Older nurses and work-related factors that impact their mental health and wellbeing: a qualitative systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has placed a significant pressure on the nursing workforce, leading to an increased risk of infection and work-related issues impacting nurses' mental health. This review aims to explore the workplace challenges faced by older nurses and their impact on mental health. METHOD: This qualitative systematic review followed the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology. RESULTS: The review included 32 studies and identified three interconnected themes: heavy workload and nature of nursing, lack of recognition and feeling undervalued, and challenges in balancing personal life and work. These themes illustrated the complexity of the workplace challenges faced by older nurses. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Workplace demands and shift work were common negative contributors to mental health and wellbeing. The physical and cognitive capacity of older nurses may diminish due to age-related changes, making the workload more challenging. Recognition and support from the organisation, especially from management and leadership, played a crucial role in nurses' resilience.

Investigating Health and Well-Being Challenges Faced by an Aging Workforce in the Construction and Nursing Industries: Computational Linguistic Analysis of Twitter Data.

BACKGROUND: Construction and nursing are critical industries. Although both careers involve physically and mentally demanding work, the risks to workers during the COVID-19 pandemic are not well understood. Nurses (both younger and older) are more likely to experience the ill effects of burnout and stress than construction workers, likely due to accelerated work demands and increased pressure on nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, we analyzed a large social media data set using advanced natural language processing techniques to explore indicators of the mental status of workers across both industries before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. OBJECTIVE: This social media analysis aims to fill a knowledge gap by comparing the tweets of younger and older construction workers and nurses to obtain insights into any potential risks to their mental health due to work health and safety issues. METHODS: We analyzed 1,505,638 tweets published on Twitter (subsequently rebranded as X) by younger and older (aged <45 vs >45 years) construction workers and nurses. The study period spanned 54 months, from January 2018 to June 2022, which equates to approximately 27 months before and 27 months after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. The tweets were analyzed using big data analytics and computational linguistic analyses. RESULTS: Text analyses revealed that nurses made greater use of hashtags and keywords (both monograms and bigrams) associated with burnout, health issues, and mental health compared to construction workers. The COVID-19 pandemic had a pronounced effect on nurses' tweets, and this was especially noticeable in younger nurses. Tweets about health and well-being contained more first-person singular pronouns and affect words, and health-related tweets contained more affect words. Sentiment analyses revealed that, overall, nurses had a higher proportion of positive sentiment in their tweets than construction workers. However, this changed markedly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since early 2020, sentiment switched, and negative sentiment dominated the tweets of nurses. No such crossover was observed in the tweets of construction workers. CONCLUSIONS: The social media analysis revealed that younger nurses had language use patterns consistent with someone experiencing the ill effects of burnout and stress. Older construction workers had more negative sentiments than younger workers, who were more focused on communicating about social and recreational activities rather than work matters. More broadly, these findings demonstrate the utility of large data sets enabled by social media to understand the well-being of target populations, especially during times of rapid societal change.

Acceptability of virtual reality to screen for dementia in older adults.

BACKGROUND: Early detection of dementia and cognitive decline is crucial for effective interventions and overall wellbeing. Although virtual reality (VR) tools offer potential advantages to traditional dementia screening tools, there is a lack of knowledge regarding older adults' acceptance of VR tools, as well as the predictors and features influencing their adoption. This study aims to (i) explore older adults' perceptions of the acceptability and usefulness of VR diagnostic tools for dementia, and (ii) identify demographic predictors of adoption and features of VR applications that contribute to future adoption among older adults. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving community-dwelling older adults who completed online questionnaires covering demographics, medical history, technology acceptance, previous usage, and perceived usefulness and barriers to VR adoption. Multiple linear regression was employed to assess relationships between sociodemographic factors, prior technology use, perceived ease, usefulness, and intention to adopt VR-based diagnostic tools. RESULTS: Older adults (N = 77, Mage = 73.74, SD = 6.4) were predominantly female and born in English-speaking countries. Perceived usefulness of VR applications and educational attainment emerged as significant predictors of the likelihood to use VR applications for dementia screening. Generally, older adults showed acceptance of VR applications for healthcare and dementia screening. Fully immersive applications were preferred, and older adults were mostly willing to share electronic information from screening with their healthcare providers. CONCLUSIONS: The field of research on VR applications in healthcare is expanding. Understanding the demographic characteristics of populations that stand to benefit from healthcare innovations is critical for promoting adoption of digital health technologies and mitigating its barriers to access.

