scholarly journals It’s Late, But Everything Comes Next: Creative Aging in the Modern United States

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 815-815
Author(s):  
Shayna Gleason
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Fine Arts ◽  
Teaching Artists ◽  
Cyclical Pattern ◽  
The Social ◽  
Arts Programs ◽  
Health Related ◽  
New Institutions ◽  
Creative Aging

Abstract The emergence of “creative aging” programs, or fine arts programs exclusively for older adults, invites analysis of these new institutions and their influence on the social elements of the aging process. While past studies have demonstrated the cognitive and health-related benefits of arts participation in old age, little research has examined how participation might influence the older person’s self-esteem or perceptions of aging. The present study draws on ethnographic methods including participant observation at eight creative aging programs, six semi-structured in-depth interviews with teaching artists leading these programs, and content analysis of paintings and vignettes made by participants. The results show the observed creative aging programs to have a unique, cyclical pattern of discourse characterized alternately by older adults’ recurring self-deprecation and the affirming responses of instructors. This pattern of interaction renders such programs sites for the contestation of negative popular discourses around aging.

scholarly journals Informal Volunteering Helps Older Adults Stay Put Too! But, Does Gender Matter?

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 50-50
Author(s):  
Huei-wern Shen ◽  
Tam Perry
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Charitable Organizations ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
The Social ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Informal Volunteering ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Out Of Area

Abstract Many older adults desire to remain in one’s home for as long as possible, and many factors have been identified to be helpful, such as formal volunteering (doing unpaid work for religious, educational, health-related or other charitable organizations). While many older adults volunteer formally, many others volunteer informally (providing unpaid help to friends, neighbors, or relatives who did not co-reside). However, less is known about the relationship between informal volunteering and relocation. Guided by the social and material convoy framework, the present study explores the intersection of gender, informal volunteering, and relocation (no move, move within area, and move out of area). Utilizing data from 2008 and 2010 Health and Retirement Study, 8,361 older adults who were 65 and above in 2008 were included. When older people’s financial resources, health, environment, and demographics were controlled, findings from multinomial logistic regression showed that older adults who volunteered informally were less likely to move within area two years later. When stratified by gender, it was found that female (n=4,832) volunteered informally in 2008 were less likely to move within area within two years, too; whereas for male (n=3,529), those who informal volunteered in 2008 were less likely to move out of area in 2010. According to the findings, informal volunteering helps older adults stay put. Future research is needed to understand why informal volunteering helps reduce short distance moves for women but helps reduce long distance moves for men.

scholarly journals The MFA in Creative Writing: The Uses of a “Useless” Credential

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Clayton Childress ◽  
Alison Gerber
Keyword(s):  
Creative Writing ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Fine Arts ◽  
Field Research ◽  
The United States ◽  
Literary Field ◽  
Widespread Agreement ◽  
Arts Programs ◽  
Symbolic Resource ◽  
Year 2000

Over half of today’s Masters of Fine Arts programs in creative writing in the United States were founded after the year 2000. Has the MFA-CW become a necessary credential for novelists? Relying on participant observation field research in the American literary field and interviews with authors, publishers, MFA graduates, and instructors, this work focuses on a paradox: Despite widespread agreement that the credential doesn’t “teach” enrollees to be a good writers or open up a pathway to a professional writing career, many involved in the literary field hold an MFA-CW. In this paper, we look at the uses of the MFA-CW, finding that although the degree serves little if any jurisdictional or closure-related functions it is made useful in a variety of ways: for students as a symbolic resource for artistic identity, for working writers as a source of income and community, and for editors in publishing houses as a signal for possible marketing and publicity potential. Keywords: Credentialism, Professions, Literature, Books, Publishing, MFA   

scholarly journals Opportunities and Challenges With Creative Community Partnerships

