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Seniors' Online Communities: A Quantitative Content Analysis.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
PURPOSE: To examine the contents and characteristics of seniors' online communities and to explore their potential benefits to older adults. DESIGN AND METHODS: Quantitative content analysis of a full year's data from 14 leading online communities using a novel computerized system. The overall database included 686,283 messages. RESULTS: There was a constant increase in the daily activity level during the research period. Content analysis identified 13 main subjects discussed in the communities, including (in descending order) "Fun on line," "Retirement," "Family," "Health," "Work and Study," "Recreation" "Finance," "R...
Source: The Gerontologist - November 16, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Nimrod G Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

The search for meaning in later life.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
THE SEARCH FOR MEANING IN LATER LIFE. Gerontologist. 2009 Oct 27; Authors: Moody HR PMID: 19861633 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: The Gerontologist)
Source: The Gerontologist - October 27, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Moody HR Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

Admitting that even peter pan grows old.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
ADMITTING THAT EVEN PETER PAN GROWS OLD. Gerontologist. 2009 Oct 27; Authors: Lawler K PMID: 19861634 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: The Gerontologist)
Source: The Gerontologist - October 27, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Lawler K Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

Minnesota's Nursing Facility Performance-Based Incentive Payment Program: An Innovative Model for Promoting Care Quality.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
PURPOSE: Minnesota's Nursing Facility Performance-Based Incentive Payment Program (PIPP) supports provider-initiated projects aimed at improving care quality and efficiency. PIPP moves beyond conventional pay for performance. It seeks to promote implementation of evidence-based practices, encourage innovation and risk taking, foster collaboration and shared learning, and establish a solid case for investing in better quality from the perspective of the state, providers, and consumers. We explain PIPP rationale and design, describe projects and participating facilities, and present findings from interviews with project ...
Source: The Gerontologist - October 20, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Cooke V, Arling G, Lewis T, Abrahamson KA, Mueller C, Edstrom L Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

Acceptability and Feasibility Results of a Strength-Based Skills Training Program for Dementia Caregiving Dyads.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This article highlights the merit of using a strength-based approach for working with caregiving dyads with dementia and how a single intervention protocol can be used to address the goals of both care partners. Furthermore, the intervention program was found to be highly acceptable and feasible, which is an important aspect of developing dyadic protocols. PMID: 19808841 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: The Gerontologist)
Source: The Gerontologist - October 5, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Judge KS, Yarry SJ, Orsulic-Jeras S Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

The Revised Direct Assessment of Functional Status for Independent Older Adults.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
PURPOSE: The original version of the Direct Assessment of Functional Status (DAFS), a measure of instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), was found to have a ceiling effect in older adults living independently in the community. This suggested that the tasks measured, although relevant, do not require full use of this population's abilities, and thus, the instrument may not be sensitive to the early decrements in IADLs that can signal initial cognitive impairment and may not detect improvements in IADLs over time, which is especially important in intervention research. DESIGN AND METHODS: By removing items with ...
Source: The Gerontologist - October 5, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: McDougall GJ, Becker H, Vaughan PW, Acee TW, Delville CL Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

Florida's Model of Nursing Home Medicaid Reimbursement for Disaster-Related Expenses.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study describes Florida's model of Medicaid nursing home (NH) reimbursement to compensate NHs for disaster-related expenses incurred as a result of 8 hurricanes within a 2-year period. This Florida model can serve as a demonstration for a national model for disaster-related reimbursement. DESIGN AND METHODS: Florida reimburses NHs for approved disaster-related costs through hurricane interim rate requests (IRRs). The state developed its unique Medicaid per diem rate temporary add-on by adapting its standard rate-setting reimbursement methodology. To understand the payment mechanisms and the costs that facilities incur...
Source: The Gerontologist - September 12, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Thomas KS, Hyer K, Brown LM, Polivka-West L, Branch LG Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

Use of and Satisfaction With Sources of Health Information Among Older Internet Users and Nonusers.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study gathered data from older adults to determine their health information needs, the perceived usefulness of sources of health information, and if there are differences in perceptions and use of health information between Internet users and nonusers. DESIGN AND METHODS: We conducted 9 focus groups-4 groups of Internet users (n = 27) and 5 groups of non-Internet users (n = 26)-to determine reasons for seeking health information, satisfaction with information, and use of the Internet to fulfill information needs. Data from focus groups were supplemented with questionnaire data. RESULTS: Those who do not use the Intern...
Source: The Gerontologist - September 8, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Taha J, Sharit J, Czaja S Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

