Digital Commons Network^™

Debt And Quality Of Life Among Older Adults After Retirement, Josephine Morrow Seegars

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Understanding debt and the quality of life in older adults after retirement is an important area of concern. Many older adults are forced by escalating debt to reduce spending on essential needs, such as health care, nutrition, and housing, and their physical and mental health is thereby directly compromised. These essential needs represent core social determinants of health, and their erosion under financial strain can have effects on older adults' overall well-being. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore the experiences and perceptions of human services practitioners who were actively assisting older adults struggling with debt in …

Home, Neighborhood, And Community Environments And Social Isolation In Later Life: Joint Associations And Their Moderation By Life-Course Socioeconomic Mobility, Jeein Law

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Social isolation is a major public health concern among older adults, yet less is known about how multilevel residential environments shape isolation among those aging in place. Guided by the Socio-Ecological Model, Person–Environment Fit, and a life-course perspective, this dissertation examined whether micro-level home hazards, meso-level neighborhood social cohesion and physical disorder, and macro-level census-tract structural conditions were associated with social isolation. It also examined whether life-course socioeconomic mobility moderated the associations between home and neighborhood environments and social isolation.

This dissertation used two nationally representative longitudinal studies of U.S. older adults. Aims 1 and 2 used the National Health …

The Effect Of State Policy On Individuals With Mental Illness In Nursing Homes: A Multilevel Analysis, Adrita Barooah

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

ABSTRACT

THE EFFECT OF STATE POLICY ON INDIVIDUALS WITH MENTAL ILLNESS IN NURSING HOMES: A MULTILEVEL ANALYSIS

August 2026

Adrita Barooah, B.Sc., University of Delhi, India

M.S., University of Massachusetts Boston

Ph.D., University of Massachusetts Boston

Directed by Professor Pamela Nadash

The proportion of individuals living with a mental illness in U.S. nursing homes has grown substantially over the past few decades (Fashaw et al., 2020), raising serious concerns about care quality, resource adequacy, and costs to both nursing homes and government payers. The lack of adequate resources and knowledge has resulted in sub-par mental health care (O'Connor et al., …

From Structure To Experiences: How Facility Capacity And Staffing Shape The Adoption And Impact Of Lgbt-Affirming Policies In Long-Term Care, Andrew Alberth

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Long-term care (LTC) settings – including nursing homes (NHs) and assisted living facilities (ALFs) – provide necessary care for individuals with extreme health and functioning limitations. Sexual and gender minority (LGBT) older adults report challenges receiving effective, person-centered care LTC. Some LGBT older adults may hide their sexual orientation and gender identity when entering LTC settings or delay seeking needed LTC fearing discrimination from staff and other residents. Furthermore, staff in LTC settings indicate little awareness of LGBT-residents and possess inadequate LGBT-cultural competency necessary for providing person-centered care. Therefore, LGBT-residents LTC experiences remain underexplored in the broader research. Adopting LGBT-affirming …

When Your Neighbours Are A Reminder Of Your Ageing, Cynthia Tan, Yi Wen (Chen Yiwen) Tan

ROSA Journal Articles and Publications

In a commentary, Cynthia Tan, a retired senior corporate leader, and Tan Yi Wen, a Senior Research Fellow at SMU’s Centre for Research on Successful Ageing (ROSA), questioned whether the low demand for community care apartments is because seniors do not want only other seniors for company. They noted that most older people do not spend their days dwelling on ageing until everyone around them reminds them that they are growing old. They added that prolonged exposure to such an environment may carry subtle emotional and psychological consequences. Citing a national survey by ROSA, the writers mentioned that eight in …

The Health And Well-Being Of Grandparents Who Report Major Responsibilities For Grandchildren: Perceived Physical Health, Depressive Affect, And Life Satisfaction, Tze-Li Hsu Phd, Patricia Drentea Phd

