Gerontology Commons^™

The Difference In Perception Of Gerotranscendence Between College Students And Healthy, Community-Dwelling Older Adults, Duc Viet Lai

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Within the field of gerontology, some notable attempts to explain the aging process include activity theory, disengagement theory, Erikson's eight stages model, and socioemotional selectivity theory. The theory of gerotranscendence, recently developed by Lars Tornstam (1989), incorporates some aspects of these theories, and seeks to provide an overarching theme to the process of aging. The theory of gerotranscendence explains a shift in meta-perspective that a person experiences as they live, from a more materialistic and pragmatic view of the world to a more cosmic and transcendent one. Corresponding with this shift, the gerotranscendent individual exhibits certain behaviors, some of which …

A Life Span Approach To The Relationship Between Cholesterol, Late Onset Alzheimer’S Disease, And Cognitive Functioning Among Older Adults, Brian Downer

Theses and Dissertations--Gerontology

There is evidence that cholesterol presents an important risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), but the direction of this relationship is modified by age. High cholesterol during midlife and low cholesterol during late life are both associated with an increased risk for AD. This dissertation research engaged a life span approach to study the relationship between cholesterol, AD and cognitive functioning among older adults. The purpose of this research was to determine if trajectories of cholesterol from midlife through late life differ according to AD status and if these trajectories are associated with cognitive functioning during old age.

This research …

The Effects Of Geriatric Sexual Orientation On Caregiver Reactions To Resident Sexual Behavior Within Long-Term Care Facilities, Andrew Jonathan Ahrendt

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Within the paucity of literature regarding older adult sexuality, a larger dearth exists concerning biases of long-term care facility staff toward gay and lesbian older adult residents. Prior literature has documented that LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) individuals' perceive that they do not receive the same quality of care as that of heterosexual individuals within long-term care facilities. Thus researchers aimed to evaluate whether these biases truly exist within care facilities that can prevent holistic care from being comprehensively provided to everyone regardless of sexual orientation. 153 residential care facility staff members from two separate facilities read one of …

Resident And Community Characteristics Report 2014: Assisted Living, Residential Care, Memory Care, Paula C. Carder, Jacklyn Nicole Kohon, Aubrey Limburg, Maximilian West, Amanuel Zimam, Kenneth Gordon Neal

Institute on Aging Publications

This report provides an overview of community-based care settings in Oregon. The results presented here are derived from surveys completed by 243 facilities serving 9,485 residents. Key changes between the 2008 OOHPR survey and 2014 include:

• Compared to 2008, the number of facilities increased by 13%, with the largest growth in MCCs (41%).
• The proportion of for-profit facilities and facilities managed by a third party increased from 2008 by 8%.
• The acuity level of residents increased on most measures compared to 2008.
• Compared to 2008, residents across all three community types required more assistance with ADLs and used more health …

Falls Among The Elderly: Multi-Factorial Community-Based Falls- Prevention Programs, Ray Marks

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Texas Silver-Haired Legislature Foundation Archives 2015-2023 Inventory And Correspondence, Texas Silver-Haired Legislature

Texas Silver-Haired Legislature

Texas Silver-Haired Legislature Foundation Archives, 2015-2023 inventory and correspondence.

Medication Management Services Offered In U.S. Residential Care Communities, Lisa L. Dwyer, Paula C. Carder, Lauren D. Harris-Kojetin

Institute on Aging Publications

Using data from the 2010 National Survey of Residential Care Facilities, this study estimated the percentage of U.S. residential care communities (RCCs) offering selected medication management services (MMS) and examined differences in prevalence by community characteristics. The most common services were central storage for medications and cueing residents, while the least common were administering injections and intravenous medications. Medication reminders, helping residents take medications, and administering drops/topical ointments and injections varied by RCC characteristics. Characteristics most commonly associated with these differences are size, purposefully built status, nursing hours, and availability of a physician or pharmacist to review medication appropriateness. Understanding …

Aging In Falmouth: Assessing Current And Future Needs Of Our Aging Population, Jan E. Mutchler, Bernard A. Steinman, Hayley Gleason, Caitlin E. Coyle

Gerontology Faculty Publication Series

This report describes the collaborative efforts undertaken by the Town of Falmouth Council on Aging Senior Center and the Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging, within the McCormack Graduate School at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Beginning in Spring 2013, these organizations joined to conduct a needs assessment to investigate the needs, interests, preferences and opinions of the Town’s older resident population, with respect to aging in Falmouth. The focus of this report is on two cohorts of Falmouth residents—those aged 45 to 59 (referred to as “Boomers”), and the cohort of individuals who are currently aged 60 …

Let’S Play: Understanding The Role And Significance Of Digital Gaming In Old Age, Julie A. Skalsky Brown

Theses and Dissertations--Gerontology

Despite a marked increase in the use of digital games among older persons, there is insufficient research that provides insight into the gaming experiences of this population. A major demographic shift within the senior gaming market has ushered in a new perspective on the use of digital games as a tool for physical and cognitive health, and improved socialization. It is proposed that individual notions of play, which are developed over the life course, influence digital game play engagement and interaction preferences, and contribute to well-being. This study explored how self-perceptions of play over the course of the senior gamer’s …

Examining The Risk And Protective Factors That Influence Falls Among Native American Older Adults, Kelly Winjum

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The risk factors for falls and the adverse outcomes of falls have been well documented among the general older adult population. However, fall frequency, fall risk factors, and fall outcomes have rarely been studied among minority groups specifically. Furthermore, to date there are no known studies that exclusively examine falls among Native American older adults. The purpose of this study is to examine falls among Native American older adults, in order to understand the risk and protective factors for falling among this population, and to develop recommendations for intervention. The theoretical framework of the Disablement Process guides this study. The …

