 
 We trawl the world’s journals so you don’t have to:
The Right Hand and the Left Hand of History (Laterality: Asymmetries of Body, Brain and Cognition). Includes open access article on Jimi Hendrix’s mixed-handedness.
Special Review Series on Social Neuroscience (Neuron).
Binding Processes: Neurodynamics and Functional Role in Memory and Action (Neuroscience and Biobehavioural Reviews).
Special Section on Epigenetic Perspectives on Development: Evolving insights on the Origins of Variation (Developmental Psychobiology).
Embodied Language Processing: Neuroimaging, Behavioural, and Neurocomputational Perspectives (Brain and Language).Â
 
ScienceDaily (Apr. 19, 2010) — Epileptic activity in the brain can affect language development in children, and EEG registrations should therefore be carried out more frequently on children with severe language impairment to identify more readily those who may need medical treatment, reveals a thesis from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg.
The thesis studied 60 children of varying ages, divided into groups. The first group comprised children with language dysfunction, for example children with slow speech development who find it difficult to express themselves or who have an inadequate langugage comprehension.
The second group consisted of children with epilepsy, while the third comprised children with language dysfunction and epileptic brain activity, sometimes without epileptic seizures. The study was carried out in conjunction with speech and language pathologists, pediatric neurologists and neuropsychologists at the Queen Silvia Children’s Hospital in Gothenburg.
“We reviewed patient records of children with residual speech and language problems at school start, and could see that these children also had other underlying problems,” says Gunilla Rejnö-Habte Selassie, speech and language pathologist and researcher at the Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Rehabilitation.
The study showed that epilepsy (with seizures) and epileptic brain activity with or without seizures were more common in these children than in children in general. The researchers then wanted to investigate whether the epileptic activity was the cause of the children’s language dysfunction or whether other factors affected their language development.
“So we also looked at speech and language ability in preschool children with various forms of epilepsy,” says Gunilla Rejnö-Habte Selassie. “We found that these children had certain language problems — they found it difficult to express themselves but had a good understanding of language.” The greatest problems were to be found in children with epileptic activity in the left side of the brain, which controls our linguistic ability.
The next step was to look at children with both speech and language dysfunction and epileptic brain activity in their sleep as young chidlren. and follow up their speech, language and other cognitive abilities after some years.
“We found that more than half the children of school age and young adults still had some form of language difficulties, while a few had normal linguistic abilities,” says Gunilla Rejnö-Habte Selassie. “There was no difference between the children with continously slow language development and those who had experienced a loss or deterioration of their language — so called epileptic aphasia.”
She concludes that more children with language dysfunction should be given EEG registrations to find an explanation for the underlying mechanisms, and so that the right care and treatment can be given. She also states that in some cases medical treatment could be considered to block the epileptic activity in the brain, and in this way reduce the impact on a child’s language development.
“We hope that the results of our research will lead to a new way of looking at various diagnoses of language dysfunction and epileptic brain activity. More than anything, we need a completely new diagnosis for children with slow language development and epileptic brain activity.”
About epiliepsy
Epilepsy takes the form of seizures, with or without the loss of consciousness and simultaneous convulsions. The seizures are due to temporary overactivation of the brain’s electrical nerve impulses that can be registered with an electroencephalogram (EEG). Around 0.5 per cent of all children are estimated to have a tendency towards repeated epileptic seizures. The cause of epilepsy may be temporary or permanent damage to the brain, but a cause cannot always be identified. There are medicines to alleviate the symptoms.
Thesis: Speech and language dysfunction in childhood epilepsy and epileptiform EEG activity
Source:Â http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100419132357.htmÂ
 
April 20th, 2010.
A woman from Devon has begun speaking with a Chinese accent after suffering severe migraines.
Thirty-five-year-old Sarah Colwill puts the startling change down to an extremely rare medical condition known as Foreign Accent Syndrome (FAS).
“I knew I sounded different but I didn’t know how much and people said I sounded a bit Chinese.
“Then I had another attack and when the ambulance crew arrived they said I definitely sounded Chinese.”
The rare disorder is thought to be caused by strokes and brain injuries and causes sufferers to lose the ability to talk in their native accent.
There have been an estimated 60 recorded cases of FAS since it was first identified in the 1940s.
Mrs Colwill, who lives in St Budeaux in Plymouth, Devon, with her husband Patrick said her accent change had been startling.
