Kathryn Peri

• University of Auckland

Māori are the indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand. Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) was initially developed in the UK, lacking in Māori cultural content and values. Cultural adaptation is needed to ensure Māori with dementia can benefit from this evidence-based treatment. This paper reports the outcome of a project aimed to adapt CST for M...

Introduction The World Health Organisation (WHO) has developed iSupport for Dementia, a self-paced online training programme for caregivers of people with dementia which is adaptable to different cultural contexts. This scoping review aims to understand the iSupport adaptation process in different countries and provide recommendations for future ad...

Introduction Polypharmacy increases the risk of medicines-related harm, including falls, in older adults. Falls have a significant impact on quality of life and health system resources. Little is known about medicine use in retirement village (RV) residents in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ). Aim Our study aimed to describe medicine use and the point pre...

Background The Empowering Dementia Carers in an iSupport Virtual Assistant (e‐DIVA) project aims to develop a website based on the World Health Organisation’s iSupport to support carers in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ), Australia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. The website will be supplemented with culturally‐appropriate videos showing different scenarios in...

Background To support informal dementia carers, the World Health Organization (WHO) developed ‘iSupport for Dementia’ online skills training program, culturally adaptable to local contexts. Several WHO Member States are adapting the program. This study was conducted to draw lessons about iSupport adaptation in Australia, Brazil, Indonesia, New Zeal...

Background The World Health Organisation (WHO) has developed ‘iSupport for Dementia’, a self‐paced training for family carers of people with dementia. Empowering Dementia Carers in an iSupport Virtual Assistant (e‐DIVA) project aims to develop a website based on iSupport to support carers in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ), Australia, Indonesia, and Viet...

Background The number of people living with dementia (PLWD) in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) was estimated at 96,713 in 2020 and it is anticipated that this number will increase to 167,483 by 2050, including an estimated 12,039 Māori (indigenous people of NZ) with dementia. Experiencing urinary incontinence (UI) or faecal incontinence (FI) is common fo...

Objectives: An increasing proportion of older people live in Retirement Villages ('villages'). This population cites support for health-care issues as one reason for relocation to villages. Here, we examine whether relocation to villages is associated with a decline in hospitalisations. Methods: Retrospective, before-and-after observational stud...

Background Falls prevention interventions are effective for community dwelling older adults however, the same cannot be said for older adults living in long-term care (LTC). The Staying UpRight (SUp) randomized controlled trial was designed to test the effectiveness of a progressive strength and balance group exercise program delivered to LTC resid...

Introduction Physical activity (PA) in older people is associated with improved morbidity and mortality outcomes. Increasing numbers of older people are choosing to live in retirement villages, many of which promote themselves as providing opportunities for activity. Aim To explore the characteristics of PA village residents were undertaking and t...

Background There is considerable research exploring the impact of cognitive interventions on cognition in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, the impact on quality of life (QOL) is not routinely reported. As QOL is a key predictor of health outcomes, it is important to determine the evidence supporting cognitive interventions for...

Background: Fall prevention interventions are effective for community dwelling older adults however, the same cannot be said for older adults living in long-term care (LTC). The Staying UpRight (SUp) randomized controlled trial was designed to test the effectiveness of a progressive strength and balance group exercise program delivered to LTC resid...

Chronic pain is common in older people. However, little is known about how pain is experienced in residents of retirement villages (‘villages’), and how pain intensity and associations are experienced in relation to characteristics of residents and village living. We thus aimed to examine pain levels, prevalence and associated factors in village re...

Objectives: Cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) is an evidence-based group intervention for people with dementia. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many existing CST groups moved virtually and this required carers of people living with dementia to assist with setting up the appropriate technology. This study aimed to explore the roles and expe...

Background: To study healthcare utilization and trajectories, and associated factors, in older adults in retirement villages (RVs), also known as continuing care retirement communities. Methods: Prospective cohort study of 578 cognitively intact residents from 34 RVs in Auckland, New Zealand (NZ). Measurement: InterRAI-Community Health Assessm...

Background: Retirement villages (RVs), also known as continuing care retirement communities, are an increasingly popular housing choice for older adults. The RV population has significant health needs, possibly representing a group with needs in between community-dwelling older adults and those in long-term residential care (LTC). Our previous wor...

