Digital Commons Network^™

Remote Assessment Of Functional Mobility And Strength In Older Cancer Survivors: Protocol For A Validity And Reliability Study, Cindy K. Blair, Elizabeth Harding, Carla Herman, Tawny Boyce, Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, Sally M. Davis, Anita Y. Kinney, Vernon S. Pankratz

Pediatrics Research and Scholarship

BACKGROUND: Older cancer survivors, faced with both age- and treatment-related morbidity, are at increased and premature risk for physical function limitations. Physical performance is an important predictor of disability, quality of life, and premature mortality, and thus is considered an important target of interventions designed to prevent, delay, or attenuate the physical functional decline. Currently, low-cost, valid, and reliable methods to remotely assess physical performance tests that are self-administered by older adults in the home-setting do not exist, thus limiting the reach, scalability, and dissemination of interventions.

OBJECTIVE: This paper will describe the rationale and design for a study to …

Reducing Ageism: Changes In Students' Attitudes After Participation In An Intergenerational Reverse Mentoring Program, Skye N. Leedahl, Sereny Brasher, Dana L. Lobuono, Bethany M. Wood, Erica L. Estus

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Ageism is a societal concern that greatly affects the social, emotional, physical, and mental health of older adults. One way to decrease ageist attitudes and improve the treatment of older adults is to address and improve age stereotypes among young adults. Using data from students participating in an intergenerational digital-learning program, the present study investigated change in students' stereotypes of older adults and aging. We examined change from pre- and post-scores in student attitudes toward older adults and the type of adjectives used to describe older adults. We also analyzed responses to open-ended questions about changes in perception of older …

Art Education For Older Adults: Rationale, Issues And Strategies, Melanie G. Davenport, Pamela H. Lawton, Marjorie Manifold

International Journal of Lifelong Learning in Art Education

The authors assert that not only can older adults benefit from engaging in art education, but that art education can benefit from engaging with older adults.

Rationale, issues and strategies of facilitating art education for older adults is described through several vignettes.

The Perceived Benefits Of Exposure To Nature Through Birds, Venieca Kusek

Social Work Theses - Archive

Abstract Objectives: The objective of this research was to pilot Feathered Friends, a multi-sensory based bird intervention program and examine perceived benefits of the program among older adults at an assisted living facility. Feathered Friends adapted from Bird tales was a program for engaging people with cognitive impairments through the natural world of birds. The intervention was intended to increase social participation in a learning environment while reaping the emotional benefits of exposure to nature, specifically birds. Methods: This was an exploratory research project. We conducted individual, in-person interviews with the participants and analyzed data using a thematic analysis to …

Responding To Covid-19: How Massachusetts Senior Centers Are Adapting, Ceara Somerville, Caitlin Coyle, Jan Mutchler

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic has swept the United States with force and speed. Massachusetts is one of the hardest hit states in nation, with over 120,000 cases and over 8,500 deaths to date. Local governments across the Commonwealth have had to work quickly to meet the needs of their constituents in a constantly changing environment. With older adults being at high risk of contracting COVID-19, having more severe symptoms, and at higher risk of dying from the disease, special efforts are warranted to ensure that they are supported in their efforts to maintain physical distance while meeting needs for food and …

Qualitative Evaluation Of A Future Care Planning Program, Jeong Eun Lee, Katherine Rafferty, Louise Peitz, Emily Bormann

Journal of Extension

We describe efforts to evaluate the impact of the Future Care Planning (FCP) program. To gain deeper understanding of the context and needs of older adults who attended FCP sessions, we conducted follow-up telephone interviews and a qualitative content analysis of the structured interview calls. We identified areas for which Extension can provide continued support, positive programming impacts, and recommendations for future programming. We discuss how our findings will be used for future efforts addressing the topic for older adults and the implications of our findings and method for others in Extension.

Intention To Use Social Networking Sites Among Malaysian Chinese Older Adults, Chia Sin Ooi, Poh Chua Siah, Sew Kim Low

Makara Human Behavior Studies in Asia

Research has shown that social networking sites (SNS), such as Facebook and WhatsApp, make it more convenient for older adults to bond with friends and family. However, despite such benefits, studies also found few older adults use SNS, and even fewer older adults use SNS in less developed nations. Therefore, it is important to identify factors that can influence intention to use SNS in older adults, especially among the Malaysian Chinese population, as they will face an aging society earlier than other ethnic groups in Malaysia. This study used the Technology Acceptance Model and Reasoned Action Approach to examine whether …

Physical Activity Interventions For Older Adults: Efficacy, Adherence And Sustainability For Stroke Prevention Outcomes, Agnieszka Suminski

DePaul Discoveries

Objective: To examine outcomes of older adults who participate in physical activity intervention programs, whether there is a significant difference in group and individual based physical activity interventions, and assess promise of older adult behavior change post-intervention. Methods: Literature review using seventeen previously published data on physical activity intervention programs for older adults. Results: Studies suggest that physical activity program intervention for older adults show improved physical and mental outcomes. Group-based interventions are more successful for program adherence. Discussion: Family and social support play a significant role in participant adherence to program physical adherence interventions, as well as sustained …

Give 5 Gives Back: Assessment Of A New Civic Matchmaking Program For Older Adults, Gloria J. Galanes, Bradley J. Fisher

eJournal of Public Affairs

This study assessed participants’ responses to the Give 5 Program, a civic matchmaking program where volunteers learn about and are encouraged to volunteer at local nonprofits. Participants were also asked general questions about successful aging. Of the 83 respondents, who were overwhelmingly positive about the program, 95% had recommended it to others, 81% were volunteering at four hours per week on average, and 57% had given money to one or more agencies. Respondents said the most important characteristics to successful aging were having a purpose, positive interactions with others, good health, the opportunity for personal growth, self-acceptance, and staying active. …

Improving Delirium Management And Compliance On A Trauma/Surgical Universal Unit., Ardis Roederer

Doctor of Nursing Practice Papers

Background: Delirium is an acute, reversible syndrome that may cause cognitive impairment, disorientation, perceptual disturbances, attention discrepancies, and fluctuating psychomotor activities. Health professionals may not recognize, treat, or prevent delirium. More than seven million hospitalized adults, with an estimated cost of $164 billion annually, suffer from delirium each year. Consequently, delirium commonly affects 15 to 37% of the older adult population, yet less than 5% of delirium cases are documented in the electronic medical records of older adult patients. Early detection, intervention, and compliance with best practices are critical for the reduction of hospitalized delirium incidence. Aim: This project aimed …

Measuring The Impact Of Covid-19 On Older Adults In Massachusetts, Ceara Somerville, Jan Mutchler, Caitlin Coyle

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

The spread of COVID-19 across the United States has affected every facet of life since early 2020. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are currently over 4 million cases across the nation and over 146,000 deaths from the virus. Massachusetts has been one of the states hit hardest, with over 100,000 confirmed cases and more than 8,000 deaths to date. The Commonwealth currently trails only New York and New Jersey in number of deaths. While cases surge around the country, Massachusetts has seen some leveling out of positive cases since the beginning of July. Though …

Aging-In-Place Organizations Are Key To Building Disaster Resilience For Older Adults, Claire Pendergrast

Population Health Research Brief Series

COVID-19 has tragically demonstrated the serious threat that pandemics and other disasters pose to older adults’ health, safety, and well-being. What role can senior centers and senior villages play in protecting older adults’ health and building their resilience during COVID-19 and other disasters?

Rural Transportation Conference Participants’ Opinions And Concerns Pertaining To Transit For Older Adults, James W. Mjelde, Rebekka M. Dudensing, Geoffrey Battista, Jonathan Brooks, Maria Carrillo, Blane Counsil, Anil Giri, Man-Keun Kim, V. Dimitra Pyrialakou

Applied Economics Faculty Publications

Mobility remains a vital part of the well-being of rural-living, older adults and transportation disadvantaged persons. This study seeks to identify research and policy needs related to rural transit for older people and the transportation disadvantaged. To obtain this goal, the multidisciplinary study team conducted two activities as part of a 2016 rural transportation conference: a survey of conference attendees and open discussion to elicit additional information. Results suggest the attendees felt the need for rural transit for older adults would continue to increase with public and private funding being critical issues. Respondents had similar opinions about challenges and opportunities …

Bridging The Generation Gap In The Lgbt+ Community Through Advocacy, Melanie Moore

Honors Projects

HEALTH is a program designed to meet the needs of LGBT+ older adults by connecting them with volunteers of LGBT+ nonprofit organizations. Through HEALTH, LGBT+ youth and older adults can form connections that can extend beyond the structure of the program. By connecting younger volunteers with older adults, HEALTH can help grow the social capital of the LGBT+ community. Fostering friendly relationships between people of all ages can influence the progress of LGBT+ rights moving forward by combining the experience of the elders with the technological and social capabilities of the youth.