“I spoke to my stepdaughter on the phone from hospital and she didn’t recognise who I was.
“She said I sounded Chinese. Since then I have had my friends hanging up on me because they think I’m a hoax caller.”
After researching FAS on the internet Mrs Colwill has been in contact with doctors from Oxford University who are interested in studying her plight.
She is undergoing speech therapy to try to revert to her West Country accent.
“I am frustrated to sound like this. I just want my own voice back, but I don’t know if I will get it back.”
John Coleman, a professor of phonetics at Oxford University, said: “FAS is extremely diverse, almost certainly not ‘one thing’, not a well-defined medical phenomenon.
“It is not the kind of problem that there are any easy generalisations about.”
Sufferers can develop an accent without ever having been exposed to it as it is the change in speech patterns from a brain injury which causes the lengthening of syllables, change in pitch or mispronunciation of sounds.
Experts believe FAS is triggered following a stroke or head injury, when tiny areas of the left side of the brain linked with language, pitch and speech patterns are damaged.
The result is often a drawing out or clipping of the vowels that mimic the accent of a particular country, even though the sufferer may have had limited exposure to that accent.
One of the first reported cases was in 1941 when a Norwegian woman developed a German accent after being hit by bomb shrapnel during an air raid.
As a result, she was shunned by her community, who falsely believed she was a German spy.
In 2006 Linda Walker, 60, woke from a stroke to find that her Geordie accent had been transformed into a Jamaican one.
Source(Includes Video):Â http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20100420/tuk-migraine-gives-woman-foreign-accent-45dbed5.html
 
The National Autistic Society (NAS) has launched a new partnership with Exchange Chambers – our first ever partnership with a Barristers’ Chambers.
Barristers from Exchange Chambers will work with our Advocacy for Education service to provide representation for parents who wish to challenge decisions made by their local authority. These decisions may be about their child’s educational needs or provision at the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal (SENDIST).
As part of their pro bono programme Exchange Chambers will provide free legal representation, where appropriate, for parents of children with an autism spectrum disorder who are challenging decisions at SENDIST.
Launching the initiative, Bill Braithwaite QC, joint head of Exchange Chambers said:
“We are excited and honoured to be the first Barristers Chambers to enter into a Pro Bono partnership with the NAS.
“Our barristers have now received their training from the NAS and we have already achieved two early successes on behalf of parents of children with autism.”
Mark Lever, NAS Chief Executive, said:
“Children with autism are often bullied and excluded at school. They have so many hurdles to overcome and their educational needs at a young age are life defining.”
“The pressures on parents of children who have autism are also immense so this partnership with Exchange Chambers can make a huge difference.
“We are not asking for any favours, we are just seeking a level playing field. Parents need support to challenge decisions. It is not fair or right to make them go it alone so the support of one of the country’s leading Barristers Chambers is ground breaking for us.”
The Pro Bono partnership has been championed by Exchange Chambers’ Director of Chambers Tom Handley and barrister David Knifton, both of whom have children with autism.
To contact our Advocacy for Education service, call 0845 070 4002 or visit www.autism.org.uk/advocacy
Source:Â http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=253&a=21464
 
Channel 10 Studio, Australia
- From: ABC
- April 20, 2010
CHANNEL 10 has apologised for a series of tasteless jokes on its Good News Week program which targeted children with autism, causing outrage among parents.
Upset parents had demanded a public apology for the comments made during the program, which aired nationally last night.
Autism, a life-long disorder that affects social interaction and communication skills, was the subject of several jokes by British comedian Russell Kane. He told host Paul McDermott that his comedy festival team “went at you like an autistic kid on a drum, we destroyed you”.
The joke offended parents, with many contacting the network demanding an explanation and apology.
Today, Ten issued an apology. However, the network also defended McDermott, saying he attempted to make it clear the jokes were out of order.
“We are sorry for any offence the autistic comment may have caused but felt Good News Week host Paul McDermott’s immediate comment of ‘you can see they don’t like autistic humour here’ made it clear it was a step too far,” a spokesperson said.
Rowena Wells was watching the program with her husband and 13-year-old son, who both have autism spectrum disorder. She said she was “disgusted” that nothing had been done to edit out the comments.
“It was not necessary. This kind of rubbish is just not funny,” the 41-year-old Melbourne mother told AAP today.
The issue also hit the web, with many parents blogging about their displeasure.
