46- bis 90-Jährigen einsam. Damit ist der Anteil 1,5-mal höher als in den Befragungsjahren 2014 und 2017. Einsamkeit im …
