bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
COGNITIVE ASPECTS OF MANAGING STRESS AND UNWANTED EMOTION SUCCESSFULLY IN OLD AGE
Authors: English Tammy 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
The ability to cope with stressors and manage unwanted emotion is central to health-related outcomes across adulthood. Prominent models of adult development suggest there may be age-related shifts in motivational strivings and accumulated knowledge that help support emotional well-being in old age. At the same time, older adults have cognitive and physical vulnerabilities that may offset some of these strengths. This session will showcase new work leveraging experimental and experiencing sampling methods to examine how people of varying ages and resource levels manage their emotions. These studies provide new insights into how older adults respond to stressors and adverse stimuli in controlled settings and daily life contexts. The first talk centers on how individuals are negatively impacted by cognitive stressors regardless of age, but older adults show more resilience than younger adults after stressor exposure. The second talk focuses on how a cognitive process known as affective labeling (or naming one’s emotions) can create emotion regulation difficulties, especially in old age. The third talk examines emotion regulation success and the benefits of instructional support for cognitively normal older adults compared to those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The fourth talk extends this work by tracking emotion regulation motives in daily life, showing that cognitively diverse older adults report fewer attempts to manage their emotions, but similar reasons for doing so, compared to relatively younger adults. Together these presentations delineate age-related similarity and differences in emotion regulation, highlighting avenues through which coping capacity may be maintained and improve in late life.
A THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK TO UNDERSTAND INTRINSIC HEALTH
Authors: Cohen Alan , Picard Martin , Beard John , Belsky Daniel , Fried Linda , Hall Kelli , Herbstman Julie , Makarem Nour 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Traditional approaches to measuring health have relied largely on measures of function and capacity, or on subjective assessments. These approaches are important, but they result in a large gap between the biology underlying health and our ability to measure it. Here, we propose a novel concept – intrinsic health – defined as a field-like state emerging from the dynamic interplay of energy, communication, and structure within the organism, which enables robustness, resilience, adaptability, and performance. It reflects the capacity of an organism to maintain its internal dynamic equilibrium. These three pillars – energy, communication, and structure – are derived from first principles, and are the basic ingredients of life. Disruption or optimization in the organized flow of energy and information through biological structures provide a foundation to understand the causes of disease, and the foundation for health, respectively. For each pillar, we discuss available measurements that cover multiple levels of biological organization, empirical evidence linking them to traditional health outcomes, and also the limitations of isolated measurements. This motivates the use of more integrative, time-series data reflecting the dynamic psychobiological interplay among organ systems. We then situate intrinsic health in the context of environmental, behavioral, and cultural factors that affect how it is transformed into “realized health,” the health we experience as individuals and populations. The intrinsic health framework can be extended to understand how intrinsic health intersects with aging, disease, and wounds. Finally, we propose a measurement framework to quantify intrinsic health at the individual level.
THE EFFECT OF GERMANY’S LONG-TERM CARE STRENGTHENING ACT II ON NURSING HOME USE
Authors: Diederich Freya 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
In Germany, out-of-pocket costs for nursing home care have substantially increased during the last years. There is an ongoing discussion whether these out-of-pocket costs should be capped. However, a decrease in costs may increase nursing home use and the social costs of nursing home care. This study analyzes how a change in out-of-pocket costs for nursing home care affects nursing home use. We use discontinuities in out-of-pocket costs that arose from Germany’s Long-Term Care Strengthening Act II in 2017. The Long-Term Care Strengthening Act II decreased average nursing home care costs for people with higher care needs and increased average costs for people with lower care needs. Long-term care insurance data are analyzed using a regression discontinuity design. There is no significant change in nursing home use among people who enter long-term care with relatively high care needs. However, there is a significant decrease in nursing home use among those who enter long-term care with relatively low care needs. The results are robust regarding different specifications of the model. We conclude that the elasticity of nursing home use depends on the level of care needs. For people with high care needs, nursing home care is often without alternatives, whereas people with lower care needs may substitute nursing home care with informal care. A generous public policy does not necessarily increase demand for nursing home care.
