Older Adult Performance on an Altered Version of the SSI Test

2003 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 137-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy L. Aarts ◽  
Elizabeth M. Adams ◽  
Kathy R. Duncan
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
Pure Tone ◽  
The Other ◽  
Speech Understanding ◽  
Pure Tone Average ◽  
Adult Performance ◽  
Equivalent Test ◽  
Interstimulus Intervals

The Synthetic Sentence Identification (SSI) test has been used extensively in investigations of reduced speech understanding skills in older adults. In this study the SSI test was altered by adding noise to the competing message and by administering practice lists and equivalent test lists, as well as versions of the test that have 4- and 12-s interstimulus intervals (ISIs), along with the standard 8-s ISI. The purpose was to determine the effect of these alterations on performance in a group of older adults with average pure-tone average 2 values less than 33 dB HL. Performance changed as a function of the ISI, with less rollover occurring for the 4-s ISI condition than the other 2 ISIs.

scholarly journals Impacts of Diabetes, Aging, and Hearing Loss on Speech-on-Speech Masking and Spatial Release in a Large Veteran Cohort

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Sarah M. Theodoroff ◽  
Frederick J. Gallun ◽  
Garnett P. McMillan ◽  
Michelle Molis ◽  
Nirmal Srinivasan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Pure Tone ◽  
Mixed Model ◽  
Linear Mixed Model ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Correct Identification ◽  
Speech Understanding ◽  
Impaired Hearing ◽  
Pure Tone Average ◽  
Spatial Release

Purpose Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) is associated with impaired hearing. However, the evidence is less clear if DM2 can lead to difficulty understanding speech in complex acoustic environments, independently of age and hearing loss effects. The purpose of this study was to estimate the magnitude of DM2-related effects on speech understanding in the presence of competing speech after adjusting for age and hearing. Method A cross-sectional study design was used to investigate the relationship between DM2 and speech understanding in 190 Veterans ( M age = 47 years, range: 25–76). Participants were classified as having no diabetes ( n = 74), prediabetes ( n = 19), or DM2 that was well controlled ( n = 24) or poorly controlled ( n = 73). A test of spatial release from masking (SRM) was presented in a virtual acoustical simulation over insert earphones with multiple talkers using sentences from the coordinate response measure corpus to determine the target-to-masker ratio (TMR) required for 50% correct identification of target speech. A linear mixed model of the TMR results was used to estimate SRM and separate effects of diabetes group, age, and low-frequency pure-tone average (PTA-low) and high-frequency pure-tone average. A separate model estimated the effects of DM2 on PTA-low. Results After adjusting for hearing and age, diabetes-related effects remained among those whose DM2 was well controlled, showing an SRM loss of approximately 0.5 dB. Results also showed effects of hearing loss and age, consistent with the literature on people without DM2. Low-frequency hearing loss was greater among those with DM2. Conclusions In a large cohort of Veterans, low-frequency hearing loss and older age negatively impact speech understanding. Compared with nondiabetics, individuals with controlled DM2 have additional auditory deficits beyond those associated with hearing loss or aging. These results provide a potential explanation for why individuals who have diabetes and/or are older often report difficulty understanding speech in real-world listening environments. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.16746475

“Citizens Too”: Safety Setting Collaboration Among Older Adults with Memory Concerns

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 1-32
Author(s):  
Nora Mcdonald ◽  
Helena M. Mentis
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
Vulnerable Populations ◽  
Service Provider ◽  
The Other ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Diary Study ◽  
Close Collaboration ◽  
Memory Concerns ◽  
With Memory

Designing technologies that support the cybersecurity of older adults with memory concerns involves wrestling with an uncomfortable paradox between surveillance and independence and the close collaboration of couples. This research captures the interactions between older adult couples where one or both have memory concerns—a primary feature of cognitive decline—as they make decisions on how to safeguard their online activities using a Safety Setting probe we designed, and over the course of several informal interviews and a diary study. Throughout, couples demonstrated a collaborative mentality to which we apply a frame of citizenship in opensource collaboration, specifically (a) histories of participation , (b) lower barriers to participation, and (c) maintaining ongoing contribution. In this metaphor of collaborative enterprise, one partner (or member of the couple) may be the service provider and the other may be the participant, but at varying moments, they may switch roles while still maintaining a collaborative focus on preserving shared assets and freedom on the internet. We conclude with a discussion of what this service provider-contributor mentality means for empowerment through citizenship, and implications for vulnerable populations’ cybersecurity.

