Digital Commons Network^™

Harmonies Of Healing: A Secondary Data Analysis On Music Engagement And Quality Of Life In Older Adults, Theophilus Eben Nartey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional secondary data analysis was to examine the relationship between music engagement and self-reported quality of life among adults aged 60 years and older, using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Guided by the Biopsychosocial-Spiritual (BPSS) framework, the study explored whether music engagement significantly predicted perceived well-being in later adulthood while accounting for chronic health conditions. Secondary data from the HRS public-use dataset were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics Version 29. The final analytical sample consisted of 1,582 adults aged 60 years or older with complete data on all variables included in the …

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 …

Machine Learning For Elderly Behavior And Risk Incident Modeling, Muhammad Tanveer Jan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

The rapid expansion of the aging population presents critical challenges to healthcare systems, particularly in maintaining independent living, ensuring mobility safety, and optimizing emergency interventions. Traditional monitoring solutions are often fragmented, reactive, and hindered by the scarcity of data regarding rare high-risk events. This dissertation proposes a comprehensive, multi-modal machine learning framework designed to model elderly behavior and predict risk incidents across three critical environments: the home, the vehicle, and the clinical setting.

To address the fundamental challenge of class imbalance in medical and behavioral datasets—where risk events are statistically rare—this research first introduces a dual-phase data augmentation strategy. By …

Staff Education To Reduce The Incidence Of Bias In Managing Patients With Opioid Use Disorder In A Rehabilitation Center, Almarie Alison Mclaren

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project addressed stigma and implicit bias toward individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) within a rehabilitation subacute care setting. OUD remains a significant public health concern and at the project site, inconsistent staff education was identified as a practice gap requiring intervention. The purpose of this practice-focused DNP project was to evaluate the impact of a structured staff education intervention on healthcare staff knowledge, attitudes, and confidence in caring for patients with OUD. The project was guided by a thorough evidence search. The project was implemented using brief, unit-based educational sessions delivered to interdisciplinary …

A Wellness Approach To Aging, Retirement, And Suicide Risk: Gerontological Considerations, Seth T. Robinson, Derek J. Lee

Adultspan Journal

Suicide risk in older adulthood represents complex interactions between developmental transitions; changing social contexts; and interactions between ecological context and individual perceptions of belongingness, burdensomeness, and hope. This paper presents an integrative,developmentally appropriate framework for conceptualizing and addressing suicide risk in older adulthood, which is grounded in the Indivisible Self model of wellness. Drawing on current empirical knowledge of wellness, suicidality, and older adulthood, this paper presents risk and protective factors associated with older adulthood through life transitions, changing social contexts, and other relevant factors. We present a novel integration of suicide intervention, wellness, and holistic care as a suitable …

Student Reflections On Service‐Learning: Cognitive, Affective, And Behavioral Lessons, Maria L. Claver, Lisa A. Lares, Lauren Gelgur

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

Service-learning is an educational experience that allows students meaningful interaction with older adults. Students in a gerontology course completed service-learning and recorded their experiences in weekly journals. This study explored student-reported reflections, which indicated cognitive, affective, and behavioral lessons. Future research should include the perspectives of faculty members, agencies, and older adults; long-term influences of service; and approaches to facilitating service-learning for hybrid and online courses.

Inside Wamh, January 2008, Advocate Health - Midwest

Historical Documents - Combined

West Allis Memorial Hospital, West Allis, WI: Inside WAMH is a monthly newsletter for employees, volunteers, and guests of the hospital. This issue has a feature on Acute Care for the Elderly (ACE).

Senior Living: Filling The Gap, Katy J. Johnson

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

This white paper explores how colleges and universities can help address the housing crisis for Americans aged 65 and older by integrating seniors into college campuses. This approach not only helps to fill dormitories but also provides students with valuable work experience. The paper examines three key issues: the Silver Tsunami (the growing senior population), declining enrollment leading to campus housing vacancies, and the financial burden of higher education. By advocating for intergenerational living, the proposal offers an innovative solution that benefits seniors, students, and universities.

