Digital Commons Network^™

Senior Center Response To Covid-19: Mid-Year Operations 2021, Ceara Somerville, Caitlin Coyle, Jan Mutchler

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

Senior centers/COAs in Massachusetts remained largely operational through the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and continued to assist older adults in the community. With the introduction of a vaccine, return to ‘normal’ operations has become more feasible. By mid-2021, senior centers were returning to some in-person operations and continued adaptations for safety, including mask-wearing, limiting capacity, fewer walk-ins, and increased hand sanitization availability.

A Systematic Stakeholder-Driven Framework For Empirical Characterization And Parameterization Of Human Agents For Agent-Based Modeling Of Older Adults' Transportation, Nilufer Oran Gibson

Industrial, Manufacturing, and Systems Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Standard of living for health and well-being of oneself and of one’s family is a human right. Vulnerable populations are incapable of maintaining an adequate standard of living due to several reasons, such as financial constraints, racial profiling, health conditions, aging, and the combination of these reasons. To alleviate their vulnerability, the most basic needs of the vulnerable populations must be met. Transportation is the essential link to the resources to address the basic needs of the vulnerable populations. Transportation solutions tailored for vulnerable populations to meet their basic needs have multiple dimensions that require the involvement of all government …

Large-Scale Genome Sampling Reveals Unique Immunity And Metabolic Adaptations In Bats, Diana D. Moreno Santillán, Tanya M. Lama, Yocelyn T. Gutierrez Guerrero, Alexis M. Brown, Paul Donat, Huabin Zhao, Stephen J. Rossiter, Laurel R. Yohe, Joshua H. Potter, Emma C. Teeling, Sonja C. Vernes, Kalina T.J. Davies, Eugene Myers, Graham M. Hughes, Zixia Huang, Federico Hoffmann, Angelique P. Corthals, David A. Ray, Liliana M. Dávalos

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Comprising more than 1,400 species, bats possess adaptations unique among mammals including powered flight, unexpected longevity, and extraordinary immunity. Some of the molecular mechanisms underlying these unique adaptations includes DNA repair, metabolism and immunity. However, analyses have been limited to a few divergent lineages, reducing the scope of inferences on gene family evolution across the Order Chiroptera. We conducted an exhaustive comparative genomic study of 37 bat species, one generated in this study, encompassing a large number of lineages, with a particular emphasis on multi-gene family evolution across immune and metabolic genes. In agreement with previous analyses, we found lineage-specific …

Hourly Rounding To Reduce Patient Falls - A Quality Improvement Project, Shelley L. Lloyd

MSN Capstone Projects

Patient falls are devastating. They can result in injury and even death. They also result in extra costs for the patient as well as they facility. Hourly rounding is a simple process that can help reduce the number of patient falls within an acute care facility. Purposeful hourly rounding will help meet the needs of the patient as well as allow the staff member to asses the environment for safety issues. Rounding should happen every hour during the day and every two hours at night. During these rounds, staff will ask the patient about pain, bathroom needs, comfort, peacefulness of …

Educational And Experiential Factors Affecting Nursing Students’ Bias Towards Gerontology And Dementia Care, Hannah Holt

Honors Theses

According to the World Health Organization, ageism is defined as the stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination against people based on their age (WHO, 2019). Ageism can be found everywhere and has been normalized in modern day society. Ageism can result in older adults being overlooked for jobs and portrayed in a negative way in the media (WHO, 2019). Many researchers have explored the topic of ageism and the lack of quality in dementia care by nurses (Chaston, 2010), but there is a gap in existing literature related to the root cause. For example, (Chan, 2008) highlights areas of concern regarding dementia …

Characterization Of The Respiratory Syncytial Virus (Rsv) Attachment Protein Mucin Domains, Molly Kathleen Roe

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is currently a leading cause of acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI). Despite contributing to a significant mortality rate in young children and immunocompromised populations, it still lacks a vaccine. Live-attenuated vaccines are the preferred vaccination model for RSV, but achieving attenuation, immunogenicity, and stability can be difficult. Previous studies have indicated that deletion of the RSV G protein attenuates viral replication, but the role of the protein’s mucin domains has not been fully explored. We generate two new RSV strains here with varying G protein deletions: A2-line19F-G155 with deletion of the G-protein mucin domains, and A2- …

