Gerontology Commons^™

Technology-Enabled Medication Adherence For Seniors Living In The Community: Experiences, Lessons, And The Road Ahead, Hwee Xian Tan, Hwee-Pink Tan, Huiguang Liang

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Medication non-adherence in seniors can lead to severe health complications, including morbidity, mortality and decreased quality of life. In view of ageing populations worldwide, there is significant interest among the healthcare sector and researchers to improve medication adherence rates for seniors. However, existing studies in the literature focus primarily on identifying the predictors of medication non-adherence. In this paper, we present our work on technology-enabled medication adherence for 24 community-dwelling seniors over a period of more than 2 years. We leverage Internet of Things (IoT) devices to track inferred medication consumption in the seniors’ homes, and provide quasi real-time alerts …

Senior Bullying: What Is Happening In Ontario, Kirsten Madsen, Patricia Spadafora

Investigation One: Bullying Between Older Adults: What is happening in Ontario. Investigation Two: Seniors Anti-bullying Implementation and Evaluation Project

Provide background and outline for the Ontario senior to senior prevalence study. This webinar also presents a definition of senior bullying and the need for a common understanding about what constitutes senior bullying. Webinar will also explain the process going forward – for example, survey distribution, accessing the website, languages available for the survey, print versions.

Aging In Bedford: A Community Needs Assessment, Caitlin Coyle, Rebecca Mailman, Jan Mutchler

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

This report describes research undertaken by the Center for Social & Demographic Research on Aging within the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston, on behalf of the Bedford Council on Aging (COA), to investigate the needs, interests, preferences, and opinions of Bedford’s population of residents who are age 55 and older. The contents of this report are meant to inform the Bedford COA, and other municipal entities, for the purposes of planning and coordination of services, but also to build awareness about issues facing the Town of Bedford’s senior residents.

Addressing Social Needs Through Remote Based Design Thinking, Hoe-Chin Goi, Wee Liang Tan, Yuki Hara, Shuichi Takao

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

With ageing as the coming and increasing phenomenon in Japan, there is a need for innovative solutions for seniors to lead active lives in their residing communities. Little research has been conducted on the use of design thinking as a means to develop social innovations, especially with the designers not being present on-site from a distance. This paper reports the study on the effectiveness of employing a remote based design thinking in a university course with the goal for participants to develop social innovations that elderly, as stakeholders, would be engage to adopt and implement. The study involved two cohorts …

Long-Term Care Needs In The Context Of Poverty And Population Aging: The Case Of Older Persons In Myanmar, Bussarawan Teerawichitchainan, John Knodel

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Myanmar is one of the poorest and least healthy countries in Southeast Asia. As elsewhere in the region, population aging is occurring. Yet the government welfare and health systems have done little to address the long-term care (LTC) needs of the increasing number of older persons thus leaving families to cope on their own. Our study, based on the 2012 Myanmar Aging Survey, documents the LTC needs of persons aged 60 and older and how they are met within the context of the family. Nearly 40% of persons in their early 60s and 90% of those 80 and older reported …

Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex Is Critical For Helping Others Who Are Suffering, Janelle N. Beadle, Sergio Paradiso, Daniel Tranel

Gerontology Faculty Publications

Neurological patients with damage to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) are reported to display reduced empathy toward others in their daily lives in clinical case studies. However, the empathic behavior of patients with damage to the vmPFC has not been measured experimentally in response to an empathy-eliciting event. This is important because characterizing the degree to which patients with damage to the vmPFC have lower empathic behavior will allow for the development of targeted interventions to improve patients’ social skills and in turn will help family members to better understand their impairments so they can provide appropriate supports. For the …

Self-Employment In Later Life: Implications For Financial, Physical, And Mental Well-Being, Cal Halvorsen

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

More than one in five working Americans aged 50 and older are self-employed, yet scholarship that examines the relationships between self-employment and personal health and financial well-being is limited. Using data from six biennial waves of the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally-representative panel study of Americans past 50 years of age, this quasi-experimental dissertation documents the characteristics of self-employed older adults in comparison to wage-and-salary workers, as well as compares self-employed and wage-and-salary workers in later life on a set of financial well-being and personal health outcomes. This study incorporates inverse probability of treatment weighting (also referred to as …

Aging In Beverly, Massachusetts: A Community Needs Assessment, Caitlin Coyle, Claire Wickersham, Jan Mutchler

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

This report describes research undertaken by the Center for Social & Demographic Research on Aging within the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston, on behalf of the Beverly Council on Aging and Senior Community Center (hereto referred to as the Beverly Senior Center), to investigate the needs, interests, preferences, and opinions of Beverly’s population of residents who are age 60 and older. The contents of this report are meant to inform the Beverly Senior Center, and organizations that work with and on behalf of older residents of Beverly, for the purposes of planning and coordination of services, but …

