{"title":"New Technology, Older Workers: How Workplace Technology is Associated with Indicators of Job Retention.","authors":"Leah Abrams, Daniel Schneider, Kristen Harknett","doi":"10.1080/08959420.2025.2523122","DOIUrl":"10.1080/08959420.2025.2523122","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Middle-aged and older adults who are employed in precarious, high-strain jobs may face challenges to continued work, risking economic insecurity and poor wellbeing in retirement. Technology in the workplace, an under-studied aspect of work environments, could accommodate aging workers or could add stress to their jobs. This study examines how technology in sales and surveillance at work are related to job satisfaction and planned job exits among approximately 6,000 workers aged 50-69 employed in the low-wage service sector (e.g. retail, pharmacy, grocery, hardware, fast food, casual dining, delivery, and hotel). On-the-job surveillance was related to lower job satisfaction and higher reports of looking for a new job, especially when combined with sanctioning for slow speed of work. However, rewards for speed, and to a lesser extent the use of leaderboards, were associated with higher job satisfaction, demonstrating the potential of technology to enhance the work experience for older employees. The use of sales technologies was not associated with job satisfaction or intentions to look for a new job. These results provide a uniquely detailed portrait of prevailing labor market conditions for aging workers in the service sector and demonstrate how certain kinds of technology matter for older workers' employment.</p>","PeriodicalId":47121,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Aging & Social Policy","volume":" ","pages":"635-651"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12310157/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144512549","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Teshome Kondale Gurara, Yekoyealem Desie, Margaret E Adamek
{"title":"\"Old Age is Like a Curse:\" Perspectives of Retired Pensioners on Late Life Precarity in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.","authors":"Teshome Kondale Gurara, Yekoyealem Desie, Margaret E Adamek","doi":"10.1080/08959420.2025.2568278","DOIUrl":"10.1080/08959420.2025.2568278","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Despite rapid population aging, the situation of older adults in Ethiopia has received limited attention from policymakers, leaving older adults with little to no social protection. To understand the impact of the lack of a basic income benefit, this study explored the perspectives of retired pensioners on late life precarity in Addis Ababa. An exploratory descriptive study using interviews and focus group discussions was conducted with 31 retirees age 60 + . Data were analyzed thematically. The findings highlight five major life challenges of retirees leading to precarious lives in Ethiopia: unattended health issues and unaffordable health care; absence of recreational places; lack of respect and feeling disengaged; vulnerable livelihoods; and overlooked value and contribution of older adults. The findings underscore the need to employ intersectional perspectives in future studies for better understanding of inequality and inequity in aging in resource-poor contexts. Furthermore, the findings underline the need for national policies aimed at improving the well-being and quality of life of both retirees and all older adults. By implementing a social protection policy, creating elder-focused community centers, and implementing sustainable income-generating initiatives, Ethiopia can ensure that older citizens receive the necessary support needed to thrive and enjoy a fulfilling late life.</p>","PeriodicalId":47121,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Aging & Social Policy","volume":" ","pages":"112-136"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145259596","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jacy Weems, Courtney Hawes, Amy E Meehan, Joan F Brazier, Elizabeth M White, Brian E McGarry, David C Grabowski, Momotazur Rahman, Emily A Gadbois
{"title":"Nursing Home Administrator Experiences Navigating the Changing Regulatory Environment During the COVID-19 Pandemic.","authors":"Jacy Weems, Courtney Hawes, Amy E Meehan, Joan F Brazier, Elizabeth M White, Brian E McGarry, David C Grabowski, Momotazur Rahman, Emily A Gadbois","doi":"10.1080/08959420.2026.2615771","DOIUrl":"10.1080/08959420.2026.2615771","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and state health agencies implemented numerous regulations for nursing homes addressing infection control and data reporting. This study explores interviews (<i>n</i> = 156) with administrators of 40 nursing homes across the U.S. between July 2020 and December 2021 to better understand their experiences with governmental agencies amid shifting regulatory standards, frequent inspections, and possible enforcement actions. Administrators highlighted confusion due to the evolving and sometimes conflicting guidance between state and federal agencies, although some states offered valuable COVID-19-specific assistance. They also described challenges in understanding and implementing new, frequently changing requirements, resulting in potential inspection deficiencies. Although enforcement actions, including financial penalties, are intended to deter noncompliance, administrators expressed concerns about added resource strain. Recommendations included increasing collaboration and data collection between regulatory agencies; reducing administrative burden during outbreaks and incorporating feedback from centers during regulatory changes; and increasing reimbursement to support compliance. Continued changes to oversight, including increased penalization and risk-based survey prioritization, should be evaluated to determine differential impacts on nursing home operations and resident care.