scholarly journals Spousal Loss and Health in Late Life

2012 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 221-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aniruddha Das
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Spousal Loss ◽  
Multiple Dimensions ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Multiple Health ◽  
Weathering Process

Objectives: This study queries the linkage of older adults’ spousal loss to multiple dimensions of their health. Methods: Data are from the 2005-2006 National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project, nationally representative of U.S. adults ages 57 to 85. Analyses examine associations of spousal loss and time since loss with multiple health dimensions. Results: Spousal loss is linked to a system of mental, social, behavioral, and biological issues, consistent with a stress-induced weathering process. Biological problems are more uniformly associated with women’s than men’s loss. While emotional sequelae may partially subside with time, a range of other outcomes remain worse even among individuals a decade or more past loss, than those with current partners. Discussion: Older adults’ spousal loss influences multiple dimensions of their health. Gender differences in biological linkages suggest women’s greater physiological vulnerability to this weathering event. Effects of loss are long term rather than transient, especially with biological conditions.

scholarly journals Driving Cessation and Social Participation in Late Life: A Systematic Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 464-464
Author(s):  
Weidi Qin
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Participation ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
Driving Cessation ◽  
The Us

Abstract Driving cessation is a major life transition in late life, and can affect the quality of social life in older adults. The present study aims to systematically review the literature on how driving cessation affects social participation among older adults in the US. The study selection followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Extant literature published from 1990 to 2019 that examined driving cessation and social participation or social engagement among older adults in the US was searched using eight search engines: PsycINFO, CINAHL, SocIndex, AgeLine, MedLine, Scopus, Transportation Research Board Publication Index, and Cochrane Library. Quantitative studies that met the inclusion criteria were reviewed. The assessment of methodological quality was also conducted for included studies. In total, seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Six of the included studies found significant relationships between driving cessation and at least one domain of social participation, such as volunteering, employment, leisure-time activities, and the frequency of contacts. However, the measures of social participation were inconsistent across studies, which might explain that no effects of driving cessation were found on the structure of social network, such as contacts with friends and extended family. There is a need to assist older adults in successfully transitioning to driving cessation and maintaining the social participation. The overall quality of included studies is moderate based on the assessment of risk of bias and confounding.

scholarly journals How Long Do Older Adults Remain Homebound in the Community? Implications for Long-Term Services and Support Systems

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 711-712
Author(s):  
Katherine Ornstein ◽  
Jennifer Reckrey ◽  
Evan Bollens-Lund ◽  
Katelyn Ferreira ◽  
Mohammed Husain ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Functional Disability ◽  
Long Term Care ◽  
Models Of Care ◽  
Medicare Beneficiaries ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Survey Weighting ◽  
Growing Population

Abstract A large and growing population of older adults with multimorbidity, cognitive impairment, and functional disability live in the community but are homebound (never/rarely leave home). While homebound status is associated with decreased access to medical services and poor health outcomes, it is unclear how long individuals remain homebound. We used the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), a nationally representative sample of Medicare beneficiaries age 65 and over, with survey weighting to assess duration of homebound status in the community. Among the incident homebound in 2016 (n=253) , only 28% remained homebound after 1 year. 21% died, 18% were recovered, and one-third left the home but still reported difficulty. As the locus of long-term care shifts from nursing homes to the community and models of care expand to serve the needs of the homebound, it is critical that we better understand the heterogeneity and transitions of the homebound population.

scholarly journals 2400 How have characteristics of end-of-life family caregiving changed from 1999 to 2015? Preliminary results from two waves of nationally representative data

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (S1) ◽  
pp. 82-82
Author(s):  
Judith Vick ◽  
Jennifer Wolff
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
End Of Life ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Family Caregiving ◽  
Physical Strain ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Care Survey ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Over Time

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: Family members are often critical in the delivery of hands-on care and decisions about care for persons approaching end-of-life (EOL). Prompted by concerns about the poor quality and high costs of care at the EOL, recent delivery reform efforts—such as the growth of hospice and palliative care—have been directed at improving EOL care for both patients and family. Trends of the characteristics of EOL family caregivers and care recipients over time have not been well described. The goal of this study is to evaluate changes in EOL family caregiving from 1999 to 2015. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: This study uses reconciled data from two nationally representative surveys and their linked caregiver surveys: the 1999 wave of the National Long-Term Care Survey (NLTCS) and the Informal Care Survey (ICS), and the 2015 wave of the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) and the National Survey of Caregiving (NSOC). RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Crude analysis shows that older adults living in the community and receiving help from family caregivers in the last year of life were significantly better educated (72% with greater than 12 years of education vs. 46%), and more diverse (78% White vs. 89%) in 2015 compared with 1999. Family caregivers in the last year of life were less likely to be female in 2015 compared with 1999 (74% vs. 68%, NS) and significantly less likely to be spouses (45% vs. 38%) in 2015. In 2015, a significantly greater proportion of older adults received help with five or more activities of daily living (47% vs. 34%), but family caregivers reported significantly lower levels of caregiving-associated distress: financial strain (80% reporting none in 2015 vs. 53%), emotional (51% vs. 39%), and physical strain (70% vs. 45%). In addition, a significantly greater proportion of EOL family caregivers used respite care in 2015 compared to 1999 (15% vs. 4%). DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Changes in the experience of EOL family caregiving may be impossible to capture in studies of single interventions, but tracking nationally representative trends can be used as an indicator of broader changes that take place cumulatively over time. Although studies of this nature cannot identify causal mechanisms of change, they are important to monitor long-term impact of program implementation and to guide future research, policy, and resource allocation.

