Glory H Thai, Sheran Rivette, JoAnn Sharman, Fayron Epps, Sara Masoud
{"title":"Dementia Caregiver Experiences: Insights From a Telephone-Based Support Program.","authors":"Glory H Thai, Sheran Rivette, JoAnn Sharman, Fayron Epps, Sara Masoud","doi":"10.1177/07334648241234745","DOIUrl":"10.1177/07334648241234745","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Dementia caregivers face daunting challenges as both the oldest subpopulation of those providing unpaid care and the most at risk of adverse health outcomes as a result of their role, including depression, anxiety, and increased mortality. To better understand the experiences and needs of dementia caregivers, a qualitative content analysis was conducted of secondary data extracted from call logs (<i>N</i> = 569) recorded by a provider-initiated, telephone-based support program. Experiences identified from the call logs were coded, categorized, and ranked to determine the most prevalent dementia caregiving-related experiences. Features of the program, particularly the semi-structured call format and directionality of calls, helped to uniquely capture common experiences of family caregivers and their day-to-day concerns. Findings from this analysis reflect the high prevalence of caregiver mental and emotional health-related concerns. This analysis supports the development of interventions that align with the experiences of dementia caregivers.</p>","PeriodicalId":47970,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Gerontology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140066008","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Romy Engelbrecht, Sunil Bhar, Helen Shoemark, Bradley Elphinstone, Joseph Ciorciari
{"title":"Reminiscence Therapy and Music With Older Adults: A Descriptive Study Investigating the Current Views and Practices of Australian Aged Care Providers and Volunteers.","authors":"Romy Engelbrecht, Sunil Bhar, Helen Shoemark, Bradley Elphinstone, Joseph Ciorciari","doi":"10.1177/07334648241236236","DOIUrl":"10.1177/07334648241236236","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Reminiscence therapy and music are often used to improve the wellbeing of older people; however, we do not know how these interventions are used in practice. This study explored how those working with older people view and use verbal Reminiscence Therapy (VRT) and Music-assisted Reminiscence Therapy (MRT). A total of 110 participants who worked or volunteered with older people in Australia were surveyed in this descriptive, mixed-method study. VRT and MRT were frequently and spontaneously used to respond to the varied needs of older adults. VRT and MRT lead to reported positive outcomes including better care practices, positive affect and mood, and improved social connections. MRT was used as a compensatory strategy when traditional VRT was not possible. This study describes the current practices of VRT and MRT, and an overview of how reminiscence-based approaches are used in Australia to address the health and wellbeing of older people.</p>","PeriodicalId":47970,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Gerontology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11323432/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139997867","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Madelyn Purchase, Éric R Thériault, Brooke Collicutt
{"title":"Ageism Healthcare: Implications for the Psychological Well-Being of Atlantic Canadian Healthcare Professionals.","authors":"Madelyn Purchase, Éric R Thériault, Brooke Collicutt","doi":"10.1177/07334648241237099","DOIUrl":"10.1177/07334648241237099","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ageism in healthcare is related to poor outcomes for older patients. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationships between ageism and various aspects of the psychological well-being of healthcare professionals in Atlantic Canada. In 2023, an online survey of 294 healthcare professionals from various disciplines was conducted. This survey included items to measure expectations of aging, stress, burnout, emotional dissonance, and well-being. Results indicated that aging expectations were significantly related to burnout, perceived stress, well-being, and emotional dissonance. With the use of a path analysis, emotional dissonance partially mediated relationships between burnout and well-being with stress. However, aging expectations did not significantly predict emotional dissonance. Differences were found across professional groups on ageism. Conclusions support the need for increased awareness to the relationship between ageist attitudes and professionals' well-being, as well as the need for education and interventions to reduce false expectations about the aging process.</p>","PeriodicalId":47970,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Gerontology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11323431/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140177178","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Iveris L Martinez, Elaine Acosta Gonzalez, Leah Black
