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Aging, Narrative, And Performance: Essays From The Humanities, Aagje Swinnen, Cynthia Port

English

No abstract provided.

The National Elder Economic Security Standard Index, Gerontology Institute, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Gerontology Institute Publications

The Elder Economic Security Standard Index (Elder Index) is a new tool for use by policy makers, older adults, family caregivers, service providers, aging advocates, and the public at large. Developed by the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston and Wider Opportunities for Women (WOW), the Elder Index is a measure of income that older adults require to maintain their independence in the community and meet their daily costs of living, including affordable and appropriate housing and health care. The development and use of the Elder Index promotes a measure of income that respects the autonomy goals of …

Impulsivity And Suicidal Ideation Or Attempt In Younger And Older Adults, Elizabeth C. Price

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Rates of suicidal behaviors vary over the lifespan, but little research has focused on developmental aspects of suicidal behaviors and associated risk factors. Previous studies suggest that young people who attempt or die by suicide are likely to be generally impulsive. 108 community-dwelling older adults age 60 and older and 498 undergraduate students ages 18-30 completed the Center for Epidemiological Studies -- Depression Scale, the Barratt Impulsivity Scale, and the Suicidal Behaviors Scale -- Revised. The hypothesis was that the relation between impulsivity and suicidal ideation or attempt, in the context of depressive symptoms, would be stronger in younger adults …

The Influence Of Self-Reported Family Functioning On Depression Symptom Severity And Psychological Well-Being In Treatment-Seeking Older Adults, Patricia M. Bamonti

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Among treatment-seeking older adults, positive social ties are related to depression outcomes prospectively. Less is known regarding the role of negative social ties in relation to depression and well-being outcomes among patients in treatment. The current study adds to this literature through the cross-sectional and prospective examination of patients' appraisal of family members perceived criticism in relation to self-reported depressive symptom severity and psychological well-being In addition, potential moderators of these relations were examined, including personality variables (Neuroticism and Conscientiousness), cognitive functioning, and living status. adults 60 years of age and older newly (< 1 month after intake session) receiving treatment for depressive or anxious symptomatology at a university-affiliated outpatient clinic as part of an on-going study that assessed depression and decision-making in late life. Results demonstrated that individuals with increased perceived criticism also had greater depressive symptom severity, at least measured at one point in time. Perceived criticism failed to predict change in depression symptom severity in the prospective analyses. Similarly, perceived criticism was associated with lower psychological well-being in the cross-sectional analyses; however, perceived criticism failed to predict change in psychological well-being in prospective analyses. No significant interactions were found with perceived criticism, suggesting at least in the current study, personality variables, cognitive functioning, and living status did not qualify the relation between perceived criticism and depression symptom severity or change in depression symptom severity over time. EI was not significantly associated with depression symptom severity and psychological well-being cross-sectionally and prospectively, after controlling for perceived criticism and perceived social support from family. Implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed.

Preparedness To Implement Wellness Strategies: Perceptions Of School Counselors, Tena Burnett

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to survey school counselors to determine their knowledge and perceived preparedness to implement wellness strategies in school counseling programs. Wellness plans are a requirement for thousands of public school districts in the United States. There are no established standards for the training of school counselors in the area of wellness. School counselors are in a unique position to positively impact students through the use of wellness programs and strategies. School counselors from a mid-south state (N = 156) completed an electronic survey to measure how they implement wellness strategies and their perceived preparedness in …

Aging And Religious Participation In Late Life, Kuan-Yuan Wang

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Objective: The aim of the study is to evaluate the relationship between two dimensions of religiosity, religious service attendance and religious beliefs, and the process of aging, controlling for the effects of covariates known to affect religious development among older adults.

Methods: Secondary analysis of longitudinal data from the Florida Retirement Study was used to assess the trajectories of religious development over time as modeled with two growth processes: religious service attendance and religious beliefs. We analyzed data from six interview waves (Waves 1 and 5 - 9) with 1000 older adults age 72 or over. Covariates included demographic factors …

Nebraska Legislative Planning Committee 2012 Report: Policy Briefs, Center For Public Affairs Research (Cpar)

Past Publications

The Nebraska Legislature's Planning Committee was created in 2009 with the passage of LB 653 in order to help establish a process of long-term state planning with the Nebraska Legislature. The committee was created to assist state government in identifying emerging trends, assets and challenges of the state and the long-term implications of the decisions made by the Nebraska Legislature.