Does Aging Identity Moderate The Impact Of Experiences With Familial Ageism On Well-Being?, Emily E. Kinkade

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to begin investigating the effects of ageism in the family context. The current literature has documented the negative impacts that negative stereotypes and negative perceptions of aging has on older adults’ health, mortality, and well-being (Levy, 1996; Levy, 2003). However, the majority of extant research on ageism focuses on age discrimination in the workplace and in healthcare despite the majority of peoples’ time being spent in the family context. Therefore examining experiences of ageism sourced from family members merits study. Walker, Bisconti and Kinkade (in preparation) found evidence that the experience of ageism within …

Improving Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus In The Older Adult Population Utilizing Shared Medical Appointments In Primary Care Setting, Mailo Brantner

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The overall management of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and its comorbidities is complex and costly. The American Diabetes Association (ADA, 2019c) recommends the use of team-based care and self-management tools to optimize the management of T2DM. Unfortunately, there is a national shortage of endocrinologists and certified diabetes educators (Stewart, 2008) along with a primary care provider shortage (Simmons & Kapustin, 2011). Thus, it is essential to implement a care model to increase efficiency while also promoting patient knowledge and self-management of T2DM to improve health outcomes. An example of an innovative care model is the shared medical appointment (SMA), …

Assessment Of Depression Among Older Adults Staying In Old Home Care In Klang, Malaysia, Muhammad Qamar, Nurul Zahirah, Sohail Ahmad

Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research

Mental disorders such as depression are widespread, often underdiagnosed, and usually inappropriately treated. The early recognition of factors that may promote depression with the help of depression screening aid can help to plan better care for the patient. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the depression prevalence among the older adults staying in old home care, to explore any association and differences of depression across various socio-demographic variables, and to study the predictors of depression among study subjects. A cross-sectional study was conducted with a convenience sample of 141 elderly by using the validated tool. The study instrument was divided …

Assets And Unmet Needs Of Diverse Older Adults: Perspectives Of Community-Based Service Providers In Minnesota, Hayley R. Mccarron, Alana Wright, Rajean P. Moone, Traci Toomey, Theresa L. Osypuk, Tetyana Shippee

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

This paper examines assets and unmet needs of diverse older adults and highlights the need for programs and policies that address the social determinants of health. The United States is undergoing an unprecedented demographic shift, becoming increasingly diverse and aging rapidly. Given these changing demographics, it is important to understand the strengths and needs of our diverse population of older adults. This study captures perspectives of diverse service providers who work with older adults in communities, to identify existing assets as well as unmet needs and challenges facing diverse older adults in Minnesota. Qualitative data were collected using key informant …

Supporting Older Adults Through Aging In Place And Capable Programs, Laura Compton

OTD Capstone Projects

This experiential component or doctoral capstone project involved a partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis. Through this agency, projects were completed based on identified needs of the Aging in Place and CAPABLE programs. The Aging in Place (AIP) program provides critical home repairs to low-income adults aged 60 years and older. The CAPABLE program provides the same critical home repairs along with a select number of visits from a registered nurse and an occupational therapist to help the older adults age in place safely.

Tips For Communicating With Older Adults About Covid-19, Claire Pendergrast

Population Health Research Brief Series

Given the severe health risks coronavirus presents for older adults, it is critical to effectively communicate the risk. This brief describes strategies on how to effectively communicate with this population while keeping their comfort and safety in mind.

Taking Access To The Community: An Ecological Systems Framework For In-Home Counseling With Older Adults, Janelle Bettis, Shannon Kakkar, Christian D. Chan

Adultspan Journal

No abstract provided.

Utilization Of Patient Toolkit And Discharge Algorithm For Providers To Reduce Readmission Due To Repeat Ground Level Fall, Sara Karl

Doctoral Projects

Introduction. Falls are the leading cause of injury and injury death in adults over the age of 65. A retrospective examination at Level 1 trauma center in the Midwest found that 19.4% (118/605) of older adults admitted with a ground level fall were readmitted with a subsequent fall and injury. The aim of this quality improvement initiative is to determine if the implementation of an evidenced based patient toolkit and a discharge algorithm for providers will reduce outpatient falls. The objective was to reduce hospital readmission due to repeat fall.

