Gerontology Commons^™

A Person-Centered Care Model’S Effectiveness For Older Adults With Dementia: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Karen Goeschel

Honors Theses, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

I evaluated the effectiveness of person-centered care interventions for older adults with dementia. Quality of life and agitation levels were used as primary outcomes for the effectiveness of the intervention. Electronic databases were searched for studies which satisfied the inclusion principles and did not satisfy exclusion principles. Cluster-randomized trials and non-randomized control trials which compared person-centered care approaches to usual care were included. I performed two random-effects meta-analyses. Six studies with 1,384 patients were included. For older adults with dementia, person-centered care had no significant impact on quality-of-life improvement (SMD = -0.116, p = 0.206) or agitation reduction (SMD = …

Family Companionship And Elderly Suicide: Evidence From The Chinese Lunar New Year, Hanming Fang, Ziteng Lei, Liguo Lin, Peng Zhang

Population Center Working Papers (PSC/PARC)

Mental health problems among the elderly have attracted increasing attention. The most serious mental health problems may result in suicide, and lack of family companionship is often speculated to be a major cause. In this paper, we use high-frequency suicide rate data and utilize a novel temporal variation in the lunisolar calendar to provide evidence on the protective effects of the Chinese Lunar New Year (when the elderly people receive unusually high level of family companionship) on elderly suicide. We find that elderly suicide rate decreases by 8.7% during the Chinese Lunar New Year. In addition, the protective effects are …

New York State’S Counties Have Different Trends In Population Aging, Nader Mehri

Population Health Research Brief Series

The percentage of the population age 60+ is growing faster in NY than in the U.S. overall.

Focus On Real Aging In Maine Photo Contest, University Of Maine Center On Aging, Maine Gerontological Society

General University of Maine Publications

A call for submissions to the "FRAME: Focus on Real Aging in Maine" Photo Contest sponsored by the Maine Gerontological Society and the University of Maine Center on Aging, the Maine Community Foundation and the Elder Abuse Institute. The contest seeks to "celebrate and promote positive and realistic images of the diversity of aging experiences in Maine."

Stroke: Identifying Symptoms And Acting Fast To Save Lives And Prevent Permanent Disabilities, Mary E. Helander, Bernard Appiah, Miriam Mutambudzi

Population Health Research Brief Series

Stroke is the 5^th leading cause of death in the United States. Strokes and their long-term effects are preventable. Recognizing the symptoms of stroke and acting quickly can prevent death and minimize long-term disabilities. Family members and bystanders have an important role to play. This issue brief describes stroke symptoms and prevention guidelines, summarizes the information 9-1-1 callers should be prepared to provide when someone is having a stroke, and discusses the importance of acting quickly to save lives and long-term damage.

Addressing Social Isolation And Loneliness In Older Adults: A Person-Centered Approach, Samantha K. Koyama

Social Sciences

The older adult population in the US is drastically increasing, but the country is not adequately prepared to handle all of the growing needs that come with this demographic change. A large reason for this being the general population’s lack of understanding of the various experiences that older adults go through. This paper aims to provide a thorough review of existing literature on the subject of social isolation and loneliness, especially as it pertains to the older adult experience. I also highlight the role the COVID-19 pandemic has played in exacerbating such issues. I discuss the difference between social isolation …

Aging In The 100 Largest Metropolitan Areas: How Do Older Adults Fare?, Jan Mutchler, Yang Li

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

New estimates from the 2020 Elder Index show that living expenses are high in metropolitan areas across the U.S., and many older singles and couples lack the resources needed to get by in their communities. Focusing on the 100 largest metropolitan areas, we compare the 2020 Elder Index to household incomes among adults aged 65 years or older living in one- and two-person households. Based on this comparison, we find that in each of the 100 largest metro areas, at least 37% of older singles are at risk of being unable to afford basic needs and age in their own …

Area Agencies On Aging Provide Crucial Support For Older New Yorkers During Covid-19, Claire Pendergrast

Population Health Research Brief Series

This research brief discusses how Area Agencies on Aging are providing crucial support for older NewYorkers during COVID-19.

