Geriatrics Commons^™

Similar Promotion Of Abeta1-42 Fibrillogenesis By Native Apolipoprotein E Epsilon3 And Epsilon4 Isoforms, David Sweeney, Ralph Martins, Harry Levine, Jonathan D. Smith, Sam Gandy

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

The apolipoprotein E epsilon4 allele contributes to the genetic susceptibility underlying a large proportion (~40-60%) of typical, sporadic Alzheimer disease. Apolipoprotein E deficient mice made transgenic for human apolipoprotein E epsilon4 accumulate excess cerebral amyloid when compared to similarly prepared mice expressing human apolipoprotein E epsilon3. Therefore, it is important to search for relevant interactions(s) between apolipoprotein E epsilon4 and Abeta in order to clarify the biological role for apolipoprotein E epsilon4 in Alzheimer disease. Using a thioflavine T (ThT)-based assay, we have investigated the effects of native human apolipoprotein E isoforms on the kinetics of Abeta fibrillogenesis. No obvious …

Helping Older Adults Adjust To Assisted Living: An Eco-Art Therapy Approach, Lynn M. Franta

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this exploratory study was to research the outcomes of an art therapy group using Ecopsychology principles as an aid for older adults adjusting to an assisted living facility. The group was designed to last over a 4-week period with two sessions per week. Outcomes were assessed using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales short form as well as through a structured interview format.

The study had six participants total; three men and three women, with ages ranging from 70 to 83 years. Findings were inconclusive as individual scores on the DASS varied widely. Participant report indicated overall …

Ageing – The Independent Risk Indicator, Saba Sohail

Department of Radiology

No abstract provided.

Ua61/6 Newsletter Issue 3, Wku Institute For Rural Health Development & Research

WKU Administration Documents

Newsletter created by and about the Institute for Rural Health Development & Research. This issue contains:

• Senator Mitch McConnell Earmarks Dollars for WKU Hispanic Initiative
• Dr. Louella Fong Directs Bilingual Program
• Give Kids a Smile Brightens Children’s Day – Dental Hygiene
• College of Health & Human Services Focuses on Gerontology Demands
• Partners Key to Successful Hispanic Health Fair & Screening Event
• Public Health Department Now Offers Worksite Health Promotion
• KEMSA Offers EMS Management Workshop – Kentucky Emergency Medical Services Academy

The Frank J. Manning Certificate In Gerontology Alumni Survey: 21 Years Of Service To Elders, Nina M. Silverstein, Jenai Murtha, Donna Sullivan, May Jawad

Gerontology Institute Publications

The Certificate Program in Gerontology at the University of Massachusetts Boston, a large urban university, was established in 1979 as part of an Administration on Aging (AoA) grant to develop and expand services to the elderly citizens of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In 1984, a line item was added to the state budget by the legislature and governor establishing the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston and ensuring the continuation of training, research, and policy and advocacy work on behalf of and with Massachusetts’ elders (O’Brien, 1996). Upon Frank J. Manning’s death in 1986, the program was renamed …

Consumer Perspectives On Quality In Adult Day Care, Amy Leventhal Stern, Francis G. Caro

Gerontology Institute Publications

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to gain insight into the quality of care and services provided through adult day care from the user’s perspective. Design and Methods: The project utilized 13 focus groups to explore aspects associated with user needs, preferences, and satisfaction with adult day care centers. Results: Focus group participants described aspects of adult day care that are important in delivering quality care, program features that are effective, and key areas in need of improvement. Ensuring the safety of clients; having caring, friendly, and compassionate staff available to provide one-on-one attention; engaging clients in stimulating activities; …

Meeting The Challenges And Opportunities Of Aging With Lifelong Disabilities: The Area Planning And Services Committee, Allison Wilder, Edward F. Ansello

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. To generate awareness of needs and capacities of aging adults with lifelong disabilities and their effect upon human services

2. To understand the challenges and opportunities facing aging adults with lifelong disabilities in accessing appropriate community supports and services.

3. To illustrate the benefits of intersystem collaboration among human services providers through the vehicle of an Area Planning and Services Committee.

Mental Fitness And The Lifelong Learning Movement, Jane F. Stephan, Debbie Leidheiser, Edward F. Ansello

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. To identify the functional benefits of continued mental activity

2. To examine the role of Lifelong Learning Institutes in later life

3. To describe the motivations of participants in lifelong learning

Law Enforcement And Adult Protective Services Working Together: A Team Approach To Elder Abuse Cases, Anne Douglas Palmer

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. Familiarize readers with the different roles and responsibilities of Adult Protective Services and law enforcement in elder abuse cases.

