Gerontologic Education for Allied Health Professionals.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Namazi, Kevan H.; Green, Gordon

2003-01-01

Gives an overview of the aging population, allied health professions, and gerontology. Describes the modularization process used at the University of Texas--breaking a three-credit course into interdependent one-credit courses as a way to expose allied health students to a wide variety of gerontology topics through elective courses. (Contains 19…

Faculty Development for Gerontology Program Development. A Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peterson, David A.; Wendt, Pamela F.

The University of Southern California's gerontology faculty development program sought to enhance gerontology programs by preparing two to three faculty members from each of several college campuses in Southern California to become core committees that would facilitate an organized sequence of gerontology instruction within their institutions. All…

Foundations in Gerontological Education: Issues and Dilemmas for Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herriott, Martha; Prothero, Joyce

Although considerable research has examined various issues regarding gerontological curriculum, little attention has been focused on the experience of students of gerontology and aging. The "Foundations in Gerontological Education" study was extended to students by comparing views of students (N=132) on essential components of core curriculum with…

European Initiatives in Postgraduate Education in Gerontology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Rijsselt, Rene J. T.; Parkatti, Terttu; Troisi, Joseph

2007-01-01

This paper describes three innovative European initiatives in postgraduate education in gerontology. The first is the European Masters Program in Gerontology (EuMaG), developed as an interdisciplinary joint program, supported and delivered by 22 European universities. Second, the Nordplus initiative to increase mobility of students and staff in…

Is gerontology ready for anti-racist pedagogy? A survey of educators' practices and perspectives.

PubMed

Karasik, Rona J; Kishimoto, Kyoko

2018-01-01

The older population in the United States is becoming more diverse, bringing increasing attention to the ways in which diversity and multiculturalism are addressed in gerontological education. Although diversity and multiculturalism have long been recognized as important components of the aging experience, our approach to understanding their significance and impact continues to grow and change. Anti-racist pedagogy represents one catalyst to stimulate such change. To evaluate the potential for anti-racist pedagogy in gerontology, this study explored gerontological educators' (N = 121) current practices and perspectives regarding the inclusion of diversity content in their courses, as well as the extent to which they are familiar with and/or use anti-racist pedagogy in their classes. The findings suggest that greater attention to issues of race, ethnicity, and multicultural diversity throughout the gerontological curriculum is needed and wanted. Although respondents were generally unfamiliar with the name anti-racist pedagogy, many indicated that their current teaching practices employed select components of it. Overall, the findings point toward the need for continued exploration of how anti-racist pedagogy may be brought into the gerontological classroom, as well as its implications for future research, policy, and practice.

Gerontology Education: The Needs of Local Agencies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cox, Carole

Given the aging of the population, the need for an increased number of persons trained and educated in gerontology is evident. To date, gerontology curricula have been based upon institutional requirements and interests, such as the guidelines provided by the Foundations Project (1980). To expand these guidelines, the needs and interests of the…

Disciplinary perspectives on later-life migration in the core journals of social gerontology.

PubMed

Walters, William H; Wilder, Esther I

2003-10-01

The authors examine the bibliographic structure of recent research on later-life migration, highlighting the contributions of particular journals and disciplines. The authors identify the primary journals publishing research in this area, including a set of four core journals within the field of social gerontology. They evaluate the disciplinary affiliations of authors publishing in the core journals and the extent to which those journals cite relevant research published elsewhere. Geographical and economic perspectives on later-life migration are underrepresented within the core journals of social gerontology. In particular, major articles published outside the core journals are seldom cited within those journals. Although the core journals of social gerontology account for over a third of the recent literature on later-life migration, they present only a partial (chiefly sociological) perspective on the subject.

Research Note-Testing for Gerontological Competencies: A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Galambos, Colleen; Curl, Angela L.; Woodbury, Karen

2014-01-01

This article reports on the pilot delivery of an evaluation method to gauge student learning of gerontological competencies. Using a pretest and posttest design, data were collected on 46 students over 3 classes. Results indicated significant improvement in how students rated or perceived their competencies skill level between pretest and posttest…

Teaching Psychological and Social Gerontology to Millennial Undergraduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Siegal, Brittany; Kagan, Sarah H.

2012-01-01

Matters of development and generation may create barriers in teaching millennial undergraduates psychological and social gerontology. We introduce strategy to mitigate these barriers by teaching psychological and social gerontology as undergraduate honors courses, augmented with the use of social networking tools. We detail honors programming,…

Implementing an Online Writing Assessment Strategy for Gerontology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Pamela S.; Hanks, Roma S.

2008-01-01

Assessment of student learning is a growing concern for programs in gerontology. This report focuses on the conception, design, funding, and implementation of an innovative online workshop to assess and improve writing skills of students enrolled in distance-learning gerontology classes. The approach is multidisciplinary and involves a…

Employed Caregivers: A Multidisciplinary Issue for Gerontological Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Folts, W. Edward; And Others

1992-01-01

Imminent demographic changes require understanding of issues surrounding caring for family members while employed. Gerontology course offerings should focus on the caregiver role, and future corporate executives should be provided with basic gerontological education so that they will be able to understand and support their employees who are…

Policies and Practices in Educational Gerontology in Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Yi-Yin; Huang, Chin-Shan

2013-01-01

Policy on educational gerontology seems a relatively recent subfield in most countries' social policies. The concept of education for older adults did not appear in Taiwan's political discourse until 1980. The purposes of this paper are to provide an overall introduction to the development of educational gerontology policies and practices in…

Time for Law: Legal Literacy and Gerontological Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doron, Israel; Hoffman, Asaf

2005-01-01

In the past, the law has not been considered as an important part of gerontological science. Historically, different sciences such as medicine, biology, psychology, and sociology have played far more important roles in the creation and crystallization of gerontological knowledge. This state of affairs is reflected in academic education and field…

Collaborative Online Teaching: A Model for Gerontological Social Work Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fulton, Amy E.; Walsh, Christine A.; Azulai, Anna; Gulbrandsen, Cari; Tong, Hongmei

2015-01-01

Social work students and faculty are increasingly embracing online education and collaborative teaching. Yet models to support these activities have not been adequately developed. This paper describes how a team of instructors developed, delivered, and evaluated an undergraduate gerontological social work course using a collaborative online…

Financial gerontology and the rehabilitation nurse.

PubMed

Mauk, Kristen L; Mauk, James M

2006-01-01

Rehabilitation nurses, particularly those who work in geriatrics, recognize that the elderly have become increasingly heterogeneous, with many remaining active well into their 80s and beyond. As the baby boomers enter older adulthood, the senior healthcare market will be greatly affected. The areas of finance, economics, and marketing are seeing new trends that combine the expertise of financial planners with healthcare advisors and advocates for seniors. One emerging specialty area is financial gerontology. This article defines financial gerontology, presents emerging trends and certifications related to the field, and discusses implications for the rehabilitation nurse.

The increasing use of theory in social gerontology: 1990-2004.

PubMed

Alley, Dawn E; Putney, Norella M; Rice, Melissa; Bengtson, Vern L

2010-09-01

To determine how often theory is used in published research in social gerontology, compare theory use over a 10-year period (1990-1994 to 2000-2004), and identify the theories most frequently used in social gerontology research. Systematic review of articles published in eight leading journals from 2000 to 2004 (N = 1,046) and comparison with a review conducted 10 years earlier. Theory was mentioned in 39% of articles published from 2000 to 2004, representing a 12% increase in the use of theory over 10 years. This increase was driven by theories outside the core sociology of aging theories identified by Bengtson, V. L., Burgess, E. O., and Parrott, T. M. (1997). Theory, explanation, and a third generation of theoretical development in social gerontology. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 52B, S72-S88. The five most frequently used theories included the life course perspective, life-span developmental theories, role theory, exchange theory, and person-environment theory/ecological theories of aging. Commonly used models included stress process/stress and coping models, successful aging models, the Andersen behavioral model of health services use, models of control/self-efficacy/mastery, and disablement process models. Theory use in social gerontology increased between 1990 and 2004, with a shift toward theories that cross disciplines. However, the majority of research in social gerontology continues to be atheoretical. Models are widely used as a supplement to or substitute for theory. Many of these models are currently being debated and elaborated, and over time, they may emerge as important theoretical contributions to social gerontology.

Integrating student-focused career planning into undergraduate gerontology programs.

PubMed

Manoogian, Margaret M; Cannon, Melissa L

2018-04-02

As our global older adult populations are increasing, university programs are well-positioned to produce an effective, gerontology-trained workforce (Morgan, 2012; Silverstein & Fitzgerald, 2017). A gerontology curriculum comprehensively can offer students an aligned career development track that encourages them to: (a) learn more about themselves as a foundation for negotiating career paths; (b) develop and refine career skills; (c) participate in experiential learning experiences; and (d) complete competency-focused opportunities. In this article, we discuss a programmatic effort to help undergraduate gerontology students integrate development-based career planning and decision-making into their academic programs and achieve postgraduation goals.

2008 Kent Award Lecture: An Historian Interprets the Future of Gerontology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Achenbaum, W. Andrew

2010-01-01

Donald Peterson Kent believed that gerontology would grow through innovative inquiry, effective teaching, and well-evaluated policies and programs that benefited the elderly people. Because advances in research, education, and practice sustain each other, Kent's tripartite agenda continues to be instructive as globalization presents fresh…

Gerontology Education and Research in Kenya: Establishing a U.S.-African Partnership in Aging

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Sharon V.; Gachuhi, Mugo; Ice, Gillian; Cattell, Maria; Whittington, Frank

2005-01-01

This article reprises four presentations on "Gerontology Education in Kenya," a seminar at the 2004 Annual Meeting of the Association of Gerontology in Higher Education. It describes the process by which the Gerontology Institute of Georgia State University established a 3-year gerontology education and research partnership with Kenyatta…

The Development of Educational Gerontology in Taiwan: An Interpretive and Critical Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huang, Chin-Shan

2010-01-01

Educational gerontology is increasingly becoming a global phenomenon. Taiwan, a small island in the western Pacific Ocean, has responded to its aging population with the development of the studies and practices of educational gerontology. This study, first, traces the development of educational gerontology in Taiwan, based on Peterson's definition…

An Approach to Energy Education for High School, Junior High School and Elementary School Students at Aichi Institute of Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yukita, Kazuto; Ichiyanagi, Katsuhiro; Mori, Tsuyoshi; Goto, Yasuyuki

This paper discusses the methods of implementation and improvement adopted in the energy education program of “Marugoto Taiken World” (“Total Experience World”) at Aichi Institute of Technology. The program, which is aimed at high school, junior high school and elementary school students, has been carried on at Aichi Institute of Technology for a number of years now, and the authors have been involved in the energy education project for the past four years. During that time, the following four courses have been held : 1) Let's use wind power to generate electricity, 2) Let's use flowers to build a solar battery, 3) Let's use bottles to build a fuel cell battery, 4) Let's make all sorts of batteries.

Gerontological Information Systems and Services. Research Study No. 5.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dosa, Marta L.; And Others

This publication contains three papers concerning the role of information systems in the field of social gerontology. The first, A Prototype Gerontological Information Program, describes research carried out at Syracuse University on the kinds of information needed by individuals in human service delivery and older persons' organizations, and…

[Gerontologic technologies and society].

PubMed

Cridelich, Cécile; Malléa, Patrick; Turpin, Jean-Michel; Charrat, Bruno; Franco, Alain; Guérin, Olivier

2012-01-01

Gerontechnologies, a concept dating back to the 1990s, are a blend of gerontology and technology. They have a well-defined role, their main objective being one of observation and intervention. Even though gerontechnologies are directly aimed at elderly people, they are not necessarily suitable for everyone.

Learning Objects and Gerontology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weinreich, Donna M.; Tompkins, Catherine J.

2006-01-01

Virtual AGE (vAGE) is an asynchronous educational environment that utilizes learning objects focused on gerontology and a learning anytime/anywhere philosophy. This paper discusses the benefits of asynchronous instruction and the process of creating learning objects. Learning objects are "small, reusable chunks of instructional media" Wiley…

Nursing curriculums may hinder a career in gerontological nursing: An integrative review.

PubMed

Garbrah, William; Välimäki, Tarja; Palovaara, Marjo; Kankkunen, Päivi

2017-09-01

To investigate what prevents undergraduate nursing students from choosing gerontological nursing as a career option. This study utilised an integrative literature review, which allows the inclusion of previous studies with diverse research designs to gain a broader view of the reasons why nursing students do not choose a gerontological nursing career. An electronic database search of CINAHL (Ebsco), Scopus and Eric elicited 251 scientific peer-reviewed empirical studies, published from 2006 to March 2016 in English. After meeting the inclusion criteria, 97 qualified for closer examination. Following exclusion, the final analysis and synthesis included 21 articles. Four main themes described nursing students' contributing reasons for not selecting gerontological nursing as a career option: socio-demographic factors; experiences, perceptions and knowledge about ageing; perceptions concerning the nature or status of gerontological nursing; and theoretical studies and practical education of nursing curriculum. Lack of positive experiences with older people before and during nursing students' studies led to their disinterest in gerontological nursing as a career option. The nursing curriculum also reinforces the perception of modern nursing as technical, with more emphasis on acute and critical care. The findings emphasise the need to implement an age-friendly curriculum and have nurses that specialise in gerontology to serve as mentors and role models. It is important to assist nursing students in identifying the potentials for career advancement in terms of gerontological nursing. There is also a need for nursing faculties to liaise with other stakeholders to develop or improve upon the clinical atmosphere for nursing students during gerontological nursing placement. Nursing faculties must review their curriculum to ensure that there is sufficient focus on the needs of older people within the curriculum for every student. Furthermore, respected role models who are

European Master's Program in Gerontology (EuMaG): Goals, Curriculum, and Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aartsen, Marja

2011-01-01

The European Master's Program in Gerontology (EuMaG) started in September 2003 with support from the European Commission. The EuMaG is a modular, 2-year, part-time international training program about the aging process and its societal implications. The multidisciplinary curriculum comprises four domains of gerontology (i.e., social gerontology,…

Social Gerontology Training Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tucker, Jeanne C., Ed.; Umbarger, Vivian C., Ed.

This guide for educators, human service workers, and others interested in social gerontology contains four sections covering fifteen subject areas/sessions. Unit 1, Societal Structure and Its Relationship to the Aged, presents data concerning demographics of the aging population, historical factors having an impact upon value processing of older…

Unlocking Potential in Gerontology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartmann, Joyce; And Others

Papers and materials contributed by four panelists are provided from a panel presentation. "Unlocking Potential in Gerontology" (Theodore W. Wischropp) explains the make-up and organization of two consortia involved in the aging projects in Kansas, briefly describes three federally funded grants, and addresses some issues from the…

[Gerontology--Multi-, inter- and transdisciplinarity in theory and practise?].

PubMed

Künemund, H; Schroeter, K R

2015-04-01

Given the suggestion to establish gerontology as an independent scientific discipline, the paper discusses the options for further development. It is argued that multidisciplinarity, interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity are the only alternatives that should be explicitly highlighted as a special feature of gerontology and that advantages and disadvantages of these alternatives should be discussed further.

The Future of Gerontology in Higher Education: Continuing to Open the American Mind about Aging.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maddox, George L.

1988-01-01

Reviews legacy of Charles Tibbitts by discussing Association for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE). Notes that the 1987 Tibbitts Award lecture stressed the need to monitor medicalization of gerontology, recognize continued vulnerability of gerontological education, develop a closer alliance between AGHE and Gerontological Society of America,…

The Increasing Use of Theory in Social Gerontology: 1990–2004

PubMed Central

Putney, Norella M.; Rice, Melissa; Bengtson, Vern L.

2010-01-01

Objectives. To determine how often theory is used in published research in social gerontology, compare theory use over a 10-year period (1990–1994 to 2000–2004), and identify the theories most frequently used in social gerontology research. Methods. Systematic review of articles published in eight leading journals from 2000 to 2004 (N = 1,046) and comparison with a review conducted 10 years earlier. Results. Theory was mentioned in 39% of articles published from 2000 to 2004, representing a 12% increase in the use of theory over 10 years. This increase was driven by theories outside the core sociology of aging theories identified by Bengtson, V. L., Burgess, E. O., and Parrott, T. M. (1997). Theory, explanation, and a third generation of theoretical development in social gerontology. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 52B, S72–S88. The five most frequently used theories included the life course perspective, life-span developmental theories, role theory, exchange theory, and person–environment theory/ecological theories of aging. Commonly used models included stress process/stress and coping models, successful aging models, the Andersen behavioral model of health services use, models of control/self-efficacy/mastery, and disablement process models. Discussion. Theory use in social gerontology increased between 1990 and 2004, with a shift toward theories that cross disciplines. However, the majority of research in social gerontology continues to be atheoretical. Models are widely used as a supplement to or substitute for theory. Many of these models are currently being debated and elaborated, and over time, they may emerge as important theoretical contributions to social gerontology. PMID:20675614

Expanding Gerontology Enrollments: Successful Results of an Innovative Outreach Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reynolds, Sandra L.; Haley, William E.; Hyer, Kathryn

2007-01-01

As state budget allocations for higher education decrease, "specialty" programs such as gerontology must continually demonstrate their productivity. State and private universities increasingly rely on student credit hours (SCH) or tuition generated, which is making it difficult for many gerontology programs to expand. The School of Aging Studies…

Designing and Implementing a Capstone Gerontology Seminar: Synthesis and Action

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sasser, Jennifer R.

2005-01-01

This paper focuses on the design and implementation of Gerontology: Synthesis and Action, the capstone seminar for the undergraduate and graduate certificate in gerontology program at Marylhurst University, a small, private liberal arts university in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area. The institutional and programmatic context in which this…

Review of Nursing Literature: Evolution of Gerontological Education in Nursing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Philipose, Vimala; And Others

1991-01-01

A literature review found that (1) many students and nurses held negative views of the elderly, affecting career choices; (2) gerontological content in baccalaureate nursing programs ranged from little or none to adequate; and (3) a severe shortage of faculty prepared to teach gerontological nursing and negative attitudes toward this…

Higher education in gerontology: A comparison of master's programs in Japan, Taiwan, and Turkey.

PubMed

Ikeuchi, Tomoko; Lu, Feng-Hwa; Holdsworth, Jason K; Arun, Özgür; Wang, Shan-Tair; Murakami, Ikuko; Osada, Hisao

2017-01-01

As of 2015, there is only one master's program of gerontology acknowledged by each of the following countries: Japan, Taiwan, and Turkey. All three programs have fewer than 15 years of history. These three countries differ in society types based on the proportion of older adults, rate of population aging, and population size. However, in terms of gerontological education, they seem to share great commonalities. Common challenges are a lack of awareness of the field of gerontology, insufficient numbers of gerontology programs and faculty members to produce trained gerontologists within society, and the inadequacy of opportunities for trained gerontologists to play an active role in various fields. This study intends not only to compare the differences and similarities among three countries and programs, but also to elucidate characteristics of a unique gerontology program in each country and identify challenges and possibilities from the perspective of gerontological educators.

Development and implementation of a peer mentoring program for early career gerontological faculty.

PubMed

Bryant, Ashley Leak; Aizer Brody, Abraham; Perez, Adriana; Shillam, Casey; Edelman, Linda S; Bond, Stewart M; Foster, Victoria; Siegel, Elena O

2015-05-01

The Hartford Gerontological Nursing Leaders (HGNL) formerly known as the Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity Initiative (BAGNC), in conjunction with the National Hartford Centers of Gerontological Nursing Excellence (NHCGNE), developed and executed a peer mentoring program beginning in 2011 to enhance both (a) the experience of newly selected scholars and fellows to the NHCGNE and (b) the ongoing professional development of HGNL members. The purpose of this article is to describe key strategies used to develop and execute the peer mentoring program and to present formative program evaluation. The program was launched in January 2011 with seven peer mentor and mentee matches. In June 2012, the peer mentoring committee solicited feedback on the development of the peer mentoring program and changes were made for the subsequent cohorts. An additional 12 matches were made in the following 2 years (2012 and 2013), for a total of 31 matches to date. We have learned several key lessons from our three cohorts regarding how to structure, implement, and carefully evaluate a peer mentoring program. Informal evaluation of our peer mentoring program noted several challenges for both peer mentors and mentees. Having knowledge of and addressing those challenges may increase the overall quality and effectiveness of peer mentoring programs and, in turn, benefit academic nursing by strengthening the faculty workforce. Findings from development and implementation of a peer mentoring program for gerontological faculty could lead to new and adaptable programs in a variety of clinical and education settings. © 2015 Sigma Theta Tau International.

Development and Implementation of a Peer Mentoring Program for Early Career Gerontological Faculty

PubMed Central

Bryant, Ashley Leak; Brody, Ab; Perez, Adriana; Shillam, Casey; Edelman, Linda S.; Bond, Stewart M.; Foster, Victoria; Siegel, Elena

2016-01-01

Purpose In conjunction with the National Hartford Centers of Gerontological Nursing Excellence (NHCGNE), formerly known as the Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity Initiative (BAGNC), the Hartford Gerontological Nursing Leaders (HGNL) developed and executed a program beginning in 2011 to enhance both (a) the experience of newly selected scholars and fellows to the NHCGNE and (b) the ongoing professional development of the HGNL. The purpose of this article is to describe key strategies used to develop and execute the mentoring program and to present the formative and summative program evaluation. Design The program was launched in January 2011 with seven peer mentor and mentee matches. In June 2012, the peer mentoring committee solicited feedback on the development of the peer mentoring program and changes were made for the subsequent cohorts. Findings An additional 12 matches were made in the following 2 years (2012 and 2013), for a total of 31 matches to date. We have learned several key lessons from our three cohorts regarding how to structure, implement, and carefully evaluate a peer mentoring program. Conclusions Informal evaluation of our peer mentoring program noted several challenges for both peer mentors and mentees. Having knowledge of and addressing those challenges may increase the overall quality and effectiveness of peer mentoring programs and, in turn, benefit academic nursing by strengthening the faculty workforce. Clinical Relevance Findings from development and implementation of a peer mentoring program for gerontological faculty could lead to new and adaptable programs in a variety of clinical and education settings. PMID:25808927

Gerontology Instruction in American Institutions of Higher Education: A National Survey.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peterson, David A.; And Others

The publication summarizes a report on gerontology instruction in American institutions based on a 1985-1986 survey of over 3000 campuses. The summary examines previous knowledge of gerontology instruction and explains the purpose for the national survey, its design and goals, the questionnaires used and the data derived from them, and how the…

Infusing gerontology into grades 7-12 social studies curricula.

PubMed

Krout, John A; Wasyliw, Zenon

2002-06-01

This paper describes a model process to increase the exposure of middle and high school students to information on aging so they better understand the implications of an aging population and the stereotypes of older adults. A college Gerontology Institute, a social studies teacher education faculty member, and middle/high school social studies teachers collaborated on a program to develop and implement lesson plans that incorporate information on aging into existing courses. Institute staff provided expertise on gerontology and student teachers assisted in writing lesson plan objectives. Teachers developed about a dozen lessons covering from one class to two weeks in subjects such as global history, participation in government, Western civilizations, economics, and government. This experience suggests a number of issues that should be addressed when developing a gerontology infusion initiative with school teachers. Information on aging can be successfully incorporated into existing school curricula within the constraints of mandated learning objectives.

Networking among Gerontological and Geriatric Resource Centers: Summary of a Survey.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rafferty, Eve

The desirability and format of a network among libraries and resource centers serving the gerontological/geriatric field were addressed in a research project funded by the Special Libraries Association. Heads of 50 gerontological and 50 geriatric libraries were surveyed by mail to determine if there was interest in a joint network, i.e., a formal…

Why gerontology and geriatrics can teach us a lot about mentoring.

PubMed

Clark, Phillip G

2018-05-15

Gerontology, geriatrics, and mentoring have a lot in common. The prototype of this role was Mentor, an older adult in Homer's The Odyssey, who was enlisted to look after Odysseus' son, Telemachus, while his father was away fighting the Trojan War. Portrayed as an older man, the name "mentor" literally means "a man who thinks," which is not a bad characterization generally for faculty members in gerontology! In particular, gerontological and geriatrics education can teach us a lot about the importance of mentoring and provide some critical insights into this role: (1) the importance of interprofessional leadership and modeling, (2) the application of the concept of "grand-generativity" to mentoring, (3) "it takes a community" to be effective in mentoring others, and (4) the need to tailor mentorship styles to the person and the situation. This discussion explores these topics and argues that gerontological and geriatrics educators have a particularly important role and responsibility in mentoring students, colleagues, and administrators related to the very future of our field.

An Emerging Typology of Academic Interdisciplinary Gerontology Centers in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hertz, Judith E.; Douglass, Carolinda; Johnson, Angela; Richmond, Shirley S.

2007-01-01

Little is known about the organization, characteristics or services offered by academic interdisciplinary gerontology centers located in higher education institutions. This article presents a description and an emerging typology of academic interdisciplinary gerontology centers based on information collected from the Websites of 47 centers. The…

[Working together in gerontology].

PubMed

Bonnery, Anne-Marie

2014-01-01

The complexity of care situations notablywith regard to the care of frail dependent elderly people suffering from chronic pathologies, requires a specific approach, a partnership between a nurse and nursing auxiliary and inter-disciplinarity. This work organisation positions the elderly person at the centre of the approach to ensure they are considered as a partner in the care. Improving exchanges and constructing a common understanding are real necessities for professionals working in gerontology.

The current state and developments in higher education in gerontology in the nordic countries.

PubMed

Hietanen, Heidi; Lyyra, Tiina-Mari; Parkatti, Terttu; Heikkinen, Eino

2012-01-01

The growing size of the older population challenges not only researchers but also higher education in gerontology. On the basis of an online survey the authors describe the situation of Nordic higher education in gerontology in 2008 and 2009 and also give some good examples of Nordic- and European-level collaboration. The survey results showed that gerontological education was given in every Nordic country, in 31 universities and 60 other higher education institutions. Although separate aging-related courses and modules were relatively numerous, programs for majors were relatively few. Networking in the Nordic region offers a good example on how to further develop higher education in gerontology. Emphasis should be put on strengthening networking on the European and trans-Atlantic levels.

Gerontology: A Bibliography of Selected Resources.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowen, Patricia R., Comp.; McHorney, Colleen A., Comp.

This selected bibliography of resources on gerontology, reflecting the holdings of the Western Kentucky University Libraries, is divided into five sections: (1) books and monographs; (2) educational resources center; (3) government documents; (4) microfilms; and (5) periodicals. The table of contents contains an alphabetical listing of all Library…

Developing gerontological competency: a curriculum approach.

PubMed

Galambos, Colleen; Curl, Angela

2013-01-01

This study describes a competency-based educational approach to course development, implementation, and evaluation. The course model is presented, including its philosophical base. The authors hypothesized that student participation in a competency-based graduate gerontology course would increase their perceived competency level. Results indicate that students (N = 74 students; 2008-2011) rated their competency skill level as higher at posttest than at the pretest (paired t-tests, p < .01), as measured by the Geriatric Social Work Competency Scale II. In addition, pretest/posttest results on the Myths of Aging checklist and Expectations Regarding Aging survey supported increases of perceived knowledge of older adults at posttest (p < .01). This project illustrates the benefits of organizing and implementing competency-based curriculum so that students are better prepared to work with older adults when they graduate.

An emerging typology of academic interdisciplinary gerontology centers in the United States.

PubMed

Hertz, Judith E; Douglass, Carolinda; Johnson, Angela; Richmond, Shirley A

2007-01-01

Little is known about the organization, characteristics or services offered by academic interdisciplinary gerontology centers located in higher education institutions. This article presents a description and an emerging typology of academic interdisciplinary gerontology centers based on information collected from the Websites of 47 centers. The emerging typology comprised three dimensions: focus, functions and specialty areas. Significant relationships were found between the center's function and focus as well as function and number of specialties. The newly developed typology is useful for classifying and learning about academic interdisciplinary gerontology centers. Students who have an interest in gerontology might use the classification system to select a school that matches their academic goals. Educators and educational administrators might apply the typology's dimensions in program development. The typology might also serve as a useful framework for future research and policymakers could use the information from the typology and center's Websites to support proposed policies. Furthermore, older adult consumers, their families and professional caregivers can use the information to learn about services and resources.

The growth of gerontology and geriatrics in Mexico: Past, present, and future

PubMed Central

Rivera-Hernandez, Maricruz; Cerqueda, Sergio Flores; Ramírez, José Carlos García

2017-01-01

Life expectancy is increasing in Mexico, creating new opportunities and challenges in different areas, including gerontology and geriatric education and research. Although in the European Union there are more than 3,000 institutions that focus on aging research, in Latin America there are only 250 programs where theoretical and practical knowledge is taught. In Mexico, the number of institutions that offer gerontology and geriatric education is relatively small. One of the major concerns is that Mexico is not adequately prepared to optimally deal with the aging of its population. Thus, the main challenge that Mexico faces is to train practitioners, researchers, and policy makers to be able to respond to the aging priorities of this country. The goal of this review is to investigate the literature regarding 60 years in the fields of gerontology and geriatrics in Mexico. Even when programs have evolved within the past decades, there are some challenges to gerontological and geriatric education and aging research in Mexico. The implications for Mexico are discussed, as well as opportunities for moving these fields forward. PMID:27754821

The growth of gerontology and geriatrics in Mexico: Past, present, and future.

PubMed

Rivera-Hernandez, Maricruz; Flores Cerqueda, Sergio; García Ramírez, José Carlos

2017-01-01

Life expectancy is increasing in Mexico, creating new opportunities and challenges in different areas, including gerontology and geriatric education and research. Although in the European Union there are more than 3,000 institutions that focus on aging research, in Latin America there are only 250 programs where theoretical and practical knowledge is taught. In Mexico, the number of institutions that offer gerontology and geriatric education is relatively small. One of the major concerns is that Mexico is not adequately prepared to optimally deal with the aging of its population. Thus, the main challenge that Mexico faces is to train practitioners, researchers, and policy makers to be able to respond to the aging priorities of this country. The goal of this review is to investigate the literature regarding 60 years in the fields of gerontology and geriatrics in Mexico. Even when programs have evolved within the past decades, there are some challenges to gerontological and geriatric education and aging research in Mexico. The implications for Mexico are discussed, as well as opportunities for moving these fields forward.

Theoretically Based Pedagogical Strategies Leading to Deep Learning in Asynchronous Online Gerontology Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Majeski, Robin; Stover, Merrily

2007-01-01

Online learning has enjoyed increasing popularity in gerontology. This paper presents instructional strategies grounded in Fink's (2003) theory of significant learning designed for the completely asynchronous online gerontology classroom. It links these components with the development of mastery learning goals and provides specific guidelines for…

Work-based learning expert gerontological practice.

PubMed

Wright, Jayne; Draper, Jan

2002-06-01

Education, training and life-long-learning have been identified by recent policy reports as being crucial to the development of effective gerontological practice (see, for example, Department of Health 1999 ; 2001 , Department of Health and Social Services 1999 , Scottish Executive 2000 , Welsh Office 2002 ). But how can we best learn?

The impact of Alzheimer disease genetics on expert and advanced gerontological nursing practice.

PubMed

Schutte, D L

1998-11-01

Alzheimer disease (AD), a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, is the most common cause of dementia in the United States, affecting as many as 4 million people. Extensive research is under way to identify environmental and genetic risk factors for this complex disease. Currently, four genes are associated with an increased risk for AD: the amyloid precursor protein gene on chromosome 21, the Presenilin I gene on chromosome 14, the Presenilin II gene on chromosome 1, and the apolipoprotein E gene on chromosome 19. Expert and advanced practice gerontological nurses are faced with new challenges as a result of these gene discoveries. Gerontological nurses should assess for relevant environmental and genetic risk factors; obtain comprehensive family health histories recorded as pedigrees; integrate genetic information into diagnosis, intervention, and evaluation strategies; initiate and coordinate referrals to genetic specialists; and provide ongoing emotional and decision-making support for patients and families experiencing AD.

Self, Society, and the "New Gerontology"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holstein, Martha B.; Minkler, Meredith

2003-01-01

The "new gerontology," built on the concept of successful aging, sets forth the preconditions for and the end product of the process of aging successfully. Focused on health and active participation in life, it vests largely within individuals the power to achieve this normatively desirable state. While acknowledging the contributions of the…

Collaborative learning in gerontological clinical settings: The students' perspective.

PubMed

Suikkala, Arja; Kivelä, Eeva; Käyhkö, Pirjo

2016-03-01

This study deals with student nurses' experiences of collaborative learning in gerontological clinical settings where aged people are involved as age-experts in students' learning processes. The data were collected in 2012 using the contents of students' reflective writing assignments concerning elderly persons' life history interviews and the students' own assessments of their learning experiences in authentic elder care settings. The results, analyzed using qualitative content analysis, revealed mostly positive learning experiences. Interaction and collaborative learning activities in genuine gerontological clinical settings contributed to the students' understanding of the multiple age-related and disease-specific challenges as well as the issues of functional decline that aged patients face. Three types of factors influenced the students' collaborative learning experiences in gerontological clinical settings: student-related, patient-related and learning environment-related factors. According to the results, theoretical studies in combination with collaboration, in an authentic clinical environment, by student nurses, elderly patients, representatives of the elder care staff and nurse educators provide a feasible method for helping students transform their experiences with patients into actual skills. Their awareness of and sensitivity to the needs of the elderly increase as they learn. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using Today's Headlines for Teaching Gerontology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haber, David

2008-01-01

It is a challenge to attract undergraduate students into the gerontology field. Many do not believe the aging field is exciting and at the cutting edge. Students, however, can be convinced of the timeliness, relevance, and excitement of the field by, literally, bringing up today's headlines in class. The author collected over 250 articles during…

An ecological framework of place: situating environmental gerontology within a life course perspective.

PubMed

Moore, Keith Diaz

2014-01-01

This article presents an emergent heuristic framework for the core environmental gerontology concept of "place." Place has been a central concern in the field since the 1970s (Gubrium, 1978) for its hypothesized direct relationship to identity, the self, and agency--suggestive of the appropriateness of lateral theoretical linkages with developmental science. The Ecological Framework of Place (EFP) defines place as a socio-physical milieu involving people, the physical setting, and the program of the place, all catalyzed by situated human activity and fully acknowledging that all four may change over time. The article begins with a concise overview of the EFP before moving on to consider it within three theoretical terrains: place theory, developmental science theory, and environmental gerontology theory. The EFP will be argued to be a place theory which subsumes themes of emergent environmental gerontology theories within a developmental science perspective. Implications for theory, method and practice are discussed. One of the strengths of the model is its ability to serve both research and practice, as is exhibited in its ability to incorporate applied design research and inform architectural decision-making so often lacking in other environmental gerontology models. Place should be viewed as an integrative concept providing opportunities for both environmental gerontology and developmental science to more critically concern the profound role places have in terms of agency, identity and sense of self over the life course.

Description of the Pathogenic Features of Streptococcus pyogenes Isolates from Invasive and Non-Invasive Diseases in Aichi, Japan.

PubMed

Matsumoto, Masakado; Yamada, Kazuhiro; Suzuki, Masahiro; Adachi, Hirokazu; Kobayashi, Shinichi; Yamashita, Teruo; Minagawa, Hiroko; Tatsuno, Ichiro; Hasegawa, Tadao

2016-07-22

We identified hypervirulent Streptococcus pyogenes in 27 and 420 isolates from patients with invasive and non-invasive diseases, respectively, in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, between 2003 and 2012, in an attempt to understand why the prevalence of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) suddenly increased in this location during 2011. Hypervirulent strains belong to the emm1 genotype, with a mutation in the covR/S genes that regulate many other genes, encoding virulence determinants and resulting in the absence of the proteinase streptococcal exotoxin B and the production of virulence factors such as the superantigen streptococcal exotoxin A, the nuclease streptococcal DNase, the cytotoxin NAD-glycohydrolase, and the hemolysin streptolysin O. We found 1 strain from invasive disease and 1 from non-invasive disease with traits similar to those of hypervirulent strains, except that the sda1 gene was absent. We also found 1 non-emm1 strain with phenotypic and genetic traits identical to those of the emm1 hypervirulent strains except that it did not belong to emm1 genotype, from non-invasive diseases cases in 2011. These findings suggested that hypervirulent and hypervirulent-like strains from invasive and non-invasive disease cases could have at least partially contributed to the sudden increase in the number of patients with STSS in Aichi during 2011.

Value of Gerontology for Occupational Social Work.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Safford, Florence

1988-01-01

As aging affects society increasingly, occupational social workers can benefit from gerontological research and practice in developing programs to help older employees counteract ageism, prepare for retirement, cope with health challenges, and reduce stress in family relations. The workplace is a convenient site for preventive and therapeutic…

Research and Training in Gerontology for Developing Countries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kumar, V.; Khetrapal, K.

1993-01-01

Problems of elderly persons in developing nations are rising. Identification and execution of research priorities and training in gerontology and geriatrics for medical, paramedical, and community personnel and older adults themselves would help achieve healthy aging. (SK)

Directions in Environmental Gerontology: A Multidisciplinary Field

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kendig, Hal

2003-01-01

This article considers developments and directions for environmental gerontology drawing on the three papers in this Forum. The multidisciplinary field came of age during the 1960s with Powell Lawton's powerful environmental press paradigm and its applications to empirical research and building design. Recent theoretical developments in Europe and…

Use of a screening tool and primary health care gerontology nurse specialist for high-needs older people.

PubMed

King, Anna; Boyd, Michal; Dagley, Lynelle

2017-02-01

To describe implementation of an innovative gerontology nurse specialist role within one primary health organisation in Auckland, New Zealand. Quantitative outcomes of the screening tool as well as the nurse specialist assessment will be presented. The intervention involved use of the Brief Risk Identification for Geriatric Health Tool (BRIGHT) to identify high-needs older people with subsequent comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) performed by the gerontology nurse specialist. A total 384 of the 416 BRIGHTs were completed (92% response rate) and 15% of these were identified as high risk (n = 57). The BRIGHTs for high-risk older people revealed the highest scoring question was 'needing help with housework' (26%). The most frequent intervention by the gerontology nurse specialist was education (30%). The primary health care gerontology nurse specialist model delivers a proactive case finding and specialist gerontology intervention for older people at high risk of functional or health decline.

A Review of Our Roots: Blacks in Gerontology

PubMed Central

Brown, Candace S.; Baker, Tamara A.; Mingo, Chivon A.; Harden, J. Taylor; Whitfield, Keith; Aiken-Morgan, Adrienne T.; Phillips, Karon L.; Washington, Tiffany

2014-01-01

The historical underpinnings in the field of gerontology rest on the contributions of scholars across a myriad of racial and ethnic backgrounds. With the increasing diversity of the adult population, there is a need to increase the number of researchers who study older adults from diverse racial and ethnic populations in general and Black elderly people in particular. Furthermore, it is important to document the participation of Black older adults in our earliest and continuing research efforts. Understanding the historical context and the foundational influence of Black scholars in this field is critical. To realize its humble beginnings, one must become aware of the contributions by Black scholars who have a vested interest in the aging process. With universal similarities and unique differences among older adults, there is a need to acknowledge the past and current scholarship of those who study the aging processes of Blacks while marveling over the future possibilities. The purpose of this review is to elucidate the legacy and current contributions, philosophies, and research of Black scholars in the field of gerontology. In addition, exploration of the theoretical and conceptual frameworks used to establish national and organizational initiatives is reviewed. The impetus in initiating and continuing this work requires a “knowledge of our roots” while moving into the future. It is important to learn the history and significance of Black scholars in gerontology, the contributions of older Blacks, and appreciate the resiliency and marveled life course of this unique population. PMID:24022695

Mixed methods in gerontological research: Do the qualitative and quantitative data “touch”?

PubMed Central

Happ, Mary Beth

2010-01-01

This paper distinguishes between parallel and integrated mixed methods research approaches. Barriers to integrated mixed methods approaches in gerontological research are discussed and critiqued. The author presents examples of mixed methods gerontological research to illustrate approaches to data integration at the levels of data analysis, interpretation, and research reporting. As a summary of the methodological literature, four basic levels of mixed methods data combination are proposed. Opportunities for mixing qualitative and quantitative data are explored using contemporary examples from published studies. Data transformation and visual display, judiciously applied, are proposed as pathways to fuller mixed methods data integration and analysis. Finally, practical strategies for mixing qualitative and quantitative data types are explicated as gerontological research moves beyond parallel mixed methods approaches to achieve data integration. PMID:20077973

Computer-Assisted Analysis of Qualitative Gerontological Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hiemstra, Roger; And Others

1987-01-01

Asserts that qualitative research has great potential for use in gerontological research. Describes QUALOG, a computer-assisted, qualitative data analysis scheme using logic programming developed at Syracuse University. Reviews development of QUALOG and discusses how QUALOG was used to analyze data from a qualitative study of older adult learners.…

[Methodologic developmental principles of standardized surveys within the scope of social gerontologic studies].

PubMed

Bansemir, G

1987-01-01

The conception and evaluation of standardized oral or written questioning as quantifying instruments of research orientate by the basic premises of Marxist-Leninist theory of recognition and general scientific logic. In the present contribution the socio-gerontological research process is outlined in extracts. By referring to the intrinsic connection between some of its essential components--problem, formation of hypotheses, obtaining indicators/measurement, preliminary examination, evaluation-as well as to typical errors and (fictitious) examples of practical research, this contribution contrasts the natural, apparently uncomplicated course of structured questioning with its qualitative methodological fundamentals and demands.

Protein crystallography beamline BL2S1 at the Aichi synchrotron

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Watanabe, Nobuhisa; Nagae, Takayuki; Yamada, Yusuke

The protein crystallography beamline BL2S1, constructed at one of the 5 T superconducting bending-magnet ports of the Aichi synchrotron, is available to users associated with academic and industrial organizations. The beamline is mainly intended for use in X-ray diffraction measurements of single-crystals of macromolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids. Diffraction measurements for crystals of other materials are also possible, such as inorganic and organic compounds. BL2S1 covers the energy range 7–17 keV (1.8–0.7 Å) with an asymmetric-cut curved single-crystal monochromator [Ge(111) or Ge(220)], and a platinum-coated Si mirror is used for vertical focusing and as a higher-order cutoff filter.more » The beamline is equipped with a single-axis goniometer, a CCD detector, and an open-flow cryogenic sample cooler. Lastly, high-pressure protein crystallography with a diamond anvil cell can also be performed using this beamline.« less

Protein crystallography beamline BL2S1 at the Aichi synchrotron.

PubMed

Watanabe, Nobuhisa; Nagae, Takayuki; Yamada, Yusuke; Tomita, Ayana; Matsugaki, Naohiro; Tabuchi, Masao

2017-01-01

The protein crystallography beamline BL2S1, constructed at one of the 5 T superconducting bending-magnet ports of the Aichi synchrotron, is available to users associated with academic and industrial organizations. The beamline is mainly intended for use in X-ray diffraction measurements of single-crystals of macromolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids. Diffraction measurements for crystals of other materials are also possible, such as inorganic and organic compounds. BL2S1 covers the energy range 7-17 keV (1.8-0.7 Å) with an asymmetric-cut curved single-crystal monochromator [Ge(111) or Ge(220)], and a platinum-coated Si mirror is used for vertical focusing and as a higher-order cutoff filter. The beamline is equipped with a single-axis goniometer, a CCD detector, and an open-flow cryogenic sample cooler. High-pressure protein crystallography with a diamond anvil cell can also be performed using this beamline.

Student nurses' motivation to choose gerontological nursing as a career in China: a survey study.

PubMed

Cheng, Min; Cheng, Cheng; Tian, Yan; Fan, Xiuzhen

2015-07-01

The world's population is aging, and the need for nurses is increasing. Working with older adults, however, has always been an unpopular career choice among student nurses. It is important to understand student nurses' motivation for choosing gerontological nursing as a career. The purpose of this study was to examine the motivation for choosing gerontological nursing as a career and to identify the associated factors among student nurses. Cross-sectional survey. Participants were last-semester student nurses from 7 universities offering nursing undergraduate programs in Shandong, China. Of the 1290 student nurses, 916 completed the survey (a response rate of 71.0%). The outcome variable was the motivation to choose gerontological nursing as a career. This was measured using a motivation questionnaire that included expectancy and value subscales. Other instruments included the Chinese version of the Facts on Aging Quiz I, the Geriatrics Attitudes Scale, the Anxiety about Aging Scale, a clinical practice environment questionnaire and a self-administered general information questionnaire. Student nurses' expectancy and value aspects of motivation for choosing gerontological nursing as a career were both at a moderate level; the highest value they held was of personal interest. Clinical practice environment, anxiety about aging and the attitudes about geriatrics were the main factors influencing student nurses' motivation to choose gerontological nursing as a career in China. It is imperative for nurse educators to improve the gerontological nursing clinical practice environment for student nurses. Moreover, cultivating student nurses' positive attitudes about geriatrics and relieving anxiety about aging could be beneficial. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Gerontology Programs in Japanese Higher Education: A Brief History, Current Status, and Future Prospects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tsukada, Noriko; Tatara, Toshio

2005-01-01

The development of gerontological education is lagging behind in Japan in spite of Japan's large population of elders. Nevertheless, there are signs that this may be changing. In this paper we discuss how gerontology education has evolved in Japan over the past 40 years. Specifically, we provide an overview of the development of academic societies…

The Current State and Developments in Higher Education in Gerontology in the Nordic Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hietanen, Heidi; Lyyra, Tiina-Mari; Parkatti, Terttu; Heikkinen, Eino

2012-01-01

The growing size of the older population challenges not only researchers but also higher education in gerontology. On the basis of an online survey the authors describe the situation of Nordic higher education in gerontology in 2008 and 2009 and also give some good examples of Nordic- and European-level collaboration. The survey results showed…

Web-based vs. traditional classroom instruction in gerontology: a pilot study.

PubMed

Gallagher, Judith E; Dobrosielski-Vergona, Kathleen A; Wingard, Robin G; Williams, Theresa M

2005-01-01

Numerous studies have documented comparable outcomes from Web-based and traditional classroom instruction. However, there is a paucity of literature comparing these two delivery formats for gerontology courses in dental hygiene curricula. This study examines the effectiveness of alternative methods of course delivery by comparing student profiles and instructional outcomes from a dental hygiene gerontology course offered both on the Web and in a traditional classroom setting. Questionnaires were sent to both groups of students completing the course. The instrument was designed to establish profiles of the participating students. The data collected included familiarity with Web-based instruction, extent of prior computer training, previous interaction with the elderly, and student evaluations of course effectiveness. Traditional instructional outcomes from evaluated course work were compared, as were post-course exam outcomes that assessed retention of course information six months after course completion. The statistical significance of these data was determined using Statistical Package for Social Scientists software (SPSS, Inc., version 12.0, Chicago, IL). A comparison of student characteristics enrolled in the two course formats revealed marked differences. The Web-based group (n=12) included dental hygiene students (67%) and other health care providers (25%). All participants in the traditional classroom format (n=32) were dental hygiene students. Half of the Web-based respondents were over 25 years of age, and the majority (n=8) had previously taken an online course. The majority of traditional classroom students were 25 years of age or younger (n=21) and had never taken a Web-based course (n=20). Statistically significant differences in instructional outcomes were observed between students enrolled in these two formats. Student retention of course material six months after completion of the course was greater in the Web-based format. Students selecting a Web

Perceptions on the importance of gerontological education by teachers and students of undergraduate health sciences.

PubMed

Mendoza-Núñez, Víctor Manuel; Martínez-Maldonado, María de la Luz; Correa-Muñoz, Elsa

2007-01-19

The main challenge of higher education institutions throughout the world is to develop professionals capable of understanding and responding to the current social priorities of our countries. Given the utmost importance of addressing the complex needs of an increasingly elderly population in Mexico, the National Autonomous University of Mexico has systematically incorporated modules dealing with primary gerontological health care into several of its undergraduate programs in health sciences. The objective of this study was to analyze teacher's and student's perceptions about the current educational practices on gerontology. A cross-sectional study was carried out with a sample of 26 teachers and 122 undergraduate students. Subjects were administered interviews and responded survey instrument. A vast proportion of the teachers (42%) reported students' attitudes towards their academic training as the most important factor affecting learning in the field of gerontology, whereas students reported that the main problems of education in gerontology were theoretical (32%) and methodological (28%). In addition, 41% of students considered education on ageing matters as an essential element for their professional development, as compared to 19% of teachers (p < 0.05). Our findings suggest that the teachers' perceptions about the low importance of education on ageing matters for the professional practice of health sciences could be a negative factor for gerontology teaching.

