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AIM: Social engagement is known to serve an important role in cognitive health, but there has been limited information on the role of online engagement. The present study aimed to identify the benefits of different online activities for the cognitive function of older adults. METHODS: Data came from the National Health and Aging Trend Study, Round I-V (2011-2015), with >8000 respondents from Medicare beneficiaries. Cognitive function was measured by the Clock Drawing Test and immediate 10-word recall. The respondents were also asked if they carried out any of the online activities listed. RESULTS: Some online activities, such as email, texting and seeking medical information, can reduce the risk of cognitive decline. Whereas contacting a medical provider using online can increase the risk of cognitive decline. CONCLUSIONS: Given the findings, the development of new technologies for online social engagement needs to be one of the priorities for researchers and policymakers in the field of aging and dementia. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2019; 19: 918-923.

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Objective: This study aims to examine the relationship between different levels of cognitive impairment (CI) and the frequency of hospital admission (HA). Method: Data from the National Health and Aging Trend Study, Round 1 (2011), with 8,245 respondents from Medicare beneficiaries were used. The data account for the number of hospital admissions for one year before the data collection. Clock Drawing Test and delayed word recall were employed to measure CI. Results: The severity of CI is one of the factors significantly associated with HA. Controlling for the level of function, the likelihood of HA increased among respondents with moderate, mild-to-moderate, and mild CI. Counterintuitively, HA was reduced when CI is severe. Discussion: People with CI are at more risk of frequent HA and the severity of impairment can increase this risk subsequently. Screening for CI at admission can open up the possibility of interventions, hence reducing complications during and after hospitalization.

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Patient demographics and characteristics are essential components associated with length of stay in hospice. Race, age, gender, health insurance status, income level, and location of hospice care services are indicators that are associated with differing lengths of stay. Hospice care demand is on the rise, and with 70 million boomers retiring in the next few decades, demand is expected to increase. It is because of demand that exploring the factors that affect a patient's length of stay is essential for understanding beneficiary care and family experience. These insights are key for medical and clinical practitioners in providing hospice patients and their families with the intended benefits and care of the Medicare Hospice Program. This study uses Medicare hospice services data from 2006 to 2014 to examine how race, age, gender, health insurance status, income level, and location before entering acute care are associated with acute care lengths of stay. Overall, this study found that race, age, gender, health insurance status, and income level have a statistically significant association with whether a patient was from home-based or from facility-based hospice. These findings suggest that racial disparities remain a relevant matter in access to hospice, palliative care, and length of stay and can assist future research in moving knowledge forward about the association between length of stay and patient characteristics.

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BACKGROUND: By starting to understand Muslim culture, we can seek common ground with Islamic culture within the American experience and bridge opportunities for better palliative and hospice care here and in Middle Eastern countries. The United States, Canada, and Europe are education hubs for Middle Eastern students, creating an opportunity for the palliative and hospice care philosophy to gain access by proxy to populations of terminally ill patients who can benefit from end-of-life care. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to assess the state of research and knowledge about palliative and hospice care within the context of Muslim culture and religion. RESULTS: Within the guide of the key search terms, we learned that at a glance, over 100 articles meet the search criteria, but after a closer inspection, only a portion actually contributed knowledge to the literature. This confirmed the need for research in this vein. More importantly, we posit that once the layers of culture, religion, norms, and nationality are removed, human beings share a kinship based on family, spirituality, death and dying, and fear of pain. This is evident when we compare the Middle Eastern end-of-life experience with the western end-of-life care. CONCLUSIONS: A true opportunity to make a lasting impact at the patient level exists for palliative and hospice care researchers if we seek to understand, gain knowledge, and respect Muslim culture and Islamic issues at the end of life.

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