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Memory Change And Cognitive Function Among The Elderly, Janet L. Conant Edd

Dissertations

The Problem: The deleterious effects of aging on various cognitive abilities are widely recognized, yet little is known regarding what constitutes "normal" memory test performance in individuals over the age of 74. In this study, forgetting rates for verbal and nonverbal material from the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (WMS-R) were examined in groups of older healthy individuals aged 50-74 and 75-95. Despite equivalent scores on measures of global cognitive status and attention/concentration, the older group demonstrated significantly poorer performance on the Delayed Memory Index. Preliminary normative data for normal elderly subjects on the WMS-R are presented, and the need for appropriate …

Well-Being Of Elderly Women: Rural-Urban Differences, Betty J. Gale Dnsc, Ms, Rn

Dissertations

Using a stress-coping theoretical framework, this path analytic study examined the effects of hardiness, self-esteem, social support, and stress on coping, service utilization, and well-being of elderly women. Fifty-five rural and fifty-five urban females living in the community comprised the sample whose mean age was 75 years. The overall level of well-being of these women was high. Hardiness was associated with greater social support and well-being. Self-esteem was related to lower stress. Hardiness and self-esteem were also associated with decreased use of emotion-focused coping. Stress had a positive relationship with service utilization and a negative relationship with well-being. Problem-focused coping …

Long-Term Care Policy: Where Are We Going?, Gerontology Institute, University Of Massachusetts Boston, Omb Watch

Gerontology Institute Publications

Millions of Americans suffer from physical or mental conditions that make it difficult for them to live fully independent lives. These are the frail elderly, disabled and chronically ill persons of all ages, and many mentally ill or mentally retarded persons. They need help to manage daily activities, whether they live in their own homes or in nursing homes.

Such care can be extremely expensive, since it often must be provided for many years, even a lifetime. Today, those costs are met largely by the individuals themselves or by their families and by public programs for low-income persons.

For many …

The Relationship Between Depression And Loss, Support System, And Perceived Health Of The Elderly, Eleanor M. Foehner

Theses

Adults between the ages of 65 and 90 were the subjects of a study to explore the relationship between depression and the variables of personal loss , support system, and perceived physical health . Thirty- four subjects completed a self- administered depression scale (the Geriatric Depression Scale) and a personal information sheet . The relationships between depression and perceived personal health was significant , as was the relationship between depression and the support system. The relationship between depression and loss was not significant . As one's perceived health became better , depression decreased . Likewise, as one's support system increased, …

Intergenerational Programs: A Manual For Success, Ramona Frischman

Intergenerational

Although there are always social issues which much be faced by educators and by society, three issues in particular demand attention in the 1990s. Racism, sexism, and a third "ism" - one relatively new to our vocabulary - ageism. Referring to the discrimination against a group or an individual because of age, ageism is most often practiced against members of two distinct groups in our society: those over 60, and those under the ago of 18.

The Development And Implementation Of An Educationanl Program For The Elderly Based Upon Stressful Life Events, Demographic, And Other Related Psychosocial Factors, Adrian A. Samojlowicz

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The purpose of this study was to identify those variables which influenced health status, develop a survey instrument which established the prevalence of these variables among the county's elderly population, evaluate the results of the survey, and develop and implement a comprehensive educational program to meet the identified needs. Life events, along with demographic and other psychosocial variables, affect health status. It is anticipated that based upon the results of this study, the Community Medical Center (CMC) can develop programs which make coping with these events and variables easier and reduce their negative affects on thee elderly's health status.

The …

Yale Nurse, Yale School Of Nursing

Yale School of Nursing Alumni Newsletters and Magazines

No abstract provided.

