bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
INTRAINDIVIDUAL VARIABILITY ACROSS ADULTHOOD: DIVERSITY, VARIETY, AND ADHERENCE AS KEY INDICATORS OF DAILY LIFE
Authors: Koffer Rachel , Lee Soomi , Charles Susan
Published: December 2023

Alongside long-term change, lifespan theories highlight the importance of examining intraindividual variability (the fluctuations that occur in daily and momentary life) as an indicator of dynamic characteristics, like plasticity or rigidity. The present symposium demonstrates five unique characterizations and implications of variability in daily life across the adult lifespan. Paper 1 demonstrates that greater social activity variety is linked to lower mortality risk over 11 years, and this effect is stronger for older adults. Paper 2 finds that consistent adherence to health behaviors in daily life is linked to better cognitive function in midlife adults. Paper 3 finds that middle-aged adults experience greater diversity in types of positive events in daily life (positive event diversity) compared to older adults, and positive event diversity is associated with higher positive affect. Paper 4 establishes that positive affect with high mean levels and high variability (fragile high positive affect) is associated with greater odds of depression 10 years later. Lastly, Paper 5 demonstrates that although the spread of stressor types experienced in daily life (stressor diversity) declines with age across both cohorts, the types of stressors experienced in modern life differ from those experienced 18 years prior. Together, findings demonstrate how variability in daily life changes across age and has implications for health and well-being of older adults. Dr. Susan Charles will critically discuss these contributions to our understanding of aging in the context of Strength and Vulnerability Integration Theory and provide considerations for understanding the complexity of daily life across the lifespan.
THE GOOD OLD DAYS?: LATER-BORN COHORTS REPORT DIFFERENT STRESSORS IN DAILY LIFE COMPARED TO EARLIER-BORN COHORTS
Authors: Koffer Rachel
Published: December 2023

In addition to the total amount of exposure to stressors in daily life, the types of stressors experienced (e.g., work stress, arguments), and the relative spread of the stressor types experienced (stressor diversity) is key to emotional and physical well-being across adulthood and aging. While daily stress processes and their links to health and well-being have been studied extensively, historical changes in daily stress processes have been largely unexplored. To examine secular trends in the types of daily stressors experienced across adulthood, we use data from two independent cohorts of the National Study of Daily Experiences surveyed 18 years apart (1995/1996 cohort: n = 1,499 adults aged 20 to 74 years; 2013/2014 cohort: n = 782 adults aged 25 to 75, stratified by age and gender to match the 1995-96 cohort). General linear models are used to test cohort differences in total stressor exposure, exposure to specific types of stressors, and stressor diversity, all controlling for age, income relative to cohort, education relative to cohort, gender, and chronic conditions. While the 2013/2014 cohort experience higher exposure to stressors in daily life than the 1995/1996 cohort, the cohorts experience the same stressor diversity, which decreases with older age. The specific stressor types experienced differ by cohort: adults in 2013/2014 report more arguments, avoided arguments, and work stressors, but less discrimination stressors and “other” stressors than in 1995/1996. These results highlight the sociohistorical embedding of daily stressor experiences. Sociodemographic differences and implications for future research and clinical practice are discussed.
REVISITING POSITIVE AFFECT: THE ROLE OF AFFECT MEAN LEVELS AND VARIABILITY ON DEPRESSION IN MID AND LATER LIFE
Authors: Lee Sun Ah , Mukherjee Dahlia , Almeida David
Published: December 2023

Recent research suggests that affect dynamics (e.g., variability) combined with mean levels are important predictors of psychological and physical health outcomes. This study explores the joint effect of affect levels and variability on depression across 10 years among middle-aged and older adults. We used the data from the second and third waves of Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study. During telephone interviews, daily positive (PA) and negative affect (NA) were assessed across eight consecutive evenings. Daily affect mean levels were calculated by averaging daily affect across interview days, and daily affect variability was calculated as the individual’s standard deviation (iSD). Depression status was assessed using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview-Short form at baseline and 10-year follow-up. The final analytic sample includes 1,499 adults aged 55 years old on average (age range = 34-83; 55.7% female; 93% white). Logistic regression analysis was performed to test the interaction effect of daily affect mean levels and variability on depression. We found a significant interaction effect between PA mean levels and variability on depression status at follow-up. For individuals with high PA levels, higher PA variability was associated with higher odds of developing depression, after adjusting for depression and anxiety disorder at baseline. For NA, we only found main effects where higher NA variability was associated with higher odds of depression at follow-up. Findings suggest fragile high PA (i.e., variable high PA) may be a significant predictor of depression, highlighting the need for understanding PA as multidimensional construct.
NINE-YEAR ASSOCIATION OF OPTIMISM AND COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING IN A COHORT OF AGING MEN
Authors: Marino Victoria , Kim Samsuk , Spiro Avron , Lee Lewina
Published: December 2023

