Understanding intergenerational fitness tracking practices: 12 suggestions for design

AbstractThe paper presents a qualitative study to explore the use of fitness trackers and their social functions in intergenerational settings. The study covered three phases of semi-structured interviews with older and younger adults during individual and intergenerational use of the fitness trackers. The study revealed comparability as common fitness practice for older adults. The findings show that intergenerational fitness tracking practices can increase in-person meetings and daily discourses and thus enhance family social bonds. An unexpected benefit of this practice is its ability to help older adults overcome technology barriers related to the use of fitness trackers. Overall speaking, families whose intergenerational members already enjoy a strong relationship are likely to gain the most from such practices. Many challenges remain especially concerning the motivation and involvement of younger partners and the user experience design aspect of such digital programs. For this purpose, we have developed some recommendations for the future development and deployment of intergenerational fitness tracking systems to stimulate interactions between younger and older family members and thus to promote their physical and emotional well-being.

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“There Was No ‘That’s Not My Job’”: New York Area Agencies on Aging Approaches to Supporting Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Journal of Applied Gerontology ◽

10.1177/0733464821991026 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 073346482199102

Author(s):

Claire Pendergrast

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

New York ◽

New York State ◽

Well Being ◽

Contextual Influences ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Response And Recovery ◽

Pandemic Response ◽

Increasing Demand ◽

Priority Needs

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted many older adults’ traditional sources of formal and informal supports, increasing demand for Area Agency on Aging services (AAAs). This study examines strategies used by AAAs to support older adults’ health and well-being during COVID-19 and identifies contextual influences on AAA pandemic response activities. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with representatives of 20 AAAs in New York State. A combined inductive and deductive approach was used to code and thematically analyze the data. AAAs rapidly expanded capacity and dramatically modified program offerings, communications activities, and service delivery protocols to address emergent needs and minimize COVID-19 exposure risk for clients. AAAs’ trusted relationships with older adults and community partners improved their capacity to identify priority needs and coordinate appropriate supports. Policymakers should ensure that AAAs receive sustained financial and technical support to ensure critical community-based services are available for older adults throughout pandemic response and recovery.

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A Tale of Two Emotions: The Diverging Salience and Health Consequences of Calmness and Excitement in Old Age

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.2138 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 626-627

Author(s):

Jeremy Hamm ◽

Carsten Wrosch ◽

Meaghan Barlow ◽

Ute Kunzmann

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Old Age ◽

Perceived Control ◽

Positive Emotions ◽

Multilevel Models ◽

Growth Models ◽

Well Being ◽

Physical Symptoms ◽

Health Consequences ◽

Younger Adults

Abstract Using two studies, we examined the late life prevalence and health consequences of discrete positive emotions posited to motivate rest and recovery (calmness) or pursuit of novelty and stimulation (excitement). Study 1 assessed the salience of these discrete emotions in older adults (n=73, Mage=73) relative to younger adults (n=73, Mage=23) over a one-week period. Multilevel models showed that older (vs. younger) adults reported higher calmness and lower excitement. Study 2 examined the longitudinal health consequences of calmness and excitement in old age (n=336, Mage=75), as moderated by perceived control. Multilevel growth models showed that calmness, but not excitement, buffered against 10-year declines in psychological well-being (perceived stress, depressive symptoms) and physical health (physical symptoms, chronic conditions) for older adults with low perceived control. Results suggest that positive emotions with disparate motivational functions become more (calmness) or less (excitement) salient and have diverging implications for health in old age.