Technology And The Marginalization Of Older Adults: How Politeness Theory And Stereotype Embodiment Interact In Older Adults' Technology Use, Keefe Watson

Honors Projects

Marginalization of older adults is a long-time and pervasive fact of society. Technology use can make older adults feel less marginalized by connecting them socially, such as with communication technologies. However, older adults on average are less technology literate than younger adults; this can add to feelings of marginalization. In this study, I analyzed structured open-ended interviews and found unexpected instances of marginalization towards older adults related to technology; for example, older adults are most likely to withstand marginalized comments from their own adult children and family members. I applied politeness theory and the stereotype embodiment model to the coded …

Grief Off-The-Clock: Supporting Hospice Professionals Through Personal Loss, Rachel A. Guimond

Scholar Week 2016 - present

Working with clients who die can have a major impact on the way professionals address their own grief. Daily exposure to the possibility of death alters the process of mourning and can leave professionals feeling disconnected from family and friends during times of grief. This presentation will look at the challenges that hospice workers, clergy members, social workers and other professionals face when they experience grief in their own lives. Evidence-based strategies for supporting professionals in their grief will also be explored.

The Effects Of Bingocize® On Cognitive Aging: A Health Promotion Intervention, Rilee Pauline Mathews

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Previous research has suggested that physical exercise can play a role in not only improving functional performance, but also cognitive function. In this study, adults age 60 and older participated in a health promotion intervention that included two groups: (a) a Bingocize® group, who exercised and learned about relevant health information while playing bingo, and (b) a control group who only learned about relevant health information while playing bingo. The intervention was completed over the course of 10- weeks at community senior centers. Cognitive function, functional fitness, and health knowledge were assessed before and after the intervention to test for …

Real World, Large Scale Iot Systems For Community Eldercare: Experiences And Lessons Learned, Alvin Cerdena Valera, Wei Qi Lee, Hwee-Pink Tan, Hwee Xian Tan, Huiguang Liang

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The paradigm of aging-in-place - where the elderly live and age in their own homes, independently and safely, with care provided by the community - is compelling, especially in societies that face both shortages in institutionalized eldercare resources, and rapidly-aging populations. When the number of elderly who live alone rises rapidly, support and care from their communities become increasingly critical. Internet-of-Things(IoT) technologies, particularly in-home monitoring solutions, are becoming mature. They can become the fundamental enabler for smart community eldercare. In this chapter, we share our real-world experiencesgleaned from an ongoing large-scale project on IoT-enabled community eldercare. We identify technology-centric challenges …

Assessment For Mild Cognitive Impairment: Striving For Best Practice, Julie Leigh Dalmasso

Dissertations

This dissertation is a series of three studies aimed at determining the best assessment practices for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) that can employed by speech-language pathologists (SLPs). The first study was non-experimental and descriptive examining whether three commonly used assessment instruments yielded similar categorical results. The data were analyzed to determine whether the Eight-Item Interview to Differentiate Aging and Dementia (AD8), the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and the Cognitive-Linguistic Quick Test (CLQT) identified the same participants from a neurotypical sample as having cognitive deficits. Very little agreement was found amongst the three tools.

Study two was modified to include two …

Livable Dedham: An Age-Friendly Action Plan, Livable Dedham Steering Committee, Center For Social And Demographic Research On Aging, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

The Town of Dedham was first settled in 1635 and became the county seat of Norfolk County in 1793. Dedham is situated southwest of Boston and the Town shares a border with Needham, Westwood, and Canton. Dedham encompasses over 10 square miles and has a population of over 25,000 residents, about one-quarter of which are age 60 and older1 (American Community Survey, 2016).

Despite Dedham’s urban location, the Town is rich with natural resources, including several state parks, hiking trails, and the Mother Brook. Although today the Mother Brook is known to residents for the variety of outdoor recreational activities …

Residential Settings And Healthcare Use Of The Rural "Oldest-Old" Medicare Population, Nathan Paluso Mph, Zachariah T. Croll Mph, Deborah Thayer Mba, Jean A. Talbot Phd, Mph, Andrew F. Coburn Phd

Long Term Services and Supports

The aging of the baby boom generation is projected to dramatically increase the population aged 65 and older in the coming decades. In particular, those aged 85 and older (the ‘oldest old’) are expanding at a faster rate than any other age group and by 2050 are expected to make up 4.5 percent of the population, compared to 1.9 percent in 2012. Faster growth in the percentage of older people (65+) in rural than in urban areas is likely to challenge the healthcare and long term services and supports (LTSS) capacity in many rural communities.