The Psychosocial Well-Being Of Older Adults In Covid-19 And The 'New Normal', Micah Tan, Paulin T. Straughan, William Tov, Grace Cheong, Wensi Lim

ROSA Research Briefs

Early research into COVID-19 has focused predominantly on the immediate and direct physical health effects of the pandemic, as compared to the wider, indirect effects of the pandemic on general well-being brought about by the various measures put in place to contain the virus. In terms of policies, focus has also been placed largely on containment and broad based policies for the entire population. As experts increasingly recognize that the pandemic will be a protracted event (The Straits Times, 2021), however, there is a need for stakeholders to place greater emphasis on the indirect effects of COVID-19 that will likely …

The Impact On Older People’S Wellbeing Of Leaving Heritage Volunteering And The Challenges Of Managing This Process, Bruce Davenport, Andrew Newman, Suzanne Moffatt

The Qualitative Report

The benefits of volunteering for older volunteers and for the organisations who host them is well-documented. The impact of being obliged to leave volunteering due to age-related conditions, and any challenges that this creates for volunteer managers, are under-researched. This study explored how volunteers and volunteer managers experienced this point in the volunteering lifecycle and whether the topic warranted further research. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with fourteen older people, who were (or had been) volunteers at one of three cultural heritage organisations in the north-east of England alongside seven volunteer managers from those organisations. These represented the diversity of …

Financial Literacy And Financial Decision-Making At Older Ages, Joelle H. Fong, Seng Kee Benedict Koh, Olivia S. Mitchell, Susann Rohwedder

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

How well older households manage their wealth holdings is an important determinant of their financial security during retirement, yet little is known about their financial decision-making and how this relates to their financial literacy. Our paper fills this gap by measuring financial literacy among older persons in the Singapore Life Panel and examining its association with timely credit card debt repayment, stock market participation, and age-based investment risk diversification. Most older respondents understand interest compounding and inflation, but fewer than half know about risk diversification. Almost all older credit card holders pay off their balances in a timely manner, but …

Perceptions Of Two Older Adults Regarding The Factors And Barriers That Influence Their Oral Health Care: A Case Study, Dinorah Munira Hernández-Santos Msg., Irma Fabiola Díaz-García Phd.

The Qualitative Report

This paper presents the results of a case study about the perceptions of oral health care, factors that influenced current oral health, and barriers to dental attention of two older adults; the study was conducted by researchers from a hospital-school of dentistry at a public university in Mexico. Two adults aged 64 and 70 years participated in this study. First, the oral health status was clinically evaluated using the Decayed/Missing/Filled/Teeth (DMFT) Index. A semi-structured interview was then conducted to learn about the perceptions of oral health care. Thematic content analysis was used to explore the data obtained using the ATLAS.ti …

Testing The Common-Mechanisms Theory Of False Hearing And False Memory: The Roles Of Executive Functioning And Inhibitory Control, Eric Failes

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recent studies have shown that older adults are more susceptible to context-based misperceptions in hearing than are younger adults, a phenomenon that has been referred to as false hearing (Rogers et al., 2012; Sommers et al., 2015). The authors of these studies have noted similarities between false hearing and false memories (Jacoby et al., 2005), suggesting that the two phenomena may arise from similar cognitive mechanisms. The present dissertation project investigated similarities between false hearing and false memories. In Experiment 1, I directly compared susceptibility to false hearing and false memories in younger and older adults. I then investigated two …

Connecting Policy To Licensed Assisted Living Communities, Introducing Health Services Regulatory Analysis., Lindsey Smith, Paula Carder, Taylor Bucy, Jaclyn Winfree, Joan F. Brazier, Brian Kaskie, Kali S. Thomas

Institute on Aging Publications

To document dementia-relevant state assisted living regulations and their changes over time as they pertain to licensed care settings.

