scholarly journals AN EXPLORATIVE STUDY ON SERVICE ENVIRONMENT FOR LOW-INCOME OLDER ADULTS IN SENIOR HOUSING

2016 ◽  
Vol 56 (Suppl_3) ◽  
pp. 344-344
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Senior Housing ◽  
Service Environment ◽  
Explorative Study

scholarly journals Social Networks and Physical Activity in Senior Housing: A Pilot Feasibility Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 201-208
Author(s):  
Noah J. Webster ◽  
Toni C. Antonucci ◽  
Neil B. Alexander
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Strategic Partnership ◽  
Multiple Chronic Conditions ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Senior Housing ◽  
Physical Activity Interventions

Objective: Only 16% of people aged >65 years engage in recommended levels of physical activity, putting a vast major­ity at risk for multiple chronic conditions including heart disease. Physical activity is even lower among older adults with fewer economic resources. Research is needed to develop context-specific approaches to pair with physical activity interventions to increase effectiveness. In this pilot study, we examine social ties and physical activity levels of older adults living in a US Depart­ment of Housing and Urban Development subsidized senior housing community to test feasibility of a social network-based approach to physical activity interventions. This study is grounded in Social Contagion Theory and the Convoy Model of Social Relations, which argue health and health-related behaviors are facilitated through network ties.Methods: Data were collected through face-to-face interviews conducted over the course of three months (September- November 2018) with 46 residents living in a low-income senior housing community in southeast Michigan. Residents were asked about physical activity, people they know in the community, and their close social network composition.Results: Residents reported knowing, on average, six other residents and approxi­mately 28% of those in their close networks were also residents. Sociocentric network analysis identified two socially engaged (known by seven or more other residents) physically active residents, whereas ego-centric analysis identified four (60% or more of their network comprised residents).Conclusions: This study demonstrates potential feasibility of a strategic partnership that involves pairing social resources with physical activity interventions in afford­able senior housing. Multiple approaches, which need to be evaluated, exist to identify socially engaged residents.Ethn Dis. 2019;29(Suppl 1): 201-208; doi:10.18865/ ed.29.S1.201.

scholarly journals Engaging older adults as advocates for age-friendly, walkable communities: The Senior Change Makers Pilot Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina M Patch ◽  
Terry L Conway ◽  
Jacqueline Kerr ◽  
Elva M Arredondo ◽  
Susan Levy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Senior Housing ◽  
Advocacy Training ◽  
Advocacy Program ◽  
Transportation Activity

Abstract As the U.S. population ages, communities must adapt to help older adults thrive. Built environment features, like safe sidewalks and crosswalks, provide the foundation for age- and physical activity-friendly communities. Controlled studies are needed to evaluate advocacy training programs that instruct and support seniors to advocate for more walkable neighborhoods. The Senior Change Makers Pilot Study evaluated an advocacy program that taught seniors to evaluate pedestrian environments using the validated MAPS-Mini audit tool, identify barriers, and advocate for improvements. Participants (n = 50) were recruited from four low-income senior housing sites in San Diego, CA, which were randomly assigned to an 8-week advocacy program or physical activity (PA) comparison intervention. Evaluation included surveys, accelerometers to assess PA, and direct observation. Primary outcomes were seniors’ advocacy confidence and skills. Main analyses used repeated measures ANOVAs. Seniors in the advocacy condition (n = 17) increased their advocacy outcome efficacy (p = .03) and knowledge of resources (p = .04) more than seniors in the PA condition (n = 33). Most seniors in the advocacy condition completed a street audit (84%), submitted an advocacy request (79%), or made an advocacy presentation to city staff (58%). Environmental changes included repairs to sidewalks and crosswalks. City staff approved requests for lighting, curb cuts, and crosswalk markings. Seniors’ accelerometer-measured PA did not significantly increase, but self-reported transportation activity increased in the PA condition (p = .04). This study showed the potential of advocacy training to empower seniors to make communities more age- and activity-friendly.

scholarly journals PRESIDENTIAL SYMPOSIUM: HARNESSING SOCIAL NETWORKS TO OPTIMIZE ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXTS FOR DIVERSE AGING EXPERIENCES

