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Vital Tooth Whitening Effects On Oral Health-Related Quality Of Life In Older Adults, Ann Michelle Poindexter

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

This study determined if vital tooth whitening affects oral health-related quality of life (OHRQOL) in adults ≥50-years old, and if tooth whitening promotes individuals to seek regular professional dental care and participation in social activities. Using a two-group, single blind, randomized, pre-test-post-test design, 62 participants were enrolled. The experimental group used a whitening product twice daily for three weeks, while the control group used no whitening products. Tooth color satisfaction was assessed using the Tooth Color Satisfaction Scale and was correlated with overall oral health-related quality of life. The Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP), used as the pre-test …

Caring For People With Alzheimer's Disease Or Dementia In Maine, Stuart Bratesman Mpp, Julie T. Fralich Mba, Catherine Mcguire Bs, Louise Olsen, Romaine Turyn

Disability & Aging

It is clear that caring for people with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia is a growing public health issue. Alzheimer’s is a progressively deteriorating disease that can last anywhere from 1 to 15 years. Families are the primary caregivers and will continue to need support to manage the care of their loved ones, to coordinate services within the long term care system and to maintain their own health and well-being.

Fairfax County's Commitment: A Housing And Health Continuum For Seniors, Judith D. Moore, Lisa Sprague

National Health Policy Forum

This one-day site visit focused on the range of services made available to seniors by Fairfax County, Virginia, including senior centers, adult day health care, and assisted living and independent housing. Services to low-income residents were emphasized. Participants were introduced to the different agencies and funding streams involved and were able to observe how county officials have acted on a stated commitment to help seniors who wish to age in place, staying in the county and in their own homes rather than in a nursing home or other institution. The day included tours of two Fairfax County multiservice sites, in …

Medical Education Digest, Vol. 9 No. 2 (March/April 2007), Nova Southeastern University

Medical Education Digest

No abstract provided.

Bereavement In The Modern Western World, David San Filippo Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Bereavement is the process of suffering that follows the loss of a living being that is significant to someone. When one suffers, she or he has to endure an unpleasant experience, in the case of bereavement, the loss of something special to the person. This loss most often is a loved one but could also include the loss of a pet, relationship, or physical or mental capability. This state of suffering is called grief. In describing his grief, C. S. Lewis stated, after the loss of his wife, “No one ever told me that grief felt so much like fear. …

Nursing Theory And Knowledge Development: A Descriptive Review Of Doctoral Dissertations, 2000–2004, Hila Spear

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Within the profession of nursing, nursing theory, conceptual models, and knowledge development continue to be points of discussion and debate. Some suggest that nursing research must either test or develop nursing theory, whereas others believe that research germane to practice can legitimately incorporate what is commonly referred to as borrowed theory. This descriptive analysis of nursing doctoral dissertations (N = 207) conducted from 2000 to 2004 focused primarily on the inclusion or exclusion of nursing theories. Almost half (45.4%) of the dissertations studied theories from fields other than nursing, 27.1% of the researchers studied nursing theories, and 27.5% of the …

Medical Education Digest, Vol. 9 No. 1 (January/February 2007), Nova Southeastern University

Medical Education Digest

No abstract provided.

Enhanced Care Assistant Training To Address The Workforce Crisis In Home Care: Changes Related To Job Satisfaction And Career Commitment, Constance L. Coogle, Iris A. Parham, Rita Jablonski, Jason A. Rachel

Virginia Center on Aging Publications

Changes in job satisfaction and career commitment were observed as a consequence of a geriatric case management training program focusing on skills development among personal care attendants in home care. A comparison of pretraining and posttraining scores uncovered a statistically signifi cant increase in Intrinsic Job Satisfaction scores for participants 18–39 years of age, whereas levels declined among the group of middle aged participants and no change was observed among participants age 52 and older. On the other hand, a statistically signifi cant decline in Extrinsic Job Satisfaction was documented over all participants, but this was found to be primarily …

Re-Imagining The Experience And Study Of Aging, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

A small group of Japanese and American gerontologists have been working together toward developing a gerontology curriculum that would help people to understand the experience of aging. The group suggested adding business, information technology/communication, and education to the curriculum. The group also acknowledged that a curriculum on aging should include a way to help those of us who are not old to understand the importance for many who are old of the search for the infinite, the true self, the oneness, the spirit, or the divine, at the core of life.

