Recruiting Older Adults in a Medicare Supplement Population for Wellness Intervention Pilot Studies

Abstract Older adults are often underrepresented in the health promotion literature, in part due to challenges in recruiting older adults for such studies. Aging Strong 2020 was specifically designed to address the health needs of older adults. A subset of adults aged 65 and older with an AARP Medicare Supplement plan insured by UnitedHealthcare were recruited for participation in one of eight interventions. Recruitment lists for each program were drawn from a pool previously screened for loneliness, purpose in life, optimism, and resilience, administered by an interactive voice response (IVR) telephone survey. Recruitment efforts were multifaceted and included emails, direct mailers, and phone calls. Incentives ranging from $25-$100 for completing surveys did not correspond with higher recruitment rates. Overall, recruitment phone calls reached 28,058(32%) individuals on the recruitment lists; a total of 1,766 participated, demonstrating that targeted efforts to recruit older adults for research opportunities can be successful.

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Identifying Communities’ Perspectives on their Health Needs in Impoverished Villages to Guide Non-government Organizations’ Health Promotion Efforts in Guatemala

Christian Journal for Global Health ◽

10.15566/cjgh.v7i5.391 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (5) ◽

pp. 9-20

Author(s):

Claudia Bale

Keyword(s):

Health Promotion ◽

Community Health ◽

Health Care Access ◽

Family Health ◽

Community Based Participatory Research ◽

Health Needs ◽

Health Conditions ◽

Personal Health ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Non Profit

Objective: The aim of this mixed-methods study is to capture and understand impoverished Guatemalan community members’ perspectives of their own health needs on a community level in order to guide Hope of Life (HOL) Non-Profit organization’s health promotion interventions in the villages they serve. Methods: A modified health needs assessment survey was conducted with 96 participants from four impoverished villages in the department of Zacapa, Guatemala. Survey responses were analyzed for significant differences in 4-item individual, family, and community health scores across demographic variables and significant correlations with reported personal health conditions and children’s health conditions. Five semi-structured interviews were also conducted with community leaders from three of the villages surveyed. Interviews were audio recorded and responses were transcribed verbatim and translated from Spanish to English. Thematic analysis using HyperRESEARCH qualitative analysis software version 4.5.0. was conducted to identify major themes. Results: The mean age of the 96 participants surveyed was 40.4 years and the majority were women, married or in Union, and have children. Women reported a significantly lower individual and family health score than men. The most rural village included in the study had significantly lower family health scores than the three sub-urban villages in the study. Among the personal health problems reported by participants, alcohol consumption, dental problems, and malnutrition were significant predictors of lower individual health scores. Themes that emerged from the interview analysis included the greatest community health needs, perceived negative community health behaviors, barriers to health care access, HOL’s impact, and suggestions for community health promotion. Conclusion: The results of this study reveal many unmet health needs and barriers to healthcare that Guatemalan village communities face. Community-based participatory research using a mixed approach voices communities’ perspective on their perceived needs and is an important tool to guide non-profit aid and intervention serving impoverished communities.

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The Nordic @geing Online project: Co-creating a social application together with older adults

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckz185.297 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽

Author(s):