Creative Ties: Using Design To Build Connections And Reduce Loneliness, Madelyn Arnold

Honors Projects

While loneliness is a universal infliction, there are specific demographics that are disproportionately affected by this experience. The older adult population is at a much higher risk of experiencing feelings of loneliness and the negative health risks that come from extended periods of isolation. The severity of loneliness within the older adult population cannot be overstated. Art therapy techniques have been studied as a potential tool to reduce these feelings and side effects in this vulnerable population.

Moved by the profound effects and high rates of loneliness for older adults, this project seeks to create a tool to alleviate these …

Early-Stage Major Neurocognitive Disorder: A Case Study Of The Experiences Of Elder Men Who Attended A Peer-Led Support Group, Laurie Knight Kjoller

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to understand how elder men ages 65 and older with a diagnosis of early-stage major neurocognitive disorder experienced their participation in a peer-led support group series held at a neurology clinic in Barnstable, Massachusetts. The theory guiding this study asserts elder individuals contending with a chronic and debilitating illness like major neurocognitive disorder need to experience a sense of belonging and psycho-emotional support to attain resilience and quality of life and is found in the works of Hassani, Izadi-Avanji, Rakhshan, & Majd (2017) as it relates to the experience of elder …

Enhancing Transportation Options For Older Adults: Served By Councils On Aging With Support From The Montachusett Area Regional Transit Authority (Mart): A Program Validation Study, Caitlin E. Coyle, Nina M. Silverstein, Taylor Jansen, Shayna Gleason

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

This study follows a 2022 evaluation report UMass Boston researchers conducted for MART of a pilot program whose measurable aims were to demonstrate (pre/post) an increase in ridership, destinations, trips provided, and shared rides coordinated across the participating COAs. The pilot with four participating COAs was ambitious and while the results indicated some early successes (rider satisfaction), more areas for improvement were noted (software and transition to the use of digital technology). (Silverstein et. al., 2022) Since then, MART has adopted a new software program and collaboration with My Senior Center, a senior 4 center management and reporting system. MART …

Reducing Dementia Risk By Identifying And Promoting Social Determinants: A Multi-Site And Multi-Method Study, Jose M. Aravena

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertations

Background: Dementia is one of the leading causes of disability and death, and the most feared condition by older adults. Although encouraging evidence has shown that lifestyle can play a pivotal role in dementia prevention, dementia incidence is still increasing in those groups that are at most risk. A largely unexplored explanation for this phenomenon in high-risk groups is the effect of social determinants of health (SDH), a range of structural (i.e., social position, healthcare services) and psychosocial determinants (ageism, social perceptions of dementia) that can be a major modifiable driver of brain and cognitive health. Thus, by using three …

Psychosocial Correlates Of Hiv Prevention, Care, And Well-Being Among Older Women Aging With Hiv, Thi Vu

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertations

Background: Approximately 54% of the nearly 1.1 million people living with diagnosed HIV in the United States are aged 50 and older. From 2015 to 2019, diagnoses among women ages 55 years and older increased by 7% while diagnoses among other age groups decreased. In 2019, women made up 19% of all HIV diagnoses. Despite advances in HIV science and education, there is still a dearth of research focused on the growing population of older women with HIV. Durvasula’s Contextualized Model for HIV/AIDS Care and Prevention for Older Women highlights that older women with HIV face different barriers to care, …

Age-Friendly Technology Toolkit, Carrie Leach, Mikayla Harrison, Deborah Beard, Dell Stubblefield, Zachary Rowe, Winona Bynum, Sandra Turner-Handy, Faith Hopp, Rodlescia Sneed, Deborah Charbonneau, Rochelle Chapman, Hayley S. Thompson

Institute of Gerontology

A toolkit created for older people who are interested in connecting through technology. Content is based on recommendations from older adults who partnered on a project to increase digital inclusion.

