scholarly journals Factors and Functions Associated With Health and Well-Being Among Older Adults: Evidence From NHATS

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 196-196
Author(s):  
Loretta Anderson ◽  
Alexandra Wennberg ◽  
Allison Gibson
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cognitive Profiles ◽  
Medicare Beneficiaries ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
And Function ◽  
Role Engagement

Abstract The National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) is a nationally representative sample of Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 and older. From 2011 through 2020, annual in-person interviews have collected data in many areas, including health, environment, wellbeing, cognition, and function. With a decade of follow-up, including replenishment samples, NHATS is an ideal setting to investigate trends and trajectories of aging. Aging is heterogeneous and understanding the myriad of factors and functions that impact health and wellbeing is critical to developing interventions and care to promote health and wellbeing. Considering a multifactorial, wholistic approach to aging will provide a deeper understanding to create an impact. This symposium features pivotal research conducted using NHATS data, while highlighting overall strengths of the dataset for future research. The first presentation of this symposium investigates the factors that define cognitive profiles associated with dementia diagnosis over a period of five years. The second presentation investigates the role engagement in personally meaningful activities play in cognitive, emotional, functional, and health-related outcomes in older adults. The third presentation investigates the association between sleep medication use and fall risk among older adults with and without dementia. The session concludes with an investigation of end-of-life communication in persons with dementia and hearing impairment.

scholarly journals Experiences of Older Adults During the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States: An Initial Exploration of Nationally Representative Data at the Intersection of Gender and Race

2021 ◽  
pp. 073346482110482
Author(s):  
Takashi Yamashita ◽  
Wonmai Punksungka ◽  
Samuel Van Vleet ◽  
Abigail Helsinger ◽  
Phyllis Cummins
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Gender And Race ◽  
Baseline Information ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Project Data ◽  
Older Populations

Little is known about the overall experiences and feelings of diverse older populations during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. To provide the baseline information for future research and policy, this study analyzed the 2020 Health and Retirement Study COVID-19 project data ( n = 1782). More than 70% of older adults reported the following activities: watching TV (98%), reading (90%), using a computer and the internet (83%), gardening (82%), walking (75%), baking and cooking (73%), and praying (73%). Volunteering and attending community groups, which are known to benefit well-being, were unpopular (less than 8%). During the pandemic, older adults were generally satisfied with their lives, but more than half of them were concerned about their own health, family’s health, and future prospects. Our study also showed the differences in the experiences and feelings by gender and race as well as the intersection of gender and race in the United States.

scholarly journals Driving Status and Transportation Disadvantage Among Medicare Beneficiaries

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (9) ◽  
pp. 935-943 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miriam Ryvicker ◽  
Evan Bollens-Lund ◽  
Katherine A. Ornstein
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Medicare Beneficiaries ◽  
Coordination Strategies ◽  
Representative Study ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults

Transportation disadvantage may have important implications for the health, well-being, and quality of life of older adults. This study used the 2015 National Health Aging Trends Study, a nationally representative study of Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 and over ( N = 7,498), to generate national estimates of transportation modalities and transportation disadvantage among community-dwelling older adults in the United States. An estimated 10.8 million community-dwelling older adults in the United States rarely or never drive. Among nondrivers, 25% were classified as transportation disadvantaged, representing 2.3 million individuals. Individuals with more chronic medical conditions and those reliant on assistive devices were more likely to report having a transportation disadvantage ( p < .05). Being married resulted in a 50% decreased odds of having a transportation disadvantage ( p < .01). Some individuals may be at higher risk for transportation-related barriers to engaging in valued activities and accessing care, calling for tailored interventions such as ride-share services combined with care coordination strategies.

