bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
OPPORTUNITIES FOR INTEGRATING A GSA STUDENT CHAPTER WITH A SIGMA PHI OMEGA HONOR SOCIETY CHAPTER
Authors: Friberg-Felsted Katarina
Published: January 2025

The University of Utah Gerontology Interdisciplinary Program (GIP) has had an active Sigma Phi Omega chapter, Alpha Chi, for decades. Students are enrolled in one of our five programs: 1) Master of Science in Gerontology (MSG), 2) MSG/ Master in Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) dual degree, 3) Graduate Certificate in Gerontology, 4) Undergraduate Certificate in Gerontology, and 5) Minor in Gerontology. Students are invited to join Alpha Chi in the second semester of their program. Alpha Chi’s Executive Committee ideally contains a student President, a student Secretary, and a student Treasurer; sometimes these positions are held by one or two students. The Alpha Chi Executive Committee is supported by a faculty advisor, who holds the position for several years. To integrate a GSA Student Chapter with our SPO local chapter, we began by following the guidelines in the GSA Student Chapter Handbook. Our process included application for a student group recognition on campus, verifying that our current Executive Committee members were student members of GSA, spreading the word through a variety of pathways, and ensuring that our events and projects were co-sponsored by Alpha Chi Chapter and GSA Student Chapter. This presentation will discuss both process and outcomes of the integration, including more students being involved earlier and more students being introduced to GSA student benefits, including ESPOs offerings.
EXPLORING FACTORS INFLUENCING WALKING ACTIVITY IN PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA: A SPATIAL ANALYSIS IN METRO VANCOUVER
Authors: Nouri Mohammadjavad , Chaudhury Habib
Published: January 2025

As the number of people living with dementia (PLWD) increases in Canada, the significance of the neighborhood built environment grows, as most PLWD live at home rather than in long-term care facilities. This study investigates how built environment variables predict the overall outdoor walking activity of PLWD in Metro Vancouver. Twenty-five participants living with dementia from various cities in Metro Vancouver participated. We used exploratory factor analysis and multiple linear regression to analyze the relationship between built environment factors and outdoor walking activity. Our results revealed three significant factors: “Macro environment: accessibility to public transportation and street network,” “Micro environment: Pedestrian-oriented design,” and “General characteristics: Mixed land use and sidewalk suitability,” constructed from 14 built environment variables. These factors significantly influenced the outdoor walking activity of PLWD. The multiple linear regression results indicated that “Macro environment – accessibility to public transportation and street network” had a substantial positive effect (p =.007, β = 0.469), “Micro-environment: Pedestrian-oriented design” showed a moderately positive impact (p =.065, β = 0.305), and “General characteristics: mixed land use and sidewalk suitability” exhibited a significant positive influence (p =.015, β = 0.414) on outdoor walking activity. Our findings provide valuable insights for policymakers, urban planners, designers, landscape designers, and transportation planners, emphasizing the crucial collaboration needed to develop dementia-friendly neighborhood plans that cater to the diverse needs of individuals living with dementia, ensuring safe and accessible environments.
KNOWLEDGE MOBILIZATION TO CREATE DEMENTIA-INCLUSIVE NEIGHBORHOODS: AN EDUCATIONAL AND AWARENESS-RAISING VIDEO
Authors: Randa-Beaulieu Cari , Chaudhury Habib , Seetharaman Kishore , Hung Lillian , Wong Joey , Ren Lily
Published: January 2025

To promote community engagement and increase awareness of dementia-inclusive neighborhood built environment, we have co-created with people with lived experience (PLWE) multiple knowledge mobilization (KM) resources. These resources include an educational and advocacy video and photo exhibit showcasing the project findings to stakeholders and the general public in British Columbia, Canada and beyond. A seven-minute documentary video was produced to illustrate the lived experiences of three people living with dementia in Metro Vancouver and Prince George. This video is one of several public engagement tools for dialogue and challenging stigma surrounding living with dementia in the community that will be mobilized during this phase of the project. This presentation will share the process of community engagement based on the World Café method in two municipalities in Metro Vancouver, Canada. The World Café method encourages conversations, collaborative learning, and generation of new ideas with the video and photo exhibit. This KM project aims to increase awareness and understanding of the features of a dementia-inclusive neighborhood built environment and advocate for positive actions for a broad range of stakeholders, including advocacy groups, community-based organizations, municipalities, and the general public. In partnership with the City of Burnaby and the City of Richmond in Metro Vancouver, these KM activities maximize the impact of the DemSCAPE study’s findings and model various evidence-based approaches to achieving the vision and objectives for developing dementia-inclusive communities.
CURRICULUM CONTENT FOR TRANSLATIONAL GEROSCIENCE EDUCATION: SOCIAL RESEARCH, POLICY, AND PRACTICE PERSPECTIVES
Authors: Fortinsky Richard
Published: January 2025