Reaction Time In Elderly Subjects: The Effects Of Practice On Two Different Reaction Time Tasks, Dawn Marie Birk

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The reaction time of four groups of elderly human subjects were examined to determine the effects of stimulus presentation and task practice. Each group practiced different tasks, each requiring a response when more than one alternative was available. Two tasks involved making responses based on either visually or auditorily presented stimuli only. One task required decisions to be made on the basis of both auditory and visual stimuli. The fourth group acted as a comparison group and did not practice a reaction-time task; although they did perform a task on the computer and their reaction times were measured. Before and …

The Reliability And Validity Of An Instrument Designed To Measure Attitudes Toward The Elderly, Jane Schultz

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

An attitude is a mental state that influences the way an individual responds to relevant objects and situations. Attitudes toward the elderly have a potential impact on all Americans, as the population is growing older. These attitudes constitute an important area of study because their nature is unclear and their impact extensive.

The Kogan Attitudes Toward Old People Scale (OP) was examined to establish reliability and validity estimates. A questionnaire, consisting of this scale and four others, was administered to a sample of adults. Factor analysis of the OP revealed two factors, which were somewhat ambiguous. Internal consistency estimates for …

The Effects Of Validation Fantasy On The Attitudes Of Nursing Students Toward The Elderly And The Willingness Of The Students To Work With The Elderly, Betty Thornton

MSN Research Projects

This was a descriptive study designed to determine the effect of Validation Fantasy (VF) on the attitudes of nursing students toward the elderly and their willingness to work with elderly clients. The null hypothesis stated that when second semester Associate Degree freshmen nursing students who had been taught by VF were administered the adaptation of Marion Gillis' Older Persons Questionnaire (OPQ) and the Personal Preferences Questionnaire (PPQ) and the results were compared using the ANOVA and the Newman- Keuls to the results from students taught by Reality Orien­ tation (RO) or a nonspecific approach, there would be no difference at …

Factors Influencing Grief Adjustment In The Elderly, Jo Anne Pauline Johnson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this paper was to attempt to identify variables which may enhance the ability of older widowed persons to adjust to viii bereavement. Depression and perceptions of physical health were the two aspects of adjustment selected for study. Several variables which current literature suggests may mediate grief adjustment were examined for their potential relationship to bereavement outcome. These were gender, level of grief, anticipatory grief and social network. The possible relationship between depression and perceptions of physical health was also examined for.

Subjects were 75 men and women, age 55 and over, who were recently widowed, and 29 …

Advanced Technology Transfer Of Gerontological Training--Linkage Final Report Volume 1, Theodore Lane, Ronald Crowe

ISER Reports

This project was designed to demonstrate how centrally based advanced telecommunications can be used to efficiently and economically train older Alaskans Commission project staffs (or other personnel) located in remote communities. This project used Alaska's Satellite Communications System to provide training to eight remote communities in Alaska from a central training station in Anchorage. Researchers used three training modes: (1) audioconferencing (via telephone), (2) audioconferencing with a videotape and workbook, and (3) televised audioconferencing. A total of fifty-six people participated in the demonstration, with an average of twenty-four attending each session. The project demonstrated that: 1. Training can effectively be …

Effects Of Pet Facilitation On Social Interactions And Cardiovascular Responses Among Institutionalized Elderly, Katherine Hubbard Burkhalter

MSN Research Projects

This quasi-experimental study was designed to determine the psychosocial and physiological effects of pet-facilitated therapy upon a group of institutionalized elderly. The study population was comprised of 16 institutionalized elderly who were (a) oriented to person, place, and time; (b) mobile; and (c) physically able and willing to hold a live pet rabbit during 30 minutes of four group sessions. Researcher-designed tools and protocols were used in the study to record blood pressures, heart rates, and the number of social interactions during each group session. The subjects were randomly assigned to an experimental or a control group. Each group had …

Sexuality And The Elderly: A Study Of Knowledge And Attitudes Of Health Care Providers In A Nursing Home Setting, Leola Fielder Kirsh