One blogger, Beet, on the site Aussie Mummy Bloggers wrote: “Russell Kane is one guest that I hope never to see again on the show – he was truly vile.”
The leading provider of autism-specific services in Australia also received a number of complaints. Autism Spectrum Australia spokesman Anthony Perl said the comments have not helped raise awareness of the disorder.
“Making a stereotype comment like they did is way off the mark. As well, it shows a lack of understanding,” he told AAP.
“Those sorts of comments should not have been put to air,” he said.
Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities Bill Shorten said he’d had “plenty” of upset parents on the phone about the comments.
“I love a good laugh and comedy and I’m not a wowser. But where it stereotypes vulnerable children it goes too far,” he told AAP.
“What don’t they understand about making fun of a disabled kid?”
Mr Shorten invited the show’s producers to meet with him and parents’ groups to discuss autism and encourage a better understanding of the disorder.
The Ten spokesperson said the network was a strong supporter of autism awareness. Ten also planned to increase its Community Service Announcement commitment for the AEIOU Foundation, which works with children with autism and their families.
A link would be added to the Good News Week website for viewers who wanted to get involved with an autism support organisation, the spokesperson said.
 
Ask your candidates to stand up for autism
Â
On 6 May there will be a general election in the UK. We need your help to make sure that your local parliamentary candidates are aware of the issues that people with autism and their families face, and if they are elected will work to represent their interests both at national level and in their constituencies.
There are lots of ways that you can lobby your candidates, so take action now!
-
Take part in our campaigner action by sending an email to your candidates asking them to stand up for autism if they are elected.
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Find out about how you can lobby your candidates and some of the key points that you might want to raise in our guide to elections which is at the end of this page.
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Apply to get support and training to help you to meet your MP regularly after the general election, link at end of this page.
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Write to your local paper about autism, as most candidates read local papers. Download a letter to help you do this, link at end of page.
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Invite your candidates to come to one of your local autism group meeting. Download a letter to help you do this. Download at end of page.
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Find information about voting and politics, and more about how other organisations are lobbying candidates in the run up to the general election on other websites.
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You can find out which political parties have candidates standing in your constituency by looking on their websites:
UK
Conservative
Labour
Liberal Democrat
GreenScotland
Scottish National Party (SNP)
Wales
Plaid CymruNorthern Ireland
Democratic Unionist Party (DUP)
Sinn Féin (SF)
Ulster Unionist Party (UUP)
Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP)
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
Traditional Unionist VoiceÂ
 -
If you aren’t sure what constituency you live in, you can find out at:
www.theyworkforyou.com/boundaries
We’ve read the manifestos of the three main parties to let you know what they are saying about issues that are important to people with autism and their families. Autism also gets its first mention in a party manifesto.
You can download our quick summary of the three main party manifestos at the bottom of this page.
or read the full manifestos here:
Â
- Call 020 7923 5799
- Email campaign@nas.org.uk
Related resources
- Guide to lobbying (PDF)
Download here - Constituency application form (PDF)
Download here - Template letter requesting candidate meeting (PDF)
Download here - General election 2010: overview of manifestos (PDF)
Find out what the Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat manifestos say about issues affecting people with autism.
Source: http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=2294&a=21275 
Jan
22
 
Elizabeth Brown
April 17, 3:52 PM
The aspie culture has contributed to squelching the stigma of autism. Undoubtedly, aspies are reeling about the proposed elimination of Asperger’s Syndrome from the DSM-V (Diagnostic and Statistics Manual of Mental Disorders).
Perhaps it’s the term “disorder” that aspies reject. Aspies tend to view themselves in terms of their gifts. Yet, auties, too, are now  praising their uniqueness. The changes drafted by the American Psychiatric Association to the DSM-V, include a folding of Asperger’s Syndrome and PDD-NOS into what’s called an Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Higher functioning autism (PDD-NOS and Asperger’s Syndrome) since its 1994 inclusion into the DSM- IV has broadened the spectrum of autism and our understanding of it.
Roy Richard Grinker, author of Unstrange Minds Remapping the World of Autism, in his op-ed Chaos out of Disorder(New York Times 2/10), supports the potential changes arguing we no longer need Asperger’s to remove the stigma from autism. It is “fading fast” as Grinker’s daughter, Isabel, diagnosed with high functioning autism, attests: “My strength is that I have autism.”
