scholarly journals Nutrition-Related Policy Fundamentals for Supporting Older Adults in the Community during a Pandemic: Lessons from COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Meredith Whitmire ◽  
Mary Beth Arensberg ◽  
Alexandra Ashbrook ◽  
Robert Blancato
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Assistance Program ◽  
Older Americans ◽  
Nutrition Programs ◽  
Nutrition Assistance ◽  
The U.S

Nutrition is a key factor supporting healthy aging. Yet during the global COVID-19 pandemic, issuances of shelter-in-place orders, closures of senior centers and other congregate dining locations, losses of income, increases in grocery prices, and other changes have left many older adults struggling to maintain good nutrition. However, there are available solutions to improve the nutrition of millions of older adults who may be challenged to put food on the table. This commentary outlines the problems of older adult malnutrition and food insecurity and their strong correlation with COVID-19. It summarizes existing federal nutrition programs for older adults, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Older Americans Act (OAA) nutrition programs and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s means-tested nutrition programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The commentary also contains lessons from community-based OAA nutrition programs that refocused some of their nutrition services and other supportive services during the COVID-19 pandemic to better serve socially distancing, newly homebound older adults. It explores pre- and post-COVID-19 policy actions and opportunities for improving the nutrition, health, and well-being of community-dwelling older Americans during the current pandemic and beyond, including the need for more federal funding and flexibility for older adult nutrition programs, the need for improvements to older adult access to these programs, and the need for more older adult nutrition screening and intervention.

scholarly journals Increasing Older Adult Involvement in Geriatric Assessment: A Mixed-Methods Process Evaluation

2021 ◽  
pp. 089826432199332
Author(s):  
Wanda Rietkerk ◽  
Jannet de Jonge-de Haan ◽  
Joris P. J. Slaets ◽  
Sytse U. Zuidema ◽  
Debby L. Gerritsen
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Behavior Change ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
Goal Setting ◽  
Geriatric Assessment ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Implementation Processes ◽  
Adult Involvement ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults

Objectives: Goal setting and motivational interviewing (MI) may increase well-being by promoting healthy behavior. Since we failed to show improved well-being in a proactive assessment service for community-dwelling older adults applying these techniques, we studied whether implementation processes could explain this. Methods: Goals set during the comprehensive geriatric assessment were evaluated on their potential for behavior change. MI and goal setting adherence wasassessed by reviewing audiotaped interactions and interviewing care professionals. Results: Among the 280 goals set with 230 frail older adults (mean age 77 ± 6.9 years, 59% women), more than 90% had a low potential for behavior change. Quality thresholds for MI were reached in only one of the 11 interactions. Application was hindered by the context and the limited proficiency of care professionals. Discussion: Implementation was suboptimal for goal setting and MI. This decreased the potential for improved well-being in the participating older adults.

scholarly journals EAST MEETS WEST: IMPROVING HEALTH AND LONG-TERM CARE FOR OLDER ADULTS IN THE U.S. AND CHINA

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S243-S244
Author(s):  
Bei Wu ◽  
Jie Hua Lu
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Long Term Care ◽  
Panel Discussion ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Spousal Caregiving ◽  
Pragmatic Clinical Trials ◽  
The U.S

Abstract As the number of older adults in the U.S. and China continues to increase, promoting healthy aging is essential for individuals, family, and society. Both countries face many similar issues due to their aging populations, including prolonging healthy life expectancy and providing quality of care. However, the change in demographics brings with it unique challenges for both the U.S and China. This forum invites scholars and researchers from these two countries to share their knowledge and insights on promoting healthy aging and improving care for older adults. This forum includes five presentations and one-panel discussion. Two presentations will focus on long-term care (LTC) in China, one is to forecast the needs of LTC in the next five decades, and the other is to evaluate the current LTC needs and discuss LTC policy. Using the data from the Health and Retirement Study, the third presentation aims to re-conceptualize spousal caregiving as a dyad-level phenomenon and provides a dynamic view of the spousal caregiving experiences. The last two presentations will focus on promoting healthy aging through clinical interventions. The fourth one is to evaluate the effectiveness of adaptive computer-based cognitive training among community-dwelling older adults in China. The last presentation provides some examples of using pragmatic clinical trials to improve the care of older adults in skilled nursing facilities in the U.S. After the five presentations, the three panelists will provide feedback to the presentations and share their views on healthy aging with the audience.