Living Gerontology: Providing Long-Distance, Long-term Care.

PubMed

Kivnick, Helen Q

2017-02-01

My own living and working through normative family transitions of parent care (as both a professional gerontologist and an intergenerational family member) facilitated five important kinds of growth: (a) providing parent care with optimal integrity; (b) understanding, elaborating, and teaching life-cycle theory with increasing depth; (c) using this theory to enrich practice approaches to long-term care; (d) identifying valuable new research directions; and (e) creating a multidimensional professional life that furthers theoretical development and identifies practice principles that promote individual, familial, and societal experiences of a "good old age." This reflective essay addresses these different kinds of growth, as they emerged from and contribute to the ever-developing gerontological domains of theory and practice. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Increasing Nursing Faculty Research: The Iowa Gerontological Nursing Research and Regional Research Consortium Strategies

PubMed Central

Maas, Meridean L.; Conn, Vicki; Buckwalter, Kathleen C.; Herr, Keela; Tripp-Reimer, Toni

2012-01-01

Purpose Research development and regional consortium strategies are described to assist schools in all countries extend their gerontological nursing research productivity. The strategies, collaboration and mentoring experiences, and outcomes are also shared to illustrate a highly successful approach in increasing faculty programs of nursing research in a focused area of inquiry. Design A case description of gerontological nursing research development and regional consortium strategies in schools of nursing is used. The regional consortium included 17 schools of nursing that are working to increase faculty programs of gerontological nursing research. Survey responses describing publications, presentations, and research funding awards from 65 of 114 total faculty participants in consortium opportunities (pilot and mentoring grant participants, participants in summer scholars’ grantsmanship seminars) were collected annually from 1995 through 2008 to describe outcomes. Findings From 1994 through 2008, faculty participants from the consortium schools who responded to the annual surveys reported a total of 597 gerontological nursing publications, 527 presentations at research conferences, funding of 221 small and internal grants, and 130 external grant awards, including 47R-series grants and 4 K awards. Conclusions There is an urgent need for more nurse faculty with programs of research to inform the health care of persons and support the preparation of nurse clinicians and faculty. The shortage of nurse scientists with active programs of gerontological research is especially serious and limits the number of faculty who are needed to prepare future gerontological nurses, particularly those with doctoral degrees who will assume faculty positions. Further, junior faculty with a gerontological nursing research foci often lack the colleagues, mentors, and environments needed to develop successful research careers. The outcomes of the development and regional consortium

Teaching gerontology in globalized academics: a qualitative study of Thai nursing students' views on ageing when studying abroad.

PubMed

Mattsson, Karin; Pietilä Rosendahl, Sirpa

2017-02-01

Negative views towards ageing and older adults may be a reason why nurses do not choose to work in gerontological nursing. Studying in another cultural context can challenge these views. The Objective was to explore nursing students' views on ageing and older adults before and after a gerontology course held abroad. A qualitative approach based on content analysis of responses to open-ended questions by 30 Thai nursing students studying a gerontology course in Sweden. Three main categories: positive imprints of ageing, ageing takes its toll, and knowledge leading to action, emerged through sub-categories carrying a view of older adults as not only in need of care, but also as resourceful and competent. Professional healthcare, besides family was seen as potential caregivers in old age. Studying gerontology abroad can widen views towards ageing and older adults, inspiring nurses to work in gerontological nursing.

What's stopping a career in gerontological nursing?: literature review.

PubMed

Neville, Christine; Dickie, Robyn; Goetz, Sandra

2014-01-01

Despite the rapid aging of the world's population, many countries are experiencing difficulty in recruiting nurses to work with older people. A literature review was conducted regarding the career preferences of undergraduate nursing students from seven different countries. The literature review has identified that gerontological nursing does not feature highly as a career goal. Notably, this has been the situation for the past decade. There is no indication that the situation is going to change at any time in the future unless some serious decisions are made at professional, health service, community, and government levels. This literature review has identified the reasons why undergraduate nurses are not choosing gerontological nursing as a career, what has been done in an attempt to address the problem, and what else may be done. Copyright 2014, SLACK Incorporated.

The fusion of gerontology and technology in nursing education: History and demonstration of the Gerontological Informatics Reasoning Project--GRIP.

PubMed

Dreher, H Michael; Cornelius, Fran; Draper, Judy; Pitkar, Harshad; Manco, Janet; Song, Il-Yeol

2006-01-01

Phase I of our Gerontological Reasoning Informatics Project (GRIP) began in the summer of 2002 when all 37 senior undergraduate nursing students in our accelerated BSN nursing program were given PDAs. These students were oriented to use a digitalized geriatric nursing assessment tool embedded into their PDA in a variety of geriatric clinical agencies. This informatics project was developed to make geriatric nursing more technology oriented and focused on seven modules of geriatric assessment: intellect (I), nutrition (N), self-concept (S), physical activity (P), interpersonal functioning (I), restful sleep (R), and elimination (E)--INSPIRE. Through phase II and now phase III, the GRIP Project has become a major collaboration between the College of Nursing & Health Professions and College of Information Science and Technology at Drexel University. The digitalized geriatric nursing health assessment tool has undergone a second round of reliability and validity testing and is now used to conduct a 20 minute comprehensive geriatric health assessment on the PDA, making our undergraduate gerontology course the most high tech clinical course in our nursing curriculum.

Social Gerontology--Integrative and Territorial Aspects: A Citation Analysis of Subject Scatter and Database Coverage

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lasda Bergman, Elaine M.

2011-01-01

To determine the mix of resources used in social gerontology research, a citation analysis was conducted. A representative sample of citations was selected from three prominent gerontology journals and information was added to determine subject scatter and database coverage for the cited materials. Results indicate that a significant portion of…

What Should Gerontology Learn from Health Education Accreditation?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bradley, Dana Burr; Fitzgerald, Kelly

2012-01-01

Quality assurance and accreditation are closely tied together. This article documents the work toward a unified and comprehensive national accreditation program in health education. By exploring the accreditation journey of another discipline, the field of gerontology should learn valuable lessons. These include an attention to inclusivity, a…

Perceptions on the importance of gerontological education by teachers and students of undergraduate health sciences

PubMed Central

Mendoza-Núñez, Víctor Manuel; Martínez-Maldonado, María de la Luz; Correa-Muñoz, Elsa

2007-01-01

Background The main challenge of higher education institutions throughout the world is to develop professionals capable of understanding and responding to the current social priorities of our countries. Given the utmost importance of addressing the complex needs of an increasingly elderly population in Mexico, the National Autonomous University of Mexico has systematically incorporated modules dealing with primary gerontological health care into several of its undergraduate programs in health sciences. The objective of this study was to analyze teacher's and student's perceptions about the current educational practices on gerontology. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out with a sample of 26 teachers and 122 undergraduate students. Subjects were administered interviews and responded survey instrument. Results A vast proportion of the teachers (42%) reported students' attitudes towards their academic training as the most important factor affecting learning in the field of gerontology, whereas students reported that the main problems of education in gerontology were theoretical (32%) and methodological (28%). In addition, 41% of students considered education on ageing matters as an essential element for their professional development, as compared to 19% of teachers (p < 0.05). Conclusion Our findings suggest that the teachers' perceptions about the low importance of education on ageing matters for the professional practice of health sciences could be a negative factor for gerontology teaching. PMID:17233923

[Politics and power in gerontological nursing in Brazil].

PubMed

Kletemberg, Denise Faucz; Padilha, Maria Itayra

2012-10-01

The objective of the present study was to identify the politic activities implemented by gerontological nursing in Brazil in the period spanning 1970 to 1996, which aimed at making it an effective specialty in elderly care. This descriptive-qualitative study was performed using a historical approach, using thematic oral history. Fourteen nurses, pioneers in the field, took part in the study. The following categories were identified: 1) Political organization of the field; and 2) Relationship between the field and the State. Results identified the following examples of political activities: traveling throughout Brazil, aimed at getting researchers interested in the theme; creating the Scientific Department of Gerontological Nursing; and assuming an effective participation in the creation of public policies in the country. The specialty is aware of the political relevance for its construction and has been making efforts to achieve recognition as a field of knowledge within the multidisciplinary team of elderly care.

Teaching an Interdisciplinary Gerontological Course to Pharmacy Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sumner, Edward D.

1978-01-01

An interdisciplinary course on gerontology has been developed and offered as an elective at the Medical University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy. Instruction is provided in the physical, psychological, and social influences with ambulatory and institutionalized geriatrics patients. A course outline and course objectives are included. (SW)

Implementation of a gerontology nurse specialist role in primary health care: Health professional and older adult perspectives.

PubMed

King, Anna I I; Boyd, Michal L; Dagley, Lynelle; Raphael, Deborah L

2018-02-01

To explore an innovative primary healthcare gerontology nurse specialist role from the perspectives of older people and health professionals. Primary care is struggling to meet the needs and demands of complex older people. New models which incorporate holistic assessment and care coordination are necessary. A qualitative descriptive general inductive design was used. Older people at risk of health and functional decline were identified and received a comprehensive gerontology assessment and care coordination. Older adults (75 years+) enrolled within one of three primary healthcare practices in Auckland, New Zealand were eligible. Healthcare professionals directly involved with the primary healthcare gerontology nurse specialist model were invited for study participation. Face-to-face interviews were held with five older people and six health professionals were interviewed by telephone. A semistructured interview guide was used for all interviews. A general inductive approach was undertaken for analysis to systematically identify codes and themes. Data analysis revealed two central themes from the older people perspective: "holistic expertise" and "communication." Two main themes were identified from the health professional perspective: "competency" and "service delivery." Results showed the gerontology nurse specialist role was highly regarded by both older people and the health professionals. The in-home comprehensive geriatric assessment was identified as greatly beneficial. The competence and care coordination of the gerontology nurse specialist reduced fragmentation and were deemed immensely valuable. Care coordination should be recognised as a key component to meeting the complex needs of at-risk older people in the community. The expert knowledge of the gerontology nurse specialist and in-home comprehensive geriatric assessment were crucial aspects of the new model. Equally important was the assimilation of primary and secondary care infrastructure to

Homeostatis and Complexity as Integrating Tools in Gerontological Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richardson, Daniel; McCulloch, B. Jan; Rowles, Graham D.

2001-01-01

A gerontology doctoral program used the concepts of homeostasis and complexity to present biomedical and psychosocial issues. Data from 14 students showed that homeostasis was more useful for biomedical than psychosocial issues. Complexity helped in understanding interactions between the two. (SK)

A world apart? Bridging the gap between theory and applied social gerontology.

PubMed

Hendricks, Jon; Applebaum, Robert; Kunkel, Suzanne

2010-06-01

This article is based on the premise that there is inadequate attention to the link between theory and applied research in social gerontology. The article contends that applied research studies do not often or effectively employ a theoretical framework and that theory-based articles, including theory-based research, are not often focused on questions related to applied social gerontology. We explore the extent to which theory and applied research could reasonably be expected to overlap, present data from an analysis of 5 years of articles in three leading journals, and posit some possible explanations for the current divide between theory and applied social gerontology research. We argue that the divide weakens research and inhibits the functions that theory can play in helping to organize the accumulation of knowledge, and we offer some suggestions about how the field can address this challenge, including changes to the journal review and submission process to reflect the importance of the link between theory and/or conceptual models and research, and an expansion of professional conference opportunities to link research and practice.

Theory, explanation, and a third generation of theoretical development in social gerontology.

PubMed

Bengtson, V L; Burgess, E O; Parrott, T M

1997-03-01

Efforts at cumulative knowledge building in social gerontology have been lax, judging from research articles published in journals between 1990 and 1994. Too little attention has been paid to the cumulative development of theory; readers are left with many empirical generalizations but underdeveloped explanations by which to interpret findings and build upon them in subsequent research. To assist future theory development in social gerontology, we review seven theoretical perspectives referenced most frequently in recent journals: (1) social constructionist, (2) social exchange, (3) life course, (4) feminist, (5) age stratification (age and society), (6) political economy of aging, and (7) critical theory. We suggest that, taken together, these represent a "third generation" of explanation in social gerontology, noting their debt to older and more established traditions in social science theory. We argue that authors and journal reviewers should place more emphasis on theory development - which means, most simply, the construction of explicit explanations in accounting for empirical findings - if knowledge development about social aspects of aging is to be cumulative, systematic, and incremental.

Reluctant gerontologists: integrating gerontological nursing content into a prelicensure program.

PubMed

Miller, Joanne M; Coke, Lola; Moss, Angela; McCann, Judith J

2009-01-01

Integration of readily available resources on care of older adults increased student and faculty interest and knowledge of gerontological nursing. The authors describe their use of these practical and easy-to-implement resources.

Unviersity of Rhode Island Library Reference Sources in Gerontology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morrison, Catherine E.

Thirty-two sources in gerontology, located at the University of Rhode Island Library, are listed in this annotated bibliography as well as some interdisciplinary sources. This bibliography contains material published as recently as 1996 and includes annotations of an "Older Americans Almanac," bibliographies, a biographical dictionary,…

Environmental Gerontology at the Beginning of the New Millennium: Reflections on Its Historical, Empirical, and Theoretical Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wahl, Hans-Werner; Weisman, Gerald D.

2003-01-01

Over the past four decades the environmental context of aging has come to play an important role in gerontological theory, research, and practice. Environmental gerontology (EG)--focused on the description, explanation, and modification or optimization of the relation between elderly persons and their sociospatial surroundings--has emerged as a…

Restoration planning to guide Aichi targets in a megadiverse country.

PubMed

Tobón, Wolke; Urquiza-Haas, Tania; Koleff, Patricia; Schröter, Matthias; Ortega-Álvarez, Rubén; Campo, Julio; Lindig-Cisneros, Roberto; Sarukhán, José; Bonn, Aletta

2017-10-01

Ecological restoration has become an important strategy to conserve biodiversity and ecosystems services. To restore 15% of degraded ecosystems as stipulated by the Convention on Biological Diversity Aichi target 15, we developed a prioritization framework to identify potential priority sites for restoration in Mexico, a megadiverse country. We used the most current biological and environmental data on Mexico to assess areas of biological importance and restoration feasibility at national scale and engaged stakeholders and experts throughout the process. We integrated 8 criteria into 2 components (i.e., biological importance and restoration feasibility) in a spatial multicriteria analysis and generated 11 scenarios to test the effect of assigning different component weights. The priority restoration sites were distributed across all terrestrial ecosystems of Mexico; 64.1% were in degraded natural vegetation and 6% were in protected areas. Our results provide a spatial guide to where restoration could enhance the persistence of species of conservation concern and vulnerable ecosystems while maximizing the likelihood of restoration success. Such spatial prioritization is a first step in informing policy makers and restoration planners where to focus local and large-scale restoration efforts, which should additionally incorporate social and monetary cost-benefit considerations. © 2017 The Authors. Conservation Biology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society for Conservation Biology.

Getting It Together: Gerontological Research and the Real World.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bikson, Tora Kay

This paper presents a critical review of recent empirical and theoretical literature on information dissemination and utilization, incorporating key concepts from that body of literature into a model of effective knowledge transfer in gerontology. It assumes that the urgency and complexity of rapidly growing age-linked problems demand informed…

Sexuality and Aging: A Timely Addition to the Gerontology Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fitzpatrick, Tanya R.

2000-01-01

Describes the development and content of a course on sexuality in aging for a gerontology master's program. Topics include physical health, AIDS, gay/lesbian issues, widows/widowers, marriage, ethnic issues, menopause, and impotence. Provides a 33-item bibliography. (SK)

Nurturing gerontology students' intrinsic motivation to cocreate: The design of a powerful learning environment.

PubMed

Jukema, Jan S; Veerman, Mieke; Van Alphen, Jacqueline; Visser, Geraldine; Smits, Carolien; Kingma, Tineke

2017-09-21

Professionals such as gerontologists play an important role in the design, development and implementation of age-friendly services. and products, by using working methods and principles of co-creation. A Dutch undergraduate applied gerontology programme aims to train students in the why, how and what of co-creation. The degree to which students are intrinsically motivated to develop competencies depends on how their psychological needs are met. These needs are autonomy, an awareness of competence and a sense of relatedness, as described in the self-determination theory. To nurture the intrinsic motivation of the applied gerontology students, a realistic, powerful learning environment called the Living Lab Applied Gerontology was designed and implemented. The aim of this paper is to present the design of this powerful learning environment and to discuss its value for nurturing the students' intrinsic motivation for co-creation. Based on a focus group with eight students, we identify directions for further research and development of living labs.

Toward a global geroethics - gerontology and the theory of the good human life.

PubMed

Ehni, Hans-Joerg; Kadi, Selma; Schermer, Maartje; Venkatapuram, Sridhar

2018-05-01

Gerontologists have proposed different concepts for ageing well such as 'successful ageing', 'active ageing', and 'healthy ageing'. These conceptions are primarily focused on maintaining health and preventing disease. But they also raise the questions: what is a good life in old age and how can it be achieved? While medical in origin, these concepts and strategies for ageing well also contain ethical advice for individuals and societies on how to act regarding ageing and old age. This connection between gerontology and ethics is overlooked by both schools of thought. We thus develop this research programme for a systematic geroethics in four steps. First, we analyze 'successful ageing' as put forward by Rowe and Kahn as a paradigmatic example of a gerontological conception of ageing well. Then, in a second step, we move from criticisms within gerontology to an ethical perspective; in particular, we want to clarify the problem of the claim of universal validity of conceptions of the good life. In a third constructive step, we explain how the 'capabilities approach' could be applied in this context as a normative foundation for the implicit normative assumptions of gerontological conceptions of ageing well, such as a particular choice of functionings, the ethical relevance of human agency, and the resulting claims of individuals towards society. Finally, using a concept developed by the German philosopher Ursula Wolf, we systematically develop the different aspects of the connection between ageing well and the theory of the good life in their full complexity and show their interconnectedness. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Postgraduate Education in Gerontology in the Asia-Oceania Region

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russell, Cherry; Mahony, Mary Jane; Hughes, Ian; Kendig, Hal

2007-01-01

This paper provides an overview of opportunities for graduate education in Gerontology in the Asia-Oceania Region. It locates emerging demand in a demographic context, highlighting high rates of growth in the aged population within the Region and growing awareness of governments of the need for appropriate planning. An important component of…

A Gerontology Practitioner Continuing Education Certificate Program: Lessons Learned

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Englehardt, Jacqueline; Hash, Kristina M.; Mankowski, Mariann; Harper-Dorton, Karen V.; Pilarte, Ann E.

2016-01-01

This article discusses the results of a school of social work survey assessing the geriatric training needs of social workers and other professionals in aging and the need for a gerontology practitioner's continuing education (CE) certificate program. A total of 391 professionals, the majority of whom were social workers, participated in an online…

Teaching Aging Content to University-Level Non-Gerontology Majors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beland, Robert

2004-01-01

The older adult population in America will significantly increase in the future. Older adults have important needs for recreation and leisure services (Beland, 2002). The author taught a class titled "Leisure Services for Older Adults" for over 24 years at the University of Florida. He has taught gerontology and recreation by teaching…

Educational Gerontology in Korea: An Interpretive and Critical Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kee, Youngwha

2010-01-01

Wilma Donahue's book in 1955, "Education for Later Maturity", was considered the first major work to identify the educational needs of the aging person. Peterson considers it one of the earliest comprehensive surveys of older learners. However, the idea of educational gerontology was probably first used in 1970 at the University of…

Music Therapy Training for Undergraduate Nursing Students: A Modality to Foster Interest in Gerontological Nursing.

PubMed

Lin, Hui-Chuan; Chen, Shu-Ling; Hsieh, Chia-En; Lin, Ping-Yi

2016-06-01

HOW TO OBTAIN CONTACT HOURS BY READING THIS ARTICLE INSTRUCTIONS 1.2 contact hours will be awarded by Villanova University College of Nursing upon successful completion of this activity. A contact hour is a unit of measurement that denotes 60 minutes of an organized learning activity. This is a learner-based activity. Villanova University College of Nursing does not require submission of your answers to the quiz. A contact hour certificate will be awarded once you register, pay the registration fee, and complete the evaluation form online at http://goo.gl/gMfXaf. To obtain contact hours you must: 1. Read the article, "Music Therapy Training for Undergraduate Nursing Students: A Modality to Foster Interest in Gerontological Nursing" found on pages 25-31, carefully noting any tables and other illustrative materials that are included to enhance your knowledge and understanding of the content. Be sure to keep track of the amount of time (number of minutes) you spend reading the article and completing the quiz. 2. Read and answer each question on the quiz. After completing all of the questions, compare your answers to those provided within this issue. If you have incorrect answers, return to the article for further study. 3. Go to the Villanova website listed above to register for contact hour credit. You will be asked to provide your name; contact information; and a VISA, MasterCard, or Discover card number for payment of the $20.00 fee. Once you complete the online evaluation, a certificate will be automatically generated. This activity is valid for continuing education credit until May 31, 2019. CONTACT HOURS This activity is co-provided by Villanova University College of Nursing and SLACK Incorporated. Villanova University College of Nursing is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. ACTIVITY OBJECTIVES 1. Identify the worldwide shortage of nurses specializing in

A Biodiversity Indicators Dashboard: Addressing Challenges to Monitoring Progress towards the Aichi Biodiversity Targets Using Disaggregated Global Data

PubMed Central

Han, Xuemei; Smyth, Regan L.; Young, Bruce E.; Brooks, Thomas M.; Sánchez de Lozada, Alexandra; Bubb, Philip; Butchart, Stuart H. M.; Larsen, Frank W.; Hamilton, Healy; Hansen, Matthew C.; Turner, Will R.

2014-01-01

Recognizing the imperiled status of biodiversity and its benefit to human well-being, the world's governments committed in 2010 to take effective and urgent action to halt biodiversity loss through the Convention on Biological Diversity's “Aichi Targets”. These targets, and many conservation programs, require monitoring to assess progress toward specific goals. However, comprehensive and easily understood information on biodiversity trends at appropriate spatial scales is often not available to the policy makers, managers, and scientists who require it. We surveyed conservation stakeholders in three geographically diverse regions of critical biodiversity concern (the Tropical Andes, the African Great Lakes, and the Greater Mekong) and found high demand for biodiversity indicator information but uneven availability. To begin to address this need, we present a biodiversity “dashboard” – a visualization of biodiversity indicators designed to enable tracking of biodiversity and conservation performance data in a clear, user-friendly format. This builds on previous, more conceptual, indicator work to create an operationalized online interface communicating multiple indicators at multiple spatial scales. We structured this dashboard around the Pressure-State-Response-Benefit framework, selecting four indicators to measure pressure on biodiversity (deforestation rate), state of species (Red List Index), conservation response (protection of key biodiversity areas), and benefits to human populations (freshwater provision). Disaggregating global data, we present dashboard maps and graphics for the three regions surveyed and their component countries. These visualizations provide charts showing regional and national trends and lay the foundation for a web-enabled, interactive biodiversity indicators dashboard. This new tool can help track progress toward the Aichi Targets, support national monitoring and reporting, and inform outcome-based policy-making for the

A biodiversity indicators dashboard: addressing challenges to monitoring progress towards the Aichi biodiversity targets using disaggregated global data.

PubMed

Han, Xuemei; Smyth, Regan L; Young, Bruce E; Brooks, Thomas M; Sánchez de Lozada, Alexandra; Bubb, Philip; Butchart, Stuart H M; Larsen, Frank W; Hamilton, Healy; Hansen, Matthew C; Turner, Will R

2014-01-01

Recognizing the imperiled status of biodiversity and its benefit to human well-being, the world's governments committed in 2010 to take effective and urgent action to halt biodiversity loss through the Convention on Biological Diversity's "Aichi Targets". These targets, and many conservation programs, require monitoring to assess progress toward specific goals. However, comprehensive and easily understood information on biodiversity trends at appropriate spatial scales is often not available to the policy makers, managers, and scientists who require it. We surveyed conservation stakeholders in three geographically diverse regions of critical biodiversity concern (the Tropical Andes, the African Great Lakes, and the Greater Mekong) and found high demand for biodiversity indicator information but uneven availability. To begin to address this need, we present a biodiversity "dashboard"--a visualization of biodiversity indicators designed to enable tracking of biodiversity and conservation performance data in a clear, user-friendly format. This builds on previous, more conceptual, indicator work to create an operationalized online interface communicating multiple indicators at multiple spatial scales. We structured this dashboard around the Pressure-State-Response-Benefit framework, selecting four indicators to measure pressure on biodiversity (deforestation rate), state of species (Red List Index), conservation response (protection of key biodiversity areas), and benefits to human populations (freshwater provision). Disaggregating global data, we present dashboard maps and graphics for the three regions surveyed and their component countries. These visualizations provide charts showing regional and national trends and lay the foundation for a web-enabled, interactive biodiversity indicators dashboard. This new tool can help track progress toward the Aichi Targets, support national monitoring and reporting, and inform outcome-based policy-making for the protection of

Teaching Aging Content to University-Level Non-Gerontology Majors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beland, Robert

2004-01-01

The older adult population in America will significantly increase in the future. Older adults have important needs for recreation and leisure services (Beland, 2002). The author taught a class titled "Leisure Services for Older Adults" for over 24 years at the University of Florida. He has taught gerontology and recreation by teaching about life…

Structure of human Aichi virus and implications for receptor binding.

PubMed

Zhu, Ling; Wang, Xiangxi; Ren, Jingshan; Kotecha, Abhay; Walter, Thomas S; Yuan, Shuai; Yamashita, Teruo; Tuthill, Tobias J; Fry, Elizabeth E; Rao, Zihe; Stuart, David I

2016-09-05

Aichi virus (AiV), an unusual and poorly characterized picornavirus, classified in the genus Kobuvirus, can cause severe gastroenteritis and deaths in children below the age of five years, especially in developing countries 1,2 . The seroprevalence of AiV is approximately 60% in children under the age of ten years and reaches 90% later in life 3,4 . There is no available vaccine or effective antiviral treatment. Here, we describe the structure of AiV at 3.7 Å. This first high-resolution structure for a kobuvirus is intermediate between those of the enteroviruses and cardioviruses, with a shallow, narrow depression bounded by the prominent VP0 CD loops (linking the C and D strands of the β-barrel), replacing the depression known as the canyon, frequently the site of receptor attachment in enteroviruses. VP0 is not cleaved to form VP2 and VP4, so the 'VP2' β-barrel structure is complemented with a unique extended structure on the inside of the capsid. On the outer surface, a polyproline helix structure, not seen previously in picornaviruses is present at the C terminus of VP1, a position where integrin binding motifs are found in some other picornaviruses. A peptide corresponding to this polyproline motif somewhat attenuates virus infectivity, presumably blocking host-cell attachment. This may guide cellular receptor identification.

[Some problems of modern gerontology and geriatrics in the Russian Federation: the sight of the clinical physician].

PubMed

Miakotnykh, V S

2012-01-01

This article presents some problems of modern Russian gerontology and geriatrics by eyes of the scientist--the clinical physician having long-term experience in the field. Educational, scientific, practical aspects of gerontology and those stereotypes of understanding of problems of elderly which developed for years are subjected the certain criticism, decades, but in the modern world any more absolutely correspond to a today's reality. It is offered to transform the ideology of the major directions of gerontology, having put at the head of a corner not ideas of prolongation of life as that and carrying out basically actions in relation to seriously ill, but improvements of quality of life, preventive maintenance and treatment of set of the age-related diseases, overcoming of the developed practice of the relation to elderly and senile patients as to persons dependent and demanding the constant help. The author urges the public health governing bodies to reconsider the norms of the geriatric help existing for many years but not meeting modern requirements in the conditions of polyclinic and a hospital and to make more clear and claimed by a society the possibilities and achievements of gerontology.

How to Make Reminiscence Movies: A Project-Based Gerontology Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yancura, Loriena A.

2013-01-01

One key to successful gerontological education lies in teaching students to integrate information from diverse academic disciplines into practical contexts. This article describes a project-based course within which students learn to integrate theories by working with older adult partners to make reminiscence movies based on an important event or…

[Swiss research agenda for gerontological nursing].

PubMed

Imhof, Lorenz; Naef, Rahel; Mahrer-Imhof, Romy

2008-12-01

In Switzerland life expectancy is currently 84 years in women and 79 years in men. By 2030 the number of people over 80 will increase by 83% to 625 000. The need of nursing care in this population is expected to double. In order to ensure high quality care, scientific knowledge generated by nursing research is, therefore, pivotal. Within the framework of a national project, a nursing research agenda has been formulated based on a literature review, expert panels, a national survey, and a consensus conference; seven priorities for clinical nursing research for the years 2007-2017 have been developed. In the field of gerontological nursing twenty-one research priorities have been identified. They include among others interventions to support independent living and autonomy at home or the impact of new technology on nursing care of the elderly. Support for caregivers and the health of caregivers of patients with dementia have to be addressed as well as interventions for specific challenges in the elderly such as fall prevention, delirium, malnutrition, and depression. Pivotal questions in nursing research are concerned with the continuity of nursing care that exceeds institutional and professional boundaries. Moreover, it is recommended that research projects address the impact of political decisions on nursing care and provide knowledge to improve quality in nursing homes and community health care. With this article the first research agenda for gerontological nursing is presented, that is based on the seven priorities of the Swiss Research Agenda for Nursing-SRAN and in turn can be used as a basis for strategic discussion, action plans, and research projects.

Quality Assurance in Gerontological and Geriatric Training Programs: The European Case

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Politynska, Barbara; van Rijsselt, Rene J. T.; Lewko, Jolanta; Philp, Ian; Figueiredo, Daniella; De Sousa, Lilliana

2012-01-01

Quality assurance (QA) in gerontological and geriatric education programs is regarded as essential to maintain standards, strengthen accountability, improve readability of qualifications, and facilitate professional mobility. In this article the authors present a summary of international developments in QA and elaborate four international trends,…

Hartford Gerontological Nursing Leaders: From Funding Initiative to National Organization.

PubMed

Van Cleave, Janet H; Szanton, Sarah L; Shillam, Casey; Rose, Karen; Rao, Aditi D; Perez, Adriana; O'Connor, Melissa; Walker, Rachel; Buron, Bill; Boltz, Marie; Bellot, Jennifer; Batchelor-Murphy, Melissa

2016-01-01

In 2000, the John A. Hartford Foundation established the Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity Program initiative, acknowledging nursing's key role in the care of the growing population of older adults. This program has supported 249 nurse scientists with pre- and postdoctoral awards. As a result of the program's success, several Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity Program awardees formed an alumni organization to continue to advance the quality care of older adults. This group of Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity Program awardees joined others receiving support from the John A. Hartford Foundation nursing initiatives to grow a formal organization, the Hartford Gerontological Nursing Leaders (HGNL). The purpose of this article is to present the development, accomplishments, and challenges of the HGNL, informing other professional nursing organizations that are experiencing similar accomplishments and challenges. This article also demonstrates the power of a funding initiative to grow an organization dedicated to impact gerontological health and health care through research, practice, education, and policy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[When the disabled sector meets that of gerontology].

PubMed

Felgines, Marjorie

Denis is a 62-year-old man with Down syndrome. He lives in a residential home and is retired from a supported employment service centre. Since suffering a stroke, Denis has been relatively immobile, looking on as a spectator in the medical-social centre where he is living. Anticipating his advancing years, the team has turned to a gerontological team which will intervene in a centre for people with disabilities. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Wanted: Gerontological Social Workers--Factors Related to Interest in the Field

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferguson, Alishia

2012-01-01

This study attempted to build a predictive model of factors related to social work students' interest in gerontological social work. Bachelor's and Master's students from universities around Texas were surveyed to determine if knowledge about the aging process and related job opportunities, attitudes toward aging and professional or personal…

The Institute of Gerontology at The University of Michigan, 1975-1980.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michigan Univ., Ann Arbor. Div. of Gerontology.

The activities of the Institute of Gerontology at The University of Michigan from 1975 through 1980 are examined. The Institute offers consultation and support services to instructional units for the development of post-baccalaureate educational programs and sponsors annual series of seminars and workshops for faculty members and professional…

Setting Priorities for Gerontological Social Work Research: A National Delphi Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burnette, Denise; Morrow-Howell, Nancy; Chen, Li-Mei

2003-01-01

Purpose: An increasingly important task for all disciplines involved in aging research is to identify and prioritize areas for investigation. This article reports the results of a national Delphi study on setting research priorities for gerontological social work. Design and Methods: Delphi methodology, a structured process for eliciting and…

The National Hartford Center of Gerontological Nursing Excellence: An Evolution of a Nursing Initiative to Improve Care of Older Adults.

PubMed

Harden, J Taylor; Watman, Rachael A

2015-06-01

The mission of the John A. Hartford Foundation is to improve the health of older Americans. This mission has been realized throughout the evolution of the National Hartford Center of Gerontological Nursing Excellence-an international collaboration between Schools of Nursing and Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing-whose goal is to support research, education, and practice to provide better nursing care for our aging society. The National Hartford Center is the focus of this supplement and an example of the Foundation's grant-making to prepare the nursing workforce to be competent to care for our aging society. This article traces the innovative origin and inception of the National Hartford Center, first as the Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity (BAGNC) Initiative in 2000 under the leadership of two groundbreaking scholars in nursing and aging sciences: Claire M. Fagin, PhD, RN, and Patricia G. Archbold, DNSc. We continue through to today's leadership and culminate by describing the Center's influence on the gerontological nursing workforce and clinical practice; the paper also includes a brief introduction to the articles, highlighting advances in gerontological nursing science. With funding from the John A. Hartford Foundation, The Atlantic Philanthropies, The Mayday Fund, and a number of creative public and nonprofit partnerships, the National Hartford Center celebrates two decades and its greatest asset-the nearly 300 gerontological nursing leaders, including Archbold nursing pre-docs, Fagin nursing post-docs, and expert faculty, along with its Hartford Centers of Gerontological Nursing Excellence across the country. We trace the transition of BAGNC to the membership-based National Hartford Center and its move to The Gerontological Society of America to become a self-sustaining, autonomous unit. Current needs, challenges, lessons learned, and strategies of the National Hartford Center are examined within the context of sustainability

Case-based surveillance enhanced with measles virus detection/genotyping is essential to maintain measles elimination in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.

PubMed

Minagawa, Hiroko; Yasui, Yoshihiro; Adachi, Hirokazu; Ito, Miyabi; Hirose, Emi; Nakamura, Noriko; Hata, Mami; Kobayashi, Shinichi; Yamashita, Teruo

2015-11-09

Japan was verified as having achieved measles elimination by the Measles Regional Verification Commission in the Western Pacific Region in March 2015. Verification of measles elimination implies the absence of continuous endemic transmission. After the last epidemic in 2007 with an estimated 18,000 cases, Japan introduced nationwide case-based measles surveillance in January 2008. Laboratory diagnosis for all suspected measles cases is essentially required by law, and virus detection tests are mostly performed by municipal public health institutes. Despite relatively high vaccination coverage and vigorous response to every case by the local health center staff, outbreak of measles is repeatedly observed in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Measles virus N and H gene detection by nested double RT-PCR was performed with all specimens collected from suspected cases and transferred to our institute. Genotyping and further molecular epidemiological analyses were performed with the direct nucleotide sequence data of appropriate PCR products. Between 2010 and 2014, specimens from 389 patients suspected for measles were tested in our institute. Genotypes D9, D8, H1 and B3 were detected. Further molecular epidemiological analyses were helpful to establish links between patients, and sometimes useful to discriminate one outbreak from another. All virus-positive cases, including 49 cases involved in three outbreaks without any obvious epidemiological link with importation, were considered as import-related based on the nucleotide sequence information. Chain of transmission in the latest outbreak in 2014 terminated after the third generations, much earlier than the 2010-11 outbreak (6th generations). Since 2010, almost all measles cases reported in Aichi Prefecture are either import or import-related, based primarily on genotypes and nucleotide sequences of measles virus detected. In addition, genotyping and molecular epidemiological analyses are indispensable to prove the interruption

Evaluation of a peer mentoring program for early career gerontological nursing faculty and its potential for application to other fields in nursing and health sciences.

PubMed

Brody, Abraham A; Edelman, Linda; Siegel, Elena O; Foster, Victoria; Bailey, Donald E; Bryant, Ashley Leak; Bond, Stewart M

2016-01-01

As the retirement rate of senior nursing faculty increases, the need to implement new models for providing mentorship to early career academics will become key to developing and maintaining an experienced faculty. This evaluation of a peer mentorship program for predoctoral and postdoctoral gerontological nurses examined its efficacy, utility, and potential for improvement. A web-based survey was developed, implemented, and completed by 22 mentees and 17 mentors (71% and 61% response rates, respectively) as part of the evaluation. The peer mentorship program was found to be valuable by both mentors (64.7%) and mentees (72.7%) in helping mentees further develop their careers and networks and providing mentors with supported mentorship experience. The peer mentorship program could serve as a model for other professional organizations, academic institutions, and consortiums to enhance and extend the formal vertical mentorship provided to early academic career individuals. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Evaluation of a peer mentoring program for early career gerontological nursing faculty and its potential for application to other fields in nursing and health sciences

PubMed Central

Brody, Abraham A.; Edelman, Linda; Siegel, Elena O.; Foster, Victoria; Bailey, Donald E.; Bryant, Ashley Leak; Bond, Stewart M.

2018-01-01

Background As the retirement rate of senior nursing faculty increases, the need to implement new models for providing mentorship to early career academics will become key to developing and maintaining an experienced faculty. Purpose This evaluation of a peer mentorship program for predoctoral and postdoctoral gerontological nurses examined its efficacy, utility, and potential for improvement. Methods A web-based survey was developed, implemented, and completed by 22 mentees and 17 mentors (71% and 61% response rates, respectively) as part of the evaluation. Discussion The peer mentorship program was found to be valuable by both mentors (64.7%) and mentees (72.7%) in helping mentees further develop their careers and networks and providing mentors with supported mentorship experience. Conclusion The peer mentorship program could serve as a model for other professional organizations, academic institutions, and consortiums to enhance and extend the formal vertical mentorship provided to early academic career individuals. PMID:27156778

Applying Theories of Adult Learning in Developing Online Programs in Gerontology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carter, Christy S.; Solberg, Lauren B.; Solberg, Laurence M.

2017-01-01

The Department of Aging and Geriatric Research at the University of Florida College of Medicine has established online education programs to provide healthcare professionals with advanced training in the field of gerontology to establish proficiency in providing quality care to older individuals. A major barrier to creating our online education…

Critical feminist gerontology: in the back room of research.

PubMed

Freixas, Anna; Luque, Bárbara; Reina, Amalia

2012-01-01

The article takes a feminist approach to gerontology. It examines the stereotypes of ageism that derive from the relationship between culture and old age. It establishes the requirements for a type of research that reflects women's own experience of growing older, as well as the social construction of values related to women's old age. It focuses on the sociocultural features of this population, which faces old age with certain limitations, but also with unparalleled assets.

[Features of emotional stability in volunteers of gerontology programs].

PubMed

Dolgova, V I

2014-01-01

The paper presents an analysis of the characteristics of emotional stability in volunteers of gerontology programs (among the students of the Faculty of Psychology), depending on the structure of their life meaning and values, personal factors and professional important qualities. It is shown that the emotional stability of volunteers determines the main directions to explore the potential of the psyche of volunteers; modeling appropriate professiogram; organization of volunteer work in a particular program.

Just Say Know: An Examination of Substance Use Disorders among Older Adults in Gerontological and Substance Abuse Journals

PubMed Central

Rosen, Daniel; Engel, Rafael J.; Hunsaker, Amanda E.; Engel, Yael; Detlefsen, Ellen Gay; Reynolds, Charles F.

2014-01-01

This article examines the extent to which studies of alcohol abuse, illicit drug use, and prescription drug abuse among older adults appear in the leading gerontological and substance abuse journals. The authors reviewed articles published in the 10 social science gerontological journals and the 10 social science substance abuse journals with the highest 5-year impact factors in PubMed from 2000 to 2010. Articles were selected that presented original research on alcohol, substance, or prescription abuse with older adults aged 50 and older; and were identified through aging and substance abuse-related Medical Subject Headings and word searches of titles and abstracts (N = 634). Full text of each article was reviewed by the authors, and consensus determined inclusion in the final sample. Of the 19,953 articles published respectively in the top 10 gerontological and substance abuse journals, 181 articles met the inclusion criteria of reporting findings related to substance use disorders among older adults. Specifically, 0.9% (102 of 11,700) of articles from the top 10 gerontology journals and 1.0% (79 of 8,253) of articles from the top 10 substance abuse journals met the criteria. Most published articles addressed alcohol misuse/abuse or polysubstance abuse with few articles addressing illicit drug use or the misuse of prescription medications. Less than 1% of articles published in the 10 gerontology journals and the 10 substance abuse journals with the highest 5-year impact scores addressed substance abuse in older adults. Practitioners treating health and/or mental health problems are at a disadvantage in accurately identifying and treating these conditions in older adult populations without a proper understanding of the role of comorbid substance use disorders. PMID:23731426

Peer and Faculty Mentoring for Students Pursuing a PhD in Gerontology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Webb, Alicia K.; Wangmo, Tenzin; Ewen, Heidi H.; Teaster, Pamela B.; Hatch, Laurie R.

2009-01-01

The Graduate Center for Gerontology at the University of Kentucky incorporates three levels of mentoring in its PhD program. This project assessed satisfaction with peer and faculty mentoring and explored their perceived benefits and purposes. Core and affiliate faculty and current and graduated students were surveyed. Participants seemed…

10 Steps to Sustain Infusion of Gerontology across the Social Work Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holody, Richard; Kolb, Patricia

2011-01-01

The authors and their colleagues have sustained infusion of gerontological content across their social work curriculum since implementation of their CSWE-Hartford Foundation GeroRich project from 2002-2004. Based on experiences in our department, we recommend 10 steps that include (a) responding to anticipated faculty resistance, (b) identifying…

Assessing Needs for Gerontological Education in Urban and Rural Areas of Ohio

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Dussen, Daniel J.; Leson, Suzanne M.; Emerick, Eric S.; Voytek, Joseph A.; Ewen, Heidi H.

2016-01-01

Purpose of the Study: This project surveyed health care professionals from both urban and rural care settings in Ohio and examined differences in professionals' needs and interests in continuing gerontological education. Design and Methods: The survey data were analyzed for 766 health care professionals descriptively, using cross-tabulations and…

Implementing a Gerontological Clinical Nursing Practice with an Interdisciplinary Focus: Lessons Learned

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dahlke, Sherry; Fehr, Cindy

2010-01-01

A gerontological clinical nursing practice with an interdisciplinary focus was developed to provide opportunities for student nurses to expand their knowledge about aging, hone assessment skills, and critically examine beliefs about older adults. The practice included theory about older adults and a rotation through a variety of clinical settings…

[A quantitative analysis of information-seeking behaviors regarding medical institutions with Spanish language support among South American Spanish-speaking migrants in Aichi Prefecture, Japan].

PubMed

Takaku, Michiko; Ichikawa, Seiichi; Kaneko, Noriyo

2015-01-01

This study aimed to explore the factors associated with information-seeking behaviors regarding medical institutions with Spanish language support among South American Spanish-speaking migrants living in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The survey targeted South American Spanish-speaking migrants aged 18 years and older currently residing in Aichi Prefecture who had lived in Japan for at least three months and who had previously seen a doctor in Japan. The questionnaire was written in Spanish and the survey was conducted from April to July, 2010. Wilson's information behavior model was used to study information-seeking behavior regarding medical institutions with Spanish language support among 245 respondents who completed the questionnaires (response rate: 58.9%). Experience seeking medical institutions with Spanish language support in the Tokai area was set as the dependent variable and a chi-square test was conducted to examine relationships with language support needs, recognition of and access to medical institutions with Spanish language support, living situation in Japan, and Japanese language skills. Among the 245 respondents, 106 were male (43.3%) and 139 were female (56.7%). The average age was 39.6±11.2 years old and 84.5% were Peruvian. The average length of residency in Japan was 11.0±5.7 years, and 34.3% of respondents had lived in Aichi for 5-9 years. A total of 165 respondents (67.3%) had searched for medical institutions with Spanish language support, while 80 (32.7%) had not. Information-seeking behavior regarding medical institutions with Spanish language support was associated with having previously experienced a need for Spanish language support when seeing doctors in Japan, finding and attending medical institutions with Spanish language support in the Tokai area, length of residency in Japan, Japanese language skills, and the language used in daily life. Experience in requiring Spanish support when sick or injured in Japan motivated respondents to

Interdisciplinary collaboration in gerontology and geriatrics in Latin America: conceptual approaches and health care teams.

PubMed

Gomez, Fernando; Curcio, Carmen Lucia

2013-01-01

The underlying rationale to support interdisciplinary collaboration in geriatrics and gerontology is based on the complexity of elderly care. The most important characteristic about interdisciplinary health care teams for older people in Latin America is their subjective-basis framework. In other regions, teams are organized according to a theoretical knowledge basis with well-justified priorities, functions, and long-term goals, in Latin America teams are arranged according to subjective interests on solving their problems. Three distinct approaches of interdisciplinary collaboration in gerontology are proposed. The first approach is grounded in the scientific rationalism of European origin. Denominated "logical-rational approach," its core is to identify the significance of knowledge. The second approach is grounded in pragmatism and is more associated with a North American tradition. The core of this approach consists in enhancing the skills and competences of each participant; denominated "logical-instrumental approach." The third approach denominated "logical-subjective approach" has a Latin America origin. Its core consists in taking into account the internal and emotional dimensions of the team. These conceptual frameworks based in geographical contexts will permit establishing the differences and shared characteristics of interdisciplinary collaboration in geriatrics and gerontology to look for operational answers to solve the "complex problems" of older adults.

Developing a Postbasic Gerontology Program for International Learners: Considerations for the Process.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bolan, Christine M.

2003-01-01

Chilean and Canadian schools of nursing collaborated in the development of 13 self-paced print modules in gerontology with web-based components. A 6-week preceptored clinical experience followed completion of the theory portion to support learner mastery of program outcomes. The curriculum was developed using a creative, systematic approach that…

When I’m 64: Effects of an Interdisciplinary Gerontology Course on First-Year Undergraduates’ Perceptions of Aging

PubMed Central

Merz, C. Caroline; Stark, Susan; Morrow-Howell, Nancy; Carpenter, Brian

2016-01-01

One challenge for gerontology is getting more students interested in aging at an earlier point in their academic career. This study evaluated the impact of an interdisciplinary course on aging designed for first-year undergraduate students. The course aimed to expand students’ appreciation of the personal and professional relevance of aging issues, with the goal of expanding their aging-related curricular and career interests. Main outcome variables of the study included knowledge of older adults and aging, attitudes toward older adults, and anxiety about personal aging. Participants included an intervention group enrolled in the course and a control group not enrolled in the course. Compared to baseline, at the end of the semester students in the class had more knowledge about aging and more positive explicit attitudes toward older adults, but their implicit attitudes toward older adults and anxiety about aging did not change. Control students showed no changes. These findings suggest that objective knowledge of aging and explicit attitudes improve with curricular intervention, but implicit attitudes and anxiety might be more difficult to change. Gerontology education is a complex undertaking whose diverse goals must be clearly articulated in order to guide curricular interventions and incite curiosity among young undergraduate students. PMID:26886151

A World Apart? Bridging the Gap between Theory and Applied Social Gerontology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hendricks, Jon; Applebaum, Robert; Kunkel, Suzanne

2010-01-01

This article is based on the premise that there is inadequate attention to the link between theory and applied research in social gerontology. The article contends that applied research studies do not often or effectively employ a theoretical framework and that theory-based articles, including theory-based research, are not often focused on…

Identification of a Core Curriculum in Gerontology for Allied Health Professionals. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hedl, John J.; And Others

The overall goal of this project was to identify a core curriculum in gerontology for seven allied health professions (radiologic technologist, radiation therapist, respiratory therapist, dental hygienist, dental assistant, physical therapy assistant, and occupational therapy assistant). The project also identified the current state of gerontology…

[Related factors in the elderly's use of municipal institutions: basic study for promoting participation in a care prevention program].

