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PurposeThe purpose of this study is to assess the volunteer component of the Neighbors Helping Neighbors (NHN) program, a service program designed to assist community‐residing older adults to remain in their homes and avoid premature institutionalization. The study seeks to examine how meaningful and satisfying the volunteer experience has been for individuals involved with NHN.Design/methodology/approachThis study employed an exploratory cross‐sectional survey format developed specifically for NHN for descriptive purposes. A purposive sample of 26 NHN volunteers completed the survey examining their experiences with the NHN program.FindingsA total of 91 percent (21) volunteers reported being "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with their volunteer experience and 70 percent felt that they had made a difference in their community.Social implicationsPrograms such as NHN may be promising service models to meet the needs of older adults by building communities from the inside‐out.Originality/valueThis study provides new knowledge concerning the satisfaction of volunteers in a unique community‐based program serving older adults.

This book provides a comprehensive overview for those interested in research and promoting sexual health in older people, as well as a "go-to" guide on the topic of sexual behaviour in older adults. Sexual activity is an essential part of intimate relationships, though it tends to decline in frequency as people grow older. Nevertheless, for many older people, sex still remains an important part of their life. Theres a common misconception that as people age, they lose their interest in sex and capacity for sexual behaviour. This is not the case, as a number of national surveys show. The new research presented here indicates that the less sex older people have, the more likely they are to experience mental and physical health problems. Men and women who reported a decrease in the frequency of sexual activities were also more likely to report a deterioration in self-perceived health. Additionally, men with erectile dysfunction were also more likely to be diagnosed with cancer or coronary heart disease. This research has also determined that older adults who experience a decline in sexual activity report poorer well-being than those who maintain their levels of sexual desire, activity and function in later life, and that men who remain sexually active in later life continue to have better cognitive performance compared to those who dont. Despite these health benefits, medical professionals do little to promote sexual activity in older adults, and the literature suggests that there is a lack of knowledge on how to approach the subject and how to promote such activities. This is the first comprehensive book specifically exploring all areas of sexual behaviour and health in older adults, and drawing on the latest research in this area. It offers a valuable resource for researchers and clinicians in various health fields (medicine, nursing, occupational therapy, psychology, public health, etc.), as well as students in undergraduate and graduate programs.

IntroductionThe digital inequality is still present after decades of development and diffusion of digital media. Age is one of the most important factors predicting access, use, skills, and outcomes, which is somewhat paradoxical as information and communication technologies can create opportunities for older adults to sustain independent living. To increase understanding of older adults' online engagement, this study focuses on perceptions of the internet usage and how it can be a useful tool in everyday life.MethodA representative survey (n = 841).ResultsAnalyses point to decreasing support for the internet with increasing age - also within the group of 66 to 85 years old. There are significant correlations between perceptions and internet experience, whereas sociodemographic factors have weak explanatory power. Interestingly, large shares of older adults do not have any opinion of the internet, which could partly explain the persistence of the digital divide and difficulties to increase digital literacy.DiscussionOnline experience and level of anxiety overrule socio-demographics in explanatory power to perceptions. The internet is perceived useful, but also interferes with common habits, the view of digital technology in everyday life and computer anxiety. The findings could affect policy implementation, where it would be useful to implement the idea of the Internet and create an awareness that might precede an intention to advance one's use.

In the United States, there are 10,000 people turning 65 every day and we will soon have the largest percentage of our population over 65 that our country has ever known. This will provide many challenges for our medical community, caregiving networks and government programs. Keeping older adults healthy and able to function independently will reduce the strain on the community and allow us to target our resources where they can make the most impact. I propose an intervention that teaches digital photography, basic photo editing and computer skills to older adults to improve cognitive function, increase overall happiness and improve physical health. Research has shown that learning a new skill can improve brain function and cognitive reserve, enhancing social ties leads to increased levels of happiness, and physical activity improves both cognitive function and happiness levels. Photography incorporates all of these activities and can be modified to suit the interests and abilities of virtually anyone. I propose a test with a quota sample of 8–10 individuals including a balance of genders, races and ethnicities, sexual orientations, and income levels to understand the impact this project could have on people of different statuses. At the conclusion of this intervention, people should be able to send email, share photos on social media and search the web for information. Teaching these skills can help keep them connected with family and friends and give them access to information and social networks that otherwise may not be available.

Driving statistics comparing drivers aged at least 65 years with all drivers are examined for the years 1980 and 1989. In that time older driver fatalities had increased substantially despite a decrease in total driver fatalities. Analyses of size of population, numbers of licensed drivers, estimates of miles driven, and crash rates for these two years imply that the rise in total older driver deaths is related to increasing numbers of older adults who are licensed to drive and an increase in likelihood of fatality following a motor vehicle crash. This latter effect may be associated with a very substantial rise in the numbers of licensed drivers age 70 and older.

