Gerontology Commons^™

How Does Educational Attainment Influence The Perceived Need For Future Assistance With Activities Of Daily Living?, Julia M. Finan

Population Health Research Brief Series

Adults often underestimate whether they will need assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) as they age. This brief summarizes the results of a recent study that used data from the 2011-2014 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) to examine educational differences in perceived need for future ADL assistance among 54,946 adults aged 40 to 65 years in the United States. Even though adults with less education are more likely to require long-term ADL care services and supports, results show that they are less likely than their more highly educated peers to perceive the need for future ADL assistance.

Multicultural Gerotranscendence: A Theoretical Approach To Working With Older Adults, Whitney George, Danielle Schlittler

Adultspan Journal

With the growing number of the aging population, the call for counselors to understand the developmental processes of all clients is essential. The theories of gerotranscendence and multicultural counseling and therapy are central to the understanding of adult development in later life. The use of these two theories together provides a theoretical basis for counselors wishing to provide services to diverse older adults.

Take A Closer Look: Combating Ageism Through The Use Of Children's Literature, Janice Buehrer

Honors Projects

This project was completed as my final honors project for Bowling Green State University in the spring of 2024. I wrote and illustrated the children's book, "Take a Closer Look," designed for kindergarten through second-grade children. The goal of the book is to be used as a value-socialization device to instill positive perspectives on aging within younger generations. The book itself is meant to be an intergenerational tool as adults read the book about older adults to children, reaching the entire lifespan.

Kajian Literatur Distribusi Kompensasi Dampak Tempat Pengelolahan Sampah Terpadu (Tpst) Bantargebang: Analisis Keadilan Distributif Dan Keadilan Sosial, Wahyu Pratama Tamba

Jurnal Ilmu Kesejahteraan Sosial

The waste problem in Jakarta is a complex issue related to the large volume of waste, dependence on Bantargebang TPST, and the various environmental impacts caused. Waste from Jakarta brought to Bantargebang TPST reaches 6,500-7,000 tons daily. This TPST hurts the environment and the health of the surrounding community, as well as the risk of ARI, air pollution, groundwater pollution, and environmental aesthetics. As compensation for these negative impacts, the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government allocates compensation funds for affected communities. This is regulated in Article 10 letter (e) of DKI Jakarta Regional Regulation number 4 of 2019 which states that …

Telaah Konsep Asset Bassed Comunity Development Bagi Pembangunan Pariwisata Berbasis Masyarakat, Silva Amanda, Rudi Saprudin Darwis

Jurnal Ilmu Kesejahteraan Sosial

The tourism sector is one of the sectors that contributes the largest foreign exchange in Indonesia. To develop this, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy continues to encourage the community-based tourism industry, with one of them developing a tourist village program. One way to realize the tourist village program in Indonesia is to use the Asset Based Community Development approach by emphasizing the use of potential assets owned by an area. The purpose of this research is to identify the potential or assets that exist in a village/region that can be developed into a tourist village by emphasizing community …

Older Adults Are At Greater Risk Of Opioid Use Disorder In Communities With High Social Vulnerability, Tse-Chuan Yang, Seulki Kim, Stephen A. Matthews, Carla Shoff

Population Health Research Brief Series

The prevalence of opioid use disorder (OUD) among older adults has increased and imposes a heavy burden on the health care system in the United States. This brief summarizes findings from a study that used data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to examine how county characteristics contributed to the prevalence of OUD among Medicare beneficiaries age 65+ in U.S. counties in 2021. They found that the prevalence of OUD among these adults is higher in counties with more place-level social vulnerability (e.g., socioeconomic disadvantage, high housing cost burden).

Cognitive Functioning Is Higher Among Older Adults In Walkable Neighborhoods That Have Low Economic Disadvantage, Tse-Chuan Yang, Seulki Kim, Seung-Won Emily Choi, Shannon Halloway, Uchechi A. Mitchell, Benjamin A. Shaw

Population Health Research Brief Series

Living in neighborhoods with poor built and social environments, such as low walkability and high concentrations of low-income populations, is associated with low levels of cognitive functioning among older adults. This brief summarizes findings from a study that aims to understand how U.S. older adults’ (age 65+) exposures to residential neighborhood environments – specifically walkability and concentrated socioeconomic disadvantage – are associated with their cognitive functioning between 2010 and 2018. The authors also examined how these associations vary by older adults’ education level and household income level.

