Healthcare

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Holistic Approaches to Aging in Place: Health, Safety, and Community

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Lufei Young

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

School of Nursing, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, NC 28081, USA
Interests: rehabilitation; aging; cardiovascular; cognition; functioning

Dr. Carolyn Horne

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

School of Nursing, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, NC 28081, USA
Interests: cardiovascular disease; hypertension; peripheral arterial disease; symptoms; symptom management, and biofeedback

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to our upcoming Special Issue entitled "Holistic Approaches to Aging in Place: Health, Safety, and Community". As the global population ages, the concept of aging in place—enabling older adults to live independently and safely in their own homes and communities—has become increasingly important. This research area addresses critical aspects such as health, well-being, technology, safety, community support, and policy, which collectively contribute to enhancing the quality of life for individuals living with limited functioning. By fostering environments that support aging in place, we can reduce the burden on healthcare systems, promote mental and physical health, and ensure dignity and independence for older adults.

Aim of the Special Issue

This Special Issue aims to explore and disseminate innovative research and practices that promote aging in place, and to compile a diverse array of studies that reflect the multidisciplinary nature of this field. We are particularly interested in research that aligns with the journal's scope of advancing knowledge in the areas of lifestyle change, assistive technology, risk reduction, safety promotion, and community-based practices and strategies to support independent living for seniors. The Special Issue will serve as a platform for sharing insights, strategies, and solutions that can be implemented across different contexts to facilitate aging in place.

Suggested Themes and Article Types for Submissions

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following themes:

Innovative technologies for aging in place: smart home systems, wearable devices, telehealth, and other assistive technologies;
Health and wellness: strategies to promote physical, mental, and emotional well-being among older adults;
Community support and social networks: programs and interventions that enhance community engagement and social support for seniors;
Policy and practice: examination of policies, programs, and practices that facilitate aging in place;
Environmental design: designing age-friendly homes and communities that support independent living;
Caregiving and support services: role of caregivers, support services, abuse and violence prevention, and respite care in promoting aging in place;
Economic and financial considerations: financial planning, cost analysis, and economic impacts of aging in place;
Cross-cultural studies: comparative studies on aging in place practices across different cultures and regions.

We look forward to receiving your contributions and sharing groundbreaking research that will advance our understanding and implementation of aging in place.

Prof. Dr. Lufei Young
Dr. Carolyn Horne
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.

Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.

Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.

External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.

e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results

Result details

Show export options Show export options

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

10 pages, 529 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Differences in 6-Minute Walk Distance Across Heart Disease Recurrence Risk Levels in Cardiac Rehab Patients

by Eric Lian, Kimberly Roberts and Lufei Young

Healthcare 2024, 12(22), 2280; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12222280 - 15 Nov 2024

Viewed by 941

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs are multi-component interventions comprising structured strength and cardiovascular exercise training, psychological support, education, and therapies to promote positive lifestyle changes. This study aimed to determine if there are differences in the 6-minute walk distance (6MWD) across risk groups for recurrent heart disease. Methods: This retrospective cohort study used existing data collected from electronic medical records. The 6-minute walk distance was measured at baseline (pre-6MWD) and upon the completion of the CR program (post-6MWD). Short-term cardiac event recurrence risk was determined using a two-year recurrent coronary heart disease (2yRCHD) risk percentage, calculated according to the Framingham 2yRCHD calculator. Risk was then stratified into (1) low, (2) moderate, and (3) high-risk groups. Demographic variables (e.g., age, sex, racial/ethnic group) and clinical variables (e.g., BMI, lipid panels, fasting glucose levels, comorbidities) were collected to describe the study participants and identify potential confounders. An ANOVA and ANCOVA were performed to examine the differences in 6MWD across the 2yRCHD risk groups. Results: A total of 394 CR participants’ data were included in this analysis. Ninety-nine percent of the female participants were classified as low risk for recurrent heart disease, resulting in an extremely small sample size in the moderate-risk (n = 1) and no representation (n = 0) in the high-risk group. This lack of representation made it impossible to conduct comparative analyses across all the participants or to analyze female participants separately by risk category. Consequently, only male participant data were included in the final analysis. The study showed that pre- and post-6MWD measurements were significantly different across the three 2yRCHD risk groups (p = 0.006 for pre-6MWD; p = 0.002 for post-6MWD). The ANCOVA indicated that these differences were independent of the selected covariates. Post hoc analyses revealed significant differences in 6MWDs between the low- and high-risk groups and between the moderate- and high-risk groups, but not between the low- and moderate-risk groups, for both pre- and post-6MWD measurements. Compared to the CR participants in the high-risk group, those in the low- and moderate-risk groups achieved significantly longer distances in the 6-minute walk tests. Conclusions: The observed differences in the 6MWD across short-term cardiac recurrence risk levels suggest its potential as a simple, accessible tool for assessing cardiac recurrence risk levels in community settings. Further research is needed to generalize these findings to more diverse populations and to support aging in place for older adults living with heart disease. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Holistic Approaches to Aging in Place: Health, Safety, and Community)

► Show Figures

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Holistic Approaches to Aging in Place: Health, Safety, and Community

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Published Papers (1 paper)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI