bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Voices of Persons Living With Dementia: Exploring Their Information Needs to Live Well
Authors: Kimzey Michelle , Baucham Ramona , Martin Chelsea , Howe Carol 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
There are unique challenges and considerations when receiving the diagnosis of dementia. There are interventions, services, and supports for people with dementia and their care partners, yet they are often unknown, disconnected, and may not be widely available or easily accessible. Health literacy was defined as the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions. Using a descriptive qualitative design, the purpose of this study was to describe how persons living with dementia and their care partners obtain, understand, and use information to make health decisions to live well with dementia. The convenience sample consisted of 28 care partners and 15 people living with dementia participating in 6 separate focus groups. To illuminate findings, data was analyzed using a hybrid approach (deductive followed by inductive). Four themes emerged deductively as persons gain health literacy in dementia (access, understand, appraise, and understand). The notable finding is the trend at diagnosis where they first are “seeking the expert” ,and as they move from dependence and gain understanding they are “becoming the expert”, and finally as they apply information they are “acting as the expert” for themselves and others. Engaging them in research not only gave them a voice but more importantly it influenced the health information that will be developed and implemented by them. These findings suggest there is a wealth of knowledge to be gained by persons living with dementia and their care partners.
Racism and Cumulative Dis/Advantage in Healthcare Access: Implications for the Life Course
Authors: Dannefer Dale 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Despite its origins in the study of race in America in Gunnar Myrdal’s American Dilemma, research on cumulative dis/advantage (CDA) and the life course has paid little attention to the significance of racism in the overall production and patterning of CDA. Building on recent work that has reviewed the life-course implications of the inscribing of racist interests in social policy, this paper explores the life-course implications of race bias in another domain, specifically the domain of medical diagnosis, where algorithm formulas have been shown to disadvantage black patients based on economic and other parameters. Even with training, experimental evidence comparing human and AI diagnostics have demonstrated that despite improvements, residual racism is evident in differential diagnoses. We consider the life-course implications of this and similar race-based differentials in organizational decision-making as a component in systems of cumulating dis/advantage.
Wealth, Health, and Disability Gaps at Midlife: Implications for Disparate Retirement Outcome
Authors: Crystal Stephen 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Late-life economic outcomes in coming years will be strongly shaped by the impact of economic and health experience for cohorts now at midlife. These cohorts have experienced lagging and increasingly disparate wealth accumulation, along with challenges to health and earning potential that augur highly disparate retirement futures. For example, analyses of Survey of Consumer Finances data indicate that in 2016, members of Generation X had mean assets that were only 39% those of the boomers in that year. Increasing risk of “deaths of despair” among individuals in midlife have been accompanied by increases in disability that threaten the ability of those members of these cohorts who are not in the educationally advantaged minority to achieve secure retirement futures, particularly in the context of increasing employment precarity. This presentation will review recent findings on midlife wealth and health inequality, implications for retirement futures, and policy choices facing a new Presidential administration.
ESPO/ Behavioral and Social Sciences Section Symposium: Promoting Behaviors That Support Healthy Aging
Authors: Irani Elliane , Sprague Briana , Stoeckel Luke 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Maintaining healthy behaviors has been linked to positive emotional and physical health outcomes. Older adults are at a greater risk for functional decline and can benefit from the protective effects of health behaviors. The purpose of this symposium is to present and highlight: (1) innovative research linking health behaviors and health outcomes among older adults, and (2) work of emerging scholars in the Behavioral and Social Sciences (BSS) section. The papers highlight findings from descriptive studies and randomized trials testing behavioral health interventions. O’Brien and Hess describe patterns of engagement in health-promoting activities and highlight mediating and moderator factors. Fausto and colleagues report on physical activity and cognitive health benefits of a multi-level intervention focused on heart and brain health for older African American residents of public and subsidized housing. Still and colleagues assess the efficacy of a multi-component technology-based intervention on hypertension self-management in African American older adults. Nehrkorn-Bailey and colleagues report on the pilot testing of AgingPLUS, an intervention targeting attitudinal and motivational barriers to physical activity and highlight improvements in grip strength and blood pressure. Lastly, Wierenga and colleagues test an emotion regulation intervention following a cardiac event and highlight the intervention’s potential efficacy in improving mental health and physical activity. These papers underscore the importance of promoting healthy behaviors in older adults and the need for large-scale interventions that support healthy aging. As discussant, Atienza will assess the strengths and limitations of these papers, and consider how emerging scholars can contribute to the field.