Higher levels of optimism have been linked to better physical and emotional health, and growing evidence suggests optimism may also protect against cognitive impairment and decline. However, our understanding of its prospective associations with cognitive functioning is limited. We examined 9-year associations of optimism with cognitive functioning among 793 men from the VA Normative Aging Study. Optimism was assessed via the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 in 1986 (baseline: AgeM = 60.1, SD=7.1). Cognitive functioning was measured at participants’ earliest cognitive testing occasion between 1993 and 1996. We considered both global cognition (MMSE) and three domains of cognitive functioning: executive function (verbal fluency via Animal Naming Test, working memory via WAIS-R Digit Span Backward), short-term memory (immediate and delayed CERAD Word List Recall), and visuospatial ability (CERAD and VMI spatial copying, NES-2 Pattern Comparison). Analyses used ordinary least squares regression adjusted for childhood socioeconomic status, and demographics and major diseases at baseline. Optimism was not associated with global cognition. However, higher optimism was associated with better verbal fluency (B=0.48, SE=0.19, 95% CI .11–.86, p=.01) and immediate word list recall (B=0.33, SE=0.15, 95% CI .04–.62, p=.02), and weakly associated with delayed word list recall (B=0.14, SE=0.07, 95% CI -.01–.28, p=.06). Optimism was not associated with visuospatial ability or working memory performance. Our findings suggest that optimism could be particularly important for verbally mediated aspects of executive functioning and memory in aging men. Optimism may be a valuable intervention target to promote healthy cognitive aging.
A MICRO CAREGIVING INITIATION: LATE-LIFE REMARRIAGE OF OLDER WIDOWED ARAB MUSLIM MEN IN ISRAEL
Authors: Koren Chaya , Morshed Hanan Ali
Published: December 2023

New caregiving solutions are increasingly in demand within families undergoing rapid modernization processes such as the Arab Muslim family in Israel. According to patriarchal collectivist values, caregiving for aging men is provided by women within the extended Arab Muslim family. Modernization within the Arab Muslim society has enabled women to acquire higher education and increased employment opportunities outside the household. Therefore, older Arab Muslim widowers in need for caregiving can depend less on their daughters or daughter’s in-law and as such seek other solutions. The aim of this presentation is to describe and examine the caregiving role of late life remarriage for older Arab Muslim widowers. Using a phenomenology framework, semi-structured qualitative interviews for understanding the experience of late life remarriage and its meaning were conducted with 14 Arab Muslim widowers who remarried between age 70 and 80, to never married middle-aged women. Findings describe and illustrate caregiving as a primary motivation for late life remarriage, reasons for caregiving as motivation to remarry and the wife’s role as located between caregiver and spouse. Conclusions discuss the meaning of late life remarriage as a micro caregiving solution, dealing with modernization processes alongside preserving patriarchal collectivist values and gender-based roles.
MEASURING AND IMPLEMENTING PERSON-CENTERED LONG-TERM CARE: GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES
Authors: Roberts Tonya , Zuniga Franziska , Lepore Michael
Published: December 2023

Person-centered care (PCC) is internationally recognized as an essential strategy for achieving high quality care and quality of life for older adults who need long-term care (LTC). Despite international endorsement, our understanding of PCC is largely derived from research and practice in western countries. It is less clear whether PCC practices and benefits are generalizable on a global scale. PCC may vary structurally across healthcare contexts and cultures where values, experiences, and needs of older adults differ. Understanding how to culturally adapt or extend the concept, measurement, and implementation of PCC is needed to better inform care and improve outcomes for a diverse and international population of older adults. The purpose of this symposium is to present theory and research across healthcare settings and from countries across multiple continents to comparatively analyze the cultural implications of PCC concepts and discuss the implications for implementation, measurement, and research. The first presentation will contextualize the concept of PCC from an international perspective, summarizing and comparing what is known about PCC from existing literature. The second presentation will compare barriers and facilitators of PCC implementation during mealtimes in three European countries. The third will highlight variations in PCC definitions from qualitative research conducted with providers in middle- and low-income countries. The fourth presentation will report on the development and implementation of a system of PCC and LTC in Brazil. The final presentation will use secondary data to compare the measurement and LTC needs of family caregivers across the US and China. This is a Common Data Elements for International Research in Residential Long-term Care Interest Group Sponsored Symposium.
PERSON-CENTERED CARE: SETTING THE INTERNATIONAL SCENE FROM A CONCEPTUAL PERSPECTIVE
Authors: Roberts Tonya , Backman Annica
Published: December 2023

