Digital Commons Network^™

Protecting The Gold In The Golden Years: Practical Guidance For Professionals On Financial Exploitation, Julie A. Lemke, Seymour Moskowitz

Marquette Elder's Advisor

The authors discuss financial exploitation of the elderly from multi-disciplinary viewpoints. The role of attorneys, including conflicts of interest, is explored along with practical prevention tools and remedies. Ways that financial institutions can protect their customers, including bank reporting projects, are investigated. Roles that the clergy, adult protective services, legislatures, and the police can play are discussed and an appendix of elder abuse hotlines is included.

Elder Mediation: Optimizing Major Family Transitions, Rikk Larsen, Crystal Thorpe

Marquette Elder's Advisor

This article postulates that mediation may be an effective way for families to make difficult decisions on how to best care and provide for an elderly family member with declining abilities. Bringing all involved family members together and allowing all to be involved in the decision-making process invests each with a responsibility for decisions made from all the options available.

What Is Wrong With The Long-Term Care Reforms In The Defecit Reduction Act Of 2005? , Ellen O'Brien

Marquette Elder's Advisor

Cutting Medicaid is unlikely to substantially increase private sources of long-term care financing, and future financing reform needs to focus on the actual flaws in the current means-tested system of long-term care financing. In order to make this argument, this article briefly describes the goals of the DRA and the policy reforms that seek to limit eligibility for the middle-class elderly. Next, the article draws on a wide range of empirical studies conduct over the past two decades to demonstrate that the impact of Medicaid planning is not quantitatively significant, and that by and large, the elderly assume substantial personal …

Closing The Gap Between Knowledge And Practice In The U.S. Long-Term Care System, Larry Polivka

Marquette Elder's Advisor

The push for Medicaid reform is evident in the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA), which was crafted, in part, as a response to state-level dissatisfaction with existing waiver options. The DRA spells significant changes for Medicaid, as it institutes deep revisions of some of the program's core elements. The most significant components of the DRA's reforms include the expansion of state options and the simplification of the option approval process. This article examines the newly available options that will most notably affect Medicaid services to the elderly, especially long-term care, and it summarizes program revisions under consideration or active development.

International Rights Of Older Persons: What Difference Would A New Convention Make To Lives Of Older People?, Israel Doron, Itai Apter

Marquette Elder's Advisor

This article tries to answer the following question: What difference, if any, would a new convention on the rights of older persons make to the lives of older people in light of the previous experiences with the Convention on the Eliminations of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)? In order to answer this question, the authors focus on the existing legal literature on international human rights law, with a particular focus on international human rights treaties. To better understand international human rights treaties, the article also discusses the CRC …

The Elderly With A Disability: Social Security And Representative Payment, Michael J. Churgin

Marquette Elder's Advisor

This article looks at the elderly with disability and how the intersection of social security.

Age Discrimination In The Delivery Of Health Care Services To Our Elders, Phoebe Weaver Williams

Marquette Elder's Advisor

This article examaines age discrimination by health care providers. The author provides suggestions and recommendations to remedy this type of discrimination

Due Process And The Guardian Ad Litem In Elder Law Disputes: Which Hat Will She Don With Her Cloak Of Neutrality?, Roger A. Eddleman, John A. Dinucci

Marquette Elder's Advisor

No abstract provided.

Breast Health And Mammography Screening In Older Women, Martha A. Ibarra Phd, Msn, Anp, Rn

Dissertations

Age-related health disparities in breast cancer screening are a public health concern. From 2002 to 2006, the median age for newly diagnosed cases of breast cancer was 61 years and the median age for breast cancer mortality was 68 years of age (Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results [SEER], 2009). Mammography is the best available screening tool for breast cancer detection (Susan G. Komen Foundation, 2008). The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS, 2006) reported that only about half of older women who are eligible for mammograms through Medicare obtain a mammogram every two years. The literature identifies psychosocial barriers, …

Documentation: Delirium In The Hospitalized Older Adult, Jacqueline Fitzgerald Close Phd

Dissertations

Background: Delirium is a common, life threatening and preventable geriatric syndrome. Because this condition is frequently addressed by administering dangerous antipsychotic drugs, it is imperative that accurate systematic assessments are charted to determine the actual need for these medications. The purpose of the study was to describe medical record documentation of a systematic assessment of delirium in older adults who had been administered an antipsychotic medication. Methods: A descriptive correlational retrospective design was used for this medical record data based study. The setting was a 107 bed acute care community hospital located in southern California. Inclusion criteria were medical records …

Under-Treatment Of Depression In Older Persons, Lisa C. Barry

UCHC Articles - Research

Abstract

Background

Due to the cross-sectional design of most existing studies, longitudinal characterization of treatment for depression in older persons is largely unknown.