Autism understood as a spectrum eliminates the risk of stigmatizing autism in terms of lower or higher functioning. Grinker’s daughter, Isabel, for instance, identifies her autism in terms of her strengths with art, animals and music. The deficits of social impairments and repetitive behaviors are a shared feature among all auties (high and low).
The deficits in both aspie and autie are pronounced at different points of a child’s life and are often asynchronously offset by strengths and marked times of regression. The degree of Interventions often determine the degree of deficits over a life span. Environmental factors also contribute to outcome.
Furthermore, later drug addictions and co-occurring mental health issues such as depression and anxiety complicate matters and result in regressive behaviors and dependency.
Autism, as Grinker implies, is complex and “…Â a spectrum with an enormous range” and, therefore, according to Grinker, who shares an anthropological perspective as Professor of Anthropology at George Washington University, “…not as neat and orderly as categorizing species.” The notion that Asperger’s Syndrome is mild and not as debilitating as classic autism is what Grinker would call “misleading.”
We tend to trust that intelligence is fixed rather than variable. Due to splintered areas of strength, Kids on the autism spectrum can present with an uneven cognitive profile. For instance, a child diagnosed with autism might score below average range for intelligence, but have unusual mathematical skills. Another child might show exceptional visual spatial skills.
Additionally, higher intelligence associated with milder autism (Asperger’s) does not necessarily equate to greater success. The presumption that a child with mild autism or Asperger’s Syndrome with an above average or higher intelligence has a better prognosis, results in a lax attitude and hinders badly needed services.
A nonverbal child measuring lower on a standard I.Q. test, with the right interventions and advocacy, can grow into a higher functioning and verbose child that is indistinguishable from a child with Asperger’s Syndrome. Isabel, once diagnosed with a more classic form of autism due to language deficits, would, today, be diagnosed Asperger’s Syndrome, according to Grinker.
 
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Last year the Rudd Government announced the start of what could become a once-in-a-generation chance to change the way we provide disability support in Australia. The Productivity Commission was asked to investigate the feasibility of a national long-term care and support scheme. That means looking at how we can better fund disability care and support in the future and whether other models, such as a national disability insurance scheme, might work in Australia.
The commission has now officially commenced the inquiry and called for submissions. It will also release an issues paper in May, followed by the first round of public meetings in June and July.
The commission has had a record number of expressions of interest for this stage of an inquiry and has already started receiving submissions.
I hope that you and other members of the disability community will let the commission know your thoughts and ideas about how the system should work. After all, you’re the ones who have the most first-hand experience of the problems.
This edition of the e-news also includes an update on the Younger People in Residential Aged Care program, a story on another new Autism Specific Early Learning and Childcare Centre and a report about a Human Rights Commission decision that upholds the rights of people with a disability to go to the movies.
More information on all of these stories is provided below. I hope you enjoy this edition of the Disability e-News.
Regards,
Have Your Say: Submissions Open For Productivity Commission Inquiry
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Consultations have officially opened for the inquiry into a long-term care and support scheme, with the Productivity Commission inviting written submissions. The commission will also release an issues paper in May, with public meetings to follow in June and July.
A national disability insurance scheme has wide support amongst disability groups, but it’s a complex area that will require rigorous analysis before it can be implemented.
If have an interest in the future of disability support in Australia, then I would strongly encourage you to let the commission know your views.
Click here to read the media release
Click here to read a transcript of a recent interview on this issue
Click here to go to the Productivity Commission disability inquiry page
Younger People In Residential Aged Care Program Update
The number of young people with disability in aged-care nursing homes remains a major issue, despite good progress under a joint State-Federal program that began in 2006.
The newly-released mid-term evaluation of the Younger People with Disability in Residential Aged Care (YPIRAC) program shows where it is succeeding and where it can be improved. Over 300 people have been moved out or diverted from aged care since 2006, and the program is on track to reduce the number of younger people with disability in aged care by up to 689 by 2011.
But to ensure the program meets the different needs of people with a disability and their families, the Australian Government is providing $500,000 to the Young People in Nursing Homes National Alliance.
The alliance will consult widely, including with young people with disability and their families, and report back to the Government on the future direction of the program. We want to ensure that the States deliver this program as efficiently as possible, and in a way that meets the needs of younger people with disability.
Click here for the media release
Click here to read the full report at fahcsia.gov.au
Human Rights Commission Stands Up For Hearing And Vision Impaired Cinema-Goers
An application from the major cinema chains for a temporary exemption to the Disability Discrimination Act has been rejected.
