Journal of applied gerontology : the official journal of the Southern Gerontological Society, Jan 13, 2015
Community wayfinding becomes more challenging with age and decrements in functioning. Given the g... more Community wayfinding becomes more challenging with age and decrements in functioning. Given the growth in numbers of older adults, we need to understand features that facilitate or inhibit wayfinding in outdoor settings to enhance mobility and community engagement. This exploratory study of 35 short- (n = 14) and long-term (n = 21) residents in an ethnically diverse neighborhood identified relevant wayfinding factors. Data collection included an interview, map-drawing task, and walk along a previously audited, prescribed route to identify key wayfinding strategies. Most participants sought information from other people as a primary method of route planning. Street signs and landmarks were overwhelming favorites as helpful wayfinding features. When asked to recall the route following the walk, only half of participants gave completely correct directions. Findings reinforce the importance of landmarks and legible, systematic, and consistently available signage, as well as trustworthy ...
Early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) or dementia is important so that patients can exp... more Early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) or dementia is important so that patients can express treatment preferences, subsequently allowing caregivers to make decisions consistent with their wishes. This study explored the relationship between people's concern about developing AD/dementia, likelihood to be screened/tested, if experiencing changes in cognitive status or functioning, and concerns about sharing the diagnostic information with others. A descriptive study was conducted using Porter Novelli's SummerStyles 2013 online survey data. Of the 6105 panelists aged 18+ who received the survey, 4033 adults responded (response rate: 66%). Chi squares were used with case-level weighting applied. Almost 13% of respondents reported being very worried or worried about getting AD/dementia, with women more worried than men (p<.001), and AD/dementia caregivers more worried than other types of caregivers (p=.04). Women were also more likely than men to agree to be screened...
Community-academic partnerships have a long history of support from public health researchers and... more Community-academic partnerships have a long history of support from public health researchers and practitioners as an effective way to advance research and solutions to issues that are of concern to communities and their citizens. Data on the development and evaluation of partnerships focused on healthy aging and cognitive health were limited. The purpose of this article is to examine how community partners view the benefits and barriers of a community-academic partner group established to support activities of the South Carolina Healthy Brain Research Network (SC-HBRN). The SC-HBRN is part of the national Healthy Brain Research Network, a thematic research network funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is focused on improving the scientific and research translation agenda on cognitive health and healthy aging. Semistructured interviews, conducted at end of Year 2 of the 5-year partnership, were used to collect data from partners of the SC-HBRN. Reported benefits of the partnership were information sharing and networking, reaching a broader audience, and humanizing research. When asked to describe what they perceived as barriers to the collaborative, partners described some lack of clarity regarding goals of the network and opportunities to contribute to the partnership. Study results can guide and strengthen other public health-focused partnerships.
Union, and nearly twice as many from former Warsaw Pact countries, living in North Carolina today... more Union, and nearly twice as many from former Warsaw Pact countries, living in North Carolina today.3 Many new immigrants are settling in urban areas, but rural and medically underserved parts of the state have experienced demographic changes as well.4 Demographic data ...
The new n4A report, The Maturing of America, indicates that "many U.S. communities have been... more The new n4A report, The Maturing of America, indicates that "many U.S. communities have been unable to make significant progress in preparing to meet the needs of the country's rapidly aging population... advancements are no where near the level of progress that has to be made to ensure that communities are livable for people of all ages". This session directly addresses this challenge, drawing upon lessons learned and recommendations from a CDC-Healthy Aging Research Network action-oriented environmental and policy change initiative, and outlining goals for public health leadership in this area. The session will include priorities for action and essential methods, such as the necessity for cross-sector learning and collaboration; coalition and capacity building; and engagement of older adults and people with disabilities in planning and evaluative processes. Participants will be provided with access to practical strategies, resources and tools to help ensure comprehen...
Significance: Physical and cognitive limitations often accompany aging, increasing the importance... more Significance: Physical and cognitive limitations often accompany aging, increasing the importance of a safe and supportive environment to help older adults maintain mobility. Neighborhood design and maintenance must be evaluated to promote physical activity, mobility, safety, and ultimately health. Audit tools, GIS data and resident interviews are used for this purpose, but often fail to provide information that can be translated to practice. Methods: This presentation focuses on Safe Routes to Age in Place, part of a larger Miami-Dade Age-Friendly Initiative to create a metropolitan area that fosters a healthy environment for diverse adults of all ages and abilities. Safe Routes employs a toolkit based on the 5-E (education, engineering, enforcement, encouragement, and evaluation) model providing practical resources to guide stakeholders in meeting the needs of the community. This presentation will describe preliminary findings using the Centers for Disease Control - Healthy Aging ...