Aging In The City Of Melrose: A Community Needs Assessment, Caitlin E. Coyle, Katherine Burnes, Mark Krebs, 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 City of Melrose. The goals of this project were to investigate the interests, preferences, and opinions of Melrose’s residents aged 55 or older by engaging the community regarding their experiences and needs relevant to the Council on Aging’s (COA’s) objective to identify and serve the needs of all Melrose citizens 55 and older. The contents of this report are meant to inform the City of Melrose, the Melrose COA, Milano …

Aging In North Andover: A Community Needs Assessment, Claire Wickersham, Caitlin E. Coyle, Ceara Somerville, Holly Stockdale

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 North Andover. The goal of this project was to identify, describe, and prioritize the needs and preferences of North Andover residents age 60 and older as they relate to aging well in the community. In 2023, North Andover opened a new Senior Community Center. The contents of this report are intended to be used for planning for the new Senior Community Center space and to inform strategic planning …

What Factors Increase Risk Of Alzheimer's Disease And Related Dementia?, Elizabeth Vásquez, Kai Zhang

Population Health Research Brief Series

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and ranks 7th in the leading causes of death in the United States (U.S.). This data slice uses nationwide data from 3,155 counties in the U.S. to identify the factors that best predict county-level rates of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRDs) in 2018. The results indicate that insufficient sleep, consuming less than one serving of fruits and vegetables per day, having no high school diploma, Black population percentage, and social vulnerability were among the leading factors predicting county-level ADRD prevalence.

Perceptions Of Financial Exploitation Among Older African American Women In The Black Church, Patricia Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Perceptions of Financial Exploitation Among Older African American Women in the Black Church by Patricia Jackson MS, Walden University, 2016 BA, Langston University, 1977 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Social and Behavioral Sciences, Family Studies and Intervention Walden University February 2024

Lessons From Hospitality: Towards A Hybrid Model Of Senior Living Communities, Yunying Zhong, Tingting Zhang

Rosen Research Review

Old age gets most of us, and how we spend it should be meaningful. The hospitality sector could play a vital role in this regard. Senior living communities are big business in the U.S., but they face demands from residents, and the family and friends who visit them, for more than the traditional focus on healthcare. UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management researchers, Dr. YunYing Zhong, Dr. Tingting Zhang, and their co-author understand the connection between the senior living community and hospitality sectors; their research is giving impetus to a hybrid model that could benefit both.

Social Engagement, Social Networks, And Well-Being Of Older Adults By Gender And Marital Status, Rachel Wen Yi Ngu, Yi Wen Tan, Yan Er Tan, Wei Tin Hiah

ROSA Research Briefs

In this research brief, we explore the differences in well-being, social engagement, and social networks amongst groups of married and unmarried male and female older adults and discuss potential policy implications. Our study found that single older adult men fared significantly worse than their married counterparts and single older adult women across different aspects of social well-being, such as social engagement and social support. While this emphasizes the need for increased community efforts to engage men, especially single men, in social activities, specific outreach efforts may be required to better understand their needs and how community programmes can address them.

Enhancing Sell-Type Home Reversion Products For Retirement Financing, Koon Shing Kwong, Jing Rong Goh, Ting Lin Collin Chua

Research Collection School Of Economics

Loan-type reverse mortgage plans and sell-type home reversion plans for retirement financing are two well-known equity release plans that entitle homeowners not only to release cash from their properties but also to allow them to age in place. Recently, a new hybrid equity release plan was proposed to incorporate the home reversion plan’s features with an option of staying in the property for a fixed period without being subject to survival. This additional option provides flexibility to homeowners to better meet their retirement financial and personal needs by reducing the financial uncertainty of home reversion products. In this article, we …

Profiles Of Activity Engagement And Depression Trajectories As Covid-19 Restrictions Were Relaxed, Jonathan L. Chia, Andree Hartanto, William Tov

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Given elevated depression rates since the onset of the pandemic and potential downstream implications, this research examined the association between activity engagement and depression among middle-aged and older adults postlockdown. This study aimed to (a) identify activity engagement profiles among middle-aged and older adults, (b) understand factors associated with profile memberships, and (c) compare depression trajectories across profiles as COVID-19 restrictions eased over 16 months in Singapore. This longitudinal study involved 6,568 middle-aged and older adults. Latent growth analysis was first conducted to obtain estimates of depression trajectories for each individual. Latent profile analysis was then conducted to identify different …