Addressing Common Misperceptions About Palliative Care, Katya Blandino

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The Central Coast Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice provides home medical care and end-of-life services to people across Monterey, San Benito, Santa Cruz, and Santa Clara counties. This project was designed to address the problem of underuse of hospice and palliative care services. Contributing factors include misconceptions about hospice and palliative care, negative stereotypes associated with end-of-life methodology, and fear and discomfort in facing the death of loved ones. These factors frequently result in negative consequences, including late admission to programs, greater financial costs to patients and families, and greater discomfort for end-of-life patients. The project consists of an educational …

Getting Old And Technology, Brenden A. Davis

Masters Theses

It is generally agreed upon that the purpose of technology is to aid humanity through various means like: making a task more convenient, or overcoming something previously deemed “impossible.” From the dawn of man to the era in which we stand, technology has steadily improved alongside civilization. This steady progress has seemingly hastened every year. Looking at technology from the viewpoint of “necessary everyday life tasks,” the past three decades have changed dramatically. With every year that passes, more things have become accessible through the web. Not everyone can keep pace with this rapid expansion into the “non-physical” digital world …

Social Workers Perspective On The Challenges And Rewards Of Working With The Aging Population, Ana Milena Genece

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study explored social worker’s perspectives on the challenges and rewards of working with the aging population. The study used 23 social worker participants completed a questionnaire focused on the work of gerontological social work. The participants gave their perspective on the need for more social workers to work with this population, and how to promote that need. The entire study was completed using Survey Monkey online, via a link that was provided to a major Southern California hospital through flyers and emails. This study was a descriptive study to gain an understanding of the major concerns and views of …

Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound Of Muscle Perfusion May Indicate Patient Response To Left Ventricular Assist Device Therapy., Lauren J. Delaney, Kathleen Fitzgerald, Maria Stanczak, Priscilla Machado, John W..C. Entwistle, Flemming Forsberg, Gordon R. Reeves

Department of Radiology Faculty Papers

PURPOSE: Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) support is associated with peripheral vascular abnormalities beyond those associated with heart failure (HF). These abnormalities are associated with persistent functional impairments that adversely impact quality of life (QoL). Methods for measuring peripheral vascular function in this population are needed.

METHODS: This pilot study investigated the use of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) using standardized protocols to estimate changes in peripheral (quadriceps) muscle perfusion among patients with HF (INTERMACS profile 3) undergoing LVAD implantation (n = 7). Patients were then stratified by those who did ("responders", n = 4) and did not ("nonresponders", n = 3) …

Do Loneliness And Social Isolation Predict Mortality Because Of Hazardous Drinking?, Jussi Tanskanen, Sarah N. Arpin, Cynthia D. Mohr

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Introduction: Subjective feelings of loneliness and objective social isolation have been consistently connected with ill-health and mortality, though little work has empirically examined the mechanisms explaining the adverse effects. This study examines whether alcohol consumption explains the connection of loneliness and social isolation on mortality in different age and gender groups.

Methods: The sample comprised a representative 1994 Finnish sample (n = 8,650) matched with 22-year follow-up mortality data. A multigroup path analysis with discrete survival time analyses was conducted.

Results: There were unique differences in the associations between loneliness, social isolation, alcohol consumption, and mortality based on age and …

Tipping Point: Integrating Social Determinants Of Health Concepts In A College Of Nursing, Victoria H. Davis Dnp, Aprn, Cpnp-Pc, Cne, Crystal L. Murillo Phd, Rn, Chse-A, Anef, Faan, Kate K, Chappell Phd, Aprn, Cpnp-Pc, Coretta Jenerette, Alicia K. Ribar, Karen Worthy Phd, Mph, Rn, Cne, Cnecl, Jeannette O. Andrews Phd, Rn, Faan

Faculty Publications

Background:

State health rankings, national nursing education reform, and increasing awareness of social injustices propelled a college of nursing to transform its strategic plan, infrastructure, and curriculum. The prevalence of social determinants of health (SDOH) in South Carolina indicates a need for the state's health workforce to understand the impact of SDOH and recognize strategies to address and ameliorate SDOH. With the paradigmatic integration of diversity, equity, and inclusion in nursing education, there is a need for programmatic and curricular integration of SDOH to increase awareness, foster understanding, and transform perspectives among nursing faculty, staff, and students.