Tap and Swipe Activity Zones on Smartphones for Novice Older Adults

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 18-39
Author(s):  
Paula Alexandra Silva ◽  
Roxanne Leitão ◽  
Maureen K Kerwin
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
User Interfaces ◽  
Mobile Applications ◽  
The Body ◽  
Adult Performance ◽  
Tactile Interaction ◽  
Practical Information ◽  
The Right

This article investigates tactile interaction on smartphones with adults aged 65 or older who were considered to have a novice level of skill with technology. Two experiments with two different groups of 40 Portuguese adults adds empirical evidence to the field and shows that older adult performance for tapping is best toward the center, right edge, and bottom right corner of the smartphone display. Results also show that a participant's performance of horizontal swipes is better with targets toward the bottom half of the display, while participant's performance of vertical swipes is better with targets toward the right half of the display. This article contributes to the body of research on the design of user interfaces for smartphones and mobile applications targeted at older adults, as well as providing practical information for designers and practitioners developing products that are more universally accessible.

scholarly journals Longitudinal associations between hearing aid usage and cognition in community-dwelling Japanese older adults with moderate hearing loss

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (10) ◽  
pp. e0258520
Author(s):  
Saiko Sugiura ◽  
Yukiko Nishita ◽  
Yasue Uchida ◽  
Mariko Shimono ◽  
Hirokazu Suzuki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Pure Tone ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Pure Tone Average ◽  
Time Interaction ◽  
Picture Completion ◽  
Moderate Hearing Loss

We investigated the associations between hearing aids (HA) and the maintenance of cognitive function among community-dwelling older adults with moderate hearing loss. A total of 407 participants aged 60 years or older with moderate hearing loss were recruited from the National Institute for Longevity Sciences, Longitudinal Study for Aging (NILS-LSA). Moderate hearing loss was defined as a pure-tone average of 40–69 dB at 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz of the better ear, according to the definition proposed by the Japan Audiological Society. Cognitive function was evaluated using the four subtests of the Japanese version of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised Short Forms (WAIS-R-SF): Information, Similarities, Picture completion, and Digit Symbol Substitution (DSST). A longitudinal analysis of 1192 observations with a mean follow-up period of 4.5 ± 3.9 years was performed. The HA use rate at any time during the follow-up period was 31.4%, and HA users were significantly younger (t-test, p = 0.001), had worse hearing (p < .0001) and higher education (p = 0.001), participated more frequently in the survey (p < .0001), and were less depressed (χ2 test, p = 0.003) than the older adults not using HA. General linear mixed models consisted of the fixed effects of HA use, follow-up time, and an HA use × time interaction term adjusted for age and pure-tone average thresholds at baseline, sex, education, and other possible confounders. HA use showed significant main effects on the scores for Picture completion and DSST after adjustment; scores were better in the HA use group than in the no HA use group. The HA use × time interaction was significant for the Information score (p = 0.040). The model-predicted 12-year slope with centralizing age indicated that the no HA use group showed greater decline over time on Information scores than did HA use group. The slopes did not differ between HA users and non-users for the Similarities, Picture completion and DSST. In conclusion, HA use may have a protective effect on the decline in general knowledge in older adults with moderate hearing loss.

scholarly journals Activating Aging Stereotypes Increases Source Recollection Confusions in Older Adults: Effect at Encoding but Not Retrieval

2018 ◽  
Vol 74 (4) ◽  
pp. 633-641 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica T Wong ◽  
David A Gallo
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Stereotype Threat ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
General Knowledge ◽  
Secondary Tasks ◽  
Stereotype Activation ◽  
Adult Performance ◽  
Metacognitive Beliefs ◽  
Self Reports ◽  
Retrieval Phase

Abstract Objectives Activating aging stereotypes can impair older adult performance on episodic memory tasks, an effect attributed to stereotype threat. Here, we report the first study comparing the effects of explicitly activating aging stereotypes at encoding versus retrieval on recollection accuracy in older adults. Method During the encoding phase, older adults made semantic judgments about words, and during the retrieval phase, they had to recollect these judgments. To manipulate stereotype activation, participants read about aging-related decline (stereotype condition) or an aging-neutral passage (control condition), either before encoding or after encoding but before retrieval. We also assessed stereotype effects on metacognitive beliefs and two secondary tasks (working memory, general knowledge) administered after the recollection task. Results Stereotype activation at encoding, but not retrieval, significantly increased recollection confusion scores compared to the control condition. Stereotype activation also increased self-reports of cognitive decline with aging, but it did not reliably impact task-related metacognitive assessments or accuracy on the secondary tasks. Discussion Explicitly activating aging stereotypes at encoding increases the likelihood of false recollection in older adults, potentially by diminishing encoding processes. Stereotype activation also influenced global metacognitive assessments, but this effect may be unrelated to the effect of stereotypes on recollection accuracy.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Food Waste at a Portuguese Geriatric Institution