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

This study examines how grandparents who report major responsibilities for their grandchildren experience perceived physical health, depressive affect, and life satisfaction compared to grandparents who do not report these responsibilities. Using data from the third wave of MIDUS (2013–2014), a nationally representative dataset focused on mid to later life (n = 1,819), we analyzed a sample of grandparents. Ordered logistic regression was used for perceived physical health, and ordinary least squares (OLS) regression was used for depressive symptoms and life satisfaction. Results indicate that grandparents with caregiving responsibilities are more likely to be women, non-White, and have lower incomes and …

The Most Age-Diverse Society In Our Country's History, Cal J. Halvorsen, Logan Fox, Tim B. Zielonko

Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging

The public narrative is that the United States population is getting older. This is, indeed, true. We have more people over age 50 than we have ever had in our country—both in total numbers and in the share of the population. The numbers of older people will continue to grow, all the way up until the projections stop at the year 2100. Many have asked, “What will we do with all of these older people?”

Impact Of Baseline Cognition On Dual-Task Performance: Tracking Verbal Accuracy And Fluency In Adults At Risk For Alzheimer’S Disease, Rebecca Nicole Frederichs

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is increasing in prevalence as life expectancy continues to rise, highlighting the need for sensitive measures to detect early cognitive changes. This study examined the effects of baseline cognitive status on dual-task performance over time, in terms of dual-task cost, verbal fluency, and verbal accuracy in older adults at risk for AD. This study utilized a quantitative secondary analysis of the longitudinal dataset, the Digital, Cognitive, Multi-Domain Alzheimer Risk Velocity (DC-MARVel) study (Gray et al., 2022). Participants were categorized into low, medium, or high cognitive tertiles based on baseline Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status …

A 10-Minute Walk From The Mrt. But For Whom?, Paulin Tay Straughan, Yi Wen (Chen Yiwen) Tan, Wensi Lim

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

They highlighted that as people age, mobility naturally declines, adding that the convenient shorthand such as a “10-minute walk” to define accessibility is ultimately a social construct – one that must be grounded in lived realities and evidence. They noted that ageing in place is not just the ability to remain at home as one transitions into later life – it is about living in an environment that fosters attachment, continuity and well-being, which requires both the built and social environments to be supportive. Responses must be guided by solid evidence – through ongoing conversations with those whose needs we …

Older Recent Widows’ Physical Activity Before And After Spouses’ Deaths A Qualitative Investigation Of The Impact Of Duration And Intensity Of Care Work And Social Support, Mary Theresa Pagan

Dissertations - ALL

Abstract This study investigates and expands understanding of how care work, widowhood, social support, and physical activity intersect in the lives of older recent widows. The study addresses three primary research questions examining the duration and intensity of care work, pre- and post-death social support, and factors that influenced widows’ physical activity before and after the death of their spouses. Thirty semi-structured, face-to-face interviews conducted with heterosexual widows aged 60 and older residing in Upstate New York who were widowed within 6–24 months prior to interview. Interviews explored care work experiences, social support, widowhood transitions, and both structured and non-structured …

Disability Rates Among South Asian Immigrants In The U.S. Vary By Country Of Origin, Sobia Mushtaq, Marc A. Garcia

Population Health Research Brief Series

South Asian immigrants are often grouped together in U.S. health data, masking significant differences in health outcomes across subgroups. This brief uses data from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Public Use Microdata Sample (N = 6,643,738; 2020–2024) to describe disability rates among foreign-born adults from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh residing in the U.S. The authors find that while South Asian immigrants as a group have lower disability rates than U.S.-born adults, this average is driven largely by Indian immigrants, who make up about 79% of South Asians in the U.S. Among adults aged 65 and older, Bangladeshi immigrants have …

Community Programs That Build Connection, Jihye Baek, Cal J. Halvorsen

Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging

Social connection is a fundamental human need and a critical driver of individual health and well-being. When older adults maintain stable, supportive relationships, they experience significantly better physical, mental, and cognitive health outcomes. In response to growing evidence of its public health impact, the World Health Organization (WHO) designated social connection as a global public health priority, and the U.S. Surgeon General issued an Advisory calling for action to address the loneliness epidemic.