PubMed

Hirai, Hiroshi; Kondo, Katsunori

2008-01-01

This study was performed to examine factors related to the use of municipal institutions with the focus on 'Accessibility'. The data used in this analysis were from the AGES (Aichi Gerontological Evaluation Study) Project, conducted by Nihon Fukushi University located in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. A self-administrated questionnaires was mailed to 5,759 persons aged 65 years and older who were not disabled in 2006, and 2,795 persons responded. A dependent variable in the analysis was the use of municipal institutions (a Public Health Center, Welfare Center for the elderly and City Hall). Independent variables were age, disease, employment status, IADL (instrumental activities of daily living), depression (GDS: geriatric depression scale), self-rated feeling of health and 'Accessibility' (transportation mode and distance from municipal institutions). Multivariate logistic analysis was used to provide adjusted relative risk estimates for the associations between use of municipal institutions and related factors. In multivariate logistic analysis, 'Accessibility' showed a significant relative risk for the use of municipal institutions after controlling for other related factors. Compared with the elderly whose places of residence was located less than 250 meters from the municipal institutions, the relative risk for the elderly who resided more than 1,500 meters from the municipal institutions was around 0.4 (male: RR = 0.358; female: RR = 0.378). 'Accessibility' is significantly related to the use of municipal institutions. To promote use of the municipal institutions, improving elderly access may well be effective.

Topics in space gerontology: Effects of altered gravity and the problem of biological age

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Economos, A. C.

1982-01-01

The use of altered gravity experimentation as a gerontological research tool is examined and a rationale for a systems approach to the adaptation to spaceflight is presented. The dependence of adaptation capacity on biological age is also discussed.

Aqueous Extracts of Hibiscus sabdariffa Calyces to Control Aichi Virus.

PubMed

D'Souza, Doris H; Dice, Lezlee; Davidson, P Michael

2016-06-01

Aqueous Hibiscus sabdariffa extracts possess antimicrobial properties with limited information available on their antiviral effects. Aichi virus (AiV) is an emerging foodborne pathogen that causes gastroenteritis. Vaccines are currently unavailable to prevent their disease transmission. The objective of this study was to determine the antiviral effects of aqueous H. sabdariffa extracts against AiV. AiV at ~5 log PFU/ml was incubated with undiluted (200 mg/ml), 1:1 (100 mg/ml) or 1:5 (40 mg/ml) diluted aqueous hibiscus extract (pH 3.6), phosphate-buffered saline (pH 7.2 as control), or malic acid (pH 3.0, acid control) at 37 °C over 24 h. Treatments were stopped by serially diluting in cell-culture media containing fetal bovine serum and titers were determined using plaque assays on confluent Vero cells. Each treatment was replicated thrice and assayed in duplicate. AiV did not show any significant reduction with 1:1 (100 mg/ml) or 1:5 (40 mg/ml) diluted aqueous hibiscus extracts or malic acid after 0.5, 1, or 2 h at 37 °C. However, AiV titers were reduced to non-detectable levels after 24 h with all the three tested concentrations, while malic acid showed only 0.93 log PFU/ml reduction after 24 h. AiV was reduced by 0.5 and 0.9 log PFU/ml with undiluted extracts (200 mg/ml) after 2 and 6 h, respectively. AiV treated with 1:1 (100 mg/ml) and 1:5 (40 mg/ml) diluted extracts showed a minimal ~0.3 log PFU/ml reduction after 6 h. These extracts show promise to reduce AiV titers mainly through alteration of virus structure, though higher concentrations may have improved effects.

Ways to make "usual" and "successful" aging synonymous. Preventive gerontology.

PubMed Central

Hazzard, W R

1997-01-01

Preventive gerontology is the study and practice of those elements of lifestyle, environment, and health care management that will provide the maximal longevity of highest quality for individuals and the population. As such, it focuses on a personalized hygiene agenda that varies in its emphasis according to a person's age, sex, and risk factor profile. It includes a matrix of strategies relating to diet, exercise, and the avoidance of substance abuse and adverse environmental exposure. Preventive gerontology carries differential emphases according to the life stage of a person, featuring long-term, low-cost, and low-risk lifestyle strategies in youth and middle age (generally to age 75) and more short-term, low-risk interventions in old age (> 75), especially secondary prevention, according to individualized estimates of risk, cost, and benefit. The aggregate effect of widespread application of this approach--especially insofar as it is coupled with a rising level of education and continued psychosocial development--will be progressive congruency between usual and successful aging. A by-product will also be an ever-advancing median age of the population and, inevitably, a growth in long-term health and social service needs. Responsible planning for this consequence of success in the 21st century will require a rededication of North Americans to care for those in need regardless of age. PMID:9348749

Gerontological Training Programs Offered by Latin American Universities: Number, Characteristics, and Disciplinary Contents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Villar, Feliciano; Giuliani, María Florencia; Serrat, Rodrigo; Curcio, Carmen-Lucía; Lopes, Alexandra; Maldonado, María de la Luz Martínez; Oliveira, Rita da Cássia

2017-01-01

One of the challenges of population aging is to ensure that there are enough trained professionals to meet the changing, specific needs of aging populations. The aim of this study was to describe the number, geographical distribution, and general characteristics of gerontological training programs offered by Latin American universities and to…

Promoting Active Engagement in Health Research: Lessons from an Undergraduate Gerontology Capstone Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robbins, Emily J.; Kinney, Jennifer M.; Kart, Cary S.

2008-01-01

With National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Aging (NIH/NIA) (R15/AREA) funding, the authors offered a four-credit hour undergraduate research course that was cross-listed in gerontology and sociology. This capstone course was aimed at providing students with the opportunity to (1) gain knowledge about diabetes and racial/ethnic…

Workforce training and education gaps in gerontology and geriatrics: what we found in New York State.

PubMed

Maiden, Robert J; Horowitz, Beverly P; Howe, Judith L

2010-01-01

This article summarizes data from the 2008 Symposium Charting the Future for New York State Workforce Training and Education in Aging: The Stakeholder Perspective and the 2009 report Workforce Training and Education: The Challenge for Academic Institutions. This research is the outcome of a collaborative State Society on Aging of New York and New York State Office for the Aging study on New York State's workforce training and education needs. Eight Listening Sessions were held across New York State to obtain input on topics including training, gerontology education, and credentialing and certification. Individual sessions highlighted the needs of urban, rural, and suburban communities. Key themes identified through content analysis included the need for education about aging in agencies serving older adults, education on human development, positive aspects of aging, disabilities, developmental disabilities, and greater opportunities for training and education for service providers. Lack of incentives was identified as a barrier to credentialing or certification. Education about growing older beginning in grade school was recommended. Lack of funding was identified as a barrier that limited support for employee education/training. Disconnects were identified between employers and academic institutions and state government and providers regarding gerontology/geriatric training and education. Consideration to how these themes may be addressed by the Association of Gerontology in Higher Education is offered.

Training Needs in Gerontology. Hearings, Special Committee on Aging, United States Senate. Part 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. Senate Special Committee on Aging.

At the second day of hearings on training needs in gerontology the witnesses were Stephen Kurzman accompanied by Arthur S. Flemming, John Lapp, Gerald D. LaVeck; George Maddox; Elias Cohen; Wilma Donahue; Brin Hawkins with Lettie Graves and Yolanda Owens; and John B. Martin. (MS)

A multidisciplinary allied health faculty team: formation and first year production of problem-based learning in gerontology/geriatrics.

PubMed

Silver, S

1998-01-01

An interdisciplinary team of faculty, administrators and practitioners representing diverse settings for allied health education has formed the Mid-Atlantic Allied Health Geriatric Education Center (MAHGEC) to produce problem-based learning (PBL) cases related to older adults. These cases will enable allied health students and practitioners to work together in interdisciplinary teams and expand allied health education to include health issues related to gerontology/ geriatrics. The health professionals of MAHGEC have brought different perspectives to the project. These include: (1) educational requirements to be gained from their association with MAHGEC, (2) health care disciplines to enhance the PBL cases produced, (3) personal histories related to older adults, and (4) ideas for utilization of problem-based learning in their particular educational and professional settings. The first year of this project has included the execution of a needs assessment for gerontology/geriatric education in allied health programs, the development of the infrastructure of MAHGEC, building the content base of MAHGEC faculty regarding gerontology/geriatrics and problem-based learning, the establishment of priorities in the production of problem-based learning cases for Year 01, and division into production teams for cases.

Promoting Careers in Gerontology to Students: What Are Undergraduates Seeking in a Career?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eshbaugh, Elaine; Gross, Patricia E.; Hillebrand, Kelsey; Davie, Josie; Henninger, William R.

2013-01-01

The graying of the Baby Boomers has created a shortage of professionals in aging-related careers. However, colleges and universities with gerontology and aging programs face a challenge of recruiting students. The purpose of this study was to determine what students are looking for in a career and whether these attributes are congruent with…

Independent community care gerontological nursing: becoming an entrepreneur.

PubMed

Caffrey, Rosalie A

2005-08-01

Few nurses have the experience of developing an independent practice. This ethnographic study explores the process and challenges of becoming an entrepreneur as described by nurses developing independent practices in community care gerontologic nursing. The process included developing a legal contract, marketing strategies, and reimbursement amounts and strategies. Major barriers to implementing this role identified by the nurses included ignorance and confusion by others about their role, financial issues related to an uncertain income, time management, and legal concerns especially around delegation. These were experienced and dedicated nurses who were also risk-takers and enjoyed the independence of practicing nursing because they believed it was meant to be practiced. Suggestions for research, education, and practice are included.

Giving social support to outside family may be a desirable buffer against depressive symptoms in community-dwelling older adults: Japan gerontological evaluation study.

PubMed

Tsuboi, Hirohito; Hirai, Hiroshi; Kondo, Katsunori

2016-01-01

Depression is the leading cause of impaired quality of life and burden upon societies. Social supports can buffer against depressive symptoms effectively. The aim of this study is to determine the type of social support to have a positive relationship with depressive symptoms in healthy population. 11,869 male and 12,763 female residents within the age range of 65-100 were analyzed cross-sectionally with regard to depressive symptoms (evaluated by the Japanese version of the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale), social supports (four dimensions: giving or receiving, emotional or instrumental), and covariates utilizing data collected by the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study. Analyzed　participants were GDS scores ≤ 10 and independence in ADL, who could give and receive supports well. Multiple linear models were applied for the analysis. All supports between husband and wife were significantly associated with lower depressive degrees. In comparison with the differences between receiving and giving supports in predictive effects on depressive degrees, giving social supports to outside family, emotional or instrumental, were associated with fewer depressive symptoms. There is a possibility that not only supports between husband and wife but giving social supports to outside family accounts for psychological benefits against depression, in addition to supports between husband and wife.

Implementation of Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) learning approaches in social work and sociology gerontology courses.

PubMed

Kolb, Patricia

2013-01-01

This article describes the goals and methods of the international Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) movement in higher education, and WAC-enriched learning approaches that the author used in teaching a social work gerontology practice course and a sociological theories of aging course. The author's in-class, low-stakes, nongraded writing assignments facilitated students' development of knowledge about gerontological practice and sociological theories, as well as analytical thinking. The assignments are influenced by WAC's perspective that when students write their reactions to information, their understanding and retention of information improves; that writing can facilitate the application of new content to students' own lives and interests; and that increased frequency of writing increases writing comfort and maintenance and can result in the improvement of writing skills. The students' reactions to the assignments have been very positive.

[The evaluation of the prevalence of constipation at the Centre of clinical gerontology].

PubMed

Pančevová, Pavla; Vodička, Martin; Vašut, Karel; Forejtar, Milan

Constipation is a disease which increases in the senior population and is a common complication for hospitalised patients. Among the risk factors are age, female gender, immobility, diet, fluid intake and polypharmacotherapy. The aim of the study was to analyse the prevalence of constipation according to the used drugs and known risk factors in a population with a high prevalence of constipation. In the department of clinical gerontology, observational prevalence point study was performed using a questionnaire involving 100 patients based on the patients subjective perception of constipation. Prevalence of constipation was determined according to the drug categories and individual drugs, gender, age, mobility, diagnosis, diet and fluid intake. There were 59 patients who suffered from constipation. A high prevalence of constipation was associated with the diet, the principal diagnosis, and mainly the use of drugs. Among the drugs associated with constipation were the calcium channel blockers of 21 patients out of 28, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors of 22 patients out of 30, drugs for the treatment of increased urinary frequency and incontinence of 6 patients out of 6 and bisoprolol of 10 patients out of 11. Hospitalisation of seniors is connected with the high prevalence of constipation that is increased by the use of drugs that influence constipation. A change in the therapeutic value of drugs should be taken into consideration during the pharmacotherapy of this group of patients. constipation risks factors for constipation drug-induced constipation.

Sketches in Cyberspace: Using Student Drawings of Elders in an Online Social Gerontology Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barrett, Anne E.; Pai, Manacy

2008-01-01

Much of the literature on teaching gerontology derives from experiences in face-to-face settings. There is limited discussion of either the applicability of teaching techniques drawn from the traditional setting to the online environment or the development of novel strategies to engage distance students of aging. We developed and assessed an…

Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Gerontology and Geriatrics in Latin America: Conceptual Approaches and Health Care Teams

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gomez, Fernando; Curcio, Carmen Lucia

2013-01-01

The underlying rationale to support interdisciplinary collaboration in geriatrics and gerontology is based on the complexity of elderly care. The most important characteristic about interdisciplinary health care teams for older people in Latin America is their subjective-basis framework. In other regions, teams are organized according to a…

Employment Outcomes and Satisfaction Levels in Graduates of the Gerontology Master's Programs in Spain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruiz-Adame Reina, Manuel

2016-01-01

There has been an increase in the aging population in developed countries. This has led to a need for trained people in the gerontological field. The most common academic way of specializing in this field in Spain is via a master's program. It is well known that investing in human capital increases knowledge, productivity, and the probability of…

Training Needs in Gerontology. Hearings, Special Committee on Aging, United States Senate. Part 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. Senate Special Committee on Aging.

Two days of hearings on training needs in gerontology were opened by Senator Lawton Chiles. Statements were made by Senators Frank Church, Harrison A. Williams, Jr., Jennings Randolph, and Edward Kennedy. Witnesses for the first day were J. E. Wilson, III, with George Ebra and Maeve H. Foster; Walter M. Beattie; Percil Stanford; Clavin Fields with…

[Physical and pharmacological restraints in geriatric and gerontology services and centers].

PubMed

Ramos Cordero, Primitivo; López Trigo, José Antonio; Maíllo Pedraz, Herminio; Paz Rubio, José María

2015-01-01

Physical and pharmacological restraints are a controversial issue in the context of geriatric care due to their moral, ethical, social and legal repercussions and, despite this fact, no specific legislation exists at a national level. The use of restraints is being questioned with growing frequency, as there are studies that demonstrate that restraints do not reduce the number of falls or their consequences, but rather can increase them, cause complications, injuries and potentially fatal accidents. Restraints are not always used rationally, despite compromising a fundamental human right, that is, freedom, protected in the Constitution, as well as values and principles, such as dignity and personal self-esteem. There are centers where restraints are applied to more than 50% of patients, and in some cases without the consent of their legal representatives. On some occasions, restraints are used for attaining organizational or environmental objectives, such as complying with tight schedules, and for reducing or avoiding the supervision of patients who walk erratically and, at times, are used indefinitely. Even greater confusion exists with respect to the emerging concept of chemical or pharmacological restraints, since no conceptual framework exists based on scientific evidence, and with sufficient consensus for guiding healthcare workers. In this context, the Sociedad Española de Geriatría y Gerontología (SEGG--Spanish Geriatrics and Gerontology Society), aware of the significance and transcendence of the issue, and in an attempt to preserve and guarantee maximum freedom, dignity and self-esteem, on the one hand, and to ensure the maximum integrity and legal certainty of the persons cared for in geriatric and gerontology services and centers, on the other, decided to create an "Interdisciplinary Committee on Restraints" made up by members from different disciplines and members of SEGG Working Groups or Committees, external health care workers, groups

[Use of social and health primary care services for older people with complex needs: Comparison of three types of gerontological coordination].

PubMed

de Stampa, M; Bagaragaza, E; Herr, M; Aegerter, P; Vedel, I; Bergman, H; Ankri, J

2014-10-01

Older people with complex needs live mainly at home. Several types of gerontological coordinations have been established on the French territory to meet their needs and to implement social and primary health care services. But we do not have any information on the use of these services at home as a function of the coordination method used. We compared the use of home care services for older people with complex needs in three types of coordination with 12 months' follow-up. The three coordinations regrouped a gerontological network with case management (n=105 persons), a nursing home service (SSIAD) with a nurse coordination (n=206 persons) and an informal coordination with a non-professional caregiver (n=117 persons). At t0, the older people addressed to the gerontological network had less access to the services offered at home; those followed by the SSIAD had the highest number of services and of weekly interventions. Hours of weekly services were two-fold higher in those with the informal coordination. At t12, there was an improvement in access to services for the network group with case management and an overall increase in the use of professional services at home with no significant difference between the three groups. The use of social and primary health care services showed differences between the three gerontological coordinations. The one-year evolution in the use of home services was comparable between the groups without an explosion in the number of services in the network group with case management. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

GEROM – Developing a Contemporary On-line Master’s Degree Curriculum in Gerontology

PubMed Central

Kokol, Peter; Blažun, Helena

2012-01-01

Demographic changes have profoundly influenced the structure of present and future populations in terms of the number of older people requiring nursing care, the nature and settings of the nursing care provided, and finally, each individual, e. g., nursing care providers. The aim of the paper is to present the results of the EU Erasmus project GEROM, which, among other things, resulted in an on-line gerontological master’s degree curriculum which is globally focused, flexible, innovative, diverse, contemporary and ICT-based. It focuses on meeting the needs of older people and their carers. An innovative aspect in the curriculum implementation is a virtual environment for clinical practice, enabling students to practice clinical and nursing interventions and diagnosing on-line, based on an adaptive, individualized and personalized blended-learning approach. During the pilot implementation of three randomly selected subjects, the students evaluated the program and were satisfied with both content and implementation. PMID:24199089

Advancing the Aging and Technology Agenda in Gerontology.

PubMed

Schulz, Richard; Wahl, Hans-Werner; Matthews, Judith T; De Vito Dabbs, Annette; Beach, Scott R; Czaja, Sara J

2015-10-01

Interest in technology for older adults is driven by multiple converging trends: the rapid pace of technological development; the unprecedented growth of the aging population in the United States and worldwide; the increase in the number and survival of persons with disability; the growing and unsustainable costs of caring for the elderly people; and the increasing interest on the part of business, industry, and government agencies in addressing health care needs with technology. These trends have contributed to the strong conviction that technology can play an important role in enhancing quality of life and independence of older individuals with high levels of efficiency, potentially reducing individual and societal costs of caring for the elderly people. The purpose of this "Forum" position article is to integrate what we know about older adults and technology systems in order to provide direction to this vital enterprise. We define what we mean by technology for an aging population, provide a brief history of its development, introduce a taxonomy for characterizing current technology applications to older adults, summarize research in this area, describe existing development and evaluation processes, identify factors important for the acceptance of technology among older individuals, and recommend future directions for research in this area. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

What's in a Name? An Examination of Sociology of Aging Versus Social Gerontology Course Content

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dossey-Newby, Paula; Krull, Amy C.

2005-01-01

This study examines the comparability of sociology of aging courses, a core component in many undergraduate multidisciplinary gerontology minor programs. A content analysis of syllabi in the 5th edition of Teaching Sociology of Aging and the Life Course (Harris, 2000) was undertaken to determine the presence of 7 core sociological concepts. Among…

[PhD theses on gerontological topics in Russia 1995-2012: scientometric analysis].

PubMed

Smol'kin, A A; Makarova, E A

2014-01-01

The paper presents a scientometric analysis of PhD theses on gerontological topics in Russian humanities (excluding economics) for the period from 1995 to 2012. During this period, 253 PhD theses (238 of "candidate dissertations," and 15 of "doctoral dissertations") were defended in Russia. Almost half of them were defended during the boom years (2005-2006; 2009-2010). The number of theses defended in the 2000-s has increased significantly compared to the second half of 1990-s. However for gerontological PhD-s overall as a percentage of all theses defended in Russian humanities, the number hardly changed and remained small (less than 0.3%). The leading discipline in the study of aging (within the humanities) is sociology accounting for more than a third of all defended theses. Though the theses were defended in 48 cities, more than half of them were defended in 3 cities, which are Moscow, St. Petersburg and Saratov. Thematic analysis showed that the leading position was occupied by two topics: "the elderly and the state" (42%) and "(re)socialization/adaptation of the elderly" (25%). 14% of the works are devoted to intergenerational relations and social status of the elderly. Other topics (old man/woman's personality, self-perceptions of aging, violence and crime against the elderly, loneliness, discrimination, etc.) are presented by very few studies.

Factors Associated with Falls in Community-Dwelling Older People with Focus on Participation in Sport Organizations: The Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study Project

PubMed Central

Hayashi, Takahiro; Kondo, Katsunori; Suzuki, Kayo; Yamada, Minoru; Matsumoto, Daisuke

2014-01-01

Objective. Promoting participation in sport organizations may be a population strategy for preventing falls in older people. In this study, we examined whether participation in sport organizations is associated with fewer falls in older people even after adjusting for multiple individual and environmental factors. Methods. We used the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study data of 90,610 people (31 municipalities) who were not eligible for public long-term care. Logistic regression analysis was performed, with multiple falls over the past year as the dependent variable and participation in a sport organization as the independent variable, controlling for 13 factors. These included individual factors related to falls, such as age and sex, and environmental factors such as population density of the habitable area. Results. A total of 6,391 subjects (7.1%) had a history of multiple falls. Despite controlling for 13 variables, those who participated in a sport organization at least once a week were approximately ≥20% less likely to fall than those who did not participate at all (once a week; odds ratio = 0.82 and 95% confidence interval = 0.72–0.95). Conclusion. Participation in a sport organization at least once per week might help prevent falls in the community-dwelling older people. PMID:24955360

Strategies to improve nurse knowledge of delirium: a call to the adult-gerontology clinical nurse specialist.

PubMed

Middle, Beverly; Miklancie, Margaret

2015-01-01

The purpose of this article is to discuss the role of the adult-gerontology clinical nurse specialist in addressing the problem of delirium in hospitalized older adults through strategies to improve nurse knowledge. Delirium is a significant issue in hospitalized older adults. This acute confusional state can adversely impact older adults in various ways. Delirium has been implicated in (1) poor physical, cognitive, and psychological outcomes, (2) prolonged hospitalizations, (3) increased costs of care, (4) need for continued postacute care, and (5) patient and provider stress. To prevent delirium, nurses must possess the knowledge to identify risk factors and institute preventive strategies. Once a change in mental status occurs, it is critical that nurses recognize delirium and the steps necessary to provide safe, effective care. Nurses are the major providers of bedside care; however, multiple studies have identified a lack of nurse knowledge regarding delirium. The adult-gerontology clinical nurse specialist can be instrumental in fostering knowledge on this important issue. Multiple interventions can be conducted by the adult-gerontology clinical nurse specialist with acute care nurses to increase delirium knowledge. A review of the literature revealed strategies that might be used in the hospital setting. Before educational endeavors, it is crucial to assess baseline nurse knowledge of delirium. Educational strategies can then include use of standardized delirium assessment tools, implementation of the Geriatric Resource Nurse model, fostering geriatric case studies and simulations, conducting geriatric grand rounds, and development of structured delirium educational programs. Exploring the patient experience, post delirium, can provide an invaluable, first-hand account of the acute confusional state. This information can impact nurse knowledge as well as patient safety and well-being. Geriatric certification and professional organizational involvement can be

Learner-Centered Online Courses/Programs in Gerontology and Geriatrics: New Responses to Changing Needs of Health Professionals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cotter, J. James; Welleford, E. Ayn; Drain, Cecil B.

2008-01-01

This article describes recent trends that have led to an emphasis on a learner-centered approach to gerontology and geriatrics education especially in distance-based education. A learner-centered approach to education has combined with technological advances to stimulate distance-enhanced education for students in geriatric and gerontology…

Consultation-Conference on Developmental Disabilities and Gerontology. Proceedings of a Conference (Ann Arbor, Michigan, May 8-10, 1978).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Segal, Robert M., Ed.

This document contains the proceedings from the National Conference on Developmental Disabilities and Gerontology, a conference designed to develop guidelines for program development on national, state, and local levels; develop and disseminate a proceedings publication; and provide an interface between professionals working at national, state,…

Successful Aging and Its Discontents: A Systematic Review of the Social Gerontology Literature

PubMed Central

Martinson, Marty; Berridge, Clara

2015-01-01

Purpose of the Study: The purpose of this study was to analyze the range of critiques of successful aging models and the suggestions for improvement as expressed in the social gerontology literature. Design and Methods: We conducted a systematic literature review using the following criteria: journal articles retrieved in the Abstracts in Social Gerontology, published 1987–2013, successful aging/ageing in the title or text (n = 453), a critique of successful aging models as a key component of the article. Sixty-seven articles met the criteria. Qualitative methods were used to identify key themes and inductively configure meanings across the range of critiques. Results: The critiques and remedies fell into 4 categories. The Add and Stir group suggested a multidimensional expansion of successful aging criteria and offered an array of additions. The Missing Voices group advocated for adding older adults’ subjective meanings of successful aging to established objective measures. The Hard Hitting Critiques group called for more just and inclusive frameworks that embrace diversity, avoid stigma and discrimination, and intervene at structural contexts of aging. The New Frames and Names group presented alternative ideal models often grounded in Eastern philosophies. Implications: The vast array of criteria that gerontologists collectively offered to expand Rowe and Kahn’s original successful model is symptomatic of the problem that a normative model is by definition exclusionary. Greater reflexivity about gerontology’s use of “successful aging” and other normative models is needed. PMID:24814830

Considering Accreditation in Gerontology: The Importance of Interprofessional Collaborative Competencies to Ensure Quality Health Care for Older Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldberg, Lynette R.; Koontz, Jennifer Scott; Rogers, Nicole; Brickell, Jean

2012-01-01

The health care needs of older adults can be complex and multifaceted. Safe, effective, equitable, and person-centered service provision relies on skilled interprofessional, team-based practice. Too often, students seeking a career specializing in gerontology are not exposed to such interprofessional, team-based learning and practice during their…

Gerontologic/Geriatric Training in Medical School: Preferences of Students, Educators, and Practitioners of Medicine in Regard to Curricular Content.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coccaro, Emil F.; And Others

1983-01-01

Assessed the attitudes of students, faculties, and practitioners associated with two schools of medicine toward gerontologic/geriatric medical education including specific items relating to course content during the preclinical and clinical years. Results revealed a consensus regarding course content in areas such as psychiatry, nutrition, and…

Infusing Aging and Public Policy Content into Gerontology Courses: Collaborative Learning Methods To Teach about Social Security and Medicare.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cianciolo, Patricia K.; Henderson, Tammy L.

2003-01-01

Describes modules on Social Security and Medicare for gerontology policy courses. Discusses collaborative exercises in which students explore Internet resources on Social Security and health care finance, identity major concerns about reforms, and enact scenarios about retirees with varying degrees of income and health care security. (Contains 33…

Job Satisfaction Among Gerontological Social Workers in Ontario, Canada.

PubMed

Simons, Kelsey; An, Sofiya

2015-01-01

Little is known about job satisfaction among Canada's social work workforce in aging, although social workers remain a key component of interdisciplinary care in health and social service settings. This study begins to address this gap in knowledge by examining individual, interpersonal, and job-design factors influencing the job satisfaction of gerontological social workers in Ontario. Data were collected via two online surveys with a sample drawn from the Ontario Association of Social Workers' membership list (N = 104). A multiple regression model explained 37% of the variance in job satisfaction, F = 5.47[10, 93], p < .001). Three independent variables were significant (positive affect, β = .21; promotional chances, β = .21; and client acuity, β = -.18). The results suggest the importance of promoting strategies for enhancing job satisfaction, advancing promotional opportunities for social work clinicians, and providing educational and clinical supports to clinicians.

The evolution of gerontology and geriatrics in an era of a politics of aging.

PubMed

Torres-Gil, Fernando M

2017-01-01

The fields of gerontology and geriatrics are facing unprecedented changes, pressures, and opportunities. The 21st century requires that we utilize contemporary approaches to modernizing these disciplines for new populations, new cohorts and new social, economic and political demands. This article draws on the authors professional, academic, and public policy experiences to suggest initiatives and paradigms that can set a road map to both change the last centuries' notions of longevity and social supports to one that accounts for technology, varied cohorts, a public/private sector divide, and the nexus of aging and diversity.

Survival of hepatitis A virus and Aichi virus in cranberry-based juices at refrigeration (4 °C).

PubMed

Sewlikar, Snigdha; D'Souza, Doris H

2017-04-01

Viral foodborne illness continues to be a health-concern globally, with numerous fruit and juice outbreaks of Hepatitis A virus (HAV) reported worldwide. Aichi virus (AiV) is an emerging pathogen with limited epidemiological data. Both, HAV and AiV are resistant to low pH and can survive under adverse environmental conditions leading to transmission ease. The objective of this study was to evaluate the survival of HAV and AiV in commercially-available cranberry-based juices (Cranberry juice cocktail, CJ and a 100% juice with cranberry, MJ) over 21 days at refrigeration (4 °C). Equal volumes of juice was mixed with each virus individually (final titer of 6 log PFU/mL) and stored at refrigeration over 21 days. At each time interval, the inoculated juices were serially diluted in cell culture media and infectious virus survival was determined by standard plaque assays. Each experiment was carried out in duplicate and replicated thrice. Reductions of 0.72 ± 0.06 (after day 1) to 2.3 ± 0.18 log PFU/mL (after day 21) and 0.63 ± 0.02 (after day 1) to 1.84 ± 0.14 log PFU/mL (after day 21) were obtained for AiV with MJ and CJ, respectively. Reductions ranging from 0.67 ± 0.03 (after day 1) to 1.09 ± 0.1 log PFU/mL (after day 21) and 0.93 ± 0.27 (after day1) to 1.49 ± 0.18 log PFU/mL (after day 21) were obtained for HAV at refrigeration in MJ and CJ, respectively. HAV showed greater survival than AiV in these juices over refrigerated storage. These results provide survival data of HAV and AiV in cranberry-based juices that can be used in risk-modeling and risk assessment studies. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

A 10-Year Follow-Up Study of Social Ties and Functional Health among the Old: The AGES Project

PubMed Central

Murata, Chiyoe; Saito, Tami; Tsuji, Taishi; Saito, Masashige

2017-01-01

In Asian nations, family ties are considered important. However, it is not clear what happens among older people with no such ties. To investigate the association, we used longitudinal data from the Aichi Gerontological Evaluation Study (AGES) project. Functionally independent older people at baseline (N = 14,088) in 10 municipalities were followed from 2003 to 2013. Social ties were assessed by asking about their social support exchange with family, relatives, friends, or neighbors. Cox proportional hazard models were employed to investigate the association between social ties and the onset of functional disability adjusting for age, health status, and living arrangement. We found that social ties with co-residing family members, and those with friends or neighbors, independently protected functional health with hazard ratios of 0.81 and 0.85 among men. Among women, ties with friend or neighbors had a stronger effect on health compared to their male counterparts with a hazard ratio of 0.89. The fact that social ties with friends or neighbors are associated with a lower risk of functional decline, independent of family support, serves to underscore the importance of promoting social ties, especially among those lacking family ties. PMID:28671627

Engaged teaching for engaged learning: sharing your passion for gerontology and geriatrics.

PubMed

Karasik, Rona J

2012-01-01

Gerontologists face a unique set of obstacles in attracting newcomers to the field. Despite demographic trends favorable to a wide range of employment opportunities and job security, aging is rarely top of mind for many students when it comes to career choices. For most gerontologists, aging is our passion. How do we share that passion with others who have yet to discover its interdisciplinary opportunities, or who may be held at bay by negative stereotypes of aging and older persons? This article explores various approaches to enhance engaged teaching and engaged learning that can help personalize and contextualize the field so that educators and students at all levels and disciplines can find their passion for gerontology and geriatrics.

Speculations on the Future of Taught Masters Courses in Gerontology: Lessons from a Comparison of England, Scotland, Finland, and Spain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Askham, Janet; Gilhooly, Mary; Parkatti, Terttu; Vega, Jose-Luis

2007-01-01

Postgraduate education in gerontology is now widespread within European universities, but, even so, such developments remain very uneven. This paper outlines the variety of provision by describing Master's programmes in a sample of countries: England, Scotland, Finland, and Spain. These programmes illustrate some of the common problems: lack of…

The association between social participation and cognitive function in community-dwelling older populations: Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study at Taisetsu community Hokkaido.

PubMed

Sakamoto, Ai; Ukawa, Shigekazu; Okada, Emiko; Sasaki, Sachiko; Zhao, Wenjing; Kishi, Tomoko; Kondo, Katsunori; Tamakoshi, Akiko

2017-10-01

To study the association between the number of area-level and individual-level social participation items and cognitive function in the community-dwelling older populations of three towns in Hokkaido, Japan. A survey on the frequency of social participation was mailed to those in the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study 2013 who were aged ≥65 years, were not certified as needing long-term care, and lived in Higashikawa, Higashikagura, or Biei. A subset of participants aged 70-74 years completed the Japanese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment in a home visit survey. Both the area-level and individual-level social participation and demographic information were obtained on the self-administered questionnaire. A multilevel analysis using a generalized linear mixed-effects model was used to examine the association between variables in the area-level and individual-level social participation items and cognitive function. Out of 4042 respondents, data from 2576 were used in the area-level analysis. Of those, 180 were aged 70-74 years and completed the home visit survey for the individual-level analysis. A greater number of higher social participation items at the individual level was associated with higher cognitive function scores after adjusting for area-level social participation variables and confounders (regression coefficient: 0.19; 95% confidence interval: 0.03, 0.35). There were no significant associations between area-level social participation item averages and individual-level cognitive function scores. Older populations participating in many kinds of social activities exhibited preserved cognitive function even after adjusting for area-level social participation variables. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Mindfulness: Reconnecting the Body and Mind in Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology

PubMed Central

Rejeski, W. Jack

2008-01-01

Derived from Buddhism, mindfulness is a unique approach for understanding human suffering and happiness that has attracted rapidly growing interest among health care professionals. In this article I describe current thinking about the concept of mindfulness and elaborate on why and how mindfulness-based interventions have potential within the context of geriatric medicine and gerontology. Upon reviewing definitions and models of the concept, I give attention to the unique role that the body plays in cultivating mindfulness and the advantages that this focus has for older adults because they have aging biological systems and may experience chronic disease, pain, and disability. In the final section I discuss why mindfulness may be particularly useful in promoting physical activity among older adults and how physical activity may be used as a vehicle to promote mindfulness. PMID:18483425

Supporting family carers through telephone-mediated group programs: opportunities for gerontological social workers.

PubMed

Shanley, Chris

2008-01-01

Telephone-mediated group programs are an important but under-utilized medium for reaching frail or disabled older persons' family carers who are in need of support. The primary purpose and style of group programs can range across a broad spectrum-encompassing educational, supportive and therapeutic types. Gerontological social workers are the members of the multidisciplinary care team whose training, experience and supervision makes them most suitable for facilitating this broad range of group types. Drawing on the experience of training a number of group facilitators, this article provides suggestions for social workers contemplating the use of telephone-mediated groups and highlights groupwork skills peculiar to conducting group programs via the telephone.

Integration or specialization? Similarities and differences between Sweden and the United States in gerontology education and training.

PubMed

McCall, Mary E; Börjesson, Ulrika

2017-01-01

This article examines the similarities and differences in the education and training of gerontologists and others who work with older people in Sweden and the United States. It outlines the aging trends in both countries and assesses the level of training for those who provide care in a variety of fields. Both countries are aging, but the programs for gerontological training are quite different in the two countries, reflecting underlying cultural values. Sweden's education is generally more oriented toward the integration of some aging education in more disciplinary fields, such as nursing and social work and thus could benefit from more specialized, aging-specific courses. The United States is highly specialized, with multiple programs in various subfields of aging (e.g., geropsychology; aging services administration) and could benefit from integrating more aging knowledge into courses in other disciplines. The authors challenge professionals to consider if there is a basic but global curriculum and/or set of competencies in gerontology that could be agreed upon. As an increasingly global village, the ability to share and learn is more easily achievable. Sweden and the United States have much to learn from each other in terms of appropriately educating and training those who support our older people.

Evaluating the contribution of zoos and aquariums to Aichi Biodiversity Target 1.

PubMed

Moss, Andrew; Jensen, Eric; Gusset, Markus

2015-04-01

The United Nations Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 is a key initiative within global efforts to halt and eventually reverse the loss of biodiversity. The very first target of this plan states that "by 2020, at the latest, people are aware of the values of biodiversity and the steps they can take to conserve and use it sustainably." Zoos and aquariums worldwide, attracting more than 700 million visits every year, could potentially make a positive contribution to this target. However, a global evaluation of the educational impacts of visits to zoos and aquariums is entirely lacking in the existing literature. To address this gap, we conducted a large-scale impact evaluation study. We used a pre- and postvisit repeated-measures survey design to evaluate biodiversity literacy-understanding of biodiversity and knowledge of actions to help protect it-of zoo and aquarium visitors worldwide. Ours was the largest and most international study of zoo and aquarium visitors ever conducted. In total, 5661 visitors to 26 zoos and aquariums from 19 countries around the globe participated in the study. Aggregate biodiversity understanding and knowledge of actions to help protect biodiversity both significantly increased over the course of zoo and aquarium visits. There was an increase from previsit (69.8%) to postvisit (75.1%) in respondents demonstrating at least some positive evidence of biodiversity understanding. Similarly, there was an increase from previsit (50.5%) to postvisit (58.8%) in respondents who could identify actions to help protect biodiversity that could be achieved at an individual level. Our results are the most compelling evidence to date that zoo and aquarium visits contribute to increasing the number of people who understand biodiversity and know actions they can take to help protect biodiversity. © 2014 Society for Conservation Biology.

The growth and development of gerontological nurse leaders in policy.

PubMed

Perez, G Adriana; Mason, Diana J; Harden, J Taylor; Cortes, Tara A

The National Hartford Center of Gerontological Nursing Excellence (NHCGNE) Scholars/Fellows Award Program was designed to promote the growth and development of nurse scientists, educators, and leaders in aging. McBride's conceptual framework of the growth and development of nurse leaders was used to examine the NHCGNE impact on health and aging policy work among scholars/fellows, including barriers, facilitators, and resources. A multimethod two-phased approach included an online survey (phase I) focused on research and policy impact at local, state, or national level. Telephone interviews (phase II) were conducted to further understand the nature, depth, and focus of respondents' policy work. Based on our findings, we propose multilevel recommendations for advancing nurse scientists' capacity to be leaders in shaping policy. Keen research skills are influential in policy advancement but not sufficient to advance policy. Preparing nurse scientists with competencies in translating research into policy can ultimately transform health and health care for older adults. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Supporting Family Carers Through Telephone-Mediated Group Programs: Opportunities For Gerontological Social Workers.

PubMed

Shanley, Chris

2008-01-01

Telephone-mediated group programs are an important but under-utilized medium for reaching frail or disabled older persons' family carers who are in need of support. The primary purpose and style of group programs can range across a broad spectrum–encompassing educational, supportive and therapeutic types. Gerontological social workers are the members of the multidisciplinary care team whose training, experience and supervision makes them most suitable for facilitating this broad range of group types. Drawing on the experience of training a number of group facilitators, this article provides suggestions for social workers contemplating the use of telephone-mediated groups and highlights groupwork skills peculiar to conducting group programs via the telephone.

[Heritages of science history in the gerontological discussion on multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives].

PubMed

von Kondratowitz, Hans-Joachim

2015-04-01

Since the beginning of the nineteenth century, the history of science in modern Germany has been characterized by a development going in opposite directions. The old scientific disciplines with their traditional Gestus of knowledge acquisition are in contrast to new sciences resulting from external pressures, combining and mobilizing different areas of knowledge, which challenge former dominances and help to establish new open disciplines. However, gerontology in Germany is in this respect a clear latecomer and can only cast off the impact of medicine in the twentieth century to some extent. This article describes this process by the superposition of different lines of tradition, which have long-term effects reaching into the history of the early Federal Republic of Germany.

Issues in the Development of Long Term Care Gerontology Centers: The Centers Concept. Selected Topics in Long Term Care. Volume 6.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mortenson, Lee E.; Berdes, Celia M.

This document, one in a series developed to provide technical assistance to 22 Long-Term Care Gerontology Centers, describes the current administrative and structural phenomenon of these centers. Precedents useful in assessing both the current climate and actual prospects for development of long term care centers are cited. The first section…

Molecular epidemiology of enteric viruses in patients with acute gastroenteritis in Aichi prefecture, Japan, 2008/09-2013/14.

PubMed

Nakamura, Noriko; Kobayashi, Shinichi; Minagawa, Hiroko; Matsushita, Tadashi; Sugiura, Wataru; Iwatani, Yasumasa

2016-07-01

Acute gastroenteritis is a critical infectious disease that affects infants and young children throughout the world, including Japan. This retrospective study was conducted from September 2008 to August 2014 (six seasons: 2008/09-2013/14) to investigate the incidence of enteric viruses responsible for 1,871 cases of acute gastroenteritis in Aichi prefecture, Japan. Of the 1,871 cases, 1,100 enteric viruses were detected in 978 samples, of which strains from norovirus (NoV) genogroup II (60.9%) were the most commonly detected, followed by strains of rotavirus A (RVA) (23.2%), adenovirus (AdV) type 41 (8.2%), sapovirus (SaV) (3.6%), human astrovirus (HAstV) (2.8%), and NoV genogroup I (1.3%). Sequencing of the NoV genogroup II (GII) strains revealed that GII.4 was the most common genotype, although four different GII.4 variants were also identified. The most common G-genotype of RVA was G1 (63.9%), followed by G3 (27.1%), G2 (4.7%) and G9 (4.3%). Three genogroups of SaV strains were found: GI (80.0%), GII (15.0%), and GV (5.0%). HAstV strains were genotyped as HAstV-1 (80.6%), HAstV-8 (16.1%), and HAstV-3 (3.2%). These results show that NoV GII was the leading cause of sporadic acute viral gastroenteritis, although a variety of enteric viruses were detected during the six-season surveillance period. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Gerontology and geriatrics in Dutch medical education.

PubMed

Tersmette, W; van Bodegom, D; van Heemst, D; Stott, D; Westendorp, R

2013-01-01

The world population is ageing and healthcare services require trained staff who can address the needs of older patients. In this study we determined how current medical education prepares Dutch students of medicine in the field of Gerontology and Geriatrics (G&G). Using a checklist of the essentials of G&G, we assessed Dutch medical education on three levels. On the national level we analysed the latest National Blueprint for higher medical education (Raamplan artsopleiding 2009). On the faculty level we reviewed medical curricula on the basis of interviews with program directors and inspection of course materials. On the student level we assessed the topics addressed in the questions of the cross-institutional progress test (CIPT). The National Bluepr int contains few specific G&G objectives. Obligatory G&G courses in medical schools on average amount to 2.2% of the total curriculum measured as European Credit Transfer System units (ECTS). Only two out of eight medical schools have practical training during the Master phase in the form of a clerkship in G&G. In the CIPT, on average 1.5% of questions cover G&G. Geriatric education in the Netherlands does not seem to be in line with current demographic trends. The National Blueprint falls short of providing sufficiently detailed objectives for education on the care of older people. The geriatric content offered by medical schools is varied and incomplete, and students are only marginally tested on their knowledge of G&G in the CIPT.

Musical Memories: translating evidence-based gerontological nursing into a children's picture book.

PubMed

Gerdner, Linda A; Buckwalter, Kathleen C

2013-01-01

Individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD) are often cared for within multigenerational families. More specifically, 26% of family caregivers have children younger than 18 living with them. This article describes an innovative model for translation of an evidence-based intervention into an engaging, realistic picture book that serves as a teaching tool for children and their families. The book, Musical Memories, focuses on the relationship between a granddaughter and her grandmother who has AD. The story applies basic principles of the Progressively Lowered Stress Threshold model to explain the underlying cause of grandmother's behaviors and models the evidence-based guideline "Individualized Music for Elders with Dementia" to empower the granddaughter in maintaining a relationship with her grandmother. Musical Memories is intended to serve as a valuable resource for families and the gerontological nurses who serve them. Copyright 2013, SLACK Incorporated.

Income inequality, social capital and self-rated health and dental status in older Japanese.

PubMed

Aida, Jun; Kondo, Katsunori; Kondo, Naoki; Watt, Richard G; Sheiham, Aubrey; Tsakos, Georgios

2011-11-01

The erosion of social capital in more unequal societies is one mechanism for the association between income inequality and health. However, there are relatively few multi-level studies on the relation between income inequality, social capital and health outcomes. Existing studies have not used different types of health outcomes, such as dental status, a life-course measure of dental disease reflecting physical function in older adults, and self-rated health, which reflects current health status. The objective of this study was to assess whether individual and community social capital attenuated the associations between income inequality and two disparate health outcomes, self-rated health and dental status in Japan. Self-administered questionnaires were mailed to subjects in an ongoing Japanese prospective cohort study, the Aichi Gerontological Evaluation Study Project in 2003. Responses in Aichi, Japan, obtained from 5715 subjects and 3451 were included in the final analysis. The Gini coefficient was used as a measure of income inequality. Trust and volunteering were used as cognitive and structural individual-level social capital measures. Rates of subjects reporting mistrust and non-volunteering in each local district were used as cognitive and structural community-level social capital variables respectively. The covariates were sex, age, marital status, education, individual- and community-level equivalent income and smoking status. Dichotomized responses of self-rated health and number of remaining teeth were used as outcomes in multi-level logistic regression models. Income inequality was significantly associated with poor dental status and marginally significantly associated with poor self-rated health. Community-level structural social capital attenuated the covariate-adjusted odds ratio of income inequality for self-rated health by 16% whereas the association between income inequality and dental status was not substantially changed by any social capital

Quality assurance in gerontological and geriatric training programs: the European case.

PubMed

Politynska, Barbara; van Rijsselt, René J T; Lewko, Jolanta; Philp, Ian; Figueiredo, Daniella; De Sousa, Lilliana

2012-01-01

Quality assurance (QA) in gerontological and geriatric education programs is regarded as essential to maintain standards, strengthen accountability, improve readability of qualifications, and facilitate professional mobility. In this article the authors present a summary of international developments in QA and elaborate four international trends, including the pros and cons of QA. Furthermore, the authors focus on accreditation and credit transfer opportunities in vocational and academic education programs for primary care practitioners, including nurses, home care workers, social workers, physiotherapists, and family doctors involved in the care of older people in nine European countries and highlight changes that have occurred over the last decade. Vocational education and professional training in elderly care at the basic and postgraduate specialization level remains extremely diversified, reflecting the lack of standardization for programs outside the higher education sector. The situation is ripe for the implementation of the European Qualifications Framework, which is intended to promote transparency, comparability and portability of qualifications at different levels and the introduction of a credit transfer system for vocational education to be established in 2012.

Gerontological Social Work Student-Delivered Respite: A Community-University Partnership Pilot Program.

PubMed

Washington, Tiffany R; Tachman, Jacqueline A

2017-01-01

This study describes a community-university partnership to support a gerontological social work student-delivered respite program, the Houseguest Program (Houseguest). Houseguest was designed using a community-engaged scholarship model of integrating research, teaching, and service. Houseguest was piloted with a small group of community-dwelling, coresiding dementia caregivers and care recipients. We examined caregivers' experiences with student-delivered respite using qualitative data analysis. Thematic analysis produced 8 themes: (a) respite from full time caregiving role, (b) information on caregiving strategies, (c) no-cost supportive services, (d) opportunity for care recipients to socialize, (e) tailored activities for care recipients, (f) rapport-building between students and family dyad, (g) reciprocity between students and family dyad, and (h) program continuation. We conclude with a proposed community-engaged scholarship model for dementia caregiving. Through a community-university partnership, Houseguest reduced the impact of caregiver burden and created an opportunity for students to serve families affected by dementia through respite and tailored activities.

Evaluation of Sensory Impairment Program for Gerontological Service Providers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fatula, Betty J.; And Others

The report deals with the design, development, and evaluation of a short-term training program directed toward modifying attitudes and acquiring new information and skills about sensory impairments frequently found among institutionalized elderly people. The training attempted to provide participants with a clearer understanding of the implication…

[The personality of the doctor as a corner stone in the temple of gerontology].

