Social Work Commons^™

A Descriptive Study Of The Elderly In California Substance Abuse Treatment Programs, David Berenschot

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

As gerontologists may know, there are a great deal of studies and a variety of academic literature on the misuse of alcohol and prescription medication amongst the elderly population. While there is a plethora of information on alcohol and prescription misuse, there is little reported data about the prevalence of other substance misuse experienced by this population. This study aims to help to fill that gap in the data by using quantitative methods to describe the scope of substance abuse of individuals 55-years or older. This study utilizes data from the Treatment Data Set Admission (TEDS-A). The TEDS-A is a …

Spirituality And Socioeconomic Determinants Of Caregiver Burden, Brandi Jean Felderhoff

Social Work Dissertations

Caregiver burden as a phenomena is a growing field of study, with great significance considering the aging population in America. This study conducted secondary analysis of the National Long Term Care Survey (2004) data, to analyze the impact of social proximity of family support, physical proximity of family support, spirituality, economic and social constraints, and care settings on the outcome variable of caregiver burden. Statistical significance is present and results highlight important areas of needed future research, as well as implications for social work policy and practice.

Understanding Aging Well From The Perspectives Of Homebound Older Adults, Debra Lynn Rogers

Social Work Theses

With the population becoming “grayer” the United States has begun to question what it means to be aging well. Previous research has examined what it means to age well how to diminish age-related losses, although there is a lack of consensus about what this means. The older adult population is diverse regarding race, ethnicity, sex, culture, sexual orientation, and ability; thus, aging well can mean different things to different people. Due to this diversity, the subjective perspectives and experiences of older adults are important to understand the processes of aging well and expand its conceptualization to a heterogeneous population of …

Mind, Body, & Spirit : An Ecological Community-Based Approach To Healthy Aging, Emily Widra

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Based on the biopsychosocial approach of the ecological theory of aging, the present study examined the health status and social engagement of participants in an osteoporosis-prevention exercise class for adults over the age of 65 in two counties in Western Massachusetts. A self-rated health survey was developed and administered in each of the Healthy Bones & Balance classes with 226 responses in total.

Participants in this study had higher self-rated health scores than have been found in a national epidemiological study. In particular, participants who live alone were engaging in more social activities – at senior centers and places of …