Life-Space Mobility, Transportation, and the Companionship Network of Members of a Hispanic Senior Center.

OBJECTIVES: Companions (i.e., friends who spend time together) are important for the well-being of older adults. Senior centers in the United States are places for older adults to participate in group activities and form and maintain companionships. However, differences in mobility and transportation may affect the ability of older adults to leverage senior center activities into actual companionships. METHODS: This social network analysis was conducted to characterize the companionship network among members of a senior center in relation to their life-space mobility and transportation resources. An exponential random graph model was estimated to identify mobility- and transportation-related correlates of the likelihood of a companionship tie among senior center members (N = 42). RESULTS: Members had an average of 2 companionships with one another (M = 2.2, SD = 2.7). Companionships were more likely for members with greater life-space mobility (p = .009), who attended the senior center more frequently (p = .004), with automobile ownership in their households (p = .034), and who were not transportation cost-burdened (i.e., spent less than 15% of their income on transportation, p = .005). Demographic characteristics, limitations on instrumental activities of daily living, and being at risk for depression were not significantly associated with the likelihood of companionships. DISCUSSION: These findings extend previous knowledge of the role of life-space mobility and transportation in supporting general social participation for older adults to include the importance of transportation and mobility for having companions within a senior center.

The Risk for Loneliness and Major Depression among Solo Agers.

Solo agers may be vulnerable to social isolation and mental health sequelae, particularly if they lack close family or friendship ties. This study examined associations among indicators of solo aging, frequency of loneliness, and Major Depressive Disorder among adults aged 60+. Depressed participants were diagnosed by a geriatric psychiatrist and control participants were not depressed. We hypothesized that older adults with more indicators of solo aging (i.e., living alone, being unmarried, not having family or friends nearby) would be more often lonely and more likely to be depressed. In multivariate analyses controlling for health comorbidities and financial difficulty, each additional solo aging indicator significantly increased the likelihood of frequent loneliness, 95% CI OR [1.50, 2.80], and having a depression diagnosis 95% CI OR [1.04, 2.07]. Solo agers may be vulnerable to loneliness and depression, reinforcing the need for assessment and intervention for social isolation among older adults.

Recruitment and Data Collection Challenges of Research Focused on Older Adults and Family Caregivers from Asian American Communities: A Case Study Series.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this case study series was to present recruitment and data collection strategies used for Asian American ethnic groups by documenting challenges experienced by researchers in the field of aging. SUMMARY: We compiled four case studies investigating Asian American older adults and/or family caregivers (i.e., Vietnamese, South Asians, Chinese, and Koreans). Each case study employed unique research methods to overcome experienced challenges associated with recruitment and data collection. DISCUSSION: Three constructs were organized for effective recruitment and data collection strategies of this racial group and included (1) forming a bilingual and bicultural research team (research-centered); (2) establishing reciprocal partnerships between researchers and community partners (community-centered); and (3) understanding the historical and cultural backgrounds of targeted ethnic groups (participant-centered). Approaches taken to address the range of challenges and limitations identified in this case study series may also help increase the representation of Asian-American older adults and family caregivers in research. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Successfully including racial and ethnic minority groups in research, especially Asian Americans, may reduce existing racial disparities in mental and physical health. Any barriers and facilitators affecting the research regarding Asian American ethnic groups should continue to be discussed.

Utilizing the Senior Companion Program as a platform for a culturally informed caregiver intervention: Results from a mixed methods pilot study.

To address the need for accessible, affordable, and sustainable Alzheimer's disease and related dementia caregiver interventions with minority populations, we developed the Senior Companion Program Plus, a three-phase pilot study that used a mixed methods experimental design. The intent was to determine if participation in a lay provider, peer-led psychoeducational intervention designed for African American Alzheimer's disease and related dementia caregivers (N = 16) improved caregiver burden and/or stress, coping skills, and social support. Focus groups with Senior Companions informed the intervention design. Quantitative results indicated that caregivers experienced improvement in their overall level of social support and well-being in meeting basic needs. Qualitative findings suggested that caregivers experienced improvement in their knowledge about the disease, experienced increased coping with Alzheimer's disease and related dementia caregiving, and reported benefits of using a lay provider model. Overall, the data suggest that the Senior Companion Program Plus is a promising intervention for African American Alzheimer's disease and related dementia caregivers.

