Health Bias in Clinical Work with Older Adult Clients: The Relation with Ageism and Aging Anxiety

Abstract Using the traditional framework of Pen Pals, Instapals was a project that facilitated 1-to-1 intergenerational relationships through daily exchanges on Instagram for 30 days. Although communication channels have exploded in the past 10 years in large part to social platforms and digital technologies, the diversity of daily social interactions has decreased. More and more, society has become siloed by age, interest, and belief. Building off intergroup contact theory, Instapals was designed to encourage positive intergenerational contact between younger (undergraduate students) and older adults (individuals 65+) and challenge ageist beliefs. Intergenerational social exchanges occurred both on Instagram and during three in-person meetings. Among undergraduate students, attitudes and stereotypes toward older adults and aging were assessed at three timepoints (before meeting their older adult partner, during a mid-point evaluation, and at the end of the project). Quantitative analyses demonstrate a decrease in aging anxiety, a decrease in psychological concerns about the aging process, and a greater endorsement of positive perceptions toward one’s older adult partner. Qualitative analyses of written responses from students (collected before meeting their older adult partner and at the end of the project) revealed that the Instapals project helped students challenge ageist attitudes and stereotypes and was perceived to be a positive experience overall. Implications suggest that positive intergenerational contact can be facilitated and enhanced through the use of technology. Future research should explore whether attitudes, stereotypes, and self-perceptions of aging changed among older adults as well as other technological mechanisms for facilitating intergenerational contact.

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Clinical supervision in older adult mental health services

Working with Older People ◽

10.1108/wwop-09-2019-0024 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 23 (4) ◽

pp. 241-250

Author(s):

Alessandra Merizzi

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Older People ◽

Older Adult ◽

Clinical Supervision ◽

Health Care Professionals ◽

Theoretical Models ◽

Clinical Work ◽

Therapeutic Work ◽

Content Type ◽

Self Reflection

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how supervision is applied in the context of National Health Service services for older adults, with particular regard to the profession of clinical psychology and psychotherapy. Design/methodology/approach The clinical supervision theories that are considered in this exploration are the Seven-Eyed Model (Hawkins and Shohet, 2012) and the Cyclical Model (Page and Wosket, 2015). The discussion also integrates an overview of psychological dynamics as presented by the existing literature with the author’s reflections on the influence of ageing stereotypes in the therapeutic work with older adults. Findings The theoretical models of clinical supervision considered can offer a robust framework and pathway for supervisory work in psychology and psychotherapy for older people. However, this alone seems insufficient and needs to be combined with the supervisor’s knowledge on psychology of ageing as well as their own self-reflection on internalised ageing stereotypes. Practical implications The paper suggests a need for health care professionals, providing clinical supervision on older adult therapeutic work, to be familiar with the aspects analysed. Originality/value Clinical supervision handbooks overlook aspects related to age as an issue of difference. This paper adds value to the clinical work with older people through a novel attempt to link implications of ageing stereotypes with the therapeutic and supervisory practice.

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Demonstrating a Technology-Mediated Intervention to Support Medication Adherence in Community-Dwelling Older Adults in Primary Care: A Feasibility Study

Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine ◽

10.1177/2333721419845179 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 5 ◽

pp. 233372141984517

Author(s):

Henry Yu-Hin Siu ◽

Bethany Delleman ◽

Jessica Langevin ◽

Dee Mangin ◽

Michelle Howard ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Primary Care ◽

Medication Adherence ◽

Older Adult ◽

Feasibility Study ◽

Clinical Work ◽

Medication Administration ◽

Recruitment Rate ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Adherence Rate

Background: Medication non-adherence can lead to significant morbidity and mortality. This 4-week feasibility study aims to demonstrate that the eDosette intervention can be implemented with older adults in primary care. Method: Fifty-six older adults from four primary care sites in Southwestern Ontario, Canada participated. The intervention involved generating, for pharmacist review, weekly medication administration records based on transmitted data captured by the eDosette. The primary outcome is implementation feasibility defined by recruitment, adherence rates, frequency of captured missed and late doses, descriptions of clinical work resulting from the intervention, and participant feedback. Results: The recruitment rate was 24% (57/240); one withdrew due to personal reasons. The mean observed adherence rate was 82% (range 49%-100%). Overall, participants missed 505 and took 2,105 doses late; 118 clinical decisions occurred with 72 unique medication changes in 31 participants. Participants found the eDosette easy to use and did not feel that they were viewed negatively because of their potential non-adherence. Conclusion: The eDosette intervention could be feasibly implemented in primary care with older adults. Providing information about when an older adult takes their medications could play a role in medication adherence by prompting more informed discussions between the older adult and primary care clinicians.