Beyond The Generations: Building A High-Quality Workplace For An Age-Diverse Workforce, Cal J. Halvorsen, Bruna C. Lopez, Erika Sabbath

Brown School Faculty Publications

At a time when the U.S. is more age diverse than ever before, Americans are extending their careers for financial stability, social connection, and purpose. This article provides a brief background on the history of aging and work, from the late 1800s to present, illustrating the influence that public and organizational policies, as well as personal needs and interests, have on labor force participation. It then provides examples for how employers can create better workplaces for people of all ages, concluding with the case for why more age-inclusive workplaces lead to better results for employees, their families, and their employers.

How Far Does Social Security Go? Comparing Benefits To Elder Index 2025: Infographic, Center For Social And Demographic Research On Aging, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

Social Security remains the foundation of retirement income, but for millions of older adults it does not fully cover the cost of basic necessities such as housing, health care, food, and transportation.

Fostering Developmentally Nurturant Relationships To Promote Character And Thriving: Perspectives Of Program Practitioners In Rural South Africa, Jonathan M. Tirrell, Alexa Hasse, Margaret Mackin, Elizabeth Dowling, Kirsten Olander, Roya Abbasi-Asl, Katherine Mcconnel, Thobeka Kwela, Raah Msimango, Justine Mccarthy-Martin, Tyler Howard, Angela Larkan, Richard Lerner

Journal of Youth Development

Developmentally nurturant relationships are fundamental to enabling children to thrive across contexts, including homes, schools, and communities. Such relationships are also a central feature of effective positive youth development (PYD) programming. As strengths-based PYD programs are increasingly being adopted in majority-world countries, a better understanding of how to foster and promote developmentally nurturant relationships is needed. As part of the Thanda Study of Character and Health, we interviewed 15 program practitioners about their understandings of and approaches to fostering developmentally nurturant relationships with children enrolled in Thanda programs in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Phenomenological analysis indicated that practitioners’ understanding of …

Navigating “I” And “We”: Coupled Identity And Spousal Influence In The Physical Activity Of Older Adults, Sapphire H. Lin, Rich Ling, Sonny Rosenthal

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

This study explored how established dyadic social ties—particularly spousal relationships—influence older adults’ physical activity. While social support is often viewed as a positive force in promoting health behaviours, long-standing spousal dynamics can exert both enabling and constraining effects. Drawing on qualitative interviews with 22 older adults who participated in a field experiment examining the effects of feedback from fitness trackers and spousal influence, this study delves into the relational, individual, and situational factors shaping physical activity patterns. These factors led to both positive and negative outcomes in terms of step counts, goal attainment, and a diminished interdependence in couples’ physical …

Empowering Lifelong Choice: Supporting Older Individuals With Idd To Thrive At Work, Transition To Retirement With Dignity, And Maintain Community Connections, Leslie Quarles

Critical and Creative Thinking Capstones Collection

This synthesis addresses the need to support older individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in their engagement in continued work. The project traces the journey from an initial focus on supporting older individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to work as long as they wish to an eventual shift toward a phased retirement approach. It considers issues such as a reimagined visualization of the support team structure, integration of tailored job supports and Community Life Engagement (CLE). The author's familial history sparked a sense of injustice that would not stay buried, shaping a career path in disability services and access. …

Governing Longevity: Biopolitics And Economic Restructuring In East Asian Aging Societies, Sherlyn She

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

How do rapidly aging societies govern longevity when demographic change threatens established welfare arrangements? This thesis examines aging governance in China, Japan, and South Korea to show how states simultaneously manage aging as a public-health problem and build it into an economic sector through what I term life capitalism.