Geroscience is an exciting paradigm with the potential to positively disrupt the biological aging process in humans, thereby extending the healthy lifespan. This presentation will offer considerations from social research, policy, and practice perspectives that could be incorporated as topics into educational curricula for scientists planning to engage in geroscience-guided clinical trials. Regarding social research, methodological considerations include strengths and weaknesses of different research designs and how to choose outcome measures aligned with hypothesized mechanisms of action of geroscience-guided interventions. When considering how and where to initiate clinical trials, investigators will confront issues including how equity can be optimized when recruiting participants, how risks and benefits of participating in such clinical trials can be best communicated to potential participants, and how to balance scientific rigor with pragmatic concerns when determining inclusion and exclusion criteria. At a broader level, social research perspectives include how preferences for geroscience-guided therapies vary among individuals according to race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and degree of disability. Policy-related curriculum topics could include how geroscience therapies, if found to be effective, might affect health insurance programs such as original Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and Medicaid. For example, care management programs offered by Medicare Advantage programs might have to be modified to account for a beneficiary population with fewer medical comorbidities, and demand for Medicaid-funded nursing home and home and community-based services might be affected if multiple comorbidities could be prevented or alleviated. Practice considerations include how the healthcare workforce will be affected by the advent of geroscience-guided therapies.
BARRIERS TO GEROSCIENCE IN CLINICAL COMMUNITY
Authors: Taffet George
Published: January 2025

I hope geriatricians will lead the application of GeroScience concepts to the care of older patients, and gerotherapeutics will reinvigorate the field of geriatrics. Yet geriatricians have been skeptical in embracing the potential it has to change their lives and that of their patients. A consensus of leaders stated “geriatricians specialize in the care of people with multiple chronic medical conditions that cause challenges with their day-to-day physical and mental functioning.” GeroScience addresses the aging process underpinning most of those medical conditions so the reluctance seems inexplicable. I will review some causes of this “disconnect” and potential strategies to make GeroScience and Gerotherapeutics more accessible and vital to geriatricians. Geroscience papers are infrequently in sources that Geriatricians read and studies don’t choose outcomes relevant to Geriatricians. The outcomes need to be clinically translatable and meaningful. Geriatricians: often disassociate blood results from the patient in front of them thus studies that only show serum studies are undervalued; see heterogeneity all the time and undervalue changes in means; don’t often see the clinical thumbprint in the study creation; frequently think “the horse is out of the barn” for their patients; have little exposure to geroscience during training and don’t know how to fit it into their practices; worry about ineffective “cures to aging” and increasing disparities. The expansion of these points (and others) and the strategies to counter them will be explored.
INTO THE WILD: EMBEDDING A COMPLEX, HOME-BASED DEMENTIA CARE PROGRAM INTO DIVERSE PRACTICE SETTINGS
Authors: Amjad Halima , Samus Quincy , Hodgson Nancy
Published: January 2025

MIND at Home® is a well-researched comprehensive care management program for community-living persons with dementia and cognitive impairment. Developed at Johns Hopkins University, the goal of the program is to provide holistic, family-centered care management by assessing and addressing a broad range of medical, social, and supportive care needs that place people with dementia and their care partners at risk for poor outcomes, institutionalization, and high care costs. Delivered by an interdisciplinary, dementia-proficient team, the program focuses on the home as the nexus of care and consists of specialized assessments, tools, and staff training. Memory Care Coordinators (MCCs) serve as the primary point of contact for program recipients and use a comprehensive needs assessment to develop individualized care plans. MCCs implement and monitor care plans and provide resource referrals, help with navigation and coordination of services and supports, teach problem-solving strategies, and provide dementia education, coaching, and emotional support to care partners. Managed care plans and advanced primary care are well positioned to implement this low-cost, high touch program. This session includes an introduction to the MIND at Home program and features three individual presentations by diverse implementation partners showcasing how the program was adapted and implemented in different health care environments (2 managed care plans-Texas and Pennsylvania; 2 large multispecialty clinics-Iowa and North Carolina). The session will wrap up with a summary of learnings from implementing the program “in the wild”, highlighting partner and stakeholder contributions to the evolution and successful implementation of the program in practice.
FLEXIBILITY MEETS COMPLEXITY: LESSONS FROM PRACTICE-BASED IMPLEMENTATION OF A DEMENTIA CARE MODEL
Authors: Amjad Halima
Published: January 2025

People living with dementia (PLWD) are among the highest-need and highest-cost individuals because of the complexity, duration, and range of medical, behavioral, environmental, and social needs. There is a growing evidence base showing that family-centered active management approaches that include activation and empowerment of care partners are well suited to improve care quality, health-related outcomes, and healthcare costs. Existing ADRD care management models have had limited translation to real world practice to date. This presentation will outline key experiences and lessons learned after a decade of work developing, adapting and embedding a comprehensive family-focused care management model called MIND at Home into practice. The work, supported in part by the NIA IMPACT Collaboratory, partners with Centene Corporation, a large managed care organization, and the American Medical Group Association, a non-profit trade organization representing multi-specialty groups and integrated health systems, to implement MIND at Home in different health care settings. MIND at Home implementation illustrates three overriding principles: (1) the necessity of “meeting people and health systems where they are” (literally and figuratively), (2) the importance of effectively matching intervention to outcome and context, and (3) contributions of key partner and stakeholders for adaptation and successful program evolution. Key considerations in implementation include engagement of staff, persons living with dementia, and care partners; program eligibility and referrals; ongoing staff training and support; organic drift over time; role clarity; and sustainability. Program flexibility and adaptation in light of individual, family, and system complexity is essential for successful implementation and sustainability.
LIFETIME EXPOSURES AND COGNITION AT OLDER AGES: FINDINGS FROM THE WISCONSIN LONGITUDINAL STUDY
Authors: Engelman Michal , Lee Gina
Published: January 2025

