scholarly journals Voices of Experience: What Do Low-Income Older Adults Tell Us About Mobility, Technology, and Social Participation?

2021 ◽  
pp. 073346482110125
Author(s):  
Haley B. Gallo ◽  
Lia W. Marshall ◽  
Lené Levy-Storms ◽  
Kathleen H. Wilber ◽  
Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Los Angeles ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Social Participation ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Diverse Group ◽  
Senior Center ◽  
Perceived Safety

Mobility and technology can facilitate in-person and virtual social participation to help reduce social isolation, but issues exist regarding older adults’ access, feasibility, and motivation to use various forms of mobility and technology. This qualitative study explores how a diverse group of low-income, urban-living older adults use mobility and technology for social participation. We conducted six focus groups ( N = 48), two each in English, Spanish, and Korean at a Los Angeles senior center. Three major themes emerged from thematic analysis: using technology for mobility; links between mobility and social participation; and technology-mediated social participation. Cost, perceived safety, (dis)ability, and support from family and friends were related to mobility and technology use. This study demonstrates the range of mobility and technology uses among older adults and associated barriers. The findings can help establish a pre-COVID-19 baseline on how to make mobility and technology more accessible for older adults at risk of isolation.

scholarly journals Depression Fully Mediates the Effect of Multimorbidity on Self-Rated Health for Economically Disadvantaged African American Men but Not Women

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (10) ◽  
pp. 1670 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shervin Assari ◽  
James Smith ◽  
Mohsen Bazargan
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Los Angeles ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Economically Disadvantaged ◽  
African American Men ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Self Rated Health

Background. Although chronic medical conditions (CMCs), depression, and self-rated health (SRH) are associated, their associations may depend on race, ethnicity, gender, and their intersections. In predominantly White samples, SRH is shown to better reflect the risk of mortality and multimorbidity for men than it is for women, which suggests that poor SRH among women may be caused not only by CMCs, but also by conditions like depression and social relations—a phenomenon known as “the sponge hypothesis.” However, little is known about gender differences in the links between multimorbidity, depression, and SRH among African Americans (AAs). Objective. To study whether depression differently mediates the association between multimorbidity and SRH for economically disadvantaged AA men and women. Methods. This survey was conducted in South Los Angeles between 2015 to 2018. A total number of 740 AA older adults (age ≥ 55 years) were enrolled in this study, of which 266 were AA men and 474 were AA women. The independent variable was the number of CMCs. The dependent variable was SRH. Age and socioeconomic status (educational attainment and marital status) were covariates. Depression was the mediator. Gender was the moderator. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the data. Results. In the pooled sample that included both genders, depression partially mediated the effect of multimorbidity on SRH. In gender specific models, depression fully mediated the effects of multimorbidity on SRH for AA men but not AA women. For AA women but not AA men, social isolation was associated with depression. Conclusion. Gender differences exist in the role of depression as an underlying mechanism behind the effect of multimorbidity on the SRH of economically disadvantaged AA older adults. For AA men, depression may be the reason people with multimorbidity report worse SRH. For AA women, depression is only one of the many reasons individuals with multiple CMCs report poor SRH. Prevention of depression may differently influence the SRH of low-income AA men and women with multimorbidity.

scholarly journals Social Participation in Older Adults after Relocation to Long-Term Care Institutions in China: A Qualitative Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 164-176
Author(s):  
Honghui Pan ◽  
Sarah Dury ◽  
Daan Duppen ◽  
Vilhelmiina Lehto ◽  
Renfeng Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Social Participation ◽  
Long Term Care ◽  
Term Care

Abstract P200: Effects Of A 2-year Randomized Controlled Trial Physical Activity Intervention On Accelerometer-measured Sleep Characteristics Among Older Adults In Senior Center Communities

Circulation ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 143 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelsie M Full ◽  
Katie Crist ◽  
Marta Jankowska ◽  
Pamela L Lutsey ◽  
Loki Natarajan
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Sleep Duration ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Sleep Efficiency ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Senior Center ◽  
Intervention Effect