</p>","PeriodicalId":47121,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Aging & Social Policy","volume":" ","pages":"795-812"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145960438","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Aging Cities, Aging Lives: A Comparative Study of Older Citizen Policy Preferences in Kolkata and Chennai, India.","authors":"Debashis Mitra","doi":"10.1080/08959420.2025.2528581","DOIUrl":"10.1080/08959420.2025.2528581","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>India's urban population is rapidly aging. By 2050, nearly 25% of India's population will be aged 60 and above, forcing cities to adapt their infrastructures and policies. This study examines how older citizens' healthcare, social security, and employment policy preferences differ between Kolkata, a city with rich historical significance and evolving infrastructure, and Chennai, a rapidly urbanizing city with expanding public services. Data from 914 respondents were analyzed using hierarchical modeling, indicating that older adults in Chennai support welfare and healthcare policies more than their counterparts in Kolkata. These findings provide actionable insights for policymakers to tailor city-specific interventions for aging populations in India.</p>","PeriodicalId":47121,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Aging & Social Policy","volume":" ","pages":"92-111"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144576658","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Changing Landscape of Older Adults' Living Arrangements in Iran.","authors":"Milad Bagi, Wang Zhenglian, Feng Qiushi","doi":"10.1080/08959420.2025.2568434","DOIUrl":"10.1080/08959420.2025.2568434","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Living arrangements of older people significantly impact their lives and well-being, but no studies to date have examined future changes among older adults in living arrangements in Middle Eastern Asia. This study employs the ProFamy method to project future changes in the living arrangements among older adults aged 65 years and older in Iran during 2016-2051. The results reveal substantial shifts in the living arrangements of older adults. Older households are expected to triple by 2051, especially among those aged 80 years and older. Moreover, over three million older adults are projected to live alone, including about 1.2 million aged 80+. Households comprising older couples with no co-residing kids are projected to triple as well. These trends call for proactive planning and policymaking in Iran, emphasizing the importance of developing a robust medical system, suitable housing, long-term care provision, family caregiver support, and public initiatives promoting active aging.</p>","PeriodicalId":47121,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Aging & Social Policy","volume":" ","pages":"158-177"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145281265","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Dementia Knowledge in Chinese Newspapers (2005-2020): A Topic Modeling Analysis.","authors":"Lin Chen, Felicia F Tian, Yu Fu, Eva Kahana","doi":"10.1080/08959420.2024.2348966","DOIUrl":"10.1080/08959420.2024.2348966","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>How public policies convey dementia is an important source of the public's understanding of dementia, and newspapers are critical to depicting and disseminating this information to the public. The present study used topic modeling strategies to analyze Chinese newspaper portrayals of dementia from 2005 to 2020 to trace changes in key areas of dementia knowledge in relevant policies. Using WiseNews, the largest Chinese media database, we chose 45 newspapers from mainland China and identified 12,719 articles related to dementia. Using latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA), we performed a topic modeling analysis and identified the six most prevalent topics on dementia across articles: lifestyle recommendations, neighborhood life, foundational scientific research, celebrity and media portrayals, dementia caregiving, and pharmaceutical innovations - all related to the dementia knowledge scale's four dimensions. Findings suggest a steady increase in the number of articles on dementia caregiving and a decline in lifestyle recommendations from 2005 to 2020. However, newspapers continued to stigmatize aging by regularly co-depicting dementia and old age and by using biased terminology. Among the first to investigate dementia's portrayals in mainland Chinese newspapers, this study illuminates the need for expanding mass media campaigns to raise the country's dementia knowledge to foster a dementia-inclusive society.</p>","PeriodicalId":47121,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Aging & Social Policy","volume":" ","pages":"37-53"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140871958","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Fostering Skills and Relief: Positive Spillover Effects Between Unpaid Caregiving and Paid Work.","authors":"Klara Raiber","doi":"10.1080/08959420.2025.2561425","DOIUrl":"10.1080/08959420.2025.2561425","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>With the expected rise in unpaid caregiving, many caregivers will have to combine care with employment. While most research finds negative spillovers between caregiving and employment, it is crucial to understand the factors under which caregiving has positive spillover effects. Analyzing Dutch retrospective data from the Longitudinal Internet Studies for the Social science (3,543 caregiving situations of 2,042 caregivers), this study examined how factors from the work environment and the caregiving situation are related to two positive spillovers, namely learned skills from caregiving for paid work and employment being a relief from caregiving. Results from multilevel models show that a working environment with high flexibility compared to no flexibility was related to more skill learning and relief. Further, we found that more understanding of managers and colleagues was related to learning skills, while managers and colleagues knowing about caregiving was linked to feeling relief. More diverse caregiving tasks were associated with more skills learned for paid work and more relief felt. These findings can guide state or firm-based policies to not only prevent negative but also foster positive spillovers.</p>","PeriodicalId":47121,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Aging & Social Policy","volume":" ","pages":"754-770"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145379438","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Douglas R Whitman, Robert Weech-Maldonado, Ganisher Davlyatov, Nathaniel Carroll, Amy Landry, Pia Bisakha Sen
