This study examined the relationship between five neurocognitive domains, including memory, visual-spatial skills, executive functioning, language, and attention, and three instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), (financial management, medication management, and driving), as well as three basic activities of daily living (ADLs), including dressing, feeding, and grooming. Subjects were community dwelling older adults diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease (AD) ranging in severity from mild to severe. Correlation and regression models were used to analyze the relationship between neurocognitive domains and self-care activities. All of the neurocognitive domains were significantly but mildly correlated with declines in IADLs, and all of the neurocognitive domains, except memory, were significantly but mildly correlated with ADL decline. None of the regression models, except driving, produced significant results. The hypotheses were based on the belief that overlap occurs between declines in cognitive domains and self-care skills. The results of this study support the assertion that global cognitive decline occurs followed by declines in IADLs and later declines in ADLs. Thus, instead of specific neurocognitive domains predicting decline in individual self-care skills, this research indicates that the degree of severity of cognitive decline is predictive of impairments in IADLs or ADLs with milder global impairment predicting IADLs and more pronounced decline predicting declines in ADLs. Degree of severity may have been more predictive because while individuals vary in cognitive symptom presentation, the course of AD always progresses from mild to more severe. The role of over-learning also potentially impacted the results of the study. Individuals learn and daily practice ADLs at a young age causing them to require less higher level cognitive skills (over-learned). Since over-learned IADLs require less higher level cognition, they were preserved longer in AD course, thus declining after global cognitive impairment. Clinicians need to thoroughly assess the degree to which an individual has over-learned a task in order to make the most accurate recommendations. If an individual has milder global decline, IADLs are likely to be impaired, and if an individual has moderate global decline with memory reaching a floor, ADLs are likely to be impaired.

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Urban decline is one of the most important factors dealing with the creation of urban ills and formation of slums in the city centers. This study investigates the roots of urban decline in urban areas. In order to do so, symptoms, types, causes and participant factors dealing with the process of urban decline are investigated. Also functional decline, as one of the most important triggers of urban decline, is introduced and its force that results in low quality of urban places is explored. The scale of participant factors in the process of functional decline is various. These factors are observed from changes in the global political trends and economy till the regulation changes in local scale. Moreover the ways of talking with urban and functional decline, that is classified into four major category of political considerations, economic financing, planning policy and enhancing the quality of places are explored. Finally the forces of urban and functional decline that have lead to low quality of place in the case of Salipazari, Istanbul are examined. As the scale of study area is in the neighborhood scale, the most important concern will be on the low quality of place in exploring decline in this area.