This study used Medicare Current …

Planning For An Age-Friendly Belmont, Jan Mutchler

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

Belmont is a primarily residential community of around 25,000 residents with a small commercial district. Public transit access to downtown Boston and neighboring Cambridge offers Belmont residents access to services, employment, and recreational activities outside of the town’s boundaries. With 22% of its population age 60 and older, Belmont is expecting to see an increase in the number of older residents in the coming years. Commissioned by the Belmont Council on Aging (COA), this report will serve to help the COA and Town to better understand Belmont’s current assets, potentials, and challenges and to plan for changing community needs.

Perceptions Of Chronic Disease Among Older African Americans: A Qualitative Analysis, Karon Phillips, Charles Rogers, Adrienne Morgan

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Research has documented that African Americans suffer disproportionately from chronic diseases when compared to the general population. Yet, limited research examines older African Americans’ perceptions about having chronic diseases. Accordingly, the first aim of the study provided insight into this disparity with the intent of revealing how older African Americans feel about their overall health, and how much they understand about their individual chronic disease(s). The second aim was to gather information about strategies and coping mechanisms older African Americans use to manage their chronic diseases. The purpose of this aim was to determine if any of the strategies they …

Adult Day Service Providers: Untapped Potential For Care Coordination, Nicole Ruggiano, Ellen L. Brown, Karen L. Fortuna

Nursing & Health Sciences Research Journal

Adult Day Services (ADS) have become increasingly available for community-dwelling older adults who are often experiencing multiple chronic conditions and/or dementia. ADS providers spend a significant amount of time with their clients and offer the opportunity for a wealth of clinical information that can be used by primary care providers and specialists for decision-making about patient care. There are also opportunities for hospitals to coordinate care transitions with ADS providers by involving them with discharge planning with appropriate patients who require post-hospital care. However, ADS providers are often viewed as social service providers, and there is little known about the …

Technologies For Ageing-In-Place: The Singapore Context, Nadee Goonawardene, Pius Lee, Hwee Xian Tan, Alvin C. Valera, Hwee-Pink Tan

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The number of elderly citizens aged 65 and above in Singapore, is expected to double from 440,000in 2015, to 900,000 by 2030. Along with this “Silver Tsunami” is the upward trend of the numberof elderly who are living alone — which is estimated to increase from 35,000 in 2012 to 83,000 by2030. These exclude elderly who are alone at home when their family members are working.Elderly who are staying alone are at higher risk of social isolation and tend to have poorer accessto healthcare. In addition, the general elderly population is typically more susceptible to deteriorating health conditions, which can …

Early Detection Of Mild Cognitive Impairment In Elderly Through Iot: Preliminary Findings, Hwee-Xian Tan, Hwee-Pink Tan

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) results in the gradual decline in a person’s cognitive abilities, and subsequently an increased risk of developing dementia. Although there is no cure for dementia, timely medical and clinical interventions can be administered to elderly who have been diagnosed with MCI, to decelerate the process of further cognitive decline and prolong the duration that they enjoy quality of life. In this paper, we present our preliminary findings of early detection of MCI in elderly who are living in the community, through the use of Internet of Things (IoT) devices for continuous, unobtrusive sensing. Multimodal sensors are …

Building Connected Communities: Interactive Pdf Map, Peel, Caledon, Sheridan Centre For Elder Research

Interactive Maps

This Interactive PDF Map includes the mainstream, ethno-specific, multicultural, faith organizations and community hubs in the community. The contact information, websites and directions for each organization can be easily accessed from the map. The map is intended to support staff in making referrals to clients or in making program design decisions.

This resource is included in the Social Isolation and Loneliness Toolkit, created by the Centre for Elder Research in Oakville ON, Canada. The Toolkit is part of a research project titled “Building Connected Communities: improving Community Supports to Reduce Loneliness and Social Isolation in Immigrants 65+”. The research focused …

Building Connected Communities: Interactive Pdf Map, Halton, Halton Hills, Sheridan Centre For Elder Research

Interactive Maps

This Interactive PDF Map includes the mainstream, ethno-specific, multicultural, faith organizations and community hubs in the community. The contact information, websites and directions for each organization can be easily accessed from the map. The map is intended to support staff in making referrals to clients or in making program design decisions.

