scholarly journals Older Adult Peer Support Specialists’ Age-Related Contributions to Self-Management Through Text Message Exchanges: A Qualitative Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mbita Mbao ◽  
Karen Fortuna
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Peer Support ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
Text Message ◽  
Text Messages ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Peer Specialists

BACKGROUND Older adults with mental health conditions experience co-morbid physical health conditions, premature nursing home admissions, and an earlier mortality compared to the general population of older adults. Older adult peer support specialists are increasingly using technology to deliver peer support services related to addressing both mental health and physical health needs of older adults. OBJECTIVE This qualitative study examined older adult peer support specialists’ age-related contributions to peer-supported integrated medical and psychiatric self-management through text message exchanges METHODS Older adult peer specialists exchanged text messages with service users as part of a 12-week peer-supported smartphone intervention. Text message exchanges between older adult peer specialists (N=3) and people with serious mental illness were examined (N=8) with a mean age of 68.8 years (SD=4.9). A total of 356 text messages were sent between the older adult peer specialist and people with serious mental illness. Older adult peer specialists sent text messages to older participants' smartphones between from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and weekends RESULTS Five themes emerged including (1) using technology to simultaneously manage mental health and physical health issues; (2) realizing new capabilities in late life; (3) sharing their roles as parents and grandparents; (4) wisdom; and (5) sharing lived experience of normal age-related changes (emerging). CONCLUSIONS The collaborative non-directive approach by the older adult peer specialists offered key experiential contributions that are important to successfully aging with a mental health condition. Promising evidence suggests older adult peer support specialists may be helpful in addressing age-related mental health and physical health needs of older adults in the community.

scholarly journals Certified Older Adult Peer Support Specialists' Use of Technology to Support Older Adults in the Community

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 128-129
Author(s):  
Karen Fortuna
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Peer Support ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
Serious Mental Illness ◽  
Text Messaging ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Middle Aged

Abstract Middle-aged and older adults with mental health conditions have a high likelihood of experiencing comorbid physical health conditions, premature nursing home admissions, and early death compared with the general population of middle-aged and older adults. An emerging workforce of certified older adult peer support specialists aged 50 years or above is one of the fastest growing mental health workforces and may be a suitable community-based workforce to simultaneously support the mental health, physical health, and aging needs of middle-aged and older adults with a serious mental illness. Older adult peer support specialists are people with a lived experience of aging into middle age and older adulthood with a mental health condition. This presentation will present three single-arm pilot studies examining how certified older adult peer support specialists’ incorporate technology, including text messaging, ecological momentary assessments, and smartphone applications into practice and clinical outcomes among older adults with serious mental illness.

scholarly journals Older Peer-Delivered and Smartphone-Supported Integrated Medical and Psychiatric Self-Management Intervention

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 631-631
Author(s):  
Karen Fortuna
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Peer Support ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
Health Condition ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Potential Effectiveness ◽  
Management Intervention ◽  
Post Trial

Abstract PeerTECH is older peer-delivered and technology-support integrated medical and psychiatric self-management intervention developed by older adult peer support specialists. Older adult peer support specialists are older adults with a lived experience of a mental health condition, who are trained and accredited to provide support services to others with similar conditions. A pre/post trial by our group has shown PeerTECH is associated with statistically significant improvements in self-efficacy for managing chronic disease and psychiatric self-management skills. This presentation will discuss the feasibility and potential effectiveness of a 3-month pre/post study with older adults with SMI. We will discuss the potential effectiveness of PeerTECH with older adults with SMI related to loneliness, distress, and medical and psychiatric self-management. in conclusion, we will discuss the main and interactive effects of loneliness and factors linked to mortality.

scholarly journals Text message exchanges between older adults with serious mental illness and older certified peer specialists in a smartphone-supported self-management intervention.