This symposium considers the relationship between later-life cognition and a range of social, economic, and environmental exposures throughout the life course. Drawing on over 65 years of rich population-based survey data and recent rigorous cognitive assessments from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS), the papers in this symposium showcase empirical linkages between older adults’ cognitive health with a set of exposures including education, family socioeconomic status, occupational conditions, and familial connections. The first paper (Herd et al.) draws on the unique availability of adolescent IQ and high caliber cognitive diagnostic data that distinguishes between underlying etiologies to examine the relationship between early life IQ, educational attainment, and later life dementia. The paper by Topping links the wealth of WLS data on early life socioeconomic background and high school experiences to patterns of change in later life cognition, with attention to both cognitive change and mechanisms of selection. Next, Qin and Engelman draw on the WLS’s sibling data to consider the relationship between later-life cognitive health and educational differentials among siblings, and Lee et al. consider the impact of sibling relationships on later life cognition. Finally, Williams et al. draw on the WLS survey, genetic, and cognitive data to consider the interaction between ApoE-4 status, employment-based environmental exposures in midlife, and later life pollution in shaping dementia risk. Taken together, the papers in this symposium showcase the enormous potential of combining longitudinal survey data with cognitive assessment for learning about the life course determinants of later-life cognitive health.
NAVIGATING DEMENTIA CAREGIVING AFTER HOSPITALIZATION: CARE PARTNER EXPERIENCES
Authors: Kuzmik Ashley , Flanagan Jane
Published: January 2025

Hospitalization and the post-acute transitional period are particularly vulnerable, yet largely underexamined period, in the person living with dementia and their family care partners. The care receivers’ increased care dependency and complex medical and psychosocial needs compound the chronic stress of care partners, and demand new and intensified levels of preparedness. This symposium examines the experiences of care partners and the factors impacting their preparedness and affective responses during transition from hospital to home, using data from the Family-centered Function-Focused Care (Fam-FFC) trial. The first presentation will examine the mediating effects of patient clinical factors on the relationship between care partner preparedness and desire to seek long-term care admission at the time of hospital discharge. Next, the needs for preparedness during transition from hospitalization, as reported by care partners will be discussed. The third paper will describe care partner characteristics that influence care partner preparedness at hospital discharge, and two- and six-months post-discharge. The final presentation will report on the mediational relationship among behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), associated care partner distress, and care partner adverse outcomes from hospital discharge to six-month follow-up. Concluding the symposium, we will engage in a discussion to address unanswered questions, propose future research directions, and explore the broader implications of the findings for policy and practice.
FAMILY CARE PARTNER’S PREPAREDNESS IN CARING FOR HOSPITALIZED PERSONS WITH DEMENTIA
Authors: Paudel Anju
Published: January 2025

Many care partners are inadequately prepared to meet the care needs of hospitalized persons with dementia, and little is known about care partner characteristics associated with preparedness. This paper explores the care partner characteristics associated with preparedness in caring for hospitalized persons with dementia at discharge, 2 months, and 6 months post discharge. Following bivariate associations, we conducted stepwise regression in a sample of 461 care partners of hospitalized persons with dementia who participated in Fam-FFC. On average, care partners were 61.81 years old (SD = 14.19) and primarily female (n=334, 72.5%). Care partners reported having some preparedness in general and it continued to increase from discharge (23.75, SD=6.78) to 2 months (24.5, SD=6.49) and 6 months (26.35, SD=6.73). Multiple care partner characteristics were associated with preparedness at discharge [age (b= -0.071; p<.001), burden (b= -0.283; p<.001), and depression (b= -0.284; p<.01)], 2 months [burden (b= -0.226; p<.001), strain (b= -0.144; p<.05), depression (b= -0.185; p<.05)] and 6 months [burden (b= -0.164; p<.01), strain (b= -0.183; p<.05), depression (b= -0.279; p<.01)] post discharge. While care partners’ feelings of greater burden and depression were associated with lower preparedness at all time points, care partners’ higher age was associated with lower preparedness at discharge only and care partners’ feelings of higher strain was associated with lower preparedness at 2- and 6-months post discharge. Findings suggest the need to address care partners’ feelings of burden, strain, and depression to optimize their preparedness in meeting unique care needs of hospitalized persons with dementia.
LIFE HISTORIES AND TRAJECTORIES OF PHYSIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONING AMONG OLDER RACIALIZED GROUPS IN THE US
Authors: García Catherine , Parella Morgan , De Adorno ’Lisia , Festus Eniola , Rowell Londi
Published: January 2025

