bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
THE POWERFUL TOOLS FOR CAREGIVERS TOOLKIT: ENHANCING SELF-CARE AND COMMUNICATION FOR QUALITY CARE
Authors: Lee JeongEun , Svec Joseph , Kim Eunbea , Kim Yulri 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
The Powerful Tools for Caregiver (PTC) program, an evidence-based program, has proven to enhance caregivers’ self-care and communication skills. Prior studies substantiate its efficacy in elevating caregiver competence and promoting self-care practices. This study delves into secondary outcomes, emphasizing perceived relationship quality with care recipients with dementia. We examined responses from 340 caregivers engaged in the Powerful Tools for Caregivers program delivered with both in-person and remote module. Utilizing pre- and post-surveys, we conducted MANCOVA and multiple regression analyses. Findings revealed that caregivers of dementia reported improved self-care, increasing communication competence, and enhancing positive role perceptions. A majority caregivers reported significant increase in allocating time for personal well-being (average 1.24 hours per week) and discovering effective solutions to caregiving challenges using action plans. Moreover, caregivers allocating more time to self-care reported delivering higher-quality care and experiencing improved relationship qualities with care recipients. Notably, these positive changes were attributed to enhanced communication strategies and positive perspectives adopted by caregivers. The findings underscore the pivotal role of self-care and effective communication in augmenting the quality of care provided to recipients. Comparing the module of the delivery, we did not find any significance, confirming parallel effectiveness of the program. In conclusion, this research illuminates the significance of prioritizing self-care and honing communication skills in improving the wellbeing of both caregivers and care recipients with dementia. The paper concludes by outlining implications derived from the findings and proposes avenues for future research to further enrich our understanding of caregiver support programs.
GOING BOLDER: PROMOTING DEMENTIA INFRASTRUCTURE THROUGH INTERACTIVE AND AI WEB-BASED TOOLS
Authors: Ruggiano Nicole , Herzog Monica , Jiang Zhe , Brown Ellen , Hristidis Vagelis , Daquin Jane 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
In 2018, the U.S. Congress successfully passed the Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act to advance public health initiatives that support people living with dementia (PLWD) and their families. Part of the goals of BOLD include advancing community awareness about the latest research on dementia and support the translation of research findings to support PLWD, their families, and providers in addressing needs related to dementia care and caregiving. Infrastructure that supports information seeking is vital, given that caregivers often report challenges in finding the information they need about dementia, caregiving, and existing support. This is especially true for those who turn to the internet for information, where web-based search engines generate an overwhelming number of results to common questions posed by caregivers. To address these information needs, our interdisciplinary team has launched the Alabama Caregiver Connect initiative, which aims to more effectively link caregivers with information they need about dementia and caregiving by harnessing web-based tools that are interactive and driven by artificial intelligence. This presentation will review innovative technologies that the team has developed, implemented, and/or evaluated for their potential to support public health infrastructure for dementia. Findings presented will examine benefits and drawbacks of several approaches identified through the initiative, including ChatGPT, evidence-based chatbots, and crowdsourced asset mapping tools. Implications for policy and practice will be discussed.
WHO MAINTAINS GOOD HEALTH? CONTRIBUTIONS OF BEHAVIORS AND LIFE COURSE CIRCUMSTANCES TO HEALTHY AGING
Authors: Hong Chenlu , Luo Yanan 
Published: January 2025

Abstract

Background
Life course circumstances, encompassing diverse environmental conditions and experiences throughout an individual’s life, are critical determinants of healthy aging. However, limited evidence focuses on their cumulative effects on various aging trajectories and disparities among different subpopulations. Using the healthy ageing scores (HAS), this study aimed to evaluate the relative contributions of life course circumstances in childhood and adulthood to healthy aging among Chinese older adults.

Methods
Utilizing data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHALRS), we assembled for 7906 middle-aged and older adults in China. HAS, developed by the Ageing Trajectories of Health Longitudinal Opportunities and Synergies (ATHLOS), was calculated to measure overall biopsychosocial aspects of health and functioning, with higher values indicating better health maintenance in later life. Behavioral factors included smoking, drinking and obesity. Life course factors encompassed socioenvironmental circumstances in childhood and adulthood. Linear regression models were employed to analyze the role of life course circumstances domains in healthy aging and estimate the associations of identified subpopulations with healthy aging. The ShapleyValue Decomposition, principal components analysis and hierarchal cluster analysis were performed.

Results
We identified four subpopulations sharing similar life courses characterized by disadvantaged or advantaged childhood and adulthood circumstances. Of these, the most disadvantaged subpopulation, experiencing more adulthood adversity and childhood trauma, along with worse adulthood socioeconomic status, consistently exhibited the lowest levels of healthy aging and coversely the most advantaged subpopulation, characterized by better adulthood SES and childhood SES, demonstrated higher Healthy Aging Scores.