Evaluation of an exercise program incorporating an international cycling competition: a multimodal intervention model for physical, psychological, and social wellbeing in residential aged care.

BACKGROUND: The transition into residential aged care is frequently associated with a reduction in physical activity, social engagement, and emotional wellbeing. Our aim was to evaluate the impact of a 26-day international cycling competition (Road Worlds Competition for Seniors), incorporating elements of exercise, audiovisual cycling footage, social engagement, and gamification, on the physical, psychological, and social well-being of aged care residents. We aimed to use findings to inform the development of a multi-modal intervention model to maximise wellbeing for older adults. METHODS: Residents (N = 32) participated in a mixed-methods single-group intervention pilot study that compared pre-and post-competition measures for the following wellbeing domains; physical, psychological, and social. In addition, interviews were conducted with residents (n = 27) and staff (n = 6) to explore their experiences. RESULTS: Measures identified significant improvements across multiple wellbeing domains, including functional fitness, depression, self-efficacy, and social network sizes. Findings from the interview data indicated that the multimodal components involved in the program delivery were valued by staff and residents who enjoyed the gamification, audiovisual cycling footage, social engagement, opportunities for reminiscence, and camaraderie between peers, staff, and volunteers. CONCLUSIONS: Findings highlight a constellation of benefits across physical, psychological, and social domains of wellbeing and inform a model for innovative multidimensional programs in residential aged care. The benefits for residents with varying physical and cognitive abilities support the use of creative strategies that maximise inclusion and engagement for residents.

Elucidating the Role of Electrochemically Formed LiF in Discharge and Aging of Li-CFx Batteries.

Fifty years after its introduction, the lithium-carbon monofluoride (Li-CFx) battery still has the highest cell-level specific energy demonstrated in a practical cell format. However, few studies have analyzed how the main electrochemical discharge product, LiF, evolves during the discharge and cell rest periods. To fill this gap in understanding, we investigated molecular-level and interfacial changes in CFx electrodes upon the discharge and aging of Li-CFx cells, revealing the role of LiF beyond that of a simple discharge product. We reveal that electrochemically formed LiF deposits on the surface of the CFx electrode and subsequently partially disperses into the electrolyte to form a colloidal suspension during cell aging, as determined from galvanostatic electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), solid-state 19F nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and operando optical light microscopy measurements. Electrochemical LiF formation and LiF dispersion into the electrolyte are distinct competing rate processes that each affect the cell impedance differently. Using knowledge of LiF dispersion and saturation, an in-line EIS method was developed to compute the depth of discharge of CFx cells beyond coulomb counting. Solid-state 19F NMR measurements quantitatively revealed how LiF and CF moieties evolved with discharge. Covalent CF bonds react first, followed by a combination of covalent and ionic CF bonds. Quantitively correlating NMR and electrochemical measurements reveals not only how LiF formation affects cell impedance but also that CF bonds with the most ionic character remain unreacted, which limits realization of the full theoretical specific capacity of the CFx electrode. The results reveal new insights into the electrochemical discharge mechanism of Li-CFx cells and the unique role of LiF in cell discharge and aging, which suggest pretreatment strategies and methods to improve and measure the performance of Li-CFx batteries.

Exploring the usability of the virtual reality module LEAF CAFÉ: a qualitative think-aloud study.