J Nordmyr ◽

A K Forsman

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Health Promotion ◽

Social Participation ◽

Rural Areas ◽

New Technologies ◽

Psychosocial Health ◽

Design Approach ◽

Online Services ◽

Online Application ◽

Development Fund

Abstract Background Online resources present various possibilities for health promotion, also in the growing older adult population. Tailored online services aiming to support social participation among users could potentially promote older adults’ psychosocial health. In the @geing Online project an online application is developed, focusing on access to meaningful social activities among older adults in rural areas in Finland and Sweden. The innovation project (2017-2020) is funded by the Interreg Botnia-Atlantica programme (European Regional Development Fund). Methods A collaborative, user-centred design approach is applied when developing the online application, allowing older potential users and personnel groups from the social and health care sector to evaluate application features in a step-wise process. The inclusion of personnel groups allows for the exploration of the feasibility of introducing the tool in home care services and similar relevant contexts from an organizational perspective. Further, the inclusion of regional IT-companies presents opportunities for them to develop their competence regarding eHealth tools and older adults as a target group. Results An advanced prototype of the application and its core features is presented. Promising approaches and outcomes regarding the co-creation methods applied to ensure the involvement of stakeholders in the development process are elaborated upon. Challenging issues related to the project theme, such as stereotypical and negative views of older adults’ competences and motivation related to application use are also discussed. Conclusions The project highlights possibilities - but also challenges - when co-creating a social application together with older adults, some of whom have no experience in internet use. The gathered project outcomes will provide lessons on the potential of new technologies for delivering health promotion initiatives among older adults. Key messages Tailored online services aiming to support social participation among users provide possibilities for promoting psychosocial health in the growing population of older adults. Application development utilizing a user-centered design approach can be implemented even if the end-users are not familiar with the internet or application use.

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Community health worker interventions for older adults with complex health needs: A systematic review

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society ◽

10.1111/jgs.17078 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Meaghan A. Kennedy ◽

Kayla E. Hatchell ◽

Peter R. DiMilia ◽

Stephanie M. Kelly ◽

Heather B. Blunt ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Older Adults ◽

Community Health ◽

Health Worker ◽

Community Health Worker ◽

Health Needs

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Perceived barriers and contributors to sense of purpose in life in retirement community residents

Ageing and Society ◽

10.1017/s0144686x20001749 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-17

Author(s):

Nathan A. Lewis ◽

Naomi Reesor ◽

Patrick L. Hill

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Purpose In Life ◽

Retirement Community ◽

Retirement Communities ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Contributing Factors ◽

Sense Of Purpose ◽

The Social ◽

Continuing Care Retirement Communities ◽

Retirement Facilities

Abstract Despite the growing use of retirement communities and ageing care facilities, little is known about how residing in retirement residences may impact aspects of older adult wellbeing. Living in these communities may hold particular influence on residents’ sense of purpose, if they feel limited in their opportunities for individual action, or could serve to promote purposefulness depending on the social connections available. The current study sought to explore contributing factors as well as barriers to purpose in older adults living in three continuing care retirement communities. Using brief semi-structured interviews, 18 older adults were asked to describe their purpose in life, community-related activities and any perceived challenges limiting their ability to pursue this purpose. Thematic analysis was used to examine themes common across interviews. Interviews presented a mixed picture of the nature of purposefulness in retirement facilities. Residents espoused several benefits of community living such as social and leisure opportunities, while also noting several obstacles to their purpose, including health concerns and the belief that purpose in life was not relevant for older adults. These findings provide insight into how older adults can derive a sense of purpose from activities within their retirement community and how facilities can better tailor programmes to promote purposefulness and support personally valued roles for residents.

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Music Is Healing: Developing a Music Module for a Pain Management Intervention for African American Older Adults

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.2967 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 815-815

Author(s):

Mary Janevic ◽

Sheria Robinson-Lane ◽

Afton Hassett ◽

Rebecca Courser

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

African American ◽

Pain Management ◽

Health Workers ◽

New Music ◽

Participant Engagement ◽

Management Intervention ◽

Phone Calls ◽

Positive Memories ◽

African American Older Adults

Abstract Music has a known analgesic effect. Our multidisciplinary team is developing a music-focused module for Positive STEPS, a pain self-management intervention based on principles of positive psychology. The priority population is African American older adults with disabling chronic pain. Positive STEPS is delivered via website and phone calls from community health workers. To inform program design, we conducted two focus groups with older adults in Detroit (n=16; 100% female and African American; 75% age 70+). All participants said they would enjoy using music to cope with pain. Content analysis revealed the following themes regarding music for pain management: it elicits positive memories, reduces stress, motivates exercise and daily activities, and promotes relaxation. Participants offered ideas for music-focused activities, including learning about unfamiliar genres and using music for meditation/relaxation. Findings will inform the design of a new music module, to be pilot-tested for its effect on participant engagement and pain-related outcomes.