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S583-S583
Author(s):  
Philip A Rozario ◽  
Emily Greenfield ◽  
Nancy Kusmaul
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Disaster Preparedness ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Senior Housing

Abstract Social networks provide opportunities for engagement with others and structure the receipt and provision of emotional, instrumental, informational and appraisal support. Indeed scholars in this field have documented the importance of having strong social networks in influencing older adults’ well-being and quality of life. The three papers in this symposium draw on the convoy model of social relations and ecological model to examine and better understand the micro, mezzo, macro contexts that shape and influence how older people engage with and benefit from their networks in three areas: low-income senior housing communities, urban areas specifically targeting older Latinos with dementia, and disaster preparedness in micropolitan counties in eastern Iowa. The first paper, a cross-sectional study focusing on social connections in senior housing communities, examines levels of social networks, engagement, support and loneliness and their relationship with well-being outcomes. The second paper, a community-based participatory research project, reports an intervention that seeks to train natural helpers in a predominantly Latino urban neighborhood to identify and refer older Latinos with dementia to bilingual assessment services. The third paper, synthesizing findings from interventions targeting network building at the individual and state levels as well as a community-based network analysis, presents ways to strengthen networks at the mezzo and macro levels as well as environmental contexts that enable better disaster preparedness for community-based older adults. These papers will consider practice, policy and research implications in strengthening social networks and engagement to optimize older adults’ well-being in various settings.

Aging in Place of Vulnerable Older Adults: Person–Environment Fit Perspective

2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (11) ◽  
pp. 1327-1350 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sojung Park ◽  
Yoonsun Han ◽  
BoRin Kim ◽  
Ruth E. Dunkle
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Research Effort ◽  
Aging In Place ◽  
Positive Health ◽  
Senior Housing ◽  
Supportive Environment ◽  
Person Environment Fit ◽  
Poverty Status ◽  
The Impact

Based on the premise that the experience of aging in place is different for vulnerable subgroups of older adults compared with less vulnerable subgroups, we focus on low-income older adults as a vulnerable subgroup and senior housing as an alternative to a conventional, private home environment. Using the 2008 and 2010 waves of the Health Retirement Study, regression models determined the impact of person–environment (P-E) fit between poverty status and residence in senior housing on self-rated health. Consistent with the environmental docility hypothesis, findings show that, among low-income individuals, the supportive environment of senior housing plays a pronounced compensating role and may be a key to successful adaptation in aging. As the first research effort to empirically demonstrate the positive health effects of senior housing among socioeconomically vulnerable elders, our findings provide a much-needed theoretical and practical underpinning for policy-making efforts regarding vulnerable elders.

scholarly journals Sensor-Based Passive Remote Monitoring and Discordant Values: Qualitative Study of the Experiences of Low-Income Immigrant Elders in the United States (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clara Berridge ◽  
Keith T Chan ◽  
Youngjun Choi
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Remote Monitoring ◽  
Elder Care ◽  
The United States ◽  
Passive Monitoring ◽  
Senior Housing ◽  
Monitoring Technologies