The Development of a Conceptual Model for Understanding Elder Self-Neglect.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This article describes results from a study using concept mapping to create a conceptual model of ESN. Design and Methods: Two brainstorming sessions were convened with senior services program supervisors, geriatricians, local policy analysts and program planners, elder law practitioners, and university-based researchers (n = 20), and a list of 73 ESN indicators was generated. Using Concept Systems software, the 20 original panelists and an additional 30 practitioners, including case managers and supervisors from local agencies, social workers specializing in working with older adults, and elder abuse investigators, sorted...
Source: The Gerontologist - September 1, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Iris M, Ridings JW, Conrad KJ Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

Ten Years Down the Road: Predictors of Driving Cessation.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
PURPOSE: Recent prospective studies have found that cognition is a more salient predictor of driving cessation than physical performance or demographic factors among community-dwelling older adults. However, these studies have been limited to 5 years of follow-up. The current study used data from the Maryland Older Drivers Project to examine predictors of driving cessation in older adults over a 10-year period. DESIGN AND METHODS: Participants (N = 1,248) completed baseline and 5-year assessments of physical and cognitive abilities. Driving status was ascertained at baseline and annually thereafter. RESULTS: Cox propor...
Source: The Gerontologist - September 1, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Edwards JD, Bart E, O'Connor ML, Cissell G Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

Distance Learning: A Strategy for Improving Incontinence Care in Nursing Homes.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This article describes a distance learning model designed to help nursing homes implement incontinence management best practices. A basic premise is that translating research into practice requires both a feasible intervention and a dissemination strategy responsive to the target audience's needs. DESIGN AND METHODS: Over 8 months, nurse supervisors from 14 nursing homes in nine states learned how to implement prompted voiding during monthly 60- to 90-min teleconferences. Supervisors completed field assignments that required them to implement prompted voiding. Descriptive evaluation data were collected using a resident dat...
Source: The Gerontologist - August 30, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Rahman AN, Schnelle JF, Yamashita T, Patry G, Prasauskas R Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

The Aging Experience Across the Pacific.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
PMID: 19710353 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: The Gerontologist)
Source: The Gerontologist - August 25, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Zhan HJ Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

Effects of Guided Care on Family Caregivers.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
PURPOSE: Guided Care (GC) is a model of health care for multimorbid older adults that is provided by a registered nurse who works with the patients' primary care physician (PCP). The purpose of this study was to determine whether GC improves patients' primary caregivers' depressive symptoms, strain, productivity, and perceptions of the quality of care recipients' chronic illness care. DESIGN AND METHODS: A cluster-randomized controlled trial of GC was conducted within 14 PCP teams. The study sample included 196 primary caregivers who completed baseline and 18-month surveys and whose care recipients remained alive and e...
Source: The Gerontologist - August 25, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Wolff JL, Giovannetti ER, Boyd CM, Reider L, Palmer S, Scharfstein D, Marsteller J, Wegener ST, Frey K, Leff B, Frick KD, Boult C Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

Thinking Like Lawyers.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
PMID: 19710355 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: The Gerontologist)
Source: The Gerontologist - August 25, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Cohen ES Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

Aging and Parkinson's Disease: Personal Identification, Embodiment, and Experience with a Degenerative Disease.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
PMID: 19710356 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: The Gerontologist)
Source: The Gerontologist - August 25, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Dassel KB Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

Role for a Labor-Management Partnership in Nursing Home Person-Centered Care.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
PURPOSE: To investigate how a partnership between labor and management works to change the organization and focus of nursing home frontline work, supporting a transition toward person-centered care (PCC) in participating nursing homes. DESIGN AND METHODS: Using a participatory research approach, we conducted case studies of 2 nursing homes participating in a partnership between a labor union and a provider coalition. The study was designed to reveal whether and how the labor-management partnership supported PCC and to identify challenges to overcome in the future. RESULTS: The partnership provided training and follow-u...
Source: The Gerontologist - August 18, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Leutz W, Bishop CE, Dodson L Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