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Emotional and Situational Acceptance Across the Lifespan: A Novel Scale

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.1477 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 456-457

Author(s):

Hannah Wolfe ◽

Derek Isaacowitz

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Well Being ◽

Amazon Mechanical Turk ◽

Good Reliability ◽

Younger Adults ◽

Emotional Acceptance ◽

General Acceptance ◽

Mindfulness Skills ◽

Acceptance Scale ◽

Regulation Strategies

Abstract Self-reported emotional well-being tends to increase with age (Charles & Carstensen, 2007), but evidence for age differences in emotion regulation strategies is mixed (Livingstone & Isaacowitz, 2019), and the strategy of acceptance, in particular, is relatively understudied. Acceptance involves the deliberate decision to not alter a situation or one’s emotional response to it, and older adults report greater use of general acceptance (Shallcross, Ford, Floerke, & Mauss, 2013). Yet, no current scale distinguishes between situational and emotional acceptance; general acceptance is typically measured using a subscale of the Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills (KIMS; Baer, Smith, & Allen, 2004), which assesses judgments of emotions and thoughts. Therefore, a 6-item measure of situational acceptance was developed and administered to 24 younger adults (age 18-25) and 30 older adults (age 55+) on Amazon Mechanical Turk, along with the KIMS accepting subscale and Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS; Brown & Ryan, 2003). The situational acceptance scale achieved good reliability (α=.721) and significantly correlated with the MAAS (r= .301, p=.027) and KIMS (r= .466, p<.001). Older adults tended to rate themselves as significantly higher on situational acceptance (M=29.83, SD=5.17) than younger adults (M=25.13, SD=5.72; t=-3.171, p=.003), and this pattern held for the MAAS and KIMS. These results confirm prior work suggesting older adults engage in acceptance more often than younger adults and expand this finding to situational, not just emotional, acceptance. Furthermore, skills related to mindfulness and acceptance appear to greatly overlap and may increase over the lifespan.

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Older Adults’ Adaptations to the Call for Social Distancing and Use of Technology: Insights From Socioemotional Selectivity Theory and Lived Experiences

Journal of Applied Gerontology ◽

10.1177/0733464821996864 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 073346482199686

Author(s):

Shoshana H. Bardach ◽

Elizabeth K. Rhodus ◽

Kelly Parsons ◽

Allison K. Gibson

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Technology Use ◽

Technology Training ◽

Well Being ◽

Socioemotional Selectivity Theory ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Socioemotional Selectivity ◽

Social Distancing ◽

Use Of Technology ◽

Comparison Approach

Social distancing guidelines during COVID can be isolating, especially for older adults, with potential for poor health outcomes. Technology offers opportunities for remote connection, yet, older adults’ use of and perspectives on technology during this time remain largely unknown. The purpose of this study was to gain insight into older adults’ technology use and preferences to inform the development of a technology training intervention to support older adult well-being. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 older adults. Interviews were analyzed using an iterative, constant comparison approach. Findings were consistent with Socioemotional Selectivity Theory; respondents were primarily interested in technology to support emotionally meaningful goals. Participants indicated limited interest in technology training, referencing diminished future time perspectives to explain disinterest. Findings suggest that efforts to encourage older adults’ expanded technology adoption should highlight how use supports emotionally meaningful goals and provide low-effort, timely training, tied to specific and clear applications.

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The Importance of Religiosity to the Well-Being of African American Older Adults Living With Dementia

Journal of Applied Gerontology ◽

10.1177/0733464818820773 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 39 (5) ◽

pp. 509-518 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Fayron Epps ◽

Ishan C. Williams

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Health Promotion ◽

Family Caregivers ◽

Family Involvement ◽

Health Care Providers ◽

Well Being ◽

Religious Practices ◽

Care Providers ◽

Religious Activities ◽

Structured Interviews

This study was a post hoc analysis of a larger qualitative descriptive study exploring family involvement in health promotion activities for African Americans living with dementia where participants identified religious practices as meaningful health promotion activities. The purpose of this study was to explore ways in which religiosity may influence the well-being of older adults living with dementia. Semi-structured interviews were conducted among a sample of 22 family caregivers and 15 older adults living with dementia ( N = 37). Three themes emerged: Engagement, Promotion of Faith and Spiritual Connectedness, and Maintenance of Religious Practices. It is imperative for family caregivers to understand the important contributions of religious activities and beliefs to the well-being of their family member. This information might be of use for faith communities, policy makers, and health care providers in the provision of optimal person-centered care and the promotion of quality of life for persons living with dementia.