IMPROVING REHABILITATION OUTCOMES FOR PEOPLE AGING WITH LONG-TERM HAND IMPAIRMENTS
Authors: Sanford Jon , Lee Susan , Chen Yi-An , Bhattacharjya Sutanuka , Buchman Emily , Norgaard Martin , Weinberg Gil 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Despite the importance of hand and upper extremity function in ADL performance and successful aging-in-place, contextual and engaging in-home rehabilitation interventions that promote use, feedback of progress, and long-term monitoring of changes in functional ability among individuals with chronic upper limb deficits are lacking. This presentation will present the findings from three TechSAge pilot projects focused on the use of technology to support in-home rehabilitation for individuals aging with long-term upper extremity disabilities. DigiHand, is a smartphone-based application combined with sensor-embedded objects used in daily activities (e.g., coffee cup) that enables users to self-manage their own rehabilitation, obtain feedback on progress to refine movements, and allow remote monitoring by therapists. Similarly, KeyStroke is an in-home piano training mobile app that provides engaging music exercises to promote long-term rehabilitation and therapists’ monitoring of progress of stroke survivors. Finally, 3DP for AT is generating design requirements to support the development of an open-source software tool that would allow assistive technology service providers, who are novice users of 3D printers, to create and fabricate highly customized 3D-printed assistive devices that are more durable, aesthetic, and will better meet the unique needs of people aging with long-term hand impairments.
“CAREGIVING MADE ME GRATEFUL”: THE UNEXPECTED BLESSINGS OF DEMENTIA CAREGIVING
Authors: Lewis Jordan 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
There is a cultural value among Alaska Natives to care for their Elders and this commitment applies to all Elders, regardless of health status or cognitive health. Caregiver duties can lead to stress, isolation, and depression that negatively impact their overall health and wellbeing. Interviews were conducted with 22 Alaska Native caregivers for Alaska Natives with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders in rural and urban communities across Alaska. Interviews lasted approximately 60 min and were transcribed verbatim. We examined the caregivers’ experiences of ADRD and the unexpected blessings associated with being a caregiver. Alaska Native caregivers shared the challenges associated with caregiving duties, and the lack of education, awareness, and available resources exacerbated their stress and challenges. As their family member experienced changes related to the ADRD, the blessings took different forms and served different purposes. Spending more time with their family member, remembering family history, engaging in generative behaviors, and strengthening intergenerational relationships were the most frequently discussed blessings. Focusing on these blessings enabled caregivers to continue to find meaning in this role and carry on their cultural values and traditions. This study shifts the focus of caregiving research to highlight the unexpected blessings. The focus on strengths of caregiving and sharing these stories has the potential to provide current and future caregivers to step into this role with a different perspective, or at least not just hear of the challenges and barriers associated with ADRD caregiving.
NAVIGATING AGING WHILE CAREGIVING: LONGEVITY PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS FOR CAREGIVERS OF ADULT CHILDREN
Authors: Cerino Lauren , Felts Adam , Balmuth Alexa , Miller Julie , Coughlin Joseph 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Caregiving is a demanding, complex, and costly role. According to AARP (2020), an increasing population of older adults in the U.S. are providing unpaid care to younger adult family members, with over two million adults in the U.S. providing care for an adult child. Caregivers of adult children experience unique challenges that can affect how they plan for their own longevity, as well as their adult child’s longevity. To further explore the experiences of aging caregivers of adult children, the MIT AgeLab conducted an exploratory, qualitative study based on interviews with participants drawn from the MIT AgeLab’s CareHive panel. Through a series of interviews conducted in June 2022, three key transition points in the lives of caregivers of adult children were identified. These transitions included the discovery that the child has special needs, the child’s transition into legal adulthood, and the aging of the caregiver. The last transition point, focused on the aging of the caregiver, often presents complex implications including balancing one’s own care needs with those of their child; navigating difficult family conversations; and preparing for continuation of care after one’s own eventual death. Leveraging insights from these interviews, this session will explore complexities within each of the three key transition points, using Schlossberg’s Transition Theory as a lens for analysis. The session will also identify resources and support desired by caregivers for support in this transition point, shedding a particular light on important considerations for professionals across multiple sectors and industries.
