Feasibility and Acceptability of VideoChat During Meals in Adults Aging in Place of Average Age 88

Abstract Older adults in the United States prefer to age-in-place. However, living and eating alone are risk factors for malnutrition. Using videochat during mealtimes, i.e., VideoDining, can provide commensality and social facilitation to improve nutritional intake. The objective of this study was to determine if older adults aging-in-place can independently VideoDine with family or friends. We recruited eleven older adults from Full Circle America Steuben, a virtual assisted living program for adults aging-in-place in rural New York. All participants had Amazon EchoShow devices for videochat. Participants were instructed on VideoDining and asked to independently schedule four VideoDine sessions with a family/friend in four weeks. Surveys were collected at baseline, after VideoDine sessions, and end-of-study. Participants were 91% female and 100% white. The average age was 88 years. All participants were widowed and living alone except for one married couple. Overall, 45% of participants VideoDined four times, 36% of participants VideoDined two to three times, and 27% not at all, for an average of 2.7 sessions in a month. Participants VideoDined during all meals, although dinner was most common (66% of meals), and breakfast least common (12% of meals). Average comfort was rated 7.6/10 (1=not comfortable, 10=comfortable), median enjoyment was 9.3/10 (1=not enjoyable, 10=enjoyable), and median ease of VideoDining was 4.1/5 (1=very difficult, 5=very easy). On average, participants rated their VideoDining meal experience a 7.6/10 (1=poor, 10=excellent). With access to videochat technology, older adults can connect with a dining partner and have a favorable experience sharing a meal over videochat.

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Beyond Housing: Perceptions of Indirect Displacement, Displacement Risk, and Aging Precarity as Challenges to Aging in Place in Gentrifying Cities

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16234633 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (23) ◽

pp. 4633 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

H. Shellae Versey ◽

Serene Murad ◽

Paul Willems ◽

Mubarak Sanni

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

New York ◽

Aging In Place ◽

Neighborhood Change ◽

Age In Place ◽

Unique Character ◽

Housing Costs ◽

The Everyday ◽

The Impact ◽

Cultural Shifts

Neighborhoods within age-friendly cities and communities are an important factor in shaping the everyday lives of older adults. Yet, less is known about how neighborhoods experiencing change influence the ability to age in place. One type of rapid neighborhood change occurring across major cities nationally and globally is gentrification, a process whereby the culture of an existing neighborhood changes through the influx of more affluent residents and businesses. Few studies have considered the impact of gentrification on older adults, who are among the most vulnerable to economic and social pressures that often accompany gentrification. The current study explores one consequence of gentrification, indirect displacement. While gentrification-induced displacement can refer to the physical (e.g., direct) displacement of residents moving out of a neighborhood due to rising housing costs, it also references the replacement of the unique character and social identity of a neighborhood (e.g., indirect displacement). We examine perceptions of the latter, characterized by perceived cultural shifts and housing concerns among adults aging in place in a gentrifying neighborhood in New York City. The implications of indirect displacement for displacement risk and aging precarity are discussed as potential threats to aging in place in age-friendly cities.

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Architecture of a Smart Home for Aging in Place

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.126 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 39-39

Author(s):

Neda Norouzi

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Independent Living ◽

Aging In Place ◽

The United States ◽

Census Bureau ◽

United States Department ◽

Social And Emotional ◽

Age In Place ◽

Department Of Health ◽

Private Homes

Abstract The United States Department of Health and Human Services (2017) estimates that there are 65 million people age 60+ residing across the fifty states. A national survey conducted by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) indicates that 76% of people ages 55+ prefer to age-in-place and live independently (2018). The Census Bureau American Community Survey (2015) estimates that 13 million adults have difficulties living independently, 80% of which receive assistance in their private homes. However, only 50% of these homes meet the physical needs of people who choose to age-in-place (AARP, 2018). Recent advancements in technology have led to the development of smart homes. Technology can support aging-in-place and independent living by offering necessary tools for building systems that identify behavioral patterns and offer automated decision-making. However, not all older adults are customed to using technology or comfortable with being monitored with artificial intelligence (Wang et al., 2019). In response to this concern, the current study used grounded theory framework to analyze 62 interviews of people ages 55-93 to indicate if and how older adults prefer to utilize technology in their homes. The results of the study presented that while some older adults felt they might be too old to learn and use technology, nearly 85% of the interviewers agreed that incorporating technology in the built environment could benefit them. They are especially willing to learn and use technology in their homes when the benefits are related to their health, social and emotional connection, entertainment, safety, and daily chores.

