Health & Wellness
Researchers suggest link between staff working conditions and quality of care for residents in Western Canadian nursing homes.
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January
2020
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17:06
America/Tegucigalpa
Improving working conditions for care aides could be a low-cost way to cut down on missed and rushed tasks and improve overall quality of care for residents in Canadian nursing homes, according to a new study led by University of Alberta nursing researchers.
The researchers interviewed 4,016 care aides in 93 randomly selected private and publicly funded nursing homes in Manitoba, Alberta and B.C. The aides, who deliver up to 90 per cent of the care for residents, were asked whether they had missed or rushed any essential tasks—including taking residents for a walk, talking with residents, mouth care, helping residents use the toilet, bathing, feeding, dressing and preparing for bed—during their most recent shift due to a lack of time.
Fifty-seven per cent of aides reported missing at least one task and 65 per cent reported rushi...
Headlines
18
February
2020
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14:00
America/Tegucigalpa
Elder-friendly care after emergency surgery dramatically improves outcomes for older patients: study
Customized treatment program focuses on assessing frailty, preventing infection, getting patients moving and home more quickly.
Tailoring care for older patients who have had emergency surgery can reduce complications and deaths, decrease the length of hospital stays and cut down on the need for alternate care at discharge, …
12
February
2020
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14:00
America/Tegucigalpa
U of A medical researcher aims to help premature babies breathe easier
Neonatal specialist receives $2.2 million in federal funding to pinpoint oxygen mix needed to resuscitate preterm babies while minimizing long-term health risks.
While the practice of titrating oxygen to resuscitate struggling newborns has led to better outcomes, there is a disagreement within the medical community about what concentration of oxygen should be …
11
February
2020
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14:00
America/Tegucigalpa
‘Virtual hospital’ cuts EMS calls, ER visits and hospital admissions for high-use patients
Patients and staff report greater satisfaction with care provided at home.
A joint University of Alberta and Alberta Health Services project to provide virtual hospital services at home for patients with complex medical issues is showing promising early results, according …
10
February
2020
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17:00
America/Tegucigalpa
Diseases spread from wildlife pose risk to livestock and humans in Alberta, scientists find
U of A biologists determine when and where disease transmission between elk and cattle is most likely, develop guidelines to help ranchers prevent it.
Diseases transmitted from wildlife are a common threat to livestock and humans in Alberta, according to new research by University of Alberta biologists.
“One of the biggest risks to the …
06
February
2020
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14:00
America/Tegucigalpa
Simple tool assesses physical and social frailty, predicts outcomes for vulnerable patients
University of Alberta assessment used worldwide to improve health care for seniors.
A simple tool developed more than 20 years ago at the University of Alberta is proving useful around the world to help a wider range of vulnerable patients than first imagined by its creator.
The …
06
February
2020
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13:55
America/Tegucigalpa
Why weight training may be the best exercise for everyone
From avoiding lower back pain to burning more calories and improving memory, weightlifting offers wide-ranging benefits for body and mind, say U of A experts.
While research shows little or no link between exercise and any meaningful long-term weight loss, that doesn’t mean exercising, particularly resistance training, doesn’t provide a long list of health …
05
February
2020
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14:00
America/Tegucigalpa
Four ways to prevent dry skin in winter
Hot baths do more harm than good, says dermatologist who offers expert tips for keeping your skin supple when the weather turns cold and dry.
Want to get rid of dry winter skin? Scale back on the hot baths, says a University of Alberta expert.
Water can do more harm than good for rough skin, said Robert Gniadecki, a dermatologist in the …
04
February
2020
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21:00
America/Tegucigalpa
New guide sets standards of care for critically ill newborns and their families
Provincewide team of health-care professionals and parents determine best practices for neonatal palliative care.
When Kevin George’s two-month old daughter, Maddie, was dying from a rare form of meningitis in 2012, staff helped the family find a room in the hospital where they could spend her last hours …
03
February
2020
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16:30
America/Tegucigalpa
Elevated fasting blood sugar in pregnancy linked to harmful outcomes for mothers, babies
Issues persist even when drug treatments for gestational diabetes are given, U of A study shows.
Pregnant women diagnosed with diabetes who have elevated fasting (pre-meal) blood sugar levels are more likely to face complications than those who have only elevated post-meal glucose levels, …
31
January
2020
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14:05
America/Tegucigalpa
COMMENTARY || Plants safely store toxic mercury. Bushfires and climate change bring it back into our environment
Mercury levels in the environment rise sharply during periods of rapid global warming, scientists find.
Climate change and bushfires may exacerbate recent mercury pollution and increase exposure to the poisonous neurotoxin, according to our study published in the Journal of Paleolimnology.
Mercury …
31
January
2020
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14:00
America/Tegucigalpa
Visual art project conveys emotional stories of head and neck cancer survivors
Collaborative project, exhibition and book blend art and medicine to convey life-changing impact of cancer on patients.
A collaborative project at the University of Alberta—the first of its kind in Canada—aims to convey through visual art the emotional turmoil survivors of head and neck cancer endure.
Entitled …