Enhancing later life health outcomes among racialized groups demands a nuanced exploration of early life and adulthood circumstances, recognizing their profound impact on individual life trajectories and health disparities. This study used a subsample of age-eligible non-proxy participants from the 2006-2020 biennial waves of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) that identified as White Hispanic/Latinx (n=787), non-White Hispanic/Latinx (n=516), non-Hispanic Black (n=2072), and non-Hispanic White (n=7984). We conducted a group-based latent class analysis to characterize distinct types of life course experiences among middle-aged and older adults, including childhood family context and residence, early-life educational experiences, and health before age 50. Then, we examined the associations between identified life course typologies and trajectories of physiological functioning using linear mixed models. All independent variables and covariates were interacted with age to discern their influence on the rate of change in physiological functioning. A 4-class model was fit for childhood family context and residence, early-life educational experiences, and health before age 50 by race and ethnicity that exhibited varying patterns of (dis)advantaged life course experiences. The parameter estimates for physiological functioning show that non-Hispanic Black and non-White Hispanic/Latinxs in the class characterized with more disadvantaged experiences exhibited higher levels of poor physiological functioning at baseline and over time relative to their more advantaged counterparts. This analysis offers a novel perspective on the intricate interplay between life course experiences and health trajectories, shedding light on critical junctures for targeted interventions to improve the health and well-being of racialized groups in midlife and beyond.
THE IMPACT OF THE LIFE TRIAL ON CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH: RACIAL DISPARITIES IN LIFESTYLE FACTOR IMPROVEMENT
Authors: Nemati Donya , Pemmasani Deepishka , Lavangu Vaishali , Kaushal Navin
Published: January 2025

Introduction. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among older adults. The American Heart Association promotes the lifestyle 8 (LE8) for cardiovascular disease prevention which includes healthy levels of exercise, sleep, smoking, BMI, blood pressure, nutrition (sodium), triglycerides and glucose levels. Exercise alone can improve most of these factors. The purpose of this study was to test if an exercise program can improve LE8 and identify racial (Black vs. White) differences. Methods. The LIFE Study is a randomized controlled trial that randomized 1,600 older adults (age 65+) to an intervention or control group (health-education program). The intervention included one-hour on-site exercise program twice per week with additional prescription of home-based exercise. LE8 measures included: exercise (accelerometers), sleep (Pittsburg-Sleep-Quality-Index), smoking (self-report). Blood samples measured glucose, triglycerides, and sodium, and on-site assessments measured blood pressure and BMI. Data was collected every six months for two years. STATA 18.0 was used to conduct multilevel modeling for each LE8 outcome. Results. A series of multilevel models revealed significant TimeXGroupXRace interaction effects for greater exercise(β=.12, p=.006), better sleep(β=.20, p=.04), lower BMI(β=.58, p<.001) and triglycerides(β=.38, p<.001) only among White participants in the intervention arm at the fifth timepoint. Sodium(β=.13, p=.04), glucose(β=.09, p=.04), and blood pressure(β=.20, p=.04) were higher in Black participants with no time or group interaction. Smoking was nonsignificant Conclusion. The LIFE trial demonstrated improvement in some LE8 factors, and several racial health disparities. There is a need to understand biopsychosocial determinants that contribute to racial disparities to ensure that all participants benefit equally.
NEIGHBORHOOD PERCEPTIONS AND SUICIDAL RISK BEHAVIORS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY AMONG OLDER CHINESE IMMIGRANTS
Authors: Zhong Chuwen , Qin Weidi , Jiang Yanping , Tang Fengyan , Kalesnikava Viktoryia
Published: January 2025

Compared to other age groups, older adults have a higher suicide risk. Studies have shown that the neighborhood environment contributes to psychosocial well-being. As the largest Asian subgroup in the U.S., Chinese immigrants make up 24% of the total Asian American population. However, it remains understudied how perceived neighborhood characteristics impact suicidal ideation and suicidal risk behaviors among older adults in this population. The study aims to investigate the association between perceived neighborhood characteristics and suicidal ideation and suicidal risk behaviors (i.e., hopelessness, depressive symptoms, and loneliness) among older Chinese immigrants. Data were drawn from the Population Study of Chinese Elderly (PINE), which was collected between 2011-2013. Neighborhood cohesion and disorder scales were used, Cronbach’s alpha= 0.86 and 0.80 respectively. The suicidal ideation was measured by lifetime suicidal ideation. Hopelessness was assessed by the 7-item Beck hopelessness scale, depressive symptoms were measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and loneliness was measured by the R-UCLA loneliness scale. Linear and logistics regressions were conducted to test the study aims. Out of a total of 3,157 respondents, 58% were female with an average age of 72.8. Higher levels of neighborhood cohesion were associated with less suicidal ideation, loneliness, and depression, but not hopelessness. On the contrary, neighborhood disorder was positively associated with all outcome variables including hopelessness. This study suggests that the neighborhood environment plays a crucial role in older Chinese immigrants’ health and well-being. Culturally relevant and community-level efforts are needed to promote successful aging in place among this group.
NURSING HOME QUALITY RATING ASSOCIATIONS WITH PAIN IN NURSING HOME RESIDENTS WITH DEMENTIA
Authors: Levy Sorah , Resnick Barbara , Holmes Sarah
Published: January 2025