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen L. Fortuna ◽  
John A. Naslund ◽  
Kelly A. Aschbrenner ◽  
Matthew C. Lohman ◽  
Marianne Storm ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Serious Mental Illness ◽  
Text Message ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Management Intervention ◽  
Peer Specialists

scholarly journals Eliciting Life Priorities of Older Adults Living in Permanent Supportive Housing

2019 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah K Padgett ◽  
Lynden Bond ◽  
Kristen Gurdak ◽  
Benjamin F Henwood
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Accelerated Aging ◽  
Life Course Perspective ◽  
Supportive Housing ◽  
Card Sort ◽  
Permanent Supportive Housing ◽  
Age Related

Abstract Background and Objectives Adults who have experienced chronic homelessness are considered to be “old” by age 50 due to accelerated aging. While permanent supportive housing (PSH) has been found effective for these individuals, there is limited focus on the needs of adults “aging in place” in PSH. This study examined (1) how older adults in PSH identify and rank their life priorities, (2) how they describe these priorities in their own words, and (3) how life course adversity deepens an understanding of these priorities. Research Design and Methods A convergent parallel mixed methods design was used in which qualitative case study analyses informed by a life course perspective provided a deeper understanding of how 14 older residents of PSH viewed their life priorities using quantitative card-sort rankings of 12 life domains. Results Housing, family, mental health, physical health, and partner were the most frequently endorsed life priorities. Four themes emerged from the cross-case analyses: “aging in, aging out,” “carefully restoring relationships,” “life goes on,” and “housing is fundamental.” Convergent findings indicated that life adversity—social losses and interrupted lives—influenced both the high- and low-ranked card-sort priorities. Discussion and Implications This study demonstrated that participants were aware of their advancing years yet they sought to overcome adversity and losses through maintaining mental health and sobriety, improving physical health, and cautiously rebuilding relationships. As the numbers of older homeless rise, the inclusion of age-related services will be an important component of PSH services for residents as they age.

scholarly journals Exploring the Perceptions of the Ageing Experience in Singaporean Older Adults: a Qualitative Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 389-408
Author(s):  
F. Shiraz ◽  
Z. L. J. Hildon ◽  
H. J. M. Vrijhoef
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Meaning In Life ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Social Health ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Health Perceptions ◽  
Age Related

Abstract Understanding older adults perceptions of health and adaptation processes to ageing can allow for more culturally aligned services and better targeted care. The aim of this exploratory qualitative study was to examine older adults perceptions of physical, psychological and social health and further understand the processes of adaptation and self-management of these health perceptions. Semi-structured in depth interviews (IDI) were conducted with ethnically diverse older adults in Singapore, aged 60 and above. Participants were asked open ended questions about their physical health, psychological health and their current social health and relationships. They were also asked methods of adaptation to these age related changes. In total, forty participants were interviewed. A thematic analysis identified five main themes when exploring perceptions of physical, psychological and social health. These included; 1) Slowing down 2) Relationship harmony 3) Financial harmony 4) Social connectedness and 5) Eating together. Adaptation and self-management of these health perceptions included six additional themes; 1) Keep moving 2) Keep learning; where continued self-determination and resilience was a key method in adapting to negative thoughts about declining physical health 3) Adopting avoidant coping behaviours 4) ‘It feels good to do good’; where finding meaning in life was to help others 5) ‘Power of Prayer’; which highlighted how older adults relegated responsibilities to a higher spiritual power 6) Social participation; which included engaging in community and religious social activities that all contributed to self-management of older adults psychological health and social health. In conclusion, our study highlighted specific cultural nuances in older adults perceptions of health, particularly psychological and social health. These findings can help develop more targeted intervention programmes and better methods of measuring older adults health, which can assist with the global ageing phenomena.

scholarly journals Barriers and Facilitators for Older Adults with Serious Mental Illness to Utilizing Medicaid Smartphone Services

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 862-862
Author(s):  
Amanda Myers ◽  
Karen Fortuna
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Peer Support ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
Serious Mental Illness ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Barriers And Facilitators ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Peer Specialists

Abstract As increasingly more older adults in the general population utilize smartphones to access health services, the digital divide between older adults with serious mental illness (SMI) and the general older adult population continues to widen. The purpose of this study was to examine older adult peer support specialists’ and older people with SMI’s perspectives of barriers and facilitators to utilizing Medicaid Safelink smartphone services. Data from two focus groups and five semi-structured interviews from older adult peer support specialists (N=10) and older adults with SMI (N=15) were analyzed using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Science Research. A mixed methods convergent design integrated quantitative with qualitative data. Older adults with SMI (N= 15) had a mean age of 55 years and were mainly women (70%) and White (100%). Certified peer specialists (N= 10) had a mean age of 52 years (age range 45-67) and were mainly female (75%), 66% identified as White, and 33% identified as African American. Four themes that were identified across different aspects of barriers included technology knowledge, technology adoption, design features (i.e., smartphone size, option to increase font sizes, multi-modal capacity, navigational architecture, 508 compliance), and Safelink policies and procedures. Facilitators included free and continuous services, access to technical support, and smartphone capabilities to enable healthcare communications and facilitate the delivery of services. Improving upon the themes identified as barriers to utilizing Safelink may promote a continuum of care for older adults with SMI, closing the gap of services that occurs between in-person therapy and other interventions.