Small towns and rural areas face significant challenges in building healthy communities for activ... more Small towns and rural areas face significant challenges in building healthy communities for active aging. As compared with metropolitan areas, these communities typically have fewer transportation resources, relatively greater distances to traverse, aging or minimal pedestrian infrastructure, and in some instances, environmental hazards from agricultural or industrial applications. For older adults with chronic disease or compromised functional status, such environmental challenges are especially problematic and can lead to restricted mobility, social isolation and loss of meaningful activities. To address the challenges successfully requires somewhat different approaches than those employed in urban settings. This presentation will include a conceptual approach to building healthy communities for active aging in non-metropolitan areas. It will draw upon lessons learned from the work of the Healthy Aging Research Network, the UNC Highway Safety Research Center, the UNC Center for Ag...
Objectives: To describe the significance of neighborhood safety for active aging. To identify ind... more Objectives: To describe the significance of neighborhood safety for active aging. To identify individual and environmental correlates of perceptions of neighborhood safety in a well-characterized older population. To consider the implications of this research for the design of healthy communities for active aging. Older people who perceive their neighborhoods as unsafe are less likely than others to walk regularly in their neighborhoods. Perceptions of neighborhood safety are important for the promotion of active aging, but there is relatively little information about why some older people perceive their neighborhoods as safe, while others do not. This is a report from a collaborative study of people ages 65 and over (n= 884) in four geographic locations in the United States: Alameda County, CA; Cook County, IL; Allegheny County, PA; and Wake and Durham counties, NC. First, we will determine to what extent older residents' perceptions of neighborhood safety are associated with t...
PURPOSE: Recent evidence suggests that engaging in healthy lifestyles, including physical activit... more PURPOSE: Recent evidence suggests that engaging in healthy lifestyles, including physical activity and a healthy diet, may help to maintain cognitive function and reduce the risk of developing brain disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. In this article we report the impact of media information on seniors' awareness of cognitive health, and older adults' ideas on how to maintain brain health and motivate others to engage in activities that may reduce the risk of cognitive decline. DESIGN AND METHODS: Results are from 19 focus groups in 3 States representing diverse older adults (45 to 75 years). Six groups were with African Americans (North Carolina, South Carolina); 7 with Asian Americans (4 Chinese and 3 Vietnamese in California); 4 with non-Hispanic Whites (SC); and 2 with American Indians (North Carolina). A qualitative thematic analysis using grounded theory was conducted with Atlas.ti software. RESULTS: Overall, seniors did not trust the quali...
Journal of applied gerontology : the official journal of the Southern Gerontological Society, Jan 13, 2015
Community wayfinding becomes more challenging with age and decrements in functioning. Given the g... more Community wayfinding becomes more challenging with age and decrements in functioning. Given the growth in numbers of older adults, we need to understand features that facilitate or inhibit wayfinding in outdoor settings to enhance mobility and community engagement. This exploratory study of 35 short- (n = 14) and long-term (n = 21) residents in an ethnically diverse neighborhood identified relevant wayfinding factors. Data collection included an interview, map-drawing task, and walk along a previously audited, prescribed route to identify key wayfinding strategies. Most participants sought information from other people as a primary method of route planning. Street signs and landmarks were overwhelming favorites as helpful wayfinding features. When asked to recall the route following the walk, only half of participants gave completely correct directions. Findings reinforce the importance of landmarks and legible, systematic, and consistently available signage, as well as trustworthy ...
Early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) or dementia is important so that patients can exp... more Early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) or dementia is important so that patients can express treatment preferences, subsequently allowing caregivers to make decisions consistent with their wishes. This study explored the relationship between people's concern about developing AD/dementia, likelihood to be screened/tested, if experiencing changes in cognitive status or functioning, and concerns about sharing the diagnostic information with others. A descriptive study was conducted using Porter Novelli's SummerStyles 2013 online survey data. Of the 6105 panelists aged 18+ who received the survey, 4033 adults responded (response rate: 66%). Chi squares were used with case-level weighting applied. Almost 13% of respondents reported being very worried or worried about getting AD/dementia, with women more worried than men (p<.001), and AD/dementia caregivers more worried than other types of caregivers (p=.04). Women were also more likely than men to agree to be screened...
Community-academic partnerships have a long history of support from public health researchers and... more Community-academic partnerships have a long history of support from public health researchers and practitioners as an effective way to advance research and solutions to issues that are of concern to communities and their citizens. Data on the development and evaluation of partnerships focused on healthy aging and cognitive health were limited. The purpose of this article is to examine how community partners view the benefits and barriers of a community-academic partner group established to support activities of the South Carolina Healthy Brain Research Network (SC-HBRN). The SC-HBRN is part of the national Healthy Brain Research Network, a thematic research network funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is focused on improving the scientific and research translation agenda on cognitive health and healthy aging. Semistructured interviews, conducted at end of Year 2 of the 5-year partnership, were used to collect data from partners of the SC-HBRN. Reported benefits of the partnership were information sharing and networking, reaching a broader audience, and humanizing research. When asked to describe what they perceived as barriers to the collaborative, partners described some lack of clarity regarding goals of the network and opportunities to contribute to the partnership. Study results can guide and strengthen other public health-focused partnerships.
