scholarly journals Financial Security at Older Ages

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 685-685
Author(s):  
Stipica Mudrazija ◽  
Barbara Butrica
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Financial Distress ◽  
Ethnic Composition ◽  
Median Income ◽  
Retirement Savings ◽  
Unsecured Debt ◽  
Level Information ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Social Security Benefits ◽  
Over Time

Abstract As Americans have become increasingly indebted over time, understanding the factors influencing indebtedness is increasingly important and can help policymakers design policies that discourage debt, thus enhancing private retirement savings so that retirees become less dependent on Social Security benefits. The paper uses data from a major credit bureau of a nationally representative 2 percent random sample from more than 250 million consumer records to examine the financial health and indebtedness of older adults. The data cover the years 2010 through 2018 and follow the same consumers over time. They are supplemented with the zip-code level information from the American Community Survey on neighborhood characteristics, including racial and ethnic composition, education, median income, and poverty. Our preliminary findings suggest that, while the proportion of older adults in serious financial distress is not substantial, their indebtedness is increasing and the growth of unsecured debt (e.g., student debt) has been especially fast. Part of a symposium sponsored by the Economics of Aging Interest Group.

scholarly journals Coprescribing of Benzodiazepines and Opioids in Older Adults: Rates, Correlates, and National Trends

2018 ◽  
Vol 74 (12) ◽  
pp. 1910-1915 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taeho Greg Rhee
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Physician Visits ◽  
Prescribing Trends ◽  
Clinical Diagnoses ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Using Data ◽  
National Trends ◽  
Ambulatory Medical Care ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Background To estimate prescribing trends of and correlates independently associated with coprescribing of benzodiazepines and opioids among adults aged 65 years or older in office-based outpatient visits. Methods I examined a nationally representative sample of office-based physician visits by older adults between 2006 and 2015 (n = 109,149 unweighted) using data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys (NAMCS). National rates and prescribing trends were estimated. Then, I used multivariable logistic regression analyses to identify demographic and clinical factors associated with coprescriptions of benzodiazepines and opioids. Results From 2006 to 2015, 15,954 (14.6%) out of 109,149 visits, representative of 39.3 million visits nationally, listed benzodiazepine, opioid, or both medications prescribed. The rate of prescription benzodiazepines only increased monotonically from 4.8% in 2006–2007 to 6.2% in 2014–2015 (p < .001), and the rate of prescription opioids only increased monotonically from 5.9% in 2006–2007 to 10.0% in 2014–2015 (p < .001). The coprescribing rate of benzodiazepines and opioids increased over time from 1.1% in 2006–2007 to 2.7% in 2014–2015 (p < .001). Correlates independently associated with a higher likelihood of both benzodiazepine and opioid prescriptions included: female sex, a visit for chronic care, receipt of six or more concomitantly prescribed medications, and clinical diagnoses of anxiety and pain (p < .01 for all). Conclusion The coprescribing rate of benzodiazepines and opioids increased monotonically over time in outpatient care settings. Because couse of benzodiazepines and opioids is associated with medication burdens and potential harms, future research is needed to address medication safety in these vulnerable populations.

scholarly journals 2400 How have characteristics of end-of-life family caregiving changed from 1999 to 2015? Preliminary results from two waves of nationally representative data

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (S1) ◽  
pp. 82-82
Author(s):  
Judith Vick ◽  
Jennifer Wolff
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
End Of Life ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Family Caregiving ◽  
Physical Strain ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Care Survey ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Over Time

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: Family members are often critical in the delivery of hands-on care and decisions about care for persons approaching end-of-life (EOL). Prompted by concerns about the poor quality and high costs of care at the EOL, recent delivery reform efforts—such as the growth of hospice and palliative care—have been directed at improving EOL care for both patients and family. Trends of the characteristics of EOL family caregivers and care recipients over time have not been well described. The goal of this study is to evaluate changes in EOL family caregiving from 1999 to 2015. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: This study uses reconciled data from two nationally representative surveys and their linked caregiver surveys: the 1999 wave of the National Long-Term Care Survey (NLTCS) and the Informal Care Survey (ICS), and the 2015 wave of the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) and the National Survey of Caregiving (NSOC). RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Crude analysis shows that older adults living in the community and receiving help from family caregivers in the last year of life were significantly better educated (72% with greater than 12 years of education vs. 46%), and more diverse (78% White vs. 89%) in 2015 compared with 1999. Family caregivers in the last year of life were less likely to be female in 2015 compared with 1999 (74% vs. 68%, NS) and significantly less likely to be spouses (45% vs. 38%) in 2015. In 2015, a significantly greater proportion of older adults received help with five or more activities of daily living (47% vs. 34%), but family caregivers reported significantly lower levels of caregiving-associated distress: financial strain (80% reporting none in 2015 vs. 53%), emotional (51% vs. 39%), and physical strain (70% vs. 45%). In addition, a significantly greater proportion of EOL family caregivers used respite care in 2015 compared to 1999 (15% vs. 4%). DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Changes in the experience of EOL family caregiving may be impossible to capture in studies of single interventions, but tracking nationally representative trends can be used as an indicator of broader changes that take place cumulatively over time. Although studies of this nature cannot identify causal mechanisms of change, they are important to monitor long-term impact of program implementation and to guide future research, policy, and resource allocation.