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Aging in Place with Age-Related Cognitive Changes: The Impact of Caregiving Support and Finances

Societies ◽

10.3390/soc11020031 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 31

Author(s):

Alexandra Wagner

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Qualitative Interviews ◽

Aging In Place ◽

The United States ◽

Cognitive Changes ◽

Age In Place ◽

Age Related ◽

Personal Finances ◽

The Impact ◽

At Home

In the United States, aging in place is a common concept that refers to older adults’ desire to remain in their homes as they age. However, this ability to age in place is a complex process that is not only impacted by the home’s accessibility or individual functional abilities. This paper aims to examine different factors, such as home environment and home modification, caregivers, finances, and other supports present in the participants’ lives, that impact older adults with age-related cognitive changes (ARCC) (in)ability to age in place. Qualitative interviews with older adults with ARCC (n = 5) and their caregivers (n = 5) were conducted. The participants’ experiences while aging in place indicate that finances and caregiving support greatly impacted their lives at home and ability to age in place. Personal finances dictated where some of the participants could age and the support, they could afford from home health aides. Additionally, informal and formal caregivers were an important source of support that aided in the older adults’ ability to remain home. As researchers, we need to continue to address personal finances and the support that the individual has in their lives to most effectively promote aging in place and their life at home.

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Aging Alone, Gossiping Together: Older Adults’ Talk as Social Glue

The Journals of Gerontology Series B ◽

10.1093/geronb/gby154 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 74 (8) ◽

pp. 1474-1482 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Stacy Torres

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

New York ◽

Older People ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Living Alone ◽

Emotional Intimacy ◽

Public Places ◽

The Social ◽

Formal Organizations ◽

Negative Reputation

AbstractObjectivesWhile older adults living alone face challenges to maintaining social ties, elders in urban areas also have unique opportunities for daily socializing that can buffer against loneliness.MethodDrawing on 5 years of ethnographic fieldwork among elders in New York City, this study presents empirical insights into the development of supplementary neighborhood-based networks of support for older people living alone and vulnerable to isolation.ResultsThis study finds that elders who lived alone, without close kin, engaged in daily gossip about other older people they encountered as regulars in local eateries. Despite its negative reputation, gossip helped them connect and access less conventional social support close to home. The majority resisted formal organizations, such as churches or senior centers, and thus their interactions in public venues served as an important source of social involvement. In line with Gluckman’s argument (1963), gossip betrayed emotional intimacy and caretaking that connected people who could have fallen off the social radar.DiscussionHigher rates of divorce and lifelong singlehood, coupled with increased longevity, will compel greater numbers of older adults to construct alternative support networks. My findings suggest that more will draw these connections from unconventional venues such as neighborhood public places.

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An Ambient Assisted Living platform for supporting aging in place of pre-frail and frail older adults: Rationale, HomeAssist plaform, quasi-experimental design, and baseline characteristics. (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.33351 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