Methods: The design of this project was mixed methods, observational, …

Gray For A Day: Exploring The Impact Of A Sensory Aging Experience, Erin Yelland, Jessie Piper

Journal of Extension

Gray for a Day is an interactive educational curriculum that centers on use of an empathic model to improve knowledge, skills, and attitudes related to sensory and functional aging, empathy toward older adults, and one's own health behaviors. The program has been disseminated by Extension educators with varied audiences and evaluated with 2,440 respondents. Participants reported positive changes in knowledge, skills, attitudes, and intended behaviors. Cooperative Extension and community-based partners are uniquely positioned to use the curriculum to provide sensory experiences that can improve understanding of and empathy toward older adults.

Effectiveness Of Otago Exercise On Health Status And Risk Of Fall Among Elderly With Chronic Illness, Stefanus Mendes Kiik, Antonius Rino Vachapo, Maria Fitrya Elfrida, Muhammad Saleh Nuwa, Siti Sakinah

Jurnal Keperawatan Indonesia

Falls are a serious consequence of declining physical function. Otago exercise is a strength and balance training program designed to prevent falls and enhance health status among the elderly. This study aimed to investigate the effect of a 12-week Otago exercise intended to reduce the risk of falls and health status among the elderly with chronic illness in the social elderly institution. This quasi-experimental study employed a pre-and post-test design using a control group. The study involved an intervention group (21 respondents) and a control group (21 respondents). The sample used in this study were elderly living in a social …

Covid-19 Is A Major Risk To New York State’S Older Veterans, Mariah Brennan Nanni, Mary Helander

Population Health Research Brief Series

The older adult veteran population is at high risk of contracting COVID-19. New York State’s veterans are concentrated in geographic areas with rapidly increasing COVID-19 case counts. As the virus continues to spread, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) must prepare to provide coronavirus treatments to older adult veterans in NYS.

New York State’S Older Adults In Assisted Living Facilities Need All Of Us To Help Them Avoid The Coronavirus, Mary Helander, Claire Pendergrast

Population Health Research Brief Series

Older adults in assisted living facilities are particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus because of how quickly it can spread in close-knit settings. This data slice aims to advocate for the health and safety of older adults and features an interactive map showing the saturation of assisted living facilities in New York State.

Staying Safe And Healthy During Coronavirus Response: A Guide For Older Adults, Claire Pendergrast, Mary Helander

Population Health Research Brief Series

This issue brief thoroughly addresses how older adults can best protect their physical and mental health against the evolving circumstances surrounding COVID-19.

The Spatial Distribution Of New York State’S Older Population: Let’S Keep New York’S Older Adults Safe And Healthy During The Coronavirus Pandemic, Mary E. Helander

Population Health Research Brief Series

This brief addresses the concern for older adults' health during the COVID-19 outbreak, highlights the distribution of this population throughout New York State, and recommends ways to keep them safe during this time.

Ethical Considerations When Conducting Research With Older Adults, Karen Arrant

Journal of Interprofessional Practice and Collaboration

The ethical issue exists between the researcher’s passion for the study focus and the human rights of the participant. This manuscript provides a case study, an actual illustration, but names were changed to protect anonymity. Objectives include examining the researcher’s perspective and personal beliefs, identifying the process to recruit participants, the ethical manner to disseminate information, and identifying ethical principles during the study process.It is mandatory that minute attention is given to the details of caring for the safety and welfare of study participants.

Ethics In Research, Karen Arrant

Journal of Interprofessional Practice and Collaboration

Due to a history of unethical research studies, ethical codes were developed to address the treatment of humans during research. After World War II, the Nuremberg Code was developed to prevent research misconduct by establishing specific protective criteria for human subjects. The Belmont Report, developed in 1978 in the United States, regulates studies today. The Belmont Report contains three basic ethical principles: (1) respect for persons, (2) beneficence, and (3) justice. The Belmont Report provides research-based protective implementation for informed consent, risk/benefit assessment, and participant selection. This case study demonstrates how to implement ethical standards successfully during research with human …