scholarly journals The Effect of Diabetes on the Cognitive Trajectory of Older Adults in Mexico and the United States

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaqueline C Avila ◽  
Silvia Mejia-Arangom ◽  
Daniel Jupiter ◽  
Brian Downer ◽  
Rebeca Wong
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mixed Effect ◽  
Cognitive Domains ◽  
Aging Study ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Objectives To study the impact of diabetes on the long-term cognitive trajectories of older adults in 2 countries with different socioeconomic and health settings, and to determine whether this relationship differs by cognitive domains. This study uses Mexico and the United States to confirm if patterns hold in both populations, as these countries have similar diabetes prevalence but different socioeconomic conditions and diabetes-related mortality. Methods Two nationally representative cohorts of adults aged 50 years or older are used: the Mexican Health and Aging Study for Mexico and the Health and Retirement Study for the United States, with sample sizes of 18,810 and 26,244 individuals, respectively, followed up for a period of 14 years. The outcome is cognition measured as a total composite score and by domain (memory and nonmemory). Mixed-effect linear models are used to test the effect of diabetes on cognition at 65 years old and over time in each country. Results Diabetes is associated with lower cognition and nonmemory scores at baseline and over time in both countries. In Mexico, diabetes only predicts lower memory scores over time, whereas in the United States it only predicts lower memory scores at baseline. Women have higher total cognition and memory scores than men in both studies. The magnitude of the effect of diabetes on cognition is similar in both countries. Discussion Despite the overall lower cognition in Mexico and different socioeconomic characteristics, the impact of diabetes on cognitive decline and the main risk and protective factors for poor cognition are similar in both countries.

scholarly journals CHANGES IN OLDER ADULTS’ INFORMAL CARE NETWORKS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S825-S825
Author(s):  
I-Fen Lin ◽  
Hsueh-Sheng Wu
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Informal Care ◽  
Well Being ◽  
National Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Care Network ◽  
Gerontological Research ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
And Function ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Many older adults rely on informal care networks to overcome challenges in life and maintain well-being. The composition and function of the informal care network may change as existing caregivers leave and new caregivers join the network over time. The majority of prior studies on caregiving to older adults are based on cross-sectional data and thus cannot examine changes in older adults’ informal care networks. Although some have followed older adults’ informal caregivers over time, they usually focus on primary caregivers, rather than the entire informal care network longitudinally. The newly available panel data on a nationally representative sample of caregivers from the National Study of Caregiving (NSOC) provide an excellent opportunity for researchers to understand how older adults’ informal care networks change over time and what factors relate to discontinuation of care. Using the NSOC 2015 and 2017, we found that 70% of older adults (N = 1,395) experienced changed in informal care networks within two years. Only a small portion of spouses (6%) discontinued giving care to older adults, whereas 21% adult children, 56% other kin, and 77% nonkin stopped caregiving by 2017. We further examined how older adults’ needs for support, caregivers’ resources and constraints, and caregiving experiences were associated with discontinuation of care. This study is expected to advance gerontological research by broadening our understanding of informal caregiving in late life and providing practical implications on how to sustain informal care.

Trajectories of Social Engagement and Limitations in Late Life

2011 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 430-443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia A. Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Panel Study ◽  
Integration Theory ◽  
Cognitive Limitations ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Life Course Framework ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Over Time

Although studies have established important links between social relations and health, much of this research does not take into account the dynamic nature of both social relations and health over time. The present study combines person-centered and variable-centered approaches and uses social integration theory within the life course framework to examine patterns of change in social engagement and how those patterns relate to trajectories of physical and cognitive limitations among older adults, using data from the Americans’ Changing Lives survey, a nationally representative panel study ( N = 1,667). Individuals who had trajectories of high and increasing social engagement experienced lower levels of physical and cognitive limitations over time. The findings suggest the importance of maintaining high levels of social engagement for the physical and cognitive health of older adults.