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Rising above It: Status Ambivalence in Older Adults

Gerontology ◽

10.1159/000488389 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 64 (6) ◽

pp. 576-588

Author(s):

Deirdre A. Robertson ◽

David Weiss

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Social Status ◽

Later Life ◽

Well Being ◽

Preliminary Evidence ◽

Protective Mechanism ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Age Related ◽

The Social ◽

Implicit And Explicit

Background: Social status is the standing of a person or group in the social hierarchy, and is perceived to change across the life span from low social status in early life, to peak in midlife, and to a decline thereafter. As threats to subjective social status are known to be detrimental to individuals’ health, it is important to better understand how older adults perceive themselves and others in terms of age-related social status. Objective: We examined status ambivalence – the potential discrepancy between how older adults’ perceive social status for themselves compared to older adults in general. Method: Study 1 used qualitative data from 37 semi-structured interviews with older adults to assess perceptions of social status. Study 2 used quantitative survey data from 114 older adults who completed explicit and implicit measures of social status. Results: Study 1 (n = 37, meanage = 71.72, SDage = 5.69; 81.1% women) provided preliminary evidence for status ambivalence such that older adults reported unequivocal low social status for other older adults but a more ambivalent perception of their own social status. Study 2 (n = 114, meanage = 64.32, SDage = 8.98, 57.9% women) compared implicit and explicit measures of social status revealing that older adults consistently perceive older adults to have low social status but again show a more ambivalent perception of their own social status. Conclusion: We discuss status ambivalence as a potential protective mechanism in the context of negative societal perceptions of age-related social status that may be important for well-being in later life.

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Carnival Play

Advances in Medical Technologies and Clinical Practice - Handbook of Research on Solving Modern Healthcare Challenges With Gamification ◽

10.4018/978-1-7998-7472-0.ch012 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 206-242

Author(s):

Bruno Giesteira ◽

Joana Silva ◽

Teresa Sarmento ◽

Paulo Abreu ◽

Maria Teresa Restivo

Keyword(s):

Design Process ◽

User Experience ◽

Participatory Design ◽

Well Being ◽

Experience Design ◽

Augmented Feedback ◽

User Experience Design ◽

Health Area ◽

Project Phases ◽

Development Phases

Developed within the scope of a SciTech research project, this chapter records in a procedural way the design centred on senior users for a set of three serious games for the eHealth field, designated by the authors as “Carnival.” The chapter, having as its leitmotif the project aforementioned, looking at its motivation, breaks down the systems augmented feedback interfaces—BodyGrip and SHaRe—to evaluate, rehabilitate, and monitor dexterity and manual strength. Topics related to empathy and well-being in the user experience design process, namely guidelines for empathy in different project phases, participatory design, inclusiveness, and amusement are identified. Withal listed the development phases of three games dynamics inherent to the “Carnival” set —“High Striker,” “Claw Machine,” “HotDog Sauce”—punctuating with the discussion and contributions to the e-health area describing its potential for Evaluate, rehabilitate, and monitor dexterity and manual strength.

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COVID-19 Pandemic: The Lived Experiences of Older Adults in Aged Care Homes

Millennial Asia ◽

10.1177/0976399620958326 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 299-317

Author(s):

Shi Yin Chee

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Lived Experiences ◽

Well Being ◽

Aged Care ◽

Care Homes ◽

World Health ◽

Phenomenological Method ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

The World ◽

Health Organization

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused untold fear and suffering for older adults across the world. According to the World Health Organization, older adults in aged care homes are at a higher risk of the infection living in an enclosed environment with others. This article adopts a qualitative approach using Colaizzi’s phenomenological method to explore the lived experiences of older adults during COVID-19. Between December 2019 and June 2020, 10 in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants aged 60 years and above in two aged care homes. The lived tension that has penetrated all participants’ stories in five themes of the meanings described as ‘disconnected in a shrinking world’ filled with uncertainties. COVID-19 has brought unprecedented challenges and disproportionate threat onto older adults’ lives, relationships and well-being. The overarching message was that older adults believe that ‘this too shall pass’ and regain their freedom that was lost during the pandemic.

