ABSTRACT
Social isolation is associated with a higher risk of morbidity and death in older people. The quarantine and social distancing measures due to Covid-19 imposed in most countries and particularly in Cyprus, aim to isolate individuals from direct contact with others. This has resulted in vulnerable older people being isolated at their places of residence for several months, while the recommendations for continuing lockdowns do not appear to be ending. The risk of death from causes other than those related to Covid-19 increases in such individuals and it is due to the effects of social isolation. We estimate that in the next years, there will be a significant increase in the death numbers of such older people in Cyprus. The health authorities must develop a program of support for these older individuals to include medical, social, physical, and psychological elements. Examples of such support are given here.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND/AIMS: To adapt and standardize the Test Your Memory (TYM) dementia screening instrument in Greek. METHODS: Normative data on the Greek version of the TYM were obtained from a community sample of 239 adults aged 21-92 years. Clinical validity was assessed in a cohort of 134 Neurology Clinic patients. Concurrent validity was examined through comparisons with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Greek Everyday Function Scale. RESULTS: Correlations between the TYM and the MMSE were 0.73 and 0.82 in the community and patient samples, respectively. Scores on both tests were moderately associated with everyday functional capacity. Using age- and education-corrected cutoff scores ranging from 26/50 to 45/50 points, the sensitivity of the TYM for Alzheimer's disease detection was found to be higher than that of the MMSE (0.82 vs. 0.70), although its specificity was lower (0.71 vs. 0.90). CONCLUSION: Findings are consistent with previous reports in a variety of cultural settings supporting the potential utility of the TYM as a dementia screening tool.