PubMed

Odin, V I

2014-01-01

The fundamentals of gerontology are not fundamental science and not dialectical materialism, but, in our opinion, particularly respect for elders. The very same attitude toward the elderly in the society has changed to the best party not so long ago, when the material ability had appeared to adequately support the elderly and implement the monotheistic values, such as the value to God of every life. Thanks to the presence in St. Petersburg at 1889 year well-organized places for medical care of oldster professor S. P. Botkin was able to implement the world's first large-scale complex research of old age, surveyed more than two thousand old people. Today's liberal model of providing education without upbringing is fraught with the most terrible consequences. We must not forget a number of artifacts in medicine, when the doctor in different civilizations ignored the Hippocratic Oath. These are Josef Mengele and Karl Brandt, the physicians of "Unit 731", Leiba Shatunovskii, the doctors of the clinic "Medicus", and many others. These facts force to carefully scrutinize the current time. So in the British newspapers the information appear about the dead from hunger and thirst old people in expensive nursing homes. It seems necessary to go back to the moral roots of medicine. The pride of the Russian medicine is a life-physician Eugene S. Botkin, who ascended to Calvary with his crowned patient, Emperor Nicholas II, because he could not change his word of honor. Thus, in the Russian tradition, glorious Hippocratic writings oath strengthened by noble honor. Knight code of the Russian nobleman, described us as "4D" (in Russian): duty, virtue, goodness and leisure, is the best formula for education and self-improvement noble doctor. Thus, it is proposed to pay attention to the unity of education and upbringing in preparing the next generation of doctors, which should strengthen the guarantees of the preservation of high moral relations to the old people and gains of

Writing objectives and evaluating learning in the affective domain.

PubMed

Maier-Lorentz, M M

1999-01-01

Staff educators recognize the importance of affective competency for effective nursing practice. Inservice programs must include affective learning with objectives stated in measurable terms. Staff educators often express frustration in developing affective objectives and evaluating the learning outcome because attitudes and feelings are usually inferred from observations. This article presents affective learning objectives for a gerontological nursing inservice program and a rating scale that measures attitudes to evaluate the learning outcome.

[A new stage of development of gerontology and geriatrics in Russia: problems of creation of a geriatric care system. Part 1. Relevance, regulatory infrastructure].

PubMed

Anisimov, V N; Serpov, V Yu; Finagentov, A V; Khavinson, V Kh

2017-01-01

This article is a 1st part of the analytical review, focused on a new step in development of geriatrics in Russia. Creation of state system geriatric care as important part of state politics in the area of enhancement of quality of life was proved. General aspects of improvement of social support of disable elderly persons in condition of restricted budget and interagency separation was presented. Establishment of unified system of medical social support and gerotechnologies for the elderly was substantiated, as a mechanism facilitated life activity and decreasing of demographic loading on economic status of regions of Russian Federation. Legislative and normative regulations of gerontology and geriatric development were observed as well. Accepted legislative and normative acts were analyzed for period since 1977 to 2014. The necessity of approaches to regulation modernization for elderly was demonstrated. Analytical review on number of legislative state documents issued after meeting of Presidium of State Council of the Russian Federation being in August 2014 was also presented. Applicability of these documents for realization new strategy of gerontology and geriatrics development in Russia was proved.

Learnt and perceived professional roles of a new type of nurse specialized in Gerontology and Geriatrics, a qualitative study.

PubMed

Huizenga, Petra; Finnema, Evelyn; Roodbol, Petrie

2016-07-01

To gain insight into a new type of nurse specialized in gerontology and geriatrics, how they find meaning in the care of older persons and how this relates to the seven professional roles derived from the CanMEDS theoretical framework. To promote the quality of care for older persons in the Netherlands, one of the measures taken is the training and deployment of Registered Nurses specialized in Gerontology and Geriatrics. We focus on their professional roles in this study, to gain insight into the extent to which they fulfil their professional standards. A qualitative study, consisting of seven focus group interviews. The study population included 67 Registered Nurses. Data were collected between October 2011-May 2013. Nurses work in all seven CanMEDS roles, but not with all competences associated with these seven roles. The more distant the role is from patient activities, the less frequently competences such as social networks; design; research; innovation of care; legal, financial and organizational frameworks; professional ethics and professional innovation are mentioned. Nurses engage in activities consistent with nursing care for older people; however, despite their training, they are mainly focused on direct-patient care. Their limited awareness of the complete range of professional competences risks the stagnation of their development in professional roles such as health advocate, scholar and professional, which will not lead to an improvement in the care for older persons. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A Case Study of Connecticut Community Colleges Nursing Programs to Describe Gerontological Content Inclusion in Associate Degree Registered Nursing Programs Using an Educational Curriculum Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Leslie J.

2013-01-01

The population of adults over age 65 must have competently prepared registered nurses to meet their current and future health care needs. There is a societal component in nursing to ensure that all nurses have the content, skills, and strategies, which includes a focus on basic gerontology preparation. Therefore, the purpose of this descriptive…

Potential Applications of Smart Multifunctional Wearable Materials to Gerontology.

PubMed

Armstrong, David G; Najafi, Bijan; Shahinpoor, Mohsen

2017-01-01

Smart multifunctional materials can play a constructive role in addressing some very important aging-related issues. Aging affects the ability of older adults to continue to live safely and economically in their own residences for as long as possible. Thus, there will be a greater need for preventive, acute, rehabilitative, and long-term health care services for older adults as well as a need for tools to enable them to function independently during daily activities. The objective of this paper is, thus, to present a comprehensive review of some potential smart materials and their areas of applications to gerontology. Thus, brief descriptions of various currently available multifunctional smart materials and their possible applications to aging-related problems are presented. It is concluded that some of the most important applications to geriatrics may be in various sensing scenarios to collect health-related feedback or information and provide personalized care. Further described are the applications of wearable technologies to aging-related needs, including devices for home rehabilitation, remote monitoring, social well-being, frailty monitoring, monitoring of diabetes and wound healing and fall detection or prediction. It is also concluded that wearable technologies, when combined with an appropriate application and with appropriate feedback, may help improve activities and functions of older patients with chronic diseases. Finally, it is noted that methods developed to measure what one collectively manages in this population may provide a foundation to establish new definitions of quality of life. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Experience of childhood abuse and later number of remaining teeth in older Japanese: a life-course study from Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study project.

PubMed

Matsuyama, Yusuke; Fujiwara, Takeo; Aida, Jun; Watt, Richard G; Kondo, Naoki; Yamamoto, Tatsuo; Kondo, Katsunori; Osaka, Ken

2016-12-01

From a life-course perspective, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) such as childhood abuse are known risk factors for adult diseases and death throughout life. ACEs could also cause poor dental health in later life because they could induce poor dental health in childhood, initiate unhealthy behaviors, and lower immune and physiological functions. However, it is not known whether ACEs have a longitudinal adverse effect on dental health in older age. This study aimed to investigate the association between experience of childhood abuse until the age of 18 and current number of remaining teeth among a sample of older Japanese adults. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES), a large-scale, self-reported survey in 2013 including 27 525 community-dwelling Japanese aged ≥65 years (response rate=71.1%). The outcome, current number of remaining teeth was used categorically: ≥20, 10-19, 5-9, 1-4, and no teeth. Childhood abuse was defined as having any experience of physical abuse, psychological abuse, and psychological neglect up until the age of 18 years. Ordered logistic regression models were applied. Of the 25 189 respondents who indicated their number of remaining teeth (mean age: 73.9; male: 46.5%), 14.8% had experience of childhood abuse. Distributions of ≥20, 10-19, 5-9, 1-4, and no teeth were as follows: 46.6%, 22.0%, 11.4%, 8.2%, and 11.8% among respondents with childhood abuse, while 52.3%, 21.3%, 10.3%, 6.6%, and 9.5% among respondents without childhood abuse. Childhood abuse was significantly associated with fewer remaining teeth after adjusting for covariates including socioeconomic status (odds ratio=1.14; 95% confidence interval: 1.06, 1.22). Childhood abuse could have a longitudinal adverse effect on later dental health in older age. This study emphasizes the importance of early life experiences on dental health throughout later life. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by

[Ambivalence--a key concept in gerontology? Elements of heuristics exemplified by identity formation in old age].

PubMed

Lüscher, Kurt; Haller, Miriam

2016-01-01

Ambivalence is a widely used concept in gerontology, mostly used in the common sense meaning. We propose that an elaborated notion based on the historical and systematic analysis, reveals important theoretical, methodological and practical potentials of the idea of ambivalence for the study of aging. We exemplify this view by proposing a heuristic perspective for the analysis of processes to constitute and reconstitute identities in old age using a model based on a multidimensional understanding of ambivalence. Ambivalence is defined as referring to the experiences of vacillating between polar contradictions of feeling, thinking, wanting and social structures in the search for the sense and meaning of social relationships, facts and texts, which are important for unfolding and altering facets of the self and agency.

The French Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology position paper on the concept of integration.

PubMed

Somme, Dominique; Trouvé, Hélène; Passadori, Yves; Corvez, Alain; Jeandel, Claude; Bloch, Marie-Aline; Ruault, Geneviève; Dupont, Olivier; de Stampa, Matthieu

2014-01-01

The concept of integration, although dating from the 1990s, has only recently appeared in French public health policy. It must be linked with 'coordination', which is the base of most French public policies applied to geriatrics since the 1960s. Herein, we report the French Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology working group's findings according to three axes: definition of integration, objectives of this organisational approach and the means needed to achieve them. Integration is a process that aims to overcome the fragmentation of services for vulnerable people. This process requires a multilevel approach, particularly concerning how to modify public policies and financing systems. Notably, all relevant levels need to develop shared processes, tools, resources, financing, interventions and action-reports on the latter. Integration must be accompanied by a local dedicated professional (the 'pilot'). Results of recent experiments showed that it is possible to implement integrative dynamics in France.

A review of research on religious and spiritual variables in two primary gerontological nursing journals: 1991 to 1997.

PubMed

Weaver, A J; Flannelly, L T; Flannelly, K J

2001-09-01

All articles published between 1991 and 1997 in the Journal of Gerontological Nursing and Geriatric Nursing were classified as qualitative research, quantitative research, or non-research. Of the 784 articles reviewed, 5.1% mentioned religion or spirituality. Research articles (7.7%) were more likely than non-research articles (2.8%) to address religion and spirituality. No statistical difference was found between the percentage of qualitative (10.7%) and quantitative (6.8%) studies addressing religious and spiritual factors. The percentage of quantitative studies including religious and spiritual variables was found to be higher than that found by systematic reviews of the research literature in various health professions.

Inhibitory Effect of TNF-alpha Produced by Macrophages Stimulated with Grifola frondosa Extract (ME) on the Growth of Influenza A/Aichi/2/68 Virus in MDCK Cells.

PubMed

Obi, Nobuko; Hayashi, Katsumi; Miyahara, Tatsurou; Shimada, Yutaka; Terasawa, Katsutoshi; Watanabe, Masataka; Takeyama, Masahide; Obi, Ryosuke; Ochiai, Hiroshi

2008-01-01

We investigated the inhibitory effect of the conditioned medium (CM) from P338D1 (D1) cells, a murine macrophage cell line, stimulated for 10 hours with a fixed dose (100 mug/ml) of the extracts from the fruit bodies of Grifola frondosa (ME) or its ultra filtration-based fractions (MFs), on the growth of influenza A/Aichi/2/68 virus in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells. Direct addition of ME and 3 kinds of MFs (MF1, MF2 and MF3) to the infected cells had no obvious inhibitory effect. However, virus yields were reduced in the presence of CMs. Notably, the inhibitory effect of the CM prepared by using MF2 (molecular weight of 30 Kd to 100 Kd) was the strongest (28% reduction compared to the control). RT-PCR and ELISA assays showed that the CMs could induce the expression of TNF-alpha mRNA in D1 cells leading to production of TNF-alpha, known as an antiviral cytokine. These findings suggest that ME and MFs (especially MF-2) might induce the production of certain factors, including TNF-alpha, which are responsible for the inhibition of viral growth in vitro.

[Nutritional status assessment in Geriatrics: Consensus declaration by the Spanish Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology NutritionWork Group].

PubMed

Camina-Martín, María Alicia; de Mateo-Silleras, Beatriz; Malafarina, Vincenzo; Lopez-Mongil, Rosa; Niño-Martín, Virtudes; López-Trigo, José Antonio; Redondo-Del-Río, María Paz

2016-01-01

Ongoing population ageing is one of the factors influencing the increase in the prevalence of undernutrition, as elderly people are a vulnerable group due to their biological, psychological and social characteristics. Despite its high prevalence, undernutrition is underdiagnosed in the geriatric sphere. For this reason, the aim of this consensus document is to devise a protocol for geriatric nutritional assessment. A multidisciplinary team has been set up within the Spanish Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology (in Spanish Sociedad Española de Geriatría y Gerontología [SEGG]) in order to address undernutrition and risk of undernutrition so that they can be diagnosed and treated in an effective manner. The MNA-SF is a practical tool amongst the many validated methods for nutritional screening. Following suspicion of undernutrition, or after establishing the presence of undernutrition, a full assessment will include a detailed nutritional history of the patient. The compilation of clinical-nutritional and dietetic histories is intended to help in identifying the possible risk factors at the root of a patient's undernutrition. Following this, an anthropometric assessment, combined with laboratory data, will describe the patient's physical and metabolic changes associated to undernutrition. Currently, the tendency is for further nutritional assessment through the use of non-invasive techniques to study body composition in association with functional status. The latter is an indirect index for nutritional status, which is very interesting from a geriatrician's point of view. To conclude, correct nutritional screening is the fundamental basis for an early undernutrition diagnosis and to assess the need for nutritional treatment. In order to achieve this, it is fundamental to foster research in the field of nutritional geriatrics, in order to expand our knowledge base and to increasingly practice evidence-based geriatrics. Copyright © 2015 SEGG. Published by Elsevier

Nutritional status assessment in geriatrics: Consensus declaration by the Spanish Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology Nutrition Work Group.

PubMed

Camina-Martín, M Alicia; de Mateo-Silleras, Beatriz; Malafarina, Vincenzo; Lopez-Mongil, Rosa; Niño-Martín, Virtudes; López-Trigo, J Antonio; Redondo-del-Río, M Paz

2015-07-01

Ongoing population ageing is one of the factors influencing the increase in the prevalence of undernutrition, because elderly people are a vulnerable group due to their biological, psychological and social characteristics. Despite its high prevalence, undernutrition is underdiagnosed in the geriatric sphere. For this reason, the aim of this consensus document is to devise a protocol for geriatric nutritional assessment. A multidisciplinary team has been set up within the Spanish Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology (in Spanish Sociedad Española de Geriatría y Gerontología, SEGG) in order to address undernutrition and risk of undernutrition so that they can be diagnosed and treated in an effective manner. The MNA-SF is a practical tool amongst the many validated methods for nutritional screening. Following suspicion of undernutrition or after establishing the presence of undernutrition, a full assessment will include a detailed nutritional history of the patient. The compilation of clinical-nutritional and dietetic histories seeks to aid in identifying the possible risk factors at the root of a patient's undernutrition. Following this, an anthropometric assessment associated to laboratory data, will describe the patient's physical and metabolic changes associated to undernutrition. Currently, the tendency is to further nutritional assessment through the use of non-invasive techniques to study body composition in association with functional status. The latter is an indirect index for nutritional status which is very interesting from a geriatrician's point of view. To conclude, correct nutritional screening is the fundamental basis for an early undernutrition diagnosis and to assess the need for nutritional treatment. In order to achieve this, it is fundamental to foster research in the field of nutritional geriatrics, in order to expand our knowledge base and to increasingly practice evidence-based geriatrics. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights

A Point System for Predicting 10-Year Risk of Developing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Japanese Men: Aichi Workers' Cohort Study.

PubMed

Yatsuya, Hiroshi; Li, Yuanying; Hirakawa, Yoshihisa; Ota, Atsuhiko; Matsunaga, Masaaki; Haregot, Hilawe Esayas; Chiang, Chifa; Zhang, Yan; Tamakoshi, Koji; Toyoshima, Hideaki; Aoyama, Atsuko

2018-03-17

Relatively little evidence exists for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) prediction models from long-term follow-up studies in East Asians. This study aims to develop a point-based prediction model for 10-year risk of developing T2DM in middle-aged Japanese men. We followed 3,540 male participants of Aichi Workers' Cohort Study, who were aged 35-64 years and were free of diabetes in 2002, until March 31, 2015. Baseline age, body mass index (BMI), smoking status, alcohol consumption, regular exercise, medication for dyslipidemia, diabetes family history, and blood levels of triglycerides (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC) and fasting blood glucose (FBG) were examined using Cox proportional hazard model. Variables significantly associated with T2DM in univariable models were simultaneously entered in a multivariable model for determination of the final model using backward variable selection. Performance of an existing T2DM model when applied to the current dataset was compared to that obtained in the present study's model. During the median follow-up of 12.2 years, 342 incident T2DM cases were documented. The prediction system using points assigned to age, BMI, smoking status, diabetes family history, and TG and FBG showed reasonable discrimination (c-index: 0.77) and goodness-of-fit (Hosmer-Lemeshow test, P = 0.22). The present model outperformed the previous one in the present subjects. The point system, once validated in the other populations, could be applied to middle-aged Japanese male workers to identify those at high risk of developing T2DM. In addition, further investigation is also required to examine whether the use of this system will reduce incidence.

Health information technologies in geriatrics and gerontology: a mixed systematic review

PubMed Central

Vedel, Isabelle; Akhlaghpour, Saeed; Vaghefi, Isaac; Bergman, Howard; Lapointe, Liette

2013-01-01

Objective To review, categorize, and synthesize findings from the literature about the application of health information technologies in geriatrics and gerontology (GGHIT). Materials and Methods This mixed-method systematic review is based on a comprehensive search of Medline, Embase, PsychInfo and ABI/Inform Global. Study selection and coding were performed independently by two researchers and were followed by a narrative synthesis. To move beyond a simple description of the technologies, we employed and adapted the diffusion of innovation theory (DOI). Results 112 papers were included. Analysis revealed five main types of GGHIT: (1) telecare technologies (representing half of the studies); (2) electronic health records; (3) decision support systems; (4) web-based packages for patients and/or family caregivers; and (5) assistive information technologies. On aggregate, the most consistent finding proves to be the positive outcomes of GGHIT in terms of clinical processes. Although less frequently studied, positive impacts were found on patients’ health, productivity, efficiency and costs, clinicians’ satisfaction, patients’ satisfaction and patients’ empowerment. Discussion Further efforts should focus on improving the characteristics of such technologies in terms of compatibility and simplicity. Implementation strategies also should be improved as trialability and observability are insufficient. Conclusions Our results will help organizations in making decisions regarding the choice, planning and diffusion of GGHIT implemented for the care of older adults. PMID:23666776

[Body experience and motion in a biographical context: about the necessity of a body- and motion-related biographical view in gerontology].

PubMed

Abraham, Anke

2008-06-01

According to the special view of natural sciences, ageing processes are connected with measurable changes in the body. At the same time we know little about how bodily change is experienced and the subjective acceptance of the body during aging. Therefore a perspective with respect to the body has to be systematically embraced in gerontology. Knowledge perspectives and the view of the body are exemplified in theory and by analysing a case. The knowledge of experience and sense of body and motion in a person's life allows the creation of stimulating offers of growth development and health in age.

[Psychophysiological determinants of perception of quality of life of gerontological patients with urolithiasis].

PubMed

Dolgova, V I; Chiglintsev, A Y

2016-01-01

The analysis of psychophysiological determinancy perception of life quality of gerontological patients with urolithiasis. The study was performed on 108 patients aged 60 to 76 years (51men, 57women). In order to determine the psychophysiological phenomenology of life survey was selected - before surgery, during the severe clinical manifestations of the disease. Research Methods «integrative anxiety test» (ICT 1997), «type attitude to the disease» (Tobol, 1987), total questionnaire WHOQOL-100. Types relationship to disease, in which anxiety is not significantly improved due to illness, causes higher levels of QOL (86,4±2,69) compared to the level of 70,1±4,28 points (p<0,001, r=-0,35) corresponding types of response in the presence of high anxiety. The presence of trait anxiety levels decreased quality of life in both sexes. In men, there was the highest level of determinism of the quality of life of their independence and physical ability; women - social relations and spiritual sphere. The lowest indicators of quality of life were observed in women and in patients with acute onset and complicated urolithiasis.

"Successful aging," gerontological theory and neoliberalism: a qualitative critique.

PubMed

Rubinstein, Robert L; de Medeiros, Kate

2015-02-01

This article is a critique of the successful aging (SA) paradigm as described in the Rowe and Kahn book, Successful Aging (1998). The major point of this article is that two key ideas in the book may be understood as consonant with neoliberalism, a social perspective that came into international prominence at the same time the SA paradigm was initially promoted. These two key ideas are (a) the emphasis on individual social action applied to the nature of the aging experience and (b) the failure to provide a detailed policy agenda for the social and cultural change being promoted and, particularly, for older adults who may be left behind by the approach to change the book suggests. The article provides no evidence for a direct connection between SA and neoliberalism, but rather shows how similarities in their approaches to social change characterize both of them. In sum, the article shows (a) how the implicit social theory developed in the book, in a manner similar to neoliberalism, elevates the individual as the main source of any changes that must accompany the SA paradigm and (b) the focus on SA as individual action does not provide for those older adults who do not or will not age "successfully." This, we conclude, implicitly sets up a two-class system of older adults, which may not be an optimal means of addressing the needs of all older adults. The article also reviews a number of studies about SA and shows how these, too, may emphasize its similarities to neoliberalism and other issues that the SA paradigm does not adequately address. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Social participation and the prevention of functional disability in older Japanese: the JAGES cohort study.

PubMed

Kanamori, Satoru; Kai, Yuko; Aida, Jun; Kondo, Katsunori; Kawachi, Ichiro; Hirai, Hiroshi; Shirai, Kokoro; Ishikawa, Yoshiki; Suzuki, Kayo

2014-01-01

We examined the relationship between incident functional disability and social participation from the perspective of number of types of organizations participated in and type of social participation in a prospective cohort study. The study was based on the Aichi Gerontological Evaluation Study (AGES) Cohort Study data. We followed 13,310 individuals aged 65 years or older for 4 years. Analysis was carried out on 12,951 subjects, excluding 359 people whose information on age or sex was missing. Social participation was categorized into 8 types. Compared to those that did not participate in any organizations, the hazard ratio (HR) was 0.83 (95% CI: 0.73-0.95) for participation in one, 0.72 (0.61-0.85) for participation in two, and 0.57 (0.46-0.70) for participation in three or more different types of organizations. In multivariable adjusted models, participation in the following types of organization was protective for incident disability: local community organizations (HR = 0.85, 95% CI: 0.76-0.96), hobby organizations (HR = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.64-0.87), and sports organizations (HR = 0.64, 95% CI: 0.54-0.81). Social participation may decrease the risk of incident functional disability in older people in Japan. This effect may be strengthened by participation in a variety of different types of organizations. Participating in a local community, hobby, or sports group or organization may be especially effective for decreasing the risk of disability.

Model of OSBP-Mediated Cholesterol Supply to Aichi Virus RNA Replication Sites Involving Protein-Protein Interactions among Viral Proteins, ACBD3, OSBP, VAP-A/B, and SAC1.

PubMed

Ishikawa-Sasaki, Kumiko; Nagashima, Shigeo; Taniguchi, Koki; Sasaki, Jun

2018-04-15

Positive-strand RNA viruses, including picornaviruses, utilize cellular machinery for genome replication. Previously, we reported that each of the 2B, 2BC, 2C, 3A, and 3AB proteins of Aichi virus (AiV), a picornavirus, forms a complex with the Golgi apparatus protein ACBD3 and phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase IIIβ (PI4KB) at viral RNA replication sites (replication organelles [ROs]), enhancing PI4KB-dependent phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PI4P) production. Here, we demonstrate AiV hijacking of the cellular cholesterol transport system involving oxysterol-binding protein (OSBP), a PI4P-binding cholesterol transfer protein. AiV RNA replication was inhibited by silencing cellular proteins known to be components of this pathway, OSBP, the ER membrane proteins VAPA and VAPB (VAP-A/B), the PI4P-phosphatase SAC1, and PI-transfer protein β. OSBP, VAP-A/B, and SAC1 were present at RNA replication sites. We also found various previously unknown interactions among the AiV proteins (2B, 2BC, 2C, 3A, and 3AB), ACBD3, OSBP, VAP-A/B, and SAC1, and the interactions were suggested to be involved in recruiting the component proteins to AiV ROs. Importantly, the OSBP-2B interaction enabled PI4P-independent recruitment of OSBP to AiV ROs, indicating preferential recruitment of OSBP among PI4P-binding proteins. Protein-protein interaction-based OSBP recruitment has not been reported for other picornaviruses. Cholesterol was accumulated at AiV ROs, and inhibition of OSBP-mediated cholesterol transfer impaired cholesterol accumulation and AiV RNA replication. Electron microscopy showed that AiV-induced vesicle-like structures were close to ER membranes. Altogether, we conclude that AiV directly recruits the cholesterol transport machinery through protein-protein interactions, resulting in formation of membrane contact sites between the ER and AiV ROs and cholesterol supply to the ROs. IMPORTANCE Positive-strand RNA viruses utilize host pathways to modulate the lipid composition of

[Time and temporality in gerontology and the ontologic privation theory of biological aging].

PubMed

Kment, A

1989-01-01

We have seen how our conception of time has changed in the course of the years. Up to the beginning of this century people believed in absolute time. According to today's views, time and temporality do not consist of a continuous flow of time successions, as generally assumed, the essence lies in the inner character of events. Therefore, in order to comprehend the true nature of time and temporality in gerontology, we must pay particular attention to the constitutional structures of events or happenings. Here we must comprehend the implication of an ontological change and the constitutions of time as metaphysical structure. Time and temporality are measured in happenings and processes, and not vice versa. Whitehead, showed that we are concerned with an ontological interpretation of time and temporality. The biodynamics of an individual reveal the largely autonomous structure and bionomy of the processes of life, as well as the continuous interaction and shifts of the biological cycles of formation, change, and decline. The ontological privation of biological aging and death are just as much a part of life as conception and birth. Only what lives can mature, age, and die. The imminent "purpose" of the biological aging of the individual is dying and death, i.e., the return home into "absolute being".

The zebrafish as a gerontology model in nervous system aging, disease, and repair.

PubMed

Van Houcke, Jessie; De Groef, Lies; Dekeyster, Eline; Moons, Lieve

2015-11-01

Considering the increasing number of elderly in the world's population today, developing effective treatments for age-related pathologies is one of the biggest challenges in modern medical research. Age-related neurodegeneration, in particular, significantly impacts important sensory, motor, and cognitive functions, seriously constraining life quality of many patients. Although our understanding of the causal mechanisms of aging has greatly improved in recent years, animal model systems still have much to tell us about this complex process. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) have gained enormous popularity for this research topic over the past decade, since their life span is relatively short but, like humans, they are still subject to gradual aging. In addition, the extensive characterization of its well-conserved molecular and cellular physiology makes the zebrafish an excellent model to unravel the underlying mechanisms of aging, disease, and repair. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the progress made in zebrafish gerontology, with special emphasis on nervous system aging. We review the evidence that classic hallmarks of aging can also be recognized within this small vertebrate, both at the molecular and cellular level. Moreover, we illustrate the high level of similarity with age-associated human pathologies through a survey of the functional deficits that arise as zebrafish age. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The missing link: Finding space for gerontology content into university curricula in South Africa.

PubMed

Tanyi, Perpetua Lum; Pelser, André

2018-02-07

The rapid increase in the global elderly population has been widely documented in both demographic and popular literature in recent decades. Population estimates produced by the national statistical service of South Africa in 2017 show that the proportion of elderly (60 years and older) in South Africa is growing fast, reaching 8.1% of the total population in 2017. The country is set to experience a doubling of the population over the age of 65 by the year 2020. Similar to their counterparts in the developed world, tertiary institutions throughout Africa too are faced with the challenge of training professionals capable of understanding and responding to the socioeconomic consequences, social priorities, and complex needs of an increasing aging population. The right set of policies can equip individuals, families, and societies to address the challenges of an aging population. After conducting an extensive literature review, we recommend that policy-makers in South Africa should look into ways that will enable them to meet the many challenges of an aging population in the coming decades. One way to address this issue would be to include gerontology content into the curricula of programs in the humanities and social sciences.

Exploring 2.5-Year Trajectories of Functional Decline in Older Adults by Applying a Growth Mixture Model and Frequency of Outings as a Predictor: A 2010-2013 JAGES Longitudinal Study.

PubMed

Saito, Junko; Kondo, Naoki; Saito, Masashige; Takagi, Daisuke; Tani, Yukako; Haseda, Maho; Tabuchi, Takahiro; Kondo, Katsunori

2018-06-23

We explored the distinct trajectories of functional decline among older adults in Japan, and evaluated whether the frequency of outings, an important indicator of social activity, predicts the identified trajectories. We analyzed data on 2,364 adults aged 65 years or older from the Japan Aichi Gerontological Evaluation Study. Participants were initially independent and later developed functional disability during a 31-month follow-up period. We used the level of long-term care needs certified in the public health insurance system as a proxy of functional ability and linked the fully tracked data of changes in the care levels to the baseline data. A low frequency of outings was defined as leaving one's home less than once per week at baseline. We applied a growth mixture model to identify trajectories in functional decline by sex and then examined the association between the frequency of outings and the identified trajectories using multinomial logistic regression analysis. Three distinct trajectories were identified: "slowly declining" (64.3% of men and 79.7% of women), "persistently disabled" (4.5% and 3.7%, respectively), and "rapidly declining" (31.3% and 16.6%, respectively). Men with fewer outings had 2.14 times greater odds (95% confidence interval, 1.03-4.41) of being persistently disabled. The association between outing frequency and functional decline trajectory was less clear statistically among women. While the majority of older adults showed a slow functional decline, some showed persistent moderate disability. Providing more opportunities to go out or assistance in that regard may be important for preventing persistent disability, and such needs might be greater among men.

Relationship between oral Candida species and risk factors with reference to drugs with xerostomic side effects among institutionalised elderly in Aichi Pref., Japan.

PubMed

Yamanaka, Katsumi; Nakagaki, Haruo; Morita, Ichizo; Maeda, Nobuko; Ohara, Hisakazu; Tomatsu, Shinpei; Nakashima, Toshiro; Watanabe, Yosinori; Ohta, Noriaki; Shibata, Kyoko

2005-03-01

To clarify the relationship between Candida carriage and drugs which have reported xerostomic side effects in the elderly. Cross-sectional study. Setting Two long-term care facilities in Aichi Pref., Japan. Eight men and 63 women with a mean age of 86 years (range 62 to 95 years) with at least some of their natural teeth. Oral examination by dentists, microbiological test by microbiologists, questionnaire interviews, and data obtained from medical files. The Candida species (CFU) was adopted as an objective variable with risk indicators being age, number of teeth, saliva flow rate, denture wearing, xerostomic drugs, activities of daily living (ADL), frequency of brushing and type of meals. Bivariate analysis confirmed that participants with a higher number of Candida species (CFU) fell into the following categories: denture wearing (p < 0.05), older age (p < 0.05), xerostomic drugs (p < 0.10), more teeth, poor ADL, soft/liquid meals, and brushing once a day. This was in contrast to the categories of no denture wearing, younger age, no xerostomic drugs, fewer teeth, good ADL, normal meals, and brushing two or more times a day, in that order of significant probability on an ascending scale. A multiple logistics regression model confirmed that the variables of older age (80 years and over) and more teeth (six or more) had statistically significant (p < 0.05) effects on the number of Candida species present (CFU). Xerostomic drugs and the other variables had no significant effect. Older age and more teeth had a significant effect on the number of oral Candida species in the elderly. The results of this study did not support a role of those drugs as a risk indicator for oral Candida carriage. Larger trials are needed to assess the effect of drugs on the presence of oral Candida.

Toward the realization of a better aged society: messages from gerontology and geriatrics.

PubMed

Arai, Hidenori; Ouchi, Yasuyoshi; Yokode, Masayuki; Ito, Hideki; Uematsu, Hiroshi; Eto, Fumio; Oshima, Shinichi; Ota, Kikuko; Saito, Yasushi; Sasaki, Hidetada; Tsubota, Kazuo; Fukuyama, Hidenao; Honda, Yoshihito; Iguchi, Akihisa; Toba, Kenji; Hosoi, Takayuki; Kita, Toru

2012-01-01

1. Recent medical advancements, and improvements in hygiene and food supply have led to Japan having the longest life expectancy in the world. Over the past 50 years, the percentage of the elderly population has increased fourfold from 5.7% in 1960 to 23.1% in 2010. This change has occurred at the fastest rate in the world. Compared with France, where the percentage of the elderly population has increased just twofold in the past 100 years, Japanese society is aging at an unprecedented rate. In addition, the percentage of the very elderly (aged 75 years and over), comprising more frail people, exceeded 10% of the nation's population in 2008. In such a situation, many elderly Japanese wish to spend their later years healthy, and wish to achieve great accomplishments in their lives. To achieve that, rather than considering an aging population as a negative social phenomenon, we should create a society where elderly people can enjoy a healthy, prosperous life through social participation and contribution. Factors that hamper the elderly from leading a healthy life include various psychological and social problems occurring in older age, as well as a high incidence of diseases. Therefore, gerontology, which focuses on health promotion of the elderly by encompassing the study of social welfare, psychology, environment and social systems; and geriatrics, which focuses on health care of elderly people and carried out research, education and practices to promote health in the elderly, are becoming more important. Furthermore, along with a need for multidisciplinary care to support geriatric medicine, the development of a comprehensive education system for aged-care professionals is awaited. Thus, we should now recognize the importance of gerontology and geriatrics, and a reform of medical-care services should be made in order to cope with the coming aged society. Population aging is a global phenomenon. The actions being taken by Japan, the world's most aged society, have

Senescence in natural populations of animals: Widespread evidence and its implications for bio-gerontology

PubMed Central

Nussey, Daniel H.; Froy, Hannah; Lemaitre, Jean-François; Gaillard, Jean-Michel; Austad, Steve N.

2014-01-01

That senescence is rarely, if ever, observed in natural populations is an oft-quoted fallacy within bio-gerontology. We identify the roots of this fallacy in the otherwise seminal works of Medawar and Comfort, and explain that under antagonistic pleiotropy or disposable soma explanations for the evolution of senescence there is no reason why senescence cannot evolve to be manifest within the life expectancies of wild organisms. The recent emergence of long-term field studies presents irrefutable evidence that senescence is commonly detected in nature. We found such evidence in 175 different animal species from 340 separate studies. Although the bulk of this evidence comes from birds and mammals, we also found evidence for senescence in other vertebrates and insects. We describe how high-quality longitudinal field data allow us to test evolutionary explanations for differences in senescence between the sexes and among traits and individuals. Recent studies indicate that genes, prior environment and investment in growth and reproduction influence aging rates in the wild. We argue that – with the fallacy that wild animals do not senesce finally dead and buried – collaborations between bio-gerontologists and field biologists can begin to test the ecological generality of purportedly ‘public’ mechanisms regulating aging in laboratory models. PMID:22884974

Social Participation and the Prevention of Functional Disability in Older Japanese: The JAGES Cohort Study

PubMed Central

Kanamori, Satoru; Kai, Yuko; Aida, Jun; Kondo, Katsunori; Kawachi, Ichiro; Hirai, Hiroshi; Shirai, Kokoro; Ishikawa, Yoshiki; Suzuki, Kayo

2014-01-01

Background We examined the relationship between incident functional disability and social participation from the perspective of number of types of organizations participated in and type of social participation in a prospective cohort study. Method The study was based on the Aichi Gerontological Evaluation Study (AGES) Cohort Study data. We followed 13,310 individuals aged 65 years or older for 4 years. Analysis was carried out on 12,951 subjects, excluding 359 people whose information on age or sex was missing. Social participation was categorized into 8 types. Results Compared to those that did not participate in any organizations, the hazard ratio (HR) was 0.83 (95% CI: 0.73–0.95) for participation in one, 0.72 (0.61–0.85) for participation in two, and 0.57 (0.46–0.70) for participation in three or more different types of organizations. In multivariable adjusted models, participation in the following types of organization was protective for incident disability: local community organizations (HR = 0.85, 95% CI: 0.76–0.96), hobby organizations (HR = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.64–0.87), and sports organizations (HR = 0.64, 95% CI: 0.54–0.81). Conclusion Social participation may decrease the risk of incident functional disability in older people in Japan. This effect may be strengthened by participation in a variety of different types of organizations. Participating in a local community, hobby, or sports group or organization may be especially effective for decreasing the risk of disability. PMID:24923270

Long-term weight-change slope, weight fluctuation and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in middle-aged Japanese men and women: findings of Aichi Workers' Cohort Study.

PubMed

Zhang, Y; Yatsuya, H; Li, Y; Chiang, C; Hirakawa, Y; Kawazoe, N; Tamakoshi, K; Toyoshima, H; Aoyama, A

2017-03-20

This study aims to investigate the association of long-term weight-change slopes, weight fluctuation and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in middle-aged Japanese men and women. A total of 4234 participants of Aichi Workers' Cohort Study who were aged 35-66 years and free of diabetes in 2002 were followed through 2014. Past body weights at the ages of 20, 25, 30, 40 years, and 5 years before baseline as well as measured body weight at baseline were regressed on the ages. Slope and root-mean-square-error of the regression line were obtained and used to represent the weight changes and the weight fluctuation, respectively. The associations of the weight-change slopes and the weight fluctuation with incident T2DM were estimated by Cox proportional hazards models. During the median follow-up of 12.2 years, 400 incident cases of T2DM were documented. After adjustment for baseline overweight and other lifestyle covariates, the weight-change slopes were significantly associated with higher incidence of T2DM (hazard ratio (HR): 1.80, 95% confident interval (CI): 1.17-2.77 for men; and HR: 2.78, 95% CI: 1.07-7.23 for women), while the weight fluctuation was not (HR: 1.08, 95% CI: 1.00-1.18 for men and HR: 1.02, 95% CI: 0.84-1.25 for women). Regardless of the presence of overweight, the long-term weight-change slopes were significantly associated with the increased risk of T2DM; however, the weight fluctuation was not associated with the risk of T2DM in middle-aged Japanese men and women.

Serum Albumin Levels and Economic Status in Japanese Older Adults.

PubMed

Ota, Asami; Kondo, Naoki; Murayama, Nobuko; Tanabe, Naohito; Shobugawa, Yugo; Kondo, Katsunori

2016-01-01

Low serum albumin levels are associated with aging and medical conditions such as cancer, liver dysfunction, inflammation, and malnutrition and might be an independent predictor of long-term mortality in healthy older populations. We tested the hypothesis that economic status is associated with serum albumin levels and explained by nutritional and health status in Japanese older adults. We performed a cross-sectional analysis using data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation study (JAGES). The study participants were 6528 functionally independent residents (3189 men and 3339 women) aged ≥65 years living in four municipalities in Aichi prefecture. We used household income as an indicator of economic status. Multiple linear regression was used to compare serum albumin levels in relation to household income, which was classified as low, middle, and high. Additionally, mediation by nutritional and health-related factors was analyzed in multivariable models. With the middle-income group as reference, participants with low incomes had a significantly lower serum albumin level, even after adjustment for sex, age, residential area, education, marital status, and household structure. The estimated mean difference was -0.17 g/L (95% confidence interval, -0.33 to -0.01 g/L). The relation between serum albumin level and low income became statistically insignificant when "body mass index", "consumption of meat or fish", "self-rated health", "presence of medical conditions", "hyperlipidemia", or "respiratory disease "was included in the model. Serum albumin levels were lower in Japanese older adults with low economic status. The decrease in albumin levels appears to be mediated by nutrition and health-related factors with low household incomes. Future studies are needed to reveal the existence of other pathways.

Long-term weight-change slope, weight fluctuation and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in middle-aged Japanese men and women: findings of Aichi Workers' Cohort Study

PubMed Central

Zhang, Y; Yatsuya, H; Li, Y; Chiang, C; Hirakawa, Y; Kawazoe, N; Tamakoshi, K; Toyoshima, H; Aoyama, A

2017-01-01

Objective: This study aims to investigate the association of long-term weight-change slopes, weight fluctuation and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in middle-aged Japanese men and women. Methods: A total of 4234 participants of Aichi Workers' Cohort Study who were aged 35–66 years and free of diabetes in 2002 were followed through 2014. Past body weights at the ages of 20, 25, 30, 40 years, and 5 years before baseline as well as measured body weight at baseline were regressed on the ages. Slope and root-mean-square-error of the regression line were obtained and used to represent the weight changes and the weight fluctuation, respectively. The associations of the weight-change slopes and the weight fluctuation with incident T2DM were estimated by Cox proportional hazards models. Results: During the median follow-up of 12.2 years, 400 incident cases of T2DM were documented. After adjustment for baseline overweight and other lifestyle covariates, the weight-change slopes were significantly associated with higher incidence of T2DM (hazard ratio (HR): 1.80, 95% confident interval (CI): 1.17–2.77 for men; and HR: 2.78, 95% CI: 1.07–7.23 for women), while the weight fluctuation was not (HR: 1.08, 95% CI: 1.00–1.18 for men and HR: 1.02, 95% CI: 0.84–1.25 for women). Conclusions: Regardless of the presence of overweight, the long-term weight-change slopes were significantly associated with the increased risk of T2DM; however, the weight fluctuation was not associated with the risk of T2DM in middle-aged Japanese men and women. PMID:28319107

A fuzzy logic expert system for evaluating policy progress towards sustainability goals.

PubMed

Cisneros-Montemayor, Andrés M; Singh, Gerald G; Cheung, William W L

2017-12-16

Evaluating progress towards environmental sustainability goals can be difficult due to a lack of measurable benchmarks and insufficient or uncertain data. Marine settings are particularly challenging, as stakeholders and objectives tend to be less well defined and ecosystem components have high natural variability and are difficult to observe directly. Fuzzy logic expert systems are useful analytical frameworks to evaluate such systems, and we develop such a model here to formally evaluate progress towards sustainability targets based on diverse sets of indicators. Evaluation criteria include recent (since policy enactment) and historical (from earliest known state) change, type of indicators (state, benefit, pressure, response), time span and spatial scope, and the suitability of an indicator in reflecting progress toward a specific objective. A key aspect of the framework is that all assumptions are transparent and modifiable to fit different social and ecological contexts. We test the method by evaluating progress towards four Aichi Biodiversity Targets in Canadian oceans, including quantitative progress scores, information gaps, and the sensitivity of results to model and data assumptions. For Canadian marine systems, national protection plans and biodiversity awareness show good progress, but species and ecosystem states overall do not show strong improvement. Well-defined goals are vital for successful policy implementation, as ambiguity allows for conflicting potential indicators, which in natural systems increases uncertainty in progress evaluations. Importantly, our framework can be easily adapted to assess progress towards policy goals with different themes, globally or in specific regions.

[Post-graduate gerontology training in Spain: Number, characteristics, and contents taught in master courses].

PubMed

Villar, Feliciano; Giuliani, María Florencia; Serrat, Rodrigo

Population aging raises the need for specialised professionals to address the needs of the elderly. The aim of this paper is to describe the number, characteristics, and contents of the Master degree courses that are currently offered in Spain. There were 32 Master degree courses offered in the 2014-15 academic year. These required at least 60 ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System). At least half of the course credits were based on contents directly related to old age, older people, or aging. An analysis was made that included, information on the institutional affiliation, official status, academic structure, and contents taught. A content analysis was performed on curriculum subjects, in order to classify the courses into multidisciplinary or specialised (with focus either on health, behavioural, or social sciences). Most of the courses required mandatory class attendance, and lasted one academic year (60 ECTS). They also included the completion of a final project and a practicum. The majority (59%) of Master degree courses were classified as multidisciplinary. Of the remaining ones, 19% were labelled as specialised in behavioural sciences, 16% in health sciences, and 2% in social sciences. The field of higher education in gerontology in Spain seems to be consolidated, taking into account indicators such as the number of courses offered, their territorial distribution, or the number of official Master degree courses. While the academic structure of the courses is quite similar, in contrast, their contents and nature are highly diverse, which responds to the different training needs. Copyright © 2016 SEGG. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Electrochemical evaluation of the corrosion resistance of cup-yoke-type dental magnetic attachments.

PubMed

Takada, Yukyo; Takahashi, Masatoshi; Kikuchi, Akira; Tenkumo, Taichi

2014-01-01

The corrosion resistance of different magnetic assemblies—Magfit DX800 (Aichi Steel), Gigauss D800 (GC), Hyper Slim 4013, and Hicorex Slim 4013 (Hitachi Metals)—were electrochemically evaluated using anodic polarization curves obtained in 0.9% NaCl solution at 37°C. Stainless steels (444, XM27, 447J1, and 316L) composing the magnetic assemblies were also examined as controls. This revealed that all of the magnetic assemblies break down at 0.6-1.1 V; however, their breakdown potentials were all still significantly higher (p<0.05) than that of 316L. The distribution of elements in the laser welding zone between the yoke and shield ring was analyzed using EPMA; except with Magfit DX800, where the Cr content of the shield ring weld was greater than that of 316L. These magnetic assemblies are expected to have good corrosion resistance in the oral cavity, as their breakdown potentials are sufficiently higher than the 316L commonly used as a surgical implant material.

[Pharmacological treatment of dementia: when, how and for how long. Recommendations of the Working Group on Dementia of the Catalan Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology].

PubMed

Rodríguez, Daniel; Formiga, Francesc; Fort, Isabel; Robles, María José; Barranco, Elena; Cubí, Dolors

2012-01-01

Dementia in general--and Alzheimer's disease (AD) in particular--are bound to loom large among the most acute healthcare, social, and public health problems of the 21st century. AD shows a degenerative progression that can be slowed down--yet not halted--by today's most widely accepted specific treatments (those based on cholinesterase inhibitors as well as those using memantine). There is enough evidence to consider these treatments advisable for the mild, moderate and severe phases of the illness. However, in the final stage of the disease, a decision has to be made on whether to withdraw such treatment or not. In this paper, the Working Group on Dementia for the Catalan Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology reviews the use of these specific pharmacological treatments for AD, and, drawing on the scientific evidence thus gathered, makes a series of recommendations on when, how, and for how long, the currently existing specific pharmacological treatments should be used. Copyright © 2011 SEGG. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

A study on the changes in attractive force of magnetic attachments for overdenture.

PubMed

Leem, Han-Wool; Cho, In-Ho; Lee, Jong-Hyuk; Choi, Yu-Sung

2016-02-01

Although magnetic attachment is used frequently for overdenture, it is reported that attractive force can be decreased by abrasion and corrosion. The purpose of this study was to establish the clinical basis about considerations and long term prognosis of overdenture using magnetic attachments by investigating the change in attractive force of magnetic attachment applied to the patients. Among the patients treated with overdenture using magnetic attachments in Dankook University Dental Hospital, attractive force records of 61 magnetic attachments of 20 subjects who re-visited from July 2013 to June 2014 were analyzed. Dental magnet tester (Aichi Micro Intelligent Co., Aichi, Japan) was used for measurement. The magnetic attachments used in this study were Magfit IP-B Flat, Magfit DX400, Magfit DX600 and Magfit DX800 (Aichi Steel Co., Aichi, Japan) filled with Neodymium (NdFeB), a rare-earth magnet. Reduction ratio of attractive force had no significant correlation with conditional variables to which attachments were applied, and was higher when the maintenance period was longer (P<.05, r=.361). Reduction ratio of attractive force was significantly higher in the subject group in which attachments were used over 9 years than within 9 years (P<.05). Furthermore, 16.39% of total magnetic attachments showed detachment of keeper or assembly. Attractive force of magnetic attachment is maintained regardless of conditional variables and reduction ratio increased as the maintenance period became longer. Further study on adhesive material, attachment method and design improvement to prevent detachment of magnetic attachment is needed.