Background: Targeting daily increases in physical activity (PA) is a common lifestyle strategy for cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk reduction. While less targeted in lifestyle interventions, poor sleep is also consistently linked to CVD. Emerging evidence connects changes in daily PA to beneficial changes in sleep; however, little is known about the impact of community-based PA interventions on habitual sleep among older adults. We leveraged accelerometer data from the Peer Empowerment Program for Physical Activity in Low Income & Minority Seniors (PEP4PA) randomized controlled trial to examine the effect of a PA intervention on accelerometer-measured sleep characteristics among older adults in low income and diverse senior center communities. Methods: PEP4PA participants (N=476; mean age=71.0 ± 9 years, 75% female, 60% low income, 36% non-white) were recruited from senior centers and randomized to a healthy control condition(n=209) or a peer-lead walking intervention (N=267). The peer-led PA intervention included self-monitoring techniques, health coach counseling, group walks, and community advocacy to improve walking conditions. Participants wore Actigraph GT3X+ accelerometers on the wrist at baseline, 6, 12, and 24 months. Data were processed for sleep characteristics including weekly average sleep duration and sleep efficiency. Mixed effects regression models provided estimates of the intervention effect on sleep characteristics at each time point. Models were adjusted for age, sex, and race. Three way interaction terms (time*treatment*sleep duration status) were used to assess differential intervention effects by short (<7) and long (>8 hours) sleep duration status at baseline. Results: At baseline, the average sleep duration of participants was 7 hours (SD: 1.07 hours) and the average sleep efficiency was 87.0% (SD: 6.2%). Compared to participants in the control group, participants in the intervention group had shorter sleep durations (7.1 hours vs 7.0 hours; p value: 0.08) and poorer sleep efficiency 86.0% vs 88.2%; p<0.001) at baseline. At 12 or 24-months, there was no intervention effect on participants’ average sleep duration or efficiency. Although not significant, at 6 months, long sleepers in the intervention group experienced an average 6-minute reduction in sleep duration (-B: 6.25, p=0.45) compared to those in the control group. Conclusions: Over the 2-year period, the PA intervention did not appear to have an impact on participants’ average sleep duration or quality. More investigation is needed into the temporal and daily relations of PA and sleep among older adults in interventions to understand if increases in daily PA are associated with better sleep characteristics at night.

scholarly journals Cultivating social occupations, spaces, and networks: service providers’ perspectives on enabling immigrants’ social participation

2021 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne Huot ◽  
Jaqueline Brower ◽  
Alex Tham ◽  
Atieh Razavi Yekta
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Economic Integration ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Social Participation ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Community Organizations ◽  
Occupational Therapists ◽  
Social Identities ◽  
Canadian Society ◽  
Structured Interviews

Abstract Introduction Immigrants may experience many barriers to social participation within host societies. Immigrants’ integration into Canadian society is supported through government-funded services. Objective In the present study, we explored the perspectives of service providers working in community organizations regarding their role in enabling immigrants’ social participation through occupations in British Columbia, Canada. Method Representatives from twenty different organizations providing services to the community participated in a constructivist qualitative study aiming to uncover aspects shaping opportunities for occupational participation provided for immigrants. Results Drawing on semi-structured interviews and using thematic analysis, we identified three main themes relating to cultivating social occupations, spaces, and networks. Findings illustrate that service providers’ cultivation of these opportunities can support immigrants’ desired social roles and social identities, further enabling their participation in receiving societies. Conclusion Emphasis upon supporting socio-economic integration into society appears to limit a client-centred approach to developing opportunities for social participation through occupation. Implications for occupational therapists and scientists are discussed.

