scholarly journals 0839 Napping Stigma Among Frail Older Adults: Reflections from a Qualitative Study

SLEEP ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. A319-A320
Author(s):  
A S Berkley ◽  
P A Carter

Abstract Introduction Napping and other daytime sleep is often overlooked in insomnia research and poorly defined in many studies. Research has shown some correlations between older adults’ napping habits and increased medical co-morbidities and risks of dementia, but it has also shown that napping enhances memory consolidation and broader aspects of cognition in younger adults. Where along the aging spectrum this line between beneficial napping and potentially risky napping falls is not clear. Methods This study employed a qualitative descriptive approach in which semi-structured interviews (N=18) were supplemented by the widely used self-report instruments and anxiety scales. Results Insomnia in these older adults directly resulted in reduced energy and stamina, poor mood, and reduced functional capacity. Indirect effects included reduced social interaction and increased isolation. Several participants reported napping in qualitative interviews but denied daytime sleep on standard sleep assessments, and associated napping with anxiety and dread of functional and cognitive decline. Planned or intentional napping was viewed with guilt and denial, while dozing off accidentally was considered an acceptable coping strategy. Conclusion While research about the relationships between disordered sleep and cognitive impairment is still at an early stage, it seems ironic that the participants in this study stigmatized planned napping, which could potentially benefit their cognitive functioning, but seemed accepting of accidental napping, which may well indicate some more serious cognitive issues. More education about sleep needs for older adults is needed. Support I am grateful to the Longhorn Village chapter of Texas Exes for their Gerontology Nursing Scholarship, which helped to fund this project.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ai Iizuka ◽  
Mari Yamashita ◽  
Chiaki Ura ◽  
Tsuyoshi Okamura

Abstract Background GO is one of the most popular board games among older adults in Asian countries. Some studies have shown that playing GO helps maintain cognitive function and brain activity. However, the factors that facilitate older adults to start playing GO and their reasons for continuing it remain unclear. This study explored the starting and continuing factors of playing GO among older adults and found concrete methods for social implementation of GO activity aimed at the prevention of and living well with dementia. Methods In the field of large community-based interdisciplinary research, we conducted semi-structured interviews using a qualitative descriptive approach with six amateur GO players who began playing when they were 65 years or older. The contents of the interviews were the starting and continuing factors of playing GO. Results Six categories were generated for exploring the starting and continuing factors of playing GO. The participants felt motivated to start playing GO due to their interest and impression of GO and to cope with their anxieties about aging. The continuing factors represented feelings of pleasure and relaxation and fostering human relationships through GO. Age-friendly staff and user-oriented tasks were of particular importance in both starting and continuing to play GO. Conclusions GO is not just a board game; it is an effective tool in coping with aging issues, cultivating peace of mind, and facilitating interaction among people; therefore it may be useful to the community as a socially prescribed intervention. The keys to its implementation are fostering comfortable relationships between the participants and staff and allowing self-controlled task difficulty.


Author(s):  
Kristina Marie Kokorelias ◽  
Jacquie Ripat ◽  
C. Allyson Jones ◽  
Nancy E. Mayo ◽  
Nancy M. Salbach ◽  
...  

Safety guidelines resulting from the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic may reduce physical activity participation of older adults, particularly prefrail and frail individuals. The objective was to explore older adults’ experiences with physical activity during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, interviews were conducted with 16 older adults. Data were analyzed thematically. Two themes emerged: (a) coming to a standstill and (b) small steps. Participants described that imposed provincial and federal recommendations caused them to reduce their physical activity with negative consequences. As time progressed, participants used emerging public health knowledge about coronavirus disease 2019 to safely increase physical activity. Many participants developed strategies to remain active during the pandemic (e.g., wearing a pedometer, walking outdoors at particular times of day). Findings from this study can better inform the development of programs, clinical practice, and policy for physical activity promotion in older adults during periods of physical distancing and isolation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 542-542
Author(s):  
Heejung Kim ◽  
Youngshin Cho ◽  
Kyuhee Lim ◽  
Sunghee Lee ◽  
Yuntae Kim ◽  
...  