2. Demonstrate the benefits of working collaboratively to resolve complex elder abuse and domestic violence cases.

Congregate Nutrition Programs Can Alleviate Loneliness And Isolation, Carol Cooper Driskill

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. Familiarize readers with the Older Americans Act congregate nutrition services provided to community-residing older adults.

2. Demonstrate how congregate nutrition services can alleviate isolation and loneliness in community-residing older adults.

Caregiver Education And Service Utilization In African American Families Dealing With Dementia, Constance L. Coogle

Virginia Center on Aging Publications

For more than a decade attention has been focused on Alzheimer’s family caregivers in African American communities. The Fourth Report of the Advisory Panel on Alzheimer’s Disease to the U. S. Congress and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services calls for “…public education and outreach efforts specifically targeted to ethnic elders and their families and communities through the development and dissemination of culturally relevant materials emphasizing both the established facts about [Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders] and the efficacy of seeking treatment.” (Advisory Panel on Alzheimer’s Disease, 1993, p. 50). While federal financing and state initiatives have addressed …

Back To The Future: The Future Of Long-Term Care In Massachusetts, Deborah H. Thomson, John J. Ford

Gerontology Institute Publications

The state of Massachusetts, like the rest of the United States, is facing an approaching crisis in long-term care. Over the next few decades the number of Massachusetts residents age 65 and older will soar. As these numbers increase, so will the need for long-term care.

Massachusetts is ill prepared to provide the services that will be needed. Our current system of health care benefits leaves many elders with gaps in coverage. Those individuals who need long-term services often impoverish themselves and their spouses before the state pays for their care. Others languish on waiting lists to receive services. Our …

Social Integration Of Older Immigrants In 21st Century America, Janet Wilmoth

Center for Policy Research

There are various reasons for the burgeoning interest in detailed research into the determinants of social well-being among older immigrants in this country. As a result of shifting federal government policies, the total volume of immigrants has increased significantly, the countries from which they migrate have changed, and more immigrant families have brought their parents into the United States than ever before. Consequently, the older adult population is becoming more diverse due in part to the aging-in-place of younger immigrants and an increasing number of immigrants who are older upon arrival in the United States. These trends create challenges for …

Duration Data From The National Long-Term Care Survey: Foundation For A Dynamic Multiple-Indicator Model Of Adl Dependency, James N. Laditka, Douglas A. Wolf

Center for Policy Research

This report describes preparation of data from the National Long-Term Care Survey (NLTCS) fur use in a dynamic multiple-indicator model of dependency in Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). The data set described makes use of all functional status information available across four NLTCS waves for six ADLs, including information from screening interviews, detailed interviews in the community, and institutional interviews. Importantly, it also captures all available information elicited from respondents about the *duration* of any impairment in these ADLs. The data was prepared as described in this report to enable the calculation of improved estimates of the probabilities that an …

Social Interaction And The Health Insurance Choices Of The Elderly, Eldar Beiseitov, Jeffrey D. Kubik, John R. Moran

Center for Policy Research

Using data from the 1998 wave of the Health and Retirement Study, we examine the effect of social interactions on the health insurance choices of the elderly. We find that having more social interactions, as measured by contacts with friends and neighbors, reduces the likelihood of enrolling in a Medicare managed care plan relative to purchasing a medigap policy or having coverage through Medicare alone. Our estimates indicate that social networks are an important determinant of the health insurance choices of the elderly and provide suggestive evidence that "word-of-mouth" information sharing may have played a role in the preference of …

Income And The Use Of Prescription Drugs By The Elderly: Evidence From The Notch Cohorts, John R. Moran, Kosali Ilayperuma Simon

Center for Policy Research

We use exogenous variation in Social Security payments created by the Social Security benefits notch to estimate how retirees' use of prescription medications responds to changes in their incomes. In contrast to estimates obtained using ordinary least squares, instrumental variables estimates based on the notch suggest that lower-income retirees exhibit considerable income sensitivity in their use of prescription drugs. Our estimates are potentially useful for thinking about the health implications of changes in transfer payments to the elderly and for evaluating the benefits of the recently enacted Medicare prescription drug benefit.