Forskningsartikler

Purpose: To synthesize qualitative empirical research that expands the knowledge of what people with dementia consider to be essential for daily living in a dementia-friendly society.

Methods: The authors searched phrases in the databases AgeLine, CINAHL, EMBASE, MedLine, PsycINFO, PubMed, ORIA, SveMed+, and Cochrane Library. Research articles that involved people with dementia and were conducted in Western countries, written in English, published in peer-reviewed academic journals using qualitative methods, and published within the past decade were included. The research included was critically and systematically appraised using the critical appraisal skills program checklist for qualitative research, and the findings were analyzed according to Graneheim and Lundman’s method of qualitative content analysis.

Results: Overall, 1122 records-561 from 2019 and 561 from 2021-were identified through the search, and nine studies were included in the final synthesis. The studies included were from the United Kingdom (five studies), Australia (three studies), and New Zealand (one study). Through the analysis process, the following main theme emerged: giving voice to people with dementia, which summarizes the essence of what people with dementia believe is essential for daily living in a dementia-friendly society. The main theme covered two themes: a sense of being valued and a sense of being safeguarded, each of which contained subthemes.

Conclusion: To meet the WHO’s and the governments worldwide intention to develop dementia-friendly societies, further research should focus on the voices of people with dementia. By including those concerned, the political goals of a dementia-friendly society can be achieved.

Johanne Alteren, Aud Johannessen, Anne Marit Lyberg, Inger-Lise Magnussen

Background: Several screening tools are developed to identify frailty in the increasing number of older patients with cancer. Edmonton Frail Scale (EFS) performs well in geriatric settings but is less studied in oncology. We aimed to investigate if EFS score (continuous and categorical) predicts survival in patients referred for radiotherapy, and to assess the concurrent validity of EFS compared with a modified geriatric assessment (mGA).

Methods: Prospective observational, single-center study including patients ≥65 years, referred for curative or palliative radiotherapy for confirmed cancer. Patients underwent mGA (assessment of cognition, mobility, falls, comorbidity, polypharmacy, depression, nutrition, and activities of daily living) and screening with EFS prior to radiotherapy. The predictive value of EFS score of two-year overall survival (OS) was assessed by Kaplan-Meier plots and compared by log-rank test. Cox proportional hazards regression model was estimated to adjust the associations for major cancer-related factors. Concurrent validity of EFS in relation to mGA was estimated by Spearman`s correlation coefficient and ordinal regression. Sensitivity and specificity for different cut-offs was assessed.

Results: Patients’ (n = 301) mean age was 73.6 (SD 6.3) years, 159 (52.8%) were men, 54% received curative-intent treatment, breast cancer (32%) was the most prevalent diagnosis. According to EFS≥6, 101 (33.7%) were classified as frail. EFS score was predictive of OS [hazard ratio (HR) 1.20 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.10-1.30)], as was increasing severity assessed by categorical EFS (p<0.001). There was a strong correlation between EFS score and number of geriatric impairments (Spearman`s correlation coefficient 0.77). EFS cut-off ≥6 had a sensitivity of 0.97 and specificity of 0.57 for identifying patients with minimum two geriatric impairments.

Conclusion: EFS predicts mortality in older patients with cancer receiving radiotherapy, and it is a quick (<5 minutes) and sensitive screening tool to identify patients who may benefit from a geriatric assessment.

Inga Marie Røyset, Guro Falk Eriksen, Jūratė Šaltytė Benth, Ingvild Saltvedt, Bjørn Henning Grønberg, Siri Rostoft, Øyvind Kirkevold, Darryl Rolfson, Marit Slaaen

Background
Life expectancy (LE) is increasing worldwide, while there is lack of information on how this affects older individuals’ use of formal home care services.

Aim
We aimed to decompose LE into years with and without home care services and estimate projected number of users towards 2050 in Norway for people 70 years or older.

Methods
This study is based on a sample of 25,536 participants aged 70 years and older in the Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT) survey 2 (1995–1997), 3 (2006–2008), or 4 (2017–2019) linked with national data on mortality. Prevalence of home care services was standardised to the Norwegian population by age and sex. The Sullivan method was used to estimate expected years with and without home help services and nursing services for the years 1995, 2006 and 2016. Data from HUNT4 and Statistics Norway were used to estimate projected use of these services between 2020 and 2050.

Results
During 1995–2017, the use of home help services decreased from 22.6% to 6.2% (p < 0.001), and from 6.4% to 5.5% (p = 0.004) for home nursing services. Adjusted for age and sex, the use of home help services decreased significantly over time (p < 0.001), while home nursing services were stable (p = 0.69). LE at age 70 increased from 11.9 to 15.3 years in men (p < 0.05) during 1995–2017, and from 14.7 to 17.1 in women (p < 0.05). In the same period, the expected years receiving home help decreased from 2.6 to 1.1 in men (p < 0.05), and from 4.4 to 2.1 in women (p < 0.05). The expected years receiving home nursing increased from 0.6 to 0.9 in men (p < 0.05), and from 1.3 to 1.7 in women (p < 0.05). Projected numbers of people 70+ in Norway in need of either of these services were estimated to rise from 64,000 in 2020 to 160,000 in 2050.

Conclusion
While overall life expectancy increased, the expected years receiving home help have decreased and home nursing slightly increased among the Norwegian population aged 70 years and older during 1995–2017. However, the substantial increase in the projected number of older adults using home care services in the future is an alert for the current health care planners.

Milan Chang, Mona Michelet, Vegard Skirbekk, Ellen M. Langballe, Laila A. Hopstock, Erik R. Sund, Steinar Krokstad, Bjørn H. Strand

Background: The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), a simple test for measuring global cognitive function, is frequently used to evaluate cognition in older adults. To decide whether a score on the test indicates a significant deviation from the mean score, normative scores should be defined. Moreover, because the test may vary depending on its translation and cultural differences, normative scores should be established for national versions of the MMSE.

Objective: We aimed to examine normative scores for the third Norwegian version of the MMSE.

Methods: We used data from two sources: the Norwegian Registry of Persons Assessed for Cognitive Symptoms (NorCog) and the Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT). After persons with dementia, mild cognitive impairment, and disorders that may cause cognitive impairment were excluded, the sample contained 1,050 cognitively healthy persons, 860 from NorCog, and 190 from HUNT, whose data we subjected to regression analyses.

Results: The normative MMSE score varied from 25 to 29, depending on years of education and age. More years of education and younger age were associated with higher MMSE scores, and years of education was the strongest predictor.

Conclusion: Mean normative MMSE scores depend on test takers’ years of education and age, with level of education being the strongest predictor.

Knut Engedal, Jūratė Šaltytė Benth, Linda Gjøra, Håvard Kjesbu Skjellegrind, Marit Nåvik, Geir Selbæk