EVIDENCE-BASED STRATEGIES TO DELIVER AND PROMOTE AGE-FRIENDLY CARE IN HOSPITAL SETTINGS
Authors: King Barbara , Hook Mary , Golden Blair 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
The number of adults aged 65 and older will double by 2050. Older adults have more chronic conditions and complex care needs compared to younger adults. To support the health of older adults the Age Friendly Health Systems model was initiated in the US. Age Friendly Care is comprised of 4 core elements (called the 4 M’s framework), What Matters, Medication, Mentation and Mobility, aimed to ensure that older adults receive the best care possible and are not harmed by health care systems. This symposium will present several papers describing how components of age friendly care were implemented in hospital settings. Paper 1 will describe strategies used by acute care nursing staff to overcome challenges imposed by COVID to implement a mobility intervention to improve ambulation of older adult patients; Paper 2 will present psychometric findings on an instrument to measure a patient’s level of ambulation to promote mobility during a hospital stay; Paper 3 will describe a quality improvement initiative to implement the 4 M’s framework on in-patient medical units; and Paper 4 will provide insights on implementing the What Matters component of 4 M care and strategies for promoting patient goals and preferences for care delivery. Age-Friendly Health Systems have the potential to improve care delivery for older adults. The papers presented demonstrate it is feasible to implement 4 M’s framework in hospitals, but innovative strategies and reliable tools are needed.
A COLLABORATIVE PILOT FOR AGE-FRIENDLY HOSPITAL CARE
Authors: Hirvela Kari 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
To ensure older adults receive the best care possible, Age Friendly Health Systems has become a national effort in the US. This initiative is based on 4 core components (called 4 M’s framework), What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility. We piloted a multi-disciplinary care model based on the 4 M’s framework to improve healthcare delivery for older adults at a large academic hospital. Using the Plan-Do-Check-Act, a care model was developed. Plan: A multi-disciplinary stakeholder group identified best practices for each of the 4Ms, including: 1) asking and documenting “what Matters most” and mobility; 2) pharmacy review of high-risk medications; 3) creation of 4M provider patient list in electronic health record (EHR); 4) implementation of delirium rounds. Education was provided to hospital champions. An interactive dashboard was created to demonstrate impact. Do: The 4M’s were implemented for patients ≥ 65 years old on 2 inpatient units. Check: 4M’s interventions was monitored via dashboard. Findings revealed low provider utilization of the patient list template and provider-initiated adaptations to the care plan. Feedback hospital providers was largely positive. Act: Based on feedback, revisions were made within the EHR, and a 4M’s patient flyer was created. 73% of older adults received 4M’s care on the 2 pilot units, meeting the criteria demonstrating “Committed to Care Excellence” by the Institute of Healthcare Improvement. We were able to effective implement 4 M’s care. Age friendly care is an evidence-based model that may improve outcomes for older adults.