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COGNITIVE HEALTH STATUS AND GENDER DIFFERENCES IN ATTITUDES AND EMOTIONS TOWARD OLDER ADULTS

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.1708 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S456-S456

Author(s):

Grace Caskie ◽

Abigail R Voelkner ◽

Hannah M Bashian

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Health Status ◽

Older Adult ◽

Cognitive Health ◽

Participant Gender ◽

Emotional Distance ◽

Main Effect ◽

Aging Anxiety ◽

And Gender ◽

Middle Aged Adults

Abstract The health and gender of older adults can elicit differing attitudes and emotions within young and middle-aged adults (Bergman & Bodner, 2015); one’s own gender may also influence these differences (Bergman & Cohen-Fridel, 2012). In this study, 287 participants (173 males, 114 females), aged 19-55 years (M=32.8), were randomly assigned to read one description of an older adult that varied cognitive health status (healthy/Alzheimer’s) and gender (male/female). Factorial MANOVAs examined differences by gender, health, and participant gender for participants’ (a) emotions about the older adult (compassion and emotional distance) and (b) negative perceptions about aging (ageist attitudes and aging anxiety). The first MANOVA found a significant main effect for health status; participants expressed more compassion (p=.013) and less emotional distance (p<.001) for the older adult with Alzheimer’s than for the healthy older adult. Also, the Target Gender X Participant Gender interaction was significant for emotional distance (p=.032), but not for compassion (p=.616); men reported more emotional distance than women for the female older adult, regardless of target health status, but men and women’s emotional distance were very similar for the male older adult. The second MANOVA showed only a significant health status main effect; ageist attitudes (p=.021), but not aging anxiety (p=.062), differed by health status of the older adult, with more ageist attitudes expressed for the healthy older adult than the older adult with Alzheimer’s. Overall, these results show that individual factors can influence young and middle-aged adults’ negative attitudes and emotions towards older adults. Implications will be discussed.

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Predictors of Psychologist Trainees’ Attitudes Toward and Interest in Future Work With Older Adult Clients

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.1455 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 449-450

Author(s):

Grace Caskie ◽

Abigail Voelkner ◽

MaryAnn Sutton

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Older Adult ◽

Clinical Psychology ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Adult Population ◽

Clinical Work ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Intergroup Contact Theory ◽

Positive Attitudes ◽

Future Demands

Abstract By 2035, 25% of the growing older adult population may be in need of mental health services (Novotney, 2018; Vespa, 2018). However, only a small proportion of psychologists currently identify as geropsychologists; thus, the number of geropsychologists will be insufficient to meet these future demands. Identifying variables that explain the variability in current psychology trainees’ expressed interest to engage in future clinical work with older adults is important so that training efforts can be targeted and the number of geropsychologists increased. Based on a multicultural framework and intergroup contact theory, this study examined contact with older adults, empathy, and multicultural competence as predictors of counseling and clinical psychology doctoral trainees’ attitudes toward and interest in working with older adult clients. A sample of 311 doctoral trainees (234 clinical PhD/PsyD, 78 counseling PhD/PsyD) were surveyed online. Structural equation modeling tested the hypothesized interrelationships between study variables. The model showed good fit to the data (χ2(82) = 179.803, p<.001, TLI=.93, CFI=.94, RMSEA=.06, SRMR=.06). Greater contact with older adults was significantly related to more positive attitudes about older adults and greater interest in working with older adults. More positive attitudes was significantly related to greater interest in working with older adults. Empathy was significantly related to more positive attitudes, but to less interest in working with this age group. Increasing the amount of contact experiences with older adults as part of doctoral training programs in counseling/clinical psychology may help to enhance trainees’ positive attitudes and interest in future clinical work with older adults.

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

GeroPsych ◽

10.1024/1662-9647/a000202 ◽

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.

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Cognitive Aging in a Precision Sport Context

European Psychologist ◽

10.1027/1016-9040.1.3.166 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 1 (3) ◽

pp. 166-179 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Bo Molander ◽

Lars Bäckman

Keyword(s):

Older Adult ◽

Cognitive Abilities ◽

Cognitive Aging ◽

Motor Performance ◽

Intervention Programs ◽

Laboratory Studies ◽

High Arousal ◽

Memory And Attention ◽

Age Related ◽

Principal Finding

Highly skilled miniature golf players were examined in a series of field and laboratory studies. The principal finding from these studies is that young and young adult players (range = 15-38 years) score equally well or better in competition than in training whereas older adult players (range = 46-73 years) perform worse in competitive events than under training conditions. It was also found that the impairment in motor performance on the part of the older players is associated with age-related deficits in basic cognitive abilities, such as memory and attention. These results support the hypothesis that older players may be able to compensate for age-related deficits under relaxed conditions, but not under conditions of high arousal. The possibility of improving the performance of the older players in stressful situations by means of various intervention programs is discussed.

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