A study on the changes in attractive force of magnetic attachments for overdenture

PubMed Central

Lee, Jong-Hyuk; Choi, Yu-Sung

2016-01-01

PURPOSE Although magnetic attachment is used frequently for overdenture, it is reported that attractive force can be decreased by abrasion and corrosion. The purpose of this study was to establish the clinical basis about considerations and long term prognosis of overdenture using magnetic attachments by investigating the change in attractive force of magnetic attachment applied to the patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS Among the patients treated with overdenture using magnetic attachments in Dankook University Dental Hospital, attractive force records of 61 magnetic attachments of 20 subjects who re-visited from July 2013 to June 2014 were analyzed. Dental magnet tester (Aichi Micro Intelligent Co., Aichi, Japan) was used for measurement. The magnetic attachments used in this study were Magfit IP-B Flat, Magfit DX400, Magfit DX600 and Magfit DX800 (Aichi Steel Co., Aichi, Japan) filled with Neodymium (NdFeB), a rare-earth magnet. RESULTS Reduction ratio of attractive force had no significant correlation with conditional variables to which attachments were applied, and was higher when the maintenance period was longer (P<.05, r=.361). Reduction ratio of attractive force was significantly higher in the subject group in which attachments were used over 9 years than within 9 years (P<.05). Furthermore, 16.39% of total magnetic attachments showed detachment of keeper or assembly. CONCLUSION Attractive force of magnetic attachment is maintained regardless of conditional variables and reduction ratio increased as the maintenance period became longer. Further study on adhesive material, attachment method and design improvement to prevent detachment of magnetic attachment is needed. PMID:26949482

Tuning them in versus turning them on: how do we interest students in working with older adults?

PubMed

Gross, Patricia E; Eshbaugh, Elaine M

2011-01-01

As a nation, we face a shortage of individuals to serve our aging population. Therefore, the recruitment of undergraduate students into gerontology programs is an important, although challenging task. The purpose of this study was to determine if students who do not choose to major in gerontology do so because they simply are unaware of the opportunities or because they are uninterested. College students who were not gerontology majors (N = 226) were surveyed to determine whether they were aware of a gerontology major at their university, whether they could define gerontology, and their reasons for not pursuing gerontology. Results suggest that a lack of awareness, rather than a lack of interest, may be responsible for the challenges of recruiting college students into the field of gerontology. This implies that the most efficient path to bolstering our gerontology workforce may be to make students aware of the diverse and rewarding career opportunities in the field of aging.

Teaching qualitative research to BSW students through exposure to aging.

PubMed

Sidell, Nancy L

2007-01-01

This article describes one rural program's efforts to expose students to gerontology through teaching qualitative research methodology. A collaborative research pilot project was developed with a local nursing home. BSW students worked in two groups to conduct and present qualitative research projects by the course's completion. This article describes the research project and evaluates the project's success from student and instructor viewpoints. Significant differences were found in self-reported student knowledge of key concepts at the project's completion, compared with pre-test knowledge. Student comments revealed value in this teaching approach. Implications for further engaging students in gerontological research are discussed.

Teaching retirement financial literacy in an undergraduate gerontology classroom: broadening the concept of the tripod or three-legged stool of retirement income utilizing active learning.

PubMed

Baker, Hallie E; Brown, Pamela Pitman

2015-01-01

The three-legged stool concept is widely used in gerontological and geriatric education as an explanation on how one should fiscally approach his or her retirement. Financial managers, planners, retirees, business owners, even the Social Security Administration uses this metaphor of fiscal soundness in retirement planning. Gerontologists are moving away from the "tripod of retirement income" and "three-legged stool" term, as more often market work is needed for financial security. This activity focuses on the tripod or three-legged stool concepts of retirement planning using active learning, allowing the students to work collaboratively in a group, reflect upon the activity, and most importantly have fun. The game also allows for an expansion of the tripod concepts into the four pillars of economic security, broaching the use of personal assets and the possible need for longer employment. Game scenarios also emphasize macro- and microlevel forces, such as race, gender, health status, education, or marital status, which can influence timing of retirement or the level of retirement income available. The authors include instructions on how to set up the learning experience including worksheets, as well as reflection questions posed throughout the process.

Perceived control in the lives of older adults: the influence of Langer and Rodin's work on gerontological theory, policy, and practice.

PubMed

Mallers, Melanie H; Claver, Maria; Lares, Lisa A

2014-02-01

A key concept driving the field of both clinical and applied gerontology is that of personal control. Seminal work conducted in the late 1970s to early 1980s by Ellen Langer and Judith Rodin, who examined the effect of choice and enhanced responsibility on older adults, not only contributed to the discussion of the relevance of control in contemporary theories and practices of aging but also aided in the development of today's philosophy of how to serve and care for older adults in ways that are passionate, humanistic, and empowering. In their early research, residents at a nursing home were randomly assigned to 2 groups: 1 group was told they could arrange their furniture as they wanted, go where they wanted, spend time with whom they wanted, and so forth and were given a plant to care for; the other group was told that the staff was there to take care of and help them, including watering a plant given to each of them. During this study, and 18 months later, residents who were given control and personal responsibility had improved health; among those for whom control had not changed, a greater proportion had died. Since these original studies, research has continued to support the need for personal control as we age. This paper presents a brief overview of literature informed by Langer and Rodin's seminal findings, as well as the role of control to theory, policy, and practice.

77 FR 31041 - Notice Pursuant to the National Cooperative Research and Production Act of 1993-ODVA, Inc.

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-24

... under specified circumstances. Specifically, Denso Wave Incorporated, Aichi, JAPAN; Monode Pryor... planned activity of the group research project. Membership in this group research project remains open...

Hydrotherapy for the treatment of pain in people with multiple sclerosis: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Castro-Sánchez, Adelaida María; Matarán-Peñarrocha, Guillermo A; Lara-Palomo, Inmaculada; Saavedra-Hernández, Manuel; Arroyo-Morales, Manuel; Moreno-Lorenzo, Carmen

2012-01-01

Background. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic demyelinating neurological disease. Several studies have reported that complementary and alternative therapies can have positive effects against pain in these patients. Objective. The objective was to investigate the effectiveness of an Ai-Chi aquatic exercise program against pain and other symptoms in MS patients. Methods. In this randomized controlled trial, 73 MS patients were randomly assigned to an experimental or control group for a 20-week treatment program. The experimental group underwent 40 sessions of Ai-Chi exercise in swimming pool and the control group 40 sessions of abdominal breathing and contraction-relaxation exercises in therapy room. Outcome variables were pain, disability, spasm, depression, fatigue, and autonomy, which were assessed before the intervention and immediately and at 4 and 10 weeks after the last treatment session. Results. The experimental group showed a significant (P < 0.028) and clinically relevant decrease in pain intensity versus baseline, with an immediate posttreatment reduction in median visual analogue scale scores of 50% that was maintained for up to 10 weeks. Significant improvements were also observed in spasm, fatigue, disability, and autonomy. Conclusion. According to these findings, an Ai-Chi aquatic exercise program improves pain, spasms, disability, fatigue, depression, and autonomy in MS patients.

Hydrotherapy for the Treatment of Pain in People with Multiple Sclerosis: A Randomized Controlled Trial

PubMed Central

Castro-Sánchez, Adelaida María; Matarán-Peñarrocha, Guillermo A.; Lara-Palomo, Inmaculada; Saavedra-Hernández, Manuel; Arroyo-Morales, Manuel; Moreno-Lorenzo, Carmen

2012-01-01

Background. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic demyelinating neurological disease. Several studies have reported that complementary and alternative therapies can have positive effects against pain in these patients. Objective. The objective was to investigate the effectiveness of an Ai-Chi aquatic exercise program against pain and other symptoms in MS patients. Methods. In this randomized controlled trial, 73 MS patients were randomly assigned to an experimental or control group for a 20-week treatment program. The experimental group underwent 40 sessions of Ai-Chi exercise in swimming pool and the control group 40 sessions of abdominal breathing and contraction-relaxation exercises in therapy room. Outcome variables were pain, disability, spasm, depression, fatigue, and autonomy, which were assessed before the intervention and immediately and at 4 and 10 weeks after the last treatment session. Results. The experimental group showed a significant (P < 0.028) and clinically relevant decrease in pain intensity versus baseline, with an immediate posttreatment reduction in median visual analogue scale scores of 50% that was maintained for up to 10 weeks. Significant improvements were also observed in spasm, fatigue, disability, and autonomy. Conclusion. According to these findings, an Ai-Chi aquatic exercise program improves pain, spasms, disability, fatigue, depression, and autonomy in MS patients. PMID:21785645

Socio-economic and ecological impacts of global protected area expansion plans

PubMed Central

Visconti, Piero; Bakkenes, Michel; Smith, Robert J.; Joppa, Lucas; Sykes, Rachel E.

2015-01-01

Several global strategies for protected area (PA) expansion have been proposed to achieve the Convention on Biological Diversity's Aichi target 11 as a means to stem biodiversity loss, as required by the Aichi target 12. However, habitat loss outside PAs will continue to affect habitats and species, and PAs may displace human activities into areas that might be even more important for species persistence. Here we measure the expected contribution of PA expansion strategies to Aichi target 12 by estimating the extent of suitable habitat available for all terrestrial mammals, with and without additional protection (the latter giving the counterfactual outcome), under different socio-economic scenarios and consequent land-use change to 2020. We found that expanding PAs to achieve representation targets for ecoregions under a Business-as-usual socio-economic scenario will result in a worse prognosis than doing nothing for more than 50% of the world's terrestrial mammals. By contrast, targeting protection towards threatened species can increase the suitable habitat available to over 60% of terrestrial mammals. Even in the absence of additional protection, an alternative socio-economic scenario, adopting progressive changes in human consumption, leads to positive outcomes for mammals globally and to the largest improvements for wide-ranging species. PMID:26460136

Socio-economic and ecological impacts of global protected area expansion plans.

PubMed

Visconti, Piero; Bakkenes, Michel; Smith, Robert J; Joppa, Lucas; Sykes, Rachel E

2015-11-05

Several global strategies for protected area (PA) expansion have been proposed to achieve the Convention on Biological Diversity's Aichi target 11 as a means to stem biodiversity loss, as required by the Aichi target 12. However, habitat loss outside PAs will continue to affect habitats and species, and PAs may displace human activities into areas that might be even more important for species persistence. Here we measure the expected contribution of PA expansion strategies to Aichi target 12 by estimating the extent of suitable habitat available for all terrestrial mammals, with and without additional protection (the latter giving the counterfactual outcome), under different socio-economic scenarios and consequent land-use change to 2020. We found that expanding PAs to achieve representation targets for ecoregions under a Business-as-usual socio-economic scenario will result in a worse prognosis than doing nothing for more than 50% of the world's terrestrial mammals. By contrast, targeting protection towards threatened species can increase the suitable habitat available to over 60% of terrestrial mammals. Even in the absence of additional protection, an alternative socio-economic scenario, adopting progressive changes in human consumption, leads to positive outcomes for mammals globally and to the largest improvements for wide-ranging species. © 2015 The Author(s).

78 FR 67399 - Notice Pursuant to the National Cooperative Research and Production Act of 1993-ODVA, Inc.

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-12

..., Leinfelden-Echterdingen, GERMANY; Systeme Helmholz GmbH, Grossenseebach, GERMANY; C.E. Electronics, Inc... Machine Works, Ltd., Nishikasugai-gun, Aichi, JAPAN; Camozzi SpA, Brescia, ITALY; Racine Federated, Inc...

Students' Knowledge of Aging and Career Preferences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lun, Man Wai

2012-01-01

The increased number of older adults attributes to a rising need for future professionals to work in gerontology. Understanding the influence of students' career choices is important. A qualitative study was conducted after students' taking a gerontology course to explore students' knowledge and career preference in gerontology. The results were…

An Evaluation of the GeroRich Program for Infusing Social Work Curriculum with Aging Content

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanders, Sara; Dorfman, Lorraine T.; Ingram, Jerry G.

2008-01-01

There is a national shortage of social workers who have the knowledge and skill competencies needed for practice with our rapidly growing older adult population. In the last decade, research has identified many reasons for the lack of interest in gerontological social work and steps that could be pursued within social work education to remedy the…

Clinical Nursing Leadership Education in Long-Term Care: Intervention Design and Evaluation.

PubMed

Fiset, Valerie; Luciani, Tracy; Hurtubise, Alyssa; Grant, Theresa L

2017-04-01

The main objective of the current case study was to investigate the perceived leadership learning needs and feasibility of delivering leadership education to registered staff involved in direct care in long-term care (LTC) homes. The study was conducted in Ontario, Canada, and participants included RNs, registered practical nurses, and nursing administrators. Phase 1 bilingual web-based survey and bilingual focus group needs assessment data supported a preference for external training along with in-house mentoring to support sustainability. An intervention designed using insights gained from Phase 1 data was delivered via a 2-day, in-person workshop. Phases 2 and 3 evaluation survey data identified aspects of leadership training for LTC that require ongoing refinement. Findings suggest that communication skills and managing day-to-day nursing demands in the context of regulatory frameworks were areas of particular interest for leadership training in the LTC setting. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 43(4), 49-56.]. Copyright 2017, SLACK Incorporated.

Involving Older Adults as Co-Researchers in Social Work Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gutman, Carolyn; Hantman, Shira; Ben-Oz, Miriam; Criden, Wendy; Anghel, Roxana; Ramon, Shula

2014-01-01

This article examines the contribution of older adults as co-researchers to the evaluation of a gerontological social work course. The evaluation was conducted at an Israeli college as part of a collaborative project with a United Kingdom university. Here, we follow the older adults who are service users through their transition to the role of…

A mid-term analysis of progress toward international biodiversity targets.

PubMed

Tittensor, Derek P; Walpole, Matt; Hill, Samantha L L; Boyce, Daniel G; Britten, Gregory L; Burgess, Neil D; Butchart, Stuart H M; Leadley, Paul W; Regan, Eugenie C; Alkemade, Rob; Baumung, Roswitha; Bellard, Céline; Bouwman, Lex; Bowles-Newark, Nadine J; Chenery, Anna M; Cheung, William W L; Christensen, Villy; Cooper, H David; Crowther, Annabel R; Dixon, Matthew J R; Galli, Alessandro; Gaveau, Valérie; Gregory, Richard D; Gutierrez, Nicolas L; Hirsch, Tim L; Höft, Robert; Januchowski-Hartley, Stephanie R; Karmann, Marion; Krug, Cornelia B; Leverington, Fiona J; Loh, Jonathan; Lojenga, Rik Kutsch; Malsch, Kelly; Marques, Alexandra; Morgan, David H W; Mumby, Peter J; Newbold, Tim; Noonan-Mooney, Kieran; Pagad, Shyama N; Parks, Bradley C; Pereira, Henrique M; Robertson, Tim; Rondinini, Carlo; Santini, Luca; Scharlemann, Jörn P W; Schindler, Stefan; Sumaila, U Rashid; Teh, Louise S L; van Kolck, Jennifer; Visconti, Piero; Ye, Yimin

2014-10-10

In 2010, the international community, under the auspices of the Convention on Biological Diversity, agreed on 20 biodiversity-related "Aichi Targets" to be achieved within a decade. We provide a comprehensive mid-term assessment of progress toward these global targets using 55 indicator data sets. We projected indicator trends to 2020 using an adaptive statistical framework that incorporated the specific properties of individual time series. On current trajectories, results suggest that despite accelerating policy and management responses to the biodiversity crisis, the impacts of these efforts are unlikely to be reflected in improved trends in the state of biodiversity by 2020. We highlight areas of societal endeavor requiring additional efforts to achieve the Aichi Targets, and provide a baseline against which to assess future progress. Copyright © 2014, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Processing Strategies to Inactivate Enteric Viruses in Shellfish: Limitations of Surrogate Viruses and Molecular Methods

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Noroviruses, hepatitis A and E viruses, sapovirus, astrovirus, rotavirus, Aichi virus, enteric adenoviruses, poliovirus, and other enteroviruses enter shellfish through contaminated seawater or by contamination during handling and processing, resulting in outbreaks ranging from isolated to epidemic....

Ceramic transactions - Materials processing and design: Grain-boundary-controlled properties of fine ceramics II. Volume 44

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Niihara, Koichi; Ishizaki, Kozo; Isotani, Mitsuo

This volume contains selected papers presented at a workshop by the Japan Fine Ceramics Center, `Materials Processing and Design Through Better Control of Grain Boundaries: Emphasizing Fine Ceramics II,` which was held March 17-19, 1994, in Koda-cho, Aichi, Japan. The focus of the workshop was the application of grain boundary phenomena to materials processing and design. The topics covered included electronic materials, evaluation methods, structural materials, and interfaces. Also included is an illuminating overview of the current status of work on grain boundary assisted materials processing and design, particularly for fine ceramics. The volume`s chapter titles are: Electron Microscopy, Evaluation,more » Grain Boundary Control and Design, Functional Ceramics, Composite Materials, Synthesis and Sintering, and Mechanical Properties.« less

Using Film and Intergenerational Colearning to Enhance Knowledge and Attitudes toward Older Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCleary, Roseanna

2014-01-01

This study evaluated whether two evidence-based methods used collaboratively, intergenerational colearning and use of films/documentaries in an educational context, enhanced knowledge levels and attitudes toward older adults in nursing, social work, and other allied profession students. Students participated in a gerontology film festival where…

The American Medical Association Older Driver Curriculum for Health Professionals: Changes in Trainee Confidence, Attitudes, and Practice Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meuser, Thomas M.; Carr, David B.; Irmiter, Cheryl; Schwartzberg, Joanne G.; Ulfarsson, Gudmundur F.

2010-01-01

Few gerontology and geriatrics professionals receive training in driver fitness evaluation, state reporting of unfit drivers, or transportation mobility planning yet are often asked to address these concerns in the provision of care to older adults. The American Medical Association (AMA) developed an evidence-based, multi-media Curriculum to…

The Value of Geriatric Care Enhancement Training for Direct Service Workers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coogle, Constance L.; Parham, Iris A.; Jablonski, Rita; Rachel, Jason S.

2007-01-01

This study reports on the evaluation of a skills-enhancement training series for direct service providers in home care that was part of a federally funded state-level initiative to improve employee recruitment and retention. The gerontological training curriculum included content to improve problem-solving, communication, and stress management…

Evaluative and Experienced Well-being of Caregivers of Parents and Caregivers of Children.

PubMed

Hammersmith, Anna M; Lin, I-Fen

2016-06-02

Informal caregiving is an important source of support for aging parents and children. Yet the timing and nature of caring for parents versus children may result in different levels of well-being. Despite extensive studies on the well-being of caregivers of parents and of children, it remains elusive as to how evaluative and experienced well-being vary by caregiver type. Using data from the 2012 and 2013 rounds of the American Time Use Survey, we examined how 216 caregivers of parents and 1,989 caregivers of children reported their evaluative well-being (life satisfaction) and experienced well-being (happiness, meaning, pain, sadness, stress, and tiredness). Caregivers of parents reported lower evaluative and experienced well-being than caregivers of children. The association between caregiver type and life satisfaction dissipated, whereas the associations of caregiver type with happiness, meaning, and sadness persisted after accounting for caregivers' demographic characteristics, socioeconomic resources, and time intensity. Experienced well-being appears to be more sensitive than evaluative well-being in detecting differences in well-being between these two types of caregivers. Given that the caregivers of parents do not receive the same level of institutional support as caregivers of children, social policies should aim to provide caregivers of parents with additional support. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Optimal Living Environments for the Elderly: A Design Simulation Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoffman, Stephanie B.; And Others

PLANNED AGE (Planned Alternatives for Gerontological Environments) is a consumer/advocate-oriented design simulation package that provides: (a) a medium for user-planner interaction in the design of living and service environments for the aged; (b) an educational, planning, design, and evaluation tool that can be used by the elderly, their…

Neuroticism and Physicians' and Self-Ratings of Health.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stock, William A.; And Others

Although self-rated health is an important topic in social gerontology, relatively few studies have examined the predictors of these self-evaluations. Data from the Second Duke Longitudinal Study were used to examine the relationships among neuroticism, physician-rated health, and self-rated health. Physicians' ratings of health were used to…

[Mediate evaluation of replicating a Training Program in Nonverbal Communication in Gerontology].

PubMed

Schimidt, Teresa Cristina Gioia; Duarte, Yeda Aparecida de Oliveira; Silva, Maria Julia Paes da

2015-04-01

Replicating the training program in non-verbal communication based on the theoretical framework of interpersonal communication; non-verbal coding, valuing the aging aspects in the perspective of active aging, checking its current relevance through the content assimilation index after 90 days (mediate) of its application. A descriptive and exploratory field study was conducted in three hospitals under direct administration of the state of São Paulo that caters exclusively to Unified Health System (SUS) patients. The training lasted 12 hours divided in three meetings, applied to 102 health professionals. Revealed very satisfactory and satisfactory mediate content assimilation index in 82.9%. The program replication proved to be relevant and updated the setting of hospital services, while remaining efficient for healthcare professionals.

Translating evidence from systematic reviews for policy makers.

PubMed

Nannini, Angela; Houde, Susan Crocker

2010-06-01

Gerontological nurses who have received education and have experience in conducting systematic reviews may assume a key role in interpreting systematic reviews for policy makers. Systematic reviews offer evidence to determine the best policy and program solutions to a problem. To be successful in translating evidence from systematic reviews, gerontological nurses need to (a) understand the steps of the policy making process and where different kinds of reviews may be used, (b) assess the "technical" literacy and level of interest in gerontological issues of the intended policy maker, and (c) develop and practice skills in policy writing that distill information in policy briefs as well as shorter formats. Gerontological nurses can be powerful advocates for older adults using the systematic review of the literature as an instrument to educate policy makers. Copyright 2010, SLACK Incorporated.

Insightful Learning of Life's Lessons with Older Adult Guests in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Velez Ortiz, Daniel; Cross, Suzanne L.; Day, Angelique

2012-01-01

An intergenerational initiative was developed and implemented to enhance gerontology in the first course of the practice sequence. Seventeen students met with older adults (ages 82-98) in the classroom and at an assisted living facility. The evaluation of this older adult infusion project was conducted through two questionnaires and by the review…

Developing a Peer Educator Program to Raise Awareness about Elder Abuse

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weeks, Lori E.; Bryanton, Olive; McInnis-Perry, Gloria; Chaulk, Paul

2015-01-01

There continues to be lack of public awareness about elder abuse. To help address this issue, we developed and piloted an elder abuse peer educator training program from an educational gerontology and health empowerment perspective. We describe the process employed to train older adults as peer educators. We present evaluation results from data…

Roy Walford and the immunologic theory of aging

PubMed Central

Effros, Rita B

2005-01-01

Roy Walford died on April 27, 2004, at the age of 79. His contributions to gerontological research in such diverse areas as caloric restriction, genetics of lifespan, immunosenescence, DNA repair and replicative senescence were truly remarkable in their depth and innovation. Significantly, most of the areas that he pioneered during his illustrious research career remain the "hot" areas of current gerontological research. In this sense, he has achieved the most important type of immortality. His death was a major personal and professional loss to numerous scientists within the gerontological community. In launching this new journal on Immunity and Ageing, it is highly fitting, therefore, to remember him on the anniversary of his death by briefly reviewing the contributions of Roy Walford to this important facet of gerontology. Indeed, it was Roy who actually first coined the commonly used term "immunosenescence". PMID:15850487

JPRS Report, Science & Technology, Japan, Structure, Properties of Al Amorphous Alloys

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-12-04

present report, and to the members of the staff, particularly Masaji Nomura, Tetsuya Ishikawa , and Atsushi Koyama, of the High Energy Physics Laboratory...Aichi Educational University, and the research on Al-based quasicrystals was with Shin Takeuchi, and Kaoru Kimura, both of Tokyo University, and Takeshi

Five-year multicenter study of magnetic attachments used for natural overdenture abutments.

PubMed

Gonda, T; Yang, T C; Maeda, Y

2013-04-01

The purpose of this study was to examine a longitudinal clinical performance of magnetic attachments used for natural overdenture abutments. The study included 131 patients who had used removable prostheses (complete overdentures 31%, partial dentures 69%) more than 5 years (40-90 years old) with 211 magnetic attachments on natural abutments (Magfit 400 or 600; Aichi Steel co., Aichi, Japan) treated in 15 clinics using a standardized protocol. Analyses were performed on the degree of patient satisfaction regarding retention, complications of magnets (corrosion, detachment from denture base), abutments (pain during mastication, periodontal pocket formation, inflammation, mobility), and dentures (fracture etc.). Ninety-seven percent of patients were satisfied with the retention and stability of their dentures. No corrosion of magnet was observed, and 19 magnets were detached. Most frequent complication of abutments was periodontal pocket formation (52%), followed by the inflammation (29%), increase in mobility (27%) and pain (4%). Magnetic attachment on natural tooth abutments provided a viable and long-term treatment option. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

[Having trouble with pressure ulcers care?].

PubMed

Mizuno, Masako; Noda, Yasuhiro; Nohara, Yoko; Fujii, Keiko; Sato, Noriko; Renda, Akiyoshi; Yuasa, Takashi; Muramatsu, Shuichi; Furuta, Katsunori

2004-12-01

Since 1997, we, the community pharmacists, have established this society, Aichi Prefecture Society for the Study of Pressure Ulcers Care, in order to furnish drug information about pressure ulcers care. Moist atmosphere is required for the healing of pressure ulcers. The moist environment that could be regulated depends on the physicochemical property of ointment bases. Therefore, ointment should reasonably be chosen to adjust the moisture. Since 2000, we have been committed to providing pharmacists, who work on home care, with a booklet to instruct how to choose ointments for pressure ulcers treatment. In 2002, when the Aichi pharmaceutical association held a training conference held at various hospitals using the booklet as a teaching material, hospital pharmacists cooperated by making a field study trip to observe pressure ulcers treatments. Nowadays researchers at pharmaceutical colleges have also cooperated in studying the efficacy and economical effect of the method of blending different ointments to improve the healing process of pressure ulcers.

Gerontagogy beyond Words: A Reality.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lemieux, Andre; Sanchez Martinez, Mariano

2000-01-01

Using "educational gerontology" to describe interventions for older adults links education to aging rather than to adults. "Gerontagogy" is proposed as a multidisciplinary combination of the science of gerontology and the study of older adults in teaching/learning situations. (SK)

Education, empowerment, and elderly adults--enhancing nursing expertise in the long-term care setting.

PubMed

LeCount, Jill

2004-03-01

The rapidly emerging changes in health care needs of elderly individuals have prompted many articles and public policy proposals in support of the advancement of gerontological nursing education. Although more financial support for gerontological expertise is necessary, nurses have begun to move ahead with innovative programs to enhance their own geriatric practice. In this article, the author describes a collaboration among a long-term care facility and local universities created to provide an advanced practice degree program for working nurses interested in gerontology. A needs assessment survey, program planning, and implementation are outlined. The end result is 20 RNs graduating from a master's level program who anecdotally identify increased confidence, critical thinking, and use of research and evidenced-based practice as a result of their graduate studies. The author concludes that more programs accommodating the complex needs of working nurses are needed to develop nursing expertise in gerontology.

Virtuous aging and existential vulnerability.

PubMed

Laceulle, Hanne

2017-12-01

In its efforts to overcome problematic views that associate aging with inevitable decline, contemporary gerontology shows a tendency to focus predominantly on age-related vulnerabilities that science may try to remedy and control. However, gerontology should also offer languages to address vulnerabilities that cannot be remedied because they intrinsically belong to the human condition. After all, these are increasingly radically encountered in later life and should therefore be reflected upon in the study of aging. Humanistic gerontology seems to be the most promising field to look for languages capable of contemplating such existential vulnerabilities. The potential contribution of philosophy in this field remains underdeveloped so far, however. This article therefore aims to introduce insights from the philosophical tradition to (humanistic) gerontology. More specifically, it focuses on the tradition of virtue ethics, arguing that virtue is a particularly relevant notion to explore in dealing with existential vulnerability in later life. The notion of virtue is clarified by discussing a selection of philosophical perspectives on this topic, by Aristotle, MacIntyre and Swanton. Next a brief overview will be given of some of the ways the notion of virtue has found its way into gerontological discourse so far. The article ends with an analysis of the merits of virtue-ethical discourse for the study of aging and later life, and pleads for more inclusion of philosophical ideas such as virtue in gerontology, as these can enrich our conceptual frameworks and help us relate to deep existential questions regarding the experience of aging. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Interdisciplinary Teams, Mentorship and Intergenerational Service-Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weinreich, Donna M.

2004-01-01

This paper discusses the implementation of an intergenerational service-learning (IS-L) project with a mentorship component for graduate students at Western Michigan University's Gerontology Program. Two classes of students, one graduate and one undergraduate, taking introductory gerontology courses were brought together to complete IS-L projects…

The RAND Online Measure Repository for Evaluating Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury Programs. The RAND Toolkit, Volume 2

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-01

tempo may raise the risk for mental health challenges. During this time, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has implemented numerous programs to...and were based on the constraints of each electronic database. However, most searches were variations on a basic three-category format: The first...Gerontology, 1983, 38: 111–116. Iannuzzo RW, Jaeger J, Goldberg JF, Kafantaris V, Sublette ME. “Development and Reliability of the Ham-D/MADRS

[Seasonal flu vaccination for older people: Evaluation of the adjuvanted vaccine. Positioning report].

PubMed

López Mongil, Rosa; López Trigo, José Antonio; Mariano Lázaro, Alberto; Mato Chaín, Gloria; Ramos Cordero, Primitivo; Salleras Sanmartí, Luis

2017-11-01

Flu is a major public health problem, particularly for older people, and creates an important clinical and economic burden. A high mortality rate was reported in Spain during the period 2015 to 2016; 3,101 serious cases were hospitalised with a confirmed diagnosis of flu, of which 11% died (352 cases). Furthermore, financial and health costs are greatly increased by the complications of flu; people aged over 65 years represent approximately 64% of the total costs. Seasonal flu vaccination is the fundamental strategy, as demonstrated by cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness studies. A priority objective is to improve the vaccine's immune response and the search for and inclusion of adjuvants and immunostimulants in vaccines is a major line of research. This positioning report evaluates vaccination for older people and the importance of the adjuvanted vaccine in the elderly in strengthening immunogenicity, by means of a critical review of the literature based on the best evidence available on its immunogenicity and effectiveness, and an economic assessment. Copyright © 2017 Sociedad Española de Geriatría y Gerontología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Court of Ethics: Teaching Ethics and Ageing by Means of Role-Playing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doron, Israel

2007-01-01

Technological and scientific developments, progress in the discipline of gerontology, and an ageing population mean that we now have to contend with previously unknown ethical problems. Therefore, the teaching of ethics is an essential element of a comprehensive education in gerontology. This article discusses the unique aspects of gerontology…

Bridging Knowledge: A Collective Undergraduate Thesis Development Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holdsworth, Jason K.; Arun, Özgür

2017-01-01

While there are various approaches to gerontological and geriatrics (and social sciences) education globally, a component commonly included in undergraduate education is a final thesis project. In Turkey, the Department of Gerontology at Akdeniz University has undertaken a unique approach to thesis development that values and draws on accessing…

Accreditation in the Profession of Psychology: A Cautionary Tale

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maiden, Robert; Knight, Bob G.; Howe, Judith L.; Kim, Seungyoun

2012-01-01

This article examines the history of accreditation in psychology and applies the lessons learned to the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education's (AGHE) consideration of forming an organization to accredit programs in gerontology. The authors identify the challenges met and unmet, the successes and failures, and the key issues that emerged…

Cognitive and Affective Enhancement among Older Adults: The Role of Languaging

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swain, Merrill

2013-01-01

In this paper, one of the goals is to highlight a disciplinary intersection between applied linguistics, psychology and gerontology. Though connections between applied linguistics and psychology, and applied linguistics and gerontology, have been made in the past, the particular intersection described offers some new insights by making use of a…

Clinical Training in Aging and Mental Health. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gatz, Margaret; And Others

This report describes the University of Southern California's (USC) gerontology career preparation project, which was funded for the following training activities in mental health and aging: (1) traineeships for graduate students in USC's doctoral track in clinical psychology and aging and in the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology master's track…

Goals, Purposes, and Future of Undergraduate Education in the Psychology of Aging

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schonfield, David; Chatfield, Sally

1976-01-01

An introductory course in gerontology should be tied to the liberal arts core of higher education and not merely provide assembly lines of facts. Undergraduates should be helped to appreciate difficulties in designing and interpreting gerontological studies and to realize that they are not yet ready to undertake independent empirical…

Aging in cultural context and as narrative process: conceptual foundations of the anthropology of aging as reflected in the works of Margaret Clark and Sharon Kaufman.

PubMed

Perkinson, Margaret A; Solimeo, Samantha L

2014-02-01

Although the discipline of anthropology has much to contribute to the understanding of the nature and experience of aging, it is a relative latecomer to gerontology. After briefly discussing why this is the case, the authors discuss the contributions of two anthropologists who brought a substantive anthropological voice to gerontological discussion of aging. Examining the "ancestral roots" of the anthropology of aging, we spotlight the intellectual heritage of Margaret Clark, arguably the "mother" of this anthropological subfield, and that of Sharon Kaufman, her student, colleague, and a pioneer in her own right. Clark and Anderson's Culture and aging: an anthropological study of older Americans (1967; Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas) remains a touchstone for the concept of situated aging. This examination of value orientations and mental health of older San Franciscans is foundational for understanding aging as an interactive, socially embedded process that is adapted to specific sociocultural contexts. Research and therapies grounded in narrativity and meaning benefit from Sharon Kaufman's The ageless self: sources of meaning in late life (1986; Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press), which articulated narrative thinking as a conduit for understanding, performing, and constructing identity and meaning. Kaufman's work has ongoing relevance to gerontological research on embodiment, chronic illness, and later life social transitions. Their research has continued relevance to contemporary gerontological scholarship and practice, signaling both prevailing and emergent agendas for anthropologically informed gerontology.

Program of active aging in a rural Mexican community: a qualitative approach

PubMed Central

de la Luz Martínez-Maldonado, María; Correa-Muñoz, Elsa; Mendoza-Núñez, Víctor Manuel

2007-01-01

Background Education is one of the key elements in the promotion of a thorough paradigm for active aging. The aim of this study is to analyze factors that contribute the empowerment of older adults in a rural Mexican community and, thus, promote active aging. Methods The study was conducted in a rural Mexican community (Valle del Mezquital), based on an action-research paradigm. One hundred and fifty-five elderly subjects with elementary school education participated in a formal training program promoting gerontological development and health education. Participants in turn became coordinators of mutual-help groups (gerontological nucleus) in Mexico. In-depth interviews were carried out to assess the empowerment after training for active aging. Results It was found that there was an increasing feeling of empowerment, creativity and self-fulfillment among participants. Among the main factors that positively influenced training of the elderly toward active aging were the teaching of gerontology topics themselves; besides, their motivation, the self-esteem, the increased undertaking of responsibility, the feeling of belonging to the group, and the sharing of information based on personal experience and on gerontological knowledge. Conclusion The main factors that contribute to empowerment of older adults in a rural Mexican community for participate in active aging programs are the training and teaching of gerontology topics themselves; besides, their interest, experience and involvement. PMID:17910775

2005 Mississippi Curriculum Framework: Postsecondary Gerontology Technology. (Program CIP: 19.0702 - Gerontology)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boulton, Mary

2005-01-01

As the world economy continues to evolve, businesses and industries must adopt new practices and processes in order to survive. Quality and cost control, work teams and participatory management, and an infusion of technology are transforming the way people work and do business. Employees are now expected to read, write, and communicate…

78 FR 6406 - Geriatrics and Gerontology Advisory Committee, Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-30

... facilities and programs to meet the medical, psychological, and social needs of older Veterans and evaluates..., recruitment and retention approaches), Veterans Health Administration (VHA) strategic planning activities in...

77 FR 14860 - Geriatrics and Gerontology Advisory Committee, Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-13

... facilities and programs to meet the medical, psychological, and social needs of older Veterans and evaluates..., recruitment and retention approaches), Veterans Health Administration (VHA) strategic planning activities in...

Aging: Prospects and Issues. Revised. 1976.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Richard H., Ed.

Completely revised and updated since its first edition in 1973, the book explores an even wider range of concerns regarding gerontology. Part 1 presents an overview of the multiple aspects of gerontology, and includes the following chapters: (1) Aging: Prospects and Issues, Richard H. Davis; (2) Aging: The Psychologist's Perspective, James E.…

75 FR 54232 - Geriatrics and Gerontology Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-03

... and programs to meet the medical, psychological, and social needs of older Veterans and evaluates VA... activities, update on VA's geriatric workforce (to include training, recruitment and retention approaches...

Geographic distribution and environmental control of vertebral count in Ammodytes spp. along the northern Pacific coast of Japan.

PubMed

Aoyama, J; Yoshinaga, T; Tanaka, C; Ishii, K

2017-03-01

To examine species composition and population structures in sand lance (Ammodytidae) along the northern Pacific coast of Japan, genetic analysis were carried out for specimens collected in 2014 from Otsuchi Bay, Iwate, Ishinomaki Bay, Miyagi, off Soma, Fukushima and Ise-Mikawa Bays, Aichi. The samples consisted of Ammodytes japonicus and Ammodytes heian, of which the latter is a recently described species. Neither species exhibited significant genetic differences among localities. Only A. japonicus was found in the most southern locality at Aichi, but it decreased northward to <90% in Miyagi and Fukushima and the two species occurred almost evenly in Iwate suggesting a latitudinal cline in their species composition along the northern Pacific coast of Japan, off Tohoku. The vertebral counts differed between A. japonicus and A. heian with modes of 65 and 63, respectively, but this characteristic did not differ significantly within a locality (Iwate). This suggests that the vertebral counts of Ammodytes spp. in Japanese waters are probably strongly determined by the environment than by a species-specific genetic trait. © 2016 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

76 FR 17999 - Geriatrics and Gerontology Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-31

... and programs to meet the medical, psychological, and social needs of older Veterans and evaluates VA... on VA's employee staff working in the area of geriatrics (to include training, recruitment and...

Addressing the needs of Nicaraguan older adults living on the edge: A university-community partnership in international service-learning.

PubMed

Neal, Margaret B; Cannon, Melissa; DeLaTorre, Alan; Bolkan, Cory R; Wernher, Iris; Nolan, Elisabeth; López Norori, Milton; Largaespada-Fredersdorff, Carmen; Brown Wilson, Keren

2017-01-01

Nicaragua is a very low-income country entering a period of rapid aging with limited geriatric training for health care professionals. To help build capacity and to enhance student learning, a short-term international service-learning program was implemented in 2004 in partnership with the Jessie F. Richardson Foundation and Nicaraguan community stakeholders. Graduate and undergraduate students at Portland State University complete coursework for one term in the United States then travel to Nicaragua for about two weeks to participate in educational, research, and service activities, primarily in group homes for older Nicaraguans. Students learn about global aging, gerontology, community development, service learning, and Nicaraguan history and culture, then apply their gerontology-related knowledge by training direct care staff, older adults and their family members, and students. The authors describe the impetus for and evolution of the program, students' evaluation of the program, faculty observations on program benefits and challenges, lessons learned, and future plans.

Advancing the Aging and Technology Agenda in Gerontology

PubMed Central

Schulz, Richard; Wahl, Hans-Werner; Matthews, Judith T.; De Vito Dabbs, Annette; Beach, Scott R.; Czaja, Sara J.

2015-01-01

Interest in technology for older adults is driven by multiple converging trends: the rapid pace of technological development; the unprecedented growth of the aging population in the United States and worldwide; the increase in the number and survival of persons with disability; the growing and unsustainable costs of caring for the elderly people; and the increasing interest on the part of business, industry, and government agencies in addressing health care needs with technology. These trends have contributed to the strong conviction that technology can play an important role in enhancing quality of life and independence of older individuals with high levels of efficiency, potentially reducing individual and societal costs of caring for the elderly people. The purpose of this “Forum” position article is to integrate what we know about older adults and technology systems in order to provide direction to this vital enterprise. We define what we mean by technology for an aging population, provide a brief history of its development, introduce a taxonomy for characterizing current technology applications to older adults, summarize research in this area, describe existing development and evaluation processes, identify factors important for the acceptance of technology among older individuals, and recommend future directions for research in this area. PMID:25165042

[The reasons for the «space» of gerontology: the impact of the movements of the Earth and Moon on the performance of the human environment].

PubMed

Shapovalov, S N

2016-01-01

For future gerontological research specific interest are the research results obtained at the junction of Geophysics, astronomy, and biology, and existing links pointing to indicators of living objects with cosmophysical factors. The paper presents data on basic astronomical factors, potentially on a regular basis may cause gravitational effects on the biosphere as a living environment. Among these factors are movement of the Earth and Moon described is known in astronomy equations: the equation of the equinoxes, equation of time, as well as major perturbations from the Sun (evection, variation and annual inequality) inferred from the theory of lunar motion. Based on the amount of major perturbations from the Sun, the so-called λD-functions that are carried out to study the relationship between fluctuations of the so-called «computer time», the energy of solar radiation in the range of 605-607 nm, and the concentration of hemoglobin and red blood cells with major perturbations from the Sun. The resulting conclusion about the universal nature of the impact of the movements of the Moon and the Earth on the biosphere. The tables for the period from 01.01.2015 to 31.12.2016, with the calculated values λD functions that are potentially important for analyzing their association with temporal changes of various indicators of the body. The regularities obtained in the comparison of changes in various biomarkers with the course of values λD functions from tables, can be predictive in the study of the functioning of humans and the biosphere for astronomical periods. The research was carried out in Antarctica, where excluded the influence of artificial electromagnetic fields, st. Vostok (1998-1999) and st. Novolazarevskaya (2003-2004).

77 FR 49865 - Geriatrics and Gerontology Advisory Committee, Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-17

... Clinical Centers. No time will be allocated at this meeting for receiving oral presentations from the... Veterans and evaluates VA programs designated as Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Centers. The meeting will feature presentations and discussions on VA's geriatrics and extended care programs, aging...

Gerontology and the Arts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Jean Ellen, Ed.

1982-01-01

Reviews research on the place of the arts in programs for the elderly. In nine articles deals with characteristics and attitudes of adult students in art and music, dance therapy, and creativity. Discusses the aging advocacy movement and suggests it can be useful to program planners and gerontologists. (JAC)

Foundations for Gerontological Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Harold R.; And Others

1980-01-01

Focuses on: (1) components of a basic core of knowledge essential for all people working in the field of aging; (2) knowledge essential for professions related to biomedical science, human services, social and physical environment; and (3) knowledge essential for clinical psychology, nursing, nutrition, and social work. (Author)

Principles of alternative gerontology.

PubMed

Bilinski, Tomasz; Bylak, Aneta; Zadrag-Tecza, Renata

2016-04-01

Surveys of taxonomic groups of animals have shown that contrary to the opinion of most gerontologists aging is not a genuine trait. The process of aging is not universal and its mechanisms have not been widely conserved among species. All life forms are subject to extrinsic and intrinsic destructive forces. Destructive effects of stochastic events are visible only when allowed by the specific life program of an organism. Effective life programs of immortality and high longevity eliminate the impact of unavoidable damage. Organisms that are capable of agametic reproduction are biologically immortal. Mortality of an organism is clearly associated with terminal specialisation in sexual reproduction. The longevity phenotype that is not accompanied by symptoms of senescence has been observed in those groups of animals that continue to increase their body size after reaching sexual maturity. This is the result of enormous regeneration abilities of both of the above-mentioned groups. Senescence is observed when: (i) an organism by principle switches off the expression of existing growth and regeneration programs, as in the case of imago formation in insect development; (ii) particular programs of growth and regeneration of progenitors are irreversibly lost, either partially or in their entirety, in mammals and birds.

Principles of alternative gerontology

PubMed Central

Bilinski, Tomasz; Bylak, Aneta; Zadrag-Tecza, Renata

2016-01-01

Surveys of taxonomic groups of animals have shown that contrary to the opinion of most gerontologists aging is not a genuine trait. The process of aging is not universal and its mechanisms have not been widely conserved among species. All life forms are subject to extrinsic and intrinsic destructive forces. Destructive effects of stochastic events are visible only when allowed by the specific life program of an organism. Effective life programs of immortality and high longevity eliminate the impact of unavoidable damage. Organisms that are capable of agametic reproduction are biologically immortal. Mortality of an organism is clearly associated with terminal specialisation in sexual reproduction. The longevity phenotype that is not accompanied by symptoms of senescence has been observed in those groups of animals that continue to increase their body size after reaching sexual maturity. This is the result of enormous regeneration abilities of both of the above-mentioned groups. Senescence is observed when: (i) an organism by principle switches off the expression of existing growth and regeneration programs, as in the case of imago formation in insect development; (ii) particular programs of growth and regeneration of progenitors are irreversibly lost, either partially or in their entirety, in mammals and birds. “We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” (Ascribed to Albert Einstein) PMID:27017907

The Interdisciplinary Geriatric/Gerontological Team in the Academic Setting.

PubMed

Mellor, M Joanna; Solomon, Renee

1992-01-01

Geriatric health care requires the services of an interdisciplinary health care team to assess, treat and order the social service needs of the older person, and this concept needs to be included in geriatric social work education. But while the necessity of interdisciplinary team care is recognized, little focus has been placed on the actual process of developing a functional team. The issues that arise-disparate terminologies, organizational and administrative differentials, turf-and the steps needed for a team to become viable are described, using an interdisciplinary team based in academia as a case model. The academic interdisciplinary team may easily become a forum for 'hot air' rather than a catalyst for good practice. This danger is reviewed with reference to stages in the interdisciplinary team development-- goal development group affiliation; team awareness; and goal evaluation. The chapter concludes with a discussion on the impact of the interdisciplinary team on faculty, students and the academic setting.

78 FR 12831 - Geriatrics and Gerontology Advisory Committee, Notice of Meeting Amendment

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-25

..., psychological, and social needs of older Veterans and evaluates VA programs designated as Geriatric Research... area of geriatrics (to include training, recruitment and retention approaches), Veterans Health...

Screening recommendations for the elderly.

PubMed Central

Beers, M H; Fink, A; Beck, J C

1991-01-01

BACKGROUND. Studies have documented the potential contributions of preventive health care programs. Yet little is known about which screening tests should be included in public health programs for older persons. This study offers recommendations regarding these tests. METHODS. The recommendations come from synthesizing the findings of the US Preventive Services Task Force, the literature, and the consensus of experts in geriatrics, gerontology, and health policy research. The literature was evaluated to identify methodologically sound studies of the prevalence of selected disorders and benefits and availability of screening procedures for those disorders. Experts from various fields specializing in the care of the elderly formed panels to assist in evaluating the literature and providing further information from gerontological and public health perspectives. RESULTS. We recommend vision testing for refractive error; inspection of the skin surface for fungal infection and skin cancer, drug eruptions, and xerosis; a history for symptoms of xerosis; audiometric testing for presbycusis; surveys for hearing loss; otoscopic inspection for cerumen impaction; dental examination for caries; measurement of blood pressure for hypertension; and breast examination and mammography for cancer. CONCLUSIONS. Our study suggests that these screening procedures are useful for public health screening programs. More information is needed on the effects of screening services on the health and functioning of older persons. PMID:1951823

Aging in community nutrition, diet therapy, and nutrition and aging textbooks.

PubMed

O'Neill, Peggy Schafer; Wellman, Nancy S; Himburg, Susan P; Johnson, Paulette; Elfenbien, Pamela

2005-01-01

Using content analysis, this study evaluated the aging content and context in 11 nutrition sub-specialty textbooks: community nutrition (n = 3), diet therapy (n = 4), and nutrition and aging (n = 4). Pages with paragraphs on aging were identified in community nutrition and diet therapy textbooks, and 10% random samples of pages were evaluated in nutrition and aging textbooks. Paragraphs were assigned to one of four categories: gerontology, nutrition as primary, nutrition as secondary, or tertiary prevention. A total of 310 pages was qualitatively analyzed using NUD*IST 5 software and quantitatively with percentages. Only 7% of community nutrition and 2% of diet therapy pages were devoted to aging. There was little integration of aging beyond the chapters on aging. Community nutrition had the most gerontology (30%) and primary prevention (43%) content. Diet therapy and nutrition and aging had more secondary prevention (33% and 42%, respectively) and tertiary prevention (27% each) content. Some important databases and studies were absent. Of the 1,239 ageism words, 10% were positive, 53% neutral, and 36% negative. Photographs were generally positive. Women, but not minorities, reflected current older adult demographics. Future textbook editions should address aging more comprehensively and positively to better prepare dietitians for the job market. Recommendations for authors, course instructors, and publishers are given.