BIODEMOGRAPHY OF AGING, CELEBRATING JAMES W. VAUPEL, PHD
Authors: Christensen Kaare 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
James W. Vaupel, PhD (1945 – 2022), was an international leader in demography and aging research and a pioneer in the field of biodemography. He was a highly creative researcher and very entrepreneurial in the development of new interdisciplinary research environments. This symposium highlights a few of the biodemographic research areas that Dr. Vaupel has been a catalyst for. Denmark was Dr. Vaupel’s home country during the last third of his life, and Dr. Christensen reports on findings from Danish nationwide genetic-epidemiological studies on twins and the oldest old: familial influence on aging phenotypes, cohort differences in health among the oldest old, associations of early life events with late life health, as well as tongue-in-cheek research on perceived age and teeth. Dr. Alberts discusses the ‘invariant rate of aging’ hypothesis that was developed by Vaupel and others. She presents comparative analyses from multiple nonhuman primate populations showing that, while life expectancy can continue to improve, we probably can’t slow the demographic rate of aging. Dr. Campos presents evidence from a wild baboon population in Kenya that glucocorticoid levels—biological markers of stress responses—are strong prognostic indicators of survival and may be key explanations of life span disparities. Dr. Carey presents key discoveries from large-scale studies involving the Mediterranean fruit fly. These include the slowing of mortality at older ages, context-specific sex mortality differentials, a behavioral biomarker for morbidity, dietary conditions for maximizing lifespan versus reproduction and a stationary population identity whereby life lived equals life left.
FIVE BIODEMOGRAPHIC PRINCIPLES OF AGING THAT EMERGED FROM RESEARCH ON THE MEDITERRANEAN FRUIT FLY
Authors: Carey James 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Because of its large size, visually-distinct sex differences, abundance in the wild and ease of rearing at both industrial and individual levels, the Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly) is an ideal model organism for conducting research on the demography of aging. I will present details on and implications for what I consider to be the five most interesting and important aging-related discoveries from the NIA-funded research my colleagues and I conducted over the past three decades using the medfly model. These discoveries include (1)Deceleration of mortality at advanced ages; (2)Equivocality of the gender gap due to context-specific sex mortality relationships; (3)Supine behavior as a biomarker of both morbidity onset and time-to-death; (4)A dietary disconnect between maximizing longevity vs maximizing lifetime reproduction; and (5)the life table population identity in which the fraction age x in a stationary population equals the fraction with x years to live. I will end with brief comments about the use of non-conventional model organisms for research on aging in both the laboratory and the field.
AGING IN THE RIGHT PLACE: TEMPORARY SUPPORTIVE HOUSING FOR OLDER MALE VETERANS IN CALGARY, CANADA
Authors: Hoselton Jill , Grittner Alison , Walsh Christine 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
In 2019 an estimated 1.6% of emergency shelter users in Canada were veterans (1,905 individuals), which is consistent with the proportion of veterans in the general population (1.7%). However, veterans tend to be older, male, and cite an illness or medical condition as a contributing factor to their homelessness, than their non-veteran counterparts. As part of the Aging in the Right Place (AIRP) study, we sought to understand the housing and support needs of older male military veterans (age 50+) living in a congregate temporary supportive housing in Calgary, Alberta. This exploratory, multi-methods study used: (1) de-identified document review, (2) environmental audit, (3) in-depth qualitative key informant interviews with service providers and (4) in-depth qualitative and Photovoice interviews with older shelter residents to understand the shelter needs of older homeless veterans. The data was collected between February and June 2023. Interviews were transcribed, managed with NVivo 1.6.1, and team-based flexible coding was employed on the key informant (n=5) and shelter resident (n=5) interviews to determine older male veterans’ shelter needs. In this presentation we share the findings of the study and offer recommendations for shelter and services designed to assist older housing insecure veterans to age in the right place.