Implementing A Gerontological Nursing Competencies Programme In Aged Care: Participant Experiences, Victoria Traynor, Nicole Britten, Diane Gibson, Stephanie Munk, Lynn Chenoweth, Jolan Stokes, Tracey Moroney, Karen Strickland, Toni Donaghy, Kasia Bail

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Aims: To explore the experience of registered nurses and their mentors in the implementation of the Gerontological Nursing Competencies in long-term aged care and the perceived effectiveness and suitability of the programme to support nurse development. Background: The global population is ageing and needs a reliable aged-care nursing workforce. Introduction: Opportunities for education and mentorship for newly qualified and experienced aged-care nurses warrant investigation. Methods: Qualitative evaluation using semi-structured focus groups was conducted following the implementation of the programme into five not-for-profit long-term aged-care organisations and analysed by a reflexive qualitative thematic approach and reported according to COREQ criteria. Results: …

Food Allergies And Quality Of Life In Older Adults: Development Of A Food Allergy Questionnaire, Avalon F. Mustafa

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The United States is experiencing a rapid increase in the number of older adults, yet there is a lack of research on food allergies in this demographic. While there are survey instruments available to study food allergies and quality of life, none of these are tailored to the unique needs of elderly individuals. This study aims to create and validate an on-line survey instrument specifically designed for older adults, focusing on their quality of life in the context of food allergies. The survey will be used to establish a food allergy severity score and a quality-of-life score, enabling comparison between …

Planning For The Future Of The Easthampton Council On Aging, Caitlin E. Coyle, Sue Berger

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

This report describes an assessment undertaken by the Center for Social & Demographic Research on Aging (CSDRA) within the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston, on behalf of the ad hoc Senior Center Building Committee. The goals of this project were to document the features of other communities building processes, engage residents in preliminary conversation about their needs and preferences as they consider aging in Easthampton. Results of that work are described in this report and recommendations to the ad hoc building committee are provided. These recommendations are meant to provide an objective description of this preliminary community …

Aging In Hanover: A Community Needs Assessment, Caitlin E. Coyle, Beth Rouleau, Ceara Somerville

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

This report describes research undertaken by the Center for Social & Demographic Research on Aging (CSDRA), within the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston, on behalf of the Town of Hanover. The report supports the Council on Aging’s objective to identify and serve the needs of residents age 55 and older. The contents of this report are meant to inform the Town of Hanover, the Hanover Council on Aging (COA), the Senior Center, and organizations that work with and on behalf of older residents of Hanover for the purposes of COA mission fulfillment alongside planning and coordination of …

Anthropology & Aging From The Editor-In-Chief, Manonita Ghosh

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

No abstract provided.

Aging In Maynard: A Community Needs Assessment, Caitlin E. Coyle, Mary Krebs

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

This report describes research undertaken by the Center for Social & Demographic Research on Aging (CSDRA), within the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston, on behalf of the Town of Maynard. The report supports the Council on Aging’s objective to identify and serve the needs of residents age 50 and older. The contents of this report are meant to inform the Town of Maynard, the Maynard Council on Aging (COA), the Senior Center, and organizations that work with and on behalf of older residents of Maynard for the purposes of COA mission fulfillment alongside planning and coordination of …

Using The Gerontological Imagination To Explore Suicide Among Older Adults: An Interdisciplinary Perspective For Professional Counselors, Mary Chase Mize, Afroze Shaikh

Adultspan Journal

Gerontology, the study of aging and older adulthood, is a vast field consisting of many intersecting disciplines, such as medicine, nutrition, public policy, psychology, social work, and professional counseling. As the older adult population rapidly increases, so too will the prevalence of mental health concerns among this population, including risk for suicide. Older adults presently comprise 16.5% of the U.S. population, yet account for 19.3% of all deaths by suicide (Drapeau & McIntosh, 2020). Professional counselors are newly eligible Medicare providers and can close gaps in healthcare access for older adults who rely on Medicare to receive mental health services, …

Considerations Of Medicare Telehealth Services With Older Adults, Sonah Kho, Amanda Dediego

Adultspan Journal

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic set in motion a rapid expansion of mental health services offered via telehealth. With this rapid expansion came the need to examine how policy and practice should be shaped in a future where telehealth is considered common in counseling practice. For counselors to understand how to support older adult clients in using telehealth services, they must understand telehealth policy. Following the eligibility of licensed counselors to participate in Medicare, counselors need to stay abreast of regulatory changes regarding restrictions and regulations on use of telehealth for mental and behavioral health services, including video and …