Abstract The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) is a promising tool to monitor depression and relevant symptoms. However, the multimodal IoMT monitoring system has been rarely developed considering the characteristics of older adults, particularly living in the community. Therefore, it is necessary to know how to develop multimodal IoMT monitoring systems tailored for older adults and evaluate the feasibility for research and practice. We developed a multimodal IoMT monitoring system that included a smartphone for facial and verbal expressions, smartwatch for activity and heart rates, and ecological momentary assessment (EMA) application. A convenience sample of 21 older Korean adults aged over 65 years was recruited from a community center, and 19 participants completed it. The data were collected in four weeks using self-report questionnaires, IoMT devices, and semi-structured interviews between July and December 2020 and were analyzed in mixed methods. Based on the Geriatric Depression Scale-Short Form scores, eight participants were classified in the depressive group (38.1%) and 13 in the non-depressive group (61.9%). A total of 1,505 (70.72%) EMA data were collected, and 1,277 (60.00%) were analyzed. Furthermore, 1,421 (66.78%) facial expression data were collected and labeled, including anger, happiness, neutral, sadness, surprise, and exception. Voice dialogues were transformed into 5,264 scripts. The depressive group showed lower user acceptance relative to the non-depressive group. However, both groups experienced positive emotions, had regular life patterns, and increased their self-interest. Thus, our multimodal IoMT monitoring system is a feasible and useful measure for acquiring mental health information in older adults’ depression.


Author(s):  
Kofi Awuviry-Newton ◽  
Jacob Oppong Nkansah ◽  
Abraham Newton ◽  
Kwamina Abekah-Carter

This study explores older people’s long-term care experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana. A qualitative descriptive approach employing semi-structured interviews was used to collect data from 15 older people from Southern Ghana. Analysis of interview data resulted in five interrelated themes: (1) sources and type of long-term care; (2) older people’s satisfaction with the long-term care received; (3) changes in their long-term care; (4) feelings of neglect regarding long-term care; and (5) older people’s resilience in long-term care. The sustainability of long-term care depends on the state’s ability to devise innovative long-term care policies and programmes to promote older people’s and their carers’ well-being.


2020 ◽  
pp. 073346482090325
Author(s):  
John A. Batsis ◽  
Alexandra B. Zagaria ◽  
Emma Brooks ◽  
Matthew M. Clark ◽  
Sean Phelan ◽  
...  

The term “obesity” is associated with societal stigma and discrimination. Eight individual semi-structured interviews and five focus groups with 29 community-dwelling, rural older adults with obesity, seven primary care clinicians, and four rural community leaders were completed using purposive and snowball sampling. Clinicians perceived that older adults are less affected by obesity stigma than younger adults, yet this was not observed by community leaders; however, older participants with obesity reported that they often felt ashamed and/or stigmatized because of their weight. There was also a disconnect between clinician and older adult understanding of obesity. For older adults with obesity, the word “obesity” was associated with negative connotations. Just as physiological aspects of obesity persist into older adulthood, so do psychological aspects, such as perceptions of stigma. The use of the word “obesity” in medical settings may hinder communication between clinician and older participants. Heightened awareness may change the dialogue around obesity.


2012 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 1052-1063 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashley S. Bangert ◽  
David A. Balota

AbstractThe current study examined whether healthy older adults (OA) and individuals at the earliest stages of dementia of the Alzheimer's type (DAT) differ from younger adults (YA) and from each other on a simple, extended continuous tapping task using intervals (500 ms, 1000 ms, and 1500 ms) thought to differentially engage attentional control systems. OA groups sped up their tapping at the slowest target rate compared to the YA; this pattern was magnified in the early stage DAT groups. Performance variability appeared especially sensitive to DAT-related changes, as reliable differences between healthy OA and very mild DAT individuals emerged for multiple tap rates. These differences are proposed to result from breakdowns in attentional control that disrupt error-correction processes and the ability to resolve discrepancies between internally-generated temporal expectancies and the external temporal demands of the repetitive timing task. (JINS, 2012, 18, 1–12)