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.

scholarly journals “Especially for People Our Age”: Exploring the Correlates of Ageism During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 601-601
Author(s):  
Jennifer Sublett ◽  
Michael Vale ◽  
Toni Bisconti
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has presented an unprecedented context for older adults where they may feel patronized, isolated, and fearful because of their greater risk of getting COVID-19 and being targets of ageism. Previous researchers have linked ageism negatively with health and well-being; although, the majority of this research has highlighted the negative, or hostile, aspects of ageism, and excluded the overaccommodative and patronizing qualities of benevolent ageism. Since the start of the pandemic, both forms of ageism have been noted to be more salient with claims of an ageism outbreak (Ayalon et al., 2020). The correlates of ageism during the COVID-19 pandemic are widely unknown, and the goal of this study was to explore whether experiences of ageism were related to different affective and health-related responses to the pandemic. In a sample of older adults (N=65) collected in September 2020, we found that benevolent ageism positively correlated with pandemic specific experiences of pity (r=.27, p&lt;.05), loneliness (r=.30, p&lt;.05), worry (r=.40, p&lt;.01), and negatively related to self-reported physical health (r=-.31, p&lt;.05) and emotional well-being (r=-.26, p&lt;.05). Hostile ageism did not relate to pity, but positively correlated with loneliness (r=.25, p&lt;.05) and worry (r=.37, p&lt;.01), and negatively related to physical health (r=-.27, p&lt;.05) and emotional well-being (r=-.38, p&lt;.01). This work provides preliminary evidence of how the lives of older adults have been influenced by COVID-19 and the resulting ageism outbreak. Future research should continue this avenue of study with more expansive and inclusive samples and approaches as the pandemic is not over.

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.

Subjective Well-Being, Depression, and Delays in Care Among Older Adults: Dual-Eligible Versus Medicare-Only Beneficiaries

2021 ◽  
pp. 073346482110009
Author(s):  
Dongjuan Xu ◽  
Vicki L. Simpson
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Medicare Beneficiaries ◽  
Dual Eligibles ◽  
Predicted Probability ◽  
Dual Eligible ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Implementing Strategies

We aimed to (a) determine the role of subjective well-being and depression in care delays among Medicare beneficiaries and (b) examine whether subjective well-being and depression play a differential role among Medicare-only and dual-eligible beneficiaries. A nationally representative sample of 1,696 older adults participated in the study. Roughly, 22% of participants reported often or sometimes experiencing care delays, with more delays among dual eligibles. We found that higher levels of subjective well-being were significantly related to less frequent care delays. In contrast, higher levels of depression were significantly related to more frequent care delays. Moreover, as depression increased, the predicted probability of delays increased to a greater extent among dual eligibles than Medicare-only beneficiaries. These findings signify the importance of identifying and implementing strategies to enhance subjective well-being and reduce depression in older adults, particularly dual eligibles, to improve access to timely care.

scholarly journals The Health and Well-Being of African-American Older Adults With a History of Incarceration

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 506-506
Author(s):  
Rodlescia Sneed
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
African American ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Formerly Incarcerated ◽  
Older Prisoners ◽  
Health Related ◽  
History Of ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
African American Older Adults

Abstract African-Americans are overrepresented in the criminal justice system. Longer prison stays and release programs for older prisoners may result in an increased number of community-dwelling older adults with a history of incarceration. In recent years, there has been a substantial increase in research on health-related outcomes for currently incarcerated older adults; however, there has been little inquiry into outcomes for formerly incarcerated African-American older adults following community re-entry. In this study, we used secondary data from the Health and Retirement Study to describe employment, economic, and health-related outcomes in this population. Twelve percent of the 2238 African-Americans in our sample had been previously incarcerated. Those who had been previously incarcerated had higher rates of lung disease, arthritis, back problems, mobility problems, and mental health issues than their counterparts. They also had higher rates of hospitalization and lower use of dental health services. Further, while they did not experience lower employment rates than those with no criminal history, those who had been incarcerated had more physically demanding jobs and reported greater economic strain. Given the disproportionate incarceration rates among African-Americans, the aging of the prison population, and the increase in community re-entry for older prisoners, research that explores factors that impact the health and well-being of formerly incarcerated individuals has broad impact. Future work should focus on addressing the needs of this vulnerable population of African-American older adults.

scholarly journals PHYSIOLOGY OF SUCCESSFUL AGING: IMPLICATIONS FOR HEALTH AND WELL-BEING

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S434-S434
Author(s):  
Konstantinos Mantantzis ◽  
Denis Gerstorf ◽  
Thomas M Hess
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Successful Aging ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Empathic Accuracy ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Use Of Data ◽  
Aging Study ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Relationship Factors