Predictors of Family Conflict at the End of Life: The Experience of Spouses and Adult Children of Persons with Lung Cancer.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
PURPOSE: Guided by an explanatory matrix of family conflict at the end of life, the purpose of this article was to examine the correlates and predictors of family conflict reported by 155 spouses and adult children of persons with lung cancer. DESIGN AND METHODS: A cross-sectional statewide survey of family members of persons who died from lung cancer was conducted as part of the larger study on the Assessment of Cancer CarE and SatiSfaction in Wisconsin. RESULTS: Significant bivariate correlations were found between family conflict and family context variables (i.e., a history of conflict, younger respondent age, race...
Source: The Gerontologist - August 10, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Kramer BJ, Kavanaugh M, Trentham-Dietz A, Walsh M, Yonker JA Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

Dynamics of Volunteering in Older Europeans.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
PURPOSE: To investigate the dynamics of volunteering in the population aged 50 years or older across 11 Continental European countries. DESIGN AND METHODS: Using longitudinal data from the first 2 waves of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe, we run multivariate regressions on a set of binary-dependent variables indicating transitions from active volunteering to inactivity and vice versa. RESULTS: Volunteer transitions were affected by both time-invariant individual resources and changes in individuals' resources. Moreover, we found that the societal context in which older persons live not only has a ...
Source: The Gerontologist - August 6, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Hank K, Erlinghagen M Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

End-of-Life Caregiver's Perspectives on their Role: Generative Caregiving.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
PURPOSE: To describe caregivers' constructions of their caregiving role in providing care to elders they knew were dying from life-limiting illnesses. DESIGN AND METHODS: Study involved in-depth interviews with 27 family caregivers. Data were analyzed using constant comparative analysis. RESULTS: Four categories were identified: centering life on the elder, maintaining a sense of normalcy, minimizing suffering, and gift giving. Generative caregiving was the term adopted to describe the end-of-life (EOL) caregiving role. Generative caregiving is situated in the present with a goal to enhance the elder's present quality ...
Source: The Gerontologist - August 2, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Phillips LR, Reed PG Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

Dementia and Transitioning From Assisted Living to Memory Care Units: Perspectives of Administrators in Three Facility Types.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study examines transitioning residents with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder (ADRD) from assisted living facilities (ALFs) to memory care units (MCUs) from the perspective of 3 ALF organizational models: freestanding ALFs, ALFs with MCUs, and ALFs in continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) with MCUs. DESIGN AND METHODS: In-depth interviews were conducted with 37 ALF administrators, representing the 3 ALF types. Grounded theory identified major themes. Thematic analysis organized content. The constant comparison method compared themes among ALF types. RESULTS: Administrators in freestanding ALFs were no...
Source: The Gerontologist - July 23, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Kelsey SG, Laditka SB, Laditka JN Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

Suicide Experiences Among Institutionalized Older Veterans in Taiwan.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Purpose Institutionalized veterans in Taiwan are a high-risk group for completing suicide due to their institutionalization and social minority status. The purpose of this study was to understand the suicide experiences, especially the triggers of suicide in this group. Design and Methods Data about suicide experiences were collected from 19 older (>/=65 years) residents who had attempted suicide in four veterans' homes in Taiwan from 2006 to 2007. Transcripts from 26 tape-recorded interviews were analyzed by thematic analysis. Results Five major themes related to suicide triggers were identified: illness and pain, ...
Source: The Gerontologist - July 12, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Ku YC, Tsai YF, Lin YC, Lin YP Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

Reforming Long-Term Care in the United States: Findings From a National Survey of Specialists.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
PURPOSE: Theories of the policy process recognize that policy proposals are typically generated, debated, redrafted, and accepted for consideration through the gradual accumulation of knowledge within communities of specialists. Thus, to inform long-term care (LTC) reform efforts, we conducted a Web-based survey of 1,147 LTC specialists nationwide. DESIGN AND METHODS: Survey respondents included consumer advocates, provider representatives, public officials, policy experts, and others with experience in LTC. Administration took place between September 2007 and March 2008 and addressed prevailing challenges and options ...
Source: The Gerontologist - July 12, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Miller EA, Mor V, Clark M Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

