The Northern Ireland life review/life storybook project for people with dementia.

There are few interventions that help people with dementia retain or regain a sense of self. Thus, a controlled pilot study examined a life review/life storybook intervention, delivered by familiar care assistants to 30 people with dementia residing in assisted living facilities in Northern Ireland. A multivariate analysis of covariance showed significant change by group (F = 5.01, p < 0.014), particularly on depression (F = 7.54, p < 0.015), communication (F = 23.36, p < 0.005), positive mood (F = 9.47, p < 0.008), and cognition (F = 20.77, p < 0.005), suggesting a potentially promising technique to assist people with dementia.

Creating a multisensory environment for dementia: the goals of a Snoezelen room.

The MR provides a means for a variety of sensory experiences that can increase the quality of life for an individual with dementia. It is an example of an innovative approach to meeting the social and recreational needs of individuals with dementia. In addition, the MR enables staff and family members to communicate and build relationships with residents on a new and different level.

Snoezelen: a multisensory environmental intervention.

Snoezelen is a multisensory intervention delivered in a specially designed room with high-tech instruments. It is especially useful for end-stage patients with Alzheimer's disease. Snoezelen provides an enabling atmosphere in a failure-free environment. It has been a popular intervention in Great Britain and is just beginning to appear in the United States.

Thriving: a life span theory.

There is a need for aging theories to become holistic and multidisciplinary with a life span focus. A theory is the construction of explicit explanations in accounting for empirical findings. A good gerontological theory integrates knowledge, tells how and why phenomena are related, leads to prediction, and provides process and understanding. In addition, a good theory must be holistic and take into account all that impacts on a person throughout a lifetime of aging. Based on these criteria, the authors created the Theory of Thriving, with a holistic life span perspective for studying people in their environments as they age. This article proposes a theory for studying people over time in a holistic, encompassing manner.

Skin temperature and chronic venous insufficiency.

OBJECTIVE: This study compared lower leg skin temperatures in adults age 50 years and older with and without chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). Norms and ranges of skin temperature were also established. DESIGN: A descriptive comparative design was used. SETTING AND SUBJECTS: Sixty-six adults recruited from hospital clinics and senior community dwellings participated in the study, which was conducted in an examination room of an outpatient clinic. To be included in the study, those with CVI showed stage 4 and 5 clinical signs. Those without CVI had no clinical signs. INSTRUMENTS: Skin temperature was measured with an infrared dermal thermometer. METHODS: Subjects were seated with legs extended, free of clothing and socks, and loosely covered with a draped sheet for 10 minutes to acclimatize to room temperature. The skin temperature of 4 sites on the lower legs was measured. Analysis of variance and independent t tests were used to compare groups. RESULTS: There was a significant increase in skin temperature at all 4 sites in the ankle area in the group with CVI compared with the comparison group (89.9 degrees F +/- 2.7 degrees F versus 88.1 degrees F +/- 2.1 degrees F, P =.004). CONCLUSIONS: Elevated skin temperature may be an important nursing assessment parameter to evaluate worsening or impending CVI complications such as venous ulcers.