RESEARCHING THE AGING POPULATION IN STATE PRISONS: ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS AND IRB REQUIREMENTS
Authors: Sneed Rodlescia , Reese Elaina 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
The growing number of older adults within state prisons presents unique challenges and opportunities for gerontological research. To conduct research with this population, however, scholars must navigate a range of ethical issues unique to studying this vulnerable group. The purpose of this presentation is to delve into the ethical considerations and Institutional Review Board (IRB) requirements crucial for conducting research with this vulnerable population. Using examples from our current multisite research study on chronic disease self-management among incarcerated older adults, we will describe how we navigated special considerations related to correctional system research processes, power imbalance, coercion, informed consent, participant selection, participant incentives, and data protection. Understanding how to effectively navigate ethical issues and the IRB process is crucial for conducting research to improve the well-being of incarcerated older adults. This presentation will provide researchers with valuable information useful for navigating the ethical landscape to conduct research that improves the well-being of the aging prison population and informs best practices within correctional healthcare.
UTILITY OF THE CARE TRANSITION MEASURE (CTM-15) AND A MEASURE OF CONTINUITY OF CARE IN LIVE DISCHARGE
Authors: Hinyard Leslie , Wladkowski Stephanie , Hendricks-Ferguson Verna , Juboori Ruaa Al , Coccia Kathryn , Bennett Antonia , Wallace Cara 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
Live discharge from hospice has been referred to as the “forgotten care transition,” as it is understudied compared to other healthcare transitions. Following a hospice discharge, patients and families report feelings of grief and abandonment and 40% of patients die within 6 months of the discharge. However, no measures currently exist to help understand this care transition, an important gap for intervention and improvement. This study aimed to consider the utility of and relationship between the Care Transition Measure (CTM-15) and the Patient-Perceived Continuity of Care from Multiple Clinicians Measure among patients/caregivers following a discharge from hospice care. Though the CTM-15 measures the quality of preparation for post-hospital care, questions were modified to reference hospice instead of the hospital. Relational Continuity questions across 3 sub-scales—comprehensive knowledge of the patient, partnership & confidence, team relational continuity—were included from the Patient-Perceived Continuity of Care Measure, as relationship-based care is an important aspect of positive transitions during serious illness. 67 patients (or their primary caregiver) responded to questions following the experience of a live discharge from hospice. Patients were primarily female (75%) and white (78%), with just over half living at home (54%), and a mean age of 84. Study results found statistically significant, positive correlations between the CTM-15 and each of the subscales, indicating that as relational continuity increases, so does the positive perspective of transition quality. Participants also reported relevancy of the questions related to their live discharge experience, suggesting applicability of these tools among this population.
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH (NIH): SIMPLIFYING THE REVIEW OF RESEARCH PROJECT GRANT APPLICATIONS
Authors: Ortenberg Elia , Fingerman Karen , Birditt Kira 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) administers &gt;$45B (FY22) of federal funding for extramural medical research, which supports over 300,000 scientists and 2,500 institutions across the United States. These funds are competitively awarded through a two-stage review process. The first level of review solely evaluates the scientific merit of an application by convening peer reviewers who are experts in the field to adjudicate the potential impact of the proposed research. The second level of review takes into consideration for funding both the scientific impact of a proposal as well as its responsiveness to NIH programmatic objectives. NIH is committed to ensuring that all applications for funding receive fair, independent, expert, and timely scientific reviews so the agency can fund the most promising research. NIH upholds its mission of maintaining high standards in peer review by implementing standardized processes and methodologies across all review panels. NIH also continually focuses on efforts to improve peer review. This session is targeted to both experienced and first-time PIs and reviewers. The goals are to provide a general overview of how applications are reviewed by the Center for Scientific Review (CSR) and discuss important changes that impact grant applications, including NIH’s current initiative to simplify the peer review framework for research project grant applications and CSR’s process for ensuring that study sections change with the science. NIH’s ultimate goal through this effort is to identify the best, most innovative science with the potential to improve human health or advance our scientific understanding.