What the doctor doesn’t know: Discarded patient knowledge of older adults with multimorbidity

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 212-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra B Ryborg Joensson ◽  
Ann Dorrit Guassora ◽  
Morten Freil ◽  
Susanne Reventlow
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Everyday Life ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Clinical Encounter ◽  
Personal Knowledge ◽  
Patient Knowledge ◽  
Care Planning ◽  
Adherence To Treatment

ObjectivesAdherence to treatment has proven to require the involvement of patients in treatment and care planning. This process involves incorporating patient knowledge, or knowledge about the patients’ everyday life, into the clinical encounter. This article explores the disclosure practices of such knowledge from older adults with multimorbidity.MethodsThis was an 18-month qualitative study among 14 older adults with multimorbidity living in Denmark. A thematic analysis was applied, focusing on perceptions of patient knowledge and disclosure practices among the participating patients.ResultsOlder adults with multimorbidity have various reasons for not disclosing personal knowledge. The results present three different domains of what we termed discarded patient knowledge: (1) knowledge that had no direct biomedical relevance from participants’ perspective; (2) knowledge considered too private; and (3) knowledge assumed to position one as inferior.DiscussionThe participants made judgments on what they believed was welcome in the clinical encounter, framing their knowledge within the purview of biomedicine. Participants’ disclosure practices showed that personal knowledge is sometimes not recognized as important for health and care by participants themselves. Knowledge that could have influenced practitioners’ understanding of the problem and provided different solutions, is argued to be discarded patient knowledge.

scholarly journals Quality of life: The Quality of life of older Pakistanis with Mild Dementia

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saima Eman
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Income Group ◽  
Clinical Syndrome ◽  
Mild Dementia ◽  
Case Study Design

Since dementia is a progressive terminal clinical syndrome with no cure, the life of persons with dementia (PwD) can be adversely affected. Due to limited access to healthcare and lack of awareness in Pakistan, a majority of older adults do not get screened for dementia. The objective of the current study was to examine the problems and the Quality of Life (QoL) of underprivileged older adults with undiagnosed mild dementia in the Pakistani context. Using purposive sampling and case study design, 3 participants with apparent symptoms (verified by 8 researchers) of dementia from a low-income group in Lahore, Pakistan were observed and interviewed. Thematic analysis revealed sense of loss and alienation as one of the dominant themes. Implications are discussed.

scholarly journals Facilitators and Barriers to Social Participation of Community-dwelling Older Adults in Iran: A Qualitative Study

Salmand ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 172-187
Author(s):  
Raziyeh Amini ◽  
◽  
Farahnaz Mohammadi Shahboulaghi ◽  
Kian Norouzi Tabrizi ◽  
Amene Setareh Forouzan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Social Participation ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Active Aging ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Facilitators And Barriers ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults

Objectives: Social participation in older adults is one of the key pillars of active aging. Social participation is influenced by multiple underlying factors. The present study aims to explore the facilitators and barriers to social participation in community-dwelling older adults in Iran. Methods & Materials: This is a qualitative study using the grounded theory approach. The study population consisted of community-dwelling older adults. Fifteen samples were selected using a purposive sampling method. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews. Information were collected until data saturation. Each interview lasted for 45-60 minutes. Analysis was done using the method of Corbin and Strauss (2015). Results: Three main categories and 11 sub-categories were found based on data analysis which were: Participatory elderly (with 5 sub-categories), participatory family (with 2 sub-categories), and community capacity for social participation (with 4 sub-categories). Conclusion: Facilitating social participation of community-dwelling older adults in Iran is associated by individual, family and community. Proper planning should be done in these areas. Providing facilitators for the development of social participation in the elderly can facilitate movement towards active aging.

An Exploration of Social Participation Among Older Adults in an Assisted Living Facility

2021 ◽  
Vol 75 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 7512505115p1-7512505115p1
Author(s):  
Nicole A. Fidanza ◽  
Julia Kowal ◽  
Salvador Bondoc
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Social Participation ◽  
Assisted Living ◽  
Perceived Barriers ◽  
Social Connections ◽  
Social Transition ◽  
Assisted Living Facility ◽  
The Social ◽  
Primary Author

Abstract Date Presented 04/200/21 This qualitative study explored the perceptions and social participation experiences of adults residing in an assisted living facility (ALF). Four themes emerged: impressions and social transition, social connections impacting relationships, motivation as key to socialization, and resident-perceived barriers to socialization. Findings implicate the need for change within the ALF setting to best facilitate the social participation and minimize the social isolation of its residents. Primary Author and Speaker: Nicole A. Fidanza Additional Authors and Speakers: Whitney Ogechi Ihezue, J. Rita Park, and Janet Njelesani

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document