Autonomous mobile delivery robots are used as a way to improve efficiency in hospitals and reduce staff workload amongst a growing workforce shortage in healthcare. These two case studies investigated the usability, acceptability and functionality of two GoCart delivery robots at two different healthcare settings. The GoCart robots assisted with de...

Background and Objectives This study aimed to explore the experiences and perceptions of nursing home staff and residents of unauthorised covert administration of medication. Prior studies identify that covert medication administration (crushing medication to administer in food or drink) is common in nursing home settings. Still, few recognise that...

Objectives: Retirement villages are semi-closed communities, access usually being gained via village managers. This paper explores issues recruiting a representative resident cohort, as background to a study of residents, to acquire sociodemographic, health and disability data and trial an intervention designed to improve outcomes. Methods: We p...

jats:p>We explore the intergenerational pattern of resource transfer and possible associated factors. A scoping review was conducted of quantitative, peer-reviewed, English-language studies related to intergenerational transfer or interaction. We searched AgeLine, PsycINFO, Social Work Abstracts, and Sociological Abstracts for articles published be...

Objectives: Retirement villages (RV) have expanded rapidly, now housing perhaps one in eight people aged 75+ years in New Zealand. Health service initiatives might better support residents and offer cost advantages, but little is known of resident demographics, health status or needs. This study describes village residents-their demographics, soci...

Background: A medication omission is an event where a prescribed medication is not taken before the next scheduled dose. Medication omissions are typically classed as errors within Residential Aged Care (RAC) homes, as they have the potential to lead to harm if poorly managed, but may also stem from good clinical decision-making. This study aimed...

Background: People living with dementia (PLwD) have a high fall risk as cognitive impairment compromises control of gait and balance. Fall prevention exercises that are effective in healthy older adults may not work for PLwD. Cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) has been shown to improve global cognition in PLwD. A programme which combines cognitiv...

Background: There is increasing interest among older people in moving into retirement villages (RVs), an attractive option for those seeking a supportive community as they age, while still maintaining independence. Currently in New Zealand there is limited knowledge of the medical, service supports, social status and needs of RV residents. The obj...

Objective To investigate the dispensing, administration and omission of medications in residential aged care (RAC) homes in New Zealand (NZ). Methods Secondary data from a medication management database were analysed, to identify the most frequently omitted regular medications and commonly reported reasons for omissions in a sample of 11 015 resid...

Resource constraints and high staff turnover are perceived as substantial barriers to high quality residential aged care. Achieving relationship-focused, person-centered care (PCC) is an ongoing challenge. This paper reports on an international project that explored how residential care leadership understand meaningful engagement for residents with...

Recently Boreskie and colleagues published an editorial in the Journal of Frailty and Aging on Preventing Frailty Progression During the COVID-19 Pandemic (1). In it they proposed the SAVE programme (Socialization, Adequate nutrition, Vitamin D, Exercise) to prevent frailty. They concluded that creative thinking and concerted efforts would be neede...

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) occurs in older adults whose cognitive decline is greater than in normal aging, and it is a risk-factor for dementia. Cognitive training through games is a potential way to protect against further decline and delay the onset of dementia. This study investigated the usability and acceptability of a set of cognitive ga...

Background Medication administration is a key service offered to individuals residing in residential aged care homes (RAC homes). A medication omission is an event where a prescribed medication is not taken by a resident before the next scheduled dose. Medication omissions are typically classed as errors, they have the potential to lead to harm if...

Background A medication omission is an event where a prescribed medication is not taken before the next scheduled dose. Medication omissions are typically classed as errors within Residential Aged Care (RAC) homes, as they have the potential to lead to harm if poorly managed, but may also stem from good clinical decision-making. This study aimed to...

Background A medication omission is an event where a prescribed medication is not taken before the next scheduled dose. Medication omissions are typically classed as errors within Residential Aged Care (RAC) homes, as they have the potential to lead to harm if poorly managed, but may also stem from good clinical decision-making. This study aimed to...

Background A medication omission is an event where a prescribed medication is not taken before the next scheduled dose. Medication omissions are typically classed as errors within Residential Aged Care (RAC) homes, as they have the potential to lead to harm if poorly managed, but may also stem from good clinical decision-making. This study aimed to...