{"title":"Services for Latino Family Dementia Caregivers: Is the Workforce Prepared?","authors":"Iveris L Martinez, Elaine Acosta Gonzalez, Leah Black","doi":"10.1177/07334648241234982","DOIUrl":"10.1177/07334648241234982","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The American healthcare system is ill-fitted to meet the needs of the growing population with Alzheimer's and Related Dementias (ADRD) and their caregivers, which disproportionately affects Latinos. This paper describes the caregiving process for Latino patients with ADRD from the perspective of caregivers and service providers to reveal service areas in need of improvement. Ten providers and 24 Latino caregivers were interviewed through the Miami-Dade County Aging Network. Interviews were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Five themes emerged: lack of social service connectivity, case management challenges, unmet mental health needs, language barriers, and the need for alternative service models. Our analysis indicates insufficient training and the need to improve dementia competencies, support strategies, and understanding of cultural nuances among service providers. These findings can help inform the development of a required ADRD provider education curriculum that incorporates cultural competency training to improve the quality and effectiveness of care.</p>","PeriodicalId":47970,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Gerontology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140060859","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Othelia EunKyoung Lee, Kwi Ok Nah, Eun Mi Kim, Namkee G Choi, Do-Hyung Park
{"title":"Exploring the Use of Socially Assistive Robots Among Socially Isolated Korean American Older Adults.","authors":"Othelia EunKyoung Lee, Kwi Ok Nah, Eun Mi Kim, Namkee G Choi, Do-Hyung Park","doi":"10.1177/07334648241236081","DOIUrl":"10.1177/07334648241236081","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This pilot study explored whether a socially assistive robot (SAR) would have positive effects on Korean American immigrant older adults' health behaviors and emotional well-being and whether the older adults would be receptive to the SAR. A total of 30 participants (age 65+) in a large metropolitan area participated in the study, and each participant was provided a SAR named Hyodol for 4 months and interacted with it in ways that they saw appropriate. We used one-group pre- and post-test design to assess changes between baseline and follow-up in medication adherence, depressive symptoms, loneliness, and disability. Additionally, we employed in-depth qualitative interviews to explore participants' perceptions about the SAR. At post-test, participants showed improved medication adherence, reduced depressive symptoms, and a slightly and statistically nonsignificant decrease in loneliness scores. Qualitative data suggested high adoptability of this particular SAR among the participants.</p>","PeriodicalId":47970,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Gerontology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139974039","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dan Totzkay, Julia Daisy Fraustino, Lisa M Costello, Christine E Kunkle
{"title":"Healthcare provider Communication and Data-Informed Message Strategies for Encouraging Older Adults to Stay up to Date on COVID-19 Vaccination.","authors":"Dan Totzkay, Julia Daisy Fraustino, Lisa M Costello, Christine E Kunkle","doi":"10.1177/07334648241238314","DOIUrl":"10.1177/07334648241238314","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Older adults are a high in risk of severe COVID-19 disease outcomes and experience \"vaccine hesitancy.\" Guided by health communication models such as the Reasoned Action Approach and the Extended Parallel Process Model, online surveys designed to inform statewide public health communication efforts were administered in West Virginia, a primarily rural and fully Appalachian state, in Winter 2021 (<i>n</i> = 272) and Fall 2022 (<i>n</i> = 248). Adults ages 50+ years (<i>N</i> = 520) reported attitudes, intentions, and behaviors regarding COVID-19 vaccination and their related patient-provider communication. Vaccine usefulness/safety, perceived effectiveness, and subjective norms predicted behavior while perceived severity, efficacy, and usefulness/safety predicted intention to get a booster, specifically the updated Fall 2022 Omicron (bivalent) booster. As patient-provider communication (which a minority reported receiving) was a strong predictor of behavioral outcomes, characteristics of effective healthcare provider communication and considerations for public message construction are discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":47970,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Gerontology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140307398","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Emma K Tsui, Marita LaMonica, Kathrin Boerner, Sherry Baron
{"title":"\"A Major Issue\": The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on How Home Care Leaders Perceive and Promote Aides' Mental Health and Well-Being.","authors":"Emma K Tsui, Marita LaMonica, Kathrin Boerner, Sherry Baron","doi":"10.1177/07334648241236245","DOIUrl":"10.1177/07334648241236245","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Home care aides play a critical role in the care of older adults, but they do this under difficult working conditions. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated aides' stress and worsened their mental health, raising the question of how agencies can better support aides. We explore how home care industry leaders in New York perceived and addressed home care aides' mental health and well-being prior to and during the pandemic through in-depth interviews conducted in 2019 (<i>n</i> = 8 agencies) and 2022 (<i>n</i> = 14 agencies). We found that these topics became more central in leaders' thinking, reflected in a range of new internally and externally funded agency actions, albeit limited by ongoing financial constraints. Maintaining a skilled and reliable aide workforce is critical to societal health but will remain challenging without continued investment in aide support of the kind described in the Surgeon General's Framework for Workplace Mental Health and Well-Being.</p>","PeriodicalId":47970,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Gerontology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139984214","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Xue Bai, Jia-Jia Zhou, Chi Ko Lee, Vincent W P Lee, Daniel W L Lai