Efforts during the first two years of the committee focused on the development of a database. The goals and benchmarks included in the database were developed and approved by the Legislature's Planning Committee to present a common-sense and data-driven assessment …

Health And Relationship Variables Impacting Psychological And Social Well-Being Among Predominantly White Middle Class Adults 65 And Older Who Receive Assistance With Their Care From Family Members, Alyssa C. Ford

Dissertations

The majority of care to persons 65 and older in the United States is provided by family members. Previous research among older adults who receive assistance with their care from family or friends, while sparse, has identified variables that appear to impact the well-being of such persons. These variables include reciprocity, dignity, self-perceived burden, mental health status, and physical health or disability status. However, these variables have not been studied together. The purpose of this dissertation research was to examine these variables individually and collectively as they relate to well-being.

A sample of 71 adults, ages 68 to 97, who …

Town Of Cohasset Senior Center Study, Jan Mutchler, Hayley Gravette, Caitlin Coyle

Gerontology Institute Publications

The Town of Cohasset is considering the construction of a new Senior Center that will provide the opportunity for expanded programming within a dedicated building. In support of planning efforts by the Town of Cohasset, a study was conducted by the Gerontology Institute of the McCormack Graduate School at UMass Boston. The study addresses the need for, and probable utilization of, a new Senior Center, and includes consideration of the recreational, educational and health-related programs that are likely to be offered through the new Center. Results of the study presented in this report respond to three questions: First, what are …

Peripheral Arterial Disease Affects The Frequency Response Of Ground Reaction Forces During Walking, Denise Mcgrath, Timothy N. Judkins, Iraklis Pipinos, Jason Johanning

Journal Articles

Background—Walking is problematic for patients with Peripheral Arterial Disease. The purpose of this study was to investigate the frequency domain of the ground reaction forces during walking to further elucidate the ambulatory impairment of these patients.

Methods—Nineteen bilateral peripheral arterial disease patients and nineteen controls were included in this study. Subjects were matched for age and gait speed. Participants walked over a force plate sampling at 600Hz. PAD patients were tested before (pain-free condition) after the onset of claudication symptoms (pain). We calculated median frequency, frequency bandwidth, and frequency containing 99.5% of the signal for the vertical and …

The Relationship Between Turning Points And Travel Styles: A Study Of First Generation Older Korean Americans, Young-Joo Ahn

All Dissertations

People experience various significant events across their life course. The purpose of this study was to explore what turning point events occur and how these events influence travel style among first generation older Korean immigrants. To accomplish this, 33 interviewees were recruited by using theoretical sampling and a semi-structured interview with the retrospective interview technique.
Following the grounded theory approach (Strauss & Corbin, 1990, 1998; Corbin 2008), several themes emerged that created turning point events and travel styles among first generation older Korean immigrants. Turning point events divided into eleven categories. In the findings, however, the participants seemed to experience …

December 2012 Commencement Program, Bowling Green State University

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Private Pension Protections Since Erisa: The Expanded Role Of The Individual, Karen A. Zurlo

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Designed to provide security and equity to defined benefit (DB) pension plans, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) became law in 1974. Since that time, the economy has shifted to a more globalized, non-unionized, service-based environment, where defined contribution (DC) plans replaced DB plans as the dominant type of private pension plan. Today workers and retirees bear the burden of managing their pension plans and the associated risks. To protect Americans against the financial risks they face in retirement and ensure greater economic security in old age, targeted financial education, research, and fundamental pension policy reform are required.

Perceived Neighborhood Safety And Psychological Distress: Exploring Protective Factors, Jaime Booth, Stephanie L. Ayers, Flavio F. Marsiglia

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

While a growing body of literature has established a relationship between "disordered" neighborhoods and psychological distress, less is known about the specific mechanisms at work. Using data collected in the 2008 Arizona Health Survey (N = 4,196), hierarchal linear regression was conducted to assess both the independent effect of perception of neighborhood safety on psychological distress, as well as the mediating effects of powerlessness, social isolation and mistrust. The findings suggest that the more safe individuals feel in their neighborhood, the less psychological distress they experience (b = 1.07, SE = .17, p < .001). This relationship appears to be partially mediated by feelings of powerlessness, social isolation and mistrust, indicating potential risk and protective factors.