Methods for calculating Protection Equality for conservation planning

PubMed Central

Kuempel, Caitlin D.; McGowan, Jennifer; Beger, Maria; Possingham, Hugh P.

2017-01-01

Protected Areas (PAs) are a central part of biodiversity conservation strategies around the world. Today, PAs cover c15% of the Earth’s land mass and c3% of the global oceans. These numbers are expected to grow rapidly to meet the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Aichi Biodiversity target 11, which aims to see 17% and 10% of terrestrial and marine biomes protected, respectively, by 2020. This target also requires countries to ensure that PAs protect an “ecologically representative” sample of their biodiversity. At present, there is no clear definition of what desirable ecological representation looks like, or guidelines of how to standardize its assessment as the PA estate grows. We propose a systematic approach to measure ecological representation in PA networks using the Protection Equality (PE) metric, which measures how equally ecological features, such as habitats, within a country’s borders are protected. We present an R package and two Protection Equality (PE) measures; proportional to area PE, and fixed area PE, which measure the representativeness of a country’s PA network. We illustrate the PE metrics with two case studies: coral reef protection across countries and ecoregions in the Coral Triangle, and representation of ecoregions of six of the largest countries in the world. Our results provide repeatable transparency to the issue of representation in PA networks and provide a starting point for further discussion, evaluation and testing of representation metrics. They also highlight clear shortcomings in current PA networks, particularly where they are biased towards certain assemblage types or habitats. Our proposed metrics should be used to report on measuring progress towards the representation component of Aichi Target 11. The PE metrics can be used to measure the representation of any kind of ecological feature including: species, ecoregions, processes or habitats. PMID:28199341

Methods for calculating Protection Equality for conservation planning.

PubMed

Chauvenet, Alienor L M; Kuempel, Caitlin D; McGowan, Jennifer; Beger, Maria; Possingham, Hugh P

2017-01-01

Protected Areas (PAs) are a central part of biodiversity conservation strategies around the world. Today, PAs cover c15% of the Earth's land mass and c3% of the global oceans. These numbers are expected to grow rapidly to meet the Convention on Biological Diversity's Aichi Biodiversity target 11, which aims to see 17% and 10% of terrestrial and marine biomes protected, respectively, by 2020. This target also requires countries to ensure that PAs protect an "ecologically representative" sample of their biodiversity. At present, there is no clear definition of what desirable ecological representation looks like, or guidelines of how to standardize its assessment as the PA estate grows. We propose a systematic approach to measure ecological representation in PA networks using the Protection Equality (PE) metric, which measures how equally ecological features, such as habitats, within a country's borders are protected. We present an R package and two Protection Equality (PE) measures; proportional to area PE, and fixed area PE, which measure the representativeness of a country's PA network. We illustrate the PE metrics with two case studies: coral reef protection across countries and ecoregions in the Coral Triangle, and representation of ecoregions of six of the largest countries in the world. Our results provide repeatable transparency to the issue of representation in PA networks and provide a starting point for further discussion, evaluation and testing of representation metrics. They also highlight clear shortcomings in current PA networks, particularly where they are biased towards certain assemblage types or habitats. Our proposed metrics should be used to report on measuring progress towards the representation component of Aichi Target 11. The PE metrics can be used to measure the representation of any kind of ecological feature including: species, ecoregions, processes or habitats.

Japanese encephalitis in a 114-month-old cow: pathological investigation of the affected cow and genetic characterization of Japanese encephalitis virus isolate

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is classified into the genus Flavivirus in the family Flaviviridae. JEV can cause febrile illness and encephalitis mainly in humans and horses, and occasionally in cattle. Case presentation In late September 2010, a 114-month-old cow showed neurological symptoms similar to the symptoms observed in previous bovine cases of Japanese encephalitis (JE); therefore, we conducted virological and pathological tests on the cow. As a result, JEV was isolated from the cerebrum of the affected cow. We determined the complete genome sequence of the JEV isolate, which we named JEV/Bo/Aichi/1/2010, including the envelope (E) gene region and 3’ untranslated region (3’UTR). Our phylogenetic analyses of the E region and complete genome showed that the isolate belongs to JEV genotype 1 (G1). The isolate, JEV/Bo/Aichi/1/2010, was most closely related to several JEV G1 isolates in Toyama Prefecture, Japan in 2007–2009 by the phylogenetic analysis of the E region. In addition, the nucleotide alignment revealed that the deletion in the 3’UTR was the same between JEV/Bo/Aichi/1/2010 and several other JEV G1 isolates identified in Toyama Prefecture in 2008–2009. A hemagglutination inhibition (HI) test was conducted for the detection of anti-JEV antibodies in the affected cow, and the test detected 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME)-sensitive HI antibodies against JEV in the serum of the affected cow. The histopathological investigation revealed nonsuppurative encephalomyelitis in the affected cow, and the immunohistochemical assay detected JEV antigen in the cerebrum. Conclusion We diagnosed the case as JE of a cow based on the findings of nonsuppurative encephalomyelitis observed in the central nervous system, JEV antigen detected in the cerebrum, JEV isolated from the cerebrum, and 2-ME-sensitive HI antibodies against JEV detected in the serum. This is the first reported case of JE in a cow over 24 months old. PMID:24618225

Japanese encephalitis in a 114-month-old cow: pathological investigation of the affected cow and genetic characterization of Japanese encephalitis virus isolate.

PubMed

Kako, Naomi; Suzuki, Seiji; Sugie, Norie; Kato, Tomoko; Yanase, Tohru; Yamakawa, Makoto; Shirafuji, Hiroaki

2014-03-11

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is classified into the genus Flavivirus in the family Flaviviridae. JEV can cause febrile illness and encephalitis mainly in humans and horses, and occasionally in cattle. In late September 2010, a 114-month-old cow showed neurological symptoms similar to the symptoms observed in previous bovine cases of Japanese encephalitis (JE); therefore, we conducted virological and pathological tests on the cow. As a result, JEV was isolated from the cerebrum of the affected cow. We determined the complete genome sequence of the JEV isolate, which we named JEV/Bo/Aichi/1/2010, including the envelope (E) gene region and 3' untranslated region (3'UTR). Our phylogenetic analyses of the E region and complete genome showed that the isolate belongs to JEV genotype 1 (G1). The isolate, JEV/Bo/Aichi/1/2010, was most closely related to several JEV G1 isolates in Toyama Prefecture, Japan in 2007-2009 by the phylogenetic analysis of the E region. In addition, the nucleotide alignment revealed that the deletion in the 3'UTR was the same between JEV/Bo/Aichi/1/2010 and several other JEV G1 isolates identified in Toyama Prefecture in 2008-2009. A hemagglutination inhibition (HI) test was conducted for the detection of anti-JEV antibodies in the affected cow, and the test detected 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME)-sensitive HI antibodies against JEV in the serum of the affected cow. The histopathological investigation revealed nonsuppurative encephalomyelitis in the affected cow, and the immunohistochemical assay detected JEV antigen in the cerebrum. We diagnosed the case as JE of a cow based on the findings of nonsuppurative encephalomyelitis observed in the central nervous system, JEV antigen detected in the cerebrum, JEV isolated from the cerebrum, and 2-ME-sensitive HI antibodies against JEV detected in the serum. This is the first reported case of JE in a cow over 24 months old.

Functional ability of the elderly in institutional and non-institutional care in Croatia.

PubMed

Tomek-Roksandić, Spomenka; Tomasović-Mrcela, Nada; Narancić, Nina Smolej; Sigl, Gina

2010-09-01

Gerontology-public health indicators of functional ability of the elderly in institutional and non-institutional health care in Croatia were determined by use of expert methodology developed at Department of Gerontology, Dr. Andrija Stampar Institute of Public Health in Zagreb, with the aim to upgrade the Program of Health Care Measures and Procedures in Health Care of the Elderly. Comparison of functional ability between the users of selected Old People's Homes (institutional care; N = 5030) and Gerontology Centers (non-institutional care; N = 2112) yielded highest between-group difference in the proportion of "fully movable" and "fully independent" categories in favor of the latter, thus steering the program of health care for the elderly accordingly. In addition, study results showed greater difference in the proportion of categories describing mental status of institutional and non-institutional care users as compared with the categories describing their physical status, suggesting that mental status plays a more important role than physical status in the geriatric user's stay in non-institutional care versus institutional care. This issue requires additional studies. The results obtained by this indicator analysis pointed to the preventive and geroprophylactic measures to ensure efficient health care for the elderly and to develop the program of mental health promotion and preservation. According to 2007 estimate, there were 759,318 (16.9%) persons aged > or = 65 in Croatia. Data collected at gerontology database kept at Department of Gerontology, Dr. Andrija Stampar Institute of Public Health (September 2008) showed 2% of the elderly (N = 14807) to be accommodated at Old People's Homes, which is below the European average of 4%.

Sharing is caring: The potential of the sharing economy to support aging in place.

PubMed

Miller, Julie; Ward, Carley; Lee, Chaiwoo; D'Ambrosio, Lisa; Coughlin, Joseph

2018-01-24

This article explores innovative applications of sharing economy services that have the potential to support a population aging in place, especially the "oldest old," aged 85 and older, and their caregivers. A mixed-methods study conducted by the MIT AgeLab examined perceptions of and experiences with sharing economy services, ultimately finding opportunities and barriers to use. Thus, although sharing economy services have potential to support aging in place, to do so successfully will require reconstructing how older adults, family caregivers, aging service professionals, gerontology educators, and gerontology students conceptualize and deliver care to an aging population. We suggest examples for gerontology educators to integrate into their classrooms to further cultivate an appreciation among students of multiple approaches to intervention, including those that leverage sharing economy and technology-enabled platforms to support older adults and their caregivers.

Assessing the Feasibility of International Branch Campuses: Factors Universities Consider when Establishing Campuses Abroad

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-01-01

scheduled interview appointments with me but then cancelled and we were never able to reschedule . Only one potential interviewee declined outright...wanted. It’s a mining area, so they wanted civil engineering…They also wanted nursing [and] gerontology since it’s an area where people want to go to...government wanted. It’s a mining area, so they wanted civil engineering…They also wanted nursing [and] gerontology since it’s an area that people

Promoting access to innovation for frail old persons. IAGG (International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics), WHO (World Health Organization) and SFGG (Société Française de Gériatrie et de Gérontologie) Workshop--Athens January 20-21, 2012.

PubMed

Berrut, G; Andrieu, S; Araujo de Carvalho, I; Baeyens, J P; Bergman, H; Cassim, B; Cerreta, F; Cesari, M; Cha, H B; Chen, L K; Cherubini, A; Chou, M Y; Cruz-Jentoft, A J; De Decker, L; Du, P; Forette, B; Forette, F; Franco, A; Guimaraes, R; Guttierrez-Robledo, L M; Jauregui, J; Khavinson, V; Lee, W J; Peng, L N; Perret-Guillaume, C; Petrovic, M; Retornaz, F; Rockwood, K; Rodriguez-Manas, L; Sieber, C; Spatharakis, G; Theou, O; Topinkova, E; Vellas, B; Benetos, A

2013-01-01

Frailty tends to be considered as a major risk for adverse outcomes in older persons, but some important aspects remain matter of debate. The purpose of this paper is to present expert's positions on the main aspects of the frailty syndrome in the older persons. Workshop organized by International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics (IAGG), World Health Organization (WHO) and Société Française de Gériatrie et de Gérontologie (SFGG). Frailty is widely recognized as an important risk factor for adverse health outcomes in older persons. This can be of particular value in evaluating non-disabled older persons with chronic diseases but today no operational definition has been established. Nutritional status, mobility, activity, strength, endurance, cognition, and mood have been proposed as markers of frailty. Another approach calculates a multidimensional score ranging from "very fit" to "severely frail", but it is difficult to apply into the medical practice. Frailty appears to be secondary to multiple conditions using multiple pathways leading to a vulnerability to a stressor. Biological (inflammation, loss of hormones), clinical (sarcopenia, osteoporosis etc.), as well as social factors (isolation, financial situation) are involved in the vulnerability process. In clinical practice, detection of frailty is of major interest in oncology because of the high prevalence of cancer in older persons and the bad tolerance of the drug therapies. Presence of frailty should also be taken into account in the definition of the cardiovascular risks in the older population. The experts of the workshop have listed the points reached an agreement and those must to be a priority for improving understanding and use of frailty syndrome in practice. Frailty in older adults is a syndrome corresponding to a vulnerability to a stressor. Diagnostic tools have been developed but none can integrate at the same time the large spectrum of factors and the simplicity asked by the

[Structural lag and room for possibilities in old age exemplified by central transitions. Initial results of a novel discipline trialogue between diaconal studies, psychology and theology].

PubMed

Wiloth, S; Siebert, J; Bachmann, A; Wahl, H-W; Nüssel, F; Eurich, J

2015-12-01

Although the need for interdisciplinary research is generally accepted in gerontology, such interdisciplinary communication is often limited to various combinations of psychological, sociological and biomedical scientific approaches. We argue that gerontology requires a continuous examination of novel disciplinary constellations to obtain a better understanding of aging in its complexity and to further develop this scientific field in its entirety. The present study introduced and tested for the first time an innovative disciplinary trialogue, i.e. the combination of psychology, theology and diaconal studies. In particular, it is assumed that this combination can contribute to a more profound interpretation of the prominent concept of structural lag which is underresearched in gerontology. The analysis of structural lag with another overarching concept, "room for possibilities", can provide a synergy-rich interpretation category for a range of challenges connected with old age. In this respect, three major transitions were selected to shed light on these concepts and examined by means of three focus group interviews: transition to retirement, need for long-term care in the private home context and transition to nursing home life. The data were evaluated using qualitative content analysis. The interdisciplinary-oriented evaluation of the interviews and the qualitative data analysis revealed the relevance of different perceptions of time in all three transitions. In addition, different dynamics in terms of the interplay of gains and losses as well as participation were found to be important for a better understanding of the three transitions. In particular, the subjective interpretation of the time remaining for living and the predetermined or self-selected time structuring of the daily routine were important factors for the perception of one's own potential. The results also underline a range of unused room for possibilities and the existence of structural lag for

Measuring future time perspective across adulthood: development and evaluation of a brief multidimensional questionnaire.

PubMed

Brothers, Allyson; Chui, Helena; Diehl, Manfred

2014-12-01

Despite calls for the consideration of future time perspective (FTP) as a multidimensional construct, mostly unidimensional measurement instruments have been used. This study had two objectives: (a) to develop a brief multidimensional questionnaire for assessing FTP in adulthood and evaluate its psychometric properties; and (b) to examine age associations and age-group differences of the dimensions of FTP. Data were collected from 625 community-residing adults between the ages of 18 and 93, representing young, middle-aged, and older adults. The psychometric evaluation involved exploratory factor analyses (EFA) and confirmatory FA (CFA), reliability and validity analyses, and measurement invariance testing. Zero-order and partial correlations were used to examine the association of the dimensions of FTP with age, and multivariate analysis of variance was used to examine age-group differences. EFA and CFA supported a three-factor solution: Future as Open, Future as Limited, and Future as Ambiguous. Metric measurement invariance for this factor structure was confirmed across the three age groups. Reliability and validity analyses provided evidence of sound psychometric properties of the brief questionnaire. Age was negatively associated with Future as Open and positively associated with Future as Limited. Young adults exhibited significantly greater ambiguity toward the future than middle-aged or older adults. This study provides evidence in support of the psychometric properties of a new brief multidimensional FTP scale. It also provides evidence for a pattern of age associations and age-group differences consistent with life-span developmental theory. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Qualitative Research in Educational Gerontology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Applewhite, Steven Lozano

1997-01-01

Quantitative methods such as logical positivism often view nondominant groups as deviant and purport to be objective. Qualitative methods such as ethnography help educational gerontologists understand diverse elderly populations and allow elders to participate in the process of defining reality and producing knowledge. (SK)

Nonphysician Care Providers Can Help to Increase Detection of Cognitive Impairment and Encourage Diagnostic Evaluation for Dementia in Community and Residential Care Settings.

PubMed

Maslow, Katie; Fortinsky, Richard H

2018-01-18

In the United States, at least half of older adults living with dementia do not have a diagnosis. Their cognitive impairment may not have been detected, and some older adults whose physician recommends that they obtain a diagnostic evaluation do not follow through on the recommendation. Initiatives to increase detection of cognitive impairment and diagnosis of dementia have focused primarily on physician practices and public information programs to raise awareness about the importance of detection and diagnosis. Nonphysician care providers who work with older adults in community and residential care settings, such as aging network agencies, public health agencies, senior housing, assisted living, and nursing homes, interact frequently with older adults who have cognitive impairment but have not had a diagnostic evaluation. These care providers may be aware of signs of cognitive impairment and older adults' concerns about their cognition that have not been expressed to their physician. Within their scope of practice and training, nonphysician care providers can help to increase detection of cognitive impairment and encourage older adults with cognitive impairment to obtain a diagnostic evaluation to determine the cause of the condition. This article provides seven practice recommendations intended to increase involvement of nonphysician care providers in detecting cognitive impairment and encouraging older adults to obtain a diagnostic evaluation. The Kickstart-Assess-Evaluate-Refer (KAER) framework for physician practice in detection and diagnosis of dementia is used to identify ways to coordinate physician and nonphysician efforts and thereby increase the proportion of older adults living with dementia who have a diagnosis. © The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

A Review on Community-Based Knowledge Transfer and Exchange (KTE) Initiatives for Promoting Well-Being in Older Adults.

PubMed

Syed, M Anum; Moorhouse, Aynsley; McDonald, Lynn; Hitzig, Sander L

2017-01-01

Knowledge transfer and exchange (KTE) processes can facilitate evidence-informed community-based care for seniors, but understanding effective KTE in gerontology is limited. A scoping review was conducted to evaluate the current state of KTE in the community-based sector for seniors. Twelve articles met the inclusion criteria, which addressed a broad variety of topics including caregiving, elder abuse, falls prevention, home-rehabilitation, hospice and dementia care. Studies evaluated KTE practices (n = 8), developed a KTE intervention (n = 3), or explored research uptake (n = 1). Community-based initiatives for seniors informed by KTE processes are scarce, requiring further efforts at the research, practice and policy levels.

Aichi Cancer Center Initial Experience of Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy for Nasopharyngeal Cancer Using Helical Tomotherapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kodaira, Takeshi; Tomita, Natsuo; Tachibana, Hiroyuki

Purpose: To assess the feasibility of helical tomotherapy (HT) for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Methods and Materials: From June 2006 to June 2007, 20 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma were treated with HT with (n = 18) or without (n = 2) systemic chemotherapy. The primary tumor and involved lymph node (PTV1) were prescribed 70 Gy and the prophylactic region 54 Gy at D95, respectively. The majority of patients received 2 Gy per fraction for PTV1 in 35 fractions. Parotid function was evaluated using quantitative scintigraphy at pretreatment, and posttreatment at 3 months and 1 year later. Results: The median patientmore » age was 53 years, ranging from 15 to 83. Our cohort included 5, 8, 4, 2, and 1 patients with disease Stages IIB, III, IVA, IVB, and IVC, respectively. Histopathological record revealed two for World Health Organization Type I and 18 for Type 2 or 3. The median duration time for treatment preparation was 9.5 days, and all plans were thought to be acceptable regarding dose constraints of both the planning target volume and organ at risk. All patients completed their treatment procedure of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). All patients achieved clinical remission after IMRT. The majority of patients had Grade 3 or higher toxicity of skin, mucosa, and neutropenia. At the median follow-up of 10.9 months, two patients recurred, and one patient died from cardiac disease. Parotid gland function at 1 year after completion of IMRT was significantly improved compared with that at 3 months. Conclusion: HT was clinically effective in terms of IMRT planning and utility for patients with nasopharyngeal cancer.« less

Cost analysis and student survey results of library support for distance education

PubMed Central

Rodman, Ruey L.

2003-01-01

This paper describes the costs associated with providing library support for a series of distance-education courses at The Ohio State University (OSU). These courses are designed as a pilot program offered by the OSU Office of Geriatrics and Gerontology. Costs to the library are analyzed for document delivery, electronic reserves, reference services, and librarian activities. Also included are the results of a student evaluation survey. The students are full-time working professionals who cannot attend regularly scheduled classes on campus. Conclusions extrapolate costs for each course, student, and service. PMID:12568160

Promoting the development of professional identity of gerontologists: an academic/experiential learning model.

PubMed

Gendron, Tracey L; Myers, Barbara J; Pelco, Lynn E; Welleford, E Ayn

2013-01-01

Graduate education in gerontology has an essential role in providing the foundational knowledge required to work with a diverse aging population. It can also play an essential role in promoting best-practice approaches for the development of professional identity as a gerontologist. The primary goal of this study was to determine what factors predict the professional identity and career path of gerontologists. In addition, the study explored how experiential learning influenced professional identity for newcomers to the field and for those experienced in an aging-related field ("professional incumbents"). Graduates (N = 146) of Association for Gerontology in Higher Education-affiliated graduate programs participated. Professional identity as a gerontologist was predicted by length of time in the field, age, satisfaction with coworkers, and satisfaction with opportunities for advancement. Experiential learning contributed to professional identity in important but different ways for newcomers to the field and for professional incumbents. The inclusion of an academic/experiential learning model within graduate gerontology programs promotes the development of professional identity and career path for all graduate students.

Estimating the Net Career Income of a Geriatrician and a Nurse Practitioner: Still Want to Be a Doctor?

PubMed

Golden, Adam G; Xu, Peixin; Wan, Thomas T H; Issenberg, Saul Barry

2016-07-01

With a continual shortage of geriatricians, adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioners have assumed a greater role in the delivery of outpatient care for older adults. Given the long duration of physician training, the high cost of medical school, and the lower salaries compared with subspecialists, the financial advantage of a career as a geriatrician as opposed to a nurse practitioner is uncertain. This study compares the estimated career earnings of a geriatrician and an adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioner. We used a synthetic model of estimated net earnings during a 43-year career span for a 22-year old person embarking on a career as a geriatrician versus a career as an adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioner. We estimated annual net income and net retirement savings using different annual compound rates and calculated the financial impact of forgiving medical student loans, shortening the duration of physician training, and reinstituting the practice pathway for geriatric medicine certification. Career net incomes for the geriatrician did not match the nurse practitioner until almost age 40. At 65 years of age, the difference between the geriatrician and nurse practitioner was 30.6%. A higher annual compound rate was associated with an even smaller percentage difference. Combining all three health policy interventions lowered the break-even age to 28 and more than doubled the difference in career earnings. Small estimated differences in net career earnings exist between geriatricians and adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioners. Health policy interventions had a dramatic positive effect on geriatricians' lifetime net earnings in calculated estimates.

Preparing the workforce for healthy aging programs: the Skills for Healthy Aging Resources and Programs (SHARP) model.

PubMed

Frank, Janet C; Altpeter, Mary; Damron-Rodriguez, JoAnn; Driggers, Joann; Lachenmayr, Susan; Manning, Colleen; Martinez, Dana M; Price, Rachel M; Robinson, Patricia

2014-10-01

Current public health and aging service agency personnel have little training in gerontology, and virtually no training in evidence-based health promotion and disease management programs for older adults. These programs are rapidly becoming the future of our community-based long-term care support system. The purpose of this project was to develop and test a model community college career technical education program, Skills for Healthy Aging Resources and Programs (SHARP), for undergraduate college students, current personnel in aging service and community organizations, and others interested in retraining. A multidisciplinary cross-sector team from disciplines of public health, sociology, gerontology and nursing developed four competency-based courses that focus on healthy aging, behavior change strategies, program management, an internship, and an option for leader training in the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program. To enhance implementation and fidelity, intensive faculty development training was provided to all instructors and community agency partners. Baseline and postprogram evaluation of competencies for faculty and students was conducted. Process evaluation for both groups focused on satisfaction with the curricula and suggestions for program improvement. SHARP has been piloted five times at two community colleges. Trainees (n = 113) were primarily community college students (n = 108) and current aging service personnel (n = 5). Statistically significant improvements in all competencies were found for both faculty and students. Process evaluation outcomes identified the needed logical and component adaptations to enhance the feasibility of program implementation, dissemination, and student satisfaction. The SHARP program provides a well-tested, evidence-based effective model for addressing workforce preparation in support of healthy aging service program expansion and delivery. © 2014 Society for Public Health Education.

Staff attitudes and job satisfaction in the care of demented elderly people: group living compared with long-term care institutions.

PubMed

Alfredson, B B; Annerstedt, L

1994-11-01

The present study is one part of a study evaluating group living (GL) care for demented elderly people in comparison with traditional institutional (TI) care. The present report concentrates on personal and work-related effects on staff. A staff training programme has been implemented, including relevant gerontological knowledge, principles of the new care concept, support and supervision. Effects are evaluated by staff interviews, observation and staff turnover rates. Results show increased knowledge and new emotional and social attitudes, resulting in higher competence and professional conduct towards patients as well as increased motivation, job satisfaction and quality of work for GL staff but not for TI staff. Group living is now a rapidly developing form of care in Sweden.

[The development and impacts of professional nursing in senior care and senior business management: the perspective of a U.S.-based nurse entrepreneur].

PubMed

Chang, Theresa

2008-10-01

The three main parts of this article include (1) the process of transition from a clinical nurse to a nurse entrepreneur, (2) senior care business management and social responsibility and (3) the development of senior care business in the future as well as the chances for nursing development. The article analyzes the development of gerontology nursing careers in the United States and Taiwan and the role professional nurses can play in ageing societies. A prospective plan for collaboration between gerontology nurses and long-term care health professionals in the United States and Taiwan concludes the article.

Questionnaire-based evaluation of everyday competence in older adults.

PubMed

Kalisch, Tobias; Richter, Julia; Lenz, Melanie; Kattenstroth, Jan-Christoph; Kolankowska, Izabela; Tegenthoff, Martin; Dinse, Hubert R

2011-01-01

Gerontological research aims at understanding factors that are crucial for mediating "successful aging". This term denotes the absence of significant disease and disabilities, maintenance of high levels of physical and cognitive function, and preservation of social and productive activities. Preservation of an active lifestyle is considered an effective means through which everyday competence can be attained. In this context, it is crucial to obtain ratings of modern day older adults' everyday competence by means of appropriate assessments. Here, we introduce the Everyday Competence Questionnaire (ECQ), designed to assess healthy older adults' everyday competence. The ECQ includes 17 items, covering housekeeping, leisure activities, sports, daily routines, manual skills, subjective well-being, and general linguistic usage. The ECQ was administered to a population of 158 healthy subjects aged 60-91 years, who were divided into groups on the basis of their physical activity. These groups were community-dwelling subjects, those living independently and having a sedentary lifestyle, those living independently but characterized by a general lifestyle without any noteworthy physical activity, and those living independently and exercising regularly. Age, gender, and education levels were balanced between the groups. Using the ECQ, we could identify and distinguish different everyday competence levels between the groups tested: Subjects characterized by an active lifestyle outperformed all other groups. Subjects characterized by a general lifestyle showed higher everyday competence than those with a sedentary lifestyle or subjects who needed care. Furthermore, the ECQ data showed a significant positive correlation between individual physical activity and everyday competence. The ECQ is a novel tool for the questionnaire-based evaluation of everyday competence among healthy subjects. By including leisure activities, it considers the changed living conditions of modern

Biosecurity and Vector Behaviour: Evaluating the Potential Threat Posed by Anglers and Canoeists as Pathways for the Spread of Invasive Non-Native Species and Pathogens

PubMed Central

Anderson, Lucy G.; White, Piran C. L.; Stebbing, Paul D.; Stentiford, Grant D.; Dunn, Alison M.

2014-01-01

Invasive non-native species (INNS) endanger native biodiversity and are a major economic problem. The management of pathways to prevent their introduction and establishment is a key target in the Convention on Biological Diversity's Aichi biodiversity targets for 2020. Freshwater environments are particularly susceptible to invasions as they are exposed to multiple introduction pathways, including non-native fish stocking and the release of boat ballast water. Since many freshwater INNS and aquatic pathogens can survive for several days in damp environments, there is potential for transport between water catchments on the equipment used by recreational anglers and canoeists. To quantify this biosecurity risk, we conducted an online questionnaire with 960 anglers and 599 canoeists to investigate their locations of activity, equipment used, and how frequently equipment was cleaned and/or dried after use. Anglers were also asked about their use and disposal of live bait. Our results indicate that 64% of anglers and 78.5% of canoeists use their equipment/boat in more than one catchment within a fortnight, the survival time of many of the INNS and pathogens considered in this study and that 12% of anglers and 50% of canoeists do so without either cleaning or drying their kit between uses. Furthermore, 8% of anglers and 28% of canoeists had used their equipment overseas without cleaning or drying it after each use which could facilitate both the introduction and secondary spread of INNS in the UK. Our results provide a baseline against which to evaluate the effectiveness of future biosecurity awareness campaigns, and identify groups to target with biosecurity awareness information. Our results also indicate that the biosecurity practices of these groups must improve to reduce the likelihood of inadvertently spreading INNS and pathogens through these activities. PMID:24717714

[Genetic and epigenetic news in gerontology].

PubMed

Baranov, V S; Glotov, O S; Baranova, E V

2014-01-01

The overview represents the recent most conspicuous findings in aging studies. It includes new data on the whole genome association studies (GWAS) in big cohort of centenaries, recently found mutation protecting from Alzheimer disease, discovery of hypothalamus as a command center of human aging, very important data on the negative effect of common antioxidants in the treatment of lung cancer as well as new data concerning antiaging and anticancer effects of common drugs such as rapamycine and metformin. Substantial part of the review is devoted to the epigenetic problems of senescence and feasible impact of basic epigenetic mechanisms (methylation of DNA and histone proteins, DNA heterochromatization) in regulation of gene expression, long-term genome reprogramming during early childhood, and transgeneration transmission of epigenetic traits. The necessity of transition from molecular studies of dormant human genome (anatomy of human genome) to genome in action (dynamic genome) and thus with special emphasis to epigenetic medicine is stressed.

Estimating the Net Career Income of a Geriatrician and a Nurse Practitioner: Still Want to Be a Doctor?

PubMed Central

Golden, Adam G.; Xu, Peixin; Wan, Thomas T.H.; Issenberg, S. Barry

2016-01-01

Objectives With a continual shortage of geriatricians, adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioners have assumed a greater role in the delivery of outpatient care for older adults. Given the long duration of physician training, the high cost of medical school, and the lower salaries compared with subspecialists, the financial advantage of a career as a geriatrician as opposed to a nurse practitioner is uncertain. This study compares the estimated career earnings of a geriatrician and an adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioner. Methods We used a synthetic model of estimated net earnings during a 43-year career span for a 22-year old person embarking on a career as a geriatrician versus a career as an adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioner. We estimated annual net income and net retirement savings using different annual compound rates and calculated the financial impact of forgiving medical student loans, shortening the duration of physician training, and reinstituting the practice pathway for geriatric medicine certification. Results Career net incomes for the geriatrician did not match the nurse practitioner until almost age 40. At 65 years of age, the difference between the geriatrician and nurse practitioner was 30.6%. A higher annual compound rate was associated with an even smaller percentage difference. Combining all three health policy interventions lowered the break-even age to 28 and more than doubled the difference in career earnings. Conclusions Small estimated differences in net career earnings exist between geriatricians and adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioners. Health policy interventions had a dramatic positive effect on geriatricians’ lifetime net earnings in calculated estimates. PMID:27364024

[Longevity control in fungi and other organisms. The conception of scales].

PubMed

Mazheĭka, I S; Kudriavtseva, O A; Kamzolkina, O V

2011-01-01

The review deals mainly with gerontological processes that occur on the cellular-colonial level of organization in fungi and cellular-tissular level in other organisms. Aging and anti-aging mechanisms operating on these levels of organization can be considered as common ones for all living things. Fungi, as an object with tissular-like organization of thallus, afford a broad spectrum of possibilities as to solving the tasks of general gerontological import. Three basic (chronological, replicative, and cell-suicidal) and several auxiliary mechanisms of aging are singled out, the classification is given of stochastic aging factors accumulating in cells. It is shown that in complex multi-cellular organisms, aging and anti-aging mechanisms operate on the level of interactions between tissues, though in the base of their actions lie the aforesaid conservative basic mechanisms. Preliminary generalized conception of aging--the conception of scales--is put forward that is founded on the model of balanced and non-balanced counteractions between stressful impacts and various mechanisms of aging and anti-aging with different extent of genetic preprogramming. The importance is reaffirmed of mycological gerontology contribution to broadening of inferences on aging nature.

Reflections on Women's Retirement.

PubMed

Karpen, Ruth Ray

2017-02-01

Popular literature often claims that baby boom women will "redefine" retirement, and there is some evidence in the gerontological literature that this may be true. However, considerably more research needs to be done on this generation of retirees. The author, a baby boomer herself, draws on recent research on retirement and her own experiences in early retirement to examine what a "good retirement" might mean, considering the diversity of baby boomers, the range of their experiences, and their relationship to work. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Cognition, interaction and ageing: an Internet workshops exploratory study.

PubMed

Xavier, André; Sales, Márcia; Ramos, Luiz; Anção, Meide; Sigulem, Daniel

2004-01-01

Gerontology is known more and more as an interdisciplinary and functional knowledge. Geriatrics as one of its branches intends to make possible longevity with health. World population ageing occurs along with important economical and social inequalities for elder people, which are likely to be more affected by deficiencies (physical and/or cognitive) than younger groups. With the purpose of minimizing these deficiencies, Internet Workshops were accomplished, with a retired group of senior persons. This research was developed to bring together principles of Human-Computer Interaction, informatics, accessibility and gerontology in order to promote Digital Inclusion to this growing population and a methodology to virtual cognitive rehabilitation.

Astrophysics for Older adults in Chicago.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grin, Daniel; Landsberg, Randall H.; Flude, Karen

2017-01-01

Gerontology research continues to show that the adage "Use it or Lose it" is a clinical fact when it comes to cognitive engagement post-retirement. Here, I'll discuss a new program developed at the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics, bringing classes on astrophysics to older adults throughout the city, at retirement homes, at senior center, and at public libraries, bookended by an engaging trip to the Adler Planetarium. In my presentation, I'll present the gerontological and policy motivations for this program, the presenter training techniques, our partner collaboration strategy, and the results of our effort, which engaged hundreds of older adults throughout Chicago from a variety of socioeconomic strata.

Robert N. Butler, MD (January 21, 1927-July 4, 2010): visionary leader.

PubMed

Achenbaum, W Andrew

2014-02-01

The career and accomplishments of Dr. Robert N. Butler highlight the history of postwar gerontology and geriatrics here and abroad. Butler was an idea broker: He introduced "life review" as a therapeutic intervention and coined "ageism." Butler was the only researcher on aging to win a Pulitzer Prize or long after normal retirement lay the foundations for a new gerontology. Butler was an institution builder: he served as first director of the National Institute on Aging, created the first department of geriatric medicine in the United States, and mobilized support here and abroad for global aging. His legacy provides much for successive generations to emulate and enhance.

Old age as an "alternative" to illness: gerontological and medico-legal aspects.

PubMed

Molinelli, Andrea; Viale, Laura; Landolfa, Maria Celeste; De Stefano, Francesco

2011-04-01

The current trend toward an ever increasing aging population forces society to face the problem of how to care for elderly people who are exposed to the risk of so-called "elder abuse," a phenomenon becoming increasingly widespread in Italy, as legislation does not provide a precise juridical definition of "elderly" nor does it provide for their specific protection. From a geriatric and medico-legal point of view, it is difficult to assess the cognitive performance of elderly individuals due to a number of factors, including the lack of evaluation tools with well-defined reference parameters for assessing decision-making capacities. Nonetheless, according to Italian penal code, abandoning a person incapable of self-support due to old age is considered a violation of the obligation of family assistance. Just as in the USA, which has instituted the Adult Protective Services, the Authors propose that the local health authorities provide help desks for the victims of elder abuse in Italy.

The complete genome of klassevirus – a novel picornavirus in pediatric stool

PubMed Central

Greninger, Alexander L; Runckel, Charles; Chiu, Charles Y; Haggerty, Thomas; Parsonnet, Julie; Ganem, Donald; DeRisi, Joseph L

2009-01-01

Background Diarrhea kills 2 million children worldwide each year, yet an etiological agent is not found in approximately 30–50% of cases. Picornaviral genera such as enterovirus, kobuvirus, cosavirus, parechovirus, hepatovirus, teschovirus, and cardiovirus have all been found in human and animal diarrhea. Modern technologies, especially deep sequencing, allow rapid, high-throughput screening of clinical samples such as stool for new infectious agents associated with human disease. Results A pool of 141 pediatric gastroenteritis samples that were previously found to be negative for known diarrheal viruses was subjected to pyrosequencing. From a total of 937,935 sequence reads, a collection of 849 reads distantly related to Aichi virus were assembled and found to comprise 75% of a novel picornavirus genome. The complete genome was subsequently cloned and found to share 52.3% nucleotide pairwise identity and 38.9% amino acid identity to Aichi virus. The low level of sequence identity suggests a novel picornavirus genus which we have designated klassevirus. Blinded screening of 751 stool specimens from both symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals revealed a second positive case of klassevirus infection, which was subsequently found to be from the index case's 11-month old twin. Conclusion We report the discovery of human klassevirus 1, a member of a novel picornavirus genus, in stool from two infants from Northern California. Further characterization and epidemiological studies will be required to establish whether klasseviruses are significant causes of human infection. PMID:19538752

An employee assistance program for caregiver support.

PubMed

Mains, Douglas A; Fairchild, Thomas J; René, Antonio A

2006-01-01

The Comprehensive Caregiver Choices Program provided support for employee caregivers of elderly people for employees at a hospital in Fort Worth, Texas. Key informant interviews and focus groups provided direction for program development and implementation. A full-time MSW and professionals with expertise in gerontology/geriatrics provided education and care coordination services to caregivers. Approximately 4% of the hospital's workforce participated in the program. Attendees evaluated educational sessions and follow-up interviews were conducted with program participants. Caregiver support programs must continue to seek innovative and creative marketing and service delivery methods to reach out and assist working caregivers in need of support.

[How municipalities can plan for later life. Regional challenges of a demography-sensitive social planning for later life as exemplified by the administrative district Vechta (Lower Saxony/Germany)].

PubMed

Amrhein, L; Backes, G M

2012-07-01

The demographic ageing of the population confronts towns, municipalities and administrative districts with new sociopolitical challenges. The general view of the demographic and social change requires demography-sensitive social planning that is no longer segregated according to age or life stages. Drawing on the example of a demographic evaluation conducted for the administrative district of Vechta in Lower Saxony, Germany, it will be discussed how a life course-orientated municipal social planning for later life can be developed. Furthermore, which practical research and methodical challenges the gerontological policy development municipalities can expect to be confronted with in the future are discussed.

Social determinants of denture/bridge use: Japan gerontological evaluation study project cross-sectional study in older Japanese.

PubMed

Yamamoto, Tatsuo; Kondo, Katsunori; Aida, Jun; Suzuki, Kayo; Misawa, Jimpei; Nakade, Miyo; Fuchida, Shinya; Hirata, Yukio

2014-06-03

Studies suggest that using a denture/bridge may prevent disability in older people. However, not all older people with few remaining teeth use a denture/bridge. This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the social determinants which promote denture/bridge use among older Japanese. A total of 54,388 (25,630 males and 28,758 females) community-dwelling individuals aged 65 or over, living independently, able to perform daily activities, and with 19 or fewer teeth. The dependent variable was denture/bridge use. Socio-demographics, number of teeth, present illness, social participation, social support, and social networks were used as individual-level independent variables. Data for social capital were aggregated and used as local district (n = 561 for males, n = 562 for females) -level independent variables. Number of dentists working in hospitals/clinics per population and population density were used as municipality (n = 28) -level independent variables. Three-level multilevel Poisson regression analysis was performed for each sex. High equivalent income, low number of teeth, present illness, and living in a municipality with high population density were significantly associated with denture/bridge use in both sexes in the fully adjusted models (p < 0.05). Denture/bridge use was significantly associated with high educational attainment in males and participating in social groups in females in the fully adjusted model (p < 0.05). No significant associations were observed between denture/bridge use and social capital. Denture/bridge use was significantly associated with high economic status and present illness in both sexes, high educational attainment in males, and participation in social groups in females among community-dwelling older Japanese after adjusting for possible confounders.

Dismantling the Silence: LGBTQ Aging Emerging From the Margins.

PubMed

Fredriksen-Goldsen, Karen I

2017-02-01

Historical, environmental, and cultural contexts intersect with aging, sexuality, and gender across communities and generations. My scholarship investigates health and well-being over the life course across marginalized communities, including LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer) midlife and older adults, native communities experiencing cardiovascular risk, and families in China living with HIV, in order to balance the realities of unique lives in contemporary society. By probing the intersection of age, sexuality, and gender, my analysis is informed by both personal and professional experiences. With the death of my partner occurring at a time of profound invisibility and silence before HIV/AIDS, I found my life out of sync, experiencing a loss without a name. My life was thrust into a paradox: My relationship was defined by a world that refused to recognize it. This essay provides an opportunity for me to weave together how such critical turning points in my own life helped shape my approach to gerontology and how gerontology has informed my work and life. Reflecting on this journey, I illustrate the ways in which historical, structural, environmental, psychosocial, and biological factors affect equity, and the health-promoting and adverse pathways to health and well-being across marginalized communities. Although gerontology as a discipline has historically silenced the lives of marginalized older adults, it has much to learn from these communities. The growing and increasingly diverse older adult population provides us with unique opportunities to better understand both cultural variations and shared experiences in aging over the life course. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Applying Research Methods to a Gerontological Population: Matching Data Collection to Characteristics of Older Persons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weil, Joyce

2015-01-01

As Baby Boomers reach 65 years of age and methods of studying older populations are becoming increasingly varied (e.g., including mixed methods designs, on-line surveys, and video-based environments), there is renewed interest in evaluating methodologies used to collect data with older persons. The goal of this article is to examine…

Ethical dimensions of quality of life in aging: autonomy vs. collectivism in the United States and Canada.

PubMed

Clark, P G

1991-10-01

Ethical concepts lie at the core of how quality of life in aging is defined and enhanced. Although recent American attention has been largely focused on autonomy as an important value for quality of life in old age, there is real danger in emphasizing personal independence at the expense of community or collectivism. This conceptual analysis compares and contrasts these value orientations in the U.S. and Canada and examines their relationship to the concept of quality of life in aging. It also explores implications of the analysis for expanding our understanding of the importance of value dimensions in comparative gerontology, and suggests ways of integrating individualistic and collectivistic ideals in gerontological policies and programs.

Online Therapy for Depressive Symptoms: An Evaluation of Counselor-Led and Peer-Supported Life Review Therapy.

PubMed

Westerhof, Gerben J; Lamers, Sanne M A; Postel, Marloes G; Bohlmeijer, Ernst T

2017-09-18

Life review therapy is recognized as an evidence-based treatment for depression in later life. The current article evaluates an online life review therapy in middle-aged and older persons, comparing a counselor-led to a peer-supported mode of delivery. A pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) was carried out with 3 conditions and 4 measurement points: (a) online life review therapy with online counseling, (b) online life review therapy with online peer support, and (c) a waitlist control condition. A mixed methods study provided insight in the reach, adherence, effectiveness, user experiences, and acceptability. Fifty-eight people were included in the study. The intervention reached a vulnerable group of mainly middle-aged, college-educated women. The pilot RCT on effectiveness showed that participants in all conditions improved significantly in depressive symptoms, engaged living, mastery, and vitality, but not in ego integrity and despair, social support, loneliness, and well-being. The adherence, user experience, and acceptability were better in the counselor condition than in the peer condition. No differences were found between middle-aged and older adults. Despite the nonsignificant effects, possibly due to the small sample size, online life review therapy might be a good method for alleviating depressive symptoms in people in their second half of life. Further research is needed, addressing how online life review is best offered. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Screening for Frailty in Older Patients With Early-Stage Solid Tumors: A Prospective Longitudinal Evaluation of Three Different Geriatric Tools.

PubMed

Biganzoli, Laura; Mislang, Anna Rachelle; Di Donato, Samantha; Becheri, Dimitri; Biagioni, Chiara; Vitale, Stefania; Sanna, Giuseppina; Zafarana, Elena; Gabellini, Stefano; Del Monte, Francesca; Mori, Elena; Pozzessere, Daniele; Brunello, Antonella; Luciani, Andrea; Laera, Letizia; Boni, Luca; Di Leo, Angelo; Mottino, Giuseppe

2017-07-01

Frailty increases the risk of adverse health outcomes and/or dying when exposed to a stressor, and routine frailty assessment is recommended to guide treatment decision. The Balducci frailty criteria (BFC) and Fried frailty criteria (FFC) are commonly used, but these are time consuming. Vulnerable Elders Survey-13 (VES-13) score of ≥7, a simple and resource conserving function-based scoring system, may be used instead. This prospective study evaluates the performance of VES-13 in parallel with BFC and FFC, to identify frailty in elderly patients with early-stage cancer. Patients aged ≥70 years with early-stage solid tumors were classified as frail/nonfrail based on BFC (≥1 criteria), FFC (≥3 criteria), and VES-13 (score ≥ 7). All patients were assessed for functional decline and death. We evaluated 185 patients. FFC had a 17% frailty rate, whereas BFC and VES-13 both had 25%, with poor concordance seen between the three geriatric tools. FFC (hazard ratio = 1.99, p = .003) and VES-13 (hazard ratio = 2.81, p < .001) strongly discriminated for functional decline, whereas BFC (hazard ratio = 3.29, p < .001) had the highest discriminatory rate for deaths. BFC and VES-13 remained prognostic for overall survival in multivariate analysis correcting for age, tumor type, stage, and systemic treatment. A VES-13 score of ≥7 is a valuable discriminating tool for predicting functional decline or death and can be used as a frailty-screening tool among older cancer patients in centers with limited resources to conduct a comprehensive geriatric assessment. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Changing the Course of Geriatrics Education: An Evaluation of the First Cohort of Reynolds Geriatrics Education Programs

PubMed Central

Reuben, David B.; Bachrach, Peter S.; McCreath, Heather; Simpson, Deborah; Bragg, Elizabeth J.; Warshaw, Gregg A.; Snyder, Rani; Frank, Janet C.

2013-01-01

Background/Purpose To describe geriatric training initiatives implemented as a result of Reynolds Foundation grants awarded in 2001 (and concluding in 2005) and evaluate the resulting structure, process, and outcome changes Methods Cross-sectional survey of program directors at 10 academic institutions augmented by review of reports and secondary analyses of existing databases to identify structural and process measures of curriculum implementation, participation rates, and students’ responses to Association of American Medical Colleges Medical School Graduation Questionnaires about geriatrics training. Results All 10 institutions reported structural changes including newly developed or revised geriatric rotations or courses for their trainees. Most used online internet educational materials, sent students to new training venues, incorporated geriatric case discussions, implemented standardized patients, and utilized digital media. On average, each institution trained over 1,000 medical students, 500 residents, 100 faculty, and 700 non-faculty community physicians during the award period. Reynolds institutions also provided geriatrics training across 22 non-primary care disciplines. Eight schools implemented formal faculty development programs. By 2005, students at Reynolds-supported schools reported higher levels of geriatrics/gerontology education and more exposure to expert geriatric care by the attending faculty compared to students at non-Reynolds schools. Innovations and products were disseminated via journal publications, conference presentations, and POGOe (Portal of Geriatric Online Education). Conclusions The investment of extramural and institutional funds in geriatrics education has substantially influenced undergraduate, graduate, and practicing physician education at Reynolds-supported schools. The full impact of these programs on care of older persons will not be known until these trainees enter practice and educational careers. PMID:19704195

Changing the course of geriatrics education: an evaluation of the first cohort of Reynolds geriatrics education programs.