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Health Promotion Behavior among Older Korean Family Caregivers of People with Dementia

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18084123 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (8) ◽

pp. 4123

Author(s):

Aram Cho ◽

Chiyoung Cha

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Health Promotion ◽

Univariate Analysis ◽

Family Members ◽

Capital City ◽

Care Plan ◽

Term Care ◽

Health Promotion Behaviors ◽

People With Dementia ◽

Health Promotion Behavior

People adopt health promotion behaviors to promote their health as they interact within the environment. The purpose of this study was to examine factors influencing health promotion behaviors among older adults caring for family members with dementia. For this cross-sectional study, data from 135 older adults who were the main caregivers were collected at an outpatient clinic at a university hospital in the capital city of South Korea between September and October in 2020. Sociodemographic characteristics, caregiver-related characteristics, dementia knowledge, fear of dementia, and health promotion behaviors were measured. Univariate analysis revealed that the level of health promotion behaviors differed by age, sex, educational level, monthly income, relationship with the family member with dementia, and cohabitation with family members with dementia. In the multivariate analysis, a hierarchical multiple regression model explained 33.9% of the variance. Sex, duration of caregiving, use of long-term care service, and fear of dementia predicted health promotion behavior. A strategic tailored care plan for target population is needed to improve the health promotion behavior of older adults caring for family members with dementia.

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Effectiveness of Tai Chi for Health Promotion of Older Adults: A Scoping Review of Meta-Analyses

American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine ◽

10.1177/15598276211001291 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 155982762110012

Author(s):

Fei-Chi Yang ◽

Aishwarya B. Desai ◽

Pelareh Esfahani ◽

Tatiana V. Sokolovskaya ◽

Doreen J. Bartlett

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Health Promotion ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Scoping Review ◽

General Health ◽

Tai Chi ◽

Well Being ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Care Providers ◽

Meta Analyses

Background. Tai Chi is a form of exercise that is accessible to people from different socioeconomic backgrounds, making it a potentially valuable activity for health promotion of older adults. Purpose. The objective of this scoping review was to summarize the current knowledge about the effectiveness of Tai Chi for older adults across a range of general health outcomes from published, peer reviewed, unique meta-analyses. Methods. Meta-analyses were retrieved from Medline, Embase, AMED, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, PsychINFO, Web of Science, PubMed Health, and the Cochrane Library from database inception to late August 2019. Multistage deduplication and screening processes identified eligible full-length meta-analyses. Two people independently appraised 27 meta-analyses based on the GRADE system and organized results into 3 appendices subsequently collated into heterogeneous, statistically significant, and statistically insignificant tables. Results. “High” and “moderate” quality evidence extracted from these meta-analyses demonstrated that practicing Tai Chi can significantly improve balance, cardiorespiratory fitness, cognition, mobility, proprioception, sleep, and strength; reduce the incidence of falls and nonfatal stroke; and decrease stroke risk factors. Conclusions. Health care providers can now recommend Tai Chi with high level of certainty for health promotion of older adults across a range of general health outcomes for improvement of overall well-being.

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Seniors and Undergraduates Mutually Benefit From an Interprofessional Service-Learning Health Promotion Program

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.025 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 8-8

Author(s):

Britteny Howell

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Health Promotion ◽

Service Learning ◽

Learning Outcomes ◽

Low Income ◽

Interprofessional Education ◽

Interdisciplinary Teams ◽

Health Promotion Program ◽

Positive Health ◽

Promotion Program

Abstract Although benefits of service-learning and interprofessional education (IPE) have been separately well documented to be effective for students in gerontology and geriatrics courses, few curricula appear to integrate both aspects into a single course for undergraduate students in public health. This poster discusses the development and implementation of a service-learning health promotion program utilizing IPE embedded within two courses in two different departments at a mid-sized university. Students worked in interdisciplinary teams and acquired interprofessional educational learning outcomes while they engaged in their first experiences working with diverse older adults at a low-income, independent-living housing community. Twenty-five students (N=25) each team-taught 2 sessions on nutrition, physical activity, and stress reduction techniques in a 10-week program. Qualitative and quantitative results are presented which demonstrate significant learning outcomes from the students about the health needs of the aging population and increased comfort in working with older adults. Older participants in the program also reported positive health and psychological outcomes from their participation. Limitations, challenges, and next steps are also presented.

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