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Biomedical subjects

Meredeth A Rowe

Publications and source records attributed to Meredeth A Rowe.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

A comparison study: paper-based versus web-based data collection and management.

The purpose of this pilot study was to compare the cost, accuracy, and efficiency of a web-enhanced handheld computer data collection system with those of the traditional paper-based data collection and management system and to increase awareness/knowledge of researchers on these two data collection and management methods. This is an important topic because funding resources are diminishing and high startup costs associated with automated data collection systems may give researchers pause when faced with these financial expenditures. Hence, this information will position grant writers and funders to make intelligent decisions regarding the feasibility and advantage of web-enhanced electronic data collection strategies.

Computers, Handheld↗

Sleep complaints, subjective and objective sleep patterns, health, psychological adjustment, and daytime functioning in community-dwelling older adults.

We examined sleep complaints, subjective and objective sleep patterns, health, psychological adjustment, and daytime functioning in 103 community-dwelling older adults to identify factors associated with sleep complaints. We collected 2 weeks of sleep diaries and actigraphy. Only health distinguished complaining from noncomplaining sleepers. Noncomplaining good sleepers had poorer objective sleep quantity than complaining poor sleepers. Actigraphy distinguished noncomplaining good and complaining poor sleepers only. Subjective and objective sleep quantities were related for noncomplainers only; this relationship was stronger for women. Implications include a need for research exploring: 1. sleep complaints, sleep perceptions, and health; 2. interventions focusing on older individuals with insomnia secondary to/comorbid with poor health; 3. gender differences in subjective sleep estimates and in "single-shot" versus longitudinal sleep measures.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

Lost and found.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Dementia↗

Injuries sustained by community-dwelling individuals with dementia.

As the percentage of individuals with dementia continues to increase in the American population, it is particularly important to understand and prevent conditions that may have an impact on the course of the disease. In this study, injuries that occurred in the home with a subsequent in-patient admission were studied using a medical record review. Ninety-six percent of individuals were injured as a result of a fall. The falls resulted in fractures in 61% of the subjects. Interestingly, 35% were admitted after only sustaining soft tissue injuries. Most subjects (65%) were discharged to an institutional setting instead of returning home. Clearly, fall prevention should be addressed in-depth when caring for individuals with dementia in the home to prevent early institutionalization.

Accidental Falls↗

Persons with dementia who become lost in the community: a case study, current research, and recommendations.

Providing care for persons with dementia presents several serious challenges. Among these is the possibility that a person with dementia will become lost in the community and face the risk of injury or death. Caregivers often cite anxiety about this possibility as a reason for placing their loved ones in a professional-care setting. Our case study and review of research show that all persons with dementia are at risk, regardless of age, past behavior, and sex. Thus, health care providers have an important role to play in educating caregivers about this risk and assisting them in preventing or responding to such situations. In addition, health care providers should ensure that their respective professional-care facilities have appropriate measures in place to prevent and respond to these eventualities. Finally, health care providers can educate local law enforcement personnel about dementia in general and more specifically about research-based strategies for searching for persons with dementia who have become lost in the community.

Aged↗

A look at deaths occurring in persons with dementia lost in the community.

The purpose of this study was to examine cause of death in persons with dementia (PWDs) who have become lost in the community. The study was a retrospective review of 93 US newspaper articles describing PWDs being found dead in the community after leaving their caregiving situations unattended. Of these PWDs, 87 percent were found dead in natural, secluded, unpopulated areas, such as woods, fields, ditches, and bodies of water. They were generally found less than a mile from where they left, but often were not found for extended periods. Males and persons from community-based residential facilities appear to be at higher risk of dying after leaving unattended than females and those living at home.

Aged↗