Supplemental Material for An Episodic Specificity Induction Enhances Means-End Problem Solving in Young and Older Adults

2014 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Problem Solving

scholarly journals Meaning of Aging, Gerotranscendence, and Successful Aging in Older Adults With Chronic Health Conditions

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 423-423
Author(s):  
Meredith Troutman-Jordan
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Successful Aging ◽  
Stressful Events ◽  
Functional Health ◽  
Major Influence ◽  
Unexpected Death ◽  
Major Life ◽  
Problem Solving Skills

Abstract Aging presents change in the form of opportunities and challenges, from common physical alterations, to major life events. Perception of such events is greatly shaped by one’s mental health, and is a major influence on gerotranscendence, a positive kind of aging involving redefinition of self, relationships, and proposed to be a precursor to successful aging. A mixed-methods cross-sectional descriptive design was used to study 50 older adults. Life Events Checklist, Gerotranscendence Scale, Herth Hope Index, and Successful Aging Inventory were administered. Mean participant age was 70.78 years; there were 9 males (18%), 41 females (82%), 13 were Black (26%), and 37 were White (74%). Participants reported a number of stressful events, most frequently transportation accidents, followed by other very stressful events or experiences, and sudden unexpected death of someone close. Gerotranscendence scores ranged from 0-10 (µ 6.88, a moderate score). Successful aging scores ranged from 40-79 (µ 62.33, a moderate score). A sub-sample of 6 participants engaged in semi-structured interviews, which were transcribed verbatim and subject to content analysis. Faith, displaced longing, temporal anticipation, proactive problem-solving/coping, and concern for future generations were emergent qualitative themes. Findings highlight opportunities for providers from multiple disciplines to target risks and possibilities for aging successfully and to promote hope, optimism, problem-solving skills, and gerotranscendence in all older adults, regardless of physical or functional health status.

scholarly journals Promoting Problem Solving About Health Management: A Mixed-Methods Pilot Evaluation of a Digital Health Intervention for Older Adults With Pre-Frailty and Frailty

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 233372142098568
Author(s):  
Annie T. Chen ◽  
Frances Chu ◽  
Andrew K. Teng ◽  
Soojeong Han ◽  
Shih-Yin Lin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Health Management ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Problem Solving Skills ◽  
Health Related

Background: There is a need for interventions to promote health management of older adults with pre-frailty and frailty. Technology poses promising solutions, but questions exist about effective delivery. Objectives: We present the results of a mixed-methods pilot evaluation of Virtual Online Communities for Older Adults (VOCALE), an 8-week intervention conducted in the northwestern United States, in which participants shared health-related experiences and applied problem solving skills in a Facebook group. Methods: We performed a mixed-methods process evaluation, integrating quantitative and qualitative data, to characterize the intervention and its effects. We focus on four areas: health-related measures (health literacy and self-efficacy), participation, problem solving skills enacted, and subjective feedback. Results: Eight older adults with pre-frailty and frailty (age = 82.7 ± 6.6 years) completed the study. There was an upward trend in health literacy and health self-efficacy post-intervention. Participants posted at least two times per week. Content analysis of 210 posts showed participants were able to apply the problem solving skills taught, and exit interviews showed participants’ increased awareness of the need to manage health, and enjoyment in learning about others. Conclusion: This mixed-methods evaluation provides insight into feasibility and design considerations for online interventions to promote health management among vulnerable older adults.

scholarly journals WHEN NETWORKS FAIL: ISOLATION AND INDEPENDENCE AMONG OLDER ADULTS IN PUBLIC HOUSING

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S180-S180
Author(s):  
Brooke Wagen ◽  
Whitney Williams ◽  
Jan Bennett ◽  
Elizabeth A Jacobs
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Public Housing ◽  
Affordable Housing ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Poverty Level ◽  
Cultural Perceptions ◽  
Health Aging ◽  
Problematic Experiences

Abstract In the coming decades, the population of adults over 65 in the US will increase dramatically. Many older adults live at or below the poverty level, and the growing lack of affordable housing combined with fixed incomes promises to increase the number of older adults facing combined housing and health challenges. Despite their vulnerability, little is known about the lived experiences of older adults aging in place in public housing. We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with 27 older adults at two public housing sites in Austin, Texas to gain an understanding of their thoughts on health, aging, home, community, and problem solving. We conducted interviews in Spanish (n=10) and English (n=17) with 16 female and 11 male interviewees with a mean age of 71.7 years (range 65-85 years). We systematically coded transcribed interviews and used grounded theory to analyze the data. Participants described feeling isolated due to language barriers, cultural perceptions about neighbors, and previous problematic experiences with neighbors leading to intentional isolation for safety. Some, however, spoke of how they acted as community connectors or responded to connectors in the community in ways that reduced their isolation. Participants framed individual problem-solving and personal choices as central to health and wellness. Our findings suggest a way forward for housing authorities, communities, and health systems working together to provide services to these adults. Incorporating their points of view and even co-creating interventions to enhance their health and well-being will make these interventions more successful and welcome.

Episodic Future Thinking and Cognitive Aging

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel L. Schacter ◽  
Aleea L. Devitt ◽  
Donna Rose Addis
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Prospective Memory ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Episodic Future Thinking ◽  
Future Thinking ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Prosocial Intentions ◽  
Age Related Changes

Episodic future thinking refers to the ability to imagine or simulate experiences that might occur in an individual’s personal future. It has been known for decades that cognitive aging is associated with declines in episodic memory, and recent research has documented correlated age-related declines in episodic future thinking. Previous research has considered both cognitive and neural mechanisms that are responsible for age-related changes in episodic future thinking, as well as effects of aging on the functions served by episodic future thinking. Studies concerned with mechanism indicate that multiple cognitive mechanisms contribute to changes in episodic future thinking during aging, including episodic memory retrieval, narrative style, and executive processes. Recent studies using an episodic specificity induction—brief training in recollecting episodic details of a recent experience—have proven useful in separating the contributions of episodic retrieval from other non-episodic processes during future thinking tasks in both old and young adults. Neuroimaging studies provide preliminary evidence of a role for age-related changes in default and executive brain networks in episodic future thinking and autobiographical planning. Studies concerned with function have examined age-related effects on the link between episodic future thinking and a variety of processes, including everyday problem-solving, prospective memory, prosocial intentions, and intertemporal choice/delay discounting. The general finding in these studies is for age-related reductions, consistent with the work on mechanisms that consistently reveals reduced episodic detail in older adults when they imagine future events. However, several studies have revealed that episodic simulation nonetheless confers some benefits for tasks tapping adaptive functions in older adults, such as problem-solving, prospective memory, and prosocial intentions, even though age-related deficits on these tasks are not eliminated or reduced by episodic future thinking.

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