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AGING AND FEELING CURIOUS: A TIME-SAMPLING STUDY

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.3090 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S839-S839

Author(s):

Li Chu ◽

Helene H Fung

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Personal Growth ◽

Positive Emotions ◽

Well Being ◽

Optimal Level ◽

Dual Process ◽

Positive Outcomes ◽

Time Sampling ◽

Younger Adults ◽

New Information

Abstract Curiosity is commonly defined as “the desire for new information and experience.” While curiosity has been associated with numerous positive outcomes (e.g., improved well-being, better cognitive performance and longer life expectancy, some studies suggested that curiosity declined with age. However, very few studies actually attempt to examine why curiosity may be lower among older adults. Moreover, scholars disagreed on “why” people feel curious. According to the dual process theory (Spielberger & Starr, 1994), curiosity is induced by optimal level of uncertainty and anxiety with the desire to reduce these aversive feelings. However, the personal growth facilitation model (Kashdan, Rose, & Fincham, 2002) posits that people are curious intrinsically for one’s own growth, which is associated with positive affects. Therefore, the present study aims to examine age differences in the affective profile of feeling curious by comparing the momentary affective experience of curiosity between younger and older adults. In this study, we conducted a 2-week time-sampling study with 78 younger adults (age 19-29) and 79 older adults (age 60-85) from Hong Kong. Multilevel modeling analyses demonstrated a positive relationship between curiosity and positive emotions for both younger (β=.29, p<.01) and older adults (β=.70, p<.01). Interestingly, anxiousness was positively associated with younger adults’ curiosity (β=.09, p=.01) but not for older adults (β=.06, p=.29). Our study supported both theories, but suggested that one may be more dominant among older adults. These findings have important implications for future interventions to reduce anxiousness to encourage older adults to keep an open-minded attitude towards novelties.

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PET VISITATION AS NARRATIVE CARE FOR OLDER ADULTS IN THERAPEUTIC SETTINGS

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.3182 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S867-S867

Author(s):

Jill Yamasaki ◽

Kelley Murfin

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Los Angeles ◽

Participant Observation ◽

Ways Of Knowing ◽

Well Being ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Term Care ◽

Personalized Care ◽

Healing Relationships ◽

Therapeutic Settings

Abstract A growing body of research highlights the physiological and psychosocial benefits of pet visitation programs in therapeutic settings. These programs utilize the profound connection between humans and animals to promote holistic healing, foster greater quality of life, and influence meaningful communication between patients and providers. For older adults in hospitals or long-term care, these benefits are often correlated with moments of pleasure, comfort, relaxation, and entertainment. The current study builds on this prior knowledge by examining pet visitation programs as a novel form of narrative care that can also help preserve biographical continuity and promote the sharing of lived stories. We worked with two volunteer pet visitation programs in Houston and one in Los Angeles. Our research included a variety of ethnographic methods, including participant observation; informal interviews with providers, patients (or residents, depending on the context), and their families; semi-structured interviews with volunteers; and discourse review of organizational materials. We employed a method of constant comparison to identify and thematically analyze recurrent patterns of behavior and overarching meanings across the data. Three primary themes emerged from the data: (a) compassion, (b) connection, and (c) response. Collectively, the presence of pets prompted stories and behaviors that foster healing relationships characterized by empathy and mutual understanding between patients (or residents), family members, and providers. Pet visitation programs facilitate storied conversations, increased autonomy, and alternative ways of knowing that promote greater understandings of the patient’s (or resident’s) psychosocial context and biographical history, leading to more personalized care and improved well-being.

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