Fiscal Year Retrospective, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

The Virginia Center on Aging relies on the dedication and selflessness of so many collaborating groups, agencies, and individuals to make our work for older Virginians possible. Drawing from official and informal reports from the 2006-2007 fiscal year, we thank them deeply and look forward to continuing these partnerships.

“Powerful Tools For Caregivers”: Teaching Skills That Reduce Stress And Increase Self-Confidence, Ed Rosenberg, Natasha Gouge

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. Describe caregiving stress and burnout symptoms and effects experienced by older caregivers.

2. Report implementation and evaluation of the “Powerful Tools for Caregivers” workshop, which is designed to increase knowledge and skills in caring for elders and reduce caregiver stress.

3. Suggest ways to alleviate caregiver burden at both micro and macro levels.

Aging Influences Multiple Indices Of Oxidative Stress In The Heart Of The Fischer 344/Nnia X Brown Norway/Binia Rat, Shinichi Asano

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Here we report the influence of aging on multiple markers of oxidativenitrosative stress in the heart of adult (6-month), aged (30-month) and very aged (36- month) Fischer 344/NNiaHSd X Brown Norway/BiNia (F344/NXBN) rats. Compared to 6 month old rat hearts, indices of oxidative (superoxide anion (–O2 ·), 4-hyrdoxy-2- nonenal (4-HNE)) and nitrosative (protein nitrotyrosylation) stress were 34.1 ± 28.1%, 186 ± 28.1% and 94 ± 5.8% higher, respectively, in 36-month hearts and these findings were highly correlated with increases in left ventricular wall thickness (r>0.669; r>0.710 and p<0.01, respectively). Regression analysis showed that increases in cardiac oxidative-nitrosative stress with aging were significantly correlated with changes in the expression and/or regulation of proteins involved in transcriptional (NF-κB) activities, signaling (mitogen activated protein kinases along with Src), apoptotic ( Bcl-2, Traf-2), and cellular stress (HSPs). These results suggest that the aging F344/NXBN heart may be highly suited for unraveling the molecular events that lead to age-associated alterations in cardiac oxidative stress.

Caring Minds, University Of Texas Health Science Center At Houston School Of Nursing

Caring Minds

• Greetings from Dean Patricia Starck
• New DNP program explores new frontiers of nursing
• Profile Joanne V. Hickey, PhD, APRN, BC, ACNP, FAAN, FCCM
• With assistance from PARTNERS scholarship, Family Practice Nurse pursues her dream through new DNP program
• School of Nursing offers training in geriatrics for nurses
• PARTNERS organization endows first professorship
• University of Texas Health Services planning to expand number of clinics
• Caring Leaders
• The Engine of Innovation: School of Nursing researchers part of $36 million NIH grant to spur innovation
• Johnson and Johnson gala spotlights nurses Chad and Heath LePray
• UT School of Nursing and Memorial Hermann Hospital …

Elder Research: Filling An Important Gap In Psychology And Law, Eve M. Brank

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

In the past few decades, psychology-law as a discipline has made great strides in understanding and guiding public policies on issues related to eyewitnesses, confessions, juries, judges, juveniles, the mentally ill, and many others. As a field, we have largely neglected the oldest subset of the population, with only a few scholars focusing specifically on elder issues or systematically including elders in their studies. The current article is a call to research. It first outlines why elders should be considered as a specific subset of the population even though they have not been an area of focus in the field. …

Granny, (Don’T) Get Your Gun: Competency Issues In Gun Ownership By Older Adults, Edith Greene, Brian H. Bornstein, Hannah Dietrich

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

This article explores the possible risks associated with gun ownership by older adults. We summarize existing regulations on who may own firearms, especially with respect to age. We then present data on older gun owners and violence committed by older adults in general, followed by a discussion of gun violence perpetrated by gun owners whose functional and cognitive abilities have declined, perhaps as a result of dementia. For comparison purposes, we review regulations on driving among older adults, drawing parallels to gun ownership. The paper concludes with recommendations for ensuring the safety of older gun owners and others, balanced against …

Information Interface - Volume 35, Issue 1 - January/February 2007, George Washington University, Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library

Information Interface (1976 - 2009)

News and information about Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library of interest to users.