Over 142 million older persons worldwide need assistance with meeting basic needs, often requiring some level of long-term support and services. Person-centered care (PCC) is internationally recognized as an essential strategy for achieving high quality care and quality of life for older adults who need long-term care. Rather than focusing only on disease management or preventing morbidity, PCC results in positive outcomes for older people and their caregivers by focusing care on the whole person in their unique environment and aligning care with what is holistically meaningful to older people. Although PCC has become the gold standard for care of older adults, its widespread implementation has led to theoretical, conceptual, and practical inconsistencies that make it challenging to compare or evaluate its application or effectiveness globally. This is particularly problematic given our understanding of PCC is largely derived from research and practice in western cultures. Despite positive outcomes, the wide spectrum of person-centered interventions introduces variation which has made global comparisons difficult and ability to identify needs for cultural adaptation largely absent. To be able to compare PCC internationally, and reflect on potential needs for cultural adaptation, more conceptual clarity of the concept of PCC, its measurement, and implementation is needed. The purpose of this presentation is to review the use, value, and implementation of PCC concepts in international literature and present possible future directions for extending PCC to be more culturally inclusive for a global older adult population.
RESIDENT EXPERIENCES OF PERSON-CENTRED CARE AT MEALTIMES IN LONG-TERM RESIDENTIAL CARE: A RAPID ETHNOGRAPHY
Authors: Davies Megan , Zuniga Franziska , Verbeek Hilde , Staudacher Sandra
Published: December 2023

Poor nutrition is a common ongoing problem in long-term residential care, often resulting in reduced quality of life. Previous research has concluded that the content of the meal, dining environment, service style and general atmosphere all add to the mealtime experience, suggesting that person-centred mealtimes are optimal. However, knowledge about which elements of person-centred care can be achieved in a mealtime setting in a given context is currently lacking. As part of the TRANS-SENIOR research network, rapid ethnographies were conducted across multiple sites (including interviews, observations and informal conversations), in long-term residential care homes in the UK, Switzerland and the Netherlands between October 2020 and December 2021. During analysis and interpretation of data, different themes were developed where either successfully achieved or missed opportunities for person-centred moments were observed. We observed differences between the long-term care homes in as much as the setting could be considered, resident choice was implemented, residents were enabled, care was individualized in the communal setting and how much the person of the residents was known with their past and present. In the presentation we will discuss the possibility to provide person-centred care during mealtimes in view of differences between staff approaches, the overall environment (size of dining area, seating arrangements etc.), allocation of staff resources and country-specific rules and regulations. We see an interplay of factors in place for mealtimes to be moments of participatory choice, interaction, independence, and dignity.
RACIAL AND NATIVITY DIFFERENCES IN ADVERSITY PROFILES AMONG MIDDLE-AGED AND OLDER ADULTS
Authors: Guo Man , Wang Yi , Carter Kara
Published: December 2023

Cumulative adversity theory explains how distribution of resources and stress accumulate over time, resulting in divergent later life outcomes. Focusing on the nexus of race and nativity, this study examined profiles of adversity (i.e., the overall typological patterns of adversity) and their mental health implications in four groups of middle-aged and older adults: native-born whites, native-born ethnic minorities, foreign-born whites, and foreign-born ethnic minorities. Data were from the 2018 psychosocial assessment of the HRS (N = 5,534). Latent class analysis (LCA) with multigroup analyses were employed to identify typological patterns of ten adversity indicators and to compare the latent structures and class prevalence across the race/nativity groups. Regressions were used to examine the associations between adversity profiles and three outcomes: depression, pessimism, and life satisfaction. adversity profiles emerged: low adversity (60.05%), low human capital (15.69%), socially marginalized (13.67%), and neighborhood adversity (10.59%). These adversity profiles were structurally the same for the four race/nativity groups, but the class prevalence varied across the groups. Overall, having low adversity profile was associated with the best mental health outcomes. However, the mental health implications of each adversity profile varied by outcomes and by race and/or nativity. Findings highlight the importance of examining heterogeneity in adversity and its mental health implications among disadvantaged populations and the need of developing tailored programs to address unique needs of different minority populations.
REPRODUCTIVE AGING
Authors: Suh Yousin
Published: December 2023

Reproductive aging is a major health, personal and societal issue, but ovarian aging has received limited scientific attention. Ovarian aging has been known to influence diverse health outcomes in women including lifespan, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndromes, neurodegenerative disorders and various types of cancer. Yet, the mechanisms behind this broad implication remain elusive. This session will explore recent insights into the molecular, cellular and genetic basis of ovarian aging and new intervention targets to maintain reproductive health and later health outcomes in our aging female population. Target audience: This inter-disciplinary session is designed to educate basic scientists, physician-scientists, clinicians, and a general interest audience of providers or industry representatives interested in understanding the mechanisms of ovarian aging and its sequalae.
OVARIAN AGING: A TARGET FOR GEROPROTECTION IN WOMEN
Authors: Suh Yousin
Published: December 2023