scholarly journals Spousal Influences on Monthly Disability in Late-Life Marriage in the Precipitating Events Project

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joan K Monin ◽  
Holly Laws ◽  
Evelyne Gahbauer ◽  
Terrence E Murphy ◽  
Thomas M Gill
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Daily Living ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Married Couples ◽  
Monthly Data ◽  
Interdependence Theory ◽  
Disability Level

Abstract Objectives Few studies have examined spousal influences on disability in late-life marriage, and no prior study has examined these associations using monthly data. Drawing from interdependence theory, we hypothesized that one spouse currently having higher disability would be positively associated with their partner having higher disability in the next month. We also examined whether participants were at risk for increased disability when both spouses had higher prior disability. In addition, we examined gender differences in spousal associations. Method Data were from 37 married couples in the Precipitating Events Project, an ongoing longitudinal study of 754 initially nondisabled adults aged 70 years and older. Assessments included monthly disability (13 basic, instrumental, and mobility activities of daily living) and demographics. Results As hypothesized, higher disability in one spouse was positively associated with higher subsequent disability in their partner. Also, wives with higher disability were especially vulnerable to subsequent increased disability when husbands had higher disability. Discussion Incorporating a spouse’s current disability level in modeling older adults’ subsequent disability provides additional predictive information. Wives with greater disability may be at a particularly high risk of accelerated decline when their husbands have greater disability.

scholarly journals The prognosis of depression in late life versus mid-life: implications for the treatment of older adults

2005 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 533-538 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hari Subramaniam ◽  
Alex J. Mitchell
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Nursing Homes ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Clinical Excellence ◽  
Late Life Depression ◽  
Medical Settings ◽  
Nice Guidelines ◽  
Primary Care Settings

Depression in late life is extremely common. Of those aged 65 years or older, 2–5% have syndromal depression, but up to 20% of elderly people have depressive symptoms (Horwath et al., 2002). Both syndromal and subsyndromal depression carry a high risk of long-term complications and both are associated with elevated risks of morbidity and mortality (Penninx et al., 1999). Despite repeated alerts, depression is consistently under-recognized in acute medical settings, in nursing homes and in primary care (Volkers et al., 2004). For reasons that are inadequately understood, late-life depression seems to be under-treated to an even greater extent than depression in mid-life (Mackenzie et al., 1999). This issue is particularly important, given that effective and safe treatments for depression are available (Bartels et al., 2003), even though the evidence regarding maintenance therapies in older people is inconsistent (Geddes et al., 2003; Wilson et al., 2003). Recent evidence suggests that a package of care can improve the care of older depressed patients in primary care settings (Bruce et al., 2004) and in nursing homes (Ciechanowski et al., 2004). This has led to the development of several clinical guidelines specifically for late-life depression (Baldwin et al., 2003; Charney et al., 2003; Lebowitzet al., 1997). Yet, in the recent National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines for the management of depression in primary and secondary care, no distinction was made between early, middle and late-life depression (Malone and Mitchell, 2005).

scholarly journals Loneliness Among Chinese Older Adults: The Role of Grandparenthood and Grandparental Childcare by Gender

2021 ◽  
pp. 0192513X2110419
Author(s):  
Jing Zhang ◽  
Tineke Fokkema ◽  
Bruno Arpino
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
Active Aging ◽  
Chinese Older Adults ◽  
Lower Likelihood ◽  
Grandparental Childcare ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
The Relationship

This study examines the influence of grandparenthood and grandparental childcare on loneliness among Chinese older adults. Using longitudinal data from a nationally representative sample of 9240 individuals from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), we applied logistic regression to examine the relationship between various grandparental statuses and loneliness with a focus on gender. The grandparental role is a protective factor for loneliness. Providing care to grandchildren was associated with a lower likelihood of feeling lonely for both genders. Among grandmothers, the benefit of providing childcare is less when it is occasional. Among grandfathers, the benefit is less when it is regular and intensive. Regarding transitions in grandparental status, gender differences were only observed among those who recently entered the caregiving role. Given the increasing reliance on grandparents for childcare in China, this engagement in active aging is beneficial for older adults in reducing loneliness.