The Role of Self-Perceptions of Aging for Recovery of Older Adults After a Hospital Stay
Authors: Blawert Anne , Freiberger Ellen , Wurm Susanne 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
For older adults, a hospital stay can lead to loss of physical function and frailty. It is therefore important to investigate factors for recovery after hospitalization. Recent studies suggest negative self-perceptions of aging (SPA) as a potential risk factor in the context of serious health events. This ongoing longitudinal study investigates how negative SPA might contribute to worse physical recovery (assessed with the Short Physical Performance Battery) after hospital stay in a sample of 244 German adults aged 75 to 96. Preliminary mediation analysis based on available data of the first 50 participants indicate that negative SPA is related to increased fear of falling after 6 months, which predicts worse physical function one year after hospitalization (indirect effect: B = -0.70, SE = 0.41, p = .09). The results stress the importance of SPA for health recovery in old age and introduce fear of falling as a psychological pathway.
A Cross-Lagged Panel Analysis of the Relationship Between Loneliness and Depression
Authors: Minahan Jillian , Siedlecki Karen 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Loneliness and depression have similar psychological features but are theoretically and statistically distinct (Hawkley et al., 2008). Most research has examined a unidirectional relationship between loneliness and depression (Cacioppo et al., 2006). Cacioppo et al. (2010), however, found that loneliness predicted subsequent depression, but depression did not predict subsequent loneliness. We extended this work by examining the reciprocal relationship between loneliness and depression in 1,560 healthy adults (ages ranging from 18-95 years at baseline) from the Virginia Cognitive Aging Project using cross-lagged panel analysis across three time points. Depression more strongly predicted subsequent loneliness (βs= 0.16 and 0.23, p &lt; .05) than vice versa. These findings are consistent with the cognitive discrepancy theory, suggesting that affective processing, like depression, can negatively impact one’s perception of their social environment (Burholt & Scharf, 2014). Our findings highlight the need for increased longitudinal research examining the relationships among indices of well-being across adulthood.
Forgotten Variables in Gerontological Evaluation of Religiosity and Spirituality
Authors: Bishop Alex , Blieszner Rosemary 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Despite the fact that religiosity and spirituality are commonly cited as essential elements of physical and mental health functioning in old and very old age, the conceptualization of religiosity and spirituality continues to present a quandary in contemporary gerontological inquiry and assessment. Identification of variables that best capture and truly define religious and spiritual constructs has remained relatively inconclusive over the past few decades. Recently, there has been a renewed interest among gerontologists to identify underlying religious and spiritual variables using alternative qualitative and quantitative methods of evaluation. Such methods have been used to further disentangle and understand the uniqueness of religion and spirituality as variables for studying human aging. This symposium will be used to communicate empirical results, methodological procedures, and conceptual insights concerning the identification of understudied and under-represented variables often absent within modern gerontological inquiry of religion and spirituality. Four presentations representing qualitative and quantitative studies will be used to report key religious and spiritual variables stemming from the context of personal narrative, oral storytelling, self-improvement behavior, and the disposition to seek forgiveness. Recommendations pertaining to future gerontological inquiry in the science of religion and spirituality, as well as applications within geriatric and gerontological practice will be highlighted and discussed.
Identifying Activity Support Needs for individuals Aging With Disability: Subject Matter Expert Interviews
Authors: Koon Lyndsie , Bayles Megan , Remillard Elena , Rogers Wendy 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Technology designed to support aging-in-place for people with long-term disabilities begins with understanding the specific tasks that need support, and individual abilities, preferences, cultural practices, and privacy concerns. Such understanding is best achieved through a multi-method approach that includes direct, detailed assessments of representative users as well as individuals who work with or care for them. Our target users are people who identify as having a sensory or mobility impairment prior to the age of 50, including individuals aging with multiple sclerosis, late-onset hearing loss, and late-onset vision loss. In the present study, we are interviewing Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to identify the scope of the challenges that should be explored in more depth. The SMEs include caregivers and medical professionals to identify challenges that the target populations experience in their everyday activities, advice about research adaptations, and recruitment ideas.