Abstract Research into peripheral physiology and its association with cognition, emotionality, and social/physical functioning has received considerable attention over the years. However, many of the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. In this symposium, we have compiled a set of four empirical projects that showcase current and future endeavors to address some of the long-standing questions about when, how, and why physiology shapes and is shaped by key psychosocial resources. Hawkley et al. make use of data from the NSHAP and HRS longitudinal studies to investigate whether social relationships such as number of friends predicts risk of diabetes among older adults. Wilson et al. use dyadic data from young and middle-aged couples to examine cardiometabolic similarity among spouses, and how such concordance is shaped by key relationship factors such as emotional closeness. Pauly et al. use data from two daily-life studies of older couples to investigate how physiological synchrony in cortisol is modulated by partner interactions, empathy, and empathic accuracy. Finally, Mantantzis et al. make use of multi-year longitudinal data from the Berlin Aging Study II to examine the role of glucose regulation capacity for trajectories of subjective well-being among older adults. Thomas Hess will discuss the importance of these papers, discuss strengths and weaknesses of the approaches chosen, and consider implications for future research.

The economic recession and subjective well-being in older adults in the Republic of Ireland

2016 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. M. Duffy ◽  
K. Mullin ◽  
S. O’Dwyer ◽  
M. Wrigley ◽  
B. D. Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Older People ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Economic Recession ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Poor Health ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Future Health

ObjectiveSubjective well-being in older people is strongly associated with emotional, physical and mental health. This study investigates subjective well-being in older adults in Ireland before and after the economic recession that commenced in 2008.MethodsCross-sectional data from the biennial European Social Survey (2002–2012) were analysed for two separate groups of older adults: one sampled before the recession and one after. Stratification and linear regression modelling were used to analyse the association between subjective well-being, the recession and multiple potential confounders and effect modifiers.ResultsData were analysed on 2013 individuals. Overall, subjective well-being among older adults was 1.30 points lower after the recession compared with before the recession (s.e. 0.16; 95% confidence interval 1.00–1.61; p<0.001) [pre-recession: 16.1, out of a possible 20 (s.d. 3.24); post-recession:14.8 (s.d. 3.72)]. Among these older adults, the pre- and post-recession difference was especially marked in women, those with poor health and those living in urban areas.ConclusionsSubjective well-being was significantly lower in older adults after the recession compared with before the recession, especially in women with poor health in urban areas. Policy-makers need proactively to protect these vulnerable cohorts in future health and social policy. Future research could usefully focus on older people on fixed incomes whose diminished ability to alter their economic situation might make them more vulnerable to reduced subjective well-being during a recession.

scholarly journals Pathways to Mental Health–Related Treatment Among Caregiving Spouses

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 358-358
Author(s):  
Hyojin Choi ◽  
Kristin Litzelman ◽  
Molly Maher ◽  
Autumn Harnish
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
Health Condition ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Provider Type ◽  
Hospital Emergency Room ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Nationally Representative

Abstract Spouses of cancer survivors are 33% less likely to receive guideline-concordant depression treatment than other married adults. However, depression is only one of many manifestations of psychological distress for caregivers. This exploratory study sought to assess the paths by which caregivers access mental health-related treatment. Using nationally representative data from the Medical Expenditures Panel Survey, we assessed the proportion of caregivers who received a mental health-related prescription or psychotherapy visit across care settings (office based versus outpatient hospital, emergency room, or inpatient visit), provider type (psychiatric, primary care, other specialty, or other), and visit purpose (regular checkup, diagnosis and treatment, follow-up, psychotherapy, other). In addition, we assessed the health condition(s) associated with the treatment. The findings indicate that a plurality of caregivers accessed mental health-related treatment through an office-based visit (90%) with a primary care provider (47%). A minority accessed this care through a psychologist or psychiatrist (11%) or a physician with another specialty (12%) or other provider types. Nearly a third accessed treatment as part of a regular check-up (32%). These patterns did not differ from the general population after controlling for sociodemographic characteristics. Interestingly, mental health-related treatments were associated with a mental health diagnosis in only a minority of caregivers. The findings confirm the importance of regular primary care as a door way to mental healthcare, and highlight the range of potential paths to care. Future research will examine the correlates of accessing care across path types.

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