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Jockey Club Age-Friendly City Project : Baseline Assessment Report : Yuen Long, Asia-Pacific Institute Of Ageing Studies, Lingnan University

Jockey Club Age-Friendly City Project - Reports

The objectives of this baseline assessment was to evaluate the current state of age-friendliness and make a list of recommendations for the future development of Yuen Long District (the District) through a bottom up and district-based study. The baseline assessment provided opportunities for the elderly to voice their opinions and served as an appropriate strategy to meet their needs. Additionally, stakeholders from diverse groups can work together to build and maintain an age-friendly community.

Jockey Club Age-Friendly City Project : Baseline Assessment Report : Tuen Mun, Asia-Pacific Institute Of Ageing Studies, Lingnan University

Jockey Club Age-Friendly City Project - Reports

The objectives of this baseline assessment was to evaluate the current state of age-friendliness and make a list of recommendations for the future development of Tuen Mun District (the District) through a bottom up and district-based study. The baseline assessment provided opportunities for the elderly to voice their opinions and served as an appropriate strategy to meet their needs. Additionally, stakeholders from diverse groups can work together to build and maintain an age-friendly community.

Jockey Club Age-Friendly City Project : Action Plan : Yuen Long, Asia-Pacific Institute Of Ageing Studies, Lingnan University

Jockey Club Age-Friendly City Project - Reports

In response to the global ageing population, the World Health Organization (the “WHO”) devised the concept of “Global Age-friendly Cities” in 2005 to encourage cities all around the world to develop a healthy and comfortable living environment with age-friendly facilities and provide sufficient community support and health care services which benefit the older people, family and society. In order to proactively tackle the challenges of an ageing population and promote the concept of an age-friendly city, the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust launched the Jockey Club Age-friendly City Project (“Project”) in 2015 in partnership with four gerontology research institutes …

Using Neonatal Skin To Study The Developmental Programming Of Aging, Leryn J. Reynolds, Brett J. Dickens, Benjamin B. Green, Carmen J. Marsit, Kevin J. Pearson

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Numerous studies have examined how both negative and positive maternal exposures (environmental contaminants, nutrition, exercise, etc.) impact offspring risk for age-associated diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and others. The purpose of this study was to introduce the foreskin as a novel model to examine developmental programming in human neonates, particularly in regard to adipogenesis and insulin receptor signaling, major contributors to age-associated diseases such as obesity and diabetes. Neonatal foreskin was collected following circumcision and primary dermal fibroblasts were isolated to perform adipocyte differentiation and insulin stimulation experiments. Human neonatal foreskin primary fibroblasts take up lipid when …

Pro-Angiogenesis Therapy And Aging: A Mini-Review, Charles T. Ambrose

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

Apart from major illnesses and chronic afflictions, the elderly experience lesser ailments, such as muscle weakness, cold intolerance, and transient memory lapses. Physical signs in the aged include wrinkled skin and the slow healing of skin abrasions. These ailments and signs are grouped together because they may be due in part to an age-linked, waning microcirculation. A reduced capillary density (CD) throughout the body of aged people and animals has been reported in over 40 papers. The reduced CD is due in turn to declining levels of angiogenic growth factors (AGFs) throughout the body during old age, as documented in …

Primetimes Newsletter, Fall 2017, Office Of Lifespan Studies

PrimeTimes Newsletter

PrimeTimes is the newsletter of the Office of Lifespan Studies in the College of Science at Coastal Carolina University.

Managing Sensor Systems For Early Detection Of Mild Cognitive Impairment In Community Elderly: Lessons Learned And Future Work, Boon Thai Ng, Hwee-Pink Tan, Hwee Xian Tan

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The aging population is a pertinent issue faced by governments globally. One of the most common and costly health issues associated with the aging population is cognitive decline, leading up to dementia. In this paper, we describe a non-intrusive, continuous and scalable system for early detection of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) in the elderly, which enables early medical interventions to be provided. We focus on the system design and feature extraction of the sensor system, to validate our hypothesis of the use of sensor systems for early detection of MCI. Lessons learned from deploying the sensor system is presented, together …

Aging In Myanmar, John Knodel, Bussarawan Teerawichitchainan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