Method:

Institutional changes …

A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Virtual Learning Collaborative And Technical Assistance Strategies To Implement An Early Palliative Care Program For Patients With Advanced Cancer And Their Caregivers: A Study Protocol, Lisa Zubkoff, Kathleen Doyle Lyons, J. Nicholas Dionne-Odom, Gregory Hagley, Maria Pisu, Andres Azuero, Marie Flannery, Richard Taylor, Elizabeth Carpenter-Song, Supriya Mohile, Marie Anne Bakitas

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background: Virtual Learning Collaboratives (VLC), learning communities focused on a common purpose, are used frequently in healthcare settings to implement best practices. Yet, there is limited research testing the effectiveness of this approach compared to other implementation strategies. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a VLC compared to Technical Assistance (TA) among community oncology practices implementing ENABLE (Educate, Nurture, Advise, Before Life Ends), an evidence-based, early palliative care telehealth, psycho-educational intervention for patients with newly diagnosed advanced cancer and their caregivers. Methods: Using Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance (RE-AIM) and Proctor’s Implementation Outcomes Frameworks, this two-arm hybrid type-III cluster-randomized controlled …

A Literature Review Of Paid Sick Leave And Disparate Populations In The United States During The Covid Pandemic, Jessica Davies

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

The COVID pandemic is providing many public health and health policy learning opportunities to identify disparities among women, minorities, and underserved/distressed populations and inform subsequent policy-level strategies. It is recommended people stay home when they are sick; yet, not all people have access to paid sick leave. Individuals are left with the unfortunate decision to lose pay or go to work when they are ill. This is disconcerting in any given year with the annual flu illness and other communicable diseases; however, especially concerning during the COVID pandemic given the high virus transmissibility. Paid sick leave is not universally accessible …

Cross Evaluation Of Experience Level And Teaching Approaches In College Table Tennis Physical Education Students, Denise Anne M. Maso, Marie Toni A. Salangsang

Journal Article

This study was conducted to determine which approach is more effective between Random and Blocked practice in teaching Physical Education. It also focused on the effect of Random practice in motor-learning and memory capacity of individuals in learning a sport. The two approaches were used to teach the forehand and backhand skills of Table Tennis. Sixty-four students of the University of the Philippines-Los Baños (UPLB) taking the course PE 2 Table Tennis were chosen as subjects and they were classified as Beginners, Intermediate and Advance players. These students were assigned into two training groups; the Blocked Practice and the Random …

Informing Cognitive Screening In The Young Adult Population, Samantha L. Mcdaniel

Dissertations

The clock drawing test (CDT) is a cognitive screening measure with sound psychometric properties which has been well researched over the past century. The CDT is a popular tool for many healthcare professionals to administer independently or as part of a more thorough cognitive evaluation. Given the drastic technological and social developments over the years since the CDT was developed as well as the persistent research focus on older adult populations, a gap in the CDT literature presented for young adults, who may have difficulty drawing an analog clock. Identifying cognitive impairment can improve health outcomes. The young adult population …

Raps Sheet, December 2021, Retirement Association Of Portland State

RAPS Sheet: Monthly Newsletter

No abstract provided.

The Experience Of Nursing Care For Female Medicaid Recipients, Sara K. Kaylor

Dissertations

This phenomenological study is guided by a feminist-informed critical theory for the purpose of exploring the experiences of nursing care for female Medicaid recipients. The goals of this research were to understand how nurses' attitudes and behaviors towards female Medicaid recipients influence the ways in which these patients receive and act upon their health care, and to consider what those understandings suggest for nursing education. Semi-structured interviews with female Medicaid recipients were conducted to understand their experiences of nursing care, and a focus group interview with nurse educators was conducted to consider what those understandings suggest for nursing education.

Current …

Evidence-Based Change Benchmark: Implementing Intervention Strategies Aimed At Reducing Patient Falls, Victoria Nix

MSN Capstone Projects

This paper provides an overview of an evidence-based change project that arose from the following PICOT: In patients at risk for falls [P], how does implementing fall risk prevention [I] compared to no fall risk prevention [C] affect fall rates [O] within 3 months of implementation [T]? A comprehensive review of primary sources dealing in clinical studies was found to support the case that fall prevention measures, specifically patient-specific bedside tools, have shown to be instrumental in reducing patient falls. The development and implementation of a robust Fall Prevention Program designed around the latest research was the goal; however, the …

Life Satisfaction Among Filipino Older Adults Living In The Coastal Area, Rhona Marie Caingles Noquiao