Primary Care Physicians' Dementia Care Practices: Evidence of Geographic Variation.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This article explores primary care physicians' (PCPs) self-reported approaches and barriers to management of patients with dementia, with a focus on comparisons in dementia care practices between PCPs in 2 states. DESIGN AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, questionnaires were mailed to 600 randomly selected licensed PCPs in Connecticut and to all 1,017 licensed PCPs in Maine. RESULTS: A total of 422 eligible PCPs responded. Nearly 90% of PCPs prescribed donepezil in the previous year for their dementia patients. Connecticut PCPs were more likely to prescribe several other therapeutics than their Maine counterparts....
Source: The Gerontologist - July 12, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Fortinsky RH, Zlateva I, Delaney C, Kleppinger A Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

Do Sedentary Older Adults Benefit From Community-Based Exercise? Results From the Active Start Program.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study assessed the effectiveness of Active Start, a community-based behavior change and fitness program, designed to promote physical activity among sedentary community-dwelling older adults. DESIGN AND METHODS: A quasi-experimental design was used. Data were analyzed using a within-group pretest-post-test design to calculate changes in the intervention group and changes in the waitlist comparison group. Further analyses were conducted after the comparison group completed the intervention. Paired t tests were employed to analyze unadjusted mean changes in physical performance measures from pretest to post-test. Repeat...
Source: The Gerontologist - July 9, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Yan T, Wilber KH, Aguirre R, Trejo L Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

The Stigma of Hearing Loss.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
PURPOSE: To explore dimensions of stigma experienced by older adults with hearing loss and those with whom they frequently communicate to target interventions promoting engagement and positive aging. DESIGN AND METHODS: This longitudinal qualitative study conducted interviews over 1 year with dyads where one partner had hearing loss. Participants were naive to or had not worn hearing aids in the past year. Data were analyzed using grounded theory, constant comparative methodology. RESULTS: Perceived stigma emerged as influencing decision-making processes at multiple points along the experiential continuum of hearing lo...
Source: The Gerontologist - July 9, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Wallhagen MI Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

The Psychosocial Impacts of Multimedia Biographies on Persons With Cognitive Impairments.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study demonstrates the feasibility of using readily available digital video technology to produce MBs that hold special meaning for individuals experiencing AD or MCI and their families. PMID: 19592639 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: The Gerontologist)
Source: The Gerontologist - July 9, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Damianakis T, Crete-Nishihata M, Smith KL, Baecker RM, Marziali E Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

Practice Concepts Expansion to Practice Concepts and Policy Analysis.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
PMID: 19589918 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: The Gerontologist)
Source: The Gerontologist - July 8, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Piercy KW, McAuley WJ Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

Use of Pressure-Redistributing Support Surfaces Among Elderly Hip Fracture Patients Across the Continuum of Care: Adherence to Pressure Ulcer Prevention Guidelines.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this study of hip fracture patients, adherence to guidelines for PRSS use was low and was based more on facility-related factors than on patient risk. There is an urgent need for health care providers to improve strategies for the prevention of pressure ulcers in high-risk patients. PMID: 19587108 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: The Gerontologist)
Source: The Gerontologist - July 7, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Baumgarten M, Margolis D, Orwig D, Hawkes W, Rich S, Langenberg P, Shardell M, Palmer MH, McArdle P, Sterling R, Jones PS, Magaziner J Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

Patient Satisfaction, Empowerment, and Health and Disability Status Effects of a Disease Management-Health Promotion Nurse Intervention Among Medicare Beneficiaries With Disabilities.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Purpose: To report the impact on patient and informal caregiver satisfaction, patient empowerment, and health and disability status of a primary care-affiliated disease self-management-health promotion nurse intervention for Medicare beneficiaries with disabilities and recent significant health services use. Design and Methods: The Medicare Primary and Consumer-Directed Care Demonstration was a 24-month randomized controlled trial that included a nurse intervention. The present study (N = 766) compares the nurse (n = 382) and control (n = 384) groups. Generalized linear models for repeated measures, linear regression, ...
Source: The Gerontologist - July 7, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Friedman B, Wamsley BR, Liebel DV, Saad ZB, Eggert GM Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

Differential Sensitivity to Administration Format of Measures of Attitudes Toward Older Adults.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
PURPOSE: Reluctance to reveal sensitive or socially undesirable attitudes has posed a problem for measurement of personal attributes such as attitudes toward older people. These have long been documented to be negative and likely arise both from fears of one's own aging and the modern societal emphasis on youth. In order to increase our knowledge about the measurement of attitudes toward older people, we compared the administration of attitude measures toward older people by computer and conventional paper-and-pencil methods. DESIGN AND METHODS: We contrasted the responses of 60 university undergraduates (mean age 24.3...
Source: The Gerontologist - July 1, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Helmes E, Campbell A Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