This spotlight provides an overview of thesituation of older persons in Myanmar, an under-studied country ofover-50-million population. Myanmar is of particular interest to researchersand policy makers, given its overall level of poverty and modestly rapidpopulation aging. Research on older persons, while increasing in recent years,remains sparse. Empirical evidence indicates that Myanmar older persons are inrelatively poorer health compared to those in neighboring countries. Many livein abject poverty and depend on their families for material support.Coresidence is very common and facilitates reciprocal exchanges acrossgenerations. Looking ahead, Myanmar confronts important challenges includingdemographic shifts that reduce availability of family support for older personsand …

E-Health Intervention For Intergenerational Caregivers Of Chronically Ill Older Adults, A.M. Steffen, J. Epstein, K. Arenella

Psychology Faculty Works

Family-clinician communication is important for chronic disease self-management and improves outcomes for older adults and their family caregivers. In this e-health program based on principles from Social Cognitive Theory, adults assisting a parent with medical appointments and medication management were randomly assigned to one of two internet-based education interventions: (I.) Written didactics and video clips from medical experts, or (II.) Multimedia vignettes depicting actors responding to common healthcare challenges. Participants (N=136) had access to these materials for one month and completed pre- and post-intervention assessments. Post-intervention hierarchical regression analyses showed an intervention effect after controlling for pre-intervention scores. Relative to …

Aging, Executive Function, Fronto-Parietal Network Cortical Thickness: Insights From Cognitive Reserve, Katherine Reiter

Dissertations (1934 -)

Cognitive reserve (CR) indexes the nonlinear relationship between neurological insult and behavioral change. CR is manifested in both static factors (e.g., childhood environment, education) and modifiable lifestyle factors, (e.g., leisure activities). Detailed investigation of the influence of CR on cortical thickness, which indexes neuropathology, and cognitive functioning could be particularly important in understanding the heterogeneity of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). While memory decline is the hallmark of AD, executive functioning (EF) decline often predates memory changes, making EF an important target for investigating CR influences. The current study examines the relationship of CR and genetic risk for AD (ε4) on EF …

Unmet Needs And Service Utilization By Informal Caregivers, Ryan Marie Diduk-Smith

Health Services Research Dissertations

The number of Americans expected to live into their 80’s and 90’s is growing at an increased rate in the United States, and the numbers of those aging adults with multiple chronic conditions also continues to grow. It is estimated that by 2050, there will be 89 million adults over the age of 65 years living in the United States. For a variety of reasons, including policy, personal, and financial reasons, many aging adults are choosing to “age in place” or to remain in the community. With the increase in the numbers of aging adults in the community, the ability …

The Financial Exploitation And Abuse Of The Elderly, Christopher Hodges

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The criminal industry of elder financial fraud and exploitation (EFFE) is a growing concern among policy makers as well as researchers. This is due to the growing financial impact exploiters are having on their victims. EFFE is defined by the National Center on Elder Abuse as “the illegal or improper use of an elder’s funds, property, or assets (NCEA, 2017).” Following this definition, the quantity of wealth determined to have been lost due to EFFE is staggering. As the tangible capital loss has grown so has the need for more research into this topic. The research in this paper seeks …

Intergenerational Living Between College Students And Senior Housing Residents: A Framework, Laura Allen

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Ageism, the discrimination against persons of a certain age group, is one of the most important civil rights issues of the 21st century (Palmore, 2015). There are community-wide and personal strategies to combatting ageism. Homesharing and cohousing each offer concepts that can be utilized in intergenerational living because of their housing infrastructure. The relationship between college students and senior housing residents is unique because both groups are experiencing a season of life with common characteristics. This project aims to understand the relationship and tensions between stakeholders of existing intergenerational living programs to develop an implementation plan for a program at …

Social Isolation And Loneliness In Older People: A Closer Look At Definitions, Mary Lou Ciolfi, Frances Jimenez Ba

Disability & Aging

Social isolation and loneliness are related and the terms are often used interchangeably, but they are distinct concepts with different definitions, health impacts, and interventions. Our population is aging and older people are at increased risk for both social isolation and loneliness and the associated negative health consequences. Understanding the important differences between social isolation and loneliness will help us recognize them earlier in vulnerable populations, engage in more meaningful conversations with older adults about their own risks, and will inform the development and delivery of more individualized, meaningful, and cost-effective interventions.

Aging In Reading, Massachusetts: A Community Needs Assessment, Caitlin Coyle, Jan Mutchler

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

This report describes collaborative efforts undertaken by the Town of Reading’s Elder and Human Services Division and the Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging, within the Gerontology Institute at the McCormack Graduate School, University of Massachusetts Boston. During Spring 2017, these organizations partnered to conduct a study to investigate the needs, interests, preferences, and opinions of the Town’s older resident population, with respect to living and aging in Reading.