BACKGROUND: The global healthcare system faces increasing strain from our ageing population, primarily due to the growing prevalence of age-related health conditions such as dementia. While modern healthcare technology offers potential solutions, it frequently lacks user-friendliness for older adults. Virtual Reality (VR) has emerged as a promising tool for diagnosing cognitive impairment, offering innovative solutions where traditional methods may fall short. This study explores older adults' perspectives on the usability of a newly designed VR module for cognitive assessment. METHODS: During a 100-min session, participants were asked to engage and complete recall and recognition tasks within the VR module (think-aloud approach) and provide feedback upon completion (semi-structured interviews). Audio materials were transcribed for analysis and recordings of the users' interactions with the module were annotated to provide additional context. These combined textual data were analysed using content coding and thematic analysis to identify themes that reflect how participants used the module's features and what features are desirable to support that process better. RESULTS: Participants (N = 10; Mean age = 73.3, SD = 7.53, range = 65-83 years) perceived the VR module as user-friendly and endorsed its potential as a cognitive screener due to its engaging and immersive nature. Older adults highlighted three key aspects of the module: the usefulness of the platform's ability to offer a comprehensive and reliable evaluation of an individual's cognitive abilities; the need to present concise and relevant content to optimise engagement and use; and the importance of overcoming barriers to support implementation. Suggested game improvements centred on food recognition and adjusting difficulty levels. Barriers to implementation included technology challenges for older adults and concerns about the game's suitability for everyday scenarios. Participants stressed the need for reliable implementation strategies, proposing locations such as libraries and advocating for home-based screening. CONCLUSION: Continued improvements in accessibility suggest that VR tools could help with diagnosing cognitive impairment in older adults. Using a simulated environment to assess cognitive status might fill the gap between current diagnostic methods, aiding treatment planning and early intervention. However, these findings should be approached cautiously, as more research is needed to fully grasp the potential impact of VR tools in this context.

Technology for dementia care: what would good technology look like and do, from carers' perspectives?

BACKGROUND: The development of technology in dementia care has largely been without consultation with carers, and has primarily focused on safety, monitoring devices, and supporting activities of daily living. Further, while involving end-users in the design of technology has been recommended, this is yet to become common practice. METHOD: We conducted a mixed methods study with the aim of investigating carers' values and priorities for technology development, including prior experiences, barriers to use, and what they would like technology to do. Importantly, we asked carers for their design ideas and bespoke technology solutions for future development. RESULTS: Carers of people living with dementia (N = 127), including both unpaid (n = 102) and paid carers (n = 25) residing in Australia, completed an online survey. In addition, a subsample of carers (n = 23) participated in semi-structured interviews. Findings demonstrate that carers want technology to be person-centred, customisable, and to increase opportunities for meaningful social connection. Findings also demonstrate the ability of carers to generate creative design solutions for dementia care. CONCLUSIONS: These findings and implications will be discussed in relation to the importance of co-design with carers and engineers during the design phase of assistive technology. Also, the importance of technology to enhance, not replace, human-to-human social interactions is highlighted.

Memory compensation strategies in everyday life: similarities and differences between younger and older adults.

Memory compensation strategies serve an important role in everyday functioning, especially in the face of cognitive decline. Research on the external memory compensation strategies employed by older adults has focused almost entirely on non-digital tools. Less is known about how memory compensation strategies might have changed due to the rapid and widespread uptake of digital technologies. In the current research, 208 younger adults and 114 older adults freely reported what internal or external memory strategy or tool they would use to accomplish 20 different everyday memory tasks. Participants' responses were coded as involving either internal (e.g. using a mnemonic) or external (e.g. writing a list) strategies, and then underwent further categorisation to classify types of internal and external strategies (e.g. digital or physical tool). Findings indicated that external strategies were much more prevalent than internal strategies for both younger and older adults, and that digital compensation strategies were prevalent for both age groups. There were age differences such that older adults reported more strategies overall, and were less likely to report digital tools, more likely to report physical tools, more likely to report environmental tools, and less likely to report social tools than younger adults. Positive attitudes to technology were associated with digital tool use for older but not younger participants. Findings are discussed in terms of existing theories and approaches to studying memory compensation strategies and cognitive offloading.