Currently, less than 0.3% of all cinema sessions in Australia are accessible to people who are deaf, hard of hearing or who have vision impairments.
Technologies such as captioning and audio descriptions are already available, and the industry has a responsibility to make cinemas more accessible.
The commission’s reasons for the decision should be published on its website shortly.
Click here for the media release
Click here to go to the Human Rights Commission website
Other News
Click a headline to read the full story:
Government releases draft legislation reforming taxation treatment of special disability trusts
Autism advocates take to the streets to raise awareness
Click here for more media releases from billshorten.com.au
Latest Speeches
31 March 2010 – Speech – Opening of Neuromuscular Clinic at Melbourne Royal Children’s Hospital
29 March 2010 – Speech – Roden Cutler Charities Bigroll BBQ in Sydney
29 March 2010 – Speech – Opening of Autism Childcare Centre in Brisbane
Click here to read more speeches and transcripts
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Officials mum on how Abington Heights pays
$5 million settlement
Published: April 16, 2010
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A day after news broke about a tentative $5 million settlement reached in a lawsuit filed by the families of seven autistic children abused by their teacher, Abington Heights officials were tight-lipped about details on how they would pay their share.
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Attorney Larry Moran, who represents the seven families, announced the tentative settlement Wednesday but refused to give details, as did attorneys for Northeastern Educational Intermediate Unit and Abington Heights School District, both of which were named as defendants in the lawsuit.
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But at least one Abington Heights School Board member said she was told any money the district would have to pay would not come from taxpayers.
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The seven families filed the lawsuit claiming that the district and the educational unit ignored reports that former teacher Susan Wzorek, employed by the NEIU and working in a classroom at Clarks Summit Elementary, abused autistic students during the 2001-2002 school year.
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The lawsuit further claimed that teachers’ aides who reported Ms. Wzorek hitting, pinching and restraining students with bungee cords and duct tape were moved out of the district and did nothing to prevent the teacher from continuing to abuse the students. In 2005, Ms. Wzorek pleaded no contest to recklessly endangering another person and served a month of house arrest.
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Still unclear, however, is how much the NEIU, the school and Ms. Wzorek will end up paying, or where the money will come from. On Thursday, Abington Heights School District Superintendent Michael Mahon, Ph.D., said it was premature to discuss the settlement or how it would be paid. Both sides said an agreement is reached but it has not yet been signed by a judge.
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“We believe we have an obligation not to comment on this until the settlement is court-approved,” Dr. Mahon said. “Once it is approved, we will share information on any insurance question or money question we’re asked.”
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Dr. Mahon declined to comment on basic information about the school district’s insurance policy and whether it would cover some or all of their portion of the settlement’s payout.
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School board member Louise Brzuchalski said the board was kept up to date about the lawsuit but did not participate in mediation sessions.
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“All I was told was it wasn’t going to come from taxpayer money or any public money,” Ms. Brzuchalski said, adding that she had few details because the settlement has not been approved.
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Other school board members could not be reached for comment Thursday.
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Updated: Thursday, 15 Apr 2010, 6:43 PM CDT
Published : Thursday, 15 Apr 2010, 6:43 PM CDT
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HOUSTON – When budgets must be cut, someone always ends up a loser. In the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District, parents of students with special needs claim their children are about to be shortchanged.
The district’s priorities have come into question after the Cy-Fair school board filled half of a $13 million budget hole by heeding the advice of consultants and slashing what it spends on special education.
The CFISD blames the cutbacks on a drastic reduction in funding from the state.
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“We are still going to be providing services to all our students. We haven’t cut services, we’ve changed the model,” said David Anthony, Cy-Fair ISD superintendent.
Parents of special needs students, accustomed to a program that spends nearly twice the state average, feel betrayed.
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“You can’t put someone in (the classroom) who doesn’t know autism and say ‘just teach this kid’. It’s just not going to happen,” said Laurie Gonzalez, the mother of a child with special needs.
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Most deeply impacted by the cuts is a successful strategy called “co-teach” which pairs special needs students with trained instructors within mainstream classrooms.
“Every hour that that special education teacher isn’t in there doing that is an hour my son is sitting in a classroom where maybe he will get it and maybe he won’t,” said Sarah Calhoun, mother of a boy with autism.
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Kelli Durham of Cy-Fair ISD contends that the district’s new special education method will be cheaper and better.