Putting Retirement At Risk: Has Financial Risk Exposure Grown More Quickly For Older Households Than Younger Ones?, Christian Weller, Sara Bernardo

Gerontology Institute Publications

Financial markets have been characterized by boom and bust cycles since the 1980s, while the responsibility for managing retirement wealth has increasingly shifted onto individual households at the same time. Policymakers and experts have expressed concern over rising risk exposure among older households, who appear to be increasingly exposed to the growing financial risks just as they near retirement. We consider household data from the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances from 1989 to 2010 to analyze the correlation between age and risk exposure. We test if older households’ risk exposure has indeed grown over time, if it has increased …

Massachusetts Healthy Aging Data Report: Community Profiles, Elizabeth Dugan, Frank Porell, Nina Silverstein, Ruth Palombo, Stacey Mann

Gerontology Institute Publications

The Massachusetts Healthy Aging Data Report: Community Profiles was created by researchers at the Gerontology Institute of the John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston and commissioned by the Tufts Health Plan Foundation.

In this report, we have created a custom profile of nearly 100 healthy aging indicators for every city and town in Massachusetts including the 16 neighborhoods of Boston (367 Community Profiles). Each Community Profile is designed to help community residents, agencies, providers, and governments understand the older adults who live in their cities and towns – their ages, …

Evaluation Of The Jewish Community Housing For The Elderly Memory Support Initiative, Joan Hyde

Gerontology Institute Publications

Jewish Community Housing for the Elderly (JCHE) is a large, multi-campus organization that houses and serves 1,500 residents (80 market rate and 1,420 low income). The average age is 80 years old, with one-third of residents 85 and older. Three quarters of the residents are not native English speakers. Through HUD and other funding, JCHE offers a range of supports to these residents, including translators, interpreters and staff with language and cultural competence, meals, transportation and, through their Service Coordinators, facilitation of resident access to government benefits, home care and other services.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association’s 2012 special report …

Older Adults’ Contributions To The Tsimane Forager-Farmer Economy, Eric Schniter

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Portfolio of original photographs and an accompanying essay about the role of elders among the Tsimane, an indigenous group living in the Bolivian Amazon.

An Investigation Into The Psychological Impact Of Informal Aged Care: The Lived Experience Of Older Female Informal Aged Carers, Emma Stein

Theses : Honours

It has been estimated that 196,000 (38%) informal carers in Australia are aged over 65 years, with the majority of these carers providing care to someone in their own age group. In particular, it is women who have been providing most informal care. Recognition of this has highlighted women’s needs for psychological support in their caregiving roles. However, research into women’s experiences of this phenomenon is scarce. The present study aimed to explore the lived experiences of women in this context, asking the question “what are the perceived psychological impacts of aged care on older women who are informal carers?” …

Texas Silver-Haired Legislature Advisory Council Minutes, 2014-2015, Texas Silver-Haired Legislature

Texas Silver-Haired Legislature

Texas Silver-Haired Legislature Advisory Council Minutes, 2014-2015.

Grief, Loss And Stress Burden Among Spouse Caregivers Of The Person With Young-Onset Dementia, Sharbari Ganguly

Masters Theses

The effects of young/early-onset dementia are devastating not only for the person who has been diagnosed with young/early-onset dementia, but also for their primary caregivers (de Vugt & Verhey, 2013). The major aim of this study is to focus on the level of grief, loss, and stress burden that are associated with the partner or the spouse caregivers of someone with young-onset dementia. This study has used a previously unanalyzed set of data consisting of 55 partner or spouse young-onset dementia caregivers. Three instruments were used for data collection including the Marwit-Meuser Caregiver Grief Inventory (MMCGI), the Zarit Burden Interview …

Gender Differences In Self-Employment Of Older Workers In The United States And New Zealand, Angela L. Curl, Deanna L. Sharpe, Jack Noone

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study examined differences in self-employment of workers age 50+ in the United States (N = 3,948) and New Zealand (N = 1,434). Separate logistic regression analyses were conducted by country and gender. For both U.S. men and women, lower income, higher wealth, and having an employed spouse increased the likelihood of self-employment. Older age, lower income, higher wealth, and household composition increased the odds of being self-employed for men in New Zealand. Women in New Zealand were more likely to be self-employed if they were in a blue-collar occupation, had higher household wealth, higher education, and did not receive …

Making Space For Dying: Portraits Of Living With Dying, Elise Lark

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

In Making Space for Dying: Portraits of Living with Dying, I describe the everyday lived experience of dying and the care culture within freestanding, community-based, end-of-life residences (CBEOLR) utilizing portraiture and arts-based research. I craft four case studies into “portraits,” based on interviews, on-site visits, up-close observation, and field notes. In the person-centered portraits, I reveal the inner landscape of two terminally ill women, with data represented in poetry. In the place-centered portraits, I “map” the social topography of two CBEOLRs to illustrate how lives and care of the dying are emplaced, from the perspectives of community leaders, …

Characteristics Of Medicaid Clients In Assisted Living, Residential Care, Memory Care, And Adult Foster Homes 2013-2014, Paula C. Carder, Jacklyn Nicole Kohon, Sheryl Dejoy Elliott, Maximilian West, Amanuel Zimam, Margaret B. Neal

Institute on Aging Publications

In collaboration with the Aging and People with Disabilities (APD) program of Oregon’s Department of Human Services (DHS), Portland State University’s Institute on Aging generated this report of Medicaid clients living in community-based care (CBC) settings in the state of Oregon. The Oregon legislature appropriated funds for DHS to collect information about these community-based care providers which will allow DHS, providers, and the public to better understand characteristics of Medicaid clients living in different CBC settings.

This report is based on an analysis of Medicaid data provided by DHS. The study goals were to:

• describe Medicaid clients’ health-related needs, service …