Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Assessing Stakeholder Opinions Of Medical Review Of Impaired Drivers And Fitness To Drive: Recommendations For Massachusetts, Nina Silverstein, Kelli Barton

Nina Silverstein

Driving is the main mode of travel for Americans age 65 and older, and although older adults are generally found to be safe drivers, aging often brings about functional limitations and an increase in medications that can impede safe driving and fitness to drive (Rosenbloom, 2003; Kissinger, 2008; Adler & Silverstein, 2008). Effective licensing policies and Medical Advisory Board practices are critical components in identifying medically at-risk drivers and may even have a role in the transition to alternative transportation options; yet, states vary greatly in their approach to licensing and renewal practices and in the utilization, composition, and function …

Life At Grandfamilies House: The First Six Months, Alison Gottlieb, Nina Silverstein, Laney Bruner-Canhoto, Susan Montgomery

Nina Silverstein

Recent reports cite estimates of more than two million children in the United States who are currently living in kinship care arrangements; 10% or approximately 200,000 of these relationships are children in foster care. Much kinship care is done by midlife and older persons who are finding themselves assuming new responsibilities associated with parenting their grandchildren, typically for a period of two years or more. This is a social phenomenon that cuts across all socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic groups. There are many challenges facing these nontraditional families including healthcare, income security, education, social support, and housing. Public and private partnerships …

Fathering In The First Few Months, Jan Thomas, Ann-Kathrine Bonér, Ingegerd Hildingsson

Jan Thomas

No abstract provided.

A Dimensional Analysis Of Caregiver Burden Among Spouses And Adult-Children, Marie Savundranayagam, R. Montgomery, K. Kosloski

Marie Y Savundranayagam

Purpose of the study: Caregiver burden is a multidimensional construct, addressing tension and anxiety (stress burden), changes in dyadic relationships (relationship burden), and time infringements (objective burden) resulting from caregiving. The study aims were to assess (a) whether the dimensions of burden were the same for caregiving spouses and adult children, (b) the role of assisting with problem behaviors (PBs) and activities of daily living (ADLs) on each dimension of burden, and (c) the role of each dimension of burden on self-rated health and intention to institutionalize the care receiver. Design and Methods: This study included 280 spouse/partner and 243 …

Impact Of A Psychoeducational Program On Three Types Of Caregiver Burden Among Spouses, Marie Savundranayagam, R. Montgomery, K. Kosloski, T. Little

Marie Y Savundranayagam

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which a psychoeducational intervention called “Powerful Tools for Caregivers” (PTC) influences burden of spouse caregivers. Specifically, this study examined whether spouse caregivers who attended PTC exhibited reductions in stress burden, relationship burden, and objective burden compared to a comparison group.

Design and Methods The 6 week intervention used a self-efficacy framework to train caregivers to focus on self-care, communicate effectively, and manage emotions. This quasi-experimental study included 115 participants from the PTC group and 95 participants from a comparison group. Assessments were completed before and after the …

Storycorps Memory Loss Initiative: Enhancing Personhood For Storytellers With Memory Loss, Marie Savundranayagam, L. Dilley, A. Basting

Marie Y Savundranayagam

StoryCorps’ Memory Loss Initiative was designed to gather oral histories of people with memory loss. This study investigated the StoryCorps interview experience for storytellers who self identify with early stage memory loss and the persons who interviewed them. StoryCorps interviews took place in Milwaukee, Chicago, and New York. Follow-up interviews were conducted with 42 persons with memory loss, along with 27 family members who participated in the StoryCorps interviews. Results revealed that the StoryCorps experience was a meaningful activity that allowed participants to acknowledge the beauty of the present moment, to reflect and engage in meaningful conversations, to re-affirm both …

Racial Differences In Multigenerational Living Arrangements In 1910, Cheryl Elman, Andrew London

Cheryl Elman

We explore racial differences in multigenerational living arrangements in 1910, focusing on trigenerational kin structures. Coresidence across generations represents a public function of the family, and we observe this across different ages or life-course stages through which adults came to be at risk for providing simultaneous household support for multiple generations of kin dependents. Using data from the 1.4 percent 1910 Integrated Public Use Microdata Sample, our comparisons adjust for marital turnover, including widow(er)hood/divorce and remarriage, as rates are known to be historically higher among African Americans in this period. Across subgroups defined by age and sex, we find that …

The Midlife Years: Human Capital And Job Mobility, Cheryl Elman

Cheryl Elman

No abstract provided.

Relationships Between Appraisals Of Caregiver Communication Strategies And Burden Among Spouses And Adult-Children, Marie Savundranayagam, J. Orange

Marie Y Savundranayagam

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of caregivers’ appraisals of the effectiveness of their own communication strategies on caregiver burden when caring for family members with Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Methods: Family caregivers (N = 84) of participants with AD completed questionnaires appraising communication strategies, problem behaviors, and levels of three types of burden.

Results: Hierarchical linear regression models revealed that effective strategies and kinship status were significantly linked with stress burden, whereas effective strategies and problem behaviors were significantly related to relationship burden. Cognitive status of participants with AD significantly predicted objective burden. Caregivers who …