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 2452
Author(s):  
Margarida Liz Martins ◽  
Ana Sofia Henriques ◽  
Ada Rocha
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
Food Waste ◽  
Service System ◽  
Food Service ◽  
The Other ◽  
Plate Waste ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Waste Food

Care institutions attending to older adults are responsible for their food supply, which influences their health and quality of life. Food waste at care institutions has been reported to be a matter of great concern, that requires regular monitoring. In this study, we aim to quantify food waste in the food service of an elderly institution, both as leftovers and plate waste. Data collection was performed over 15 consecutive days, at lunch and dinner served to older adults. The aggregate weighing of food was performed before and after distribution, as well as after consumption. Leftovers and plate waste were calculated by the differences in weight. During the study period, 2987 meals were evaluated, corresponding to 1830 kg of food produced, of which only 67% was consumed. For each meal, approximately 610 g of food was produced per older adult, and only about 410 g were consumed, corresponding to 150 g of leftovers and 50 g of plate waste. Food waste represented 36.1% of meals served, composed of 24.1% leftovers and 12.0% plate waste. The wasted meals would be enough to feed 1486 older adults and would correspond to annual losses of approximately €107,112. Leftovers and plate waste were above the limits of acceptability (below 6% and 10%, respectively), indicating excessive food waste. High values of leftovers are related to the food service system and staff, pointing to the need for improvements during the planning and processing of meals. On the other hand, high plate waste values are associated with consumers, indicating the low adequacy of the menu regarding to older adults’ habits and preferences.

scholarly journals The Self as Subject and Object: Reflections on Being a Double Agent of Aging

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 671-671
Author(s):  
Phillip Clark
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Behavior ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
Personal Experience ◽  
The Self ◽  
The Other ◽  
Academic Life ◽  
Research And Teaching ◽  
Double Agent ◽  
Research And Education

Abstract Being both a gerontologist and an older adult places one in a double narrative: one is the scientific story and academic life of research and education, the other is the personal experience of living through this phase of life. These two narratives become intertwined in a way that both enriches and poses challenges. This paper explores what being a “double agent of aging” means as an individual and a scholar, and offers some insights for the field of gerontology. These implications include: (1) the growing importance of values and life wisdom, (2) health behavior hypocrisy, and (3) the experience of ageing and marginalization. The implications for the field of gerontology include: (1) valuing the voices of older adults in our research and teaching, (2) being more active in confronting ageism in our own institutions, and (3) acknowledging the limitations of studying aging as a younger adult.

La contribution des bénévoles au soutien à domicile des personnes âgées: les frontières de leur action

2007 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 101-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrée Sévigny ◽  
Aline Vézina
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Community Organization ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
The Other ◽  
Rural Setting ◽  
Health Providers ◽  
Professional Health

ABSTRACTThis article presents the results of a qualitative study on the contributions made by volunteers from a volunteer community organization to the home care of older adults living in a rural setting. In this study, the volunteer was considered as part of a social care system made up of a number of groups (the elderly themselves, those close to them, professional health providers, and volunteers). Results show that the lines delimiting the responsibilities of these various groups are neither clear nor precise. The place of the volunteer must take into account the nature of the participation of the other groups. How far the services offered by volunteers are used depends upon the characteristics that define their contributions and on the type of relationship they develop with a given older adult.

Talk or Walk? Gait Speed over Self-Report in Association with Cognitive Speed in Healthy Older Adults

GeroPsych ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-52
Author(s):  
Matthew C. Costello ◽  
Shane J. Sizemore ◽  
Kimberly E. O’Brien ◽  
Lydia K. Manning
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
Gait Speed ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Subjective Report ◽  
Healthy Older Adults ◽  
Relative Value ◽  
Cognitive Speed ◽  
Age Range

Abstract. This study explores the relative value of both subjectively reported cognitive speed and gait speed in association with objectively derived cognitive speed. It also explores how these factors are affected by psychological and physical well-being. A group of 90 cognitively healthy older adults ( M = 73.38, SD = 8.06 years, range = 60–89 years) were tested in a three-task cognitive battery to determine objective cognitive speed as well as measures of gait speed, well-being, and subjective cognitive speed. Analyses indicated that gait speed was associated with objective cognitive speed to a greater degree than was subjective report, the latter being more closely related to well-being than to objective cognitive speed. These results were largely invariant across the 30-year age range of our older adult sample.

Prescription of Exercise in Older Adults, Physiotherapeutic Approach

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (5) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
Exercise Prescription

• Identify the changes related to aging that must be taken into account for the prescription of the exercise • Define the appropriate functional assessmentsforthe prescription of the exercise in the older adult • Recognize the factors that influence the adherence to exercise by older adults • Describe according to the objectives the correct exercise prescription for older adults.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document