Caregiver Mental Health and Potentially Harmful Caregiving Behavior: The Central Role of Caregiver Anger.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
PURPOSE: Caregivers feeling stress and experiencing mental health problems can be at risk for engaging in abusive acts against elderly care recipients. Potentially harmful behavior (PHB) was used as a measure of caregivers' engagement in, or fear of engagement in, behavior that places dependent care recipients at risk of physical and/or psychological maltreatment and may be seen as an antecedent of, or a proxy for, identifiably abusive behavior. The study examined the ability of anger to mediate and moderate the relations of depression, resentment, and anxiety with PBH. DESIGN AND METHODS: Data are from the first wave ...
Source: The Gerontologist - July 1, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Macneil G, Kosberg JI, Durkin DW, Dooley WK, Decoster J, Williamson GM Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

Measuring End-of-Life Care Processes in Nursing Homes.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study offers a new validated tool for measuring EOL care processes in nursing homes. Our findings suggest wide variations in care processes across facilities, which in part may stem from lack of gold standards for EOL practice in nursing homes. PMID: 19574538 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: The Gerontologist)
Source: The Gerontologist - July 1, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Temkin-Greener H, Zheng NT, Norton SA, Quill T, Ladwig S, Veazie P Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

Quits and Job Changes Among Home Care Workers in Maine: The Role of Wages, Hours, and Benefits.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study investigates the impact of wages, hours, and benefits on the retention of home care workers. DESIGN AND METHODS: Using a 2-wave survey design and a sample of home care workers from Maine, the factors associated with turnover intentions, actual turnover, and job-to-job transitions are examined. The analysis uses actual data on hours, wages, and benefits at current and subsequent jobs and controls for perceived rewards and work conditions, personal characteristics, and local labor market conditions. RESULTS: Although the analysis finds that improved work conditions and non-pecuniary rewards of home-based direct ca...
Source: The Gerontologist - July 1, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Morris L Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

Understanding Patterns of Service Utilization Among Informal Caregivers of Community Older Adults.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
PURPOSE: The article seeks to identify patterns of service utilization among informal caregivers of frail older adults. In particular, the study examined determinants that explain heterogeneous variations in caregivers' service use patterns. Methods: Using a latent class analysis (LCA) on the 2004 National Long-Term Care Survey and Informal Caregiver data (n = 1,908), this study classifies overall patterns of caregiver service utilization: financial information, support group, respite service, day care or senior center, personal or nursing care, housework, meal delivery, transportation, house modification, and assistiv...
Source: The Gerontologist - July 1, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Hong SI Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

Recruiting Older Adults Into a Physical Activity Promotion Program: Active Living Every Day Offered in a Naturally Occurring Retirement Community.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This article explores recruitment strategies based on the transtheoretical model (TTM) with older adults living in a naturally occurring retirement community (NORC) to encourage enrollment in a physical activity promotion program, Active Living Every Day (ALED). Reasons for participation or nonparticipation are identified. DESIGN AND METHODS: Recruitment strategies were designed to move older adults through the TTM stages of change to enroll in ALED and were built on meetings and resources established by St. Louis NORC's supportive service program. NORC residents (25 ALED participants and 25 nonparticipants) were interview...
Source: The Gerontologist - July 1, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Hildebrand M, Neufeld P Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

Older Voters and the 2008 Election.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
PURPOSE: In the 2008 presidential election, a majority of older persons voted for John McCain, the loser. The purposes of this report are to help illuminate why older voters were the only age-group that gave a majority to McCain and to delineate some ongoing issues in the analysis of older persons' voting behavior. Methods: Analysis was undertaken by mining raw data from the 2008 Edison-Mitofsky national Election Day exit poll, as well as compilations from that poll that were published by various media that finance it. RESULTS: Republican leanings of the Eisenhower birth cohort that is presently among those aged 65 yea...
Source: The Gerontologist - July 1, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Binstock RH Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