Objectives This research is part of an international project to design and test a home-based healthcare robot to help older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or early dementia. The aim was to investigate the perceived usefulness of different daily-care activities for the robot, developed from previous research on needs. Design Qualitativ...

Objective Cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) is a psychosocial group treatment for people with dementia. The aims of this project were to (a) evaluate the effectiveness of a one-day training workshop; (b) measure the uptake of CST following the workshops; and (c) explore the barriers of implementing CST. Method Ten workshops were conducted. Atten...

Objective: Continuous work under environmental and thermal discomfort such as cold, heat, and dim light has the potential to affect the health of nurses and healthcare assistants working in Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACF). The resulting health issues to workers from exposure to thermal discomfort include fatigue, concentration difficulty an...

Background Retirement Villages (RVs) for older people represent a burgeoning industry. However, we know little about residents’ demographics and health/disability issues - information which could inform health planning, facilitate independence and reduce service demand. RVs are semi-closed communities: access for researchers is most conveniently ga...

Background Retirement Villages (RVs) for older people represent a burgeoning industry. However, we know little about residents’ demographics and health/disability issues - information which could inform health planning, facilitate independence and reduce service demand. RVs are semi-closed communities: access for researchers is most conveniently ga...

Background Retirement Villages (RVs) for older people represent a burgeoning industry. However, we know little about residents’ demographics and health/disability issues - information which could inform health planning, facilitate independence and reduce service demand. RVs are semi-closed communities: access for researchers is most conveniently ga...

Background: Polypharmacy is associated with inappropriate medication use, and subsequently increasing older persons' risk of drug-related harm and health-related costs to individuals and society. Objective: To examine and describe, using a national sample of patient-level medication data, the prevalence of older people's polypharmacy and medicat...

Dementia refers to a group of neuro-degenerative disorders that cause significant impairments to quality of life and difficulties performing activities of daily living. This symposium brings together representatives from four independent international research teams from Europe and the Asia/Pacific region. The speakers bring together perspectives f...

Objectives To investigate clinical oral disease and its association with cognitive function and dependency among older New Zealanders in residential aged care. Material and methods National survey of oral health in aged residential care throughout New Zealand. We classified residents into 1 of 3 levels of care: “low dependency care (or assisted li...

Background: Socially assistive robots are being developed for patients to help manage chronic health conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Adherence to medication and availability of rehabilitation are suboptimal in this patient group, which increases the risk of hospitalization. Objective: This pilot study aimed to in...

Objectives: This scoping study is the first step of a multiphase, international project aimed at designing a homecare robot that can provide functional support, track physical and psychological well-being, and deliver therapeutic intervention specifically for individuals with mild cognitive impairment. Design: Observational requirements gatherin...

Aims: To investigate whether robots could reduce resident sleeping and stimulate activity in the lounges of an older persons' care facility. Methods: Non-randomised controlled trial over a 12-week period. The intervention involved situating robots in low-level and high-dependency ward lounges and a comparison with similar lounges without robots....

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to establish the relationship between organisational culture and psychotropic medication use in residential care. Design/methodology/approach – Cross-sectional analyses of staff and resident’s record survey in residential aged care facilities in Auckland, New Zealand (NZ). The competing values framework categ...

Older adults in rural communities who have chronic health conditions are often isolated from social support and medical clinics. Robots may be able to assist with day to day healthcare and provide companionship. This paper presents four case studies of older adults who had chronic health conditions in a rural community. They were given a healthcare...

Objective: To evaluate dementia care organisations' capacity to acquire, assess, adapt and apply dementia research. Methods: We used the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation's survey, 'Is research working for you?' by inviting the members of the New Zealand National Dementia Cooperative to participate in the online survey. Results: A t...

Aim: This study investigated whether multiple health-care robots could have any benefits or cause any problems in an aged care facility. Method: Fifty-three residents and 53 staff participated in a non-randomised controlled trial over 12 weeks. Six robots provided entertainment, communication and health-monitoring functions in staff rooms and ac...

In this paper, we analyze the use of entertainment services on our healthcare robot system, and find 1) how long robots were used, 2) which entertainment service was most used, 3) which music video category was most preferred, and 4) which music video was most preferred. We developed a healthcare robot system, HealthBot, and deployed several of the...