What interventions and programmes are available to support older nurses in the workplace? A literature review of available evidence.

BACKGROUND: High exit rates, stalling entry rates, population ageing, and, most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic have placed significant strain on the world's nursing workforce. Both developed and developing countries face similar predicaments. Evidence-based programmes to support older nurses in the workplace are urgently needed to ensure the sustainability of a career in nursing for this group of healthcare professionals. OBJECTIVES: To scope and synthesise available evidence on evaluated programmes and interventions implemented to support the ageing nursing workforce's health, wellbeing, and retention. DESIGN: A literature review of available evidence using a systematic approach. METHOD: Medline, Scopus, PsycINFO and CINAHL were searched for relevant peer-reviewed evidence. Data from the peer-reviewed literature were extracted separately into purpose designed-extraction spreadsheets. Information relevant to study design, intervention design, outcome constructs, intervention outcomes, and barriers and enablers to intervention success were collected. The protocol for this review was registered in PROSPERO [CRD42021274491]. RESULTS: Eighteen published studies were included in this review. We identified a range of interventions and programmes that have been implemented to support older nurses, which included flexible and reduced work arrangements, mentoring programmes, exercise and lifestyle interventions, continued professional development and purpose-designed remote retreats. We found limited evidence of evaluated outcomes from workplace support interventions that addresses the actual challenges faced by ageing nurses as reported in previous literature reviews. Interventions that were designed to promote a sense of purpose at work resulted in positive outcomes and appeared to more directly address the stated needs of older nurses. Holistic programmes and interventions that could potentially promote both physical well-being and psychological well-being required a broader, whole-of-organisation approach rather than more piecemeal interventions addressing individual physical and mental health concerns. Interventions which acknowledged older nurses' clinical expertise and experience (e.g., mentoring programmes) were linked to positive outcomes. CONCLUSION: Future intervention efforts should acknowledge and balance intervention participation opportunities against existing everyday workload constraints faced by older nurses. Our review suggests the need for further intervention studies assessing specific outcomes such as psychological and emotional health, as well as interventions that more directly address the most pressing concerns that ageing nurses report at personal and organisational levels. A paradigm shift in productivity measurement in clinical nursing work is required in order to increase the value placed on the unique contribution of older nurses working clinically, particularly in sharing their acquired knowledge, skill, and expertise.

It's not who you lose, it's who you are: Identity and symptom trajectory in prolonged grief.

The death of a loved one has been associated with a range of emotional and cognitive impacts, with up to 10% of the bereaved population experiencing a prolonged grief reaction. Direct investigation of the role of self-identity in the maintenance of grief symptoms is limited and has not discriminated between relationship type. This longitudinal study investigated the differences in grief symptoms over time depending on relationship to the deceased person (partner or adult child), as well as the association between long-term grief symptoms and identity, attachment, and cognitive interdependence. Data from bereaved partners and adult children in The Aarhus Bereavement Study at two- and 18-months post-bereavement were included in this study. They completed questionnaires measuring their grief symptoms at both time points, a measure of attachment at Time 1, and measures of the interdependence of their pre- and post-loss identity with the deceased, their cognitive interdependence, and everyday memory retrieval failures at Time 4. Compared with adult children, bereaved partners experienced more intense grief symptoms at both time points. Regression analysis identified that over and above immediate grief symptoms, key predictors of prolonged grief symptoms were a merged post-bereavement identity with the deceased, younger age, and everyday memory retrieval difficulties. Relationship type and pre-bereavement identity contributed to initial but not prolonged grief symptoms. We discuss these findings in terms of the role of interdependence in prolonged grief.

Social Anxiety Disorder: Associations with Peer-Liking, Discrimination, and Prejudicial Feelings in Early Adolescent Girls.