Food Avoidance and Food Modification Practices of Older Rural Adults: Association With Oral Health Status and Implications for Service Provision.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study examines the association between oral health and foods avoided or modified in a multiethnic rural population of older adults. It considers implications for nutrition and medical service provision to this population. DESIGN AND METHODS: In-home interviews and oral examinations were conducted with 635 adults in rural North Carolina counties with substantial African American and American Indian populations. Avoidance and modification data were obtained for foods representing different dental challenges and dietary contributions. Data were weighted to census data for ethnicity and sex. Bivariate analyses of oral hea...
Source: The Gerontologist - July 1, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Quandt SA, Chen H, Bell RA, Savoca MR, Anderson AM, Leng X, Kohrman T, Gilbert GH, Arcury TA Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

Nursing Aides' Attitudes to Elder Abuse in Nursing Homes: The Effect of Work Stressors and Burnout.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusions: As nursing aides' attitudes condoning elder abuse may influence their actual behaviors, training and supervision programs should be developed to reduce work stressors and burnout and to modify these attitudes. PMID: 19574544 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: The Gerontologist)
Source: The Gerontologist - July 1, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Shinan-Altman S, Cohen M Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

Silver Alerts and the Problem of Missing Adults with Dementia.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this study, we empirically examine the 17 existing state Silver Alert and related policies. The analysis includes an examination of the varieties of programs: dementia related and AMBER extension, the dates of enactment, the criteria for activation, and the process of activation. We conclude with two salient questions that emerged from the analysis. We examine these questions and make recommendations for future research, including examining whether Silver Alerts are an appropriate response to address the problem of missing adults with dementia or cognitive impairments and examining the costs and benefits of the programs...
Source: The Gerontologist - June 24, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Carr D, Muschert GW, Kinney J, Robbins E, Petonito G, Manning L, Brown JS Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

Changes in Social Participation and Volunteer Activity Among Recently Widowed Older Adults.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
PURPOSE: Widowhood eliminates a key source of support that may trigger greater involvement in social activities and volunteer participation, which are related to better late-life health and functioning. We reexamine and build upon 2 recent studies exploring recent widowhood and social participation. Using different data, we perform a quasi-replication of Utz, Carr, Nesse, and Wortman's (2002; "The effect of widowhood on older adults' social participation: An evaluation of activity, disengagement, and continuity theories," The Gerontologist, 42, 522-533) study and employ different analytic strategies to Li's (2007; "Rec...
Source: The Gerontologist - June 24, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Donnelly EA, Hinterlong JE Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

Examining Resilience of Quality of Life in the Face of Health-Related and Psychosocial Adversity at Older Ages: What is "Right" About the Way We Age?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This article examines resilience at older ages, focusing on the relationships between quality of life (qol) and adversity. Our objectives are to identify (a) the basis of adversity, (b) the characteristics of resilient individuals, and (c) the attributes that attenuate the full impact of adversity. DESIGN AND METHODS: Resilience is defined as flourishing despite adversity. Analysis is carried out in a subsample of the Boyd Orr cohort (aged between 68 and 82 years) using questionnaire data. Adversity was identified as circumstances that produce a significant average decrease in qol (CASP-19 scores). Participants were classi...
Source: The Gerontologist - June 22, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Hildon Z, Montgomery SM, Blane D, Wiggins RD, Netuveli G Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

Concordance of Family and Staff Member Reports About End of Life in Assisted Living and Nursing Homes.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
PURPOSE: To identify differences in perspectives that may complicate the process of joint decision making at the end of life, this study determined the agreement of family and staff perspectives about end-of-life experiences in nursing homes and residential care/assisted living communities and whether family and staff roles, involvement in care, and interaction are associated with such agreement. DESIGN AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study examined agreement in 336 family-staff pairs of postdeath telephone interviews conducted as part of the Collaborative Studies of Long-Term Care. Eligible deaths occurred in or wit...
Source: The Gerontologist - June 22, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Rich SE, Williams CS, Zimmerman S Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the Reasons for Living--Older Adults Scale: A Suicide Risk Assessment Inventory.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
PURPOSE: The purposes of these studies were to develop and initially evaluate the psychometric properties of the Reasons for Living Scale-Older Adult version (RFL-OA), an older adults version of a measure designed to assess reasons for living among individuals at risk for suicide. DESIGN AND METHODS: Two studies are reported. Study 1 involved instrument development with 106 community-dwelling older adults, and initial psychometric evaluation with a second sample of 119 community-dwelling older adults. Study 2 evaluated the psychometric properties of the RFL-OA in a clinical sample. One hundred eighty-one mental health ...
Source: The Gerontologist - June 20, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Edelstein BA, Heisel MJ, McKee DR, Martin RR, Koven LP, Duberstein PR, Britton PC Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