PubMed

Reuben, David B; Bachrach, Peter S; McCreath, Heather; Simpson, Deborah; Bragg, Elizabeth J; Warshaw, Gregg A; Snyder, Rani; Frank, Janet C

2009-05-01

To describe geriatric training initiatives implemented as a result of Reynolds Foundation grants awarded in 2001 (and concluding in 2005) and evaluate the resulting structure, process, and outcome changes. Cross-sectional survey of program directors at 10 academic institutions augmented by review of reports and secondary analyses of existing databases to identify structural and process measures of curriculum implementation, participation rates, and students' responses to Association of American Medical Colleges Medical School Graduation Questionnaires about geriatrics training. All 10 institutions reported structural changes, including newly developed or revised geriatric rotations or courses for their trainees. Most used online Internet educational materials, sent students to new training venues, incorporated geriatric case discussions, implemented standardized patients, and used digital media. On average, each institution trained more than 1,000 medical students, 500 residents, 100 faculty, and 700 nonfaculty community physicians during the award period. Reynolds institutions also provided geriatrics training across 22 non-primary-care disciplines. Eight schools implemented formal faculty development programs. By 2005, students at Reynolds-supported schools reported higher levels of geriatrics/gerontology education and more exposure to expert geriatric care by the attending faculty compared with students at non-Reynolds schools. Innovations and products were disseminated via journal publications, conference presentations, and the Portal of Geriatric Online Education. The investment of extramural and institutional funds in geriatrics education has substantially influenced undergraduate, graduate, and practicing physician education at Reynolds-supported schools. The full impact of these programs on care of older persons will not be known until these trainees enter practice and educational careers.

Local Stakeholder Perception on Community Participation in Marine Protected Area Management: A Q-Method Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Megat Jamual Fawaeed, P. S.; Daim, M. S.

2018-02-01

Local stakeholder involvement in Marine Protected Area (MPA) management can bring to a successful MPA. Generally, participatory research in marine protected area management is exploring the relationship between marine protected area management approach adopted by the management agencies and the level of participation of local stakeholder whom reside within the marine protected areas. However, the scenario of local community participation in MPA management in Malaysia seems discouraging and does not align with the International Aichi Biodiversity Target 2020. In order to achieve the International Aichi Biodiversity Target 2020, this paper attempts to explore the methodology on participatory research towards the local stakeholder of Pulau Perhentian Marine Park (PPMP), Terengganu, Malaysia. A Q-methodology is used to investigate the perspective of local stakeholder who represents different stances on the issues, by having participants rank and sort a series of statements by comply quantitative and qualitative method in collecting the data. A structured questionnaire will be employed across this study by means of face-to-face interview. In total, 210 respondents from Kampung Pasir Hantu are randomly selected. Meanwhile, a workshop with the agency (Department of Marine Park) had been held to discuss about the issues faces on behalf of management that manage the PPMP. Using the Q-method, researcher acknowledged wise viewpoints, reflecting how different stakeholders’ perception and opinion about community participation with highlights the current level of community participation in MPA. Thus, this paper describes the phases involved in this study, methodology and analysis used in making a conclusion .

Awareness of Age-Related Change: Examination of a (Mostly) Unexplored Concept

PubMed Central

Wahl, Hans-Werner

2010-01-01

This theoretical article discusses the emerging concept of awareness of age-related change (AARC). We propose that a focus on AARC extends the research traditions on subjective age experiences and age identity and that examination of this concept can serve a stimulating role in social gerontology. After defining and contrasting AARC against similar concepts, several reasons for the relevance of this mostly unexplored construct are provided. The sample domains of health and physical functioning, cognitive functioning, and interpersonal relations are used to illustrate the relevance of AARC. Based on this review, we then provide a heuristic framework that describes antecedents, processes, and outcomes related to AARC. Overall, we argue that research on AARC should become an integral part of social gerontological research. PMID:20008026

Law and Intergenerational Relationships.

PubMed

Doron, Israel; Lowenstein, Ariela; Biggs, Simon

2017-03-01

In any aging society, the sociolegal construction of intergenerational relationships is of great importance. This study conducts an international comparison of a specific judicial issue: whether active labor unions have the legal right to strike for the purpose of improving the benefits given to nonactive workers (specifically, pensioners). A comparative case law methodology was used. The texts of three different Supreme Court cases-in the United States, Canada, and Israel-were analyzed and compared. Despite the different legal outcomes, all three court rulings reflect a disregard of known and relevant social gerontology theories of intergenerational relationships. Social gerontological theories can play an important role in both understanding and shaping judicial policies and assisting the courts in choosing their sociojudicial narratives.

Diabetes and Cognitive Decline in Older Adults: The Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory Study.

PubMed

Palta, Priya; Carlson, Michelle C; Crum, Rosa M; Colantuoni, Elizabeth; Sharrett, A Richey; Yasar, Sevil; Nahin, Richard L; DeKosky, Steven T; Snitz, Beth; Lopez, Oscar; Williamson, Jeff D; Furberg, Curt D; Rapp, Stephen R; Golden, Sherita Hill

2017-12-12

Previous studies have shown that individuals with diabetes exhibit accelerated cognitive decline. However, methodological limitations have limited the quality of this evidence. Heterogeneity in study design, cognitive test administration, and methods of analysis of cognitive data have made it difficult to synthesize and translate findings to practice. We analyzed longitudinal data from the Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory Study to test our hypothesis that older adults with diabetes have greater test-specific and domain-specific cognitive declines compared to older adults without diabetes. Tests of memory, visuo-spatial construction, language, psychomotor speed, and executive function were administered. Test scores were standardized to z-scores and averaged to yield domain scores. Linear random effects models were used to compare baseline differences and changes over time in test and domain scores among individuals with and without diabetes. Among the 3,069 adults, aged 72-96 years, 9.3% reported diabetes. Over a median follow-up of 6.1 years, participants with diabetes exhibited greater baseline differences in a test of executive function (trail making test, Part B) and greater declines in a test of language (phonemic verbal fluency). For the composite cognitive domain scores, participants with diabetes exhibited lower baseline executive function and global cognition domain scores, but no significant differences in the rate of decline. Identifying cognitive domains most affected by diabetes can lead to targeted risk modification, possibly in the form of lifestyle interventions such as diet and physical activity, which we know to be beneficial for improving vascular risk factors, such as diabetes, and therefore may reduce the risk of executive dysfunction and possible dementia. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Transformative Learning Theory in Gerontology: Nontraditional Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Pamela Pitman; Brown, Candace S.

2015-01-01

Mezirow (1978) applied and used Transformative Learning Theoretical (TLT) processes while studying women who reentered academics during the 1970s. Similar to Mezirow's original 1975 work, we identify "factors that impeded or facilitated" participants' progress to obtain their undergraduate degree during the traditional student…

Evaluation of successful aging among older people in China: Results from China health and retirement longitudinal study.

PubMed

Liu, Huaqing; Byles, Julie E; Xu, Xiaoyue; Zhang, Min; Wu, Xuesen; Hall, John J

2017-08-01

China faces a "time-bomb" of the aging population. Successful aging has long been a goal in the field of gerontology. The present study aimed to evaluate successful aging among Chinese older adults. Data on a total of 7102 people in the China Health and Retirement Study aged ≥60 years were analyzed in the present study. Successful aging is defined by the model of Rowe and Kahn including the following five indicators: "no major diseases," "no disability," "high cognitive functioning," "high physical functioning" and "active engagement with life." Using logistic regression analysis, crude and adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated to evaluate the relationship between sociodemographic parameters and successful aging. The prevalence of successful aging was 13.2% among Chinese older people. The percentage of older people with the five indicators, "no major diseases," "no disability," "high cognitive functioning," "high physical functioning," and "active engagement with life" was 41.7%, 92.1%, 54.2%, 70.2% and 46.0%, respectively. Multiple logistic regression showed people who had received education of high/vocational school or above had significantly greater odds of successful aging compared with those with less than primary school education (P < 0.05). The effect of education to college level or above on cognitive functioning was 2.51-fold higher in women than men (P = 0.006). Older people from a non-agricultural Hukou had 1.85-fold higher odds of successful aging than those from an agricultural Hukou. Older people living in the central, northeast or western regions had lower odds of successful aging relative to those living in the east coast region (0.72, 0.72 and 0.56, respectively). The prevalence of successful aging is low among Chinese older people, and is affected by sociodemographic factors, such as education, Hukou and regions. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 1183-1190. © 2016 Japan Geriatrics Society.

Psychophysiological effects of aging : developing a functional age index for pilots. II., Taxonomy of psychological factors.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1978-04-01

One of the major objectives of gerontological aviation psychology is to determine the psychological variables, functions, abilities, skills, and factors that underlie, constitute or are associated with pilot performance and proficiency. They must be ...

Adapting the Home After a Stroke

MedlinePlus

... and the Program in Occupational Therapy at Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine . The research ... the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology at the University of Southern California), with additional contributions from Laura ...

Nurses and Aides

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Franklin, John

1976-01-01

Gerontological nursing (the care of the elderly) as a specialization for registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and nursing aides is discussed with respect to training and qualifications, employment outlook, and earnings for each group. (JT)

Laughter and Subjective Health Among Community-Dwelling Older People in Japan

PubMed Central

Hayashi, Kei; Kawachi, Ichiro; Ohira, Tetsuya; Kondo, Katsunori; Shirai, Kokoro; Kondo, Naoki

2015-01-01

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of laughter with subjective health independent of socioeconomic status and social participation among older people in Japan. We used the data of 26,368 individuals (men, 12,174; women, 14,194) 65 years or older who participated in the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES) in 2013. Participants provided information on laughter and self-rated health, depression, socioeconomic, and psychosocial factors. We evaluated laughter from three perspectives: frequency, opportunities, and interpersonal interactions. Even after adjustment for depression, sociodemographic factors, and social participation, the prevalence ratio for poor subjective health among women who never or almost never laugh was 1.78 (95% confidence interval, 1.48–2.15) compared with those who reported laughing every day. Similar associations were observed among men. Laughter may be an important factor for the promotion of general and mental health of older adults. The mechanisms linking laughter and health warrant further study. PMID:26649930

Qualitative research in palliative care 1990-1999: a descriptive review.

PubMed

Froggatt, Katherine A; Field, David; Bailey, Chris; Krishnasamy, Meinir

2003-03-01

A collaborative, evaluative review of qualitative research in palliative care published between 1990 and 1999 has been conducted. Nearly 30,000 articles in 48 journals from specialist palliative care, oncology, death studies, medicine, nursing, gerontology, health and the social sciences were examined. From these journals, 138 articles (0.5%) reporting qualitative research with a focus on palliative care in the context of death, dying or bereavement were identified. These articles were reviewed using a proforma designed by the group. This article describes the review process, and the following findings: the distribution of different forms of qualitative research in palliative care; the location of such papers; the focus of the research; and the research methodology and methods adopted.

NIH-Supported Trials Test Hormonal Therapy in Older Men with Low Testosterone Levels

MedlinePlus

... February 18, 2016 NIH-supported trials test hormonal therapy in older men with low testosterone levels Testosterone ... Hadley, M.D., director of NIA’s Division of Geriatrics and Clinical Gerontology. “In contrast, though, the results ...

Essential biodiversity variables

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pereira, H.M.; Ferrier, S.; Walters, M.; Geller, G.N.; Jongman, R.H.G.; Scholes, Robert J.; Bruford, M.W.; Brummitt, N.; Butchart, S.H.M.; Cardoso, A.C.; Coops, N.C.; Dulloo, E.; Faith, D.P.; Freyhof, J.; Gregory, R.D.; Heip, C.; Höft, R.; Hurtt, G.; Jetz, W.; Karp, D.S.; McGeoch, M.A.; Obura, D.; Onada, Y.; Pettorelli, N.; Reyers, B.; Sayre, R.; Scharlemann, J.P.W.; Stuart, S.N.; Turak, E.; Walpole, M.; Wegmann, M.

2013-01-01

Reducing the rate of biodiversity loss and averting dangerous biodiversity change are international goals, reasserted by the Aichi Targets for 2020 by Parties to the United Nations (UN) Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) after failure to meet the 2010 target (1, 2). However, there is no global, harmonized observation system for delivering regular, timely data on biodiversity change (3). With the first plenary meeting of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) soon under way, partners from the Group on Earth Observations Biodiversity Observation Network (GEO BON) (4) are developing—and seeking consensus around—Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs) that could form the basis of monitoring programs worldwide.

Forecasting Electric Power Generation of Photovoltaic Power System for Energy Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kudo, Mitsuru; Takeuchi, Akira; Nozaki, Yousuke; Endo, Hisahito; Sumita, Jiro

Recently, there has been an increase in concern about the global environment. Interest is growing in developing an energy network by which new energy systems such as photovoltaic and fuel cells generate power locally and electric power and heat are controlled with a communications network. We developed the power generation forecast method for photovoltaic power systems in an energy network. The method makes use of weather information and regression analysis. We carried out forecasting power output of the photovoltaic power system installed in Expo 2005, Aichi Japan. As a result of comparing measurements with a prediction values, the average prediction error per day was about 26% of the measured power.

Teaching and Learning about Sexuality and Aging.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steffl, Bernita M.; Kelly, James J.

1979-01-01

Describes an experience in developing teaching and learning content on aging and sexuality. Suggestions for a course outline and experiential learning for students and a summary of findings, which has implications for educators in gerontology, are included. (Author)

Developing positive attitudes toward geriatric nursing among Millennials and Generation Xers.

PubMed

Heise, Barbara A; Johnsen, Vickie; Himes, Deborah; Wing, Debra

2012-01-01

Despite the increase of the older adult population, there exists a shortage of health care professionals trained to help this population remain independent as long as possible. Ageism, common among younger adults, affects the capacity building of health care for older adults. Research has indicated that increased knowledge about older adults, as well as exposure to the elderly, may alter nursing students' attitudes regarding careers in gerontological nursing. However, questions remain as to what are the most effective ways to provide gerontological content in nursing programs and enhance attitudes toward older adults.With the understanding that younger adults see a need to balance work and play, a baccalaureate nursing program provides examples of ways to accomplish this through integration of courses, simulations, positive images of aging, and learning activities that enhance empathy for both frail and healthy older adults.

A retrospective study of health care-associated pneumonia patients at Aichi Medical University hospital.

PubMed

Yamagishi, Yuka; Mikamo, Hiroshige

2011-12-01

Health care-associated pneumonia (HCAP) was defined in the American Thoracic Society/Infectious Disease Society of America guidelines on hospital-acquired pneumonia in 2005. However, little is known about the occurrence of HCAP in Japan. A retrospective review of background characteristics, pathological conditions, causative organisms, initial treatments, and risk factors for HCAP was conducted to determine the relationship of HCAP to community-acquired pneumonia and hospital-acquired pneumonia. Thirty-five patients who were admitted to our hospital for pneumonia acquired outside our hospital were included and were stratified by disease severity according to the Japanese Respiratory Society risk stratification guidelines (A-DROP [age, dehydration, respiratory failure, orientation disturbance, and shock blood pressure] criteria). All patients had an underlying disease. A total of 70 microbial strains (25 gram-positive, 37 gram-negative, 6 anaerobic, and 2 causative of atypical pneumonia) were isolated from sputum cultures, showing high isolation frequencies of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus and extremely low isolation frequencies of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae. "History of hospitalization within 90 days before the onset of pneumonia" was the most common risk factor, and most of the patients had two or three risk factors. Initially, monotherapy [mainly tazobactam/piperacillin (TAZ/PIPC), sulbactam/ampicillin (SBT/ABPC), ceftriaxone (CTRX), cefepime (CPFM), carbapenems, or fluoroquinolones] or combination therapy (beta-lactam and fluoroquinolone) were administered and gave clinical effects in 63% (22/35) of cases. Bacteriological effects were seen in most strains (57%; 40/70). Since the causative organisms of HCAP were closely related to those of hospital-acquired pneumonia and not to community-acquired pneumonia, we believe that aggressive chemotherapy using broad-spectrum antimicrobials is needed in the initial treatment.

Relative deprivation, poverty, and subjective health: JAGES cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Saito, Masashige; Kondo, Katsunori; Kondo, Naoki; Abe, Aya; Ojima, Toshiyuki; Suzuki, Kayo

2014-01-01

To evaluate the association between relative deprivation (lacking daily necessities) and subjective health in older Japanese adults, we performed a cross-sectional analysis using data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES). The data were obtained from functionally independent residents aged ≥65 years from 24 municipalities in Japan (n = 24,742). Thirteen items in three dimensions were used to evaluate relative deprivation of material conditions. Approximately 28% of older Japanese people indicated that they lacked some daily necessities (non-monetary poverty). A two-level Poisson regression analysis revealed that relative deprivation was associated with poor self-rated health (PR = 1.3-1.5) and depressive symptoms (PR = 1.5-1.8) in both men and women, and these relationships were stronger than those observed in people living in relative poverty (monetary poverty). The interaction effect between relative deprivation and relative poverty was not associated with poor health. As a dimension of the social determinants of health, poverty should be evaluated from a multidimensional approach, capturing not only monetary conditions but also material-based, non-monetary conditions.

Launching an Interdisciplinary "International Summer School on Ageing" (ISSA): Aims, Methodology, and Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barbabella, F.; Chiatti, C.; Di Rosa, M.; Lamura, G.; Martin-Matthews, A.; Papa, R.; Svensson, T.

2016-01-01

Despite the increasing availability of gerontological training programs, knowledge of their contents, characteristics, methods, and outcomes remains limited. However, the transition from multidisciplinarity to interdisciplinary orientations is now fundamental to such training, providing participants from diverse academic orientations and…

Sex Differences in Spatial Performance in the Elderly: A Review of the Literature and Suggestions for Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cohen, Donna

1977-01-01

This paper reviews the literature on sex differences in spatial performance in older persons, proposes a theory of measurement, operational psychogenetic structuralism, for the analysis of sex differences in cognition, and suggests research directions relevant to educational gerontology. (Author)

Re-examination of the original questionnaire documents for the 1944 Tonankai, 1945 Mikawa, and 1946 Nanaki earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harada, Tomoya; Satake, Kenji; Furumura, Takashi

2016-04-01

With the object of estimating seismic intensity, the Earthquakes Research Institute (ERI) of the University of Tokyo performed questionnaire surveys for the significant (destructive or large/great) earthquakes from 1943 to 1988 (Kayano, 1990, BERI). In these surveys, Kawasumi (1943)'s 12-class seismic intensity scale similar to the Modified Mercalli scale (MM-scale) was used. Survey results for earthquakes after 1950 were well investigated and published (e.g. Kayano and Komaki, 1977, BERI; Kayano and Sato, 1975, BERI), but the survey results for earthquakes in the 1940s have not been published and original documents of the surveys was missing. Recently, the original sheets of the surveys for the five earthquakes in the 1940s with more than 1,000 casualties were discovered in the ERI warehouse, although they are incomplete (Tsumura et al, 2010). They are from the 1943 Tottori (M 7.2), 1944 Tonankai (M 7.9), 1945 Mikawa (M 6.8), 1946 Nankai (M 8.0), and 1948 Fukui (M 7.1) earthquakes. In this study, we examined original questionnaire and summary sheets for the 1944 Tonankai, 1945 Mikawa, and 1946 Nanaki earthquakes, and estimated the distributions of seismic intensity, various kinds of damage, and human behaviors in detail. Numbers of the survey points for the 1944, 1945, and 1946 event are 287, 145, and 1,014, respectively. The numbers for the 1944 and 1945 earthquakes are much fewer than that of the 1946 event, because they occurred during the last years of World War II. The 1944 seismic intensities in the prefectures near the source region (Aichi, Mie, Shizuoka, and Gifu Pref.) tend to be high. However, the 1944 intensities are also high and damage is serious at the Suwa Lake shore in Nagano Pref. which is about 240 km far from the source region because seismic waves are amplified dramatically in the thick sediment in the Suwa Basin. Seismic intensities of the 1945 Mikawa earthquake near the source region in Aichi Pref. were very high (X-XI). However, the

Improving Medical Students' Attitudes toward and Skills with the Elderly.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Intrieri, Robert C.; And Others

1993-01-01

Examined effect of experimental program in gerontology and geriatrics on third-year medical students. Experimental students (n=45) participated in four group sessions emphasizing psychological, sociodemographic, and physiological aspects of aging and interpersonal communication skills. Participants developed more positive attitudes and…

Human Aging: Usual and Successful.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rowe, John W.; Kahn, Robert L.

1987-01-01

Offers perspectives on the role of extrinsic factors in the aging process, the long-term consequences of extrinsically initiated changes, and implications for gerontological research. Explains the distinction between usual and successful aging in light of physiologic and psychosocial characteristics. (ML)

Adverse Childhood Experiences and Higher-Level Functional Limitations Among Older Japanese People: Results From the JAGES Study.

PubMed

Amemiya, Airi; Fujiwara, Takeo; Murayama, Hiroshi; Tani, Yukako; Kondo, Katsunori

2018-01-16

A life-course perspective is essential in understanding the determinants of higher-level functional limitations. We examine the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on higher-level functional limitations in older people. Data were from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study 2013, a population-based cohort of independent people aged 65 years or older across Japan (n = 19,220). ACEs before the age of 18 were assessed in terms of seven adversities: parental death, parental divorce, parental mental illness, family violence, physical abuse, psychological neglect, and psychological abuse. Associations between the cumulative number of ACEs and higher-level functional limitations were investigated by multivariate Poisson regression with robust error variances, adjusted for age, gender, childhood disadvantage, adult sociodemographics, adult health behaviors, and health status. Of the older people, 36.3% reported at least one ACE. Older people who had experienced two or more ACEs showed significantly greater higher-level functional limitations than those with no ACE in a crude model (prevalence ratio, PR = 1.61, 95% confidence interval, CI = 1.51-1.71). After adjusting the covariates, this association remained (PR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.12-1.27). ACEs showed robust independent effects on higher-level functional limitations among older Japanese without disabilities, even after adjusting for potential covariates in childhood and adulthood. The current findings may help in understanding the impact of the latent effects of ACEs on functional limitations in older people. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Validation of the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-being (FACIT-Sp12) on French Old People.

PubMed

Agli, Océane; Bailly, Nathalie; Ferrand, Claude

2017-04-01

The study aimed to develop a French version of the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-being short version (FACIT-Sp12), in order to provide a self-reported measure for French people in the field of gerontology. The study involving 63 nursing home residents was conducted to evaluate the construct validity, reliability, and convergence validity of the FACIT-Sp12. A confirmatory factor analysis corroborated a three-factor model (Meaning, Peace and Faith) with modifications for two items, also valid among people with cognitive impairment. Subscales showed good internal consistency and are correlated with quality of life and depression. In conclusion, the validated French version is an suitable instrument to study the maintenance and promotion of quality of life in the elderly.

Teaching and learning experiences in a collaborative distance-education environment.

PubMed

Martin, Peter; Scheetz, Laura Temple

2011-01-01

The Great Plains Distance Education Alliance (Great Plains IDEA) emphasizes the importance of a collaborative environment for instructors and students in distance education. The authors highlight a number of important principles for distance-education programs and point out similarities and differences when compared to traditional face-face-to classes such as communication, classroom management, connectivity, and technical challenges. They summarize general topics concerning the faculty, the syllabus, office hours, the calendar, and announcements. Three essential lesson components are noted: an overview, the lesson itself, and supplemanetary material. The authors also take the student perspective, emphasizing the diversity of students, the importance of computer proficiency, and student interactions. Finally, they summarize a first round of course evaluations in the Great Plains IDEA gerontology master's program.

Role divergence and complexity in gerontological home care.

PubMed

Kaye, L W

1989-01-01

This study documents high levels of role complexity and functional overlap in the field of home health care. Personnel perform a wide range of "professional/organizational" and "community/familial" service functions though the emphasis is on the delivery of a battery of pseudo family-like tasks. The importance of a familial orientation does not significantly decline when controlling for length of employment or organizational rationality. Role orientation is, however, significantly associated with a worker's chronological age. Results lead to program planning recommendations meant to influence staff training paradigms in home health care.

Technology for the Nineties. RESNA '91: Proceedings of the Annual Conference (14th, Kansas City, Missouri, June 21-26, 1991).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Presperin, Jessica J., Ed.

This proceedings document contains approximately 150 papers and 50 poster sessions presented at a conference on the advancement of rehabilitation and assistive technology. Individual sessions focused on the following topics: gerontology, robotics, technology transfer, sensory aids, computer applications, information dissemination, service delivery…

Report on the United Nations World Assembly on Aging. Based on a Follow-Up Conference (Tampa, Florida, December 7, 1983).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Briggs, Halaine-Sherin, Ed.

This document reports the proceedings of a United Nations World Assembly on Aging follow-up conference. Presented are the following: "International Exchange Center on Gerontology: The Organization and Its Mission"; "Preface" (Sheppard); "Welcoming Telegram" (Shuman); "Overview of the World Assembly on Aging"…

Theory to Practice: The Elusive Marriage.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shepherd, Paul L.

1982-01-01

Investigates the development of gerontological knowledge and its translation to practice. Discusses design, relevance, and dissemination of theory, and offers suggestions to practitioners for implementing research theories. Encourages both researchers and practitioners to make attitudinal changes to eliminate communication barriers. (University of…

Tolerance to Central Hypovolemia: The Influence of Oscillations in Arterial Pressure and Cerebral Blood Velocity

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-10-01

specific details about whether they were taking oral contraceptive medications, both of which can impact cardiovascular responses to hypovo- lemia (4, 20...Gerontology 49: 279–286, 2003. 59. Stewart JM. Autonomic nervous system dysfunction in adolescents with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome and

Biodiversity and Climate Modeling Workshop Series: Identifying gaps and needs for improving large-scale biodiversity models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weiskopf, S. R.; Myers, B.; Beard, T. D.; Jackson, S. T.; Tittensor, D.; Harfoot, M.; Senay, G. B.

2017-12-01

At the global scale, well-accepted global circulation models and agreed-upon scenarios for future climate from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) are available. In contrast, biodiversity modeling at the global scale lacks analogous tools. While there is great interest in development of similar bodies and efforts for international monitoring and modelling of biodiversity at the global scale, equivalent modelling tools are in their infancy. This lack of global biodiversity models compared to the extensive array of general circulation models provides a unique opportunity to bring together climate, ecosystem, and biodiversity modeling experts to promote development of integrated approaches in modeling global biodiversity. Improved models are needed to understand how we are progressing towards the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, many of which are not on track to meet the 2020 goal, threatening global biodiversity conservation, monitoring, and sustainable use. We brought together biodiversity, climate, and remote sensing experts to try to 1) identify lessons learned from the climate community that can be used to improve global biodiversity models; 2) explore how NASA and other remote sensing products could be better integrated into global biodiversity models and 3) advance global biodiversity modeling, prediction, and forecasting to inform the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, and the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Global Assessment of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. The 1st In-Person meeting focused on determining a roadmap for effective assessment of biodiversity model projections and forecasts by 2030 while integrating and assimilating remote sensing data and applying lessons learned, when appropriate, from climate modeling. Here, we present the outcomes and lessons learned from our first E-discussion and in-person meeting and discuss the next steps for future meetings.

PREFACE: The International Conference on Science of Friction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miura, Kouji; Matsukawa, Hiroshi

2007-07-01

The first international conference on the science of friction in Japan was held at Irago, Aichi on 9-13 September 2007. The conference focused on the elementary process of friction phenomena from the atomic and molecular scale view. Topics covered in the conference are shown below.:

Associations of day-to-day temperature change and diurnal temperature range with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

PubMed

Onozuka, Daisuke; Hagihara, Akihito

2017-01-01

Background Although the impacts of temperature on mortality and morbidity have been documented, few studies have investigated whether day-to-day temperature change and diurnal temperature range (DTR) are independent risk factors for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Design This was a prospective, population-based, observational study. Methods We obtained all OHCA data from 2005-2013 from six major prefectures in Japan: Hokkaido, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Aichi, Kyoto, and Osaka. We used a quasi-Poisson regression analysis with a distributed-lag non-linear model to assess the associations of day-to-day temperature change and DTR with OHCA for each prefecture. Results In total, 271,698 OHCAs of presumed cardiac origin were reported during the study period. There was a significant increase in the risk of OHCA associated with cold temperature in five prefectures, with relative risks (RRs) ranging from 1.298 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.022-1.649) in Hokkaido to 3.893 (95% CI 1.713-8.845) in Kyoto. DTR was adversely associated with OHCA on hot days in Aichi (RR 1.158; 95% CI 1.028-1.304) and on cold days in Tokyo (RR 1.030; 95% CI 1.000-1.060), Kanagawa (RR 1.042; 95% CI 1.005-1.082), Kyoto (RR 1.060; 95% CI 1.001-1.122), and Osaka (RR 1.050; 95% CI 1.014-1.088), whereas there was no significant association between day-to-day temperature change and OHCA. Conclusion We found that associations between day-to-day temperature change and DTR and OHCA were generally small compared with the association with mean temperature. Our findings suggest that preventative measures for temperature-related OHCA may be more effective when focused on mean temperature and DTR.

Gerontechnologies for Older Patients with Heart Failure: What is the Role of Smartphones, Tablets, and Remote Monitoring Devices in Improving Symptom Monitoring and Self-Care Management?

PubMed

Masterson Creber, Ruth M; Hickey, Kathleen T; Maurer, Mathew S

2016-10-01

Older adults with heart failure have multiple chronic conditions and a large number and range of symptoms. A fundamental component of heart failure self-care management is regular symptom monitoring. Symptom monitoring can be facilitated by cost-effective, easily accessible technologies that are integrated into patients' lives. Technologies that are tailored to older adults by incorporating gerontological design principles are called gerontechnologies. Gerontechnology is an interdisciplinary academic and professional field that combines gerontology and technology with the goals of improving prevention, care, and enhancing the quality of life for older adults. The purpose of this article is to discuss the role of gerontechnologies, specifically the use of mobile applications available on smartphones and tablets as well as remote monitoring systems, for outpatient disease management among older adults with heart failure. While largely unproven, these rapidly developing technologies have great potential to improve outcomes among older persons.

Factors Influencing New RNs' Supervisory Performance in Long-Term Care Facilities.

PubMed

Prentice, Dawn; Boscart, Veronique; McGilton, Katherine S; Escrig, Astrid

2017-12-01

In long-term care facilities (LTCF), registered nurses (RNs) perform both clinical and supervisory roles as part of a team aiming to provide high-quality care to residents. The residents have several co-morbidities and complex care needs. Unfortunately, new RNs receive minimal preparation in gerontology and supervisory experience during their program, leading to low retention rates and affecting resident outcomes. This qualitative study explored factors that influence supervisory performance of new RNs in LTCF from the perspective of 24 participants from Ontario, Canada. Data were collected through individual interviews, followed by a directed content analysis. Three levels of influences were identified: personal influences, organizational influences, and external influences. Each level presented with sub-elements, further describing the factors that impact the supervisory performance of the new RN. To retain new RNs in LTC, organizations must provide additional gerontological education and mentoring for new RNs to flourish in their supervisory roles.

Ageism among social work faculty: impact of personal factors and other "isms".

PubMed

Chonody, Jill M; Wang, Donna

2014-01-01

The purpose of this article was (a) to determine the extent to which ageist attitudes are evident among social work faculty and how educational factors may contribute to ageism, (b) to determine if terror management theory (in terms of aging anxiety) offers a further explanation for ageist attitudes beyond known correlates, and (c) to understand how intersecting prejudices (attitudes toward women, gay men, and lesbians) may be associated with ageist attitudes. Results indicated a low bias toward older adults, with two variables, psychological anxiety about aging and paid experience with older adults, accounting for 29.7% of the variance. Further, no association was found between ageism and sexism and sexual prejudice in the multivariate analyses. These results indicate promising advances for terror management theory in explaining ageism. Social work faculty's low bias and perceived need for gerontological content in curricula is an encouraging finding for gerontological social work education.

Elderly people in many respects benefit from interaction with dogs

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Over the course of evolution, humans and animals have entered into a close relationship. By domesticating animals, humans were able to use them to their own advantage. However, animals should not only be seen as mere providers of material value; in fact, they actually enrich humans' lives on an emotional level. The classic examples for this evolution are dogs: they are considered loyal companions, particularly for children and elderly people. This relationship between humans and animals is the subject of this research study and is examined from a gerontological perspective by employing qualitative social research methods. Conclusion: The results of the study reveal the manifold meanings that pets - in particular dogs - can and do have to the elderly. At this point, it should also be noted that there is still a strong need for further research into this topic from a gerontological perspective. PMID:22112364

Dismantling the Silence: LGBTQ Aging Emerging From the Margins

PubMed Central

Fredriksen-Goldsen, Karen I.

2017-01-01

Historical, environmental, and cultural contexts intersect with aging, sexuality, and gender across communities and generations. My scholarship investigates health and well-being over the life course across marginalized communities, including LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer) midlife and older adults, native communities experiencing cardiovascular risk, and families in China living with HIV, in order to balance the realities of unique lives in contemporary society. By probing the intersection of age, sexuality, and gender, my analysis is informed by both personal and professional experiences. With the death of my partner occurring at a time of profound invisibility and silence before HIV/AIDS, I found my life out of sync, experiencing a loss without a name. My life was thrust into a paradox: My relationship was defined by a world that refused to recognize it. This essay provides an opportunity for me to weave together how such critical turning points in my own life helped shape my approach to gerontology and how gerontology has informed my work and life. Reflecting on this journey, I illustrate the ways in which historical, structural, environmental, psychosocial, and biological factors affect equity, and the health-promoting and adverse pathways to health and well-being across marginalized communities. Although gerontology as a discipline has historically silenced the lives of marginalized older adults, it has much to learn from these communities. The growing and increasingly diverse older adult population provides us with unique opportunities to better understand both cultural variations and shared experiences in aging over the life course. PMID:28053011

World`s first SPB LNG carrier ``POLAR EAGLE``

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aoki, Eiji; Nakajima, Yoshiyuki; Yamada, Koichiro

1994-12-31

The world`s first Self-supporting Prismatic-shape IMO type B (SPB) LNG Carrier named ``POLAR EAGLE`` has been delivered to Phillips 66 Natural Gas Company and Marathon Oil Company in June, 1993. The cargo containment system installed onboard the vessel, SPB cargo containment system, was developed by Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. (IHI) and fully complies with IMO Gas Carrier Code for a type B independent tank. ``POLAR EAGLE`` was constructed in the authors` Aichi works and delivered 34 months after the contract of the vessel. Its performance was confirmed through various kinds of tests and inspections during construction of the vessel.more » Results of typical tests and inspections are introduced.« less

Are glycans the Holy Grail for biomarkers of aging?

PubMed

Le Couteur, David G; Simpson, Stephen J; de Cabo, Rafael

2014-07-01

Posttranslational modifications of circulating proteins such as immunoglobulins may prove to be important biomarkers of aging. © The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Differences among Preferred Methods for Furthering Aging Education in Ohio

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leson, Suzanne M.; Van Dussen, Daniel J.; Ewen, Heidi H.; Emerick, Eric S.

2014-01-01

Workers serving Ohio's aging population will require increased levels of gerontological education. Using data from 55 Ohio counties, this project investigated the educational needs and reasons for seeking education from professionals in aging. Respondents reported interest in attaining aging related education. Preferred delivery methods included…

Educational Programs and the Older Person.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borthwick, Thomas

The literature was studied to investigate some of the significant factors that affect participation of older persons (aged 60 and over) in educational programs. Focuses of the literature review were economic and geographic background; educational gerontology; the learning environment; physical, physiological and psychological characteristics; and…

Innovations in Teaching on Aging: Integrative and Interactive Approaches.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Timiras, Paola S.

1981-01-01

Presents summaries of current programs on aging and gerontology at these five institutions: University of Texas Health Science Center (San Antonio), Michigan State University (East Lansing), University of California (Berkeley), University of Colorado Medical Center (Denver), and University of Kentucky Medical Center (Lexington). (CS)

Innovations in Student-Centered Interdisciplinary Teaching for General Education in Aging

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Damron-Rodriguez, JoAnn; Effros, Rita

2008-01-01

The University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) General Education "Clusters" are innovations in student-centered undergraduate education focused on complex phenomena that require an interdisciplinary perspective. UCLA gerontology and geriatric faculty recognized the opportunity to introduce freshmen to the field of aging through this new…

The Food and Nutrition Care Indicators (FANCI): Experts’ views on quality indicators for food and nutrition services in assisted living facilities for elders

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This study assessed the views of 153 national experts in nutrition, health and aging services in ALFs, including gerontological nutrition (39%), food services (14%), aging and disability (22%), geriatric medicine (9%) and assisted living (16%) on the practices that serve as indicators of the quality...

Aging and Death Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pinder, Margaret M.; Hayslip, Bert, Jr.

1980-01-01

The elderly death rate is somewhat higher than the death rate in general. Numbers of schools with gerontological curricula and frequency of death education courses are positively related to elderly death rates. The contention that elderly deaths have less social impact is not supported. (JAC)

The Aging Male Homosexual: Myth and Reality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelly, Jim

1977-01-01

There is little evidence to suggest that being gay causes problems in old age but there is considerable evidence to suggest that societal stigma may cause problems for aging gays. Presented at the 28th Annual Scientific Meeting of Gerontological Society, Louisville, Oct., 1975. (Author)

Using a Web-Based e-Visit Simulation to Educate Nurse Practitioner Students.

PubMed

Merritt, Lisa Schaeg; Brauch, Allison N; Bender, Annah K; Kochuk, Daria

2018-05-01

The purpose of this pilot study was to develop and implement a Web-based, e-Visit simulation experience for nurse practitioner students and evaluate student satisfaction and perceived learning. The convenience sample consisted of 26 senior-level Master of Science in Nursing students in the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner programs. A Likert survey was used for evaluation that measured items from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Students reported that the simulation cases closely resembled real-world patients (97%; M = 4.42, SD = 0.69), providing them with a better understanding of complaints commonly addressed via telehealth services (96%; M = 4.46, SD = 0.57). Accuracy of diagnosis and treatment on first attempt was 95%. A Web-based, e-Visit simulation can be a useful learning experience for nurse practitioner students with knowledge gained that is transferable to real clinical situations. [J Nurs Educ. 2018;57(5):304-307.]. Copyright 2018, SLACK Incorporated.

Older Men's Lay Definitions of Successful Aging over Time: The Manitoba Follow-Up Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tate, Robert B.; Swift, Audrey U.; Bayomi, Dennis J.

2013-01-01

The concept of "successful aging" has become widely accepted in gerontology, yet continues to have no common underlying definition. Researchers have increasingly looked to older individuals for their lay definitions of successful aging. The present analysis is based on responses to five questionnaires administered to surviving…

An Interdisciplinary, Non-Credit Community Course in Adult Development and Aging.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wray, Robert P.

Aided by the Georgia Community Continuing Education Service (State Agency, Title 1, Higher Educational Act of 1965), the University of Georgia Council on Gerontology induced Georgia colleges and universities to cooperate to help practitioners and community leaders learn about the sociological, physiological, psychological, economic, and community…

Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance for the Older Adult: A Modular Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD).

This book is addressed to the teacher of health, physical education, recreation, and dance courses for older adults. The first section provides the foundation for understanding gerontology. It includes fundamental concepts within the areas of sociological, physiological, and psychological aspects of aging, health problems, and nutritional status…

A Telephone Support Program for Adult Day Center Caregivers: Early Indications of Impact

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gendron, Tracey; Pelco, Lynn E.; Pryor, Jennifer; Barsness, Sonya; Seward, Lynne

2013-01-01

The Virginia Commonwealth University/A Grace Place Caregiver Telephone Support Pilot Program was developed as a service-learning experience for graduate students to address the need for family caregiver support services. The Telephone Support Program was developed by the Virginia Commonwealth University Department of Gerontology, in collaboration…

Developing Leadership in Geriatric Education. Proceedings of the Annual Summer Geriatric Institute (5th, Lexington, Kentucky, July 23-25, 1990).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gardner, Davis L., Ed.; Patzwald, Gari-Anne, Ed.

Papers in these proceedings are organized into four sections: (1) Research Studies in Aging; (2) Innovative Approaches in Geriatric Education; (3) Faculty Development Models; and (4) "The Publication Process: Perils and Pearls" (Workshop). Clinical Experiences: Design Not Chance" (Matzo); "The Development of a Collaborative Gerontological Research…

77 FR 20820 - Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-06

... these audiences will allow AHRQ to detect gaps in the HAI science base and identify opportunities for.... Other project leaders have advanced degrees in the social sciences (e.g., gerontology) or epidemiology... and Quality, HHS. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: This notice announces the intention of the Agency for...

A Co-Mentoring Project: An Intergenerational Service-Learning Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zucchero, Renee A.

2011-01-01

Intergenerational service-learning between college students and older adults is a commonly used in educational gerontology. Service-learning is believed to enhance student learning through an equivalent focus on service and learning, reflection, and linking course content with the service experience. This article describes a comentoring project…

Recognizing the Importance of Aging Skills and Knowledge in Generalist Social Work Practice: Effective Strategies for MSW Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bonifas, Robin P.; Fredriksen-Goldsen, Karen I.; Bailey, Kathleen A.

2009-01-01

This article examines the impact of a curricular infusion strategy aimed at integrating gerontological practice issues into social work education. Findings (N = 83) illustrate that student interest, knowledge, and skills in aging practice increased immediately following implementation of a three-tiered infusion approach; however, ongoing exposure…

Intergenerational Service Learning with Elders: Multidisciplinary Activities and Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krout, John A.; Bergman, Elizabeth; Bianconi, Penny; Caldwell, Kathryn; Dorsey, Julie; Durnford, Susan; Erickson, Mary Ann; Lapp, Julia; Monroe, Janice Elich; Pogorzala, Christine; Taves, Jessica Valdez

2010-01-01

This article provides an overview of the activities included in a 3-year, multidisciplinary, intergenerational service-learning project conducted as part of a Foundation for Long-Term Care Service Learning: Linking Three Generations grant. Courses from four departments (gerontology, psychology, occupational therapy, and health promotion and…

Higher Education and Older People: Some Theoretical Considerations, Part II.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Covey, Herbert C.

1983-01-01

Describes disengagement, activity, lifespan, subcultural, and continuity theories of social gerontology in light of participation in higher education by older students. Argues that continuity theory holds the most promise in accounting for older students. Emphasizes the need to stress the positive roles of old age. (JAC)

Aging in place: evolution of a research topic whose time has come.

PubMed

Vasunilashorn, Sarinnapha; Steinman, Bernard A; Liebig, Phoebe S; Pynoos, Jon

2012-01-01

Over the past 30 years, policy makers and professionals who provide services to older adults with chronic conditions and impairments have placed greater emphasis on conceptualizing aging in place as an attainable and worthwhile goal. Little is known, however, of the changes in how this concept has evolved in aging research. To track trends in aging in place, we examined scholarly articles published from 1980 to 2010 that included the concept in eleven academic gerontology journals. We report an increase in the absolute number and proportion of aging-in-place manuscripts published during this period, with marked growth in the 2000s. Topics related to the environment and services were the most commonly examined during 2000-2010 (35% and 31%, resp.), with a substantial increase in manuscripts pertaining to technology and health/functioning. This underscores the increase in diversity of topics that surround the concept of aging-in-place literature in gerontological research.

Two thumbs up: using popular films in introductory aging courses.

PubMed

Karasik, Rona J; Hamon, Raeann; Writz, Jennifer; Moddu Reddy, Anand

2014-01-01

Good teaching requires thoughtful planning and creative thinking, especially when trying to engage students in material that is unfamiliar to them or encumbered by stereotypes, like aging. Classic and contemporary media can provide unique teaching opportunities in gerontology classrooms. Popular films can have a powerful influence over viewers' attitudes and perceptions, and spur in-depth discussions of aging-related topics common to introductory aging courses (e.g., ageism, abuse, inequality, caregiving, healthy aging, and intimate relationships). Additionally, films appeal to multiple learning styles, engaging a variety of learners. This article examines the value of using films in introductory aging courses, offers strategies for incorporating films in the gerontology classroom, suggests sample activities and assignments that pair popular films with aging course topics, identifies challenges of using film in various classrooms settings, and provides a detailed typology of films on each of the following aging topics: ageism and stereotypes, cognitive impairment, death and dying, diversity, family relationships, health and wellness, sexuality and intimacy, and work and retirement.

[The education and training of manpower in elderly & long-term care].

PubMed

Chen, Huey-Tzy

2008-08-01

With the rapid expansion of the aged population, elderly & long-term care has become a significant issue in Taiwan, as in many developed countries, such as Japan. Service resources in long-term care have benefitted profoundly from investment and development in the past 15 years in Taiwan, but the education and training of manpower in long-term care has only recently begun to be addressed. The purpose of this article is to describe the education and training of nursing manpower in long-term care in Taiwan and in other countries. Three recommendations are also made: (1) To integrate Gerontology Nursing & Practicum into the nursing curriculum to cultivate nursing students with competency in providing direct care and competency in accountability. (2) To prepare RN-BSN students with secondary competency in management/information & communication/activities design. (3) To incorporate faculty from across disciplines in the running of gerontology & long-term care programs in order to develop students' competency in transdisciplinary team work.

Relative Deprivation, Poverty, and Subjective Health: JAGES Cross-Sectional Study

PubMed Central

Saito, Masashige; Kondo, Katsunori; Kondo, Naoki; Abe, Aya; Ojima, Toshiyuki; Suzuki, Kayo

2014-01-01

To evaluate the association between relative deprivation (lacking daily necessities) and subjective health in older Japanese adults, we performed a cross-sectional analysis using data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES). The data were obtained from functionally independent residents aged ≥65 years from 24 municipalities in Japan (n = 24,742). Thirteen items in three dimensions were used to evaluate relative deprivation of material conditions. Approximately 28% of older Japanese people indicated that they lacked some daily necessities (non-monetary poverty). A two-level Poisson regression analysis revealed that relative deprivation was associated with poor self-rated health (PR = 1.3–1.5) and depressive symptoms (PR = 1.5–1.8) in both men and women, and these relationships were stronger than those observed in people living in relative poverty (monetary poverty). The interaction effect between relative deprivation and relative poverty was not associated with poor health. As a dimension of the social determinants of health, poverty should be evaluated from a multidimensional approach, capturing not only monetary conditions but also material-based, non-monetary conditions. PMID:25350284

Examining Self-Protection Measures Guarding Adult Protective Services Social Workers against Compassion Fatigue

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bourassa, Dara

2012-01-01

Little research has focused on the risk factors, effects, and experiences of compassion fatigue among gerontological social workers. This qualitative study explores the experiences and perspectives of nine Adult Protective Services (APS) social workers in relation to compassion fatigue. Results show that the APS social workers combined personal…

Transforming Social Work Education: The First Decade of the Hartford Geriatric Social Work Initiative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hooyman, Nancy R.

2009-01-01

This book, celebrating the Geriatric Social Work Initiative's 10th Anniversary, documents the effect that its educational programs have had on shaping gerontological social work education as a whole. Each chapter highlights various aspects of this John A. Hartford Foundation-funded initiative--its competency-based education, model for curricular…

"Old People Are Cranky": Helping Professional Trainees' Knowledge, Attitudes, Aging Anxiety, and Interest in Working with Older Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boswell, Stefanie S.

2012-01-01

This study investigated the efficacy of a gerontology education course in decreasing ageism and aging anxiety and increasing knowledge and interest in working with older adults among undergraduates training for social services careers. Participants completed study measures at the beginning and end of semester. Analyses supported the study…

Education for an Aging Planet

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ingman, Stan; Amin, Iftekhar; Clarke, Egerton; Brune, Kendall

2010-01-01

As low income societies experience rapid aging of their populations, they face major challenges in developing educational policies to prepare their workforce for the future. We review modest efforts undertaken to assist colleagues in three societies: Mexico, China, and Jamaica. Graduate education in gerontology has an important opportunity to…

Continuing Education Modules and the Scholarship of Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Jim

2010-01-01

Economic and political trends underscore the importance of engaged scholarship as evidence that colleges and universities are serving their constituencies. Set in a background of debate about pure versus applied social science this article describes a planned approach to continuing gerontological education grounded firmly in the principles of the…

Social Work Professions in an Aging World: Opportunities and Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Shadi S.; Kosberg, Jordan I.; Sun, Fei; Durkin, Kristy

2012-01-01

Given world aging, social workers will be involved in assisting older persons in their home-country and/or abroad in various types of governmental or nongovernmental agencies. This paper identifies potential opportunities for social workers with gerontological backgrounds interested in working in international and cross-cultural settings.…

Learning by Living

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuhn, Margaret E.