scholarly journals A QUALITATIVE REVIEW OF OLDER ADULT PERSPECTIVES ON HEALTHY AGING IN THE CIRCUMPOLAR NORTH

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S264-S265
Author(s):  
Britteny M Howell ◽  
Jennifer R Peterson
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
Successful Aging ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
The United States ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Cultural Research ◽  
Circumpolar North ◽  
Personal Resilience

Abstract Cross-cultural research has shown marked variation in health outcomes across the world’s older adult populations. Indeed, older adults in the Circumpolar North experience a variety of health disparities. Because aging is a biological process rooted in sociocultural context, there exists great variation in the ways older adults define and experience healthy, or “successful,” aging in their communities. The aim of this analysis was to synthesize qualitative research among older residents (aged 50+ years) in the Circumpolar North to identify a definition of healthy aging common in the region. The Circumpolar North is defined as the Arctic and subarctic regions of Canada, Finland, Denmark, Greenland & the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and the United States. A thorough review was conducted across a variety of academic search databases for peer-reviewed, qualitative studies conducted among community-dwelling older adults. The search strategy initially identified 194 articles; 22 articles met the inclusion criteria. Included studies were coded and analyzed using Grounded Theory to examine underlying themes of healthy aging in the Circumpolar North. The findings reveal the importance older adults place on incorporating social, environmental, and personal resilience factors into multidimensional models of healthy aging. This research also highlights the need for increased translational research with populations in the Circumpolar North that are under-represented in the gerontological literature.

Assistive Device Use among Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Profile of Canadians Using Hearing, Vision, and Mobility Devices in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Yoko Ishigami ◽  
Jeffrey Jutai ◽  
Susan Kirkland
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Participation ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Assistive Devices ◽  
Assistive Device ◽  
Functional Impairments ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Device Use

ABSTRACT There is increasing recognition that using assistive devices can support healthy aging. Minimizing discomfort and loss of function and increasing independence can have a substantial impact physically, psychologically, and financially on persons with functional impairments and resulting activity limitations, as well as on caregivers and communities. However, it remains unclear who uses assistive devices and how device use can influence social participation. The current analysis used CLSA baseline data from 51,338 older adults between the ages of 45 and 85. Measures of socio-demographic, health, and social characteristics were analyzed by sex and age groups. Weighted cross-tabulations were used to report correlations between independent variables and assistive device use for hearing, vision, and mobility. We found that assistive device use was higher among those who were of older age, had less education, were widowed, had lower income, and had poorer health. Assistive devices were used differently according to sex and social participation, providing insight into assistive device use for the well-being of older adults and their families.

Parental Dissatisfaction, Health, and Well-Being Among Older Chinese Adults: The Mediating Role of Self-Esteem and Feeling Useless

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (17) ◽  
pp. 2456-2477
Author(s):  
Yiqing Yang ◽  
Ming Wen
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Least Squares Regression ◽  
Mediation Analyses ◽  
Older Chinese ◽  
Health And Well Being

Little work has considered the relationship between parental dissatisfaction and health and well-being among older adults. This study investigates whether parental dissatisfaction is linked to four health and well-being outcomes and whether the proposed associations are partly mediated by self-esteem and feeling useless in a 2014 sample of 432 community-dwelling older Chinese parents aged 60 to 79 years. Results from logistic and ordinary least squares regression modeling show that parental dissatisfaction is significantly associated with the four outcomes (physical health, mental health, depression, and life satisfaction), net of age, gender, and financial hardship. Findings from mediation analyses reveal that these associations are attributable to self-esteem and feeling useless both independently and jointly (with varying effects on different outcomes). Parental satisfaction contributes to healthy aging in China. It is important to develop interventions that enhance self-esteem and reduce feeling useless among older adults who are dissatisfied with their parental roles.

scholarly journals Usual Nutrient Intake of Older Adults in the U.S. Is Lower Among SNAP Participants Compared to Income-Eligible Non-Participants

