Objectives: Subjective well-being has been associated with decreased work burnout and elevated work engagement. We investigated the impact of hope and meaning in life on subjective well-being among workers in a hospice care setting. Comparison was made to health-care workers in a rehabilitation unit. Methods: Thirty-five hospice care workers were surveyed and their responses compared with those of 36 rehabilitation workers. Survey instruments measuring hope, meaning in life, work engagement, and satisfaction with life were utilized. Results: Individuals working in a hospice care center have significantly higher levels of work engagement than their counterparts in rehabilitation. For both groups, hope was significantly related to subjective well-being. For hospice care but not rehabilitation workers, meaning in life was also related to subjective well-being. Multivariate analysis showed that hope and meaning in life were independent factors predicting subjective well-being in hospice care workers. Significance of Results: Hospice care workers are highly engaged in their work despite the challenging nature of their work. What characterizes these workers is a level of subjective well-being that is related to both meaning in life and hope. Maintaining a high level of subjective well-being may be an important factor in preventing burnout among those working in hospice care settings.

BACKGROUND: More than 7000 patients developed poliomyelitis during the main epidemic in the fifties in Israel. In recent years, there is a further deterioration in their condition due to accelerated aging process and post-polio syndrome. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the risk factors for the progression of functional status in a cohort of patients with late effect of poliomyelitis over a period of ten years. METHODS: A cross-sectional cohort study including 82 individuals with late effect of poliomyelitis evaluated over ten years. Mean age was 67±8.5 years, 52.4%were men and 79.3%were Jewish. Functional status was evaluated by activities of daily living (ADL) questionnaire. Risk factors, including general comorbidities, history of poliomyelitis infection, use of assistive devices, employment, and physical activity statuses were evaluated using specific questionnaires. RESULTS: Independence in ADL functions deteriorated significantly over ten years. Older age, ethnicity, use of a wheelchair, and use of orthotic devices in childhood were risk factors for deterioration in ADL function. No correlation was found between the presence of other comorbidities or poliomyelitis parameters and worsening of ADL functions. CONCLUSIONS: Late effect of poliomyelitis was associated with deterioration in ADL functions probably due to the combined effect of the initial severity of the paralytic poliomyelitis symptoms and accelerated aging.

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Objective: Based on long-term follow-up of patients with COVID-19, to evaluate whether the severity of acute COVID-19 infection affects rehabilitation outcomes.Design: Observational cohort study.Subjects: A total of 61 post-acute COVID-19 patients underwent inpatient and outpatient customized rehabilitation treatment.Methods: The severity of acute COVID-19 infection was measured with the World Health Organization Clinical Progression Scale (WHO-CPS). Motor, cognitive, and functional variables were measured using standard and specified scales 6 months or more after acute illness.Results: Of the 61 subjects, 65.6% had severe disease according to WHO-CPS. Significant improvement was found in activities of daily living functions (Functional Independence Measure (FIM) at admission 103.7 ± 18.9 vs FIM at discharge 118.7 ± 6.8) (p < 0.00). Of participants, 88% were able to wean off oxygen completely. A significant correlation was found between higher WHO-CPS, prolonged acute hospitalization, and days of ventilation on the one hand, and lower total and motor FIM at admission, but not with cognitive FIM or Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). No correlation was found between these parameters and functional level at discharge.Conclusion: The severity of acute COVID-19 infection affects the functional status of survivors at admission to rehabilitation, but, contrary to expectations, not the functional outcomes at discharge. These findings emphasize the importance of customized multidisciplinary rehabilitation programmes for improving the daily functioning and wellbeing of patients with severe COVID-19.