NAVIGATING THE PANDEMIC: THE ROLE OF RESILIENCE AND NEIGHBORHOOD SUPPORT IN STRESS, ANXIETY, AND ADAPTATION
Authors: Balubaid Afnan , Berghoff Ashley , Litzelman Kristin 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
The early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic were associated with increased distress and anxiety symptoms in the general population. We sought to assess how resilience and neighborhood support were associated with stress, anxiety, and positive adaptation during the first 15 months of the pandemic. We used three waves of data from the Survey of the Health of Wisconsin’s COVID-19 Community Impact Survey (Wave 1: May-June 2020; Wave 2: January-February 2021; Wave 3: June 2021; n= 3,534 observations of 1,374 unique adults). Resilience (Brief Resilience Scale), neighborhood support (Brief Sense of Community Scale), and demographics were measured at Wave 1 and outcome variables (stress, anxiety, and positive adaptation) were measured at each wave. Linear mixed models tested independent and interactive associations of resilience and neighborhood support with the outcome variables, accounting for repeated measures. Average levels of anxiety were highest at the start of the pandemic (spring 2020), while stress was highest in winter 2021 and positive adaptation was highest in summer 2021. Across waves, there was a significant interaction between resilience and neighborhood support, such that neighborhood support was more strongly associated with lower stress and anxiety in those with low resilience than high resilience (slope for stress = -0.28 vs 0.03, respectively, p[interaction]&lt; 0.05). Resilience and neighborhood support showed small associations with positive adaptation (beta = 0.11, p&lt;.01 and beta = 0.04, p&lt;.01, respectively). The findings suggest both psychological and social resources buffered adverse effects of the pandemic on well-being, with implications for preparing communities for future crises.
LEISURE ACTIVITY ENGAGEMENT, SOCIAL CAPITAL, AND URBAN–RURAL INFLUENCES ON IQ: IMPLICATIONS FOR COGNITIVE AGING
Authors: Reynolds Chandra , Trubenstein Paige , Pahlen Shandell , Corley Robin , Rey Sergio , Wadsworth Sally 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
Cognitive health interventions often highlight individual or environmental factors, with research perspectives often siloed between psychological and demography disciplines. With key interest in understanding the rural-urban health divide, we examined how behavioral engagement and geospatial features influence cognitive functioning in individuals approaching midlife. The Colorado Adoption/Twin Study of Lifespan behavioral development and cognitive aging (CATSLife) (N=1201, Mage=33.17 years, range=28.05 to 49.33) offers a unique opportunity to evaluate whether cognitive performance, as indexed by IQ, is associated with engagement in cognitively demanding activities and county-level indices of social capital (SCI; i.e., the availability of social networks and resources) and rurality. To understand the rural-urban health divide, we tested whether activity-IQ or SCI-IQ associations were moderated by rurality. We replicated the known influence of cognitive engagement on IQ, irrespective of locale. A major finding, however, was the cognitive differences observed between rural and urban residents after considering activity engagement. We found rural individuals’ IQ performance was less sensitive to the fluctuations of social capital. Moreover, higher IQ scores among urban residents were only revealed when SCI was high; when SCI was low, urban residents performed worse relative to their rural counterparts. While cognitive engagement had a main effect on IQ, the interaction between SCI and rurality revealed contextually meaningful differences in cognitive functioning. Factors contributing to cognitive health are critical to understand, and our study reveals the interplay of lifestyle and environmental factors on cognitive functioning decades before onset of neurocognitive dysfunction, with implications for cognitive maintenance at midlife and beyond.
A TRANSITIONS OF CARE INTERVENTION (FOR OLDER ADULTS) TO REDUCE 30-DAY READMISSIONS FROM SUBACUTE REHABILITATION
Authors: Slossberg Rebecca , Renzetti Lucrezia , Burns Edith , Patel Raj , Ilyas Nazish , Trost Alexander , Rimar Alexander 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
Hospital readmissions for older adults from subacute rehabilitation facilities (SAR) are a common challenge for healthcare systems. Patient medical complexity, lack of communication during transitions of care, and other factors contribute to otherwise avoidable readmissions. We describe a pilot intervention of Geriatrics and Palliative (GAP) consultation after hospital discharge with the goal of reducing avoidable readmissions from SAR. 136 patients seen by the GAP team in 2023 during a first hospitalization were included. The GAP Nurse Practitioner conducted SAR consultations on a convenience sample of 85 patients (Intervention group, IG), with the remaining 51 acting as non-intervention control (CG). Overall patients in the IG group were not significantly different from the CG based on age, sex, race, LOS, or LACE score. Mean age was 86.8 (SD=7.44 years), majority female (62.5%) and white (67.2%). Readmission rate was 18.8% for IG vs. 27.4% for CG, a 38.7% lower odds of readmission for IG. Readmitted patients from IG were similar to CG readmits (age, sex, LACE) but had longer index LOS (8.76 + 10.2 vs. 6.16 + 4.2 days, t=2.06, p=0.041). Cost analysis showed a 25% cost savings for Star IG vs CG. Mean total cost was highest for CG Star and lowest for CG non-star. Results suggest that following patients in transition to SAR post hospital discharge may help reduce avoidable readmissions in older adults by ensuring continuity of communication. Further research to understand what elements of follow-up care impacted readmission (e.g., hospice eligibility, pain levels, code status, etc.,) is needed.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WORKING ENVIRONMENT AND CARE AIDES’ COMPASSION FATIGUE, BURNOUT AND COMPASSION SATISFACTION
