Groups of spouse (N = 285) and adult child (N = 244) caregivers of elderly parents suffering from Alzheimer's disease were interviewed regarding their caregiving behaviors, evaluations of caregiving, and general psychological well-being. A model of caregiving dynamics where the objective stressor, caregiver resources, and subjective appraisal of caregiving (operationalized as caregiving satisfaction and burden) were studied as they affected both positive affect and depression was tested. For spouses, caregiving satisfaction was not related to aspects of the stressor, but was a significant determinant of positive affect. Among adult children, high levels of caregiving behavior resulted in both greater caregiving satisfaction and burden. Burden, in turn, was related to depression in both groups but, among adult child caregivers, positive affect was not affected by caregiving satisfaction. Limited support was found for the hypothesis that the positive and negative aspects of caregiving contributed to analogous aspects of generalized psychological well-being but not to the opposite-valence outcomes.
Caregivers of disabled older people were studied in terms of their appraisal of the caregiving process. A conceptual approach based on stress theory suggested that such appraisal was broader than the traditional term, "caregiving burden." An item pool was constructed using traditional and new items to represent dimensions of subjective caregiving burden, caregiving satisfaction, caregiving impact, caregiving mastery, and traditional caregiving ideology. Component analysis of responses of 632 caregivers in a respite research project yielded factors that corresponded with those hypothesized; the content of similar factored responses from 239 caregivers in another study was quite similar. A series of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses resulted in acceptance of the subjective burden, caregiving satisfaction, and caregiving impact factors. Used as composite item scores, evidence of their psychometric quality is presented.
This study reports the findings of a qualitative evaluation of gardening programs for low-income minority older adults living in senior housing. A total of 20 individuals from three senior housing buildings participated in focus groups to discuss the benefits of and motivations for community gardening. The nine main themes of why seniors choose to participate in gardening were mental health benefits, the end product (fruits and vegetables), continuation of a past life, something to do/responsibility, beauty and connection to growth, connecting with others, physical health, learning something new, and helping each other out. These findings are placed in the context of theoretical perspectives and past studies. Implications for policy and relevance to senior housing are offered.
A random sample of 200 decreased older community residents was studied with a focus on the role of pain in the last year of life. Interviews with a surviving close person elicited retrospective reports. Pain increased over the final year; one month before death 66% felt pain frequently or all of the time, substantially higher than a matched comparison group of living persons (24%). For both groups across the year, pain was associated with most measures of behavioral competence, perceived quality of life, and psychological well-being. Hierarchical multiple regressions indicated that background and health variables explained 28% to 32% of the variance of pain over the year. Controlling for background variables and health, pain contributed significantly to lowered happiness and to depression, but had no independent impact on hope and interest in the world. After controlling for physical health, the older old were judged to have less pain than the younger old.
This article describes an innovative model for integrating research into a policy and planning agenda aimed to help neighborhoods become more supportive of older adults. Philadelphia Corporation for Aging (PCA) established Age-Friendly Philadelphia (AFP) to catalyze efforts to improve the physical and social environments for seniors. The Research Program at PCA became an important part of this effort by providing multiple types of supports to PCA staff and other stakeholders. Most notably, the research program worked with planners to adopt the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Aging Initiative model for Philadelphia. That model focuses on (1) staying active, connected, and engaged; (2) development and housing; (3) transportation and mobility; and (4) staying healthy. Examples of practice efforts actualized using this research are also presented. By developing a new approach to the way research can support practice initiatives, AFP has been able to increase its effectiveness, and researchers have found better ways to work collaboratively with professionals in policy, planning, and practice. The PCA model should be considered as a framework for similar efforts aimed at creating age-friendly communities.
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