scholarly journals Active Aging through Volunteerism: A Longitudinal Assessment of Perceived Neighborhood Safety as a Predictor among Older Adults, 2008-2018

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Erin G. Grinshteyn ◽  
Judith A. Sugar
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Theoretical Approach ◽  
The United States ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Active Aging ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Longitudinal Assessment ◽  
Neighborhood Safety ◽  
Process Oriented ◽  
Perceived Neighborhood Safety

Volunteering can play an important role in active aging. The resource theory of volunteering posits that volunteerism depends on human, social, and cultural capital. Benefits of volunteering have been documented at the micro-, meso-, and macrolevels, positively affecting individual older people as well as their local communities and society at large. Taking a process-oriented theoretical approach, this study focused on the mesolevel factor of the environment with the purpose of determining the relationship between perceived neighborhood safety and volunteerism over the course of a decade and the extent to which this relationship differs by gender and race. Longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study in the United States of America between 2008 and 2018 were used ( N = 72,319 adults 60 years and older). Generalized estimating equations (GEE) with robust standard errors were employed while controlling for a number of covariates. A third of the sample volunteered in the past year (33%). The probability of volunteering among older adults who rated their perceived neighborhood safety as excellent was greater compared with those who rated their perceived neighborhood safety as fair/poor after controlling for all other model covariates (ME: 0.03, 95% CI: 0.02, 0.05). Among males rating their perceived neighborhood safety as excellent, the probability of volunteering was higher (ME: 0.04, 95% CI: 0.02, 0.07). Among females, the probability of volunteering was higher among those who perceived their neighborhood safety to be excellent (ME: 0.03, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.05) or very good (ME: 0.02, 95% CI: 0.00, 0.04). White respondents who rated their neighborhood safety as excellent (ME: 0.05, 95% CI: 0.03, 0.07) or very good (ME: 0.04, 95% CI: 0.02, 0.06) had a higher probability of volunteerism. Results were not significant among Black respondents and those who described their race as “other.” This study’s process-oriented theoretical approach indicates that initiatives aimed at improving neighborhood safety and older adults’ perceptions of neighborhood safety could increase social capital and lead older adults to engage in more volunteering, providing benefits at micro-, meso-, and macrolevels—to older individuals, their local communities, and society at large.

scholarly journals Meeting Geriatric Competencies: Are Internal Medicine Residency Programs in New Jersey Meeting Expectations for Quality Care in Older Adults

SAGE Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 215824401982767
Author(s):  
Ramy Sedhom ◽  
Daniel Sedhom ◽  
David Barile
Keyword(s):  
Internal Medicine ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
New Jersey ◽  
Palliative Medicine ◽  
Training Programs ◽  
Quality Care ◽  
The United States ◽  
Outpatient Setting ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Formal Curriculum

There has long been recognition for improved education and training in aging and geriatrics. As the number of older individuals in the United States increases, with 20% being older than 65 years by 2030, it will become increasingly important for internists and medical subspecialty trainees to have proper training in the care of older adults. A survey was developed and administered to Internal Medicine Program Directors, to perform an educational needs assessment. The survey was administered during the beginning of the 2015 academic year via email. The survey assessed general program characteristics, details regarding required geriatric and palliative medicine teaching, opportunities for electives, barriers encountered at each training site, and future recommendations for improving the structure of resident education. Analysis of survey responses indicated that geriatric and palliative care education is lacking. Although all training programs provided some aspect of geriatric and palliative medicine training to internal medicine residents, only 27% of training programs had a formal curriculum in geriatric and palliative medicine. The majority had an informal curriculum. Very few programs reported using a multimodality approach; most used isolated experiences in either an inpatient or an outpatient setting. Although all residency directors believed curricular developments in geriatric and palliative medicine were important, very few have available faculty needed to facilitate curricular improvements. Almost all identified that they would use a restructured curriculum if it were readily available. Investment in developing content and a standardized curriculum in geriatric and palliative medicine would be very valuable and well received in New Jersey.