Améliorer la qualité de la prise en charge des personnes âgées vivant en EHPAD est un impératif. L'influence des caractéristiques organisationnelles des EHPAD sur la qualité de la prise en charge des résidents est mal connue. Nos travaux de recherche ont porté sur trois objectifs : 1) Rechercher les facteurs organisationnels en EHPAD qui ont un impact sur les prescriptions potentiellement inappropriées de neuroleptiques, ces médicaments faisant l'objet d'une attention particulière chez les personnes âgées en EHPAD ; 2) Déterminer la valeur ajoutée de l'intervention d'un gériatre au sein d'EHPAD pendant 18 mois par rapport à la restitution simple d'un audit qualité, sur les prescriptions potentiellement inappropriées de neuroleptiques ; 3) Proposer des actions concrètes d'amélioration de la prise en charge globale des résidents d'EHPAD concernant notamment les transferts inappropriées des résidents d'EHPAD vers les urgences, et la prévention du déclin fonctionnel des résidents. Pour répondre aux deux premiers objectifs, nous avons utilisé les données de l'étude IQUARE (Impact d'une démarche QUAlité sur l'évolution des pratiques et le déclin fonctionnel des Résidents en EHPAD) un essai multicentrique comparatif ayant pour objectif d'évaluer l'impact d'une intervention globale d'éducation gériatrique pour le personnel d'EHPAD sur des indicateurs de qualité. Pour le troisième objectif, nous proposons d'une part la structuration d'un hôpital de jour ayant pour vocation de ne recevoir que des résidents d'EHPAD avec la possibilité de les prendre en charge dans des délais courts afin de limiter les transferts inappropriés des résidents d'EHPAD vers les urgences. D'autre part, nous avons participé à une task force d'experts composée de médecins gériatres cliniciens et chercheurs dont l'objectif était de proposer des actions de prévention du déclin fonctionnel des résidents d'EHPAD. Sur les 6275 résidents inclus dans IQUARE, 1532 (24.4%) avaient au moins une prescription de neuroleptique parmi lesquels 1019 (66.5%) étaient potentiellement inappropriées. Nous avons montré que les résidents d'EHPAD dans lesquels intervenait un nombre important de médecins généralistes différents (plus de 30 pour 100 lits), étaient plus à risque de recevoir une prescription inappropriée de neuroleptiques que ceux vivant dans des EHPAD avec moins de 10 médecins généralistes pour 100 lits. Dans cette même étude IQUARE, nous n'avons pas mis en évidence d'effet positif de l'intervention d'un gériatre au sein d'EHPAD pendant 18 mois par rapport à la restitution simple d'un audit qualité, sur la réduction des prescriptions inappropriées de neuroleptiques 18 mois plus tard. [...] / Improving the quality of care for nursing home residents is a real concern. A better understanding of the factors determining a good quality of care in nursing homes (NH) is necessary. This thesis deals with three aims: 1) Determining whether facility characteristics - and in particular the number of attending general practitioners (GPs) in NH - are associated with inappropriate neuroleptic prescribing ; 2) Studying the effect of a quality assurance approach in a NH, with or without the intervention of a geriatrician, on potentially inappropriate neuroleptics prescription at 18 months (T18); 3) Offering practical actions improving medical care in NH in order to reduce potentially avoidable transfers to emergency rooms and to prevent disability and functional decline for NH residents. To meet the two first objectives, we used the data from the Impact of a QUAlity exercise study on the change in practices and the functional decline of Residents in EHPAD (IQUARE), a comparative multicenter trial aiming at assessing the impact of a global education intervention for NH staff based on quality indicators. As for the third objective, on the one hand, we implemented a new day hospital characterized by its being exclusively dedicated to NH residents and its ability to provide patient care within a short period of time. On the other hand, we took part in a Task Force discussion of experts in NH care and research, to implement strategies to prevent or to slow disability and functional decline for NH residents.Among the 6275 residents included in IQUARE study, 1532 (24.4%) had at least one prescription for a neuroleptic drug. Compared with nursing homes with <10 GPs/100 beds, nursing homes with more than 30 GPs/100 beds were exposed to a greater risk of potentially inappropriate neuroleptic prescribing. We have not shown the added benefit of geriatrician intervention in a global effort to decrease potentially inappropriate neuroleptic prescribing. This result can be explained by the strong impact of the quality assurance audit restoration at each NH with a 20% decrease of the potentially inappropriate neuroleptic prescribing for the two study groups. Over this thesis, we have opened a responsive day hospital dedicated to NH residents. This day hospital could be a practical response to the problem of inappropriate and avoidable transfers of NH residents to emergency rooms. Improving the quality of care for nursing home residents also means preventing and/or slowing the functional decline of residents. A Task Force of experts emphasized the need for cultural change to incorporate physical activity for nursing home residents and implement multidomain interventions to delay disability. To conclude, this work has identified factors having an influence on potentially inappropriate care and suggests simple areas to improve the quality of care.

Many elderly patients visiting the emergency department for minor injuries are not assessed for functional status and experience functional decline 6 months post injury. Identifying such high-risk patients can allow for interventions to prevent or minimize adverse health outcomes including loss of independence. For the purpose of a planned clinical decision rule to identify elderly patients at high risk of functional decline a survey of physicians was conducted. A random sample of 534 Canadian geriatricians, emergency and family physicians was selected with half randomly selected to receive an incentive. A response rate of 57.0% was obtained with 90% of physicians considering a drop in function of at least 2 points on the 28-point OARS ADL scale as clinically significant. A sensitivity of 90% would meet or exceed 90% of physicians' requirements for a clinical decision rule to identify injured seniors at high risk of functional decline 6 months post injury.

Many elderly patients visiting the emergency department for minor injuries are not assessed for functional status and experience functional decline 6 months post injury. Identifying such high-risk patients can allow for interventions to prevent or minimize adverse health outcomes including loss of independence. For the purpose of a planned clinical decision rule to identify elderly patients at high risk of functional decline a survey of physicians was conducted. A random sample of 534 Canadian geriatricians, emergency and family physicians was selected with half randomly selected to receive an incentive. A response rate of 57.0% was obtained with 90% of physicians considering a drop in function of at least 2 points on the 28-point OARS ADL scale as clinically significant. A sensitivity of 90% would meet or exceed 90% of physicians' requirements for a clinical decision rule to identify injured seniors at high risk of functional decline 6 months post injury.