{"title":"The Relationship Between Registered Nurse (RN) Skill Mix and QM Star Ratings in Nursing Homes.","authors":"Douglas R Whitman, Robert Weech-Maldonado, Ganisher Davlyatov, Nathaniel Carroll, Amy Landry, Pia Bisakha Sen","doi":"10.1080/08959420.2026.2613192","DOIUrl":"10.1080/08959420.2026.2613192","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Nursing homes are under immense pressure to improve quality. The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a relationship between registered nurse (RN) skill mix (proportion of RN hours among all nursing staff hours) and higher quality measure (QM) star ratings. Data sets from 2021-2022 were utilized from the American Community Survey, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Medicare Cost Reports, Payroll-Based Journal, and Care Compare. The final analytic sample was 14,556 unique nursing homes. Ordered logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between RN skill mix (independent variable) and QM star ratings (dependent variable). The study found that RN skill mix is positively associated with QM star ratings. For a 1% increase in RN proportion, the odds of being in a higher QM star rating category increase by 4% (OR = 1.04, <i>p</i> < .001). This study fills two significant gaps in prior literature by relying on more accurate nurse labor hours through electronic payroll records vs. self-reported data, and by using the government standard of 15 quality measures vs. a few selected metrics. The results have implications for policymakers to incentivize improved quality, and for nursing home administrators to improve QM star ratings.</p>","PeriodicalId":47121,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Aging & Social Policy","volume":" ","pages":"875-893"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145960480","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Micah Segelman, Kristie A Porter, Angela Gasdaska, Galina Khatutsky, Zhanlian Feng, Nathan Rowan, Denise A Tyler
{"title":"Nursing Homes Struggled with Maintaining Staffing and Disparities Widened During the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic.","authors":"Micah Segelman, Kristie A Porter, Angela Gasdaska, Galina Khatutsky, Zhanlian Feng, Nathan Rowan, Denise A Tyler","doi":"10.1080/08959420.2025.2563440","DOIUrl":"10.1080/08959420.2025.2563440","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Nursing homes have historically struggled to maintain adequate nurse staffing. We analyzed Payroll Based Journal data linked to other publicly available sources and conducted interviews to understand changes in nurse staffing between 2019 and 2020. We found large declines in total staffing hours, but slight increases in staffing measured as hours per resident day (HPRD). Staffing was nonetheless a major challenge for nursing homes because they required increased staffing due to the impact of the pandemic. Nursing homes in higher quartiles of percentage of racial/ethnic minority residents served lost more nurse staffing HPRD relative to nursing homes in the lowest quartile of minority residents. Mitigating disparities between nursing homes is central to strengthening the workforce and improving care delivered in nursing homes. Policymakers may consider policies to address the outcome disparities resulting from COVID-19 by considering more targeted resources to nursing homes in underserved areas where these health disparities are more prominent.</p>","PeriodicalId":47121,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Aging & Social Policy","volume":" ","pages":"771-794"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145138919","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Inequalities in Unmet Needs for Healthcare Services Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults in China.","authors":"Yanshang Wang, Xinfeng Wang, Xin Ye","doi":"10.1080/08959420.2024.2422674","DOIUrl":"10.1080/08959420.2024.2422674","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Unmet needs for healthcare services are widely recognized as an indicator of inequalities in healthcare access and utilization. This study estimated inequalities in unmet needs for healthcare services as well as their contributing factors and reasons among middle-aged and older adults in China. Results indicated that 30.47% and 5.69% of the middle-aged and older population in China reported unmet needs for outpatient and inpatient services, respectively. Mostly pro-poor inequalities concerned unmet needs for both rural and urban residents. The coverage of public health insurance and individuals' health status contributed most to the inequalities in the unmet needs identified. The most prevalent reason for unmet needs was affordability, especially for poor or rural respondents. Despite the rapid development of universal healthcare, unmet needs for healthcare services still existed and remained high among people living in rural areas and with low incomes in China. Policy interventions should focus on improving the public health insurance system and targeting financial barriers to obtaining care, particularly vulnerable populations in China.</p>","PeriodicalId":47121,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Aging & Social Policy","volume":" ","pages":"259-276"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142629821","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}