Pain is highly prevalent among nursing home (NH) residents with dementia. Estimates suggest 35-80% of NH residents with dementia experience pain. Pain had been identified as a quality indicator used to measure NH performance. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Five-Star Quality Rating System is intended to inform the public of NH quality metrics. There should, therefore, be evidence that facilities with higher star ratings provide better pain management. This cross-sectional secondary data analysis used baseline data from an implementation study testing the impact of an intervention to manage behavioral symptoms in NH residents with dementia. Generalized linear mixed models (GLMM) were used to test the relationship between CMS five-star rating and pain level controlling for resident demographics and clinical characteristics. The sample included 553 residents with dementia living in 55 NHs. On average, NHs in the sample had a five-star rating of 3.5 (SD= 1.3) and pain was observed in 22.6% (n=125) of the sample. Five-star rating was significantly associated with having pain (p=0.041) such that the odds of having pain for residents living in a 5-star facility decreased by 87.8% (OR= 0.122, 95% CI: 0.02- 0.92) relative to a 1-star facility. Findings from this study demonstrate that quality of care indicated by star rating is associated with better pain management. It may be particularly important to focus on pain management in NHs with low star ratings.
SENSING SPOUSAL CARE DYADS’ ACTIVITY PATTERNS: TWO NOVEL DYADIC METRICS FOR CAPTURING TIME USE
Authors: Miller Lyndsey , Au-Yeung Wan-Tai , Lyons Karen , Steele Joel , Kaye Jeffrey
Published: January 2025

Spousal care dyads’ in-home activity and routines are typically captured through self-report. Remote passive sensing offers a sensitive, continuous, and ecologically-valid method of assessment that increases the ability to detect patterns of daily activities and function; however, there are challenges of deploying these technologies among dyads in the community setting and in the context of dementia. In this study of 47 co-habiting care dyads (person living with dementia and their spouse, x ̅=71.3 years in age), we aimed to characterize aspects of daily dyadic activity patterns using an in-home sensor platform. Additionally, we aimed to understand the relationship between these novel activity patterns and the dyad’s relationship (caregiver burden and dyadic relationship strain). Activity measures included independent life space activity (dyads’ active time in separate rooms) and time spent out of the home, both of which were captured by infrared motion and door contact sensors. Dyads also wore an actigraphy watch that captured daily step counts (X ̿= 3548/day) and nightly sleep duration (X ̿= 7.6 hours). According to mixed effects modeling, there was a significant inverse association between the amount of time spent out of the home and the amount of time spent conducting independent life space activity (p < 0.001), but no significant associations with step counts or sleep duration. When relating activity patterns to aspects of the caregiving relationship, there was an inverse relationship between average step counts and level of caregiver burden (reported weekly), and between relationship strain and time spent out of the home.
WORKING LIFE EXPECTANCY AMONG MIDDLE-AGED AND OLDER MEXICAN MEN AND WOMEN
Authors: Chiu Chi-Tsun
Published: January 2025

With rapid population aging, partly contributed by increasing life expectancy, work and retirement related issues – including increases in retirement age and sustainability of pension systems – are increasingly pertinent. Many countries have increased or considered increasing the legal age of retirement for receipt of pensions and introduced measures for increasing the length of working life – in Mexico specifically, from 2028 onward, early retirement will be penalized. Furthermore, more individuals are continuing to work beyond current mandatory retirement ages, such as being self-employed or working in the gig economy. Estimates of the average number of years individuals remain in the workforce from middle age (age 50 years) are needed to assess the feasibility of potential policy changes and provide the evidence base to inform policymaking. This study uses the Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS), a national longitudinal study of adults 50 years and older in Mexico, to compute life expectancy (LE) and working life expectancy (WLE) by gender. Our results show that at age 50, Mexican men’s LE is 29.0 (27.8-30.2) and WLE is 16.7 (16.0-17.4) years, i.e. 57.6% of LE. Mexican women live longer, with a LE of 32.4 (31.5-33.3) years, however, have a much lower WLE of 8.1 (7.5-8.8) years or 25.0% of LE. The findings highlight the strong sex disparity in WLE, disfavoring women, in Mexico and underscore the need for policymakers to address it. Targeted policies and initiatives are required to promote greater and continued labor force participation for middle-aged and older Mexican women.
ADDRESSING SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH DURING CARE TRANSITIONS: AN INTERDISCIPLINARY PERSPECTIVE
Authors: Bankole Ayomide
Published: January 2025