Social anxiety can have an adverse effect on social connections, educational achievement, and wellbeing. However, the extent to which students stigmatize their peers with social anxiety disorder (SAD) in female educational settings remains unknown. This study investigated the relationship between SAD, peer-liking and stigma in a cohort of early adolescent girls. The sample was 103 sixth and seventh graders attending three girls' schools in Australia. The students, aged between 10- and 13-years, were randomly allocated to either a control (n = 52) or experimental (n = 51) group. Participants completed an online survey while at school to examine their responses to one of two age-and-gender matched vignettes: a hypothetical peer with SAD (experimental condition), or without SAD (control condition). Contrary to expectations, group comparisons revealed that students with the SAD vignette liked their peer more than students with the non-SAD vignette. Also, students endorsed higher levels of pity, lower levels of fear, but similar levels of anger when considering their SAD (versus non-SAD) peer. In the SAD group, higher levels of pity were associated with greater peer-liking. The opposite pattern was evident in response to the non-SAD peer. Importantly, students discriminated less (preferred less social distance) in response to their peer with SAD. This points to the potential benefit of adolescent peer programs that aim to promote positive peer-relationships as a protective factor for students with SAD. Future research may examine gender and socio-economically diverse students to increase the confidence with which findings can be generalized to other educational settings.

Ageing Together: Interdependence in the Memory Compensation Strategies of Long-Married Older Couples.

People live and age together in social groups. Across a range of outcomes, research has identified interdependence in the cognitive and health trajectories of ageing couples. Various types of memory decline with age and people report using a range of internal and external, social, and material strategies to compensate for these declines. While memory compensation strategies have been widely studied, research so far has focused only on single individuals. We examined interdependence in the memory compensation strategies reported by spouses within 58 older couples. Couples completed the Memory Compensation Questionnaire, as well as an open-ended interview about their memory compensation practices. We found that internal, intra-individual memory compensation strategies were not associated within couples, but external, extra-individual strategies showed interdependence. Individuals' scores on material/technological compensation strategies were positively correlated with their partners'. Reported reliance on a spouse was higher for men and increased with age. Our open-ended interviews yielded rich insights into the complex and diverse resources that couples use to support memory in day-to-day life. Particularly evident was the extent of interaction and coordination between social and material compensation, such that couples jointly used external compensation resources. Our results suggest that individuals' reports of their compensation strategies do not tell the whole story. Rather, we propose that older couples show interdependence in their memory compensation strategies, and adopt complex systems of integrated material and social memory compensation in their day-to-day lives.

Teaching Elaborative Reminiscing to Support Autobiographical Memory and Relationships in Residential and Community Aged Care Services.

Memories of the past are critically important as we age. For older adults receiving formal care in a range of settings, reminiscing with care staff may provide frequent opportunities for recalling autobiographical memories with a supportive conversational partner. Importantly, prior research suggests that some reminiscing conversations are more supportive than others. In the developmental literature, a long tradition of sociocultural memory research has shown how children's autobiographical memory is scaffolded and supported by parents during reminiscing, when parents use a particular kind of conversational technique, known as "elaborative reminiscing". In the current project, we aimed to examine whether we could enhance conversations between staff and older people receiving aged care by teaching care staff about these beneficial conversational techniques and supporting them to reminisce more often with residents/clients. We also aimed to determine whether staff members' use of elaborative reminiscing techniques was associated with autobiographical memory details recalled by residents/clients during routine conversations. We conducted a workshop with 16 staff within a residential aged care and community care setting. We followed this with a 4-week training-and-feedback period during which staff recorded their conversations with residents and clients. Staff feedback indicated successful use of the scaffolding techniques overall, and benefits as well as barriers to their use in day-to-day practice. Analysis of the conversations demonstrated that the use of particular elaborative reminiscing techniques by staff was associated with increased recall of episodic and semantic autobiographical memory details by residents/clients. Overall, findings suggest that the principles of elaborative reminiscing may apply across the lifespan, and that the benefits of elaborative reminiscing for autobiographical memory may be particularly important in times of cognitive need. Practically, training aged care staff in specific and practical conversational tools can facilitate reminiscing for people receiving aged care.

Here's looking at you: eye gaze and collaborative recall.

