Community resources and government services for LGBT older adults and their families.

2015 ◽  
pp. 141-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean Cahill
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Community Resources ◽  
Government Services

scholarly journals Supporting Older Adults and Caregivers Through Integrative Service Learning During COVID

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 958-958
Author(s):  
Keith Chan ◽  
Sarah LaFave ◽  
Maggie Ratnayake ◽  
Christina Marsack-Topolewski ◽  
Jillian Graves ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Community Resources ◽  
Learning Models ◽  
Process Data ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Age In Place ◽  
Home Based ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Hands On Learning

Abstract There is a growing population of older adults who are living longer and acquiring chronic illness and disabilities, making it difficult for them to complete everyday activities and age in place. More than 2 million of these older adults are homebound and 5 million need help leaving their homes. They experience social isolation, food insecurity, and lack of connection to community resources which has intensified since the pandemic. Integrative service learning models can provide home-based support to older adults while offering valuable, hands-on learning experiences for students. This study examined findings for a community-based program which trained university students to provide practical home-based support for older adults and their caregivers. Data was collected for 109 older adults who were connected with student trainees. Students provided services with groceries, companionship, and help accessing needed services. Findings from t-test results using the UCLA Loneliness Scale indicated that older adults reported less loneliness after engagement with students (mean difference = 6.15, t = 3.14, df = 82, p < 0.01). Qualitative process data suggested that older adults benefited from services and a connection to their assigned students prior to and during the pandemic. Student trainees reported that the experience enriched their learning and reaffirmed their commitment to working with older adults. Community-based service learning can address home-based needs of older adults and their caregivers and enhance learning opportunities for students. Policies and practice can support a pipeline of geriatric health professionals through innovative service learning models to benefit older adults, caregivers and students.

scholarly journals UTILIZING UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH TO INFORM COMMUNITY RESOURCES FOR OLDER ADULTS: A SERVICE-LEARNING PROJECT

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S537-S538
Author(s):  
Amanda E Barnett ◽  
Sara Olinger
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Community Resources ◽  
Home Visitor ◽  
Aging Societies ◽  
Theory Research ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Engaging undergraduate students with aging-focused community resources is critical for preparing students to work with older adults and make positive contributions to aging societies. During the fall, 2018 semester, undergraduate students in a human development course on middle and late adulthood partnered with a county aging and disability resource center (ADRC) in Wisconsin to evaluate and update several of their existing programs and resources using empirical research. Upon completion of this project, students synthesized course material to meet all course learning objectives such as: (1) critically analyze physical, psychological, and sociological processes of aging across categories of difference (e.g. cultural, ethnic, class); (2) evaluate social policies and their multigenerational implications for midlife and older adults; and (3) construct a personal position on aging that integrates theory, research, and policy to demonstrate a sensitive and competent approach to working with midlife and older adults. Students researched, wrote reports, and presented to ADRC staff on the impact of social isolation on older adults, best practices for home visitor and transportation programs serving older adults, cognitive competency tools and best practices for utilizing memory assessments, grief supports and groups for family caregivers, and best practices for supporting veterans as they age. The outcome of these projects are research-based recommendations for any ADRC to consider when developing and implementing related programs. All stakeholders (students, professor, and ADRC staff) were satisfied with the process and outcomes of the project. Strengths and challenges of carrying out such a collaborative project will be reviewed.

scholarly journals Older Adults’ Utilization of Community Resources Targeting Fall Prevention and Physical Activity

2018 ◽  
Vol 59 (3) ◽  
pp. 436-446 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siobhan K McMahon ◽  
Young Shin Park ◽  
Beth Lewis ◽  
Weihua Guan ◽  
J Michael Oakes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Fall Prevention ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
Implementation Strategies ◽  
Community Resources ◽  
Phase 2 ◽  
Internal Resources ◽  
Diagnosis Of Dementia