The ovary is the first organ to undergo early-onset aging in the human body, affecting both fertility and overall health in women. However, the biological mechanisms underlying human ovarian aging have been poorly understood. To understand the molecular, cellular, and genetic basis of ovarian aging in humans, we performed integrative single-nuclei multi-omics analyses of young and reproductively aged human ovaries. Our analysis reveals coordinated changes in the regulatory landscapes across all cell types in the ovary during aging, characterized by transcriptomic and chromatin accessibility signatures of the canonical “Hallmarks of Ageing”. By performing integrative analyses of our single-nuclei multi-omics data with genetic variants associated with age at natural menopause from genome-wide association studies (GWAS), we demonstrate a global impact of functional genetic variants on changes in gene regulatory networks across ovarian cell types. Our work provides a comprehensive multimodal landscape of human ovarian aging and mechanistic insights into inherited variation influencing the timing of menopause. Our results raise the hope that geroprotectors targeting the “Hallmarks of Aging” may be used to delay ovarian aging, thereby promoting reproductive health and extending healthspan and longevity in women.
PURPOSE IN LIFE ACROSS THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: THE EFFECTS OF COGNITIVE ABILITY, AGE, AND GENDER
Authors: Nelson Niccole , Bergeman Cindy
Published: December 2023

In March of 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Almost immediately, 95% of the US population was under stay-at-home orders, resulting in widespread uncertainty about the future, low community engagement, and social isolation. These effects may have been detrimental to maintaining a sense of purpose in life across this period, which has been linked to several health and wellness factors, including cognitive ability. Although previous work has indicated that higher cognitive ability predicts a stronger sense of purpose in life, the relationship between cognitive ability and changes in purpose across this universal, chronic stressor is unknown. The present study, therefore, examined the effects of cognitive ability, age, and gender on trajectories of purpose in life across the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants included 206 individuals (Age Range=45-88, M=69.04, SD=9.29) who participated in a cognitive assessment before the pandemic, as well as the multi-wave Notre Dame Study of Health & Well-being-COVID Study (NDHWB-CS) from September 2020-February 2022. Two-level, multilevel modeling tested the effects of total, fluid, and crystalized cognitive abilities, as well as age and gender, on trajectories of purpose in life. Results indicated that greater total and fluid cognitive abilities were associated with higher initial levels of purpose in life. Furthermore, although crystalized, fluid, and total cognitive abilities were each associated with change in purpose across the pandemic, there were age and gender differences in these effects. Theoretical and practical implications regarding the relationship between cognitive ability and sense of purpose in the context of stress will be discussed.
PREPARING TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OLDER ADULTS: WORKFORCE, TRAINING, AND EDUCATION ISSUES
Authors: Caskie Grace
Published: December 2023

Due to projected growth in the older adult population in the United States, those working in healthcare and education will encounter increasing numbers of older adults. This population shift presents challenges and opportunities for individuals working in these settings to be ready to meet the needs of older adults. In this symposium, we highlight research on several issues critical to preparing the workforce in healthcare and education for older adults’ specific needs. Poon’s paper addresses geriatric behavioral health workforce needs identified by a survey of licensed behavioral health providers. Several barriers to providing care to older adults are identified by these providers. Rodriguez et al. investigated the clinical practice experiences and challenges from ten years’ worth of alumni of the VA Geriatric Scholars program. This training program provides a model for improving clinical practice with older adults. Hollis-Sawyer examines older students’ first experiences taking a course in an online teaching setting and provides specific suggestions to maximize their learning environment. Patterson et al. present an extensive scoping review of end-of-life training for medical students that identified several themes that can direct efforts to improve end-of-life care for older adults. Finally, Caskie et al. address health biases and age biases in doctoral psychology trainees’ anticipated clinical work with depressed older adult clients of varying health statuses and provide guidance to psychology programs for improving training. This symposium aims to provide those working in healthcare and educational settings with ways to address workforce preparedness to meet the needs of older adults.
SENIOR CITIZEN SCIENCE FOR AGE-FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES
Authors: Barrie Helen
Published: December 2023

This presentation explores the use of citizen science with older participants; highlighting the potential for this underutilized methodology to create better, data driven, outcomes for age friendly cities and communities. Local neighborhoods have major impacts on older people’s mobility, autonomy and independence, and quality of life. The WHO has developed clear guidelines for achieving age-friendly cities or communities. Design and delivery of quality public spaces that meet the age friendly guidelines should promote health and well-being, social engagement with others, and engagement with the environment but little data is currently collected about how older people perceive or use public spaces. Daily experiences, often over long periods of time, mean older residents have acquired intimate first-hand knowledge of their neighborhoods, and thus, may be more qualified than experts to assess the age friendly qualities of neighborhood public spaces. A citizen science approach addresses this need for a deeper understanding of how public spaces are used and viewed by older residents. Through multiple citizen science projects over the past five years, we have co-designed and trialed a ‘senior’ citizen science approach to auditing and evaluating the age friendliness of public spaces. Our research shows that citizen science allows for richer, deeper qualitative, quantitative and longitudinal data that incorporates lived experience perspectives; produces better project designs and outcomes; develops a cohort of older people interested and engaged in research, and engages and trains people to apply a critical ‘age friendly’ perspective to their neighborhoods and communities enabling them to be future change agents.
ASSESSMENT OF AGE AND DEMENTIA FRIENDLINESS OF OTTAWA COMMUNITIES AS PERCEIVED BY PERSONS WITH DEMENTIA AND CARE PARTNERS
Authors: Campbell Kimberly , Robitaille Annie , Garcia Linda , Mulvey Michael , Barrie Helen , van Es Cat , Blanco Ana , Chiareli Alexandra
Published: December 2023