helene sauzeon ◽

Arlette Edjolo ◽

Hélène Amieva ◽

Charles Consel ◽

Karine Pérès

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Assisted Living ◽

Independent Living ◽

Aging In Place ◽

Ambient Assisted Living ◽

Large Set ◽

Everyday Functioning ◽

Frail Older Adults ◽

Outcomes Measures ◽

Quasi Experimental

UNSTRUCTURED Background: Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) technology is expected as a promising way for prolonging the aging in place. Very few evidence-based results are provided support to its real value, notably for frail older adults who have high risk of autonomy loss and of entering in nursing home. Objective: HomeAssist (HA) is a human-centered AAL platform offering a large set of applications for three main age-related need domains (Activities of Daily Living, Safety and Social participation), relying on a basic set of entities (sensors, actuators...). The HA intervention involves monitoring as well as assistive services to support independent living at home. The primary outcomes measures are related to aging in place in terms of effectiveness (institutionalization and hospitalization rates) and efficiency (everyday functioning indices). Secondary outcomes measures include indices of frailty, cognitive functioning, and psychosocial health of participants and their caregivers. Every 6 months, user experience and attitudes towards HA are also collected in equipped participants. Concomitantly, HA usages are collected. Methods: A study assessing the HA efficacy has been designed and is now conducted with 131 older adults aged 81.9 (±6.0) years (from autonomous to frail) who lived alone. The study design is quasi-experimental with a duration of 12 months optionally extensible to 24 months. It includes equipped participants, matched with non-equipped participants (n= 474). Follow-up assessments occurred at 0, 12 and 24 months. Results: The expected results are to inform the AAL value for independent living, but also to yield informed analysis on AAL usages and adoption in frail older individuals.

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Home and Community Features, Perceived Age-Friendliness, and Intention Toward Aging in Place

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.2137 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 560-560

Author(s):

Yeon Jin Choi

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Regression Models ◽

Aging In Place ◽

Linear Regression Models ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Age In Place ◽

Outdoor Spaces ◽

Perceived Age ◽

Aging Societies ◽

The Relationship

Abstract Promoting age-friendliness of communities and supporting aging in place (AIP) are of great importance in aging societies. However, little is known about the mechanism linking home and neighborhood features, older adults’ global assessment of community, and their willingness to age-in-place despite the importance in developing policies and interventions. This study used the 2015 AARP Age-Friendly Community Survey, which includes 66 home and neighborhood features under the eight domains specified by the WHO’s Age-Friendly Cities Guidelines. A series of linear regression models were estimated to examine the interrelationship between the availability of age-friendly features in eight domains, perceived age-friendliness of community, and intention toward AIP. Overall, a greater availability of age-friendly features was positively associated with perceived age-friendliness of community and AIP intention. The relationship between age-friendly features and AIP intention was mediated by perceived age-friendliness of community (50.3% to 96% of the total effects). When perceived age-friendliness of community was introduced to models, the direct effects of housing, outdoor spaces and buildings, and transportation domains remained significant. Findings suggest that a greater availability of age-friendly features influence older adults’ perception on their community, leading to the development of a desire to age-in-place. Domains of housing, outdoor spaces and buildings, and transportation may be the most importance features in promoting age-friendliness of community and the key determinants of aging-in-place. Policy makers and practitioners may need to prioritize promoting age-friendly built environment before social environment in building age-friendly communities.

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Prioritizing supports and services to help older adults age in place: A Delphi study comparing the perspectives of family/friend care partners and healthcare stakeholders

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0259387 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (11) ◽

pp. e0259387

Author(s):

Megan Campbell ◽

Tara Stewart ◽

Thekla Brunkert ◽

Heather Campbell-Enns ◽

Andrea Gruneir ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Affordable Housing ◽

Assisted Living ◽

Delphi Study ◽

Future Research ◽

Adult Care ◽

Community Based ◽

Sustainable Solutions ◽

Age In Place ◽

Care Partners

Background Aging in place (AIP) is a policy strategy designed to help older adults remain in their community. While planners internationally have modified aspects of the older adult care continuum (e.g., home care, assisted living, nursing homes) to facilitate AIP, further improvements to community-based supports and services are also required. This study compared and constrasted the community-based factors (e.g., supports, services and personal strategies or characteristics) that family/friend care partners and healthcare stakeholders (i.e., planners/providers) view as most important to help older adults successfully AIP. Methods An initial list of factors shown to influence AIP was created from the academic literature. These factors were used to develop a Delphi survey implemented separately on care partners and healthcare stakeholders. Respondents rated the importance of each factor using a 10-point Likert Scale (1 = not important; 10 = absolutely critical). Consensus in each group was defined when at least 80% of participants scored a factor ≥8 (“very important”), with an interquartile range ≤2. Respondents suggested additional factors during Delphi round one. Results Care partners (N = 25) and healthcare stakeholders (N = 36) completed two and three Delphi rounds, respectively. These groups independently agreed that the following 3 (out of 27) factors were very important to help older adults age in place: keeping one’s home safe, maintaining strong inter-personal relationships, and coordinating care across formal providers. While healthcare stakeholders did not reach consensus on other factors, care partners agreed that 7 additional factors (e.g., access to affordable housing, having mental health programs) were important for AIP. Conclusions Compared to healthcare stakeholders, care partners felt that more and diverse community-based factors are important to support older adults to successfully AIP. Future research should replicate these findings in other jurisdictions, examine the availability and accessibility of the priority factors, and develop sustainable solutions to enhance their effectiveness.

