Geriatric Nursing Commons^™

Factors Associated With Technology Adoption By Community-Dwelling Older Adults During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Elizabeth A. Sutton

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The COVID-19 pandemic brought to the forefront the disparity between older and younger Americans in the utilization of information and communication technologies (ICT) when measures such as the COVID vaccine rollout were dependent on technology use. Technology adoption has implications for overall health and the continuation of disparities in technology adoption is associated with poor aging outcomes. The aim of this study was to understand factors associated with technology adoption by community-dwelling older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. A nationally representative sample of 2,954 community-dwelling older adults who completed the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) COVID-19 Questionnaire was …

Incarceration-Related Stigma And Caring Self-Efficacy Among Long-Term Care Nurses, Sandra D. Langston

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Background: A silver tsunami is occurring in U.S. prisons because of an unprecedented increase in the older population. Prisons are structurally ill-suited to care for this population and financially burdened with providing the necessary medical and nursing care. States have enacted legislation to afford justice-involved persons parole to manage chronic conditions in community-based long-term care (LTC) facilities. Changes in Medicaid regulations provide a seamless transition from prison to community long-term care for this population. However, it is not known if the stigma of justice involvement impacts the perception of long-term nurses concerning this population.

Aims/Purpose: This study examined the effects …

Efficacy, Acceptance, And Feasibility Of Virtual Reality For Chronic Pain Relief In Older Adult Veterans Residing In Long Term Care, Valicia Philibert

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Older adults residing in Long-Term Care (LTC) have a high prevalence of chronic pain. Pain management strategies have primarily focused on pharmacological approaches, but with physiological changes associated with aging, this population is at an increased risk for adverse effects from prescribed medications. More research is needed on innovative non-pharmacological interventions in the LTC setting. This study examined the feasibility, acceptance, and preliminary efficacy of Virtual Reality (VR) for chronic pain among older adult veterans in LTC. In this quasi-experimental, 12 older adult participants living with chronic pain in a long-term care facility received two sessions of VR. Pain intensity …

Relations Amongst Power, Self-Health Patterning, And Quality Of Life In Older Adults With Chronic Illness, Philip J. Gimber

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between power, self-health patterning, and quality of life in older adults with chronic illness using Rogers’ science of unitary human beings and Barrett’s theory of power. A cross-sectional, correlational design was used to examine the variables in a sample of approximately 100 older adults with chronic illness. This study revealed that power, self-health patterning, and quality of life are related to one another and that both power and self-health patterning are associated with enhanced quality of life.

Hope And Health Related Quality Of Life Of Older Women Who Have Had Heart Attacks, Alice Mary Kelly-Tobin

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Background: Heart disease is the number one cause of death and leading cause of disability in adults in the United States. Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the most common form of heart disease with heart attack as its acute manifestation. Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) is a multidimensional concept of self-perception of physical, emotional health, and overall sense of well-being. Hope, an inner process focusing on maintaining physical and mental well-being, is considered necessary for survival of chronic illnesses, such as CHD.

Method: Women age 65 and older who have had heart attacks (N=91) volunteered to participate in this …