Two interpretations of East Asian aging policy are widely circulated: that it is a peripheral case of Western neoliberalism, or a residue of Confucian familism. I reject both: the neoliberal reading captures marketization but misses the state as its active builder, since these states are expanding rather than retreating; the Confucian …

Quality Improvement (Qi) Project Aimed At Reducing Unnecessary Antibiotic Usage Among Older Adult Patients By Addressing Inappropriate Antibiotic Prescribing In Primary And Long-Term Care Settings, Pamela M. Thomas

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Antibiotic overuse among older adults remains a significant patient safety and public health concern. Recent national data indicate that approximately 30%–50% of outpatient antibiotic prescriptions may be unnecessary, particularly for viral or self-limiting conditions (Chua et al., 2021). Antimicrobial resistance has been associated with more than 1.27 million deaths globally (Murray et al., 2022). This quality improvement project evaluated a multifaceted antimicrobial stewardship intervention in primary and long-term care settings. Baseline review of 167 antibiotic cases revealed 37.1% were inappropriate or questionable, and 28.7% lacked adequate diagnostic documentation. The intervention incorporated provider education, electronic health record decision-support tools, audit and …

Hearing And Vision Impairment And Cognitive Function In Later Life: A Scoping Review Of Psychosocial Mechanisms, Lea Guelde

Honors Capstones

Introduction: Sensory impairment is one of the most prevalent chronic conditions in later life and has been consistently associated with poorer cognitive outcomes. While prior research has documented associations between sensory loss and global cognitive decline, less attention has been paid to the psychosocial mechanisms that may explain this relationship. Understanding these pathways is essential for identifying modifiable intervention targets. This scoping review mapped and synthesized the existing literature on associations between hearing and vision impairment and cognitive function in adults aged 60 years and older, with a specific focus on psychosocial mechanisms linking sensory function and cognition in later …

The Investigation Of The Digital Divide: Government Literacy With African American Seniors, Jenettie Pirtle

Theses

My thesis, The Great Divide: An Investigation of Digital Literacy with African American Seniors, explores how race, age, and income shape access to technology and digital learning. Many African American seniors continue to face barriers to digital literacy due to limited resources, lack of exposure, and social inequalities. Using a qualitative approach, I conducted a focus group to hear directly from seniors about their experiences with technology, what challenges they face, how they feel about using it, and what support they need. Guided by Critical Race Theory and the concept of digital inequality, my analysis highlights the gap between access …

Reducing Vulnerability To Burnout Among Family Caregivers, Stephen J. Alvarado

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Family caregivers experience high levels of burnout and stress, which can negatively affect their well-being and the quality of care they provide. This capstone project was implemented at Health Projects Center in Salinas within the Del Mar Caregiver Resource Center program. Del Mar Caregiver Resource Center serves a diverse community of family caregivers, predominantly Caucasian, Hispanic, and Latino individuals caring for loved ones with a neurodegenerative disease like Alzheimer’s or memory impairment. The purpose of this project was to improve caregivers’ knowledge, confidence, awareness, and intention regarding self-care strategies to reduce their vulnerability to burnout related to caregiving. The project …

Building Resilience: How Protective Factors Mitigate Acculturative Stress In The Latinx Immigrant Community, Andres I. Delgado, Jamie Tierrablanca

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This literature underscores the vital role of protective factors in reducing

acculturative stress among Latinx immigrants. Key factors such as social

support, religious affiliation, familism, and physical activity help contribute to

mitigating the negative effects of acculturation. The Latinx community can

significantly benefit from integrative, culturally responsive interventions informed

by social work frameworks such as ecosystems theory and critical race theory

(CRT) as they are essential in addressing the mental health needs of this

population. Despite existing research, gaps remain in understanding the full

scope of the Latinx immigrant experience, suggesting a need for further

exploration. The expected findings will …

Childlessness And Advance Care Planning In Midlife And Late Adulthood: A Mixed-Methods Study In Singapore, Bussarawan Teerawichitchainan, Dahye Kim, Pearlyn Hui Min Hui, Christine Ho

Research Collection School Of Economics

Advance care planning (ACP) is critical for ensuring high-quality, cost-effective end-of-life care and is typically facilitated by spouses and adult children. Yet, the growing number of older adults without children has been overlooked in ACP research. This study employs a mixed-methods approach to examine ACP practices and perceptions among childless adults aged 50+ in Singapore, a rapidly aging society with one of the world's highest childlessness rates. Quantitative analyses draw on nationwide survey data (N = 1,500), complemented by interviews with childless respondents (N = 26). We examine multiple dimensions of ACP: formal ACP (e.g., living wills, Lasting Power of …