In Canada there are over 500,000 persons living with dementia with prevalence estimates reaching as high as 912,000 by the year 2030. Given that age is the strongest known predictor of dementia and the fact that our population is ageing, there is an urgent need to create communities that promote older adults (including those living with dementia) reaching their maximum potential and feeling welcomed and included while ageing in place. The aim of our study was to determine the utility of a tool developed using a citizen science approach with persons living with dementia and their care partners to determine how they perceive the age- and dementia-friendliness of their neighbourhoods (where they live, work, conduct business and socialise). Ten participants were recruited for a pilot study which took place over a six-week period. The project designed and tested an audit tool, accessed via a smart phone/tablet, that allowed data to be collected quickly and in real time. This audit tool also allowed participants to upload quantitative and qualitative responses (including photos of locations being audited). Participants were trained to become citizen scientists in a series of workshops where they also collaborated with researchers to develop the audit tool. During the data collection period, citizen scientists audited locations/spaces that they visited during their day and submitted their responses using the app. Our findings present a case for increased inclusion of older adults, including those living with dementia, in research and intervention programs that target the promotion of age- and dementia-friendly communities.
USING VIRTUAL REALITY IN LONG-TERM CARE TO REDUCE SOCIAL ISOLATION
Authors: Hung Lillian , Wong Joey , Upreti Mona , Kan Winnie
Published: December 2023

Virtual Reality (VR) has become increasingly accessible for older adults, providing opportunities for interventions that address loneliness and social isolation in long-term care. However, the effectiveness of VR programs can be influenced by various factors, such as the backgrounds, preferences, and capacities of the target population. This qualitative study investigates the acceptability and feasibility of a recreational VR program for social engagement in two Canadian long-term care homes since January 2023. The study involved 20 residents (with various levels of cognitive and physical impairments) who participated in weekly VR group sessions facilitated by staff. Ethnographic observation and video-recorded conversational interviews were conducted with residents during the VR sessions. We also conducted 10 focus groups with 20 staff members. Four patient partners were involved as co-researchers in the team. We performed the thematic analysis with patient partners. We identified three themes: (1) storytelling builds residents’ sense of self, (2) positive emotions persist even when the video is forgotten, and (3) VR empowers resident-resident and staff-resident connections. The findings demonstrate that using VR in long-term care settings is feasible and acceptable for older adults with different cognitive and physical impairments. VR programs have the potential to enhance social engagement and support residents’ personhood as a meaningful activity by improving inclusion, social engagement, comfort, and recognition of their identity. Future research could explore the long-term impact of VR experiences in addressing social isolation and loneliness among older adults in long-term care.
ALONE WITH MY THOUGHTS: USING NATURAL LANGUAGE PROCESSING TO DISTINGUISH LONELY FROM CALM ALONENESS
Authors: Lay Jennifer
Published: December 2023

Time spent alone is common in daily life, and particularly in old age; it may at times be experienced as lonely, and at times as calming (positive solitude). The use of machine learning to interpret human language (e.g., natural language processing or NLP) has been growing in psychology, and NLP has been used to distinguish experiences of loneliness from positive solitude in social media data (e.g., tweets). How effective might such NLP techniques be for classifying naturally-occurring aloneness experiences in older adults’ everyday lives? The present study uses 1,546 thought samples collected from 133 adults aged 18-85 (M = 49.6 years; 73% female) at moments when they were alone over a 1-3 week period; participants reported their current thoughts (open-ended) and affective states (lonely, calm) at each assessment. Support vector machines were then used to classify moments of aloneness as being lonely (vs. not lonely) and calm (vs. not calm) based on the words participants used when describing their thoughts. When compared against participants’ actual reported affective states, these classifications achieved up to 67% accuracy for “lonely” and 79% accuracy for “calm”. “Lonely” thought reports included the word “work” more frequently, whereas “calm” thought reports more frequently included the words “reading” and “think/thought”, suggesting individuals engage in quiet or contemplative activities during positive solitude. Age differences therein are also examined. Findings suggest that NLP may be a useful tool for identifying older adults at risk of loneliness (and its negative health implications) by using brief reports of their everyday thoughts.
ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT AFTER RETIREMENT
Authors: Yeung Dannii , Chung Edwin
Published: December 2023