MSN Research Projects

This descriptive study was designed to measure knowledge and attitudes toward sexuality of nursing home health care personnel. A researcher-designed test measuring sexual knowledge and attitudes was administered to 72 nursing home employees. These health care providers included registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and nurse's aides. The researcher hypothesized that there would be no significant correlation between the knowledge and attitude scores of nursing home personnel on a test about sexuality in the elderly. Data were analyzed using the Pearson r_ statistic and the findings led to rejection of the null hypothesis. The researcher concluded that the more knowledge about …

Correlates Of Life Satisfaction In An Aged Population, Janice Sue Sitzman

Student Work

This study investigated life satisfaction correlates of elderly persons living in two residential centers. Based on the theoretical and empirical literature, it was hypothesized that all elderly subjects tested would report high levels of life satisfaction. In addition, it was hypothesized that factors such as health perception, developmental task resolution, locus of control, and satisfaction with one's social network would be related to life satisfaction.

Subjects were recruited from two residential centers for the elderly. The measures were administered to 42 subjects. There were 34 female subjects and 8 male subjects. The elderly subjects were interviewed individually at their place …

Informed Consent To Participation In Medical Research Employing Elderly Human Subjects, Robert L. Schwartz

Faculty Scholarship

The primary question facing researchers who intend to employ elderly human subjects is whether their subjects' advanced age requires that the protection of their autonomy be accomplished in some manner that is different from that employed to protect other subjects. Answering this question will require an analysis of whether elderly subjects have a greater or lesser interest in autonomy than do others who might be subjects in human research, and whether it is more or less important to protect them from potential research abuse. This article will suggest that the elderly may possess several attributes that require that they be …

Intergenerational Service Programs: Meeting Shared Needs Of Young And Old, Debra L. Cherry, Frank R. Benest, Barbara Gates, Joanne White

Special Topics, General

This society's adolescent and elderly populations share many needs and characteristics. Both often have little access to meaningful social roles. For example, neither is likely to be fully integrated into the work force and, consequently, both groups tend to have high rates of unemployment (Pearl, 1978; Sheppard, 1976). Moreover, their family roles tend to be in transition. Teenagers are ·in the process of gaining independence from their parents while many older adults face changes such as the loss of a spouse or decreased family power relative to their middle-aged children. The lack of meaningful social roles has been blamed for …

A Survey To Determine The Relationship Between The Elderly's And The Family’S Perception Of Aging, Paula M. Brubaker

MSN Research Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the elderly*s and family's perceptions of aging. The null hypothesis stated that when the elderly's and family's perceptions of aging were compared, as determined by scores on the "Perceptions about Aging" survey, there would be no significant difference at the .05 level. Data were collected from 60 subjects. Thirty were individuals age 65 and above, and 3 0 were non-elderly family members, one for each participant, who had had contact with the elderly subject at least once a week. All subjects were administered the "Perceptions about Aging" survey. The …

A Survey Of The Knowledge And Attitudes Of The Elderly Towards Exercise, Susan R. Carlson

MSN Research Projects

The purpose of this descriptive study was to survey the knowledge and attitudes of the elderly towards exercise. The researcher hypothesized that when black and white elderly men and women were surveyed about exercise and the results were compared, there would be no significant difference at the .05 level. A researcher-designed tool, "Exercise: Knowledge and Attitudes Questionnaire," was used in data collection. Twenty-one elderly subjects were surveyed. Of these, 10 were white while 11 were black. The sample included 8 men and 13 women. The test results were analyzed using the ANOVA test. There was not a difference at the …

Intergenerational Service-Learning: Contributions To Curricula, James P. Firman, Donald E. Gelfand, Catherine Ventura

Intergenerational

This article reports some findings from a national demonstration project involving the National Council on the Aging (NCOA) and thirteen colleges and universities. We studied 39 courses in which students were involved in service-learning in aging. We describe and discuss (1) the range of demonstrably feasible 'adoptions, (2) what faculty say their students learned from the experiences, and (3) faculty perceptions of personal benefits and costs associated with developing and directing these projects.