The Role Of Loneliness And Life Events: Comparing Avoidant And Borderline Personality Features And Their Relation To Depression, Janine Galione

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Personality disorders are theoretically and empirically linked to experiencing high negative affect, such as depression, and individuals with features from some personality disorders, such as borderline: BDL) and avoidant: AVD), are hyper-responsive to rejection. Loneliness has also been established as a vulnerability to the onset of depressive episodes and as an outcome to rejection sensitivity, however the relationship between personality pathology and loneliness is still unclear. The purpose of this study is to compare whether AVD and BDL features might be differentially associated with depression scores by analyzing the interaction with life events and loneliness. We studied a representative, community-based …

Resilience Among Adolescent Girls In India: Role Of Home And School Protective Factors, Sayed A. Azam

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

Resilience of school going adolescent girls has always been influenced by healthy and nurturing family and school life. Research studies reveal how extrinsic protective factors at home and school become pivotal in healthy development of adolescent girls who are known to be sensitive to the social support system they live in. The present study was therefore conducted with the purpose to examine the role of home and school environment of school going adolescent girls in a semi-urban town of India. The study more specifically explores and identifies which protective factors are responsible for higher levels of resilience in this population. …

Program Committee Report December 2012, Regenstrief Center For Healthcare Engineering

RCHE Reports

No abstract provided.

Shared Journaling As Peer Support In Teaching Qualitative Research Methods, Aine M. Humble, Elizabeth Sharp

The Qualitative Report

Teaching qualitative research methods (QRM), particularly early on in one’s academic career, can be challenging. This paper describes shared peer journaling as one way in which to cope with challenges such as complex debates in the field and student resistance to interpretive paradigms. Literature on teaching QRM and the pedagogical value of journaling for metacognition are reviewed. The two authors describe key points about their teaching contexts and then demonstrate with journal excerpts how they developed (a) clarity, (b) confidence, and (c) connection through two years of co-creating their journal. The article concludes with recommendations for shared journal writing as …

Implementing Decision Support Tools To Enhance Care For Older Adults

Population Health Matters (Formerly Health Policy Newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Population Health Matters Fall 2012 Download Full Text Pdf

Population Health Matters (Formerly Health Policy Newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Immune Correlates Of Aging In Outdoor-Housed Captive Rhesus Macaques (Macaca Mulatta), Elizabeth S. Didier, Chie Sugimoto, Lisa C. Bowers, Imtiaz A. Khan, Marcelo J. Kuroda

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

Background

Questions remain about whether inflammation is a cause, consequence, or coincidence of aging. The purpose of this study was to define baseline immunological characteristics from blood to develop a model in rhesus macaques that could be used to address the relationship between inflammation and aging. Hematology, flow cytometry, clinical chemistry, and multiplex cytokine/chemokine analyses were performed on a group of 101 outdoor-housed captive rhesus macaques ranging from 2 to 24 years of age, approximately equivalent to 8 to 77 years of age in humans.

Results

These results extend earlier reports correlating changes in lymphocyte subpopulations and cytokines/chemokines with increasing …

Exploring The Depths Of Health Literacy Are We Teaching This And Why Does It Matter?, Susan Toth-Cohen, Phd, Otr/L, Tracey Vause-Earland, Ms, Otr/L

Department of Occupational Therapy Posters and Presentations

Background: Why does Health Literacy Matter?

• Healthcare practitioners often work with older persons with low health literacy without realizing that this issues limiting the success of their interventions. They may also lack awareness of the serious impact that low health literacy can have, since it is associated with lower reported health status, increased hospitalizations, and increased morbidity (Levasseur & Carrier, 2011).
• The current US healthcare system places increase demands on consumers to manage their own health (Smith & Gutman, 2011).
• Educators in the health professions must instill a sense of responsibility in future practitioners to understand the important role they …

Targeting Astrocytes Ameliorates Neurologic Changes In A Mouse Model Of Alzheimer's Disease, Jennifer L. Furman, Diana M. Sama, John C. Gant, Tina L. Beckett, M. Paul Murphy, Adam D. Bachstetter, Linda J. Van Eldik, Christopher M. Norris