The Senior Companion Program Plus: A culturally tailored psychoeducational training program (innovative practice).

A purposive sample of African American Senior Companions (N = 23) participated in a 5-day, 20-hour psychoeducational training designed to address the unique cultural needs of African American dementia caregivers. Previous studies have not utilized lay caregiver volunteers such as Senior Companions in dementia research in the United States. Pre- and post-tests were administered to determine whether African American Senior Companions increased their knowledge of Alzheimer's disease after participating in the Senior Companion Program Plus. Results from both the quantitative and qualitative data suggest that participants improved their understanding of Alzheimer's disease. Findings from the Senior Companion Program Plus pilot warrant further study for its potential as cost effective, culturally tailored training for Senior Companions who serve persons with dementia and their family caregivers.

Pathways to age-friendly communities in diverse urban neighborhoods: Do social capital and social cohesion matter?

Using a social capital and social cohesion lens, we reposition the concept of civic engagement among older adults to examine pathways for building age-friendly communities. We analyzed data drawn from a Community-Based Participatory Research study in the Southern U.S. that explored lived experiences of older adults, age 55 and above, who participated in individual interviews (n = 15) and six focus group discussions (n = 45) to examine their perceptions of social identity, social connectedness, and civic engagement geared toward an age-friendly city. Findings indicated that several older adults had access to social networks and socially invested resources, thereby having opportunities for civic engagement and building age-friendly neighborhoods. However, social, cultural, linguistic, and structural barriers were more evident among certain diverse ethnic populations. Marginalized low-income minorities and immigrants, such as Hispanic participants, felt the lack of social cohesion among the larger society limited their ability to give back, thus decreasing their civic engagement activities. In contrast, Caucasian and African-American older adults were able to contribute to the political process through more civic participation activities. We provide implications for examining the role of social capital and social engagement to bolster civic engagement among older adults in building age-friendly communities.

A novel noninvasive method to assess left ventricular -dP/dt using diastolic blood pressure and isovolumic relaxation time.

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular Doppler-derived -dP/dt determined from the continuous-wave Doppler spectrum of the mitral regurgitation (MR) jet has been shown to be a valuable marker of diastolic function, but requires the presence of MR for its assessment. We sought to determine if a novel method of determining -dP/dt using the diastolic blood pressure and isovolumic relaxation time (DBP-IVRT method) correlates with Doppler-derived -dP/dt using the MR method (Doppler-MR method). METHODS: Thirty-three patients with less than severe MR were enrolled. -dP/dt was determined using the Doppler-MR method from the continuous-wave Doppler spectrum of the MR jet (32 mmHg/time from 3 to 1 m/sec). -dP/dt was also determined using the DBP-IVRT method using the following equation: -dP/dt = (DBP - LVEDP)/IVRT, where left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) was estimated based on tissue Doppler and mitral inflow patterns. RESULTS: Twenty-five patients had adequate Doppler waveforms for analysis. The average amount of MR was mild-to-moderate severity. The mean -dP/dt was 680 ± 201 mmHg by the Doppler-MR method and 681 ± 237 mmHg by the DBP-IVRT method. There was a significant correlation between the 2 methods of determining -dP/dt (Pearson r = 0.574, P = 0.003). The Bland-Altman plot revealed almost no bias between the 2 methods; the difference in -dP/dt between the 2 techniques was noted to be greater for patients with higher -dP/dt, however. CONCLUSION: Diastolic blood pressure and isovolumic relaxation time may be used to noninvasively assess diastolic function in patients who do not have MR, especially in those with reduced diastolic function.

Senior gambling: risk or reward?

For a growing number of older adults, a day outing to a local casino has become one of the more enjoyable and accessible opportunities for socialization and entertainment. Unfortunately, for some older adults this growing pastime increases their risk for developing a gambling problem or, worse yet, a gambling addiction. The consequences of problematic gambling behaviors for individuals living on a fixed income require greater attention by social work researchers, practitioners, and providers of senior services. The development and implementation of a Gambling Education Workshop for older adults attending senior centers in a large metropolitan area, along with qualitative interviews with a sample of workshop participants, are reported in this article. Among the findings from this project are the needs for greater awareness of the risk factors associated with problematic gambling, as well as greater awareness among older adults about the consequences associated with gambling.