Age-Related Dgc Structure And Function In The F344/N X Bn Rat Heart, Sunil K. Kakarla

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Recent data has suggested that disruption of the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex (DGC) may be involved in mediating the progression of cardiac hypertrophy and failure. Here we examined the regulation of DGC proteins in the hearts of adult (6 months), aged (30 months), and very aged (36 months) F344/N X BN rats . Compared to adult animals, the content of α- and β-dystroglycan were 6.93 ± 5.16% and 58.36 ± 3.64% higher, respectively (P < 0.05) in very aged animals. Immunoblotting and immunhistochemical analysis suggested that aging appeared to diminish alpha-sarcoglycan, beta-sarcoglycan and delta-sarcoglycan content by 13.89 ± 3.1%,15.8 ± 2.8% and 18.63 ± 3.04%, respectively (P < 0.05). These alterations in the DGC occurred coincident with age- associated alterations in cytoplasmic anti-rat IgG immunoreactivity, TUNEL positive nuclei, alpha-fodrin cleavage, indices of caspase-3 activation and diminished AKT phosphoryation (Ser 308). Taken together, these data suggest that aging alters cardiac DGC structure and function.

Support By Migrants To Their Elderly Parents In Rural Cambodia And Thailand: A Comparative Study, Zachary Zimmer, Kim Korinek, John Knodel, Napaporn Chayovan

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Internal migration in Southeast Asia raises questions about strains upon traditional systems of support for older adults. While remittances to parents’ households play a role in rural household economies, uncertainty remains regarding whether and under what circumstances children interact with their elderly parents. This paper focuses on the adult children of older persons living in rural Cambodia and Thailand and examines the determinants of personal visits, monetary remittances, and more general forms of household support. Analyses consider ways in which geographically distant children support parents, the extent to which characteristics of parents, children, and households enhance or detract from these …

Population Inference With Mortality And Attrition In Longitudinal Studies On Aging: A Two-Stage Multiple Imputation Method, Ofer Harel, Scott M. Hofer, Lesa Hoffman, Nancy L. Pedersen

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

First paragraph:

Although there are numerous challenges for the investigation of aging-related changes in older adults, statistical analysis with incomplete data and the conceptualization of population processes related to mortality is one of the most difficult. Selective attrition and mortality selection within longitudinal studies on aging are intrinsically related to many aging-related changes and must be carefully considered in the analysis and interpretation of results (e.g., Baltes, 1968; Hofer & Sliwinski, 2006; Schaie, Labouvie, & Barrett, 1973). A key distinction is made between attrition (i.e., selective dropout) and mortality selection (i.e., selective survival) in that attrition affects characteristics of the …

Circumstances Of Patient Falls And Injuries In 9 Hospitals In A Midwestern Healthcare System, Melissa J. Krauss, Sheila L. Nguyen, Wm. Claiborne Dunagan, Stanley Birge, Eileen Costantinou, Shirley Johnson, Barbara Caleca, Victoria J. Fraser

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Diabetes Self-Management In The Migrant Latino Population, Dawn Weiler, Janice D. Crist

Nursing Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article will present an in-depth exploration and synthesis of current literature that informs nursing knowledge of diabetes self-management for the migrant Latino population. Extensive research in diabetes care has been conducted, however, there is a significant knowledge gap related to the factors that influence the achievement of glycemic control and self-management practices of the Latino population. Based on well-documented disparities in complications and health outcomes among Latinos when compared with White Americans, there is sufficient evidence to question whether traditional White beliefs about self-management are successful or appropriate for the Latino population in general and migrants specifically. Traditional models …

Physical Activity And Physical Activity Adherence In The Elderly Based On Smoking Status., Theodore Cooper, M. Resor, C. Stoever, P. Dubbert

Departmental Papers (Psych)

No abstract provided.

