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Population-Based Studies On Medications And Fall-Related Injury In Older Adults, Yu Ming

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Background: Fall-related injuries in older adults result in serious consequences to individuals and health care system, especially with the increasing aging population. The purpose of this study was to (1) describe medication prescription patterns within one year prior to fall-related injuries; (2) identify medication classes prescribed within 30 days prior to the injury that were associated to fall-related injury; and (3) examine the association between fall-related injuries and continuous use or new initiation of most commonly prescribed medications.

Methods: Studies used administrative health care data in Ontario. Study 1 described the frequency of medications prescribed to older adults within one …

Hiding In Plain Sight: A Mixed Methods Analysis Of Older Adults Who Are Reported Missing In Two Canadian Cities, Larissa Kowalski

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Despite an increased research and policy focus on Canada’s aging population, one area which has generated little attention is older adults who are reported missing. This raises concerns as Canada’s population ages and there is an increase in the number of older individuals who are reported missing (Statistics Canada 2015; 2016; 2017; 2018). Addressing this gap in the literature, this thesis examines the demographic and situational characteristics of a sample of 616 missing person reports gathered from two Canadian police agencies from 2014 to 2018. This thesis constructs a preliminary understanding of older adults who are reported missing in Canada, …

Exploring The Effects Of The Cycling Without Age Program On Older Adults Living In Long-Term Care, Victoria Cotnam

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The Cycling Without Age program, offered in long-term care homes around the world, allows residents to experience the feeling of a bike ride in the trishaw as a volunteer pedals the electrical bike. The purpose of this pragmatic observational study was to measure the effects of an existing program in a Canadian long-term care home on residents’ happiness, quality of life, pain and functional status (using Resident-Assessment Instrument Minimum Data Set 2.0). A convenience sample of 39 residents participated in two groups, a biking group (n=23) and a strolls group (n=16) over the period of 12 weeks. Findings show that …

Social Isolation: Do Helpers Help Ward It Off?, Kirsten Young Brown

MA Research Paper

Social isolation is particularly relevant among elderly individuals who are more likely to need care and help with their physical and living needs. Little is known about whether receiving help correlates with social isolation in older adults living at home as often there is no focus from caregivers and helpers on older adults' social needs. Using data from the 2018 US National Health and Aging Trends Study, a sample of adults aged 65 plus on Medicare/Medicaid (N=4,321), I examine the relationship between social isolation and help. I estimate ordinary least squares regression models to test the association between receiving help …

Exploring Co-Occupation Between University Students And Older Adults Living Together In A Retirement Home, Rachel J. Gorjup

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Intergenerational housing programs in which young and older adults live together have been implemented worldwide, yet research exploring these programs is sparse. An important component of intergenerational living seems to be the activities that young and older adults engage in together. Taking a lens of co-occupation, that is everyday occupations performed together by two or more people, this thesis explored how university students and older adults, living together in a retirement home, enacted co-occupations and the factors that shaped these co-occupations. A focused ethnography, involving interviews and observations, was used to gain insight into the co-occupational experiences of the students …

When Life Gives You Lemons: The Development And Validation Of The Resilience Scale For Older Adults, Claire A. Wilson

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The study of resilience, or positive adaptation in the face of adversity, is important across the lifespan, but may be particularly relevant for older adults who tend to experience an increasing number of challenges. Traditionally, resilience assessment has largely focused on child and young-to-middle aged adult populations, and as such, the literature is lacking a validated resilience measure developed specifically for older adults. This dissertation aimed to improve the measurement of resilience in older populations by developing and validating a new resilience measure that is relevant and appropriate for older adults. In Study 1, a qualitative metasynthesis was conducted to …

Health-Seeking Behaviour Related To Selected Dimensions Of Wellness In Community-Dwelling Older Adults, Navjot Gill

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Older people generally prefer to ‘stay-put' in their own homes. Informed by the Seven Dimensions of Wellness, a component of the International Council on Active Ageing (ICAA) Model, measures of physical function (i.e. physical), fall risk (i.e. environmental), and psychosocial factors (i.e. emotional, spiritual and social) related to wellbeing were selected. It is assumed that they intersect to influence the health-seeking behaviour of older adults ageing-at-home. The primary objective of this cross-sectional design study was to investigate the relationship among dimensions of well-being, including physical function, fall risk, psychosocial factors, and awareness of community support services, with health-seeking behaviour in …

Feasibility Of Dual-Task Gait Assessment And Association With Cognitive Impairment Subtypes In A Memory Clinic Setting, Stephanie Cullen

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The objectives of this thesis were 1) to assess feasibility and practicality of gait performance to help differentiate cognitive diagnoses, 2) to assess differences in gait speed and dual-task gait cost across the cognitive spectrum, and 3) to determine if poor baseline gait performance is associated with future cognitive decline, all within a clinical setting. Patients at the Aging Brain and Memory Clinic completed gait assessment, consisting of a usual gait trial and three dual-task gait trials, in addition to cognitive and clinical assessments. Patients who had two clinic visits during the study period were also included in a longitudinal …

Comparing Executive Functions In Dancers Versus Aerobic Exercisers: A Study On Older Adults, Jai S. Ravipati

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Many older adults may experience cognitive decline with aging, and with a rising aging population it is important to investigate interventions that improve cognitive functions. The purpose of this study was to assess differences in executive functioning between older adult dancers and older adult aerobic exercisers. Given that dance involves the use of executive functions, in addition to engaging in aerobic exercise, older adult dancers were expected to score higher on the executive functioning tasks than the older adult aerobic exercisers. Using the Cambridge Brain Sciences Battery to assess executive functioning, this study sought to compare older adults, 50 years …