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LIFE SPACE MOBILITY AND NEIGHBORHOODS: HOW HOME MODIFICATIONS IMPACT AGING IN PLACE

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.935 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S249-S249

Author(s):

Alan DeLaTorre ◽

Ivis García ◽

Julianne Reno ◽

Ja Young Kim ◽

Keith Diaz Moore

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Salt Lake ◽

Aging In Place ◽

Social Connections ◽

Life Space ◽

Lake County ◽

Home Modification ◽

Age In Place ◽

Mobility Barriers ◽

Home Modifications

Abstract This presentation details a mixed methods study funded by the National Institute for Transportation and Communities that was conducted with 50 older adults aged 65 and older who lived in Portland, Oregon (n=25) and Salt Lake County, Utah (n=25). The purpose of the study was to improve understanding of how home modifications affect older adults’ mobility in different life-spaces (e.g., one’s bedroom, neighborhood), their understanding of aging in place and neighborhood, and their ability to age in place. During each home visit, a series of research protocols (i.e., surveys, interviews, mapping exercises) were carried out with each participant. The study found that home modifications (e.g., grab bars, replacing showers with bathtubs, and adding raised toilets) were reported to increase in-home mobility and, for some, their independence; however, for certain participants, those same modifications were less useful, especially to those with the need for caregiver supports. Life-space mobility outside the home was impacted by home modification such as ramps and railings on stairs; for some, those modifications bolstered social connections and access to services. Overall, home modification were seen as enabling both mobility and aging in place. Furthermore, respondents’ understanding and description of their neighborhoods varied greatly and were influenced by mobility barriers (e.g., presence of sidewalks and crosswalks) and available amenities.

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Is Cost of Living Related to Living Alone Among Older Persons? Evidence From the Elder Economic Security Standard Index

Journal of Family Issues ◽

10.1177/0192513x15606773 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 38 (17) ◽

pp. 2495-2511

Author(s):

Jan E. Mutchler ◽

Jiyoung Lyu ◽

Ping Xu ◽

Jeffrey A. Burr

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Low Income ◽

Metropolitan Areas ◽

Low Cost ◽

The United States ◽

Economic Security ◽

Living Alone ◽

Cost Of Living ◽

Standard Index ◽

Security Standard

This study examines whether the cost of living is related to the probability of living alone among unmarried persons age 65 years and older in the United States. Cost of living is measured at the metropolitan area level by the Elder Economic Security Standard Index, which takes into account geographic variability in cost of housing, food, transportation, and medical care. Using multilevel modeling, we find that higher cost of living is related to a lower likelihood of living alone net of personal resources. Results also show that the gap in the likelihood of living alone between high- and low-income older adults is slightly lessened in low-cost metropolitan areas. We conclude that the price of “purchasing privacy” is substantially higher in some metropolitan areas than in others. These findings inform policies designed to help older adults age in place.

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PROMOTING AGING IN PLACE VIA RESEARCH, POLICY, AND PRACTICE IN AGE-FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.098 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S26-S26

Author(s):

Kathy Black

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Research Policy ◽

Aging In Place ◽

Policy And Practice ◽

Community Based ◽

Professional Groups ◽

Age In Place ◽

Community Model ◽

The Social ◽

Global Age

Abstract The majority of Americans overwhelmingly prefer to age in place and in the communities in which they reside. Age-friendly communities support aging in place by focusing attention on features both inside and outside of the home. The global age-friendly community model provides a framework that requires assessing community-based older adults’ needs and preferences about, and developing subsequent action towards, features of the social, service and built environment including housing and transportation which are considered essential to aging successfully at home. This presentation discusses the intersect between research, policy and practice in an age-friendly community which utilized micro-level findings from older adults (n = 1, 172) to enact macro-level collaborations across local and statewide government and professional groups to facilitate aging in place across the domains of housing and transportation.

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