Perspectives on Aging Well Among Older Black Women in the US

Despite changes in the demography of older Black women who are living longer, there is limited research on how older Black women conceptualize and understand successful and healthy aging. The objective of this presentation is to interrogate the meaning and cultural aspects of aging among older Black women, gaining insight into how gender and race operate and intersect to shape experiences and perceptions of aging. Using an intersectionality framework, this qualitative study was conducted with three older Black women. The women ranged in age from 58-65 years old, each residing in an US urban city (Detroit, St. Louis, Atlanta). Data were collected between October and November 2020, using a semi-structured, open-ended interview protocol to encourage participants to provide in-depth descriptions of how they conceptualized aging. Interviews were between 2 – 2.5 hours, conducted via videoconferencing, and audio-recorded for transcription. Participants discussed: the life experiences that have shaped their ability to age well; what it means to age well, and factors that might hinder someone from aging well. Transcripts were coded using a constructivist grounded theory approach. Results revealed six themes Black women in later life identify: aging well, aging as a mindset, independence and freedom, authenticity, personal control and preparation, and aging role models. This extends the knowledge base on how older Black women view aging and factors that enhance or diminish their ability to age well. Results from this study can be used to enhance the development of public health and social work interventions with older Black women.

Adapting A Project-Based Aging Laboratory During a Pandemic

Aging Well in Utah is a competitive 2-semester project-based Honor’s College Praxis Laboratory for 9 students from different degree programs dedicated to deepening understanding of the aging process through a broad gerontological lens. This session will address how the course was adapted during the COVID-19 pandemic, including: 1) scheduling virtual class times with guest lecturers; 2) conducting older adult interviews via Zoom to provide students experience in communicating “what matters most”, one of the 4Ms of Age Friendly HealthCare; 3) adapting a student-designed medical narrative project highlighting stories of transition and healing through the dying process for previously unsheltered residents of a hospice program to focus on the lived experience of hospice patients during COVID-19; and 4) utilizing virtual technology to interview hospice patients, family members and hospice staff. In spite of challenges, student evaluations were above average and reported increased interest in incorporating age-friendly concepts into future careers.

Like A Dew Drop On A Lotus Leaf: Perceptions Of Aging Well In South Asian American Older Adults

Past research has underscored four key themes prevalent in popular and scientific discourse on successful aging in North America – the emphasis on individual agency and control; continuing productive activity into old age; the value of independence in late life; and an ideal construction of permanent personhood, wherein the realities of mortality and decline are inadequately addressed (Lamb, 2014). Yet, the meanings attached to successful aging differ across cultures and are not very well-understood. The Perceptions of Aging Well in Diverse Populations study aims to acquire a holistic understanding of the attitudes and beliefs around aging well across cultures and to identify the similarities and differences in these perceptions within diverse racial and ethnic groups. This presentation highlights preliminary findings from in-depth, semi-structured qualitative interviews with South Asian Americans 50 years and older (n=19; 9 men, 10 women). Participants shared that a sense of inevitability and aging with “grace”, “dignity”, and “wisdom” were key components of successful aging. Maintaining good health, keeping a positive attitude, and remaining independent in later life appeared motivated primarily by a desire to remain connected to, but not necessarily “burden” adult children with caregiving responsibilities. Religious faith and spiritual well-being, availability of support systems, and a sense of community were key facilitators. Limited English proficiency and loneliness posed challenges to aging well, particularly in late-life immigrants. These findings provide unique insights into subjective perceptions of successful aging and may help inform programs and policies that support the health and well-being of older South Asian Americans.

Reframing language, disrupting aging: a corpus-assisted multimodal critical discourse study

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore two channels of communication (i.e. texts and images) from a non-governmental organization website called #DisruptAging with the aim of finding how multimodal knowledge dissemination contributes to dismantling misconceptions about the aging process. Design/methodology/approach This analysis is based on an integrated approach that combines corpus-assisted discourse analysis (cf. Semino and Short, 2004; Baker et al., 2008, Baker, 2010) and multimodal critical discourse analysis (Machin and Mayr, 2012) via the American Medical Association format (2007) and the suite of FrameWorks tools (2015, 2017), which are applied to the collection of texts and images taken from #DisruptAging. Findings A total of 69 stories corresponding with 218 images of older adults have shown to be powerful textual and semiotic resources, designed both for educational and awareness-raising purposes, to promote the so-called “aging well discourse” (cf. Loos et al., 2017). Social implications This discursive approach to the textual and visual material found in #DisruptAging hopes to influence the governing institutions that we construct, and the people who are given power to run them, with the goal of fostering fair treatment of older people within society. Originality/value There is a lack of studies investigating counter-discourse forms available online, which use textual and visual language to change the way society conceives the idea of aging.

Older Adults’ Goals and Expectations When Using Long-Term Services and Supports

Objective Despite recent research focused on aging well, little is known regarding the goals and expectations from long-term services and supports (LTSS) use among older adults. Methods To address this knowledge gap, interviewer-guided surveys with older adults newly receiving LTSS in home and community-based, assisted living, and nursing home settings in Philadelphia, New Jersey, and New York were conducted. Results Twelve subthemes regarding the goals and expectations of 464 older adults receiving LTSS and in the context of Aging Well emerged from our analysis: maintaining function, optimizing health and circumstances, maintaining the status quo, transitioning back to the previous state, achieving independence, preserving cognitive function and capacity for psychosocial and emotional health, achieving purpose, increasing quality of life, receiving social support, increasing engagement, relieving burden, and feeling a sense of security/safety. Discussion This in-depth analysis of qualitative data provides context for LTSS use among older adults.