In everyday life, we remember together often. Surprisingly, research reliably shows costs of collaboration. People remember less in groups than the same number of individuals remember separately. However, there is evidence that some groups are more successful than others, depending on factors such as group relationship and verbal communication strategies. To understand further the characteristics of more successful vs. less successful collaborative groups, we examined whether non-verbal eye gaze behaviour was associated with group outcomes. We used eye tracking glasses to measure how much collaborating dyads looked at each other during collaborative recall, and examined whether individual differences in eye- and face-directed gaze were associated with collaborative performance. Increased eye- and face-directed gaze was associated with higher collaborative recall performance, more explicit strategy use, more post-collaborative benefits, and increased memory overlap. However, it was also associated with pre-collaborative recall, indicating that gaze during collaboration may at least partially reflect pre-existing abilities. This research helps elucidate individual differences that underlie the outcomes of collaborative recall, and suggests that non-verbal communication differentiates more vs. less successful collaborative groups.

Strengthening resilience in over 50's: a nested clustered-randomized controlled trial of adaptive systematic self-reflection.

Background and objectives: This study investigated the efficacy of guided self-reflection to strengthen resilience in adults over 50 by exploring the effects of the training on mental health and positive emotional outcomes. Design: A nested clustered-randomized controlled trial was conducted to test the efficacy of the training. Measures occurred at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and at four to five months follow-up. Method: Two samples of participants were recruited. First, older employees from a consumer goods company took part in the clustered-randomized controlled trial. Ninety-three employees (mean age = 54.02 years; 36.56% females) were assigned to the intervention (n = 52) or active control (n = 41) group. Second, older adults from the community (n = 51) were recruited (mean age = 58.63 years; 80.40% female) and assigned to the intervention only. Results: Improvements were observed in the community sample, compared to the active control group, across a range of wellbeing outcomes. When training engagement was used as a moderator, positive benefits for the corporate intervention group emerged for highly engaged participants. Mediation analyses indicated that stress-as-enhancing mindset, stressor benefit, and coping self-efficacy acted as possible mechanisms for change in primary outcomes. Conclusions: Findings provide support for the use of guided self-reflection for resilience training with older adults.

Effects of collaboration on the qualities of autobiographical recall in strangers, friends, and siblings: both remembering partner and communication processes matter.

Recalling autobiographical memories with others can influence the quality of recall, but little is known about how features of the group influence memory outcomes. In two studies, we examined how the products and processes of autobiographical recall depend on individual vs. collaborative remembering and the relationship between group members. In both studies, dyads of strangers, friends, and siblings recalled autobiographical events individually (elicitation), then either collaboratively or individually (recall). Study 1 involved typing memory narratives; Study 2 involved recalling aloud. We examined shifts in vividness, emotionality, and pronoun use within memory narratives produced by different relationship types. In Study 2, we also coded collaborative dyads' "collaborative processes" or communication processes. In Study 1, all relationships showed decreased positive emotion and I-pronouns and increased negative emotion within collaboratively-produced memory narratives. In Study 2, all relationships showed increased vividness, reduced emotionality and positive and negative emotion, and increased I- and we-pronouns within collaboratively-produced memory narratives. However, strangers used collaborative processes differently from friends and siblings. Some collaborative processes were associated with memory qualities. Across studies, collaboration influenced memory quality more than did relationship type, but relationship type influenced dyads' recall dynamics. These findings indicate the complexity of social influences on memory.

Long-married couples recall their wedding day: the influence of collaboration and gender on autobiographical memory recall.

The current study examined the influence of collaboration, expertise, and communication on autobiographical memory, by considering gender differences in recall and how they may influence the products and processes of remembering when male-female couples recall events together. Thirty-nine long-married, male-female couples recalled their memories of their wedding day. In Session 1, they recalled it individually for an experimenter. One week later, in Session 2, they recalled the same event jointly as a collaborative pair. Women reported more details, especially episodic details, than men across both sessions. Notably, collaborative recall included many new details that neither spouse had recalled individually. Exploratory analyses suggest that women were less influenced by collaboration than were men: women's communication behaviours influenced men's recall, but the reverse was not found for men's communication. Additionally, when couples' individual recall was more similar in content, men were more likely to decrease their contribution to the collaborative session. We consider these findings in light of transactive memory theory, in which joint meta-memory and the distribution of expertise influence the processes and products of recall in the interdependent system of a couple who extensively share their autobiographical memories.