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 …

Strategies And Substance Treatment: Perceptions Of Older Adults 60 And Over, Kim Malveo Jones

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to gather the perceive strategies and substance treatment needs of adults 60 and over. To examine what recovery treatment models and strategies could be most effective for the age-related complex needs of the 60 and over population who are at risk for substance misuse, use or abuse. In the coming years, there will be a substantial increase in the numbers of older adults with substance misuse and abuse problems. Even though one in five individuals who experience substance abuse are older adults many clinicians remain ill equipped to serve older clientele, and particularly those …

Understanding The Role Of Driver, Vehicle, Environment, And Policy Factors In Crash Injury Severity Among Older Adults In The United States, Chae Man Lee

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Driving is related to quality of life and health outcomes. Older drivers involved in car crashes have a higher risk of experiencing a severe injury or fatality. Understanding factors related to injury severity may identify points of intervention to promote road safety. The purpose of this study is to investigate how individual characteristics, vehicle elements, environmental elements, and driving licensing policy are associated with level of injury severity from no injury to fatal injury resulting from car crashes. Furthermore, this dissertation research utilizes the Geographic Information System (GIS) process to visualize the location of crashes and to identify the hot …

Multiple Roles In Later Life: Role Enhancement And Conflict And Their Effects On Psychological Well-Being, Emma D. Quach

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Holding both work and family roles can be a central experience for men and women, young or old. Yet, to date, the bulk of knowledge on holding roles in both domains is specific to young adults, a critical gap as conditions warrant longer work life. This inquiry thus focused on older working men and women (over 50 years of age) with at least one family role (spouse, parent of adult children, caregiver to an aging parent, or grandparent). With survey data from the Health and Retirement Study in 2010 and 2012, latent profile analysis, path analyses, and regressions were conducted …

End Of Life Care For The Incarcerated, Codie Robinson

Dialogue & Nexus

As the prison population ages, a new need has come to light – caring for those who are in the final stage of life. This paper will examine the current end of life services provided to those in prison throughout the United States. After a general awareness of the system is presented, a more complete discussion of end of life care for prisoners will be considered, in light of ethics, social justice, and the Christian perspective. The two care options presented, hospice care and compassionate release, are observed through these lenses. In order to make a decision on how to …

Primetimes Newsletter, Spring 2017, Office Of Lifespan Studies

PrimeTimes Newsletter

PrimeTimes is the newsletter of the Office of Lifespan Studies in the College of Science at Coastal Carolina University.

The Emotional Cost Of Caring: Compassion Fatigue Experienced By Nurse Staff On An Inpatient Geriatric Behavioral Health Unit, Susan Annette Campbell

Theses and Dissertations from 2017

Purpose: Research studies on the prevalence of compassion fatigue (CF) in nursing have been conducted in various clinical settings. There has been limited empirical research conducted on nurses working within the geriatric behavioral health setting, which can present increased nursing challenges related to the chronic health problems of aging coupled with acute behavioral health crises. The purpose of this quantitative, descriptive research study was to identify the prevalence of CF in RN and LPN staff within an inpatient geriatric behavioral health unit setting in two comparably sized hospitals. Design/Methods: An electronic survey design (consisting of demographics and the ProQOL v. …

Exercise After Retirement: The Secret To Productive Aging, Taradita Subiantoro, Erin Kaseda, Tyler C. Graff, Kristina Hall, Maren Wright Voss, Jerry Bounsanga, Lori L. Wadsworth, Man Hung, Wendy C. Birmingham

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

In this study, we interviewed and surveyed participants and attendees of the Huntsman Senior World Games in order to determine factors associated with successful aging post retirement on older adults who are highly active compared to average older adults in physical and psychological well-being.

Decreasing Social Isolation Through An Intergenerational Social Engagement Program, Jacqueline Kendona

Doctor of Occupational Therapy Capstone Projects

Social isolation is the absence of meaningful contact with others. Older adults who perceived themselves as socially isolated are at risk of negative health outcomes. A person’s psychological wellbeing can be improved through engaging in meaningful leisure activities.