Care transitions, such as transitions from hospital to home or home health care, are particularly challenging periods for many older adults with unaddressed social determinants of health (SDOH) needs. For instance, older adults might experience barriers in accessing transportation for follow-up medical appointments or acquiring prescribed medications due to financial limitations. These challenges significantly impact health outcomes, often resulting in emergency department visits and re-hospitalizations for many older adults. Addressing social determinants during care transitions is crucial for promoting safe, effective, equitable, and quality healthcare delivery, particularly for those with the greatest social vulnerabilities. In this symposium, we present research, and recommendations from an interdisciplinary group of clinicians from nursing, rehabilitation therapy, and social work disciplines. Dr. Osokpo will start the symposium by proposing a theoretical framework for addressing social determinants during care transitions. Dr. Bankole will describe the characteristics of socio-economically disadvantaged older adults (dual eligible beneficiaries) who transition to home healthcare, for post-acute care services. Dr. Nguyen will discuss the implementation and evaluation of a transitional care intervention that addresses service needs for dementia caregivers and those whose primary language is not English. For the final presentation, Denise Dews MSW will describe an interprofessional collaborative approach to delivering high-quality transitional care to improve outcomes for socially vulnerable older adults. Together, these presentations will offer recommendations to enhance care transitions, with implications for interprofessional clinical education, practice, and research.
ADVANCING ORAL HEALTH AND ORAL HEALTH–RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE MEASURES ACROSS DIVERSE POPULATIONS
Authors: Wu Bei , Ghezzi Elisa , Shuman Stephen
Published: January 2025

This symposium demonstrates the intricate interplay between social and behavioral factors and their impact on the oral health status of older immigrant populations in the United States. It also examines the efficacy of self-reported oral health measures within diverse populations. Understanding these dynamics and valid measures to be used in these populations is crucial for developing targeted interventions and policies to address oral health disparities within these communities. The first study scrutinizes oral health trends among older adults based on their immigration status in the United States, leveraging data from the National Health and Nutrition Survey. Findings reveal an overall decline in self-reported fair/poor oral health from 1999 to 2018, yet significant oral health disparities persist, notably among non-US citizens. The second study investigates the correlation between caregiving circumstances, care recipient characteristics, and oral hygiene assistance among dementia caregivers within Chinese American communities. Insights stem from a pilot study conducted in New York City. The third study delves into the relationship between support from adult children and perceived oral health among both foreign-born and U.S.-born Chinese Americans. This study provides evidence for resilience pathways that connect social support from children to older immigrants’ oral health. Lastly, based on a systematic review, the fourth study unpacks the construct of oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) within existing measures for adults, assessing their psychometric properties. Six distinct subdomains emerge, including pain/discomfort, oral diseases and disorders, functional limitations, oral hygiene, oral hygiene behavior, and psychosocial impact.
AI AGEISM: A ROADMAP FOR STUDYING AGEISM IN THE ERA OF ALGORITHMS: REFLECTIONS AND FUTURE RESEARCH DIRECTIONS
Authors: Stypinska Justyna
Published: January 2025

AI ageism offers a conceptual framework for analyzing ageism and age discrimination within the field of AI. It encompasses five interconnected forms: (1) age biases in algorithms and datasets (technical level), (2) age stereotypes, prejudices and ideologies of actors in AI (individual level), (3) invisibility of old age in discourses on AI (discourse level), (4) discriminatory effects of use of AI technology on different age groups (group level), (5) exclusion as users of AI technology, services, and products (user level). The presentation reflects on the conceptual framework in the light of empirical evidence and data collected in four countries: Germany, Spain, Great Britain and the Netherlands within an interdisciplinary research project AGEAI. The empirical analysis from three work packages of the project will be shown: a) policy text analysis; b) computational algorithmic simulation; c) qualitative interviews with older persons. The preliminary results substantiate the knowledge about how ageism operates within the field of AI, and expose subtle, yet powerful modes of exclusion of older adults from that field. In conclusion, future directions on research in ageism in AI are discussed
THE BLACK BOX OF AI-AGEISM: EXPLORING THE CO-CONSTITUTION OF AGING AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Authors: Gallistl Vera , Banday Muneeb Ul Lateef , Berridge Clara , Grigorovich Alisa , Jarke Juliane , Mannheim Ittay , Marshall Barbara , Peine Alexander
Published: January 2025

Algorithmic technologies and (large) data infrastructures, often referred to as Artificial Intelligence (AI), have received increasing attention from gerontological research in the last decade. So far, however, available studies have often focused on evaluating the “impact” of AI technologies on the lives of older people, while critical engagement with theory has been largely absent in these studies. In this paper, we make a novel contribution by critically engaging with the theorizing in this growing field of research. We observe that gerontology’s engagement with AI is shaped by an interventionist logic that situates AI as a black box for gerontological research. We demonstrate how this black box logic has neglected many aspects of AI as a research topic for gerontology and discuss three classical concepts in gerontology to show how they can be used to open various black boxes of aging and AI in the areas: a) the datafication of aging, b) the political economy of AI and aging, and c) everyday engagements and embodiments of AI in later life. In the final chapter, we propose a model of the co-constitution of aging and AI that makes theoretical propositions to study the relational terrain between aging and AI and hence aims to open the black box of AI in gerontology beyond an interventionist logic.
FITNESS AND TIME OF MUTATION ACQUISITION A BETTER PREDICTOR OF OUTCOME IN CLONAL HEMOPOIESIS COMPARED TO CLONE SIZE
Authors: Kirschner Kristina , Cox Simon , Crespo Tamir Chandra Neil Robertson Eric , Schumacher Linus
Published: January 2025