Does collaboration with an intimate partner support memory performance? An exploratory case series of people with epilepsy or acquired brain injury.

BACKGROUND: Intimate couples can become cognitively interdependent over time. If one member of the couple has a neurological condition with associated cognitive impairments, their partner can support or 'scaffold' their cognitive functioning through collaboration. OBJECTIVE: We explored the phenomenon of 'collaborative memory' in a case series of 9 couples in which one member had a neurological condition, specifically an acquired brain injury (ABI; n = 7) or epilepsy (n = 2). METHODS: To investigate collaborative memory, we compared the performance of the patient when remembering alone versus their performance in collaboration with their partner on three memory tasks, assessing anterograde, semantic, and autobiographical memory. RESULTS: We found that across all tasks and participants, collaboration typically increased overall memory performance (total score), but the patient's contribution to the task was typically lower when they collaborated compared with when they performed the task alone. We identified two distinct styles of collaboration which we termed 'survival scaffolding' (where the healthy partner 'takes over' memory recall) and 'stability scaffolding' (where the healthy partner cues and structures the patient's recall). CONCLUSION: This exploratory case series contributes to the sparse literature on memory collaboration in people with neurological conditions. Our findings suggest that there are different styles of collaboration that can both help and hinder memory performance.

The Impact of Self-Reported Hearing Difficulties on Memory Collaboration in Older Adults.

Cognitive scientists and philosophers recently have highlighted the value of thinking about people at risk of or living with dementia as intertwined parts of broader cognitive systems that involve their spouse, family, friends, or carers. By this view, we rely on people and things around us to "scaffold" mental processes such as memory. In the current study, we identified 39 long-married, older adult couples who are part of the Australian Imaging Biomarkers and Lifestyle (AIBL) Study of Ageing; all were cognitively healthy but half were subjective memory complainers. During two visits to their homes 1 week apart, we assessed husbands' and wives' cognitive performance across a range of everyday memory tasks working alone (Week 1) versus together (Week 2), including a Friends Task where they provided first and last names of their friends and acquaintances. As reported elsewhere, elderly couples recalled many more friends' names working together compared to alone. Couples who remembered successfully together used well-developed, rich, sensitive, and dynamic communication strategies to boost each other's recall. However, if one or both spouses self-reported mild-to-moderate or severe hearing difficulties (56% of husbands, 31% of wives), couples received less benefit from collaboration. Our findings imply that hearing loss may disrupt collaborative support structures that couples (and other intimate communicative partners) hone over decades together. We discuss the possibility that, cut off from the social world that scaffolds them, hearing loss may place older adults at greater risk of cognitive decline and dementia.

Direct and generative autobiographical memory retrieval: How different are they?

Theories of autobiographical memory have emphasised effortful generative retrieval, but recent research indicates that subjectively effortless direct retrieval is common. We compared the processes of direct and generative retrieval. Sixty-five participants retrieved 24 autobiographical memories across three cue types: concrete, emotional, and personal. We recorded retrieval latency, and participants judged direct versus generative retrieval and rated memory specificity, vividness, significance, rehearsal, and emotionality. Overall, direct retrieval was common, especially for personal cues. Directly retrieved memories were recalled faster, were less likely to be specific, and were rated more significant, rehearsed, and emotional than generatively retrieved memories. The speed of both direct and generative retrieval varied similarly according to cue type, suggesting they did not involve fundamentally different cognitive processes. These findings challenge theories that assume direct retrieval bypasses constructive processes. Instead we suggest that both direct and generative retrieval involve construction that is similarly affected by cue concreteness and relevance.