2009 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel L. Segal ◽  
Tracy N. Needham ◽  
Frederick L. Coolidge

The attachment patterns of younger and older adults were studied using two-dimensional self-report measures of adult attachment. Community-dwelling younger ( n = 144, M = 22.5 years, SD = 3.6) and older ( n = 106, M = 68.6 years, SD = 8.3) adults completed the Measure of Attachment Qualities (MAQ; Carver, 1997) and the Relationship Style Questionnaire (RSQ; Griffin & Bartholomew, 1994). Although the MAQ and RSQ are believed to be measuring similar constructs, they are derived from different theoretical perspectives. Correlations between the two measures were in the expected directions proving modest evidence for their convergent validity. Regarding cross-sectional results, as was expected, older adults scored lower than younger adults on the ambivalent-worry attachment scale of the MAQ and the preoccupied attachment scale of the RSQ. There were no age differences regarding secure, avoidant, and dismissing attachment. It appears that older adults experience anxious types of attachment less frequently than younger adults. Although these results primarily speak to age differences and possible cohort effects, they also provide some support for socioemotional selectivity theory and its hypothesized improved relationships in later life.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. a7en
Author(s):  
Laís Karla da Silva Barreto ◽  
Emanuelle Silva Barbosa ◽  
Luciana Gondim de Almeida Guimarães ◽  
Priscila Silva Esteves ◽  
Allan Gustavo Freire da Silva ◽  
...  

The advent of the internet has enabled changes in the way people communicate. The current reseach endeavours to analyse the organizational communication process, through social media, at the Academic Department of Philosophy and Human Sciences - DFCH, at the Federal University of Amapá. Methodologically, it is a qualitative, descriptive approach, configured as a case study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, with the participation of 10 administrative technicians. The results reveal that communication in the DFCH occurs through integrated management systems (SIPAC, SIGRH and SIGAA), by email and institutional website and, informally, by WhatsApp. As a result of the research, it was proposed the creation of groups linked to the Dean Special Advisory Board (AER), to improve the communication process.  


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 6-6
Author(s):  
Ashwin Kotwal ◽  
Shannon Fuller ◽  
Janet Myers ◽  
Daniel Hill ◽  
Soe Han Tha ◽  
...  

Abstract We evaluate a peer outreach intervention to improve the psychosocial well-being of diverse, low-income older adults. Participants (N=74, Age 58-96 years) were recruited from an urban senior center and matched with peers who were >55 years old, received mental health training, and connected participants with health or social activities. We conducted surveys at baseline and 6-month follow-up for 2 years with validated measures of loneliness, social interaction, barriers to socializing, and depression, and thematically analyzed qualitative, semi-structured interviews conducted among a subset of participants (n=15) and peers (n=6). Participants were 58% male, 18% African-American, 19% Latinx, and 8% Asian. Over 2 years, participants experienced sustained reductions in loneliness (p=0.015), depression (p<0.001), and barriers to socializing (p<0.001). Qualitative interviews detailed the role of longitudinal relationships, program flexibility, and the matching process in facilitating trust, motivation, and improved mood. Results can inform larger efficacy studies and implementation of peer-driven community programs.


2021 ◽  
pp. 016502542110390
Author(s):  
Alison M. O’Connor ◽  
Rebecca A. Judges ◽  
Kang Lee ◽  
Angela D. Evans

Self-report research indicates that dishonesty decreases across adulthood; however, behavioral measures of dishonesty have yet to be examined across younger and older adults. The present study examined younger and older adults’ cheating behaviors in relation to their self-reported honesty–humility. Younger ( N = 112) and older adults ( N = 85) completed a matrix task where they had the opportunity to falsely inflate their performance. Participants also completed the self-report measure of honesty–humility from the HEXACO-PI-R. Older adults were significantly less likely to cheat and had higher ratings of honesty–humility compared to younger adults. Greater honesty–humility predicted lower cheating behavior. These results demonstrate that older adults show greater rates of honesty and humility compared to younger adults using both behavioral and self-report methods.


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