Multilevel Models For Examining Individual Differences In Within-Person Variation And Covariation Over Time, Lesa Hoffman

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Heterogeneity of variance may be more than a statistical nuisance—it may be of direct interest as a result of individual differences. In studies of short-term fluctuation, individual differences may relate to the magnitude of within-person variation as well as to level of an outcome or its covariation with other processes. Although models for heterogeneous variances have been utilized in group contexts (i.e., dispersion models), they are not usually applied in examinations of intraindividual variation. This work illustrates how an extension of the multilevel model for heterogeneous variances can be used to examine individual differences in level, between- and within-person covariation, …

On The Use Of Multilevel Modeling As An Alternative To Items Analysis In Psycholinguistic Research, Lawrence Locker Jr., Lesa Hoffman, James A. Bovaird

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The use of multilevel modeling is presented as an alternative to separate item and subject ANOVAs (F₁ x F₂) in psycholinguistic research. Multilevel modeling is commonly utilized to model variability arising from the nesting of lower level observations within higher level units (e.g., students within schools, repeated measures within individuals). However, multilevel models can also be used when two random factors are crossed at the same level, rather than nested. The current work illustrates the use of the multilevel model for crossed random effects within the context of a psycholinguistic experimental study, in which both subjects …

Ecological Momentary Assessment Of Older Women's Health, Janice Penrod, Jeremy B. Yorgason, Susan J. Loeb, Chin-Fang Liu, Lesa Hoffman, Sarah H. Gueldner, Leonard W. Poon

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Living with chronic co-morbidities implies long-lasting, always present conditions associated with highly variable health trajectories. In this study, ecological momentary assessment was used to explore nine older women's experiences of living with co-morbidities. Each participant completed a daily diary, which focused on 10 variables related to energy, pain, effort expended, and an overall health rating, for 21 days. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to explore intra-individual variation in daily health experiences and health-related burden, and determine the extent to which health-related burden was related to daily health experiences. Each of the daily health experience variables sipiificantly predicted health-related burden. Over …

Changes In Cognitive And Sensory Abilities Of Older Pilots Parallel Those Observed In The General Population, C.A. Miller, A. Chaparro

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2007

This investigation compares young and older pilots with age-matched controls from the general population on cognitive and sensory abilities. Cognitive assessments included short-term and long-term memory, learning, delayed recognition and mental rotation. Sensory measures included visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, auditory thresholds, speech intelligibility and tactile sensitivity. Significant differences in contrast sensitivity was obtained as a function of age and pilot status. Also, young pilots (24-42 years) have greater tactile sensitivity than older pilots (64-88 years), and both non-pilot groups. In general, younger participants performed better on the assessments than the older subjects regardless of pilot status. Although, the mean differences …

Concordance Of Self-Report And Informant Assessment Of Emotional Well-Being In Nursing Home Residents With Dementia, Ann M. Kolanowski, Lesa Hoffman, Scott M. Hofer

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The emotional well-being of persons with dementia is an aspect of their quality of life. We examined the stability of informant-rated and self-reported emotion, and the influence of mental status and physical dependence on ratings; we modeled concordance between ratings at both the within- and between-person levels of analysis. We used multilevel modeling to examine data collected over 12 days from 31 nursing home residents. We found significant within-person variation in both informant-rated and self-reported emotion, such that between 40% and 60% of the overall variance in each occurred within persons. We found little correspondence between or within persons between …

Advance Directives At End-Of-Life: Nursing Home Resident Preferences For Artificial Nutrition, Cheryl Monturo, Neville E. Strumpf

Nursing Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Is It Time To Redesign Hospice? End-Of-Life Care At The User Interface, David J. Casarett

Center for Policy Research

Hospice is a system of end-of-life care that’s not used to its full potential. That is, hospice is not used in the way that would benefit patients and families as much as it could. My argument is that this is an issue of usability, or ergonomics—the science of design. I illustrate how to take what we have learned from the science of usability to make hospice more accessible and approachable, and to increase hospice use among those who would benefit from it. Underneath this discussion, though, there is a more fundamental question: Can we make hospice more usable or do …

An Exploratory Study Of Pet Raising And Health Of The Elderly People In Hong Kong, Cheung Ming, Alfred Chan, Kam Wing, Kevin Cheung, Lam Fat Lo

APIAS Monograph 專題論文

Introduction:

Pets such as dogs, cats and fish were popular in many other countries (Marx et al., 1988; Gammonley, 1991; Brodie & Biley, 1999; PIAS, 2002). In Hong Kong, pet owners increased to 0.26 million (Census and Statistics Department, 2006). Dating back to 1980s, a research study reported the association between pet ownerships and health benefits for humans (McNicholas et al., 2005). According to the report, domesticated pets brought a sense of companionship and provided pet owners with pleasure. These pets could be tools for enhancing human social relationship and could also provide their owners with emotional comfort. Recent studies …