scholarly journals Healthy, Active Aging for People and Dogs

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra McCune ◽  
Daniel Promislow
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
World Health ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Active Aging ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Physical Support ◽  
Companion Dogs ◽  
The Us

Dogs act as companions who provide us with emotional and physical support. Their shorter lifespans compel us to learn about the challenges and gifts of caring for older individuals. Our companion dogs can be exemplars of healthy or unhealthy aging, and sentinels of environmental factors that might increase or decrease our own healthy lifespan. In recent years, the field of aging has emphasized not just lifespan, but healthspan—the period of healthy, active lifespan. This focus on healthy, active aging is reflected in the World Health Organization's current focus on healthy aging for the next decade and the 2016 Healthy Aging in Action initiative in the US. This paper explores the current research into aging in both people and companion dogs, and in particular, how the relationship between older adults and dogs impacts healthy, active aging for both parties. The human-dog relationship faces many challenges as dogs, and people, age. We discuss potential solutions to these challenges, including suggestions for ways to continue contact with dogs if dog ownership is no longer possible for an older person. Future research directions are outlined in order to encourage the building of a stronger evidence base for the role of dogs in the lives of older adults.

scholarly journals Feasibility and Adoption of a Focused Digital Wellness Program in Older Adults

Geriatrics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 54
Author(s):  
Eric Tam ◽  
Pedro Kondak Villas Boas ◽  
Fernando Ruaro ◽  
Juliane Flesch ◽  
Jennifer Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
User Satisfaction ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Programs ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Wellness Program ◽  
Patient Health ◽  
Future Work

Digital health programs offer numerous psychological and physical health benefits. To date, digital programs have been aimed broadly at younger participants, yet older individuals may also benefit. Our study sought to demonstrate user feasibility and satisfaction in a digital wellness program for older adults. We conducted a retrospective analysis of 140 participants in a digital health wellness application that integrated guided exercises, nutrition planning and health education. Primary outcomes were active participant retention, engagement in the mobile program and user satisfaction as operationalized by NPS scores. Among 140 participants, median age was 59.82 (50–80), 61% female, in a sample taken in the United States. Engagement was high and sustained, with more than 65% participants engaged, operationalized as at least completing one task activity a month over 17 weeks. Participants were also satisfied with the program, reporting NPS scores of 43 on day 30 of the program. Secondary health outcomes included 3.44 pound weight change during the first month. User feasibility and satisfaction was demonstrated in a sample of older participants for this novel digital health wellness program. Future work focused on older adult users may result in improvements in patient health outcomes and improved preventive medicine strategies.

Self-perception of Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 249-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia T. Alpert
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Baby Boomers ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
The United States ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Intervention Research ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Older Individuals

There are a large group of older individuals suffering from social isolation and loneliness; in fact, the number of older adults affected is increasing due to the large aging population worldwide. Within the United States, the baby boomers are or will be potentially facing social isolation and loneliness in great numbers. The current research literature in this area is difficult to interpret because the variable used to define social isolation and loneliness varies across disciplines when looking at this problem. Intervention research has also produced mixed findings. This article looks at this public health issue by reviewing some of the research in this area and discussing potential interventions.

scholarly journals PHASED RETIREMENT IN OLDER AMERICAN WORKERS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S126-S127
Author(s):  
Shinae Choi ◽  
Genevieve Smith
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Older Americans ◽  
Phased Retirement

Abstract Older workers are engaging in “phased retirement” in which they transition from full-time working status to part-time working and eventually retire at a later age. This study investigated whether phased retirement was financially and psychologically beneficial for middle-aged and older adults in the United States. The current study examined data on financial and psychological well-being and retirement transitions (i.e., immediate retirement and phased retirement) from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) at two time points, four years apart. We analyzed 5,106 middle-aged and older adults from the 2010 and 2014 waves of the HRS data set using chi-square and one-way analysis of variance tests. Our results showed that 66.8% of respondents remained full-time working, while 12.7% of respondents chose phased retirement and 15.2% of respondents jumped straight into retirement. Our findings suggest that phased retirement is beneficial for older Americans financially and psychologically. Specifically, the level of total household financial wealth was significantly higher for those who chose phased retirement than immediate retirees from workforce. In terms of psychological perspectives, immediate retirees experienced more depressive symptoms than those who chose phased retirement. Our findings could help individuals and households to be better equipped when preparing for retirement. Our findings could also provide a basis for further research into phased retirement and its impact on well-being in middle-aged and older Americans. Furthermore, policymakers could be better informed about retirement trends and create policies based on our findings to better help older individuals and households be financially and psychologically prepared for retirement.