{"title":"Personal Competence or Environmental Characteristics? Factors Influencing Happiness among Ageing Adults in Hong Kong Around the Period of COVID-19 Pandemic.","authors":"Xue Bai, Jia-Jia Zhou, Chi Ko Lee, Vincent W P Lee, Daniel W L Lai","doi":"10.1177/07334648241234995","DOIUrl":"10.1177/07334648241234995","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Drawing upon person-environment fit perspective, this study examines the joint and interactive influences of personal competence and environmental characteristics on the happiness of ageing adults around the period of COVID-19 pandemic. Data was collected in two rounds, before and during the pandemic, with 2,028 participants aged 55 years and older in Hong Kong. Personal competence encompassed financial status, physical health, and mental capital, while environmental characteristics included experiences of ageism, perceived social conditions, and age-friendly policies. Ordinary least squares regression was used to examine personal and environmental influences on happiness. Results indicated a significant decline in happiness following the onset of COVID-19 pandemic. Mental capital was found to have the strongest positive influence on happiness, followed by physical health, financial status, and social conditions. Mental capital mitigated the negative relationship between experiences of ageism and happiness. Practical interventions are informed to improve the well-being of ageing adults during pandemic.</p>","PeriodicalId":47970,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Gerontology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139984216","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Menny Malka, Offer E Edelstein, Ephrat Huss, Rivka Hillel Lavian
{"title":"Boosting Resilience: Photovoice as a Tool for Promoting Well-Being, Social Cohesion, and Empowerment Among the Older Adult During the COVID-19 Pandemic.","authors":"Menny Malka, Offer E Edelstein, Ephrat Huss, Rivka Hillel Lavian","doi":"10.1177/07334648241234488","DOIUrl":"10.1177/07334648241234488","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This paper examines how older adults who participated in an online photovoice-based group intervention program reported their experience. In a qualitative-phenomenological study, in which 13 older-adult people participated, data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews and analyzed through content analysis. The findings point to three central themes: a) Challenges-technical difficulties, difficulties in finding a subject for photography, investing time in photography, and an emotional-intellectual effort to put their experience into photography; b) Growth: New knowledge and skills-acquiring new knowledge, acquiring skills, experiencing skills regardless of age, and empowerment; c) Meaning-reflexivity, the ability to project feelings onto images, connection to the outside world, mindfulness, ability to choose, creativity, and critical consciousness. The findings share the way in which the use of creative visual engagement with photography contributed to coping with various challenges and enabled various gains within the process among the older-adult participants.</p>","PeriodicalId":47970,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Gerontology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139933626","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lucas Nogueira de Carvalho Pelegrini, Diana Quirino Monteiro, Rosalina Aparecida Partezani Rodrigues
{"title":"The Association of Levels of Mindfulness on the Cognitive Performance of Community-Dwelling, Low-Educated Older Adults From a Middle-Income Country.","authors":"Lucas Nogueira de Carvalho Pelegrini, Diana Quirino Monteiro, Rosalina Aparecida Partezani Rodrigues","doi":"10.1177/07334648241235498","DOIUrl":"10.1177/07334648241235498","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Limited information exists on the potential link between levels of mindfulness and cognitive performance in seniors with low education. This cross-sectional study aims to explore the association between mindfulness levels and cognitive performance in older adults with different years of education. Participants were grouped by education levels and assessed for cognitive performance (ACE-R; Digit Span test), levels of mindfulness (Langer Mindfulness Scale-21), and depressive symptoms (Geriatric Depression Scale-15). Group comparisons, correlations, and linear and logistic regression analyses were conducted (<i>p</i> < .05). Cognitive performance, mindfulness levels, and depressive symptoms differed between groups, and correlations were found between mindfulness levels, ACE-R, and Digit Span scores. After controlling for education, the association between mindfulness levels and ACE-R performance remained significant. Logistic regression revealed that higher education and mindfulness levels increased the likelihood of scoring above the ACE-R cut-off. This study underscores the association between levels of mindfulness and cognitive performance in older adults.</p>","PeriodicalId":47970,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Gerontology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140319492","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}