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 814-814
Author(s):  
Melinda Heinz
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Fine Arts ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Care Community ◽  
The Arts ◽  
Arts Programs ◽  
Materials Used ◽  
Meaningful Experiences ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Arts programming can address chronic conditions prevalent among older adults. An overview of an implementation of the revised nationwide Opening Minds through Arts (OMA) program anchors the symposium. The paper reports an implementation by an area university and an eldercare facility to recruit and train student volunteers to collaborate with persons living with dementia, and create paintings for a public exhibition. The Arts for a Lifetime Program used bi-weekly student led programming in a long-term care community; the paper includes an overview of materials used throughout the program and reports resident preferences for materials. A report of results of an ethnographic investigation of the impact of creative aging fine arts programs on older adults adds information about how participation might influence the older person’s self-esteem or perceptions of aging. The presentation about creation of music modules investigates the potential of music therapy for the promotion of healing for older adults managing pain. The final paper describes the methodology lessons learned from ARTmail, a community engaged study of the benefits of a structured participatory arts program for older adults with memory symptoms or cognitive impairment. Presentations in this symposium inform identification and development of opportunities to create and engage in meaningful experiences with older adults.

scholarly journals Association of Social Frailty with Physical Health, Cognitive Function, Psychological Health, and Life Satisfaction in Community-Dwelling Older Koreans

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 818 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hana Ko ◽  
SuJung Jung
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Nutritional Risk ◽  
Social Aspect ◽  
The Social ◽  
Health Related

Social frailty affects various aspects of health in community-dwelling older adults. This study aimed to identify the prevalence of social frailty and the significance of its association with South Korean older adults’ health status and life satisfaction. This study involved a secondary data analysis of the 2017 National Survey of Older Koreans. From the 10,299 respondents of the survey, 10,081 were selected with no exclusion criteria. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to identify the factors related to life satisfaction. Compared with the robust and social prefrailty groups, the social frailty group had higher nutritional risk (χ² = 312.161, p = 0.000), depressive symptoms (χ² = 977.587, p = 0.000), cognitive dysfunction (χ² = 25.051, p = 0.000), and lower life satisfaction (F = 1050.272, p = 0.000). The results of multiple linear regression, adjusted for sociodemographic and health-related characteristics, indicated that social frailty had the strongest negative association with life satisfaction (β = −0.267, p = 0.000). However, cognitive function was significantly positively associated with life satisfaction (β = 0.062, p = 0.000). Social frailty was significantly correlated with physical, psychological, and mental health as well as life satisfaction in community-dwelling older South Koreans. Therefore, accounting for the social aspect of functioning is an essential part of a multidimensional approach to improving health and life satisfaction in communities.

scholarly journals Health Promotion in the Community Via an Intergenerational Platform: Intergenerational e-Health Literacy Program (I-HeLP)

2021 ◽  
pp. 349-357
Author(s):  
Vivien Xi WU
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Critical Issue ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
The Social ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Health Illiteracy

AbstractThe increase in life expectancy and emphasis on self-reliance for older adults are global phenomena. As such, living healthily in the community is considered a viable means of promoting successful and active aging. Existing knowledge indicates the prevalence of health illiteracy among the older population and the impact of poor health literacy on health outcomes and health care costs. Nevertheless, e-health literacy is a critical issue for a rapidly aging population in a technology-driven society. Intergenerational studies reported that older adults enjoy engaging with younger people and benefit from the social stimulation by improved social behaviours, intergenerational social network, and participation.An Intergenerational e-health Literacy Program (I-HeLP) is developed to draw upon the IT-savvy strength of the youth, and teach older adults to seek, understand and appraise health information from electronic sources and apply knowledge gained to address the health problem. I-HeLP is an evidence-based program, which provides comprehensive coverage on relevant health-related e-resources. I-HeLP aims to engage youth volunteers to teach older adults regarding e-health literacy, and enhance older adults’ sense of coherence, e-health literacy, physical and mental health, cognitive function, quality of life, and intergenerational communication. I-HeLP promotes social participation, health, and wellbeing of older adults, and empowers the younger generation to play an active role in society. Furthermore, I-HeLP aligns with the ‘Smart Nation’ initiative by the Singapore government to empower citizens to lead meaningful and fulfilled lives with the use of technology.