Method

754 men and women (aged 70+ years) underwent monthly assessments of mental health professional use and 18-month assessments of antidepressant medication use and depressive symptoms over 9 years. Scores of ≥20 on the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CES-D) scale denoted depression. We evaluated trends in depression treatment over time in the entire sample and among the depressed participants. Using generalized linear models, we determined characteristics associated with receiving treatment for depression in these groups and among …

Formative Assessment Of Assistance Needed With Grocery Shopping And Preparing Food Among Rural Community-Dwelling Older Adults, Janice R. Hermann, Whitney A. Brosi, Ja.N H. Johnston, Linda Jaco

Journal of Extension

The study reported here assessed assistance needed with grocery shopping and food preparation among 369 rural community-dwelling older adults. Needing assistance with grocery shopping and food preparation was reported by 21% and 16% of participants, respectively. Among participants needing assistance with grocery shopping and food preparation; 25% and 33%, respectively, reported they never or rarely received the needed assistance. Approximately two-thirds of participants reported they were most likely to receive assistance from their spouse or children. Education on assistive technology designed to facility independent living could assist with many physical limitations community-dwelling older adults experience with grocery shopping and food …

Time For Myself, Time For Others: Gender Differences In The Meaning Of Retirement, Kate L. Lanning

Sociology Honors Projects

Research has demonstrated that work is a meaningful activity that contributes to peoples' identities. This meaning, however, may depend on the stage of the life course that one is in, and may be gendered. To contribute to understanding the social meaning of work and potentially gendered life-course transitions, I examine the experiences of older adults with work and retirement. Through interviews with both retired and working older adults, I examine whether and how older men and women differ from each other in the workplace and in retirement. Men and women face different challenges if they continue to work and when …

Memory Priming In Elderly Individuals Diagnosed With Dementia, Jessica Lee Deselms

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of the current study was to examine the efficacy of a novel memory enhancement procedure for individuals with dementia named "memory priming." Three elderly individuals with a diagnosis of dementia participated in the study. Baseline procedures involved identifying low-probability items that served as targets for the intervention and moderate-probability questions that served as control items. A variation of a reversal design was implemented to compare three different conditions: the memory priming intervention and two control conditions that involved reading aloud and a watching a video. The results of the study indicated that individuals with moderate-to-severe memory impairment do …

Thinking Locally: Law, Aging And Municipal Government: Findings From A National Survey, A. Kimberley Dayton, Israel (Issi) Doron

Faculty Scholarship

Municipal law, which has been largely ignored in the body of elder-rights scholarship, often plays a far more important role in the everyday lives of older persons than the principally aspirational concepts of international law. Accordingly, this article examines how well modern cities have fulfilled their potential role in assuring the civil and human rights of older persons. The author concludes, based on the results of a national study, that local law is not currently fulfilling its potential as a means to expand the rights of older citizens. Few cities across the country appear to have taken more than minor …

Determining Musical Preferences In Persons With Dementia: Comparing Caregiver Options To Stimulus Preference Assessment, Eva Christine Igler

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The music therapy literature supports the use of individualized music in order to reduce problem behaviors among individuals with moderate to severe dementia; however, these interventions frequently rely on family members and/or staff to choose preferred music. Family members and caregivers are often inaccurate when choosing preferred stimuli for cognitively impaired individuals. The purpose of this study was to determine if family members and caregivers could accurately identify the preferred music of individuals with dementia. A single stimulus preference assessment was used to empirically determine preferred music and then these results were compared to family member and caregiver rankings. The …

Anxiety, Depression And Comorbid Anxiety And Depression: Risk Factors And Outcome Over Two Years, Osvaldo Almeida, Brian Draper, Jane Pirkis, John Snowdon, Nicola Lautenschlager, Gerard Byrne, Moira Sim, Nigel Stocks, Ngaire Kerse, Leon Flicker, Jon Pfaff

Research outputs 2012

Background: This study aimed to determine: (1) the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and depression associated with anxiety (DA); (2) the risk factor profile of depression, anxiety, and DA; (3) the course of depression, anxiety, and DA over 24 months. Methods: Two-year longitudinal study of 20,036 adults aged 60+ years. We used the Patient Health Questionnaire and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale anxiety subscale to establish the presence of depression and anxiety, and standard procedures to collect demographic, lifestyle, psychosocial, and clinical data. Results: The prevalence of anxiety, depression, and DA was 4.7%, 1.4%, and 1.8%. About 57% of depression …

