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A Multidimensional Investigation Of Sexuality In Older Adults Within A Successful Aging Model, Allyson S. Graf

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Sexual well-being in later life has traditionally been evaluated in relation to age-related physical limitations and sexual dysfunction. This study developed a multidimensional model of sexual well-being by investigating sexual interest, sexual attitudes (general and age-specific), and age-specific sexual knowledge in relation to more commonly-used indicators of sexual well-being (e.g., frequency and sexual satisfaction). Using a racially-diverse, U.S. sample of adults (N = 367, Mage = 54.40), structural equation modeling was used to test these associations (AGFI = .967; TLI = .994; and RMSEA = .031). Sexual interest (beta = .53), attitudes (beta = -.11 and .17), and knowledge (beta …

Connect With Me! Research Service-Learning In A Gerontological Setting, Cindy A. Brown

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study was to evaluate the training components of the Connect with Me! program which was created specifically for this research service-learning project. Ten graduate students in a Biology and Psychology of Aging class were trained and paired with older adults from a long-term care facility and the community. A quasi-experimental research design measured the effectiveness of the program. Results showed significant improvement in life-review interviewing skills. This thesis is divided into three chapters. Chapter one is a literature review of service-learning and offers a suggestion for expansion of Furco's model. Chapter two describes the Connect with …

Independent Living Oldest-Old And Their Primary Health Provider: A Mixed Method Examination Of The Influence Of Patient Personality Characteristics, Lee Stadtlander, Martha Giles, Amy Sickel, Emma Brooks, Cherri L. Brown, Melissa Cormell, Lara Ewing, Delores Hart, Dawn Koons, Christie Olson, Pamela Parker, Veronica Semenova, Shawna Stoneking

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

This convergent mixed methods study examined 35 healthy, independent living individuals' (over 85 years) perceptions of their relationship with their primary health provider (PHP) and health practices. The relationship between PHP relationship perceptions and locus of control (LOC), resilience, and self-efficacy was explored through surveys and interviews. The majority indicated they visited their PHP just for preventative care; the number of PHP visits per year was significantly lower than reported for individuals over 85 by the CDC, possible reasons for this finding are provided. A positive relationship between LOC, resiliency, and self-efficacy for the oldest-old was found. Few participants indicated …

Perspectives On Aging: Stereotypes And Implicit Personality Theories, Reannin Michelle Weinstein

Theses Digitization Project

Current research regarding perspectives on aging discusses perspectives of older adults aged 65+ and college aged young adults, but does not include a discussion of perspectives of individuals aged 30-60 on aging.

Spiritual Life Review With Older Adults: Finding Meaning In Late Life Development, Alicia Margaret Stinson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Spirituality has been recognized as a positive factor in the lives of older adults, especially as it influences their emotional, mental, and physical well-being. This convenience sample study included 17 older adults residing at a faith based continuing care retirement community in Florida. The sample was represented by Caucasian older adults with an average age of 84 years, highly educated, majority Protestant and mostly female. Spiritual life reviews were conducted using spiritual life maps (Hodge, 2005) and semi-structured interview questions. Erikson's epigenetic stage of ego-integrity was used along with Butler's life review process and Tornstam's gerotranscendence as a conceptual …

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.

Nursing Education: Building Gerontological Capacity And Capability By Improving Perceptions Of Older Adults By Nursing Students, Barbara A. Heise, Vickie Johnsen

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

An aging crisis exists globally. Despite the influx of the older adult population, there exists a lack of trained gerontological healthcare professionals (Lun, 2011). Ageism is commonplace. Nursing students frequently see gerontological nursing as the last area in which to work. A lack of anything in common and anxiety about working with older adults is often expressed. Nursing clinical placements in gerontology demonstrate equivocal results. Placements in long-term care (LTC) facilities may enhance negative perceptions (Marsland & Hickey, 2003). Clinical experiences with healthy older adults may improve student attitudes toward working with older adults (Furze et al, 2008). A concern …

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, …

Ministry Of Memories: Keys To Pastoral Care Of Non-Cognitive Persons, Reginald Corfield

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This work is intended to examine and study the theological and moral reasons to provide pastoral care to persons who have limited or no cognition. Dementia, Alzheimer's, certain other medical conditions and the aging process cause a loss of brain function that affects memory, thinking, behavior and judgment. Most Clergy wrestle with the fact as to whether there is any purpose in ministering to such persons especially when there is no verbal or non-verbal response. This paper involves surveys, research, collection of historical and biblical data and medical science to evaluate the disease process and explore ways in which to …