The Complexity of Health Disparities: More Than Just Black–White Differences

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Charles Ellis ◽  
Molly Jacobs
Keyword(s):  
Health Disparities ◽  
Clinical Outcomes ◽  
The United States ◽  
Careful Examination ◽  
White Americans ◽  
Speech Language Pathology ◽  
Death Rates ◽  
The Social ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Language Pathology

Health disparities have once again moved to the forefront of America's consciousness with the recent significant observation of dramatically higher death rates among African Americans with COVID-19 when compared to White Americans. Health disparities have a long history in the United States, yet little consideration has been given to their impact on the clinical outcomes in the rehabilitative health professions such as speech-language pathology/audiology (SLP/A). Consequently, it is unclear how the absence of a careful examination of health disparities in fields like SLP/A impacts the clinical outcomes desired or achieved. The purpose of this tutorial is to examine the issue of health disparities in relationship to SLP/A. This tutorial includes operational definitions related to health disparities and a review of the social determinants of health that are the underlying cause of such disparities. The tutorial concludes with a discussion of potential directions for the study of health disparities in SLP/A to identify strategies to close the disparity gap in health-related outcomes that currently exists.

Socio-Demographic Factors and Health-Related Behaviors Associated with Gerontology

GIS Business ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 359-370
Author(s):  
Dr. Ravi S. Dalawai
Keyword(s):  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Work Culture ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Social ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Chi Square Test ◽  
Current Scenario ◽  
Socio Demographic Factors ◽  
Insight Into

Indian population is in growing trend from 942.2 million in 1994 to 1.36 billion in 2019.Among this six per cent of India's population was of the age 65 and above (UNFPA, 2019). Today the work culture is totally changed. Both husband and wife are forced to work in the current scenario and unable to take care of their parents. The changing structure created increased problems for old age people leads to loneliness, psychological, physical health and financial insecurity. The study paper provides insight into the social and demographic factor and health related sickness of the oldest people. This research explained the cross-sectional study included a representative sample (n=116) of adults aged ≥60 years. The sample was chosen using a four-stage stratified random-cluster survey sampling method .The Chi Square test and ANOVA test was analyzed using SPSS20.

Executive Dysfunction Mediates the Association Between Older Age and Online Health Information Search Performance

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria Kordovski ◽  
Savanna M. Tierney ◽  
Samina Rahman ◽  
Luis D. Medina ◽  
Michelle A. Babicz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Executive Functions ◽  
Information Search ◽  
Search Task ◽  
Executive Dysfunction ◽  
Older Age ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Health Related

Objective: Searching the Internet for health-related information is a complex and dynamic goal-oriented process that places demands on executive functions, which are higher-order cognitive abilities that are known to deteriorate with older age. This study aimed to examine the effects of older age on electronic health (eHealth) search behavior, and to determine whether executive functions played a mediating role in that regard. Method: Fifty younger adults (≤ 35 years) and 41 older adults (≥50 years) completed naturalistic eHealth search tasks involving fact-finding (Fact Search) and symptom diagnosis (Symptom Search), a neurocognitive battery, and a series of questionnaires. Results: Multiple regression models with relevant covariates revealed that older adults were slower and less accurate than younger adults on the eHealth Fact Search task, but not on the eHealth Symptom Search task. Nevertheless, executive functions mediated the relationship between older age and eHealth Fact Search and Symptom Search accuracy. Conclusions: Older adults can experience difficulty searching the Internet for some health-related information, which is at least partly attributable to executive dysfunction. Future studies are needed to determine the benefits of training in the organizational and strategic aspects of Internet search for older adults and whether these findings are applicable to clinical populations with executive dysfunction.

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