Assisted Living Communities That Accept Medicaid Are Not Subject To Federal Oversight, Lindsey Smith, Sarah Dys, Paula Carder

Institute on Aging Publications

We commend Mauldin et al. (2020) for their recent article titled “Supports and gaps in federal policy for addressing racial and ethnic disparities among long-term care facility residents,” which addresses opportunities to mitigate racial and ethnic disparities in long-term care (LTC) through federal policies. However, we would like to clarify a statement regarding federal oversight of assisted living (AL) communities made by the authors.

Mobile Technology Use During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Yi Lin

Theses and Dissertations--Gerontology

The COVID-19 pandemic led to quarantines and mandatory spatial distancing; people of all ages were encouraged to use technologies instead of actual human contact for COVID-19 prevention and daily activities. The special circumstances of living plus innovation and promotion of mobile applications (apps) during the pandemic influenced mobile technology use behavior. In this study we explored age differences in mobile technology use, the factors that influenced use behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic, and proposed a research model that aimed to predict behavioral intention and mobile technology use behavior. A pilot-tested survey was distributed through online survey software. Participants were 35 …

Why Won’T Grandma Cross The Road? Neighborhood Perceptions And Walking Behavior Among Older Adults In Lexington, Kentucky, Sadie Middleton

Theses and Dissertations--Urban and Environmental Design

Many urban places contain subtle details that can unintentionally deter pedestrian activity. These details can be assessed through six themes: safety, comfort, pedestrian infrastructure, aesthetics, proximity, and ease of navigation. Adults over age 65 may have more concerns about walking in urban settings than people in other age groups. This study identifies urban design elements that encourage and discourage walking among older adults and makes recommendations for design improvements. Study participants (n= 67) completed an online survey about walking behaviors, perceptions of health and community, and perceptions of seven unidentified scenes of pedestrian environments in Lexington, Kentucky. Findings suggest that …

「齡活大使」訓練手冊 (更新版), Asia-Pacific Institute Of Ageing Studies, Lingnan University 嶺南大學亞太老年學研究中心

Manual & Guide 手冊及指引

本手冊整合「賽馬會齡活城市計劃」四間大學夥伴於社區進行「齡活大使」培訓的經驗，期望為未來的「齡活大使」培訓和參與帶來啟迪。訓練手冊由嶺南大學亞太老年學研究中心在「賽馬會齡活城市計劃」下編製。

The Age-friendly City Ambassadors Training Manual (Updated Version) integrates the experience from the professional support teams of Age-friendly City Project conduct ambassador training in the community by the four university partners, and hopes to transfer knowledge and bring insights to the future ambassador training.

Online Version

https://www.ln.edu.hk/apias/afc-manual/index-h5.html

Prisons, Nursing Homes, And Medicaid: A Covid-19 Case Study In Health Injustice, Mary Crossley

Articles

The unevenly distributed pain and suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic present a remarkable case study. Considering why the coronavirus has devastated some groups more than others offers a concrete example of abstract concepts like “structural discrimination” and “institutional racism,” an example measured in lives lost, families shattered, and unremitting anxiety. This essay highlights the experiences of Black people and disabled people, and how societal choices have caused them to experience the brunt of the pandemic. It focuses on prisons and nursing homes—institutions that emerged as COVID-19 hotspots –and on the Medicaid program.

Black and disabled people are disproportionately represented in …

Crafting Character: Exploring Elder Identity Through Story, Cameron Fontes

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The following thesis is a culmination of several key activities I have engaged in as a creative writer with a single focus: to create fiction that employs the perspectives, the voices, of persons at later stages of their lives, a population vulnerable to disease and, more insidious, loneliness. First, I discuss my experiences reviving the Western Kentucky student organization Companions of Respected Elders. C.O.R.E. allowed undergraduates to work with local residential centers (nursing homes) by engaging their residents in the collaborative act of creating stories from picture prompts and encouraging questions, following the training and paradigm of TimeSlips^TM. …