Retirement has been shown to accelerate the declines in physical and mental health (Dave et al., 2008) and cognitive functioning (Celidoni et al., 2017; Xue et al., 2018) due to the identity disruption and removal of a cognitively simulating environment after leaving the workforce. This necessitates a need to systematically uncover factors that could potentially buffer the negative impacts brought by retirement. This symposium aims to identify the types of self-initiated activities that can maintain post-retirement well-being through research conducted in Hong Kong and Japan. Specifically, the first paper from Chung reveals that retirees engaging in postretirement work exhibit lower life satisfaction but higher cognitive functioning than those without work. Similarly, the second paper from Katagiri also shows that work has negative impacts on life satisfaction, but such effect is buffered by civic participation. The third paper from Ho suggests that the beneficial effects of ICT use on personal mastery is more prevalent in retirees than in non-retirees. The fourth paper from Lin discloses that participation in cognitively demanding volunteering activities is associated with better cognitive and psychological functioning. These four presentations unveil various types of post-retirement activities that are beneficial to retirees, including re-engagement in the workforce, the use of technology for leisure and financial purposes, and participation in cognitively stimulating volunteering. Given that most of the pre-retirees do not have much planning on social life arrangement, findings of this symposium provide practical implications to improve psychological adjustment to this critical life event.
THE EFFECTS OF POSTRETIREMENT WORK ON WELL-BEING OF RETIRED ADULTS
Authors: Chung Edwin , Lin Gloria , Yeung Dannii
Published: December 2023

There has been evidence that a growing number of retirees are reentering the labor force (DeSilver, 2016; Greenwald et al., 2017), possibly due to financial needs and seeking continuity in their preretirement job (Burkert & Hockfellner, 2017). However, the effects of post-retirement work on retirees’ well-being remain under-examined. This cross-sectional study thereby aims to examine the effects of post-retirement work in a sample of 768 younger and 530 older Hong Kong Chinese retirees (Mage = 65.1, SD = 2.72, range = 60 – 69, and Mage = 75.2, SD = 4.50, range = 70 – 95, respectively). Participation in post-retirement work, life satisfaction, cognitive functioning and hand-grip strength were measured. The results of two-way between-subject robust ANOVAs demonstrated that retirees engaging in post-retirement work exhibited lower life satisfaction (Q = 5.82, p = .02) but higher cognitive functioning (Q = 5.29, p = .02) than those without post-retirement work. Furthermore, as compared with younger retirees, older retirees engaging in post-retirement work exhibited higher cognitive functioning (Q = 3.66, p = .05) and stronger hand-grip strength (Q = 4.21, p = .04). These results remain significant even after controlling for sex, education, socioeconomic status, perceived health, and financial control. The findings of this study thus reveal the beneficial effects of post-retirement work on cognitive and physical health, but not on life satisfaction. The negative effect of post-retirement work on subjective well-being will be discussed in relation to the unsatisfactory working environment or employee benefits received by older workers in Hong Kong.
FOSTERING CONSISTENT AND ENGAGING CARE FOR PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA IN LONG-TERM CARE
Authors: Morgan Jennifer , Kemp Candace , Hill Andrea , Bender Alexis
Published: December 2023

Maintaining a stable and qualified direct care workforce in long-term care organizations has become increasingly difficult as shortages intensify, turnover increases, and the use of agency staff remains at high levels. Efforts to improve this situation need to include high quality training that is incorporated into onboarding, ongoing continuing education, and infused into the culture of the organization. Using data from our ongoing NIA-funded study, “Meaningful Engagement and Quality of Life among Assisted Living Residents with Dementia,” we describe the competencies used by direct care workers (DCWs) with exceptional capacity, or ability and resources to engage people with dementia, and the factors that promote or limit the development and use of these competencies. Focal residents with dementia (N=66) were followed at eight diverse assisted living communities for one year and 53 DCW were interviewed across three waves of data collection. Interview transcripts and fieldnotes from more than 2000 hours of observation were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Organized by four engagement approaches: knowing the person, connecting with and meeting people where they are, being in the moment, and viewing all encounters as opportunities, we identified competencies and the multiple intersecting factors which impact meaningful engagement and competency development including community staffing, consistent assignment, scheduling, DCW training, DCW tenure, and community resources. Implications for practice, which emphasize the elaboration of specific competencies, have the potential to inform the development of DCW training, the promotion of supportive work environments, and social policy that support person-centered dementia care.
EFFECTIVENESS OF THE “SELF-PROGRAM” IN DUTCH NURSING HOME CARE: RESULTS OF A MULTICENTER CLUSTER-RANDOMIZED TRIAL
Authors: Vluggen Stan , Metzelthin Silke , Zwakhalen Sandra , Bleijlevens Michel , de van de van Ginkel Janneke M de Man-van , De Waal Getty Huisman -
Published: December 2023