This resource is included in the Social Isolation and Loneliness Toolkit, created by the Centre for Elder Research in Oakville ON, Canada. The Toolkit is part of a research project titled “Building Connected Communities: improving Community Supports to Reduce Loneliness and Social Isolation in Immigrants 65+”. The research focused …

Building Connected Communities: Halton, Burlington – 2016 Census Older Immigrants, Sheridan Centre For Elder Research

Data Sheets

This data sheet provides a picture of the available relevant characteristics of the community at the time of the census (2016). We have included data both from those individuals over the age of 65 at the time of the census, as well as those who are in the age cohort just below (50 – 64), so those engaged in planning for future community needs can anticipate where growth or reduction in needs may be.

These numbers may be used to provide an overall picture of the municipality or region as a whole, and may be used to help guide municipality/region-wide …

Building Connected Communities: Halton – 2016 Census Older Immigrants, Sheridan Centre For Elder Research

Data Sheets

This data sheet provides a picture of the available relevant characteristics of the community at the time of the census (2016). We have included data both from those individuals over the age of 65 at the time of the census, as well as those who are in the age cohort just below (50 – 64), so those engaged in planning for future community needs can anticipate where growth or reduction in needs may be.

These numbers may be used to provide an overall picture of the municipality or region as a whole, and may be used to help guide municipality/region-wide …

Building Connected Communities: Halton, Halton Hills – 2016 Census Older Immigrants, Sheridan Centre For Elder Research

Data Sheets

This data sheet provides a picture of the available relevant characteristics of the community at the time of the census (2016). We have included data both from those individuals over the age of 65 at the time of the census, as well as those who are in the age cohort just below (50 – 64), so those engaged in planning for future community needs can anticipate where growth or reduction in needs may be.

These numbers may be used to provide an overall picture of the municipality or region as a whole, and may be used to help guide municipality/region-wide …

Building Connected Communities: Peel, Mississauga – 2016 Census Older Immigrants, Sheridan Centre For Elder Research

Data Sheets

This data sheet provides a picture of the available relevant characteristics of the community at the time of the census (2016). We have included data both from those individuals over the age of 65 at the time of the census, as well as those who are in the age cohort just below (50 – 64), so those engaged in planning for future community needs can anticipate where growth or reduction in needs may be.

These numbers may be used to provide an overall picture of the municipality or region as a whole, and may be used to help guide municipality/region-wide …

Building Connected Communities: Peel – 2016 Census Older Immigrants, Sheridan Centre For Elder Research

Data Sheets

This data sheet provides a picture of the available relevant characteristics of the community at the time of the census (2016). We have included data both from those individuals over the age of 65 at the time of the census, as well as those who are in the age cohort just below (50 – 64), so those engaged in planning for future community needs can anticipate where growth or reduction in needs may be.

These numbers may be used to provide an overall picture of the municipality or region as a whole, and may be used to help guide municipality/region-wide …

Building Connected Communities: Interactive Pdf Map, Halton, Burlington, Sheridan Centre For Elder Research

Interactive Maps

This Interactive PDF Map includes the mainstream, ethno-specific, multicultural, faith organizations and community hubs in the community. The contact information, websites and directions for each organization can be easily accessed from the map. The map is intended to support staff in making referrals to clients or in making program design decisions.

This resource is included in the Social Isolation and Loneliness Toolkit, created by the Centre for Elder Research in Oakville ON, Canada. The Toolkit is part of a research project titled “Building Connected Communities: improving Community Supports to Reduce Loneliness and Social Isolation in Immigrants 65+”. The research focused …

Building Connected Communities: Interactive Pdf Map, Peel, Brampton, Sheridan Centre For Elder Research

Interactive Maps

This Interactive PDF Map includes the mainstream, ethno-specific, multicultural, faith organizations and community hubs in the community. The contact information, websites and directions for each organization can be easily accessed from the map. The map is intended to support staff in making referrals to clients or in making program design decisions.

This resource is included in the Social Isolation and Loneliness Toolkit, created by the Centre for Elder Research in Oakville ON, Canada. The Toolkit is part of a research project titled “Building Connected Communities: improving Community Supports to Reduce Loneliness and Social Isolation in Immigrants 65+”. The research focused …

Building Connected Communities: Interactive Pdf Map, Halton, Milton, Sheridan Centre For Elder Research

Interactive Maps

This Interactive PDF Map includes the mainstream, ethno-specific, multicultural, faith organizations and community hubs in the community. The contact information, websites and directions for each organization can be easily accessed from the map. The map is intended to support staff in making referrals to clients or in making program design decisions.

This resource is included in the Social Isolation and Loneliness Toolkit, created by the Centre for Elder Research in Oakville ON, Canada. The Toolkit is part of a research project titled “Building Connected Communities: improving Community Supports to Reduce Loneliness and Social Isolation in Immigrants 65+”. The research focused …