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 …

Surgical Delay For Hip Fracture Clients And The Use Of Clopidogrel: An Integrative Review, Phoebe Genevieve Waller

Senior Honors Theses

Abstract

Hip fractures in elderly patients have very high postoperative mortality rates and the number of hip fractures in the United States is expected to increase exponentially before 2030. Early surgery is essential to improve outcomes, but patients on clopidogrel (Plavix) have a high risk for increased bleeding if surgery is performed within the usual 72 hour window. This paper presents literature and research addressing the dangers of delaying surgery versus undergoing surgery before the effects of the clopidogrel are gone. Based on articles published after 2006, most researchers advocated earlier surgical intervention than previously recommended and emphasized an individualized …

Preliminary Analysis Of The Geriatric Intelligence Test, Adam W. Fominaya

ETD Archive

The Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence was not designed specifically for older adults. Many potential confounding factors occur with greater frequency in the elderly population and these may make the WASI a less appropriate measure of general cognitive functioning. This preliminary study aimed to develop the Geriatric Intelligence Test (GIT). Items were piloted on older adults (>80) who also completed two WASI Subtests. Preliminary results show that multiple GIT subtests are strong predictors of WASI subtest scores and showed good internal consistency. Results will be used to develop a more parsimonious version of the test

Foretelling The Future Of Prognostication: A Historically Inspired Domain-Based Approach For The Elderly, John Thomas

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

FORETELLING THE FUTURE OF PROGNOSTICATION: A HISTORICALLY INSPIRED DOMAIN-BASED APPROACH FOR THE ELDERLY

John M. Thomas and Terri R. Fried. Section of Geriatrics, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.

Hypothesis: 1) Physicians' decisions to discuss hospice as an option for terminally ill patients are based on a limited approach to prognostication that excludes many patients who may benefit from discussions. 2) Identifying broader domains of health most important for prognostication, as an alternative to calculating life expectancy or mortality risk, might encourage prognostication and improve physician-patient communication.

Aims: 1) To examine the association between …

Aging And Down Syndrome, Elizabeth Head, Wayne Silverman, David Patterson, Ira T. Lott

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Health Literacy And Self-Efficacy As Correlates Of Self-Management Of Type 2 Diabetes In Middle-Aged And Older Adults, Tomorrow D. Wilson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is increasing with middle-aged and older adults being those at highest risk for developing this disease. Additionally, the demands of type 2 diabetes self-management can become difficult with age, which can result in poorer glycemic control. The current study examined the relations of health literacy, diabetes-related distress, and diabetes self-efficacy on diabetes self-management among 65 adults aged 40-66 with type 2 diabetes. Age was found to be positively associated with health literacy, but negatively associated with diabetes self-care activities. Additionally, only diabetes self-efficacy was found to be a unique contributor to diabetes self-care activities …

Creating Opportunities: Gerontological Service Learning In A Community Practice Project, Cindy Brown, Rosalie Otters, Carolyn Turturro

Administrative Issues Journal

Ten graduate gerontology students volunteered for a service learning project, My Life: Connect with Me, which was developed, supervised and evaluated by a graduate social work intern in a community practice internship. The social work intern trained volunteers in interviewing skills at a continuing care retirement community. Student volunteers’ self-reported confidence in interviewing older adults was measured by a questionnaire created by the social work intern, using Likert scaling and short qualitative responses, as well as journaling. All student volunteers reported increases from pre to posttest, and the social work intern successfully completed all community internship competencies (Council on Social …

Research In Spirituality, Religion, And Aging: An Emerging Area, Holly Nelson-Becker

Social Work: School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Other Works

No abstract provided.

Lifestyle Behaviors And Cognitive Status In A Community Sample Of Older Adults, Heeyoung Smith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Lifestyle behaviors have been associated with better cognitive status and reduced risk of dementia. However, only individual or combinations of a few lifestyle behaviors have been studied. The present study examines the association between lifestyle behaviors and cognitive status in older adults including six lifestyle behaviors: cognitive activities, social activities, physical activities, religious involvement, diet, and alcohol consumption.