Aging In Hopkinton: A Community Needs Assessment, Sue Berger, Caitlin E. Coyle

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

This report describes research undertaken by the Center for Social & Demographic Research on Aging (CSDRA) within the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston, on behalf of the Town of Hopkinton. The goals of this project were to investigate the needs, interests, preferences, and opinions of Hopkinton residents age 55 or older by engaging the community regarding their experiences and needs relevant to Senior Services objective to identify and serve the needs of Hopkinton’s older residents. The contents of this report are meant to inform the Town of Hopkinton, Hopkinton Senior Services, and organizations that work with and …

Caring, 1994 Summer, Advocate Health - Midwest

Historical Documents - Combined

Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Chicago, IL: Issue of "Caring", a semiannual patient education publication. This issue highlights several of the medical center's programs, including its Babycheck program, the Warren Barr Pavilion's adult day services, the antenatal resource center, Hispanocare, and Healthcare for the Homeless.

Caring, 1987 Winter, Advocate Health - Midwest

Historical Documents - Combined

Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Chicago, IL: Issue of "Caring", a semiannual patient education publication. This is the first issue of "Caring" in its revised format. This issue has feature stories on the Ruth M. Seay Center for Women and Infants - a new state-of-the-art obstetrics unit, the emergency department's level 1 trauma center, and the White Crane Senior Health Center.

This is the first issue the library has in the new format. The last issue the library has in the previous version of this publication can be seen here: Caring, 1980 V4 N3, Fall/Winter

Gerontological Continuing Education Needs Of Nurses Employed In Nursing Facilities In North Carolina, Sandra J. Todd-Atkinson

Dissertations

The major purpose of this investigation was to determine the self perceived learning needs of nurses employed in nursing facilities. Questionnaires were utilized to gather these data from nurses employed in fourteen nursing facilities thus representing 10% of all nursing facilities in North Carolina. Nonparametric tests were utilized to analyze the differences in perceived needs and selected independent variables. The selected independent variables were respondents' ages, educational preparation, years of experience, years of experience in a nursing facility, size of the facility, and position held. Two research questions guided the study: (1) what are the specific areas of felt needs …

Understanding The Retrospective And Current Health Care Needs And Service Experiences Of Adult Survivors Of Minor Sex Trafficking, Amelia Wagner, Sarah Lockwood, Amy Farrell, Carlos Cuevas, Jennifer E. O'Brien, Rebecca Pfeffer, Jaclyn Kolnik, Alisa Lincoln

Faculty Publications

Minor sex trafficking is an urgent public health problem, but we lack data about how such experiences impact health and health care access. Utilizing data collected from in-depth interviews with 35 adult survivors of minor sex trafficking across the U.S. we explored the physical and psychological healthcare access and healthcare experiences of adult survivors of minor sex trafficking. Negative healthcare experiences before, during, and following sex trafficking foster a lack of trust and confidence in healthcare systems as adults. Recommendations are provided to help overcome barriers to meeting healthcare needs and improving health care experiences for survivors of minor sex …

Understanding The Retrospective And Current Health Care Needs And Service Experiences Of Adult Survivors Of Minor Sex Trafficking, Amelia Wagner, Sarah Lockwood, Amy Farrell, Carlos Cuevas, Jennifer E. O'Brien, Rebecca Pfeffer, Jaclyn Kolnik, Alisa Lincoln

Faculty Publications

Minor sex trafficking is an urgent public health problem, but we lack data about how such experiences impact health and health care access. Utilizing data collected from in-depth interviews with 35 adult survivors of minor sex trafficking across the U.S. we explored the physical and psychological healthcare access and healthcare experiences of adult survivors of minor sex trafficking. Negative healthcare experiences before, during, and following sex trafficking foster a lack of trust and confidence in healthcare systems as adults. Recommendations are provided to help overcome barriers to meeting healthcare needs and improving health care experiences for survivors of minor sex …

The Frailty Trajectory's Additional Edge Over The Frailty Index: Retrospective Cohort Study Of Veterans With Heart Failure, Javad Razjouyan, Ariela R Orkaby, Molly J Horstman, Parag Goyal, Orna Intrator, Aanand D Naik

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Around The Center, 1999 January/February, Advocate Health - Midwest

Historical Documents - Combined

Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Chicago, IL: Issue of "Around the Center", an employee newsletter. This issue has staffing and departmental updates, patient letters, and a feature on a new noise control awareness campaign.