1978-01-01

The Gray Panthers is an emerging national movement emphasizing the relationship of personal growth and self-development to pursuit of social goals. It is a coalition of old and young people working together for social change. Presented at the Gerontological Society meeting, Miami Beach Florida, 1973. (Author/JEL)

Stress and the Organization.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Richard H., Ed.

The proceedings of a conference on stress and the organization, sponsored by the Business Institute in Gerontology, are presented. The materials address the following areas of concern related to the problem of stress, including: (1) physiology and psychological effects; (2) organization-induced stress and its manifestations; (3) mid-life…

Ethical Dimensions of Quality of Life in Aging: Autonomy vs. Collectivism in the United States and Canada.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Phillip G.

1991-01-01

Compares and contrasts value orientations of personal independence and collectivism in the United States and Canada and examines their relationship to concept of quality of life in aging. Explores implications of the analysis for expanding understanding of importance of value dimensions in comparative gerontology, and suggests ways of integrating…

About Aging: A Catalog of Films with a Special Section on Videocassettes. Fourth Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allyn, Mildred V., Comp.

This annotated bibliography lists over 600 16mm films, videocassettes, and feature length films appropriate for gerontology programs. The films are listed alphabetically by title. The following information is provided: technical (running time, color or black and white, year of release), producer, availability, distributor, and sale/rental costs. A…

Overview of Geriatric Distance Education for Academic Courses and Continuing Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Helen Arleen

2004-01-01

Distance education technologies may be applied to academic settings, continuing education/continuing medical education settings or in combination to both. This article provides an overview of what we have learned about academic and continuing education/continuing medical education in geriatrics and gerontology. It includes information on the scope…

Linking Minority and Disadvantaged High School Students with Health Professions Training: A Win-Win Situation for Students and Older Adults.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Padula, Cynthia A.; Leinhaas, Marie M.; Dodge, Kathleen A.

2002-01-01

Minority high school students (n=19) attended a health care career exploration program that included classroom sessions, group and individual activities, field trips, lectures, job shadowing, and a final report. On completion, most were considering careers in geriatrics or gerontology and had more positive attitudes toward older adults. (SK)

Theorising the Relationship between Older People and Their Immediate Social Living Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buffel, Tine; Verte, Dominique; De Donder, Liesbeth; De Witte, Nico; Dury, Sarah; Vanwing, Tom; Bolsenbroek, Anouk

2012-01-01

This article presents a theoretical framework for exploring the dynamics between older people and their immediate social living environment. After introducing a gerontological perspective that goes beyond "microfication," a literature review presents findings from studies that have explored the role of place and locality for older people. Next,…

Elderly: Alcohol and Drugs. Hearing before the Select Committee on Aging. House of Representatives, Ninety-Eighth Congress, First Session (Port Richey, Fla.)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. House Select Committee on Aging.

This document contains prepared statements and witness testimony from the Congressional hearing on the elderly and alcohol and drug use. Opening statements are given by Committe on Aging representatives Edward Roybal and Michael Bilirakis. Witness testimony is given by representatives of the University of South Florida Gerontology Center; the…

Designing a New Program in Family Relations and Applied Nutrition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Devine, Sharon Mayne; Daly, Kerry; Lero, Donna; MacMartin, Clare

2007-01-01

Family Relations and Applied Nutrition, which is offered at the University of Guelph, is an interdisciplinary department that previously offered three undergraduate majors: child, youth, and family; applied human nutrition; and gerontology; as well as graduate programs at the master's and doctoral levels. Several factors have precipitated a review…

Death and Dying: Issues for Educational Gerontologists.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wass, Hannelore, Myers, Jane E.

1984-01-01

Reviews research on death orientations, the dying process, and bereavement, with a major focus on the elderly. Suggests that relevant knowledge about death and dying are important for gerontological practitioners and proposes that death-related content be systematically integrated into academic curricula at the preservice and inservice levels.…

An Inquiry into Workplace Incivility: Perceptions of Working Graduate Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greene, Ashley E.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this sequential mixed methods study was to examine and determine the level of incivility in the workplace as a growing problem from the perceptional views of graduate students enrolled in accelerated degree programs for graduate studies in Business Administration, Criminal Justice Administration, Gerontology, Health Management, and…

Lifelong Learning Research Conference Proceedings (5th, College Park, MD, February 17-18, 1983).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whaples, Gene C.; Rivera, William M.

These proceedings contain 47 papers presented at a conference focusing on nonformal adult education. Papers deal with 12 adult/continuing education content areas. These content areas and representative paper focuses are adult development (the role of gerontology programs in life transitions, the impact of development on adult learning), aging…

Interdisciplinary Research Education in Communication and Social Interaction Among Healthy Older Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scialfa, Charles T.; Pichora-Fuller, Kathleen; Spadafora, Pat

2004-01-01

An innovative gerontology education program was developed to advance research on aging that is interdisciplinary and promotes the translation of knowledge from lab to life. The program focuses on communication and social interaction in healthy aging. It brings together faculty mentors, graduate students, and post-doctoral fellows from six…

Interdisciplinary Research Education in Communication and Social Interaction among Healthy Older Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scialfa, Charles; Pichora-Fuller, Kathleen; Spadafora, Pat

2004-01-01

An innovative gerontology education program was developed to advance research on aging that is interdisciplinary and promotes the translation of knowledge from lab to life. The program focuses on communication and social interaction in healthy aging. It brings together faculty mentors, graduate students, and post-doctoral fellows from six…

Ageing, Drama, and Creativity: Translating Research Into Practice.

PubMed

Reynolds, Jackie; Bernard, Miriam; Rezzano, Jill; Rickett, Michelle

2016-01-01

Ageing, Drama, and Creativity was a pilot six-session interprofessional training course delivered collaboratively by Keele University and the New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme, as part of our Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funded Ages and Stages follow-on project. The course brought together a critical gerontological approach with arts-based educational practices and was designed to develop practice capabilities and age awareness among a diverse group of professionals working in arts organizations, the voluntary sector, local government, health and social services, and housing. This article describes how the course was developed and how participants were selected, details its aims and objectives, provides an overview of the sessions and a flavor of some of the exercises that were used, and considers findings from the structured evaluation alongside written reflections from participants.

Cultural competence in the master's curriculum--a course exemplar.

PubMed

Cross, Deborah; Brennan, Ann Marie Walsh; Cotter, Valerie T; Watts, Rosalyn J

2008-01-01

This article focuses on the teaching-learning strategies for integration of cultural competence in the first clinical core course in Primary Care of the Middle Aged and Older Adult, a required course for graduate students enrolled in the Adult Health Nurse Practitioner Program, Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Program, and the Family Health Nurse Practitioner Program at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. Multiple teaching-learning strategies for the first clinical course consisted of preliminary online self-assessment, clinical case scenarios, critique of multicultural clinical vignettes, and cultural assessment of the clinical agency. In the outcomes of these teaching-learning strategies, it was shown, through the use of reflective diaries of nurse practitioner students and course evaluations, that the multiple strategic approaches were effective for cultural competence integration within each of the nurse practitioner programs.

A Systematic Review of Research on Social Networks of Older Adults.

PubMed

Ayalon, Liat; Levkovich, Inbar

2018-01-29

There has been a substantial interest in life course/life span changes in older adults' social networks and in the relationship between social networks and health and wellbeing. The study embarked on a systematic review to examine the existing knowledgebase on social network in the field of gerontology. Our focus was on studies in which both ego (respondents) and his or her alters (network members) are queried about their social ties. We searched for studies published in English before September, 2017, relied on quantitative methods to obtain data from both ego (60 years of age and older) and alters and provided a quantitative account of the social network properties. We searched the following data sets: APA Psychnet, Pubmed, Sociological abstracts, and Ageline. This was followed by a snowball search of relevant articles using Google Scholar. Titles and abstracts were reviewed and selected articles were extracted independently by two reviewers. A total of 5,519 records were retrieved. Of these, 3,994 records remained after the removal of duplicates. Ten records reporting on five original samples were kept for the systematic review. One study described a social network of community dwelling older adults and the remaining studies described social networks of institutional older adults. The present study points to a lacuna in current understanding of social networks in the field of gerontology. It provides a useful review and possible tools for the design of future studies to address current shortcomings in the field. © The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Disengagement as Withdrawal From Public Space: Rethinking the Relation Between Place Attachment, Place Appropriation, and Identity-Building Among Older Adults.

PubMed

Wanka, Anna

2018-01-18

Empirical research indicates that engagement with public space decreases with age. Why do some older adults withdraw from the public, and which role does the (urban) environment play in spatial (dis-)engagement? Environmental gerontology's model of person-environment (PE) fit suggests an interrelation between agency and belonging and their causal effects on identity and wellbeing in later life. However, there is little research on how these dimensions are actually related. This study sets out to investigate this relationship and how PE can be better adapted for deprived neighborhoods. The study follows a qualitative case studies approach, focusing on a deprived neighborhood in Vienna, Austria. Nonparticipant observations were conducted at this site and complemented by 13 episodic interviews with older residents. The results challenge PE's model of interrelation between agency and belonging and their causal effects on identity, wellbeing, and autonomy in later life. Spatial agency in the deprived neighborhood was intense but so was spatial alienation and distancing oneself from one's neighborhood. Drawing on notions of territorial stigma, this might be a coping strategy to prevent one's self-identity from being "stained". Which strategy is being adopted by whom depends on the position and the trajectory in social and physical space. PE can be complemented with intersubjective measures of environmental conditions (e.g., stigma) and spatial engagement. Gerontology should proceed to consider not only the poor, disadvantaged, disengaged elderly, but also the rebellious, resisting, provocative new generation of older adults. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The Role of Life-Space, Social Activity, and Depression on the Subjective Memory Complaints of Community-Dwelling Filipino Elderly: A Structural Equation Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Guzman, Allan B.; Lagdaan, Lovely France M.; Lagoy, Marie Lauren V.

2015-01-01

Subjective memory complaints are one of the major concerns of the elderly and remain a challenging area in gerontology. There are previous studies that identify different factors affecting subjective memory complaints. However, an extended model that correlates life-space on subjective memory complaints remains a blank spot. The objective of this…

Attracting and Training Tomorrow's Gerontologists: What Drives Student Interest in Aging?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bergman, Elizabeth J.; Erickson, Mary Ann; Simons, Jocelyn N.

2014-01-01

Demographic and labor force trends point to a critical need for professionals trained to work with older adults. The current study investigated factors associated with interest in aging-related topics and careers and knowledge of the opportunities that exist in the field of gerontology. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, and…

Proceedings of the Annual Convention of the Ohio Council on Family Relations 1980.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohio Council on Family Relations, Columbus.

This compendium of papers presented at the 1980 convention of the Ohio Council on Family Relations is grouped into four major areas. Papers in the Family and Social Systems Section discuss spousal violence, psychological gerontology, and bureautechnocracy, i.e., the bureaucratic and technological influences on society. Materials in the Children's…

Relationship between Religious Involvement and Psychological Well-Being: A Social Justice Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aranda, Maria P.

2008-01-01

Although religion has not been a mainline topic of empirical inquiry in the gerontological social work literature, there has been growing recognition in the past two decades of the health protective effects of religious involvement on both physical and psychological well-being. Depression interferes with both individual and social functioning that…

Medical and Psychology Students' Knowledge and Attitudes regarding Aging and Sexuality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Snyder, Rachel J.; Zweig, Richard A.

2010-01-01

The current study surveys medical and doctoral psychology students (N = 100) from an urban northeastern university regarding knowledge and attitudes toward elderly sexuality and aging using the Facts on Aging Quiz, the Aging Sexuality Knowledge and Attitudes Scale, and measures of interest in gerontology, academic/clinical exposure to aging and…

An Orientation for Mexican-American Community Workers in the Field of Aging. [A Report on the] Institute on Aging (Topeka, Kansas, May 21, 22, 23, 1973).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hernandez, Ascencion; Mendoza, John

Forty trainees, consultants, and resource persons attended the 3-day Institute held in Topeka, Kansas. Among the Institute's objectives were to: provide a basic orientation to the roles and functions of the aging services, programs, and the field of gerontology; examine aging services and benefits, both legislative and programmatic relating to…

Old age and frailty in the dialysis population.

PubMed

Brown, Edwina A; Johansson, Lina

2010-01-01

Dialysis management is changing over time due to the changing dialysis population, with many overlapping issues between gerontological and nephrological care. The conditions that are focused on in this review are frailty, cognitive impairment, depression and changes in body composition. These factors should be considered when managing older patients on dialysis.

Trends in Financial Satisfaction: Does Poverty Make a Difference?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsieh, Chang-Ming

2002-01-01

Gerontological studies on financial satisfaction have been limited by the dearth of longitudinal research and the lack of research that includes the concept of poverty. In order to bridge these gaps, this longitudinal study examines and compares the intracohort and intercohort effects on financial satisfaction trends by poverty status among…

Awareness of Death and Self-Engagement in Later Life: The Engagement Continuum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chellam, Grace

1977-01-01

This paper discusses three ideas--the Engagement continuum, the relation between Awareness of Death and Self-Engagement, and practical implications in terms of effecting psycho-social transitions in later life. Empirical observations were made in Canada and the U.S. Paper presented at the 10th International Gerontological Conference, Jerusalem,…

Young People's Images of Old Age in Chile: Exploratory Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arnold-Cathalifaud, Marcelo; Thumala, Daniela; Urquiza, Anahi; Ojeda, Alejandra

2008-01-01

According to gerontological thought, an important part of senior citizens' disabilities are products of their social exclusion rather than factors associated with their physical or mental health. How these exclusions come about was the purpose of the research reported in this article. The study was conducted among 682 Chilean university students…

Education and Older Adults at the University of the Third Age

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Formosa, Marvin

2012-01-01

This article reports a critical analysis of older adult education in Malta. In educational gerontology, a critical perspective demands the exposure of how relations of power and inequality, in their myriad forms, combinations, and complexities, are manifest in late-life learning initiatives. Fieldwork conducted at the University of the Third Age…

Curious Conceptions: Learning to Be Old

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carroll, Trish

2007-01-01

The ageing of the population in western societies has aroused great concern and interest in recent years as the so-called "baby-boomers" begin to retire, leaving a seemingly depleted workforce. Society and the individuals within it learn the "truths" of being aged or old through the normalizing of gerontological, demographic…

77 FR 37047 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-20

.... Other project leaders have advanced degrees in the social sciences (e.g., gerontology) or epidemiology...,070 Total 58 87 \\2\\ 3,450 \\1\\ Based upon the weighted average of the mean wages for 19-3099 Social... and Quality, HHS. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: This notice announces the intention of the Agency for...

The Alzheimerization of Aging.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adelman, Richard C.

1995-01-01

The National Institute on Aging (NIA) invests a disproportionately large share of its resources in research on Alzheimer's Disease at the expense of other interests of the broader scientific community in gerontology. Complex social forces that continue to shape this outcome embrace discipline-specific traditions of science advocacy, as well as…

A Standardized Certification Program for Case Managers Serving Frail Elderly Texans. Module II: Assessment and Care Plan Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lusky, Richard A.; And Others

This learning module is one of three training modules that were developed for members of the Texas Gerontological Consortium for Continuing Education to use in preparing case managers working in human service professions coordinating community-based programs for frail elderly Texans. Module II deals with the following topics: assessment (role of…

Expert Consensus on Characteristics of Wisdom: A Delphi Method Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jeste, Dilip V.; Ardelt, Monika; Blazer, Dan; Kraemer, Helena C.; Vaillant, George; Meeks, Thomas W.

2010-01-01

Purpose: Wisdom has received increasing attention in empirical research in recent years, especially in gerontology and psychology, but consistent definitions of wisdom remain elusive. We sought to better characterize this concept via an expert consensus panel using a 2-phase Delphi method. Design and Methods: A survey questionnaire comprised 53…

Intellectual Functioning and Aging: A Selected Bibliography. Technical Bibliographies on Aging.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schaie, K. Warner; Zelinski, Elizabeth M.

The selected bibliography contains about 400 references taken from a keysort file of more than 45,000 references, compiled from commercially available data bases and published sources, relevant to gerontology. Those of questionable accuracy were checked or deleted during the verification process. Most references are in English and were selected…

Measuring the economic effects of Japan's Mikawa Port: Pre- and-post disaster assessments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shibusawa, Hiroyuki; Miyata, Yuzuru

2017-10-01

This study examines the economic effects of Japan's Mikawa Port on Aichi Prefecture before and after a natural disaster interrupts its operations for one year. Using a regional input-output model, backward and forward linkage impacts are calculated along the waterfront where the auto industry is concentrated. In addition, economic damage from natural disasters is estimated. We assess the economic implications on the hinterland of Mikawa Port. Density functions of the backward and forward linkage impacts are derived. A production stoppage along the waterfront of Mikawa Port generates large indirect negative effects on the regional economy. Results found that density functions of the total impacts are decreasing function of distance but that several sectors are characterized by non-decreasing functions.

In memory of Professor Leonor Michaelis in Nagoya: great contributions to biochemistry in Japan in the first half of the 20th century.

PubMed

Nagatsu, Toshiharu Toshi

2013-09-02

Leonor Michaelis spent the years of 1922-1926 as Professor of Biochemistry of the Aichi Medical College (now Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University) in Nagoya, Japan. Michaelis succeeded in gathering many bright young biochemists from all over Japan into his laboratory, and made tremendous contributions to the promotion of biochemistry in Japan. Michaelis was invited to many places in Japan to present lectures over those years. Kunio Yagi, who was Professor of Biochemistry at Nagoya University in the second half of the 20th century, succeeded in crystallizing the "Michaelis" enzyme-substrate complex. Historically, Michelis has had an enormous impact on biochemistry in Japan. Copyright © 2013 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Prof. Michiharu Matsuoka, founder of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Kyoto University and his achievements in orthopaedic surgery in the Meiji era of Japan (Part 5, Faculty members and training of doctors from Nagoya)].

PubMed

Hirotani, Hayato

2010-09-01

During the years when Dr. M. Matsuoka was professor of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kyoto Medical School, Kyoto Imperial University (June, 1907-January, 1914), seven doctors worked as his faculty members and founded the base of the current development and reputation of the Department. After resignation from their academic positions, they served in orthopaedic practice in several areas in Japan where orthopaedic surgery was not well recognized. In addition, Prof. Matsuoka trained three doctors from the Aichi Prefectural Medical College (School of Medicine, Nagoya University) in the orthopaedic practice, including x-ray technique and they contributed to the development of orthopaedic surgery in the areas of Nagoya city and Tokai. Backgrounds and achievements of these ten doctors are described.

COP-eration for global food security

PubMed Central

de la Barrera, Erick

2016-01-01

Mexico is hosting the 13th Conference of the Parts (COP-13) on the Convention on Biological Diversity. Participants will have another opportunity to "integrate biodiversity for wellbeing." Considering that food production is a major driver for the loss of biological diversity, despite the fact that ample genetic reservoirs are crucial for the persistence of agriculture in a changing world, food can be a conduit for bringing biodiversity into people's minds and government agendas. If this generation is going to "live in harmony with nature," as the Aichi Biodiversity Targets indicate, such an integration needs to be developed between the agricultural and environmental sectors throughout the world, especially as an increasingly urban civilization severs its cultural connections to food origin. PMID:28105317

COP-eration for global food security.

PubMed

de la Barrera, Erick

2016-01-01

Mexico is hosting the 13th Conference of the Parts (COP-13) on the Convention on Biological Diversity. Participants will have another opportunity to "integrate biodiversity for wellbeing." Considering that food production is a major driver for the loss of biological diversity, despite the fact that ample genetic reservoirs are crucial for the persistence of agriculture in a changing world, food can be a conduit for bringing biodiversity into people's minds and government agendas. If this generation is going to "live in harmony with nature," as the Aichi Biodiversity Targets indicate, such an integration needs to be developed between the agricultural and environmental sectors throughout the world, especially as an increasingly urban civilization severs its cultural connections to food origin.

Ficus septica plant extracts for treating Dengue virus in vitro.

PubMed

Huang, Nan-Chieh; Hung, Wan-Ting; Tsai, Wei-Lun; Lai, Feng-Yi; Lin, You-Sheng; Huang, Mei-Shu; Chen, Jih-Jung; Lin, Wei-Yu; Weng, Jing-Ru; Chang, Tsung-Hsien

2017-01-01

Dengue virus types 1-4 (DENV-1-4) are positive-strand RNA viruses with an envelope that belongs to the Flaviviridae . DENV infection threatens human health worldwide. However, other than supportive treatments, no specific therapy is available for the infection. In order to discover novel medicine against DENV, we tested 59 crude extracts, without cytotoxicity, from 23 plants in vitro ; immunofluorescence assay revealed that the methanol extracts of fruit, heartwood, leaves and stem from Ficus septica Burm. f. had a promising anti-DENV-1 and DENV-2 effect. However, infection with the non-envelope picornavirus , Aichi virus, was not inhibited by treatment with F. septica extracts. F. septica may be a candidate antiviral drug against an enveloped virus such as DENV.

Mannerisms of the Elderly and Approaches to Rapport.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

French, Warren A.; Thorson, James A.

This study presents a set of opinions on how to obtain rapport with and give preliminary counseling to individuals who have adopted distinct and different aging mannerisms. The nine mannerisms treated were abstracted from the studies of Neugarten and Reichard. The research sample was selected from the members of the Gerontological Society. Six…

Engaging the University in Building Communities of Practice for Aging in Place

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDonald, Jessyna M.

2011-01-01

Based upon the principles of the Engaged University (Kellogg Commission 2001), The Institute of Gerontology (IOG) at the University of the District of Columbia developed a model for the scholarship of engagement by building communities of practice within the aging network which may support and enhance student learning outcomes and experiences. The…

An Exploratory Study Investigating the Impact of a University Module That Aims to Challenge Students' Perspectives on Ageing and Older Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Alison

2016-01-01

This study aimed to assess if a module on an undergraduate degree programme had challenged students' perspectives on ageing and older adults. Courses on gerontology are on the increase within the UK to support increasingly ageing populations, with agendas to promote ethical care and to challenge the incidence of elderly abuse. Research…

Preference for Instructional Methods and MBTI Personality Types in Nurses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Durham, Carol Fowler

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between personality type and preference for instructional methodologies (lecture, online and simulation). The sample consisted of 94 practicing gerontology nurses (RNs and LPNs) who attended a continuing education workshop on the care of the acutely ill elder at a public university in the…

Correlational Analysis of Leadership Styles and Curriculum Change for Geriatric Innovation in Social Work Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edge-Boyd, Sandra K.

2013-01-01

Social work education and social work practitioners are being impacted by the significant increase in the older adult population. Most social work faculty members have not been teaching their students how to work effectively with older adults (Hooyman, 2006). Social work educators need to provide more effective gerontology instruction in order to…

Cognition and Learning in Young Adults.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-02-01

Horn, J. L., and Donaldson, G. "On the Myth of Intellectual Decline in Adulthood." American Psychologist, 1976, 31, 701-719. Hultsch , D. F. "Learning...to Learn in Adulthood." Journal of Gerontology, 1974, 29, 302-308. Hultsch , D. F., Nesselroade, J. R., and Plemons, J. K. "Learning- Ability Relations

Caregiving: Predicting At-Risk Status

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chappell, Neena L.; Dujela, Carren

2008-01-01

Despite the focus on burden of caregiving in gerontological research, studies have shown that few caregivers are overly burdened. This article compares predictors of role-specific burden and two quality-of-life measures among caregivers experiencing heavy care demands to assess role-impact on each. The study included 92 community-based caregivers…

Definition of Successful Aging by Elderly Canadian Males: The Manitoba Follow-Up Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tate, Robert B.; Lah, Leedine; Cuddy, T. Edward

2003-01-01

Purpose: Although the concept of successful aging is used widely in the field of gerontology, there is no agreed-on standard or common underlying definition for measuring success in aging. Our recent survey of an elderly male population asked respondents to define "successful aging." This paper describes the themes that evolved from…

Sport for Older Persons.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Council of Europe, Strasbourg (France).

The following papers were prepared for a seminar on sport for older people: (1) "Gerontological Aspects of Physical Exercise" (Eino Heikkinen); (2) "Sporting Activities in the Individual Life from the View of Older Persons" (Henning Allmer); (3) "Reasons Why Decision-Makers Should Urge Old People to Practise Physical and Sporting Activities"…

Development of Life Satisfaction in Old Age: Another View on the "Paradox"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schilling, Oliver

2006-01-01

Empirical evidence of no age-related decline in life satisfaction (LS) in old age contrasts with frequently observed declines in the objective quality of elder people's lives and has therefore been labelled a "paradox" and interpreted in terms of stability of LS in the respective gerontological discussion. However, as this evidence was…

Maintaining Intergenerational Relations: Kinkeeping.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosenthal, Carolyn J.; And Others

In the gerontological literature, the term kinkeeping appears frequently in reference to activities such as visiting, telephoning, letter writing and mutual aid. A survey of 464 adults in Ontario found that over half could name someone in their extended family, usually female, who worked at keeping family members in touch. Siblings were often…

Dementia and Assisted Living

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hyde, Joan; Perez, Rosa; Forester, Brent

2007-01-01

Purpose: This article presents an overview of what is known about dementia services in assisted living settings and suggests areas for future research. Design and Methods: We undertook a search of Medline, the "Journals of Gerontology," and "The Gerontologist." We then organized publications dealing with the target subject into 10 topic areas and…

Another Wrinkle in the Debate about Successful Aging: The Undervalued Concept of Resilience and the Lived Experience of Dementia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Phyllis Braudy

2008-01-01

The concept of "successful aging" is a contested discourse in gerontology. Two conflicting paradigms dominate the discussion: a health promotion activity model, and a model critical of the concept of successful aging. However, this study takes a different perspective and proposes that perhaps we have been striving for the wrong goal. The true…

Computer Competence for the Applied Gerontologist.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dickel, C. Timothy; Young, W. Wayne

This paper shares some ideas regarding the use of computers by persons who use their gerontology training in direct service to older persons and their families. It proposes that, as professionals serving older persons and their families look toward the future, they need to conscientiously incorporate computer competence into their practice. The…

Age-Adjustment and Related Epidemiology Rates in Education and Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baker, John D.; Kruckman, Laurence; George, Joyce

2006-01-01

A quick review of introductory textbooks reveals that while gerontology authors and instructors introduce some aspect of demography and epidemiology data, there is limited focus on age adjustment or other important epidemiology rates. The goal of this paper is to reintroduce a variety of basic epidemiology strategies such as incidence, prevalence,…

Preparing the Workforce for Healthy Aging Programs: The Skills for Healthy Aging Resources and Programs (SHARP) Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frank, Janet C.; Altpeter, Mary; Damron-Rodriguez, JoAnn; Driggers, Joann; Lachenmayr, Susan; Manning, Colleen; Martinez, Dana M.; Price, Rachel M.; Robinson, Patricia

2014-01-01

Current public health and aging service agency personnel have little training in gerontology, and virtually no training in evidence-based health promotion and disease management programs for older adults. These programs are rapidly becoming the future of our community-based long-term care support system. The purpose of this project was to develop…

Engagement of Older Adults in Higher Education: International Perspectives from New Zealand and Scotland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Findsen, Brian

2012-01-01

This article explores the issue of older adults' access to and participation in higher education in two countries, Aotearoa New Zealand and Scotland. It discusses older adults' engagement with regard to patterns of participation and provision, using a critical educational gerontology approach. The two case studies, one in more theoretical terms,…

[White House Conference on Aging, 1981: Health-Related and Medical Care Issues of the Elderly. Eighteen Reports.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White House Conference on Aging, Washington, DC.

This document contains the 18 papers on health-related and medical care issues of the elderly that were presented at the 1981 White House Conference on Aging. The materials focus on the following topics: physical mobility, death, heart disease, nutrition, injury, senile dementia, post-menopausaul women, gerontological nursing, learning and memory,…

Making Asynchronous Online Learning More Learner-Oriented: An Integrated Conceptual Model with Applications for Course Design and Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Majeski, Robin A.; Stover, Merrily; Ronch, Judah

2016-01-01

Aging professionals have not always effectively communicated about aging to the general public (Feather, 2015). Due at least in part to this, the public often holds inaccurate, ageist beliefs about older adults and aging services/gerontology has been difficult to promote as a desirable career option (Feather, 2015). The authors address this…

Aging among Jewish Americans: Implications for Understanding Religion, Ethnicity, and Service Needs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glicksman, Allen; Koropeckyj-Cox, Tanya

2009-01-01

Purpose: This article challenges popular conceptions of the nature of ethnicity and religiousness in the gerontological literature. Using the example of older Jewish Americans, the authors argue for more nuanced definitions and usage of terms such as "religion" and "ethnicity" in order to begin to understand the complex interweaving of these two…

Gerontology Nurses: Are They Needed in the Air Force?

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-04-01

post-World War II "baby boom" and advances in technology. The death rates from heart disease and cerebrovascular accidents have steeply declined in the...people, the elderly also react differently to illnesses.j Some symptoms may be masked or absent causing a delay in seeking medical attention. This delay...biological factors. 4. The unusual or atypical response of the elderly to illness 5. The different forms of disease that appear in the elderly 6

Engaged Scholarship and Gerontological Program Relevance: Opportunities and Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Jim; McDonald, Maria

2012-01-01

Engaged scholarship promotes contribution to the academic body of knowledge through equal partnership between academic scholars and community representatives in education, research, and public service or intervention. Such partnerships can expand our notions of service learning and applied research. In this article, the authors discuss the…

In Their Own Words: Using Narratives to Teach Gerontology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shenk, Dena; Davis, Boyd; Murray, Louise

2008-01-01

In narrative constructed in conversations, older adults often present "small stories." These narrative fragments provide extensive information about their experiences, values, and aspects of their lives that can be used to help learners understand key concepts about aging and the life course. The authors provide an overview of approaches…

Learning from Older Citizens' Research Groups

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Munn-Giddings, Carol; McVicar, Andy; Boyce, Melanie; O'Brien, Niamh

2016-01-01

This article adds to an ongoing conversation in gerontology about the importance of training and involving older people in research. Currently, the literature rarely distinguishes between the one-off involvement of older citizens in research projects and the development of research groups led by older people that sustain over time as well as the…

Behavioral and Psychosocial Interventions for Family Caregivers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zarit, Steven; Femia, Elia

2008-01-01

Gerontologic research in the past 40 years has shown that caring for an older, disabled person affects the health and well-being of the caregiver. This important contribution led to a wide range of programs and services designed to buffer caregivers from the effects of stressors. Many of these programs have been quite innovative. Although…

Mentally or Physically Impaired Elders; Family Consequences.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gatz, Margaret; And Others

Although caregiving has become a major gerontological focus, less attention has been paid to differences in family responses to the elder's impairment depending on whether the disability is physical or mental and to the effects on family members beyond the primary caregiver. Data for this study were taken from in-person interviews with a subsample…

Bringing Older Adults into the Classroom: The Sharing Community Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hantman, Shira; Oz, Miriam Ben; Gutman, Caroline; Criden, Wendy

2013-01-01

This article describes an innovative model for teaching gerontological social work that has been introduced into the social work methods curriculum in the Department of Social Work at a college in northern Israel. The basic concept of the model is to create an alternative learning environment by including older persons as full participants in the…

Understanding Context in a Diabetes-Related Healthy Eating Initiative in Rural America

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Faul, Anna C.

2014-01-01

The Institute on Aging and Social Work (the institute) supported directed efforts to enhance the research capacity of academics in gerontology across the nation. Due to my participation in the institute, I received intensive training in aging research from distinguished professors as well as staff from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). As a…

Behavior-Analytic Research on Dementia in Older Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trahan, Maranda A.; Kahng, SungWoo; Fisher, Alyssa B.; Hausman, Nicole L.

2011-01-01

It is estimated that 1 in 10 adults aged 65 years and older have been diagnosed with dementia, which is associated with numerous behavioral excesses and deficits. Despite the publication of a special section of the "Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis" ("JABA") on behavioral gerontology (Iwata, 1986), there continues to be a paucity of…

Nurse Delegation in Home Care: Research Guiding Policy Change.

PubMed

Young, Heather M; Farnham, Jennifer; Reinhard, Susan C

2016-09-01

The current study evaluated nurse delegation in home care, a pilot program introduced in 2007 in New Jersey to promote home care options for consumers needing assistance with medical/nursing tasks. Findings on readiness for the program, barriers and facilitating factors, experience with the program, and recommendations are summarized and presented. Methods included surveys and interviews with participants in nurse delegation, observations of planning and implementation meetings, and review meeting minutes. Major findings were no negative outcomes for consumers, improvements in quality of life and quality of care for consumers, high readiness and increasing satisfaction with experience in delegation, perception of nurse delegation in home care as a valued option, and the challenges of ensuring adequate staffing. Subsequent changes in regulation in New Jersey are underway, translating this research into policy. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 42(9), 7-15.]. Copyright 2016, SLACK Incorporated.

Aging in Poland.

PubMed

Leszko, Magdalena; Zając-Lamparska, Ludmila; Trempala, Janusz

2015-10-01

With 38 million residents, Poland has the eighth-largest population in Europe. A successful transition from communism to democracy, which began in 1989, has brought several significant changes to the country's economic development, demographic structure, quality of life, and public policies. As in the other European countries, Poland has been facing a rapid increase in the number of older adults. Currently, the population 65 and above is growing more rapidly than the total population and this discrepancy will have important consequences for the country's economy. As the population ages, there will be increased demands to improve Poland's health care and retirement systems. This article aims to provide a brief overview of the demographic trends in Poland as well a look at the country's major institutions of gerontology research. The article also describes key public policies concerning aging and how these may affect the well-being of Poland's older adults. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Grief and Healing in Young and Middle Age: A Widower's Journey.

PubMed

Lichtenberg, Peter A

2017-02-01

The experience of grief is both uniquely personal and universal. Our personality, our relationship with the deceased, the manner in which the deceased died, our life stage, and many other contextual factors matter and impact grief, and yet there are many experiences, phases, stages of grief that are universal. Those who are grieving deeply or who are farther along in their healing are often trying to understand grief and its realities. It has been said that people die but relationships do not. As a widower twice, once at age 25 and then again nearly 30 years later, I agree with that sentiment, and it is the profound relationships with my wives Becky and Susan that propelled me to share my experiences and reflections on grief and healing. As a clinical psychologist and gerontologist I examined the grief and gerontology literature, learning new things that were useful and not as useful. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Consensus paper on the "executive summary of the international conference on Mediterranean diet and health: a lifelong approach" an Italian initiative supported by the Mediterranean Diet Foundation and the Menarini Foundation.

PubMed

Boccardi, Virginia; Calvani, Riccardo; Limongi, Federica; Marseglia, Anna; Mason, Alexandra; Noale, Marianna; Rogoli, Domenico; Veronese, Nicola; Crepaldi, Gaetano; Maggi, Stefania

The Mediterranean Diet Foundation, in collaboration with the International Menarini Foundation, organized the "International Conference on Mediterranean Diet and Health: A Lifelong Approach." The Conference was held in Ostuni (Puglia, Italy) from March 30 to April 1, 2017. The event received the endorsement of the American Federation for Aging Research, the Research Consortium "Luigi Amaducci," the European Nutrition for Health Alliance, the European Union Geriatric Medicine Society, the Clinical Section of the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics-European Region, the National Research Council Research Project on Aging, the Italian Society of Gerontology and Geriatrics, and the Italian Society of Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. During the conference, results were presented from major studies on dietary interventions aiming to assess the efficacy of the Mediterranean diet in the prevention of chronic diseases and the potential underlying mechanisms. Twenty-six international speakers, in seven different sessions, discussed the biological basis, clinical impact, health policy, and behavioral implications of the Mediterranean diet, and its use in potential interventions for health promotion. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Are Older Adults Less Embodied? A Review of Age Effects through the Lens of Embodied Cognition

PubMed Central

Costello, Matthew C.; Bloesch, Emily K.

2017-01-01

Embodied cognition is a theoretical framework which posits that cognitive function is intimately intertwined with the body and physical actions. Although the field of psychology is increasingly accepting embodied cognition as a viable theory, it has rarely been employed in the gerontological literature. However, embodied cognition would appear to have explanatory power for aging research given that older adults typically manifest concurrent physical and mental changes, and that research has indicated a correlative relationship between such changes. The current paper reviews age-related changes in sensory processing, mental representation, and the action-perception relationship, exploring how each can be understood through the lens of embodied cognition. Compared to younger adults, older adults exhibit across all three domains an increased tendency to favor visual processing over bodily factors, leading to the conclusion that older adults are less embodied than young adults. We explore the significance of this finding in light of existing theoretical models of aging and argue that embodied cognition can benefit gerontological research by identifying further factors that can explain the cause of age-related declines. PMID:28289397

Long-term impact of childhood disadvantage on late-life functional decline among older Japanese: Results from the JAGES prospective cohort study.

PubMed

Murayama, Hiroshi; Fujiwara, Takeo; Tani, Yukako; Amemiya, Airi; Matsuyama, Yusuke; Nagamine, Yuiko; Kondo, Katsunori

2017-09-11

Increasing evidence suggests an impact of childhood disadvantage on late-life functional impairment in Western countries. However, the processes by which childhood disadvantage affects functional capacity are influenced by several factors unique to particular societies. We examined the impact of childhood disadvantage on functional decline among older Japanese, using a large-scale prospective cohort study. Data came from surveys conducted in 2010 and 2013 as part of the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES), a nationwide cohort study targeting community-dwelling people aged 65 years and over. Childhood disadvantage included subjective childhood socioeconomic status (SES), body height and educational level. The sample was stratified by age at baseline (65-69 y, 70-74 y, 75-79 y, and ≥ 80 y). A total of 11,601 respondents were analyzed. In the 65-69 y group, lower childhood SES was associated with functional decline, but this association was mediated by adult SES. In contrast, childhood SES was independently associated with functional decline in the older cohort. In the 75-79 y group, lower childhood SES was associated with functional decline. However, in the ≥ 80 y group, people with higher childhood SES were more likely to experience functional decline. Shorter height was associated with functional decline in the 70-74 y group. Higher education was related to functional decline in all age groups except the ≥ 80 y group. These findings suggest that childhood disadvantage affects functional decline, but its effect varies by age cohort. The mechanisms underlying the association between childhood disadvantage and functional decline may be influenced by social and historical context. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Associations of childhood socioeconomic status and adulthood height with functional limitations among Japanese older people: results from the JAGES 2010 Project.

PubMed

Fujiwara, Takeo; Kondo, Katsunori; Shirai, Kokoro; Suzuki, Kayo; Kawachi, Ichiro

2014-07-01

We examined the associations between childhood socioeconomic status and adulthood height with functional limitations in old age. Data were obtained from the baseline survey of the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study 2010, a population-based cohort of people aged ≥65 years enrolled from 27 municipalities across Japan (N = 15,499). People aged 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, and ≥80 years experienced the end of World War II when they were aged 0-4, 5-9, 10-14, and ≥15 years, respectively. Subjective socioeconomic status during childhood and current height were obtained by self-report through questionnaire in 2010. Higher-level functional capacity was assessed using a validated questionnaire scale. Poisson regression with robust variance estimator was employed to determine the association between childhood subjective socioeconomic status, height, and functional limitations. Lower childhood subjective socioeconomic status was consistently associated with higher prevalence rate ratio of limitations in higher-level functional capacity, regardless of age cohort. Height was associated with functional limitation only among the group aged 70-74 years: taller (≥170cm for men and ≥160cm for women) people were 16% less likely to report functional limitation in comparison with shorter (<155 cm for men and <145 cm for women) individuals in the fully adjusted model (prevalence rate ratio: 0.84, 95% confidence interval: 0.74-0.96). Low childhood subjective socioeconomic status had a robust association with functional limitation regardless of age cohort. In addition, those who lived through World War II before they reached puberty and attained shorter height were more likely to report functional limitations in old age. © The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Defining successful aging: a tangible or elusive concept?

PubMed

Martin, Peter; Kelly, Norene; Kahana, Boaz; Kahana, Eva; Willcox, Bradley J; Willcox, D Craig; Poon, Leonard W

2015-02-01

Everyone wants to age successfully; however, the definition and criteria of successful aging remain vague for laypersons, researchers, and policymakers in spite of decades of research on the topic. This paper highlights work of scholars who made significant theoretical contributions to the topic. A thorough review and evaluation of the literature on successful aging was undertaken. Our review includes early gerontological definitions of successful aging and related concepts. Historical perspectives reach back to philosophical and religious texts, and more recent approaches have focused on both process- and outcome-oriented models of successful aging. We elaborate on Baltes and Baltes' theory of selective optimization with compensation [Baltes, P. B., & Baltes, M. M. (1990a). Psychological perspectives on successful aging: The model of selective optimization with compensation. In P. B. Baltes & M. M. Baltes (Eds.), Successful aging: Perspectives from the behavioral sciences (pp. 1-34). United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press], Kahana and Kahana's preventive and corrective proactivity model [Kahana, E., & Kahana, B. (1996). Conceptual and empirical advances in understanding aging well through proactive adaptation. In V. Bengtson (Ed.), Adulthood and aging: Research on continuities and discontinuities (pp. 18-40). New York: Springer], and Rowe and Kahn's model of successful aging [Rowe, J. W., & Kahn, R. L. (1998). Successful aging. New York: Pantheon Books], outlining their commonalities and differences. Additional views on successful aging emphasize subjective versus objective perceptions of successful aging and relate successful aging to studies on healthy and exceptional longevity. Additional theoretical work is needed to better understand successful aging, including the way it can encompass disability and death and dying. The extent of rapid social and technological change influencing views on successful aging also deserves more consideration. © The Author

Comparison of Ehrlichia muris strains isolated from wild mice and ticks and serologic survey of humans and animals with E. muris as antigen.

PubMed

Kawahara, M; Ito, T; Suto, C; Shibata, S; Rikihisa, Y; Hata, K; Hirai, K

1999-04-01

In metropolitan Tokyo, the Ehrlichia muris seropositivity rate of 24 wild mice was 63% in Hinohara Village, but in the surrounding areas, it was 0 to 5%. This finding suggests that the reservoir of E. muris is focal. Among the 15 seropositive mice, ehrlichiae were isolated from 9 Apodemus speciosus mice and 1 A. argenteus mouse, respectively. Five ehrlichial isolates were obtained from 10 ticks (Haemaphysalis flava) collected in Asuke Town, Aichi Prefecture, where the E. muris type strain had been isolated. These new isolates were compared with the E. muris type strain. The mouse virulence and ultrastructure of the new isolates were similar to those of the type strain, and all of them were cross-reactive with each other, as well as with the type strain, by indirect immunofluorescent-antibody test. The levels of similarity of the base sequences of the 16S rRNA gene of one of the A. speciosus isolates and one of the tick isolates to that of the E. muris type strain were 99.79 and 99.93%, respectively. We suggest that all of these isolates are E. muris; that E. muris is not limited to Eothenomys kageus but infects other species of mice; and that E. muris is present at locations other than Aichi Prefecture. It appears that H. flava is a potential vector of E. muris. Twenty (1%) of 1803 humans from metropolitan Tokyo were found to be seropositive for E. muris antibodies. A serological survey revealed that exposure to E. muris or organisms antigenically cross-reactive to E. muris occurred among dogs, wild mice, monkeys, bears, deer, and wild boars in Gifu Prefecture, nearby prefectures, and Nagoya City, central Japan. However, human beings and Rattus norvegicus rats in this area were seronegative. These results indicate broader geographic distribution of and human and animal species exposure to E. muris or related Ehrlichia spp. in Japan.

Distribution of gene segments of the pandemic A(H1N1) 2009 virus lineage in pig populations.

PubMed

Okuya, K; Matsuu, A; Kawabata, T; Koike, F; Ito, M; Furuya, T; Taneno, A; Akimoto, S; Deguchi, E; Ozawa, M

2018-05-06

Swine influenza viruses (SIVs) are important not only for pig farming, but also for public health. In fact, pandemic A(H1N1) 2009 viruses [A(H1N1)pdm09] were derived from SIVs. Therefore, timely characterization of locally circulating SIVs is necessary for understanding the global status of SIVs. To genetically characterize SIVs circulating in Japanese pig populations, we isolated 24 SIVs of three subtypes (17 H1N1, four H1N2 and three H3N2 strains) from 14 pig farms in Japan from 2013 to 2016. Genetic analyses revealed that the haemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) genes of the 17 H1N1 and the HA gene of one H1N2, A/swine/Aichi/02/2016 (H1N2), SIVs belonged to the A(H1N1)pdm09 lineage. More importantly, all of the remaining six gene segments (i.e., PB1, PB1, PA, NP, M and NS) of the 24 SIVs, regardless of the HA and NA subtype, were also classified as belonging to the A(H1N1)pdm09 lineage. These results indicate that gene segments of A(H1N1)pdm09 lineage are widely distributed in SIVs circulating in Japanese pig populations In addition, the NA gene of A/swine/Aichi/02/2016 (H1N2) shared less than 88.5% nucleotide identity with that of the closest relative A/swine/Miyagi/5/2003 (H1N2), which was isolated in Japan in 2003. These results indicate the sustained circulation of classical H1N2-derived SIVs with remarkable diversity in the NA genes in Japanese pig populations. These findings highlight the necessity of both intensive biosecurity systems and active SIV surveillance in pig populations worldwide for both animal and public health. © 2018 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Synergies and trade-offs in achieving global biodiversity targets.

PubMed

Di Marco, Moreno; Butchart, Stuart H M; Visconti, Piero; Buchanan, Graeme M; Ficetola, Gentile F; Rondinini, Carlo

2016-02-01

After their failure to achieve a significant reduction in the global rate of biodiversity loss by 2010, world governments adopted 20 new ambitious Aichi biodiversity targets to be met by 2020. Efforts to achieve one particular target can contribute to achieving others, but different targets may sometimes require conflicting solutions. Consequently, lack of strategic thinking might result, once again, in a failure to achieve global commitments to biodiversity conservation. We illustrate this dilemma by focusing on Aichi Target 11. This target requires an expansion of terrestrial protected area coverage, which could also contribute to reducing the loss of natural habitats (Target 5), reducing human-induced species decline and extinction (Target 12), and maintaining global carbon stocks (Target 15). We considered the potential impact of expanding protected areas to mitigate global deforestation and the consequences for the distribution of suitable habitat for >10,000 species of forest vertebrates (amphibians, birds, and mammals). We first identified places where deforestation might have the highest impact on remaining forests and then identified places where deforestation might have the highest impact on forest vertebrates (considering aggregate suitable habitat for species). Expanding protected areas toward locations with the highest deforestation rates (Target 5) or the highest potential loss of aggregate species' suitable habitat (Target 12) resulted in partially different protected area network configurations (overlapping with each other by about 73%). Moreover, the latter approach contributed to safeguarding about 30% more global carbon stocks than the former. Further investigation of synergies and trade-offs between targets would shed light on these and other complex interactions, such as the interaction between reducing overexploitation of natural resources (Targets 6, 7), controlling invasive alien species (Target 9), and preventing extinctions of native

Gender Relations and Applied Research on Aging

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Calasanti, Toni

2010-01-01

As a concept in gerontology, gender appears as lists of traits learned through socialization when theorized at all. I argue for a framework that theorizes the intersections of relations of gender inequality with those of age. This framework holds that men and women gain resources and bear responsibilities, in relation to one another, by virtue of…

Coping with Social Change: Programs That Work. Proceedings of a Conference (Acapulco, Mexico, June 1989) = Como enfrentarse al cambio social: programas eficaces. Actas de uno Conferencia (Acapulco, Mexico, Junio de 1989).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoskins, Irene, Ed.

Written in English and Spanish, this document contains the proceedings of the 14th International Congress of Gerontology on concerns about the impact of rapid social change on the well-being of older women and families in Latin American and the Caribbean and about effective programs that address the needs of the older populations. The first…

Attitudes of Children towards Aging, the Elderly, and Death & Dying as Expressed through the Arts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zaki, Gamal; Zaki, Sylvia

The purpose of this study was to explore the conceptions, feelings and attitudes of elementary and junior high school students toward the topics of aging, the elderly, death, and dying. To gather data, an announcement was made to all schools within the state that the Rhode Island Gerontology Center would sponsor a contest for all school children…

Old People in the Industrial Society: Social Net and Self-Aid. Special Report. Sozial-Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schroeder, Karsten

In the last two decades, problems associated with aging have caused increased public concern. As a result of recent research in the Federal Republic of Germany, the science of gerontology has revealed new information about the living conditions and living standards of the elderly. The image of older people is still a negative one and passing…