Union, and nearly twice as many from former Warsaw Pact countries, living in North Carolina today... more Union, and nearly twice as many from former Warsaw Pact countries, living in North Carolina today.3 Many new immigrants are settling in urban areas, but rural and medically underserved parts of the state have experienced demographic changes as well.4 Demographic data ...
The new n4A report, The Maturing of America, indicates that "many U.S. communities have been... more The new n4A report, The Maturing of America, indicates that "many U.S. communities have been unable to make significant progress in preparing to meet the needs of the country's rapidly aging population... advancements are no where near the level of progress that has to be made to ensure that communities are livable for people of all ages". This session directly addresses this challenge, drawing upon lessons learned and recommendations from a CDC-Healthy Aging Research Network action-oriented environmental and policy change initiative, and outlining goals for public health leadership in this area. The session will include priorities for action and essential methods, such as the necessity for cross-sector learning and collaboration; coalition and capacity building; and engagement of older adults and people with disabilities in planning and evaluative processes. Participants will be provided with access to practical strategies, resources and tools to help ensure comprehen...
Significance: Physical and cognitive limitations often accompany aging, increasing the importance... more Significance: Physical and cognitive limitations often accompany aging, increasing the importance of a safe and supportive environment to help older adults maintain mobility. Neighborhood design and maintenance must be evaluated to promote physical activity, mobility, safety, and ultimately health. Audit tools, GIS data and resident interviews are used for this purpose, but often fail to provide information that can be translated to practice. Methods: This presentation focuses on Safe Routes to Age in Place, part of a larger Miami-Dade Age-Friendly Initiative to create a metropolitan area that fosters a healthy environment for diverse adults of all ages and abilities. Safe Routes employs a toolkit based on the 5-E (education, engineering, enforcement, encouragement, and evaluation) model providing practical resources to guide stakeholders in meeting the needs of the community. This presentation will describe preliminary findings using the Centers for Disease Control - Healthy Aging ...
Small towns and rural areas face significant challenges in building healthy communities for activ... more Small towns and rural areas face significant challenges in building healthy communities for active aging. As compared with metropolitan areas, these communities typically have fewer transportation resources, relatively greater distances to traverse, aging or minimal pedestrian infrastructure, and in some instances, environmental hazards from agricultural or industrial applications. For older adults with chronic disease or compromised functional status, such environmental challenges are especially problematic and can lead to restricted mobility, social isolation and loss of meaningful activities. To address the challenges successfully requires somewhat different approaches than those employed in urban settings. This presentation will include a conceptual approach to building healthy communities for active aging in non-metropolitan areas. It will draw upon lessons learned from the work of the Healthy Aging Research Network, the UNC Highway Safety Research Center, the UNC Center for Ag...
Objectives: To describe the significance of neighborhood safety for active aging. To identify ind... more Objectives: To describe the significance of neighborhood safety for active aging. To identify individual and environmental correlates of perceptions of neighborhood safety in a well-characterized older population. To consider the implications of this research for the design of healthy communities for active aging. Older people who perceive their neighborhoods as unsafe are less likely than others to walk regularly in their neighborhoods. Perceptions of neighborhood safety are important for the promotion of active aging, but there is relatively little information about why some older people perceive their neighborhoods as safe, while others do not. This is a report from a collaborative study of people ages 65 and over (n= 884) in four geographic locations in the United States: Alameda County, CA; Cook County, IL; Allegheny County, PA; and Wake and Durham counties, NC. First, we will determine to what extent older residents' perceptions of neighborhood safety are associated with t...
PURPOSE: Recent evidence suggests that engaging in healthy lifestyles, including physical activit... more PURPOSE: Recent evidence suggests that engaging in healthy lifestyles, including physical activity and a healthy diet, may help to maintain cognitive function and reduce the risk of developing brain disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. In this article we report the impact of media information on seniors' awareness of cognitive health, and older adults' ideas on how to maintain brain health and motivate others to engage in activities that may reduce the risk of cognitive decline. DESIGN AND METHODS: Results are from 19 focus groups in 3 States representing diverse older adults (45 to 75 years). Six groups were with African Americans (North Carolina, South Carolina); 7 with Asian Americans (4 Chinese and 3 Vietnamese in California); 4 with non-Hispanic Whites (SC); and 2 with American Indians (North Carolina). A qualitative thematic analysis using grounded theory was conducted with Atlas.ti software. RESULTS: Overall, seniors did not trust the quali...
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