La poursuite du rythme d’augmentation de l’espérance de vie des générations issue du baby-boom dans les pays développés serait souvent accompagnée de limitations fonctionnelles, d’incapacité, de plus en plus observées dans la population gériatrique. L'objectif général de cette thèse était de contribuer à la connaissance de l’évolution de l’autonomie fonctionnelle des personnes âgées dans une population hétérogène. Il s’agissait dans un premier temps d'identifier des groupes homogènes dans une population hétérogène de personnes âgées suivant la même trajectoire d'autonomie fonctionnelle sur une période de deux ans, ainsi que des facteurs prédictifs potentiels. Dans un second temps, d’analyser les conséquences cliniques des trajectoires et la survie des patients sur la même période d’observation. Le SMAF (Système de Mesure de l’Autonomie Fonctionnelle) et les échelles ADL (Activities of Daily Living) ont été employés comme indicateurs d’évaluation de l’autonomie. Dans ce contexte, des données de 221 patients issues de la cohorte UPSAV (Unité de Prévention, de Suivi et d’Analyse du Vieillissement) ont été exploitées. Nous avons employé trois méthodes d’analyse de trajectoires dont le GBTM (Group-Based Trajectory Modeling), k-means et classification ascendante hiérarchique. Les résultats ont révélé trois trajectoires distinctes d’autonomie fonctionnelle : stable, stable pendant un temps puis détériorée, continuellement altérée. Les facteurs prédictifs des trajectoires obtenus à l’aide de la régression logistique sont des critères socio-démographiques, médicaux et biologiques. Les personnes âgées affectées à la trajectoire de perte d’autonomie (trajectoire continuellement altérée) ont montré de fortes proportions de chutes dommageables. A partir d’un modèle de Cox, les troubles neurocognitifs, l’insuffisance cardiaque, la perte de poids involontaire et l’alcool ont été révélés comme facteurs prédictifs de la survenue du décès. On conclut de ces travaux que l’analyse longitudinale sur deux ans de suivi a permis de trouver des sous-groupes homogènes de personnes âgées en termes d’évolution de l’indépendance fonctionnelle. Quel que soit le niveau d’autonomie, la prévention de l’UPSAV devient utile même si le niveau d’utilité n’est pas le même. La prévention et le dépistage de la perte d’autonomie de la personne âgée suivie sur son lieu de vie doivent être anticipés afin de retarder la dégradation et maintenir l’autonomie à domicile. Des analyses ultérieures devraient s’intéresser à l’exploration de plus larges cohortes de personnes âgées pour confirmer et généraliser notre travail. / The increase in life expectancy of baby boom generations in developed countries would often be accompanied by functional limitations, disability, increasingly observed in the geriatric population. The general objective of this thesis was to contribute to the knowledge of the evolution of the functional independence of older people in a heterogeneous population. First, it was to identify homogeneous groups in a heterogeneous population of elderly people following the same functional independence trajectory over a two-year period, and potential predictive factors. Second, it was to analyze the clinical consequences of trajectories and patient survival over the same observation period. The SMAF (Système de Mesure de l'Autonomie Fonctionnelle) and ADL (Activities of Daily Living) scales were used as indicators for measuring independence. Analysis were performed from a sample of 221 patients of UPSAV (Unit for Prevention, Monitoring and Analysis of Aging) cohort. We used three methods including trajectory analysis including GBTM (Group-Based Trajectory Modeling), k-means and ascending hierarchical classification. The results suggest three distinct trajectories of functional independence: stable, stable then decline, continuously decline. The predictors of trajectories obtained using logistic regression are socio-demographic, medical and biological criteria. Patients assigned to the loss of independence trajectory (continuously altered trajectory) reported high proportions of injurious falls. Based on a Cox model, neurocognitive disorders, heart failure, involuntary weight loss and alcohol were revealed as predictors of death. We conclude from this work that the two-year longitudinal analysis identified homogeneous subgroups of elderly people in terms of changes in functional independence. The prevention of UPSAV becomes a useful even if the utility level is not the same. Prevention and screening of the loss of independence of the elderly person followed at home must be anticipated in order to delay the deterioration and to maintaining the autonomy. Future analyses should focus on exploring large cohorts of older people to confirm and generalize our research.