BACKGROUND Remote monitoring technologies are positioned to mitigate the problem of a dwindling care workforce and disparities in access to care for the growing older immigrant population in the United States. To achieve these ends, designers and providers need to understand how these supports can be best provided in the context of various sociocultural environments that shape older adults’ expectations and care relationships, yet few studies have examined how the same remote monitoring technologies may produce different effects and uses depending on what population is using them in a particular context. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to examine the experiences and insights of low-income, immigrant senior residents, family contacts, and staff of housing that offered a sensor-based passive monitoring system designed to track changes in movement around the home and trigger alerts for caregivers. The senior housing organization had been offering the QuietCare sensor system to its residents for 6 years at the time of the study. We are interested in adoption and discontinuation decisions and use over time, rather than projected acceptance. Our research question is how do cultural differences influence use and experiences with this remote monitoring technology? The study does not draw generalizable conclusions about how cultural groups interact with a given technology, but rather, it examines how values are made visible in elder care technology interactions. METHODS A total of 41 participants (residents, family, and staff) from 6 large senior housing independent living apartment buildings were interviewed. Interviews were conducted in English and Korean with these participants who collectively had immigrated to the United States from 10 countries. RESULTS The reactions of immigrant older adults to the passive monitoring system reveal that this tool offered to them was often mismatched with their values, needs, and expectations. Asian elders accepted the intervention social workers offered largely to appease them, but unlike their US-born counterparts, they adopted reluctantly without hope that it would ameliorate their situation. Asian immigrants discontinued use at the highest rate of all residents, and intergenerational family cultural conflict contributed to this termination. Social workers reported that none of the large population of Russian-speaking residents agreed to use QuietCare. Bilingual and bicultural social workers played significant roles as cultural navigators in the promotion of QuietCare to residents. CONCLUSIONS This research into the interactions of culturally diverse people with the same monitoring technology reveals the significant role that social values and context play in shaping how people and families interact with and experience elder care interventions. If technology-based care services are to reach their full potential, it will be important to identify the ways in which cultural values produce different uses and responses to technologies intended to help older adults live independently.

scholarly journals AFFORDABLE SENIOR HOUSING AND HEALTH AMONG LOW-INCOME OLDER IMMIGRANTS: THE ROLE OF SERVICE USES

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S948-S948
Author(s):  
Jihye Baek ◽  
Oejin Shin ◽  
Sojung Park ◽  
BoRin Kim ◽  
Byeongju Ryu
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Ethnic Minority ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Service Needs ◽  
Senior Housing ◽  
Older Immigrants ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
Survey Interviews

Abstract Older immigrants in affordable senior housing face a unique set of challenges due to their demographic, social, economic, and cultural diversity. Existing knowledge about health among this unique but increasing aging subgroup population is extremely limited. Focusing on older immigrants subgroups (Asian and Russian older adults) in affordable senior housing in St.Louis, MO, this study aimed to examine to what extent different ethnic minority elders’ health varies by their uses of services available in the housing. Data came from the survey interviews at a subsidized independent senior housing in St. Louis (n=136). Hierarchical multiple regressions were used to examine ethnic differences in self-rated health and the role of services for the health of low-income ethnic minor elders in senior housing. Compared to the non-immigrants (White/African older adults), Asian (b=0.67, p<.05) and Russian residents (b=0.89, p<.05) were likely to have lower self-rated health. Interestingly, for both ethnic groups, they report a better self-rated health when they use supportive daily service (i.e. e.g. meal delivery, transportation, housekeeping and others) (b= -0.84, p<.05 for Asian, b=- 0.90, p<.05.for Russian) and social service (e.g. recreational, wellness, and exercise programs) (b= -0.73, p<.05 for Asian, b=- 0.83, p<.05.for Russian). Our findings point to an important role of services for the health of low-income ethnic minor elders in senior housing. As the first attempt to examine services that explicitly focus on ethnic minority elders, our study provides meaningful implications for future research on the health and service needs for older immigrant populations in senior housing.

scholarly journals The Impact of Tai Chi Exercise on Health Care Utilization and Imputed Cost in Residents of Low-Income Senior Housing

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 216495612098547
Author(s):  
Jennifer Perloff ◽  
Cindy Parks Thomas ◽  
Eric Macklin ◽  
Peggy Gagnon ◽  
Timothy Tsai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Tai Chi ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Emergency Department Visits ◽  
Care Utilization ◽  
P Value ◽  
Senior Housing ◽  
The Impact