Authors: Rahman Ashikur , Duan Yinfei , Estabrooks Carole 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
Severe staff shortages, sustained stress, low compassion satisfaction, high compassion fatigue, and serious levels of burnout among health care workers are frequently reported in the literatures. Limited research has examined compassion-related work life among long-term care (LTC) aides facing high-stress situations due to the deaths of residents and colleagues during COVID-19. In a cross-sectional study with 760 care aides working in 28 LTC homes in Alberta, Canada, we used a two-level multilevel regression analysis to examine how working environments were related to compassion fatigue, burnout, and compassion satisfaction using the Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL-9) scale. Care aides in smaller facilities reported higher levels of compassion fatigue (B = 0.764, p = 0.008) compared to those in larger facilities. Higher compassion satisfaction (B = 1.009, p = &lt; 0.001) and lower burnout (B = -0.909, p = &lt; 0.001) were observed when care aides perceived more supportive working cultures. Care aides reported higher compassion fatigue when there was a lack of structural (B= -0.149, p =0.019) or staffing resources (B= -0.253, p = 0.007). We also found that not having enough staff (B = -0.469, p = &lt; 0.001) or enough time (B = -0.337, p= 0.019) to complete tasks was significantly associated with higher levels of burnout. In conclusion, compassion fatigue and burnout among care aides were associated with some modifiable factors in the working environment. These findings offer direction on which elements of the working environment may be promising for improvement efforts.
HOME HEALTH AGENCY STAFF SAFETY: EXPERIENCES FROM THE FRONTLINES
Authors: Leland Natalie , Shore Amanda , Lam Julia , Prusynski Rachel , Saliba Debra , Mroz Tracy 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
Prior evidence has documented workplace violence among home healthcare agency (HHA) staff. Building on prior evidence, we examined organizational strategies for fostering HHA staff safety and frontline staff experiences before and after the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. We engaged a purposive national sample of 102 HHA leaders in virtual one-on-one semi structured interviews completed between November 2020 and December 2022. We then interviewed a subsample of HHA frontline staff (n=12) between April 2023-March 2024. Using a multiple case study design, we conducted a thematic analysis. Five emergent themes captured organizational efforts as well as staff experiences navigating workplace violence. Leadership (a) contrasted HHA safety environment with institutional healthcare, which impacts organizational policies (e.g., gun safety, compliance with COVID-19 infection control policies) and (b) described financial investment in staff safety (e.g., employ escorts to travel with HHA staff). Frontline staff themes included navigating (c) physical and verbally volatile situations during the HHA care encounter (e.g., requesting compliance with HHA’s PPE policy when HHA staff were in the home), (d) community safety, and (e) HHA safety policies and processes. Results highlight the complexity of HHA service delivery, which existed before COVID-19 and was exacerbated as the pandemic evolved. These experiences emphasize the importance of a multi-modal approach to a HHA culture of staff safety (e.g., policies, financial resources). Further, these findings suggest a need for policies that address the operational investments needed to foster an environment of safety.
ADDRESSING DISPARITIES IN ADRD PREVALENCE AND MORTALITY RATES BETWEEN RURAL AND URBAN COMMUNITIES
Authors: Ferdows Nasim 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
Rising life expectancy has led to an increase in age-related diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia (ADRD). The rapid growth of the rural older population may result in higher rates of dementia in these communities. However, rural residents face disparities in healthcare access, potentially leading to an underestimation of ADRD prevalence in claims-based studies requiring medical assessment. This study employs two approaches to examine rural and urban differences in ADRD prevalence and mortality rates. First, analyzing national county-level data from the CDC Wonder database from 2010 to 2021, we found higher ADRD mortality rates in rural areas, though not statistically significant. Second, using Health and Retirement Study data, a nationally representative sample of US older adults, and a 20% sample of Medicare claims, we observed higher dementia prevalence in rural areas based on cognitive tests in the HRS, which are free from clinical assessment. This contrasts with lower prevalence rates based on diagnosis codes in claims data for rural areas. The decline in prevalence rates based on diagnosis codes was also more pronounced in urban areas. The decline in prevalence rates based on diagnosis codes was also sharper in urban areas. These findings suggest that claims-based studies may underestimate dementia rates in rural areas due to limited healthcare access. Addressing these disparities is critical for providing adequate care and support to individuals with ADRD in rural communities.