“It is actually a win-win the students are focused on. Their needs are addressed. They get services while the taxpayer gets their tax dollar maximized,” said Durham.
Many parents are angry that the district did not trim funding for sports to preserve money for special education.
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“Special education is a federal mandate. Athletic programs are not,” says Michelle Guppy, the mother of a boy with autism.
“They are discriminated against. They are not given a fair chance,” says Angela Wesley, the mother of a boy with Down Syndrome.
“My son’s education is less of a priority than an athletic program,” said Mary Ann Kerr, whose son is autistic.
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Durham says support for extracurricular activities took a financial hit in previous budget cutting years while funding for special education went untouched.
Laurie Gonzalez remains unconvinced.
“They are telling us our kids are second best.”
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Source:Â
http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/news/education/100415-cypress-fairbanks-special-needs-students
 
Researchers from Iowa State University’s gerontology program have helped identify what predicts happiness and long life in centenarians, as well as what causes depression in 80-somethings and above.
In a study of 158 Georgia centenarians, the researchers found that past satisfaction with life — even if it’s simply recalling isolated career accomplishments — is the key to happiness in our oldest years.
“The past is the best predictor of the future, so you’re not going to turn your life around at 85 or 90,” said Peter Martin, director of Iowa State’s gerontology program and a professor of human development and family studies (HDFS), who collaborated on both studies. “But it’s also good to know that past accomplishments and the happiness that you had — looking back at your past — carries you through these very last years.”
For the depression study, researchers added 78 octogenarians (people 80 or older) to the happiness centenarian sample. They found that diminished cognitive problem-solving ability was a significant predictor of depressive symptoms in octogenarians, while living in a nursing home and greater neurotic tendencies increased depression among centenarians.
Both studies were published online in the Jan. 26 issue of the journal Gerontology. Jennifer Margrett, an assistant professor of HDFS, was the lead author on the depression study. Alex Bishop, an assistant professor of human development and family studies at Oklahoma State University (who was a doctoral student at Iowa State), was lead author of the happiness study.
Past life satisfaction pays happiness dividends
In that study, researchers analyzed the subjects’ responses to a series of questions that assessed their happiness, perceived health, social provisions, economic security and life satisfaction. While there was no indication that resources affect happiness, past life satisfaction — even individual achievements — was found to have a direct association.
Because of their results, the researchers urge caregivers of the elderly to implement programs — including reminiscence therapy and structured life review sessions — to foster feelings of happiness among very old populations.
“You can be not overly satisfied with your overall current capacity and physical well-being, but you can still be a very happy person because there’s a lot you can contribute just by sharing some of the things that nobody knew because it was 80 or 90 years ago,” said Martin, who is also in the second year of a three-year study of Iowa centenarians.
In the second other study, researchers measured depressive symptoms, demographics and functional indicators, cognition and personality in the subjects. They then compared the ability of cognition, personality, and demographic and functional indicators in explaining depressive symptoms in the octogenarians and centenarians respectively.
They were surprised to learn that overall cognition was not a stronger predictor of depressive symptoms at either age. Rather, it was the loss of the subject’s control — problem-solving in the octogenarians, and choosing where they lived in the centenarians — that tended to depress them.
“In the case of the octogenarians, it’s not so much your intellectual ability as it is the ability to come up with a solution to a particular task that you used to be able to solve in your 60s and 70s,” Martin said. “And so for the first time, you realize that there may be decline in being able to manage tasks.
“And at 100, it’s not so much the surrounding of the nursing home that gets you depressed,” he added. “But in a nursing home, two things have changed. First, there’s a sign that you cannot take care of yourself anymore. And then there’s the sign that you know you only have limited time to live, which is different for an 80-year-old.”
Elderly worried about direction country is headed
The research also confirmed that worry and anxiety contribute to depression in centenarians. And one of the things they’re worried about, according to Martin, is the direction the country is headed and the world they’re leaving for their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Martin says these studies have practical applications for elderly care providers.
“When we have professionals who work with elderly in nursing homes, we pay so much attention to the helping condition — make sure they eat, make sure they have their hygiene taken care of, and so forth — but you also have to work on the mood aspect of it,” Martin said. “And I know people who work in nursing homes have difficult jobs, but just a brief conversation with a very old person can lighten up their entire day.”
The research team also published two related papers in the Jan. 26 issue of Gerontology. One confirms the importance of family history on present-day functioning among centenarians and octogenarians, while the other analyzed the influences on their economic dependency.