Anxiety, Depression, And Comorbid Anxiety And Depression: Risk Factors And Outcome Over Two Years, O P Almeida, B Draper, J Pirkis, J Snowdon, N T Lautenschlager, G Byrne, Moira Sim, N Stocks, N Kerse, L Flicker, J J Pfaff

Research outputs 2012

Background: This study aimed to determine: (1) the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and depression associated with anxiety (DA); (2) the risk factor profile of depression, anxiety, and DA; (3) the course of depression, anxiety, and DA over 24 months. Methods: Two-year longitudinal study of 20,036 adults aged 60+ years. We used the Patient Health Questionnaire and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale anxiety subscale to establish the presence of depression and anxiety, and standard procedures to collect demographic, lifestyle, psychosocial, and clinical data. Results: The prevalence of anxiety, depression, and DA was 4.7%, 1.4%, and 1.8%. About 57% of depression …

The Trajectories And Correlation Between Physical Limitation And Depression In Elderly Residents Of Beijing, 1992-2009, Xia Li, Wei Wang, Qi Gao, Lijuan Wu, Yanxia Luo, Zhe Tang, Xiuhua Guo

Research outputs 2012

Background Physical limitation and psychological distress have been reported to be related, but studies describing the change of instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) and depression syndrome over time or exploring the link pattern for their development are limited. The study was to assess distinctive patterns for the development of physical limitation and depression and to explore their correlation to form a proper prevention strategy. Methods Dual trajectory analysis was conducted using data from the Beijing Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA) 1992–2009 hosted by Xuanwu hospital for subjects with full information on depression and physical limitation for all available visits. …

Adl-Specific Versus Standard Aquatic Exercise In Older Persons, David A. Edwards

Open Access Dissertations

With aging there is a decrease in a person’s ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL) which may be most effectively addressed using training patterns that are biomechanically similar to ADL. Since aquatic exercise offers the opportunity to provide resistance with a high level of safety, the pool may afford the ideal environment for ADL-specific training in an aging population. Purpose: The purpose of this investigation was to compare a traditional aquatic exercise program (TRAD) to an aquatic program tailored to target ADL (ADLspec). Methods: Eighteen independently living individuals (68.7 + 7.5 years) were randomly assigned to a TRAD …

Nutritional Status And Clinical Outcomes Of Residents Admitted To A Nursing Home, Sheryl Nespor Phd

Dissertations

Purpose The purpose of this research study was to describe the nutritional status (well nourished, at risk for malnutrition, or malnourished) of residents admitted to nursing homes and adverse clinical outcomes in those residents after four weeks. Methodology A descriptive, correlational design utilizing medical record data was used to examine the relationship between nutritional status and adverse clinical outcomes of weight loss and pressure ulcers. Results The sample (n=69) was predominately Caucasian (90%) with 38% having one or more pressure ulcers on admission. Most of the residents were admitted from an acute care facility (97%) and were either malnourished or …

Reasons Of Exercise And No-Exercise In The Young-Old Elderly In Tambon Salaya, Nakhon Pathom, Benjawan Sophonratanapokin, Pakaratee Chaiyawat, Yothin Sawangdee

Asian Medical Journal and Alternative Medicine

Objective: To explore the causal factors which are the reasons of exercise and non-exercise and the potential strategies to promote exercise in the young-old elderly.

Method: The focus group discussion was a main method. Observation and in-depth interview were employed. Participants were Thai elderly aged 60-69 years, residing in Tambon Salaya. Focus group discussion was conducted with 12 groups. Participants were allocated into groups by genders and exercise behavior. Those allocated into exercise group had to report exercise behavior fitting to the recommendation by American College of Sports Medicine. Questions covered 4 main issues which were perception of exercise, facilitating …

A Comparison Of The Effectiveness Of Distractors Identified Through Stimulus Preference Assessment Versus Caregiver Opinion, Jonathan Steele

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The effect of a distraction-based intervention on positive affect and aggressive and distress-related behaviors during morning activities of daily living in an elderly dementia patient was tested. Concurrently, the effectiveness of distractors chosen by staff and family report as compared to those chosen through a stimulus preference assessment (SPA) was tested. An alternating treatment design was used to implement identified distractors and a direct observation system was used to measure outcomes. Though staff reported increases in positive affect when using an edible chocolate distractor, no significant changes in positive affect or distress related behaviors were noted by the end of …