Jurnal Keperawatan Indonesia

Perhaps an all-encompassing aspiration of everyone who has ever walked the earth is to have lived his/her life to the fullest. However, the life experiences of each individual are the products of the decisions they make. This study aimed to investigate the relationship of older adults in Cabulijan, Tubigon, Bohol, Philippines’ self-esteem, social provisions received from other people, and relationships with other people to the level of their life satisfaction. Specifically, it sought to address the following queries: Is there a significant relationship between self-esteem, social provisions received from other people, and relationships with other people, and relationships with other …

Clinical And Biochemical Indicators With Zinc Consumption In Geriatric Patients At Geriatric Clinic In Medical City, Basmah Ali, Zahraa Eldon Ismaeel, Zaid Mustafa Al- Najjar

Iraqi Postgraduate Medical Journal

BACKGROUND: The need of micronutrients in nutrients and human fitness is unquestionable and zinc (Zn) is a vital hint detail whose significance has been particularly outstanding in getting older, and immune senescence. Its deficiency is common within the aged and ends in numerous age-associated continual ailments together with atherosclerosis, degenerative illnesses of the fearful gadget, immunosenescence, and cancer. OBJECTIVE:  The goal of this study is to estimate the ability position of the zinc supplementation in older patients whose aged 65 years and more, as a way to repair the immune reaction and the primary consequences of zinc on immune senescence …

Potential Benefits Of A Minimal Dose Eccentric Resistance Training Paradigm To Combat Sarcopenia And Age-Related Muscle And Physical Function Deficits In Older Adults, Sara A. Harper, Brennan J. Thompson

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

The ability of older adults to perform activities of daily living is often limited by the ability to generate high mechanical outputs. Therefore, assessing and devloping maximal neuromuscular capacity is essential for determining age-related risk for functional decline as well as the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions. Interventions designed to enhance neuromuscular capacities underpinning maximal mechanical outputs could positively impact functional performace in daily life. Unfortunately, < 10% of older adults meet the current resistance training guidelines. It has recently been proposed that a more "minimal dose" RT model may help engage a greater proprotion of older adults, so that they may realize the benefits of RT. Eccentric exercise offers some promising qualities for such an approach due to its efficiency in overloading contractions that can induce substantial neuromuscular adaptations. When used in a minimal dose RT paradigm, eccentric-based RT may be a particularly promising approach for older adults that can efficiently improve muscle mass, strength, and function capacities and overall health is through heightened exercise tolerance which would favor greater exercise participation in older adult populations. Therefore, our perspective article will discuss the implications of using a minimal dose, submaximal (i.e., low intensity) multi-join eccentric resistance training paradigm as a potentially effective, and yet currently underutilized, means to efficiently improve neuromuscular capacities and function for older adults.

Research Progress On Biological Activity And Quality Control Of Panacis Japonici Rhizoma, Shen Pei-Yao, Zhang Ye, Li Yu-Qin, Yan Jian-Ye, Wang Yuan-Qing

Food and Machinery

The biological activities of Panax japonicus, including the effects on nervous system, digestive system, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular system, immune system, endocrine system and other systems were summarized and the quality control of saponins, nucleosides, polysaccharides and amino acids in Panax japonicus was analyzed in this paper. And its future research was prospected.

Exploring The Motivations Of Millennials Opting For Temple Stays In India, Aruditya Jasrotia, Pooja Choudhary, Parvinder Kour, Vibha Yadav

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Millennials are the most promising consumer segment of the tourism industry and the fast pace of development and emergence of newer trends has led to a drastic change in consumer behaviour. Temple Stays are emerging as a significant source of tourism for sites that are transforming traditional religious practices into a complete hybrid of leisure and recreation. Considering this, the current research is framed to analyse the factors that motivate Millennials to undertake spiritual tourism activities, with special focus on Temple Stay programs at various Buddhist sites / monasteries in India and the revisit intentions of Millennials. The research is …

Scientometric Analysis Of Global Scientific Literature On Aging In Place, Olugbenga Oladinrin, Kasun Gomis, Wadu Mesthrige Jayantha, Lovelin Obi, Muhammad Qasim Rana

School of Art, Design and Architecture

The amount of literature reporting “aging-in-place” studies has increased sharply in recent decades. However, the studies have taken a global view of the range and scope of the research that has taken place. This study presents a bibliometric analysis of the current status of the aging in place research themes published as scientific articles between 1970 and 2021, using the Web of Science database. VOSviewer software was employed to map and visualize the 1331 items of bibliographic data retrieved. The findings reveal a continuous growing trend in the publication of aging in place research. Most productive institutions derive from the …