Background/Objectives This study was designed to test the impact of Tai Chi (TC) on healthcare utilization and cost in older adults living in low-income senior housing. We hypothesized that TC would improve overall health enough to reduce the use of emergency department (ED) and inpatient services. Design Cluster randomized controlled trial with randomization at the housing site level. Setting Greater Boston, Massachusetts. Participants The study includes 6 sites with 75 individuals in the TC treatment condition and 6 sites with 67 individuals in the health education control condition. Intervention Members of the treatment group received up to a year-long intervention with twice weekly, in-person TC exercise sessions along with video-directed exercises that could be done independently at home. The comparison group received monthly, in-person healthy aging education classes (HE). Study recruitment took place between August, 2015 and October, 2017. Key outcomes included acute care utilization (inpatient stays, observation stays and emergency department visits). In addition, the cost of utilization was estimated using the age, sex and race adjusted allowed amount from Medicare claims for a geographically similar population aged ≥ 65. Results The results suggested a possible reduction in the rate of ED visits in the TC group vs. controls (rate ratio = 0.476, p-value = 0.06), but no findings achieved statistical significance. Adjusted estimates of imputed costs of ED and hospital care were similar between TC and HE, averaging approximately $3,000 in each group. Conclusion ED utilization tended to be lower over 6 to 12 months of TC exercises compared to HE in older adults living in low-income housing, although estimated costs of care were similar.

scholarly journals Multilevel Factors for Life Satisfaction Among Residents in Non-Urban Subsidized Senior Housing

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 109-109
Author(s):  
BoRin Kim ◽  
Sojung Park ◽  
Casey Golomsky ◽  
Marguerite Corvini ◽  
Allison Wilder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Service Use ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Senior Housing ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Increased Risk

Abstract Although a quarter of HUD-assisted properties for older adults are located in rural/non-metropolitan areas, there is limited understanding of the population living in these locations. Advanced age and low income are known risk factors for poor physical and mental health. Older adults in rural subsidized housings may be at increased risk for poor health and social isolation due to their isolated locations and small-scale housing complexes. This presents the additional challenge of service provision for the residents’ needs. This study aims to explore multi-level factors affecting life satisfaction among residents in subsidized senior housing. Data were collected for five subsidized senior housings in New Hampshire: two in Coos county (rural, population=33,055) and three in Strafford county (suburban, population=128,613). Mixed-methods approaches were used: Community/organizational-level data were collected using semi-structured interviews conducted with the directors of senior housings. At the individual level, quantitative survey data were collected from 82 residents of five senior housings. Contrary to expectations, we found that residents in rural senior housings were likely to report better life satisfaction (Coef.=0.597, p<.01) than those in suburban areas despite controlling for individual-level factors such as age, gender, education, marital status, health, social relations, and service use. The most salient terms used in the interviews with directors of rural senior housings include limited resources, tight community, and emotional support. The last two may be protective factors positively influencing life satisfaction among their residents. Our results contribute to development strategies to improve quality of life among residents in rural/non-metropolitan subsidized senior housing.

scholarly journals Social Networks and Physical Activity in Senior Housing: A Pilot Feasibility Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 201-208
Author(s):  
Noah J. Webster ◽  
Toni C. Antonucci ◽  
Neil B. Alexander
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Strategic Partnership ◽  
Multiple Chronic Conditions ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Senior Housing ◽  
Physical Activity Interventions

Objective: Only 16% of people aged >65 years engage in recommended levels of physical activity, putting a vast major­ity at risk for multiple chronic conditions including heart disease. Physical activity is even lower among older adults with fewer economic resources. Research is needed to develop context-specific approaches to pair with physical activity interventions to increase effectiveness. In this pilot study, we examine social ties and physical activity levels of older adults living in a US Depart­ment of Housing and Urban Development subsidized senior housing community to test feasibility of a social network-based approach to physical activity interventions. This study is grounded in Social Contagion Theory and the Convoy Model of Social Relations, which argue health and health-related behaviors are facilitated through network ties.Methods: Data were collected through face-to-face interviews conducted over the course of three months (September- November 2018) with 46 residents living in a low-income senior housing community in southeast Michigan. Residents were asked about physical activity, people they know in the community, and their close social network composition.Results: Residents reported knowing, on average, six other residents and approxi­mately 28% of those in their close networks were also residents. Sociocentric network analysis identified two socially engaged (known by seven or more other residents) physically active residents, whereas ego-centric analysis identified four (60% or more of their network comprised residents).Conclusions: This study demonstrates potential feasibility of a strategic partnership that involves pairing social resources with physical activity interventions in afford­able senior housing. Multiple approaches, which need to be evaluated, exist to identify socially engaged residents.Ethn Dis. 2019;29(Suppl 1): 201-208; doi:10.18865/ed.29.S1.201.

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