The Influence of Family and Friend Confidants on Marital Quality in Older Couples

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruixue Zhaoyang ◽  
Lynn M Martire
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Marital Quality ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Older Couples ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Objectives Relationships with confidants play an important role in older adults’ health and well-being. Particularly, family and friend confidants could significantly support or interfere with older adults’ marital relationships. This study used a dyadic approach to examine the influence of the structural features of both spouses’ family and friend confidant networks on older couples’ marital quality over 5 years. Methods Analyses used dyadic data from Wave 2 (2010–2011) and Wave 3 (2015–2016) interviews of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP), a nationally representative sample of community-dwelling older adults. Longitudinal actor–partner interdependence models were used to examine the influence of spouses’ family and friend confidant networks on couples’ marital quality. Results Having a larger friend confidant network or closer connections with friend confidants predicted greater marital quality for wives and husbands 5 years later. Larger family confidant networks of both spouses predicted greater marital quality for wives over time. However, husbands reported worse marital quality over time if wives reported having closer connections with their own family confidants at baseline. Discussion This study demonstrates the importance of family and friend confidant networks for older couples’ marital quality and highlights the benefits of having a larger or closer friend confidant network. Future research should examine mechanisms that account for the effects of spouses’ family and friend confidant networks on older couples’ marital quality.

Personality change and environmental concerns

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher James Hopwood ◽  
Ted Schwaba ◽  
Wiebke Bleidorn
Keyword(s):  
Personality Traits ◽  
Personality Change ◽  
Environmental Concerns ◽  
Big Five Personality ◽  
German Population ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Sustainable Behavior ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Over Time

Personal concerns about climate change and the environment are a powerful motivator of sustainable behavior. People’s level of concern varies as a function of a variety of social and individual factors. Using data from 58,748 participants from a nationally representative German sample, we tested preregistered hypotheses about factors that impact concerns about the environment over time. We found that environmental concerns increased modestly from 2009-2017 in the German population. However, individuals in middle adulthood tended to be more concerned and showed more consistent increases in concern over time than younger or older people. Consistent with previous research, Big Five personality traits were correlated with environmental concerns. We present novel evidence that increases in concern were related to increases in the personality traits neuroticism and openness to experience. Indeed, changes in openness explained roughly 50% of the variance in changes in environmental concerns. These findings highlight the importance of understanding the individual level factors associated with changes in environmental concerns over time, towards the promotion of more sustainable behavior at the individual level.

Spontaneous self-affirmation before and during COVID-19: Associations with information-seeking, worry and adherence

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracy Epton ◽  
Chris Keyworth ◽  
Chris Armitage
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Opposite Direction ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
Brief Interventions ◽  
Adaptive Behaviors ◽  
Uk Government ◽  
Nationally Representative

Objective: To assess the extent of spontaneous self-affirmation pre COVID-19 and during COVID-19 pandemic to identify for whom self-affirmation interventions might be helpful; and the extent to which spontaneous self-affirmation is associated with increased information-seeking, worry and adherence to UK government instructions. Methods: Two large nationally-representative surveys of UK adults were conducted via YouGov in March 2019 (pre COVID-19; N = 10421) and April 2020 (during COVID-19; N = 2252); both surveys measured demographic characteristics and spontaneous self-affirmation. The latter survey included measures of time spent accessing COVID-19 related news, worry about COVID-19 related news and degree of adherence to UK government instructions. Results: Spontaneous self-affirmation was lower before COVID-19 (44%) than it was during the pandemic (57%), although the pattern was in the opposite direction among older adults. Older adults were more likely to spontaneously self-affirm during COVID-19 than pre COVID-19. Greater spontaneous self-affirmation was associated with more time spent accessing news, and greater adherence to UK government instructions, but not media-related worry. Conclusions: The threat of COVID-19 may have triggered greater levels of spontaneous self-affirmation, which could give people the resources they needed to allow them to seek COVID-19-related news and adhere to UK government instructions. Groups lower in spontaneous self-affirmation, such as younger people could be targeted with brief interventions to promote self-affirmation and encourage performance of adaptive behaviors.

Biopsychosocial Patterning of Multimorbidity and Its Consequences

2018 ◽  
pp. 220-236
Author(s):  
Elliot Friedman ◽  
Beth LeBreton ◽  
Lindsay Fuzzell ◽  
Elizabeth Wehrpsann
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Functional Outcomes ◽  
The United States ◽  
Chronic Medical Conditions ◽  
Quality Of Life Research ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Over Time

By many estimates the majority of adults over age 65 have two or more chronic medical conditions (multimorbidity) and are consequently at increased risk of adverse functional outcomes. Nonetheless, many older adults with multimorbidity are able to maintain high levels of function and retain good quality of life. Research presented here is designed to understand the influences that help ensure better functional outcomes in these older adults. This chapter presents findings that draw on data from the Midlife in the United States study. The independent and interactive contributions of diverse factors to multimorbidity and changes in multimorbidity over time are reviewed. The degree that multimorbidity increases risk of cognitive impairment and disability is examined. The role of inflammation as a mediator is considered. Multimorbidity is increasingly the norm for older adults, so better understanding of factors contributing to variability in multimorbidity-related outcomes can lead to improved quality of life.

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