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 1084-1084
Author(s):  
Yue Qin ◽  
Alexandra Cowan ◽  
Regan Bailey ◽  
Shinyoung Jun ◽  
Heather Eicher-Miller
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Nutrient Intake ◽  
Dietary Reference Intake ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Assistance Program ◽  
Nutrition Service ◽  
Usual Intake ◽  
Nutrition Assistance ◽  
The U.S

Abstract Objectives Policy proposals to limit use of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and to allow dietary supplement (DS) purchase with SNAP benefits draw attention to knowledge gap of usual nutrient intake and adherence to the Dietary Reference Intake recommendations from foods alone and with DS (total intake) among low-income older adults. To address this gap, the estimated distributions of usual nutrient intake (from foods alone and total) and risk of inadequate intake among U.S. older adults participating in SNAP were compared with income-eligible non-participants. Methods Data from 4,791 older adults (≥60 years) from the 2007–2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used in this cross-sectional secondary analysis. DS data from an in-home inventory and dietary data from up to two 24-hour recalls were used to estimate usual nutrient intake distributions (total and from foods alone) and the proportion of the population below the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) using an adapted National Cancer Institute method. Pairwise t-tests compared SNAP participants and eligible non-participants with significance set at P < 0.05. Results SNAP participants had lower usual intake from foods alone compared to eligible non-participants for vitamins B6 (P = 0.046) and E (P = 0.027); the risk of inadequate intake was higher among SNAP participants compared to eligible non-participants for vitamin E (P = 0.0004). Similarly, total usual nutrient intake was lower among SNAP participants compared to eligible non-participants for magnesium (P = 0.019), zinc (P = 0.0003), vitamin C (P = 0.02) and vitamin D (P = 0.0002) and the proportion not meeting the EAR was higher among SNAP participants compared to eligible non-participants for magnesium (P = 0.044). Conclusions Older adults participating SNAP had lower usual intake and meet the EAR less compared to eligible non-participants for certain nutrients. The proportion at risk of inadequate intake was lower when all nutrients sources were examined compared to foods alone. Future policies should focus on improving nutrient intake among food assistance participants and their food security. Funding Sources Supported by University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research through funding by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Contract Number 12319819C0006.

scholarly journals Day-to-Day Mobility, Affect, and Stress Couplings in Swiss Older Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 469-470
Author(s):  
Eun-Kyeong Kim ◽  
Pascal Griffel ◽  
Robert Moulder ◽  
Cheng Fu ◽  
Minxia Luo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Functional Ability ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Intrinsic Capacity ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Daily Time

Abstract The Mobility, Activity, and Social Interactions Study (MOASIS) is part of a global effort to more closely examine indicators of functional ability in relation to person characteristics and life contexts as proposed by the WHO’s healthy aging definition. In MOASIS, sensor-based and self-reported mobility and activity indicators were used to capture functional ability in 153 community-dwelling older adults aged 65-91 over 30 days. The present study examines daily time out-of-home and place diversity and its within-person associations with positive and negative affect and stress. Initial between-person analyses indicate that mobility is only weakly related to indicators of physical and mental health. We propose that the health- and well-being implications of mobility more strongly play out in daily life and at the within-person level, and will examine general health, cognitive ability, and marital status as intrinsic capacity moderators accounting for some of the expected interindividual heterogeneity.

scholarly journals Long-Lasting Effects of the Pandemic on Older Adults’ Food Insecurity: The Urgent Need for Enhanced SNAP Benefits