The study population is a sample of 1,216 community-dwelling men and women age 65 years and older from Cache County, Utah. The present study is conducted using the extant data from the Cache County Study on Memory Health and Aging (CCSMHA), a …

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 …

Social Gerontology- Integrative And Territorial Aspects: A Citation Analysis Of Subject Scatter And Database Coverage, Elaine M. Lasda Bergman

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

To determine the mix of resources used in social gerontology research, a citation analysis was conducted. A representative sample of citations was selected from three prominent gerontology journals and information was added to determine subject scatter and database coverage for the cited materials. Results indicate that a significant portion of gerontology research, even from a social science perspective, relies roughly equally on medical resources as it does social science resources. Furthermore, there is a small but defined core of literature constituting scholarly “territory” unique to gerontology. Analysis of database indexing indicated that broad, interdisciplinary databases provide more comprehensive coverage of …

The Implications Of Socioeconomic Status And A Usual Source Of Care For The Health And Health Care Experiences Of Elders With Chronic Illnesses, Michelle L. Stransky

Doctoral Dissertations

Recently developed models of health care provision have promoted the relationship between providers and patient for improving care continuity and coordination. This may be especially important for the growing population of elders, who often have fragmented care because of multiple chronic illnesses. Previous research shows that elders who have a usual source of care (USC) have better health and health care experiences than other elders. However, research has rarely considered whether the benefits of USCs may be affected by the elder's socioeconomic status (SES), their levels of chronic illness, or various provider characteristics.

This dissertation utilizes the 2007 Medicare Current …

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. …

Grief Among Dementia Caregivers: A Comparison Of Two Assessment Systems, Elizabeth Mulligan

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Research suggests that family caregivers of people with dementia may experience grief prior to the death of their care recipients, in part because of the series of losses they experience and the chronic nature of caregiving. Methods for assessing predeath grief, however, are just beginning to be developed, and basic questions about measurement remain. The purpose of the current study was to identify areas of overlap and disjunction in two self-report measures of predeath grief, one adapted from the postdeath literature: the Prolonged Grief Disorder Inventory) and one designed specifically for use with dementia caregivers: the Marwit-Meuser Caregiver Grief Inventory-Short …

An Epidemiological Assessment Of Lung Function Decline As A Predictor Of Morbidity And Mortality, Penelope J. Baughman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Excessive lung function decline is associated with increased risks of respiratory morbidity and mortality outcomes including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). COPD is a disease afflicting approximately 80 million people worldwide and as of 2002, the fifth leading cause of death. COPD is an increasing problem, with substantial increases projected in COPD deaths if there is no reduction of the causal risk factors. By 2030, COPD is projected to be the third leading cause of death worldwide, an increase mainly due to extended life expectancies and that COPD deaths occur at older ages. COPD is also largely underdiagnosed, partially due …

The Role Of Autonomy In Suicidal Ideation Among Older Adults, Alisa A. O'Riley

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Although rates of death by suicide in older adults in the United States appear to be decreasing, older adults remain at higher risk for completed suicide than any other age group (Center for Disease Control, 2005). In looking at suicidal behavior in particular, several researchers (e.g. Caine & Conwell, 2001) have suggested that one important way one might begin to understand risk factors for suicide in late life is to identify distal factors that put older adults at risk for suicidal behavior. This study explicitly set out to examine one possible distal risk factor. That is, a strong emphasis on …

Goal Framing Of Health Related Behaviors: What Factors Contribute To The Persuasiveness Of A Message?, Sarah A. Stoner

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

There is evidence that the manner in which relevant information is framed can influence decisions that are based on that information. That is, information may be presented in a positive frame (i.e., describing benefits gained from engaging in behaviors) or in a negative frame (i.e., describing losses from not engaging in behaviors). The effect of information frame on older adults' decision to comply or not comply with health behavior recommendations is unclear due to a paucity of research. In an attempt to understand factors that influence older adult healthy behavior decision making, the current study examined variables that might predict …

Prediction Of Response To Escitalopram Across Multiple Outcomes In Older Adult Gad Patients, Caroline M. Ciliberti

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Anxiety disorders are common in late-life and have detrimental effects of health and well-being (Stanley, Diefenbach, & Hopko, 2003; Wetherell et al., 2004). Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is the most common anxiety disorder in late-life (Beekman et al., 1998). Beyond the diagnostic symptoms, older adults with anxiety disorders may present with a variety of physical symptoms (Palmer, Jeste, & Sheikh, 1997). As a result, GAD is a heterogeneous disorder. Empirically-supported treatments are available for late-life GAD, but little is known about how people with different constellations of presenting symptoms respond to treatment, and whether they differ according to the way …

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 …