Students As Resources To The Aging Network, James P. Firman, Donlad E. Gelfand, Catherine Ventura

Intergenerational

In times of shrinking resources and growing needs, the aging network must increase its efforts to involve the voluntary sector in services and programs for the aged. A relatively untapped source of manpower is our nation's 12,300,000 students in 3,200 colleges and universities. This article, based on the findings of a national demonstration project, examines feasible outcomes and practical limitations of service-learning as an approach for increasing the involvement of students in providing services to older persons.

Growing Old In Changing Micronesia, Leonard Mason

Pacific Studies

No abstract provided.

Developing And Implementing Service-Learning In Aging, Donald E. Gelfand, James P. Firman

Intergenerational

This article focuses on the potential benefits of service-learning in aging to students, the university, and the community. We first discuss the concept of service-learning, clarify its parameters, and describe the types of projects that best exemplify its unique blend of service and learning. Opportunities for service-learning are examined using examples from the current Intergenerational Service-Learning Project of the National Council on Aging. The complexity of' initiating and gaining acceptance of service-learning in aging projects is explored, with particular attention given to supervisory and curriculum issues. Finally, the national implications of' service-learning in aging are discussed, as well as the …

Vbs Senior Center: A Model, Mental Health Multi-Purpose Storefront Center For The Elderly -A Report, Lyn Levine

Theses

Unavailable.

Michigan's Nursing Home Reform Law, John D. Croll

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This article examines Michigan's new nursing home reform law, which has been hailed as "landmark legislation" and as a model for the entire country. Part I examines the past failures of nursing home regulation and the need for reform. Part II analyzes the law's key provisions. Part III examines the weaknesses of certain enforcement measures. The article proposes the following improvements: (1) extension of the law's protection to residents of homes for the aged; (2) greater access to patients by approved organizations; (3) adoption of nurse-patient ratios; (4) improvement of inspection procedures; and (5) allowance for patients or their representatives …

Utilization Of Services By Omaha's Older Mexican-Americans, Genevieve Burch, Carol M. Davis

Publications

Today's elderly population has become a major focus of concern. Modern technology and improved health care have contributed to longevity and consequently increased the senior citizen population. Lay (1975) has estimated that by the year 2000 approximately 25 million elderly will be living in the United States.

A Method For Meeting Psychosocial Needs Of Institutionalized Elderly, Mary Pardue Abrahams

Theses

Not available.

Medicare, Medicaid And The Geriatric Residential Environment, Nancy Lohmann, Roger A. Lohmann

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

This article reports on a study of interstate differences in the availability of nursing home beds, personal care home slots and public housing, and attempts to assess the impact of the adoption of Medicare and Medicaid six years before on the availability of these components of what was termed the "geriatric residential environments continuum" or GRE. The underlying idea is that components of long-term health care, personal care and housing/shelter are three common elements of a wide variety of public policy for the aged.

Ua68/10/1 Sociological Symposium No. 2 – The Sociology Of The Elderly, Wku Sociology

WKU Administration Documents

Table of Contents:

• Ahsan, S. Reza. The Ecological Distribution of the Elderly in the Florida Counties
• Albrecht, Ruth E. Pre-Retirement Training in the United States
• Beard, Belle Boone. Longevity & Fertility: A Study of Centenarians
• Ellison, David L. Will to Live: A Link Between Social Structure & Health Among the Elderly
• Gray, Robert M. & Josephine M. Kasteler. An Investigation of the Effects of the Involuntary Relocation on the Health of Older Persons
• Guemple, D. Lee. Human Resource Management: The Dilemma of the Aging Eskimo
• Harper, D. Wood Jr. & Joseph M. Garza. Ethnicity, Family Generational Structure & Intergenerational Solidarity …

Ua68/10/1 Sociological Symposium No. 2 – Supplement To The Sociology Of The Elderly, Wku Sociology

WKU Administration Documents

Table of Contents:

• Sister M. Ann Amen. Book Review of Marvin R. Koller’s Social Gerontology
• Hepler, Harold R. A Coordinated & Supplementary Bibliography on the Sociology of the Elderly