Cognitive Functioning Among U.S. Older Adults Differs By Gender And Urbanicity, Elizabeth Lawrence, Samantha John, Tirth Bhatta

Population Health Research Brief Series

There are no widely accessible and effective medical therapies to prevent or treat Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias for the U.S. older adult population, making prevention of cognitive decline particularly important. Many social factors shape cognitive functioning, leading to disparities in cognitive functioning across groups and geographic areas. This data slice uses data from the Health Retirement Study to describe how cognitive functioning among adults ages 50+ differed by gender and across urban, suburban, and ex-urban areas in the U.S. from 1999-2016. The results show that cognitive functioning was higher among women than men, but these gender differences varied by …

Dukungan Sosial Dari Orang Tua Asuh Kepada Anak Berhadapan Dengan Hukum Dalam Proses Rehabilitasi Sosial, Muhamad Rizky Hidayat, Annisah Annisah, Dwi Amalia Chandra Sekar

Jurnal Ilmu Kesejahteraan Sosial

The social rehabilitation process in which children face legal conflict is not easy, especially when they are far from their families. This article aims to examine the forms and benefits of social support from foster parents to Children in Conflict with the Law (ABH) who are undergoing the process of social rehabilitation. Descriptive qualitative research was conducted at the Social Rehabilitation Center for Children who Need Special Protection (BRSAMPK). This research was conducted in March-July 2021. Data collection was carried out through in-depth interviews with 13 informants, consisting of children in conflict with the law, heads of social services and …

Strategies For Integrating Aging And Older Adulthood Into Counselor Training, Matthew C. Fullen, Jordan Westcott, Kailey Bradley, Natese R. Dockery, Jungeun Lee, Rumbidzai Mushunje, Afroze N. Shaikh

Adultspan Journal

Following recent changes to Medicare mental health law, counselors will have expanded opportunities to work with older adults. Historically, there has been a dearth of counselor training dedicated to counseling older adults, necessitating greater attention to understanding and applying best practices for preparing counselors to serve older adult clients. Looking to professions that have a longer history of serving older adults, specifically gerontology, social work, and geropsychology, we describe approaches to training counselors to work with older adults that may prove helpful for the counseling profession.

A Causal Discovery Exploration Of Determinants Of Social Isolation, Barry Nuqoba, Kenneth Choo, Yi Wen Tan, William Tov

ROSA Research Briefs

In this report, we explore the potential causes of social isolation among older adults in Singapore using causal discovery. We found an inferred causal relationship between perceived helpfulness and social isolation, where older adults who perceived themselves as helpful were less likely to perceive themselves as socially isolated. Our study also found that perceived isolation and loneliness may be distinct concepts among older adults in Singapore, with loneliness being more likely to precede social isolation. Policy recommendations include promoting a sense of helpfulness through programs such as volunteering to reduce social isolation.

沒有年齡的課室 : 成效評估研究報告, Meng Soi, Florence Fong, Chak Kwan, Dickon Chan, Ka Hing, Calvin Lau, Ka Chung, Tom Kwong

APIAS Research Report 研究報告

背景

香港人口老齡化的趨勢持續加劇，傳統的家庭照顧模式已難以滿足老年人和幼童在身心發展上的需求，需要探索新的跨代互助模式。因此，和悅社會企業於2023 年夏季舉辦了一項名為「沒有年齡的課室」的計劃（以下簡稱「計劃」/「課程」）。該課程旨在為長者及幼童提供共學的機會，推動跨代連結與互惠。為了更客觀地檢視「沒有年齡的課室」的實施情況與成效，以及探討在香港推行跨代共學的可行性，和悅社會企業委託嶺南大學亞太老年學研究中心對該課程進行了評估研究，並撰寫了此報告以供相關持分者參考。

研究方法

2. 研究採用定量研究及定性研究的數據收集和分析的混合研究法 (Mixed Methods) 進行。除了透過問卷調查和聚焦小組去收集參加者對課程的看法外，同時分析課程的數據、進行實地觀察，以及檢視相關文獻資料，從而更全面地瞭解整個課程的實施情況、對參與者的影響，以及探討計劃未來的發展方向。

