Outcomes of elder abuse and neglect in Central Europe: exploring the link between EAN and well-being among non-institutionalized older adults.

Informed by existing gaps in the research of elder abuse and neglect (EAN) outcomes and very limited knowledge from Central-European cultural contexts, this paper analyzes the link between domestic-based EAN and three measures of well-being, namely subjective loneliness, sense of control over one's life, and a broader outlook on life. To do this, we used recently (2022) collected EAN survey fielded among home-dwelling residents of the Czech Republic aged 65 + . The results show that there is a clear relationship between EAN and these selected outcomes. Controlling for several sets of potential modifying or confounding factors further indicates that this relationship is substantial and direct, rather than weak and indirect. Among controls, only variables related to disadvantage (health, income, dependency, history of abuse) partly account for the link between EAN and its outcomes due to their relation to both heightened risk of EAN and lower well-being.

Scaling Down the PGCM Scale to Assess Views on Ageing More Efficiently: Finding a New Alternative.

The aim of the study is to present a new and efficient way of measuring the quality of life among older populations, with special attention to morale, positive outlook on life and ageing. The measure is based on the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale (PGCM), originally consisting of 22 items. The growing numbers and proportions of older people among European populations has increased the need to obtain more reliable data on their needs, values, life experiences and overall quality of life. Using data from six surveys conducted in the Czech Republic, we have formulated a three-item positive outlook on life and ageing (POLA) scale. Our analyses are divided into three steps: (1) constructing the scale and testing its internal consistency; (2) testing the scale's external validity using mean comparisons and correlation coefficients; and (3) determining the factors affecting a positive outlook on later life, such as gender and education. We have confirmed that the three-item approach to measuring positive outlook on ageing as a part of morale is highly applicable to surveys, producing compelling results in assessing important quality-of-life sub-concepts, such as subjective health, subjective age, and loneliness.

Young-Old City-Dwellers Outperform Village Counterparts in Attention and Verbal Control Tasks.

Cognitive performance is dynamic and shaped by individual biological and environmental factors throughout life. In psychology, besides the effects of age, education, and other often studied factors, the complexity of the lived-in environment and urbanicity in that context are yet to be elucidated. In this observational cross-sectional study, we compare cognitive performance in standard neuropsychological tests in healthy older persons from three different types of settlements in the Czechia: the capital city of Prague, towns, and villages. The groups were equal in terms of the age-band (60-74 years), the distribution of gender, education, past and current leisure activities, and cognitive health status (MMSE score). The results showed that Prague citizens had consistently better performance in all verbal tests (for memory and verbal control, i.e., executive function) and attention than persons from other areas. The groups did not differ in timed visuo-graphomotor performance. The conclusion is that the complex environment of a city may promote, in the long-term, certain cognitive abilities, distinguishable even in a developed, culturally homogenous country. The implications are: (a) the description of samples used in normative studies should include information on the lived-in environment for the reference of researchers and clinicians; and (b) individual clinical assessment should reflect the role of the patient's environment where appropriate. The exact mechanisms and causes of the differences need further investigation.