For frail older people it is evident to maintain their functional abilities and independence. Nursing staff are in a key position to encourage older people’s independence and stimulate their engagement in functional activity. However, nurses tend to take over tasks frequently thereby depriving older people’s remaining abilities. Clearly nurses need support to optimize their activity encouragement behavior. The Function-Focused Care based ‘SELF-program’ was developed based on lessons learned and implications from previous programs. SELF is an interactive, tailored, holistic and theory-grounded training program consisting of 7 seven sessions spread over a period of 3 months which aims to improve nurses’ activity encouragement behavior and in turn client’s self-reliance in daily activities. The program was subjected to a cluster-randomized trial in Dutch nursing home care which aimed to evaluate the program’s effectiveness. The MAINtAIN and GARS-5 questionnaires were applied to assess the effectiveness on nurses’ activity encouragement behavior and clients’ self-reliance. 28 wards from three care organizations across the Netherlands were recruited and randomized to the SELF-program or care as usual. 287 nurses and 241 geriatric clients participated. Measurements took place at baseline, directly after implementing the SELF-program (three months) and 9 months after baseline. Mixed linear regression demonstrated that nurses’ activity encouragement behavior significantly improved (p=.004; ES=.05). At client level, no effects were found (p=.09; ES=.13). However, a trend towards slower decline in self-reliance was observed for those clients allocated to the SELF-program condition. The SELF-program was effective in improving nurses’ behavior, however, effects were not translated to client populations.
BEHAVIORAL CHANGES OF NURSING STAFF AFTER A COACHING-BASED PSYCHOSOCIAL PROGRAM SUPPORTING SELF-DIRECTION IN PLWD
Authors: Graff Maud , Das Phebe , Douma Gebrich , Roets Lieve , Donkers Hanneke
Published: December 2023

The psychosocial person-centred intervention “SOCAV-in-primary-care” (SOCAV-PC) offers training and reflective peer-coaching to nursing staff and training and person-centred care-planning to caregivers. SOCAV-PC aims to support persons with dementia (PwD) to maintain/improve their self-direction and daily functioning in meaningful activities with support of their caregivers. This study presents the experiences of the PwD, and changes in attitudes and behaviour of caregivers and nursing staff when following SOCAV. Spread over nine months, caregivers and nursing staff were trained and coached in the person-centred approach by a trained SOCAV-peer coach. Content analysis was performed using qualitative data derived from (1) intervention and coaching diaries from nursing staff, (2) coaching diaries of peer coaches, (3) focus groups among nursing staff, and (4) individual interviews with PwD and their caregivers. PwD felt heard and respected in making their own choices. Caregivers became more aware of the influence of their own behaviour on the mood of the PwD, and started trying to convert their controlling behaviour, meant to provide safety, into supporting wishes and needs of PwD. Among nursing staff, an ongoing process of positive changes in attitudes and behaviours towards person-centred care emerged: from acting on intuition and automatisms, towards learning to reflect on the behaviour of PwD and their own actions. Moreover, they gained a better understanding of the concept of self-direction, and discovered the power of conversation and observation through a more open attitude and behavioural change. Reflective coaching is an essential tool to enhance person-centred attitudes and behaviour among nursing staff.
HOW MUCH IS WORKPLACE FLEXIBILITY WORTH TO OLDER WORKERS? AN ANALYSIS OF MONETARY AND NONMONETARY TRADE-OFFS
Authors: Cahill Kevin , Giandrea Michael , Quinn Joseph , Platts Loretta
Published: December 2023

To what extent are older workers willing to forgo wages to obtain a flexible work arrangement when transitioning from career employment later in life? Older workers generally, and pension-eligible workers in particular face a plethora of trade-offs when it comes to continued work later in life. In this paper, we examine the components of older workers’ total compensation and explore how the mix of compensation changes as workers transition out of the labor force. Specifically, we focus on the relationship between monetary compensation (wages, fringe benefits) and workplace flexibility (phased retirement, hours flexibility), and explore the degree to which workers, by their choices, are willing to accept lower wages in return for increased flexibility on their job. To estimate this relationship, we use longitudinal, biennial data on thousands of older Americans representing four different cohorts available from the nationally-representative Health and Retirement Study (HRS). The HRS began in 1992 and, therefore, contains 30 years of follow-up data for the oldest cohort. For each respondent, we construct individual work histories and examine individuals’ evolving wage and hours arrangements from career employment to complete labor force withdrawal. Using multivariate techniques, we find that, all else equal, individuals experience a modest 5.7 percent decline in hourly compensation in return for a 20 percent reduction in hours worked. The findings from this paper can inform policymakers interested in continued work later in life about the degree to which older workers are willing to forgo the financial benefits of work in return for flexible schedules.
USING A “TEAMING” (ENHANCED SOCIAL SUPPORT) APPROACH IN THE CONTEXT OF THE RISE ELDER ABUSE AND SELF-NEGLECT INTERVENTION
Authors: MacNeil Andie , Connolly M T , Salvo Erin , Kimball Patricia , Rogers Geoff , Lewis Stuart , Burnes David
Published: December 2023