Adult Grandchildren Providing Care To Frail Elderly Grandparents, Tamara Lynn Smith

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

A larger proportion of adult grandchildren today have grandparents still alive than in any previous historical era. An older grandchild implies an older grandparent -- and, as chronic illnesses increase with age, these grandparents are likely to be ill. Little attention has been given to the dynamics of the grandchild-grandparent relationship in the face of illness of the grandparent, although demographic shifts indicate that most grandchildren and their grandparents will share a period of time during which the grandparent is suffering from a chronic illness. This dissertation examines adult grandchildren who provide regular assistance to a grandparent with health limitations. …

Which Predicts The Cardiovascular Risk Best In Elderly Metabolic Syndrome Patients: Atp Iii Or Idf?, Serpi̇l Aydin, Ayfer Gemalmaz, Tufan Nayi̇r, Şule Özkan

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

As metabolic syndrome (MetS) is one of the major determinants of cardiovascular disease, it is important to detect and intervene with MetS in order to minimize cardiovascular risk. The objectives of this study were to identify the prevalence of MetS in our elderly patients and to evaluate the ability IDF and ATP III to predict the cardiovascular risk. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study included patients above 65 years attending the outpatient clinic of a hospital over a 4-year period and who gave oral informed consent for participation in the study. ATP III and IDF criteria were compared according to …

The Elderly In Empty Nests : China’S Challenge, Kong Wei

APIAS Monograph 專題論文

China has the largest elderly population in the world. At present, the older population aged 60 and above is close to 145 million while US had about 46 million people aged 60 or older (U.S. Census Bureau 2001). The older population in China made up about 10.2 percent of the total, with an annual growth of 3%. It is projected that by the middle of this century the figure will reach 400 million. Along with this increase, the number of elderly in empty nests is projected to soar. Among these empty nesters, many are weak and disadvantaged, insecure, unable to …

Later Life Decision-Making: Experiential Adult Learning And Successful Aging, Shauna Pearce Breland

Dissertations

The focus of this study was on how aging adults make critical life decisions such as those involving health care and health care benefits, living arrangements for later life, and organizing personal affairs. The participant group consisted of 8 sexagenarians and 4 septuagenarians who had recently made or were currently making these critical life decisions.

The study employed both qualitative and quantitative methods. A qualitative phenomenological approach was used to allow the researcher to examine the phenomena of decision-making and aging within the context of the life experiences of the individuals being studied. Each subject participated in a single in-depth …

Battery And Abuse In The Elderly: A Forensic Analysis, Amy Y. Carney Phd, Mfs, Np

Dissertations

Elder abuse is a recognized social problem in the United States. First labeled as "granny battering" and originally studied under the umbrella of family violence, maltreatment of the elderly has received more funding and research in recent years. Multiple aspects of elder abuse have been examined in the literature including measures for detection, assessment, and documentation. Although studies have examined the circumstances surrounding abuse as well as theories of causation and characteristics of the abuser and the abused, studies of the relationship between the abuser and the abused are less well documented. The purpose of this research was to examine …

Falls In Elderly, Noppol Pramodhyakul

Asian Medical Journal and Alternative Medicine

Balance is a complex function that requires the integration of information from the sensory system and theorganization of sensory inputs. Sensory input organization is useful for planning and executing movement in order toachieve a goal requiring upright posture. However, this process was interrupted in older people leading to falls problem.Falls have been reported as a major cause of injury, morbidity and long term in rehabilitation in older people. Twofactors related to falls are intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Intrinsic factors are gender, sensory impairment, muscleweakness, poor physical fitness, acute illness, vertigo, hearing impairment, balance and gait impairment, depression,anxiety and use of …

Implications Of Skinner's Verbal Behavior For Studying Dementia, Jeffrey Buchanan, Daniel Houlihan, Peter J.N. Linnerooth

Psychology Department Publications

Persons with dementia experience continual declines in a number of abilities. Language abilities are particularly hard hit and become increasingly impaired as the underlying disease progresses. These language impairments make verbal communication very challenging for family and professional caregivers. As a result, caregivers may inadvertently punish verbal behavior, thereby exacerbating the deterioration of verbal repertoires. Although the topography of language impairments associated with dementia have been well described, less empirical work has been conducted concerning how to minimize these impairments and their deleterious effects. In 1957 B.F. Skinner outlined his conceptualization of language and cognition in his book Verbal Behavior. …