研究結果

3. 本研究於2023年6月至9月期間成功對實驗組及對照組參加者進行了兩輪問卷調查，收集參加者的意見。調查結果顯示，長者及幼童的家長讓他們的孩子參與計劃的最主要原因是為了「想學習新知識 」(長者學員：72%；幼童：73%)，其次為「進行跨代接觸交流」 (長者學員：60%；幼童家長：54%)，第三個主要原因是可以「嘗試新事物」(長者學員：40%；幼童：54%)，以及可以「認識新朋友」 (長者學員：36%；幼童家長：50%)。至於計劃對參加者的影響方面，本研究透過比較實驗組 (即參加「沒有年齡的課室」的長者及幼童學員) 與對照組 (即課程無長幼共學成份)參加者在對雙方態度、自尊心及自信、社交技巧等方面的前後變化。從分析結果顯示，長幼學員在修畢本課程後，對彼此的態度 (長者學員對幼童態度：實驗組增長17%，對照組下降1%；幼童學員對長者態度：實驗組增長19%，對照組增長7%) 及幼童學員的社交技巧 (實驗組增長9%，對照組增長1%) 之增長達統計學顯著程度，足見本課程成功透過長幼共學的方式去改善長幼對彼此的觀感和態度。至於對課程的體驗方面，長者學員及幼童學員之家長均給予高度評價和評分，以1-7分為量表去評價，參加者普遍對課程感到十分滿意 (長者學員：平均分為6.07分；幼童學員：6.29分)、並表示若和悅社會企業日後舉行類似課程會再次參加(長者學員：平均分為5.33分；幼童學員：6.41分) 和向別人推薦此類課程 (長者學員：平均分為5.33分；幼童學員：6.29分)。概括而言，從統計結果反映了課程為參加者帶來很多正面影響，特別是長者或幼童態度之改善比沒有跨代共學成份的課程更為顯著。

4. 此外，本研究邀請了參與課程的長者、幼童家長、和推行「沒有年齡的課室」計劃的同工進行了3 場聚焦小組以深化對問卷調查結果，並進一步探討可如何改善計劃之推行及在社區推廣跨代共學的模式。從結果顯示，長幼學員透過參與本課程互相接觸及互動，增加彼此了解，使彼此的觀感及態度亦變得正面，達到促進跨代共融的目標。同時，幼童的社交技巧、接觸長者的動機及幼童的個人成長亦有所提升。長幼學員、課程導師及項目統籌人員均表示參加者能愉快地學習和十分享受參與本課程。

5. 從不同的的數據作綜合分析，促進「沒有年齡的課室」的成功因素包括: (i) 1對1的長幼配對，增加長幼學員之互動機會以便建立互信關係以及日後的情感聯繫； (ii) 課程時間節數安排要配合幼童的學習時間表 (如與暑假活動分開、每堂時數能讓幼童學員專心等) ；及 (iii) 招募適合的參加者，以其年齡、興趣喜好及性別進行配對 (如女性參加者明顯更為適合參與此類以幼童為對象的活動計劃)。

6. 關於課程的未來發展，研究建議推行機構可考慮以下5 個要點：(i) 除以1對1長幼配對外，亦可考慮同時加入1位長者對數名幼童，或1名幼童對數名長者的混合模式，這樣可以增加長幼學員與不同參加者的互動機會，進一步培養社交技巧；(ii) 可增加針對長者學員的課程內容 ，讓長者以學生身份投入各個課程活動；(iii) 讓一些能力比較高的長者參與課程設計及教材 (如讓長者準備自己過去相片與幼童分享過去時代點滴生活)，為長者充權；(iv) 微調課堂時間以配合長者的活動時間表 (如可參考現時日間長者中心的活動時間)；及 (v) 增加人手安排編制至5至8人，以便在推行活動過程中提供適時的支援 (如增設社工以應付課堂上幼童學員突發的情緒問題)。

總結

7. 綜合各種數數據證明「沒有年齡的課室」有效促進跨代共學與互助，為長者建立正面形象、提升他們的生活質素、亦能令幼童認識如何與長者溝通，改善社交技巧以及提升自尊感等。因此，其他長者服務機構、企業及教育團體可以仿傚此活動，在幼稚園 (即幼兒期) 便引入跨代共學的元素，促進代際間情感、知識與文化的傳遞，重塑「老吾老以及人之老，幼吾幼以及人之幼」的價值觀，建立一個強調代間互助和共融的社會。