Abstract Background and Objectives Despite the availability of community resources, fall and inactivity rates remain high among older adults. Thus, in this article, we describe older adults’ self-reported awareness and use of community resources targeting fall prevention and physical activity. Research Design and Methods In-depth, semistructured interviews were conducted in Phase 1 with community center leaders (n = 5) and adults (n = 16) ≥70 years old whose experience with community programs varied. In Phase 2, surveys were administered to intervention study participants (n = 102) who were ≥70 years old, did not have a diagnosis of dementia, and reported low levels of physical activity. Results Four themes emerged from Phase 1 data: (a) identifying a broad range of local community resources; (b) learning from trusted sources; (c) the dynamic gap between awareness and use of community resources; and (d) using internal resources to avoid falls. Phase 2 data confirmed these themes; enabled the categorization of similar participant-identified resources (10); and showed that participants who received encouragement to increase community resource use, compared to those who did not, had significantly greater odds of using ≥1 resource immediately postintervention, but not 6 months’ postintervention. Discussion and Implications Although participants in this study were aware of a broad range of local community resources for physical activity, they used resources that support walking most frequently. Additionally, receiving encouragement to use community resources had short-term effects only. Findings improve our understanding of resources that need bolstering or better dissemination and suggest researchers identify best promotion, dissemination, implementation strategies.

scholarly journals A Feasibility Study of Primary Care Liaisons: Linking Older Adults to Community Resources

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison M. Boll ◽  
Melissa R. Ensey ◽  
Katherine A. Bennett ◽  
Mary P. O'Leary ◽  
Breanne M. Wise-Swanson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Feasibility Study ◽  
Community Resources

Community Resources for Older Adults With Chronic Illness

2009 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 355-360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florence M. Weierbach ◽  
Doris F. Glick
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Chronic Illness ◽  
Community Resources

scholarly journals Bridging Digital Divides: GWEP Pivots to Support Telehealth for Clinical Care and Education

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 476-476
Author(s):  
Lisa Gibbs ◽  
Julie Rousseau ◽  
Sonia Sehgal ◽  
Neika Saville ◽  
Jung-Ah Lee
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Nursing Students ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
Health Assessment ◽  
Community Resources ◽  
Remote Patient Monitoring ◽  
Phone Calls ◽  
Digital Divides ◽  
Remote Patient ◽  
The University

Abstract Early in the pandemic, the University of California, Irvine (UCI), GWEP pivoted to focus on building telehealth and remote patient monitoring, while supporting team-based interdisciplinary learners. Our Health Assessment Program for Seniors (HAPS) adapted to provide hybrid remote/in-person evaluations with our Geriatric Fellows and Doctor of Nurse Practitioner (DNP) students working alongside our multi-disciplinary team. Learner teams innovatively bridged the digital divide through weekly DNP support phone calls, and the Fellows delivered family conferences through Zoom. In ASSIST, medical students and nursing students gained digital competencies through a phone support system for isolated older adults with friendly weekly check-ins providing referrals to community resources. Another IRB-approved pilot, Healing at Home, diverted patients from the Emergency Room and In-Patient care with a team of ED, Hospitalists, Geriatricians teaching DNP and Fellows telehealth management. GWEP successfully piloted symbiotic learning for both older adults and health profession students through new virtual formats.

scholarly journals Vulnerability and Resilience Among Older Adults During the COVID Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 130-130
Author(s):  
Carolyn Aldwin
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Vietnam Veterans ◽  
Community Resources ◽  
Combat Experience ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Meaning In Work ◽  
Physical Health Problems ◽  
Mental And Physical Health