DIFFERENT ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN HEART RATE VARIABILITY AND EMOTION REGULATION IN OLDER AND YOUNGER ADULTS
Authors: Liu Kathy 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Heart rate variability (HRV), the beat-to-beat variation in heart rate, is proposed to index aspects of self-regulatory processes such as emotion regulation. This is due to overlapping neural regions and networks that contribute to the central autonomic and emotion regulation systems. Paradoxically, increasing age is associated with both improvement in emotion regulation and decline in HRV, and it is unclear whether and how the association between HRV and emotion regulation is influenced by aging. The earliest stages of neurodegenerative processes, such as Alzheimer’s disease-related reduction of locus coeruleus (LC) integrity, may also influence the HRV-emotion regulation relationship in older adults, as LC modulates arousal and autonomic activity in response to stress. We pre-registered a study to investigate the cross-sectional relationship between measures of emotion regulation, HRV and LC MRI integrity in a lifespan sample of cognitively normal healthy adults using the Cambridge Centre for Ageing and Neuroscience (Cam-CAN) dataset, a large population-based cohort aged between 18-88 years (N=678). We hypothesized that any age-related differences in the association between HRV and emotion regulation would be related to reduced LC integrity in older versus younger adults. We found an inverse correlation between resting HRV and measures of emotional reappraisal in older adults, which differed significantly to younger adults, but no evidence of LC influence on this association. Our findings highlight age-related differences in the HRV-emotion regulation relationship which warrant further investigation in future studies.
HEARING LOSS AS A MODIFIABLE RISK FACTOR FOR DEMENTIA IN UK BIOBANK
Authors: Mur Jure , Leist Anja 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Age-related hearing loss is a predictor of cognitive impairment and dementia. The mechanisms of the observed associations are unclear but could involve depletion of cognitive reserve, the occupation of cognitive resources, and lack of sensory input to the brain. Hearing loss may therefore represent a preventable or treatable causative risk factor for dementia. Indeed, many studies report on lower rates of cognitive decline among hearing aid users when compared to non-users. However, most investigations to date have been observational or with relatively short follow-ups, thus precluding clear interpretations of the underlying mechanism. In our study using UK Biobank data with n=502,386 participants followed up from ~2008 to 2021, we emulate a randomised clinical trial to probe the role of initiating the use of hearing aids in people with conductive hearing loss or with self-reported hearing difficulties in the diagnosis dementia. Diagnosis of dementia was ascertained through hospital and death records, and self-reports in such a way as to increase the positive predictive value. Among participants with hearing loss or hearing difficulties, 2,914 (2.1%) were diagnosed with dementia, compared to 4,982 (1.4%) in those without hearing loss or hearing difficulties. Additional results on the relationship between hearing aid use and dementia, and stratified analyses by sex/gender and ethnicity will be presented. We discuss the modifiability of hearing loss and recommend studies with longer follow-ups to determine the efficacy of hearing loss interventions in reducing the risk of cognitive decline and dementia.
WHO BECAME CLOSER TO FAMILY AFTER THE PANDEMIC?: THE ROLES OF OPTIMISM AND SOCIAL EXCHANGES
Authors: Fiori Katherine , Rauer Amy , Marini Christina 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Dispositional optimism has been associated with healthy aging, as well as coping with and making meaning from life challenges. Social support plays a similarly positive role in promoting adaptation in late life and helping individuals feel closer to loved ones. During the pandemic, disruptions in older adults’ social interactions placed a high demand on both of these potential resources, challenging individuals’ ability to derive meaning from these events. Exploring data from a community sample of 136 older adults (M age = 68, range 50-91; 69% females; 93% White) assessed three times over six months during 2021-2022, we examined how optimism and positive and negative social exchanges predicted changes in attitudes about how COVID-19 shaped family life. We found that T1 optimism predicted changes in older adults’ feeling closer to their families and appreciating them more at T2 (3 months later), above and beyond T1 positive social exchanges, which were only marginally associated. Older adults who were more optimistic at T1 also reported greater declines in tension and strain in their family ties due to the pandemic at T2 - but not at T3 (6 months later). However, T2 negative social exchanges did predict increased reports of family tension and strain from T2 to T3. Findings suggest that as new COVID-19 variants emerged, benefits of optimism waned, but costs of negative social exchanges increased. These findings illustrate how personality, micro-level context (i.e., social interactions), and macro-level context may work together to shape older adults’ views of their families during the pandemic.