This article presents the life stories of four older women in Vienna in order to better understand the role of occupation in the course of ageing. A qualitative life-story method in the narrative tradition was used as a design of this multiple case study. The stories presented extend beyond an illness or deficit narrative and contribute to a more multifaceted narrative of the subjective experience of ageing in occupational terms in connection with identity. The women did not perceive themselves as old or sick despite problems in mobility, the presence of chronic disease and advanced age. This was associated with their engagement in occupation that was meaningful and linked to their identity. Engaging occupation is the means to continue, test, and adapt to the ageing self. Because occupation is like a litmus-test of one's identity and capacities, the women used it as a measure of change while ageing. Using Atchley's continuity theory, the attempt of the four older women to maintain a balance between adapting and struggling to continue their occupations is discussed in relation to their identity. The results expand Atchley's continuity theory by adding an occupational perspective.
from the repository of Utrecht University: "OBJECTIVES: Antipsychotic drugs are frequently prescribed to elderly patients, but they are associated with serious adverse effects. The objective of the current study was to investigate the association between use of antipsychotics by elderly women and the risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs). COHORT STUDY SETTING: Dispensing data were obtained from the PHARMO Database Network for the period 1998-2008. PARTICIPANTS: Ambulatory Dutch women (≥65 years) with current and past use of antipsychotics. MEASUREMENTS: Incidence rates of UTIs, as defined by use of nitrofurantoin, was calculated within and outside the period of exposure to antipsychotic drugs. Cox proportional hazard regression analysis with Andersen-Gill extension for recurrent events was used to calculate crude and adjusted hazard ratios (HRs). RESULTS: During the study period, 18,541 women with a first prescription of an antipsychotic were identified. Current use of antipsychotics was associated with an increased risk of UTI compared to past use: HR, adjusted for age and history of UTIs, 1.33, 95% CI 1.27-1.39. A strong temporal relationship was found: the risk of being treated for a UTI was higher in the first week after the start of the treatment (adjusted HR 3.03, 95% CI 2.63-3.50) and decreased after 3 months (adjusted HR 1.22, 95% CI 1.17-1.28). Cumulative exposure was not associated with an increased risk of UTIs. There was no difference in effect between conventional and atypical antipsychotics. CONCLUSION: Our results show an increased risk of uncomplicated UTIs during antipsychotic use in older female patients, especially in the first week of treatment."
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Thirty to sixty per cent of older patients experience functional decline after hospitalisation, associated with an increase in dependence, readmission, nursing home placement and mortality. First step in prevention is the identification of patients at risk. The objective of this study is to develop and validate a prediction model to assess the risk of functional decline in older hospitalised patients.
INEDIT creates an open innovation European DIT ecosystem for sustainable furniture co-creation. It channels the creativity of consumers, shapes it through designers' professional skills, and makes it viable by leveraging on the expertise of production specialists in order to deliver sustainable, smart and personalized new products in a shorter time to market. INEDIT intends to demonstrate the capacity to turn the well-known 'Do It Yourself' (DIY) approach applied by individuals within FabLabs into a professional approach named 'Do It Together' (DIT).The DIT approach will be applied by customers and professional producers, especially SMEs, for conveying higher customer satisfaction through customer-driven production. DIT is a novel approach capitalizing on the knowledge, creativity and ideas of design and engineering conceptualized by interdisciplinary stakeholders and sometimes even new actors. It is powered by existing European innovation ecosystems shaping new products across EU countries.INEDIT demonstrates the approach through four cross use cases with high societal impact: sustainable wood panels manufacturing and 3D-printing of wood, 3D printing of recycled plastic and 'smartification'.Sustainability and consideration of individual preferences, especially of women and men, will be our guiding thread. INEDIT addresses societal challenges such as contribution to reduce the amount of produced CO2 in focusing on European-wide production, creation and maintenance of EU-wide job opportunities. This will lead to new business opportunities supported by business model innovation.Moreover, these innovative networked local manufacturing competences and production facilities across the EU will solve ethical concerns within the manufacturing network. INEDIT intends to demonstrate, through its twin - digital and physical - platform, the potential innovation around social manufacturing within the circular economy in designing globally while producing locally.