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic is particularly challenging for many older adults. They are strongly encouraged to practice social distancing and sheltering in place to decrease morbidity and mortality risks. However, social isolation and loneliness increase the risk of mental and physical health problems. Nonetheless, there are indications that older adults may be more resilient than originally thought. Park et al. present longitudinal findings that younger adults fared worse than middle-aged or older ones, reporting greater distress and less social support, mindfulness, and emotion regulation skills. For older participants, acceptance of negative emotions and social support predicted lower distress. Choun et al. also present longitudinal data, showing that depressive symptoms decreased among older adults during the lockdown phase of the pandemic, but reflected changes in loneliness and physical health symptoms. Stellman et al. found that moderate levels of combat experience were helpful for some older Vietnam veterans coping with the pandemic, although a few found that it made coping more difficult. Turner et al. found that positive, non-familial intergenerational contacts were associated with a higher number of positive pandemic-related changes, such as finding new hobbies and meaning in work. Finally, Aldwin et al. present a social ecological approach to vulnerability and resilience. Using qualitative data, they found that stressors and resources were reported at personal, interpersonal and societal levels. Further, older adults both took comfort from and contributed to community resources during this pandemic. In summary, this symposium identified factors that contribute to older adults’ resilience during this pandemic.

scholarly journals COMPUTATIONAL EXPLORATION OF GERONTOLOGY-RELATED TOPICS SHARED ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM TWITTER

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (suppl_1) ◽  
pp. 911-911
Author(s):  
V Cornet ◽  
M Hong
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Latent Dirichlet Allocation ◽  
Community Resources ◽  
Family Relation ◽  
Social Media Platform ◽  
Computational Exploration ◽  
Media Platform ◽  
New Research ◽  
Media Data

Abstract Twitter, a popular Internet social media platform, has become a significant medium for sharing information and ideas about various topics, including aging and older adults. While studies have been conducted to examine stigma or perception about specific diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and seizure on Twitter, there has been little effort to identify general themes of Twitter posts related to aging and older adults. This exploratory study attempts to answer this need by conducting a topic analysis of posts shared on Twitter posts about aging and older adults in English. We collected 328,568 English posts from Twitter posted between 07/01/18 and 07/31/18 using 19 English keywords referring to older adults. We analyzed this whole dataset as well as a subset of posts explicitly including aging-related hashtags, such as #olderadults. We used data mining methods (including Latent Dirichlet Allocation) in computing environment MATLAB to discover topics emerging from these two sets. Among posts with explicit aging-related hashtags, the most recurrent topics were family (relation with children and grandchildren, commemoration), community (resources, looking after older adults), health (disease-specific, public health, home care, formal and informal caregivers), politics and policies (insurance/pension, new laws), and news involving older adults (e.g., crimes on/by older adults). The analysis of the larger dataset additionally uncovered posts promoting pornography featuring older females and posts sharing general Internet content featuring older adults (e.g., YouTube videos). We also share the methodological challenges we encountered and practical recommendations for gerontological researchers interested in using social media data to inform new research.

scholarly journals MODIFIABLE DETERMINANTS OF PHYSICAL FUNCTIONING AMONG LGBT OLDER ADULTS WITH COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S344-S345
Author(s):  
Hyun-Jun Kim ◽  
Hyun-Jun Kim ◽  
Karen Fredriksen-Goldsen ◽  
and Hyunzee Jung
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Physical Functioning ◽  
Mixed Models ◽  
Social Stigma ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Community Resources ◽  
Independent Mobility ◽  
Social Community ◽  
Bisexual And Transgender

Abstract Heightened risks of cognitive impairment are a critical health concern for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) older adults. The physical and functional declines associated with cognitive impairment are known to increase risks of injury and decrease independent mobility. Guided by the Health Equity Promotion Model, this study analyzed longitudinal data (T0 to T2, N=646) to examine risk and protective factors predicting changes in physical functioning over time among LGBT older adults with cognitive impairment. According to the results of multilevel mixed models, social support, physical, recreational, and wellness activities, and nutrition were associated with improvement in physical functioning over two years; while stigma contributed to decline in physical functioning. LGBT older adults with cognitive impairment face unique challenges due to social stigma and isolation. The findings suggest that enhancing their access to community resources and their participations in physical, social, community, and recreational activities would improve their physical functioning.

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