scholarly journals Income and Mental Well-Being of Middle-Aged and Older Americans: Immigrants’ Diminished Returns

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shervin Assari
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Continuous Variable ◽  
High Income ◽  
Limited Information ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Race Ethnicity ◽  
Mental Well Being

Introduction: Although income is among the major social determinants of mental health of middle-aged and older individuals, socially marginalized groups gain less health from their income and other socioeconomic status (SES) resources compared to socially privileged groups. This pattern is called marginalization-related diminished returns (MDRs). Most of the existing knowledge on MDRs, however, has been derived from studies that have defined marginalization based on race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. As a result, very limited information exists on whether similar MDRs can be observed for middle-aged and older immigrants or not. Building on the MDRs framework, this study compared a national sample of immigrants and non-immigrants for the effects of income on the mental well-being of middle-aged and older adults in the United States. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. The 2015 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) enrolled 14149 middle-aged and older individuals who were either immigrants (n=1977; 14.0%) or non-immigrants (n=12166; 86.0%). The independent variable (IV) was income that was treated as a continuous variable. The dependent variable was mental well-being, also treated as a continuous variable. Age, gender, race, ethnicity, education, marital status, employment, self-rated health, obesity, and region were confounders. Immigration (nativity status) was the moderator. Logistic regression was applied for data analysis. Results: High income was associated with higher odds of good mental well-being in middle-aged and older adults. However, immigration showed a significant statistical interaction with income, which was suggestive of a smaller protective effect of high income on mental well-being for immigrant than non-immigrant middle-aged and older adults. Conclusion: In line with MDRs, the association between income and mental well-being is weaker for immigrant than non-immigrant middle-aged and older adults. There is a need to help high income immigrants secure health outcomes similar to those of non-immigrants. Such changes may require bold and innovative economic, public, and social policies that help immigrants more effectively translate their income and socioeconomic resources into tangible outcomes such as mental well-being.

Food Insecurity in Older Adults in Canada and the United States: A Concept Analysis

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Christine Marie Mills
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
The United States ◽  
Concept Analysis ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Normative Practices ◽  
Policies And Programs ◽  
Negative Health Outcomes

A concept analysis using the method of Walker and Avant was undertaken to clarify the concept of food insecurity in older adults in Canada and the United States. A literature review was undertaken to conduct a concept analysis of food insecurity in older people. Food insecurity is associated with multiple negative health outcomes and may be experienced differently by older adults as compared to younger adults. It is therefore important to understand the concept of food insecurity as is relates to older adults. Four defining attributes of food insecurity in older adults in Canada and the United States were identified: (i) inability to acquire or prepare enough food, (ii) compromising on food quality or preference, (iii) uncertainty or anxiety around the ability to acquire or prepare food, and (iv) socially unacceptable or non-normative practices. These attributes may allow for improved policies and programs aimed at addressing food insecurity in older adults by better meeting the needs of older individuals. Additional research into food insecurity as experienced by Canadian and American older adults could help to further clarify the concept.

scholarly journals How Safe is Your Neighborhood? Perceived Neighborhood Safety and Functional Decline in Older Adults

2011 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 541-547 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vivien K. Sun ◽  
Irena Stijacic Cenzer ◽  
Helen Kao ◽  
Cyrus Ahalt ◽  
Brie A. Williams
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Functional Decline ◽  
Neighborhood Safety ◽  
Perceived Neighborhood Safety
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