The prevalence of clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) in healthy individuals increases rapidly from age 60 onwards and has been associated with increased risk for malignancy, heart disease and ischemic stroke. CHIP is driven by somatic mutations in stem cells that are also drivers of myeloid malignancies. We previously reported gene specific fitness effects in two longitudinal cohorts of aging. We now set out to define fitness effects across three longitudinal cohorts of aging in a total of 713 participants. We found that fitness correlates with timing of mutations, which needs to be taken into account when predicting health outcomes. We show that fitness and the time of mutations are superior predictors of outcomes such as all-cause mortality compared to the commonly used clone size (variant allele frequency). Our new predictor even outperforms age, the most important predictor for the onset of age-related disease thus far. In conclusion, the fitness landscape of mutations and their context in terms of clonal composition and timing of mutation acquisition are important parameters to bring CH predictors into the clinic.
ASSOCIATION OF KIDNEY MARKERS AND DUAL TRAJECTORIES OF COGNITIVE AND PHYSICAL FUNCTION
Authors: Shrestha Aman , Shardell Michelle , Chen Chixiang , Seliger Stephen L , Ginsberg Charles , Miller Lindsay , Tian Teresa , Simonsick Eleanor
Published: January 2025

The interplay between kidney health and cognitive-physical function has garnered increased attention. Dual trajectories consider simultaneous longitudinal changes in cognitive-physical function. Among participants in the Health, Aging and Body Composition Study with initially fast gait and high cognitive function, we assessed associations between baseline kidney function markers and joint longitudinal cognition-gait trajectories. Grouped-based trajectory analysis performed on modified mini-mental state (years 3, 5, 8, 10) and 20-meter usual gait speed (years 3–6, 8, 10) yielded three dual trajectory groups: Group 1 (n=660; exhibited sustained superior longitudinal cognitive-physical performance), Group 2 (n=744; high sustained cognition and initially lower, steadily declining gait), and Group 3 (n=498; lowest initial cognitive-physical performance, both steeply declining over time). Four sequential multinomial regression models were built. Model 1 showed a higher estimated glomerular filtration rate (ml/min/1.73m2) to be associated with lower odds of Group 3 versus Group 1 (odds ratio[OR]=0.98, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.97–0.99) after adjusting for covariates. Model 2 estimated 19% greater odds of Group 2 per log-transformed urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (mg/g) (OR=1.19, 95%CI: 1.05–1.35) and 35% greater odds of Group 3 (OR=1.35, 95%CI: 1.17–1.55) versus Group 1. In Model 3, 25-hydroxyvitamin D was not significantly associated with cognitive-physical trajectory. Model 4 added parathyroid hormone, alpha-klotho, and fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) (p=0.044 Model 4 versus 3); FGF23 was significantly associated with cognitive-physical trajectory (Group 3 versus 1 per log-transformed FGF23 [pg/mL]: OR=1.51, 95%CI:1.00–2.28). Findings support a potential role of kidney health in dual cognitive-physical performance among initially healthy older adults.
PROTEIN INTAKE AND MORTALITY IN OLDER ADULTS WITH CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE: A MULTICOHORT POPULATION-BASED STUDY
Authors: Carballo-Casla Adrián , Avesani Carla Maria , Beridze Giorgi , Ortolá Rosario , Carrero Juan-Jesús , Rodríguez-Artalejo Fernando , Vetrano Davide Liborio , Calderón-Larrañaga Amaia
Published: January 2025

Avoiding high protein intake in older adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD) may reduce the risk of kidney function decline, but associations with nutritional status and survival are not well known. We aimed to study the associations of total, animal, and plant protein intake with all-cause mortality in older adults without and with mild or moderate CKD. We used data from three cohorts (Seniors-ENRICA 1 and Seniors-ENRICA 2 in Spain, and SNAC-K in Sweden) comprising 8,539 community-dwelling adults ≥60 years. CKD was ascertained according to estimated glomerular filtration rates, urine albumin excretion, and diagnoses from medical records. Cumulative protein intake was estimated via validated dietary histories and food frequency questionnaires. Vital status was ascertained with national death registers. Associations were estimated with Cox proportional hazards regression models, adjusted for sociodemographic, lifestyle, morbidity, and dietary variables. After a maximum follow-up of 15 years, 1,901 deaths were recorded. Higher total protein intake was associated with lower mortality among participants with CKD [hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) for 1.0, 1.2, and 1.4 g/kg/day versus 0.8 g/kg/day = 0.90 (0.83,0.98), 0.82 (0.70,0.96), and 0.75 (0.62,0.92), respectively]. Plant protein showed a stronger inverse association than animal protein [0.77 (0.64,0.92) and 0.92 (0.86,0.98) per 0.2 g/kg/day increment, respectively]. Among participants without CKD, most associations were stronger, but no statistically significant interactions between protein intake and CKD arose. Higher protein intake, particularly plant protein, was associated with lower mortality in older adults with mild or moderate CKD. Associations did not differ substantially in older persons without CKD.
COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS RESEARCH FOR PROMOTING OLDER ADULT HEALTH: A SNAPSHOT OF PCORI-FUNDED PROJECTS
Authors: Shih Regina , Majid Tabassum
Published: January 2025