scholarly journals Longitudinal Implications of Social Integration for Age and Gender Differences in Late-Life Physical Functioning

2020 ◽  
pp. 009141502098075
Author(s):  
Masahiro Toyama ◽  
Heather R. Fuller ◽  
Jonix Owino
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Social Integration ◽  
Physical Functioning ◽  
Longitudinal Research ◽  
Hierarchical Linear Model ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Age And Gender ◽  
Age And Gender Differences ◽  
And Gender

Social integration has documented benefits for late-life health; yet, little is known about its impacts on trajectories of physical functioning. This study examines age and gender differences in the longitudinal associations between social integration and activities of daily living (ADLs) using a hierarchical linear model with three waves of survey data collected over 4 years from the Social Integration and Aging Study ( N = 400; baseline mean age = 80.3). Findings indicated some interaction effects of age, gender, and/or social integration on ADL trajectories. Among those of more advanced age, women showed greater increases in ADL limitations than men, and individuals with lower social integration experienced greater increases in ADL limitations than those with higher social integration. Neither of these patterns were found among younger older adults. This study highlights the benefits of longitudinal research on social integration and the need to explore practical interventions for promoting social integration particularly among the oldest older adults.

scholarly journals Gender Differences in the Impact of Intergenerational Support on Depressive Symptoms among Older Adults in Korea

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (12) ◽  
pp. 4380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyungwon Choi ◽  
Gyeong-Suk Jeon ◽  
Kwang-Sim Jang
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Financial Support ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Intergenerational Support ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Exchange Patterns

Background: This study examined the relationship between intergenerational support patterns and depressive symptoms among older men and women in Korea. Methods: A nationally representative survey of non-institutionalized, community-dwelling older adults in Korea was used. A total of 7531 older adults (3592 men and 3939 women) was included in the analysis. Results: We observed gender differences in the impact of financial support exchanges on depressive symptoms. A lack of mutual financial support significantly increased the risk of depressive symptoms by 3.83 times (95% CI 2.34–6.24) in men and 1.73 times (95% CI 1.06–2.83) in women. Men who received financial support were more likely to experience depressive symptoms (OR (Odds Ratio), 1.81, 95% CI 1.36–2.42), whereas women who provided financial support were more likely to experience depressive symptoms (OR 2.82, 95% CI 1.21–6.56). The lack of an exchange of emotional support was significantly associated with depressive symptoms in both men (OR 1.49, 95% CI 1.17–1.90) and women (OR 1.87, 95% CI 1.50–2.34). Conclusions: We discuss the evidence of gender differences in intergenerational support exchange patterns and their impact on depressive symptoms within the context of Korean cultures and suggest that future research should be conducted on gender differences in the impact of intergenerational support on mental health across diverse societies.

scholarly journals Odor Sensitivity Versus Odor Identification in Older US Adults: Associations With Cognition, Age, Gender, and Race

2020 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 321-330
Author(s):  
Lucy Xu ◽  
Jia Liu ◽  
Kristen E Wroblewski ◽  
Martha K McClintock ◽  
Jayant M Pinto
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Odor Identification ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Gender And Race ◽  
Network Characteristics ◽  
Cognitive Component ◽  
Representative Study ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Odor Sensitivity

Abstract The ability to identify odors predicts morbidity, mortality, and quality of life. It varies by age, gender, and race and is used in the vast majority of survey and clinical literature. However, odor identification relies heavily on cognition. Other facets of olfaction, such as odor sensitivity, have a smaller cognitive component. Whether odor sensitivity also varies by these factors has not been definitively answered. We analyzed data from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project, a nationally representative study of older US adults (n = 2081). Odor identification was measured using 5 validated odors presented with Sniffin’ Stick pens as was odor sensitivity in a 6-dilution n-butanol constant stimuli detection test. Multivariate ordinal logistic regression modeled relationships between olfaction and age, gender, race, cognition, education, socioeconomic status, social network characteristics, and physical and mental health. Odor sensitivity was worse in older adults (P < 0.01), without gender (P = 0.56) or race (P = 0.79) differences. Odor identification was also worse in older adults, particularly men (both P ≤ 0.01), without differences by race. Decreased cognitive function was associated with worse odor identification (P ≤ 0.01) but this relationship was weaker for odor sensitivity (P = 0.02) in analyses that adjusted for other covariates. Odor sensitivity was less strongly correlated with cognitive ability than odor identification, confirming that it may be a more specific measure of peripheral olfactory processing. Investigators interested in associations between olfaction and health should consider both odor sensitivity and identification when attempting to understand underlying neurosensory mechanisms.

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