Differential Item Functioning Analysis On The Geriatric Depression Scale-15: An Iterative Hybrid Ordinal Logistic Regression, Elahe Allahyari

BioMedicine

The elderly population has extensively increased globally, so depression like a common problem in late life may convert to one of the economic, social, and health challenges of the 21st century. Due to the high cost of clinical diagnosis of depression, it is necessary to provide effective questionnaires like the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) for screening. But, the measurement invariance of GDS-15 is still unknown in the general population. In our study, 1473 participants of all Iranʼs ethnic groups were asked to answer GDS-15 and demographic factors such as human settlements, employment, disease, marital status, age, gender, homebound, financial …

Spinal Anesthesia Or General Anesthesia For Hip Surgery In Older Adults, Mark D. Neuman, Rui Feng, Jeffrey L. Carson, Lakisha J. Gaskins, Derek Dillane, Daniel I. Sessler, Frederick Sieber, Jay Magaziner, Edward R. Marcantonio, Samir Mehta, Diane Menio, Sabry Ayad, Trevor Stone, Steven Papp, Eric S. Schwenk, Nabil Elkassabany, Mitchell Marshall, J. Douglas Jaffe, Charles Luke, Balram Sharma, Syed Azim, Robert A. Hymes, Ki-Jinn Chin, Richard Sheppard, Barry Perlman, Joshua Sappenfield, Ellen Hauck, Mark A. Hoeft, Mark Giska, Yatish Ranganath, Tiffany Tedore, Stephen Choi, Jinlei Li, M. Kwesi Kwofie, Antoun Nader, Robert D. Sanders, Brian F. S. Allen, Kamen Vlassakov, Stephen Kates, Lee A. Fleisher, James Dattilo, Ann Tierney, Alisa J. Stephens-Shields, Susan S. Ellenberg

Department of Anesthesiology Faculty Papers

Background: The effects of spinal anesthesia as compared with general anesthesia on the ability to walk in older adults undergoing surgery for hip fracture have not been well studied.

Methods: We conducted a pragmatic, randomized superiority trial to evaluate spinal anesthesia as compared with general anesthesia in previously ambulatory patients 50 years of age or older who were undergoing surgery for hip fracture at 46 U.S. and Canadian hospitals. Patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive spinal or general anesthesia. The primary outcome was a composite of death or an inability to walk approximately 10 ft (3 …

Aging, Agency, And Self-Efficacy: A Phenomenological Case Study Of An Older Couple, David A. Hernandez

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Researchers have found that the majority of older individuals want to remain in their own home as they age. However, respecting the right of older individuals to exert control over their life while ensuring their safety can be a difficult undertaking to achieve. The aim of this research was to understand the lived experiences of an older couple who are in cognitive decline but are trying to maintain personal agency. The issue was studied using Bandura’s agency and self-efficacy theories as the theoretical framework. A phenomenological case study methodology was used. Participants were selected using a purposeful sampling strategy, and …

The U.S. Should Expand Access To Dental Care For Older Adults, Madonna Harrington Meyer, Sarah Reilly, Julia Finan

Population Health Research Brief Series

Older adult Medicare recipients face high out-of-pocket dental expenses due to a lack of appropriate dental care coverage. Older adults with lower socioeconomic status tend to have worse oral health, less dental insurance coverage, greater difficulties finding a dentist, and low-quality care. This brief details the experiences socioeconomically disadvantaged older adults face in obtaining appropriate and affordable dental care and calls on Congress to include preventative and restorative dental care as part of the federal funding agenda.

Stratification Of Happiness In Urban Areas In Mexico: A Qualitative Examination By Level Of Marginalization, Oscar A. Martínez-Martínez Professor, Javier Reyes, Eder Noda

The Qualitative Report

Although Mexico presents high levels of poverty and marginalization, it is the second happiest nation in Latin America. This raises several questions about what factors are associated with happiness at each level of marginalization and how these factors vary according to marginalization levels. We conducted a qualitative study in urban municipalities in four Mexican states, using 184 semi-structured interviews and employing a thematic analysis approach. Results suggest that happiness is a multifactorial phenomenon. Factors such as the family, health, religion, friendships, economic conditions, and fulfillment of basic needs contribute to happiness, but each of these aspects has different importance and …