Text Messaging as a Mental Health Treatment Intervention: A Corpus-Based Study

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan Partch ◽  
Cass Dykeman
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Treatment ◽  
Text Messaging ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Text Message ◽  
Treatment Session ◽  
Text Messages ◽  
Health Treatment ◽  
Emotional Tone

Mental health treatment providers seek high-impact and low-cost means of engaging clients in care. As such, text messaging is becoming more frequently utilized as a means of communication between provider and client. Research demonstrates that text message interventions increase treatment session attendance, decrease symptomology, and improve overall functioning. However, research is lacking related to the linguistic make up of provider communications. Text messages were collected from previously published articles related to the treatment of mental health disorders. A corpus of 39 mental health treatment text message interventions was composed totaling 286 words. Using Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) software, messages were analyzed for prevalence of terminology thought to enhance client engagement. Clout, demonstrating the writer’s confidence and expertise, and positive Emotional Tone were found to be at a high level within the corpus. Results demonstrated statistical significance for five linguistic variables. When compared with national blog norms derived from Twitter, Clout, Emotional Tone, and use of Biological terminology were found to be at higher rates than expected. Authenticity and Informal terminology were found at significantly lesser rates.

scholarly journals Physical Inactivity in Older Adult Couples: A Dyadic Analysis Using Continuous In-Home Monitoring

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 412-412
Author(s):  
Chao-Yi Wu ◽  
Lyndsey Miller ◽  
Rachel Wall ◽  
Zachary Beattie ◽  
Jeffrey Kaye ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
Physical Inactivity ◽  
Home Monitoring ◽  
Health Determinants ◽  
Dyadic Analysis ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Positive Health ◽  
Aging Research

Abstract Many older adults remain inactive despite the known positive health implications of physical activity (e.g. improved mood, reduced mortality risk). Physical inactivity is a known interdependent phenomenon in couples, but the majority of research identifies determinants of physical inactivity at the individual level. We estimated the average amount of physical inactivity for older adult couples and, using dyadic analysis, identified physical and mental health determinants thereof. Forty-eight heterosexual older adult couples (mean age=70.6, SD=6.63) from the Veterans Integrated Service Network 20 cohort of the Collaborative Aging Research using Technology (CART) initiative were included in this study. Both dyad members wore actigraph devices for a month. The average number per day of inactive periods (defined as no movement or sleep activity for ≥ 30 minutes) was estimated. Multilevel modeling revealed that, within couples, there was no difference between partners in the average number of inactive periods, but on average across couples, males had more inactive periods per day (13.4, SD=4.43) than females (12.3, SD=4.87). For males, older age was the only variable associated with more inactive periods (β=0.13, p=.013). For females, more depressive symptoms in men were associated with fewer inactive periods (β=-0.37, p=.002), and more dependence in completing their own IADLs predicted more inactive periods (β=2.80, p<.001). All models were adjusted for covariates. Viewing couples’ activity as a unit, rather than as separate individuals, provides a novel approach to identifying pathways to reduce inactivity in older adults, especially when focusing on mental health issues and decreased independence within the couple.

Enhancing Wellbeing for Older Adults With Serious Mental Illnesses: Co-Producing a Positive Psychology Course With Certified Older Adult Peer Specialists

2021 ◽  
pp. 104973232199204
Author(s):  
Lydia P. Ogden
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Positive Psychology ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Subjective Experiences ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Peer Specialists ◽  
Psychology Course ◽  
Serious Mental Illnesses

Compared to peers in the general population, persons aging with serious mental illnesses (SMIs) face physical health disparities, increased isolation, and decreased subjective experiences of quality of life and wellbeing. To date, limited intervention research focuses on addressing specific needs of persons aging with SMIs and no interventions targeted for that population are informed by the theory and science of positive psychology. With the aim of co-producing a positive-psychology-based program to enhance wellbeing for older adults with SMIs, the author held a series of focus groups and individual interviews with six certified older adult peer specialists. Analysis of the data developed in-depth insights into helpful processes, values, and priorities of individuals aging with SMIs, as well as the creation of a wellbeing-enhancing course curriculum.

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