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 952-952
Author(s):  
Lauren Popham ◽  
Jane Tavares ◽  
Marc Cohen
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Great Recession ◽  
Economic Recession ◽  
Assistance Program ◽  
Older Americans ◽  
The Great Recession ◽  
Nutrition Assistance ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Despite the start of COVID-19 pandemic recovery in the U.S., food insecurity remains at elevated levels with 10% of American adults reporting food insecurity nearly three times higher than pre-pandemic (Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey, June 2021). To gain insight into the long-term impacts of the pandemic on older adults, we examined food insecurity patterns during the last economic recession and the role that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) played in mitigating food insecurity and skipped meals. We analyzed data on adults age 60+ from the Health and Retirement Study, looking at the Great Recession (2008) as a predictor of what to expect in the next decade of pandemic recovery. A key finding was that food insecurity more than doubled among older adults during the Great Recession and remained elevated even 10 years later. Regression analyses showed that SNAP use among older adults weakened the relationship between poverty and food insecurity, but didn’t eliminate it—17% of older adults still reported food insecurity two years after enrolling in SNAP. The data indicates that a growing share of older SNAP users’ benefits have not kept up with rising food costs. In fact, 85% of beneficiaries had monthly benefit amounts below the USDA ‘Thrifty Plan” budget. Congress recently passed the American Rescue Plan which increases SNAP benefits temporarily, yet these enhancements are about to run out. This study underscores the need for permanent SNAP enhancements to help prevent long-lasting hunger facing millions of older Americans.

scholarly journals Accelerometry-Based Assessment of Physical Activity in Older Adults During COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 1030-1030
Author(s):  
Renoa Choudhury ◽  
Ladda Thiamwong ◽  
Oscar Garcia ◽  
Rui Xie ◽  
Jeffrey Stout ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Social

Abstract COVID-19 pandemic has caused a severely detrimental effect on the physical, psychological, and functional well-being of older adults by forcing them to limit their social activities. This study investigates the amount and intensity of daily physical activity (PA) in older adults, living under the social distancing guidelines during COVID-19 pandemic. In this cross-sectional study, 124 community-dwelling older adults (Age:60–96 years, mean:75±7.14) were recruited via word-of–mouth and key person approach between March 2021-August 2021. Participants completed an online survey on COVID-19 questionnaires and wore an ActiGraph GT9X accelerometer on their non-dominant wrist for consecutive 7 days in free-living conditions. Euclidean Norm Minus One cut-points were used to estimate the total time spent in sedentary behavior (SB), light PA (LPA) and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA). Results showed that, 7% had COVID-positive, 55% perceived moderate severity of COVID in their area, 31% reported fear of COVID, and 14.5% were afraid of losing their life to COVID. On average, participants obtained 12.43±2.1 hours/day of SB, 3.47±1.05 hours/day of LPA and 42.71±29.71 minutes/day of MVPA. MVPA minutes/day was significantly higher (P = 0.006) in participants aged 60-85 years than those aged 85+ years (45.38 minutes/day vs 14.25 minutes/day). When age-adjusted data was compared to pre-COVID-19 studies, we found COVID-19 pandemic had negatively impacted the physical activity level in older adults (29.33% decrease in MVPA and 39.2% increase in SB). These findings can be useful in developing guidelines and/or interventions to promote physical activity and healthy aging among older adults, particularly those in social isolation.

scholarly journals THE IMPACT OF FOOD INSECURITY ON THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF OLDER ADULTS: THE GROUPS MOST AT RISK

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S738-S738
Author(s):  
Lauren E Popham ◽  
Erin McGovern
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Prescription Drugs ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Well Being ◽  
National Council ◽  
Assistance Program ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Nutrition Assistance ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Older adults who experience food insecurity (4.6 million) often have worse health outcomes. Food insecure older adults consume less nutrients, which puts them at greater risk of developing chronic diseases. They are at increased risk of falls due the impact of poor nutrition on muscle mass, bone density, and balance. Low-income older adults are often forced to choose between buying groceries and paying other bills. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) plays an important role in reducing food insecurity. SNAP enables older adults to buy the nutritious food they need, while freeing up resources to pay for everyday things to meet their health needs such as prescription drugs. Research shows that medication adherence increases when low-income older adults enroll in SNAP. Despite the beneficial impact of enrolling in SNAP, it’s estimated that 55% of eligible adults age 60 and older are not participating in this critical program. To understand which older adults are missing out on SNAP, the National Council on Aging engaged researchers at Leading Age LTSS Center at UMass Boston to analyze data from the 2014 Health and Retirement Study. The results show that some of the most vulnerable older adult populations are less likely to participate in SNAP even though they are eligible (i.e., Hispanic, age 75 and older, those who are not utilizing healthcare, etc.). The findings suggest that more targeted outreach to these groups is needed to ensure that the most vulnerable populations of older adults access this critical benefit.

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