The difference between the findings of the PP and ITT analyses may be explained in part by the different distribution of severity of dementia in the two groups (experimental and control).

Background Experiences of abuse in relationships with an expectation of trust are a common phenomenon among older people and is called elder abuse (EA). This can take various forms, such as physical, verbal, emotional, psychological, financial, sexual abuse or neglect. Due to their high vulnerability and difficulties in receiving support, people aged over 80 years old have been pointed out as a group that needs special focus in research. Objective Prevalence, risk factors and consequences of EA for different aspects of quality of life are explored among the oldest old. Material and methods Computer-assisted personal interviews were conducted in a representative sample of the oldest old in North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany). 988 self-report interviews without third persons present of the NRW80+ study are used to assess EA with the help of the elder abuse and emotional consequences scale (EACS). The EACS describes EA in six dimensions that give a broad understanding of EA. Results Prevalence of experiences of EA within the last 12 months was 54.1%. In logistic regression, multimorbidity, lower functioning, age below 90 years, smaller social network size, and aggressive behaviorwere significant risk factors for EA. People experiencing EA showed less life satisfaction and autonomy and increased loneliness and depressive symptoms. Conclusion EA is prevalent among the oldest old. Serious consequences of EA on life results can be shown with a broad operationalization of EA. Future research should focus on a deeper understanding of reasons for EA and reflect on the relationship between and the perspectives of perpetrators and victims.

Background High prevalence diseases, such as high blood pressure, dementia and depression in old age can lead to multimorbidity, which is often defined as the presence of more than one health condition in an individual. Multimorbidity has negative consequences on health-related quality of life and healthcare utilization. As many age-associated diseases are not curable, therapeutic goals like preservation of autonomy, functioning, and life satisfaction become more important in old age patients. Objective The prevalence of multimorbidity dementia and depressive symptoms and the consequences of multimorbidity on autonomy, functioning, and life satisfaction among the oldest old were examined. Material and methods In personal computer-assisted interviews, participants of the representative study NRW80+ were asked for which health issues they received medical treatment. Results On average, people above the age of 80 years were treated for 3.62 diseases and 31.4% of older people received medical treatment for 5 or more diseases. A connection between multimorbidity and age group could not be shown. Autonomy, functioning, and life satisfaction are reduced in association with multimorbidity. Conclusion Multimorbidity is a frequent phenomenon among old people. A lack of diagnostic procedures and medical treatment can be a reason for the missing age trends. The results illustrate the importance of multimorbidity for patient-relevant outcomes and reveal the need to identify patients with multimorbidity.

Abstract. Little data exist on elder abuse (EA) among the very old (>80 years), and instruments have not been developed to identify EA within this group. This study presents a survey instrument: the Elder Abuse and Emotional Consequences Scale (EACS). We conducted interviews in a representative sample of the oldest old and did confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) based on n = 988 persons to confirm the assumed factor structure of the EACS. The results confirm a six-dimensional structure and good model fit of the questionnaire. A preliminary examination confirms the reliability and validity of the dimensions. The EACS is thus a multidimensional assessment of EA that can be used in interviews with the very old.

The concept of family companions (Familienbegleiter) has proven to be a cost-covering model of an effective intervention based on the needs of caring families, which should become more widespread in the future.