Patterns In Awareness And Uptake Of The Lpa Among Older Adults In Singapore, Paulin Tay Straughan, Emi Loh, Shu Fang Ng, Yi Wen (Chen Yiwen) Tan, Wensi Lim

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Findings from a survey with 7910 Singapore Life Panel members reveal that awareness of the Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) was relatively high, but actual uptake remained low, with only one in three having made an LPA and pronounced gaps among lower socioeconomic groups. Despite this, attitudes towards LPA were generally positive, with perceived benefits centered on peace of mind and reducing burdens on family members. A major barrier to adoption is the misconception that children automatically have the legal authority to make decisions if parents lose mental capacity. Structural and psychological barriers, including cost, complexity, and limited guidance, further …

Growing Older Across Time And Space: The Impact Of Various Forms Of Capital On Social Support Networks Among Older Vietnamese Migrants, Hien Thi Nguyen, Lukasz Krzyzowski, Loretta Baldassar

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Much has been written about the important role of social support networks (SSNs) for the well-being of older adults, encompassing their social, emotional and practical needs. Less is known about what happens to the SSNs of older people when they migrate, and even fewer studies have examined the impact of different forms of capital on these networks. Drawing on ethnographic interviews and participant observation with 22 older Vietnamese migrants in Australia (2020–21), this paper explores the influence of different forms of social, cultural, economic and symbolic capital on their SSNs. Data analysis comprised egocentric social network analysis of the connections …

Caregiving For Older Adults: How The Child And Dependent Care Credit Could Help, Gabrielle Pepin, Yulya Truskinovsky

Upjohn Institute Policy and Research Briefs

No abstract provided.

Taman Kota Sebagai Ruang Publik Dalam Meningkatkan Intraksi Sosial, Reakreasi, Dan Ekspresi Budaya Masyarakat Perkotaan, Tar Isa Wulan Dari

Jurnal Sosial Humaniora Terapan

Urban parks represent a strategic form of public space that plays a significant role in supporting social life in urban communities. This study aims to analyze the role of urban parks as public spaces in enhancing social interaction, recreational activities, and cultural expression among urban residents. The research employs a literature review and descriptive analysis of relevant previous studies. The findings indicate that urban parks function as social interaction spaces that bring together diverse community groups regardless of age, social status, or cultural background, thereby strengthening social cohesion and a sense of belonging. In addition, urban parks provide recreational facilities …

Creative Engagement For Community Through The Life-Span, D. Nicole English, Pelgy Vaz

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Creative Engagement for Community Through the Life-Span

Creative Engagement includes crafts, cultural practices, expressive arts, and activities that bring people together. Having access to such activities enables people to develop healthy habits, social interactions, and build community that can sustain one throughout the lifespan. On-going research indicates that Creative Engagement Activities, and the Communities of Practice that build around them, benefit people throughout the life-span, but become particularly important to older adults, by building resilience and social connections, in the face of inevitable life losses.

https://youtu.be/r3JS5YP-MnM

Empirical Benchmarks For Interpreting Effect Sizes In Violent Crime Interventions, Kohta James Matsukawa Hansen

Theses and Dissertations

Criminal justice researchers apply Cohen’s (1988) benchmarks to classify effect sizes as small, medium, or large, despite these standards never being meant for broad, decontextualized use (Cohen, 1988; Gies et al., 2024; Goulet-Pelletier & Cousineau, 2018; Lakens, 2013; Milner et al., 2023). Repeatedly doing so may weaken statistical validity, distort findings, and impede effective policymaking. This study introduces the first effect size benchmarks specifically designed for violent crime interventions.

Using a quasi-meta-analysis framework, 1,605 effect sizes from 104 violent crime intervention studies from the CrimeSolutions clearinghouse were converted to Cohen’s d. Three new discrete benchmarking methods were created using a …