Purpose: People are now living longer, but disability may affect the quality of those additional years of life. We undertook a trial to assess whether case finding reduces disability among older primary care patients. Methods: We conducted a cluster-randomized trial of the Brief Risk Identification Geriatric Health Tool (BRIGHT) among 60 primary...

Healthcare robots are being developed to help older people maintain independence. This randomised cross-over trial aimed to investigate whether healthcare robots were acceptable and feasible and whether the robots could impact quality of life, depression and medication adherence. 29 older adults living in independent units within a retirement villa...

In this paper, we introduce a healthcare robot system for older people and its experiments in private and public spaces. We designed a healthcare robot system and healthcare functionalities, and conducted a long-term study in a real environment. Our healthcare robot system consists of three parts: a kiosk type service robot platform, a healthcare s...

Abstract: Objectives: To determine the nutrition risk status and factors associated with nutrition risk among older adults enrolled in the Brief Risk Identification Geriatric Health Tool (BRIGHT Trial). Design: A cluster randomised controlled trial. Setting: Three main centres in New Zealand. Participants: A total of 3,893 older adults were recruit...

To describe successful methods of recruitment and identify practice characteristics related to increased recruitment of older people for a randomised controlled trial. General practices in three regions of New Zealand and community-dwelling patients aged 75+ were recruited for the Brief Risk Identification Geriatric Health Tool trial. General pract...

To establish associations with quality of life (QOL) of older people in long-term residential care facilities in two New Zealand cities. The outcome measure of QOL was the Life Satisfaction Index. We used multiple linear regression to explore how broad categories of factors might contribute to QOL. A total of 599 people (median age of 85 years; 74%...

In this study, we sought to measure treatment culture (beliefs, values, and normative practices associated with medication prescribing and administration) in two samples of nursing homes (in Northern Ireland and New Zealand) and to document the range of scoring achieved by staff in both countries. Responses between nurse managers and registered nur...

We wanted to assess the effectiveness of a home-based physical activity program, the Depression in Late Life Intervention Trial of Exercise (DeLLITE), in improving function, quality of life, and mood in older people with depressive symptoms. We undertook a randomized controlled trial involving 193 people aged 75 years and older with depressive symp...

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality for older New Zealanders. Medication prescribing for secondary prevention of cardiovascular events in residential care is unknown and prescribing patterns for aspirin and statins by general practitioners (GPs) in residential care facilities in Auckland, New Zealand...

Access to health care for people living in rural areas presents many challenges. For people who live with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the ability to access specialist health services facilitates improved health outcomes, however many barriers to accessing specialist health care have been identified. This paper reports on the chall...

Preventing family violence, including the abuse and neglect of older people, is an important community and social policy issue in New Zealand. Although significant research and intervention activities have been undertaken to reduce family violence in general, less is known about the nature of elder abuse and neglect, and appropriate and effective p...

To describe the recruitment strategy and association between facility and staff characteristics and success of resident recruitment for the Promoting Independence in Residential Care (PIRC) trial. Cross-sectional study of staff and facility characteristics and recruitment rates within facilities with calculation of cluster effects of multiple measu...

To assess the effectiveness of an activity programme in improving function, quality of life, and falls in older people in residential care. Cluster randomised controlled trial with one year follow-up. 41 low level dependency residential care homes in New Zealand. 682 people aged 65 years or over. 330 residents were offered a goal setting and indivi...

Physical activity shows potential in combating the poor outcomes associated with depression in older people. Meta-analyses show gaps in the research with poor trial design compromising certainty in conclusions and few programmes showing sustained effects. The Depression in Late Life: an Intervention Trial of Exercise (DeLLITE) is a 12 month randomi...

to determine whether a repetitive activities of daily living (ADL) activity programme improves health status, life satisfaction and mobility for older people living in residential care. cluster randomised controlled trial. five low-level dependency residential care homes in Auckland, New Zealand. one hundred and forty-nine older residents (mean age...

We have previously demonstrated that the non-catalytic Src homology 2 (SH2) domain is required for both positive and negative regulation of the catalytic function of the lymphocyte-specific tyrosine protein kinase p56lck. Indeed, the ability of activated p56lck molecules (tyrosine 505 to phenylalanine 505 mutants) to enhance T-cell receptor (TCR)-i...