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Astrocytes are the most abundant cell type in the brain and play a critical role in maintaining healthy nervous tissue. In Alzheimer's disease (AD) and most other neurodegenerative disorders, many astrocytes convert to a chronically "activated" phenotype characterized by morphologic and biochemical changes that appear to compromise protective properties and/or promote harmful neuroinflammatory processes. Activated astrocytes emerge early in the course of AD and become increasingly prominent as clinical and pathological symptoms progress, but few studies have tested the potential of astrocyte-targeted therapeutics in an intact animal model of AD. Here, we used adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors containing the astrocyte-specific …

Nurse Practitioner Home-Based Care, Nicole Peters Kroll

Nursing Theses and Dissertations

The United States is currently faced with the challenge of how and where to care for its aging population. Nurse practitioner (NP) home-based care is a potential solution to meet this challenge. Current research indicates that care provision by advanced practice nurses reduces cost, decreases length of stay and readmission to hospitals, and improves patient quality of life. The purpose of this research was to examine the state of the science regarding home-based geriatric care by NPs and to determine the current status and potential expansion of NPs in home-based care for elderly patients. Advanced practice nurses are able to …

November 13, 2012 Ereporter, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

eReporter (campus newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Stress Spillover Of Health Symptoms From Healthy Spouses To Patient Spouses In Older Married Couples Managing Both Diabetes And Osteoarthritis, Jeremy B. Yorgason, Susanne O. Roper, Jonathan G. Sandberg, Cynthia A. Berg

Faculty Publications

Many studies examining illness within marriage have investigated how illness in one spouse influences the other spouse. In later-life marriages, where both spouses are more likely to have health challenges, there is an increased likelihood that health symptoms from both spouses affect each other. In the current study we examined how health symptoms in a “healthy” spouse may exacerbate health problems in a partner (the patient) who is managing multiple chronic illnesses. Surveys were collected across 14 days from 27 later-life couples where patients had both diabetes and osteoarthritis. Results indicated that higher healthy spouse symptoms were generally associated with …

Extreme Levels Of Noise Constitute A Key Neuromuscular Deficit In The Elderly, Niklas König Ignasiak

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Fluctuations during isometric force production tasks occur due to the inability of musculature to generate purely constant submaximal forces and are considered to be an estimation of neuromuscular noise. The human sensori-motor system regulates complex interactions between multiple afferent and efferent systems, which results in variability during functional task performance. Since muscles are the only active component of the motor system, it therefore seems reasonable that neuromuscular noise plays a key role in governing variability during both standing and walking. Seventy elderly women (including 34 fallers) performed multiple repetitions of isometric force production, quiet standing and walking tasks. No relationship …

Fostering Change In Organizational Culture Using A Critical Ethnographic Approach, Rosemary A. Brander, Margo Patterson, Yolande E. Chan

The Qualitative Report

Healthcare organizations are striving to meet legislated and public expectations to include patients as equal partners in their care, and research is needed to guide successful implementation and outcomes. The current research examined the meaning of customer service as related to the culture of care relationships within a Canadian hospital in southeastern Ontario. The goals were to better understand these expectations, develop shared meanings and influence cultural change from the perspective of the organization’s employees about their interactions with patients, families and work colleagues, and to generate ideas and groundswell for change. An ethnographic approach within the critical research paradigm …

Requests Of Brown By Lc Classification: November 2012, Ruth E.. Souto

HELIN Monthly Loan Statistics

Requests of Brown from other HELIN libraries - November 2012

The Role Of Domain Satisfaction In Explaining The Paradoxical Association Between Life Satisfaction And Age, Kimberly K. Mcadams, Richard E. Lucas, M. Brent Donnellan

Psychological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Although aging is associated with declines in many life circumstances, overall life satisfaction does not appear to sharply decline with age. One explanation for this paradoxical finding is that several life domains improve with age such that increases in certain domains balance the decreases in others. Life and domain satisfaction data from eight years of the British Household Panel Study were analyzed to evaluate this hypothesis. Results showed that although domain satisfaction scores demonstrate distinct trajectories, the aggregate of these distinct trajectories resembled the overall life satisfaction trajectory. These findings have implications for top-down and bottom-up models of life satisfaction.