Issues Related to Late-Life Sexuality: Sex in Long-Term Care
Authors: Spalding Rachael , Lichtenberg Peter 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Despite surrounding social stigma and stereotypes of the “asexual older adult,” older adults, including those residing in long-term care facilities, indicate that expressing their sexuality continues to be important to them (Doll, 2013). This presentation will feature presentations regarding recent research and perspectives relevant to late-life sexuality with a focus on how issues of sexual expression may particularly emerge in long-term care settings. Dr. Maggie Syme will present findings from mixed-methods, consumer-based approaches that elucidate how current and future long-term care residents view late-life sexuality, with a focus on the practical applications of these findings to inform facility administration and policies. Ethical and legal issues surrounding sexuality in long-term care will be discussed by Dr. Pamela Teaster, who will present ethical models that can translate into potential best-practice recommendations and strategies. Rachael Spalding will discuss the paucity of psychometrically sound assessment tools for measuring attitudes towards late-life sexuality and discuss their development of such a measure. Finally, Dr. Lilanta Bradley and Dr. Pamela Payne-Foster will present a framework for sexual agency in late-life and identify relevant gaps in the literature regarding gender, ethnicity/race, and geographical differences. Ultimately, this presentation will offer a forum for lively discussion among attendees regarding these pertinent topics.
A Resident-Centered View of Sexual Expression in Long-Term Care
Authors: Syme Maggie , Cohn Tracy , Graf Allyson 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Contrary to societal beliefs, older adults residing in nursing homes continue to have sexual interests. However, the right and need to engage in intimate relationships are often ignored in nursing homes, erring on the side of safety and prohibiting intimacy. This is due to ageist sexual stigma, under-educated providers, complexities of care, and fear of retaliation. Nursing homes are not attending to resident preference/choice when it comes to sexuality and intimacy, which ignores the consumer of services and is wholly inconsistent with person-centered care. However, in order to craft resident-centered/informed policies and practices, we must understand the needs and preferences of the resident/consumer. The following presentation will highlight findings from three separate mixed-methods studies that address the consumer, or how now and future residents understand and evaluate intimacy and sexuality in long-term care. We will address potential challenges, areas for intervention, and a unique consumer-oriented solution— sexual advance directives.
An Exploration of Sexual Agency in the Aging Population
Authors: Bradley Lilanta 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
There are some unique social and environmental challenges to geriatric sexual well-being. This presentation explores sexual agency in the aging population with a special emphasis on barriers and facilitators of sexual agency in long-term care settings. We will situate late-life sexuality literature with Cense’s (2019) theory of sexual agency. Her four components of moral agency, embodied agency, narrative agency, and bonded agency will be used to examine the older person’s perceptions, beliefs, and behaviors associated with sexual autonomy from a macro and micro lens. This framework uses assertions that agency is built on self-concepts from the individual and relational level; reflects power dynamics and social inequalities; and requires strategic negotiation of social norms, policies, and relationships to shape one’s autonomy and sexual self perceptions. We will also discuss gaps in the literature regarding gender, race/ethnicity, and geographical differences that can impact an older person’s sexual agency and overall sexual well-being.
Kinlessness at the End of Life in the United States: Implications for Place of Death, and Quality of Life Among Older Adults
Authors: Ornstein Katherine , Plick Natalie , Ankuda Claire 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
We used the Health and Retirement Study, a large nationally representative study of U.S. older adults from 2002-2015, to identify decedents and assess quality of EOL care by availability of kin. 7.9% of participants were kinless at EOL (no adult children or spouses), reflecting national estimates of 1,027,600 older adults. Those who were kinless at EOL were more likely to be female (61.2% vs 51.5%), from the lowest wealth quartile (53.6% vs 35.6%), and less likely to be white and non-Hispanic (75.6% vs 81.8%). Among the community-dwelling population, individuals with kin received 2.4 times as much hours of help from informal caregivers per month, compared to those without kin. We did not observe differences in rates of hospital death by kin status in adjusted models. More work is needed to assess any unmet needs in the EOL period for kinless older adults, especially as healthcare moves towards increased in-home supports.
Autobiographical Memory and End-of-Life Treatment Preferences in China
Authors: Fu Yao , Idler Ellen 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
In this mixed-methods study of religious/cultural beliefs and end-of-life treatment preferences in China, we surveyed 1,085 mainland Chinese people aged 18 or above online. We assessed the effects of past experience with dying people they have known and their own end-of-life treatment preferences in two hypothetical terminal illness vignettes. We found that respondents who knew or visited someone at the end of their lives were somewhat less likely to choose aggressive treatment for themselves in a lung cancer scenario (25% compared to 33%, p=.013). However, there was less difference in an Alzheimer’s disease scenario, with a choice to use a gastric feeding tube or not (39% compared to 42%, p=.262). Open-ended responses indicate that people refer to these past experiences as a reference in making end-of-life decisions for themselves. This study provides empirical evidence that autobiographical memory has a directive function that individuals call on to inform future behaviors.