In an ageing society facing challenges for the sustainable well-being of older adults, there has been an increasing focus on the potential of soft power in recent years. Like economic and structural, social indicators can become integral indicators of older generations' well-being. This study aims to propose a construct of the social embeddedness of older adults and its measurement tool, based on a critical review of the literature and the results of an original empirical study, to fill the knowledge gap in current statistics in the field. A critical review of the literature has disclosed that, despite many studies done, we do not have a methodological tool suitable for revealing patterns of social ties specific to older adults. The results of an empirical study of the population aged 50 and over in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia (N = 2015) showed that the social embeddedness of older people in the Baltics is composed of these domains: socialisation with descendants, nonfamily and outside home – together named as social participation; civic participation and sense of belonging. Future research should look at ways to shorten this scale to adapt it to the needs of practical use.

Abstract: This qualitative study explores the international migration patterns and the family lives of older adults. Informants (N = 54) reported that they came to the United States to help out their grown children with housekeeping, child care, and domestic economizing. They described how they strategically navigated U.S. immigration laws choosing to visit, immigrate, or naturalize in order to balance their ties to the United States and their homeland. Their transnational loyalties sometimes led to lives that did not strictly match their visa categories. There were "permanent" temporary visitors, U.S. permanent residents who maintained a "permanent" home elsewhere, and U.S. citizens who had naturalized in order to spend more time abroad. Implications of the findings for immigration policy and family practice are discussed.

Older adults with low socioeconomic status who age in their communities can be invisible. These people have unique needs and while there are systems in place to provide services, there is always room for improvement. Programs are available to older Oregonians who are financially vulnerable to address their basic needs. This work investigates the current challenges to addressing these basic needs and areas where advocacy work could be applied for this population. Financially vulnerable older adults, especially those at or below the federal poverty line, face issues of food insecurity, problems finding adequate but affordable housing, the costs and accessibility of caregivers and medical care, and more. These realities have repercussions on health and quality of life for lower income older adults. These factors, additionally correlate in different ways with higher likelihood of negative health outcomes and greater likelihood of disability and death. Interviews with five professionals working to provide governmental assistance to this population reveal both what is being done and areas of improvement for these services.

<p>Objectives: To analyze sexual well-being (SWB) in older adults' perspective, to investigate the latent constructs that can work as major determinants in SWB and to examine the potential explanatory mechanisms of a SWB overall model, in an older cross-national sample. Method: Measures were completed, using a variety of appropriate methods, including demographics and interviews. Complete data were available for 163 older adults aged between 65-97 years (<em>M</em>=74.2; <em>SD</em> = 4.743). Data were subjected to content analysis. Representation of the associations and latent constructs were analyzed by a Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA). Results: The most prevalent response of the interviewed participants for SWB was "affection and care" (11.0%). A three-dimension model formed by "intimacy and well-being", "care, eroticism and desire", and "sexual activity and health" was presented as a best-fit solution for German older adults. SWB for Portuguese older adults were explained by a three-factor model: "intimacy, health and desire", "affection and well-being" and "sexual activity". Conclusions: The outcomes presented in this paper emphasized the need to explore the indicators of SWB among older adults and the under-developed potential of a SWB overall model for the older population.</p>

AbstractUsing administrative records from Missouri, we investigate the characteristics of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants aged 60 and older who experience administrative churn. Among these adults, one in four experienced administrative churn, and one in five experienced more than one spell of churn. Risk of churn, frequency, duration of churn spells, and the value of foregone SNAP benefits varied with individual, household, and geographic characteristics, and was more common among non‐Whites, members of larger households, and those living in urban areas. Our findings suggest that a significant portion of older adults experience gaps in SNAP benefit receipt.

OBJECTIVES: To assess clinical and coronary angiographic characteristics, previous medical history, and clinical course, by age group, in older adults after myocardial infarction who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI). METHODS: Single-center, cohort study that enrolled all patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction who underwent pPCI at a specialized cardiology reference center in the South of Brazil. Older adults were defined as age ≥60 years, as set out in Brazilian legislation. Patients in the following age groups were compared: 60 to 64 years, 65 to 69 years, 70 to 74 years, 75 to 79 years, and ≥80 years. Patients' clinical course was assessed at initial hospital admissions and after 2 years of clinical follow-up. Data were analyzed using SPSS 19, and significance was established at p <0.05. RESULTS: From December 2015 to December 2018, a total of 636 patients were enrolled consecutively. Angiographic success rates were around 90% in all age groups. There were no differences in medications used, except for glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors, which were more frequently used in patients of lower age groups. Older patients had more in-hospital acute renal failure and higher in-hospital mortality. Predictors of mortality were age over 75, chronic renal failure, need for ventilatory support, severe arrhythmia, and sepsis. CONCLUSIONS: pPCI in older adult patients is a safe procedure with a high success rate.