Aging Among Jewish Americans: Implications for Understanding Religion, Ethnicity, and Service Needs.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This article challenges popular conceptions of the nature of ethnicity and religiousness in the gerontological literature. Using the example of older Jewish Americans, the authors argue for more nuanced definitions and usage of terms such as "religion" and "ethnicity" in order to begin to understand the complex interweaving of these two dimensions in the lives of older persons. DESIGN AND METHODS: The analyses used data from the 2000-2001 National Jewish Population Survey (NJPS) as well as comparisons with the 1990 NJPS. There were 1,099 respondents aged 65 years and older in the 2000-2001 NJPS who reported themselves to b...
Source: The Gerontologist - June 18, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Glicksman A, Koropeckyj-Cox T Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

Wisdom of Generations: A Pilot Study of the Values Transmitted in Ethical Wills of Nursing Home Residents and Student Volunteers.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
PURPOSE: This is a pilot study that provides a description of the values older persons report in ethical wills and their reasoning for the values they chose, and compares the values in ethical wills of seniors and students. Nursing home residents rarely get the opportunity or venue to discuss these topics and the ethical will enables them to have conversations about issues they feel are important. DESIGN AND METHODS: The 22 Questions for Ethical Wills((c)) assessment was administered to 15 residents of a large nursing home in suburban Maryland and to 11 student volunteers. Raters identified recurring themes and indepen...
Source: The Gerontologist - June 18, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Cohen-Mansfield J, Regier NG, Peyser H, Stanton J Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

The Gerevolutions of Bob Butler.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
PMID: 19542521 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: The Gerontologist)
Source: The Gerontologist - June 18, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Finch CE Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

The uncertain future of assisted living.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
THE UNCERTAIN FUTURE OF ASSISTED LIVING. Gerontologist. 2009 Jun 18; Authors: Ball MM PMID: 19541922 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: The Gerontologist)
Source: The Gerontologist - June 17, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Ball MM Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

The Nursing Home Minimum Data Set Assessment Instrument: Manifest Functions and Unintended Consequences--Past, Present, and Future.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This article traces the instrument's development and the design decisions that shaped it, discusses the MDS's manifest functions-data collection intended to drive quality improvement and the unintended consequences of its use-paper compliance and diminished attention to resident quality of life, and examines the revised version to gauge its success in meeting the instrument's objectives. Although results of the national evaluation of MDS 3.0 are promising, the revisions, especially those pertaining to quality-of-life assessment and the use of resident interviews and standardized assessment procedures, raise questions for f...
Source: The Gerontologist - June 15, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Rahman AN, Applebaum RA Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

Medicare Part D Enrollment in a Biracial Community-Based Population of Older Adults.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
PURPOSE: The Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit (Part D) program debuted in January 2006. We ascertained the sociodemographic and health characteristics of Blacks and Whites who enrolled in the early stages of the program. DESIGN AND METHODS: Data were collected between April 2006 and October 2007 from an ongoing population-based biracial study of older adults. RESULTS: We interviewed 2,694 subjects, 1,784 Blacks and 910 Whites, of whom 40% and 35% reported to have enrolled in Medicare Part D, respectively. Among Blacks, those who enrolled were more likely to be female, unmarried, have less education and income, more m...
Source: The Gerontologist - June 15, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Skarupski KA, Mendes de Leon CF, Barnes LL, Evans DA Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals

Utilization of the Seniors Falls Investigation Methodology to Identify System-Wide Causes of Falls in Community-Dwelling Seniors.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study provided compelling evidence that causes of falling are systemic and develop over time. It demonstrated that the systems approach is needed to expand the focus from the individual to multilayered organizational and supervisory causes. The SFIM demonstrated capability to identify causes of falls that will allow better prevention and management programs, hence advancing seniors' safety. SFIM shows great potential for implementation in organized settings, such as hospitals and long-term care homes. PMID: 19525208 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: The Gerontologist)
Source: The Gerontologist - June 11, 2009 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Zecevic AA, Salmoni AW, Lewko JH, Vandervoort AA, Speechley M Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: journals