Memories of a Grandparent’s Death: Preparation for Future Losses
Authors: Bolkan Cory , Weaver Raven 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Experiences of death in early life may result in identity-defining memories that last a lifetime. Autobiographical memories serve psychosocial functions, acting as guides for future behavior. Understanding early death experiences may thus inform lifelong personal views about death, dying, and bereavement. We queried 50 adults (ages 19 – 67 years) using a structured set of questions to recall and write about their earliest and most significant losses. The narratives were qualitatively analyzed using the constant comparative method associated with grounded theory. Results indicated a grandparent’s death was the most frequently reported significant loss, reflecting the value of intergenerational relationships and the long-lasting impact of grandparent death. Themes also emerged concerning participants’ reports of the benefits of actively remembering and reflecting on loss, as well as learning from others’ losses, which further deepened their views of death. These findings highlight how early memories of death, including one's grandparents, can have lifelong impact.
Needs of and Services for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: Regional, National, and International Perspectives
Authors: Lee Youjung , Whitley Deborah 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Grandparents raising grandchildren build strong foundations for their grandchildren. Despite grandparents’ significant contributions to their grandchildren’s future and society in general, there is a limited understanding of the unique needs and service utilization of grandparents raising grandchildren in various contexts. This symposium is focused on the needs of and services for the grandparent population at the regional, national, and international levels. Stucki will present findings from an examination of types and locally available services for grandparents raising grandchildren in Appalachia by sub-region. Musil and colleagues will discuss the service need utilization and unmet service needs of a nationwide sample of 284 grandmothers living with/ raising grandchildren and the relationships between service use/need and resilience, resourcefulness, perceived stress, reward, and appraisals of their current living environment for themselves and their grandchildren. Lastly, Lee will describe research findings from her comparative transnational research on needs and experiences of grandparents raising grandchildren in Malawi (n=29), South Korea (n=23), and the U.S. (n=23). Unique needs and cultural interpretation of intergenerational caregiving in each country will be presented. The symposium discussion will address diverse needs of grandparents raising grandchildren and strategies to meet those needs at regional, national, and international levels. Grandparents as Caregivers Interest Group Sponsored Symposium.
Service Need Utilization and Unmet Service Needs of Grandmothers Living With or Raising Grandchildren
Authors: Musil Carol , Wallace McKenzie , Jeanblanc Alexandra 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
This study explores the service need utilization and unmet service needs of a nationwide sample of 284 grandmothers living with/raising grandchildren, and the relationships with service use/need, perceived stress, reward, and appraisals of their current living environment for themselves and their grandchildren. Participants were asked whether they currently used, had unmet need for, or did not need 25 different support services, including babysitting, financial assistance, legal assistance, family therapy/communication, among others. Overall, 89.5% (N=255) were receiving at least 1 service (mean = 3.4, range 0-18), and 89.1% (N=253) reported having at least 1 unmet service need (7.4, range 0-23). Receiving services was positively correlated with psychosocial resources, but not with appraisals of stress, reward, or living situation. Unmet service needs were inversely correlated with psychosocial resources, reward, and appraisals of living situation. Implications of these varying patterns will be discussed. Part of a symposium sponsored by the Grandparents as Caregivers Interest Group.
New Perspectives on Loneliness: From Micro Qualitative to Macro Quantitative Cross-National Comparisons
Authors: Aartsen Marja 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Longitudinal research revealed a number of micro-level drivers of loneliness, such as widowhood, exclusion from the wider society, ill health and migrant status, but a number of questions are still unanswered. For example, the prevalence of loneliness varies substantially across countries, but we do not know precisely what causes these differences. It may be due to differences in the composition of the populations, it may also be caused by macro-level drivers, or by variations in the impact of risk factors between countries. For example, losing a spouse may be loneliness provoking in countries where living with a partner is the norm, but less so in countries where living alone is more valued. Also how early childhood and events over the life course affect the level of loneliness in later life is still under-researched. The aim of our symposium is to address this gap by presenting different perspectives on loneliness and social isolation. The first presenter interprets five-year follow-up information from qualitative interviews with a life course perspective. The second investigates the role of trust as factor producing social integration, which leads to variations in loneliness. The third compares and discusses loneliness in three different continents, based on an ecological model of contexts. The forth presenter critically discusses ways to measure loneliness in societies that are culturally distinct from western cultures. The last presenter discusses the dynamics between loneliness and material deprivation in Europe. The findings provide a new lens through which we can understand loneliness and inform about effective prevention.