Our understanding of what intervention strategies are effective in improving the well-being of older adults experiencing elder abuse and self-neglect (EASN) is severely limited. However, data consistently demonstrate that social support is a protective factor. As a component of a larger community-based EASN intervention, RISE, this study examined the use of a method called “teaming,” a wraparound approach to establish sustained formal and informal social supports surrounding victims and alleged harmers in EASN cases. Qualitative interviews and a focus group were conducted with the original pilot cohort of RISE “advocate” caseworkers (n = 4). A descriptive phenomenological approach involving two independent assessors was used to code transcripts into themes. Three domains were identified: (1) team and support forming process, which describes the development of a supportive network based on each client’s needs; (2) techniques, which refers to the specific strategies advocates utilized to promote collectivity and shared responsibility around the client; and (3) implementation challenges, which discusses the difficulties advocates encountered when using teaming with people experiencing EASN. The experiences of advocates suggest that teaming is a beneficial approach to support the individualized needs of each client, and to promote improved and sustainable case outcomes for clients. This study represents the first in-depth exploration of teaming in the context of EASN intervention.
“DO IT ANYWAY”—RESIDENT-DRIVEN ENGAGEMENT TO MAINTAIN MEANINGFUL LIFE IN CONTINUING-CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES
Authors: Li Xiaoli
Published: December 2023

As the aging population continues to grow, the demand for Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs) is increasing. However, residents in CCRCs often face social isolation and loneliness, which can negatively impact their health and well-being. To combat these issues, activities and engagement have been proposed as potential solutions. However, the voices of those vulnerable to social isolation are seldom heard. This study aimed to explore the perspective of residents on how resident-driven engagement in CCRCs may maintain a meaningful life. A qualitative research approach was used, consisting of semi-structured interviews with 26 residents in CCRC. Thematic analysis identified five key themes related to resident-driven engagement: a sense of community, turning lemons into lemonade, doing it anyway, pink letters, and committees and clubs. The “do it anyway” attitude emerged as a prevalent theme, emphasizing the importance of pushing past challenges and limitations to pursue activities that bring joy and meaning to residents’ lives. The findings suggest that resident-driven engagement can lead to a sense of purpose, belonging, and fulfillment in CCRCs. The research provides insights into how communities can foster an environment that supports such engagement. By prioritizing resident-driven activities and empowering residents to take control of their lives, CCRCs can promote the well-being and quality of life of their residents.
ATTACKED BY BOTS AND HACKED BY BAD APPLES: LESSONS LEARNED NAVIGATING RESEARCH PARTICIPANT FRAUD
Authors: Frechman Erica , Buck Harleah , Maxwell Cathy
Published: December 2023

In a time of emerging technologies for participant recruitment and data collection, researchers need proven and comprehensive strategies to protect research integrity. Incorporation of proactive, rather than reactive, methods to prevent fraudulence will mitigate additional stressors and headaches associated with fraud and fraud detection. This session presents a case which describes a researcher’s experience detecting, navigating, problem-solving, and then managing participant fraud that occurred twice in a multi-methods study. Participants were recruited from a senior center and two YMCA sites using social media platforms and email distribution lists which linked them with an online survey. After the initial study launch, a “bot attack” with “bot fast” deception within the study survey caused the study to shut down. The researcher worked with the study team, community sites, and IRB to detect potential causes of fraud and implement protective factors to ensure quality control and deter the bot system. Unfortunately, after the second study launch, the survey was once again successfully attacked. This time the researcher chose to work with the study team in order to create a step-wise rigorous approach to verifying accurate data and participants, while working to maintain trust of the community sites and real participants. Finally, to mitigate further fraud, the researcher pivoted to the use of ResearchMatch to ensure recruitment goals and trustworthy data. Within this presentation, the researcher will share lessons learned in survey fraud, proactive strategies to prevent fraudulence, communication methods interacting with IRB, study sites, and participants, and maneuvering perils involved in manuscript preparation.
ARE YOU A REAL PARTICIPANT? EXPERIENCES WITH FRAUDULENT PARTICIPATION ACROSS TWO FUNDED STUDIES
Authors: Wallace Cara
Published: December 2023

While offering financial incentives for participation in research studies is common, less discussed is the potential impact of fraudulent participation for financial gain. Survey and data management software provide safeguards for fraud detection but enabling detection does not automatically weed out fraudulent responses. Few resources provide guidelines for identifying or managing fraudulent participation. Thoughtful processes are important, while also being mindful of normal research behaviors which might get flagged as suspicious, for example due to low literacy skills. This presentation discusses experiences across two studies with adults living with serious illness and/or their family members and two different types of fraudulent participation: online surveys and studies requiring personal interaction. Study one is a pilot instrument validation study collecting online survey data. Recruitment occurred locally through listservs and a research participation database from a large university hospital. Study two is a mixed-methods longitudinal design where survey and interview data are collected via phone or video calls. Participants for this study were recruited nationwide using multiple strategies, including social media. Both offer time-saving insights for dealing with fraudulent participation in research. For example, study one provides tips for planning how to manage spam/bots prior to data collection, including setting up filters to automatically weed out identified spam, creating automatic messaging included in the survey in the event it needs to be paused, and identifying potential problematic patterns in data that bypasses fraud detection. Study 2 emphasizes the importance of creating strong verification procedures for study eligibility when relying on participant reporting.