The Intergenerational Social Engagement Program, or the ISEP, was developed to connect older adults and high school students to help decrease social isolation in older adults. The ISEP incorporates concepts from the Canadian Model of Occupational Performance and is intended for implementation in senior living communities. The program is to be led by an occupational therapist. Occupational therapy practitioners have an understanding …

Oregon Community-Based Care Survey: Assisted Living, Residential Care, And Memory Care, Paula C. Carder, Ozcan Tunalilar, Sheryl Dejoy Elliott, Sarah Dys, Margaret B. Neal

Institute on Aging Publications

In Oregon, community-based care (CBC) communities include assisted living (AL), residential care (RC), and memory care (MC) communities. These settings provide residential, personal care, and health-related services, primarily to older adults. As the population of Oregonians aged 65 and older is estimated to increase from 16 percent in 2015 to nearly 23 percent in 20501, the availability of CBC settings will continue to be an important source of long-term services and supports.

This report provides an in-depth look at Oregon’s CBC settings. Because no central dataset of CBC services, staff, and residents is available, as opposed to nursing facilities, information …

Efficacy Of A Mobile Application For Improving Gait Performance In Community-Dwelling Older Adults, Dustin Glenn Falls

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The United States is a rapidly aging nation. Older adults have higher rates of falls than any other age group. One in four older adults fall each year. Many of these falls are associated with sedentary lifestyles and decreased muscular strength effecting balance and gait performance. Physical activity (exercise) can reduce the risk of falls among older adults, yet adherence remains low. Exergames can increase adherence to interventions that promote health and physical activity. Social engagement can increase self-efficacy and motivation to exercise. By design, the Bingocize® health promotion mobile application (app) increases social engagement, while providing a multi-factorial fall …

A Medical Student Foray Into The Depths Of Public Health: An Exploratory Investigation Toward A Community Dashboard Characterizing The Experiences Of Frailty In Order To Guide Improvement, An Harmanli, Danielle Fahoome, Burton Masem, Ellen Massey, Beverly Lunsford, Joanne Lynn, Elizabeth Cobbs

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

While it is known that there are many shortcomings in the care of the elderly, their rate and impact on the community and the elderly themselves is not well understood. In exploring the possibilities for using existing data and available informants, a dashboard could be created that would enable a geographic community to understand the experience of living with disabilities in old age, to prioritize problems, and to test improvements.

The methods included a literature review to understand what and how easily information could be accessed, gathered, and presented. In regards to literature on data collection, CMS claims data, MDS, …

Csf Protein Changes Associated With Hippocampal Sclerosis Risk Gene Variants Highlight Impact Of Grn/Pgrn, David W. Fardo, Yuriko Katsumata, John S. K. Kauwe, Yuetiva Deming, Oscar Harari, Carlos Cruchaga, Alzheimer’S Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, Peter T. Nelson

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Objective—Hippocampal sclerosis of aging (HS-Aging) is a common cause of dementia in older adults. We tested the variability in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) proteins associated with previously identified HS-Aging risk single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs).

Methods—Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative cohort (ADNI; n=237) data, combining both multiplexed proteomics CSF and genotype data, were used to assess the association between CSF analytes and risk SNPs in four genes (SNPs): GRN (rs5848), TMEM106B (rs1990622), ABCC9 (rs704180), and KCNMB2 (rs9637454). For controls, non-HS-Aging SNPs in APOE (rs429358/rs7412) and MAPT (rs8070723) were also analyzed against Aβ1-42 and total tau CSF analytes.

Results—The GRN risk …

My Company Is Freezing The Pension Plan: What Does This Mean?, Pension Action Center, Gerontology Institute, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Pension Action Center Publications

As employers move away from traditional defined benefit pension plans in favor of defined contribution 401(k) plans, the number of frozen pension plans is rapidly increasing. While most companies would like to rid themselves of their pension plan liabilities, more often than not, employers deem it too costly to terminate their existing plans and pay out all accrued benefits to participants and beneficiaries. As a result, instead of terminating their existing pension plans, many employers are electing to “freeze” their plans. Pension plans may be frozen using a “hard freeze” or a “soft freeze”. While both types of plan freezes …

Lump Sum Vs Annuity Payments: Which Is Right For Me?, Pension Action Center, Gerontology Institute, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Pension Action Center Publications

As employers are looking to reduce pension plan liabilities, more and more participants are being given the option to receive a one-time lump sum payment from their pension plan in lieu of receiving monthly annuity payments for life. Deciding on which form of pension benefit to take is a very important decision that requires careful consideration. Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. While a lump sum may make sense for one person, it may be a serious mistake for another. And it is a decision that you will have to live with for the rest of your life. Anyone who …