The number of Americans over the age of 65 is projected to reach 95 million by 2060, making up approximately a quarter of the population. Health care, social, and community services can benefit from evidence-based strategies to better address the increasingly complex needs of this large and heterogeneous population. Comparative effectiveness research (CER) within these settings can promote older adult health when its patient-centered principles are embedded across the continuum of research from study design, conduct, evaluation, translation, implementation and dissemination with engagement throughout the process. PCORI’s approach to CER has resulted in a framework that addresses older adult health across the aging continuum. This session will describe three aging projects funded by PCORI: 1) healthy aging and villages, 2) dental care in low-income housing, and 3) comprehensive dementia care for patients and caregivers. PCORI program officers will kick off the symposium by describing its aging framework and funding priorities for real-world CER. The symposium will describe meaningful outcomes for older adults, their caregivers, evidence-based clinical practice, and the health, social, and community-based care systems that support older adults. Each presentation will feature the diverse perspectives of community, social service, or clinical partners on the projects and conclude with successes and challenges in conducting CER with older adults. This session will facilitate active discussion of approaches used across the continuum of aging and the research process with implications for future priorities in healthy aging interventions, caregiver supports, and integration of interventions into multiple care systems. Patient/Person Engagement in Research Interest Group Sponsored Symposium
A TRADITIONAL HEALING PROGRAM ON THE NAVAJO NATION DURING COVID
Authors: Kopera-Frye Karen , John Karen , Frank Robynn
Published: January 2025

Tribal Critical Race Theory (TribalCrit) posits three types of knowledge: 1) cultural knowledge or tribal ways including traditions and Indigenous Ways of Knowing (IWOK); 2) knowledge of survival involving how and why change and adaptation can be beneficial to the community; and 3) academic knowledge often referred to as ‘‘book smarts.’’ IWOK and academic knowledge are critical for survival and improving the lives in Native communities. This project can best be thought of as a variation of Community-based participatory Research, or Community-based participatory advocacy. Two Navajo students and a faculty member created a project which would use traditional healing community values to understand how COVID had disrupted cultural ways, including IWOK. A Navajo program, beginning in 2007 called “Restoring and Celebrating Family Wellness (RCFW)” involved an organized tribal summit to hear from community members about their concerns, issues, and priorities via workshop venues called “Open Space”. Beginning in 2008, monthly workshops were held including elder presentations, storytelling, and health concerns addressing community needs of violence prevention and raising balanced children. Due to COVID, the workshops ceased in 2020 when the reservation was locked down. Subsequently, with the vaccines available, the project involved reviving RCFW. The Navajo community had experienced social isolation due to an inability to gather and share daily life experiences. Deaths of elders resulted in the loss of wisdom keeping elders and devastated the community. This revived program was successful in improving well-being and increasing connectedness among the Native community, thus restoring IWOK and demonstrating community resilience.
DECOLONIZING DISSEMINATION OF RESEARCH ENSURES LOCAL RELEVANCE AND SUSTAINABILITY OF RESEARCH BEYOND THE GRANT
Authors: Lewis Jordan , Kim Steffi
Published: January 2025

Engaging in community-based participatory research with Indigenous communities has become an accepted approach in both qualitative and quantitative research methods, as well as by funders. Our team has been conducting community-engaged research with Alaska Native communities for over 16-years. We have conducted qualitative, in-depth, interviews with 162 Elders representing 21 participating communities to explore the concept of successful aging and the role of their community in the aging process. Alaska Native successful aging consists of six elements of successful aging, or “Eldership:” emotional wellbeing, spirituality, community engagement, Native ways of life, generativity, and physical health. These elements serve as the foundation of how communities define who is an Elder and what is important when considering who has aged successfully or not. This presentation will briefly discuss challenges of community engagement, but focus on the successes of disseminating the findings back to the community using locally driven recommendations. Western forms of study dissemination products tend to be publications and presentations, which support the researchers’ goals and objectives, but do not always translate to community interests and ideas. Our team has been successful in developing culturally safe and innovative dissemination products, including berry buckets, coffee mugs, and sweatshirts. We will discuss how to navigate funding guidelines, how to develop to products in collaboration with community members and Elders, as well as the share the impacts these products have on making the data accessible to the Elders and the community, and not just the academic community and funder.