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The cafe plus concept: a different model for different times
- Authors:
- WINDHORST Carla, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Generations, 34(1), Spring 2010, pp.91-93. Published online.
- Publisher:
- American Society on Aging
Mather’s Cafe Plus was first developed in 2000 by Mather LifeWays (MLW), an Evanston, Illinois-based not-for-profit organization. Café Plus locations were selected in urban communities with significant older adult populations. The early model was designed to attract older adults who would benefit from centralized access to programs and services addressing social engagement and well-being, in addition to meeting basic needs. Development of the Cafe Plus model focused on a “participatory paradigm” establishing partnerships among community leaders, health providers, businesses, and (most importantly) community-residing older adults. An evaluation of the impact of the program is presented.
Transforming mental health care for older veterans in the Veterans Health Administration
- Authors:
- KARLIN Bradley E., ZEISS Antonette M.
- Journal article citation:
- Generations, 34(2), Summer 2010, pp.74-83. Published online.
- Publisher:
- American Society on Aging
Older adults often lack familiarity with mental health symptoms and services and may hold negative beliefs about mental health care that can prevent them from seeking treatment. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) operates the largest and one of the most elaborate mental health care systems in the nation and perhaps the world. The recent history of the system is described. One successful new model for providing mental health care to older veterans that has been nationally implemented in the VHA is the integration of a full-time mental health provider on each of the more than 130 VA home-based primary care (HBPC) teams. Another major psychogeriatrics initiative involves the integration of a full-time mental health provider in VA community living centers (CLC), formerly designated as nursing home care units. It is critical that increasing national attention be devoted to the mental health needs of older Americans and that policies and processes be developed to extend the reach and potential impact of mental health care for older adults.
What’s all this about evidence-based practice? The roots, the controversies, and why it matters
- Authors:
- RAHMAN Annie, APPLEBAUM Robert
- Journal article citation:
- Generations, 34(1), Spring 2010, pp.6-10. Published online.
- Publisher:
- American Society on Aging
The evolution of, advantages of and challenges to evidence-based practice are discussed. For the aging network, one of the biggest barriers to translating evidence-based research into practice stems from the important differences between the services the aging network provides and those delivered by the health sciences. In order for evidence-based practice to become a widely used approach, it must become a truly joint effort of both researchers and practitioners.
Optimising quality sleep among older people in the community and care homes: Some key findings from a four-year collaborative research project
- Authors:
- VENN Susan, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Generations Review, 20(4), October 2010, Online only
- Publisher:
- British Society of Gerontology
The SomnIA (Sleep in Ageing) project aimed to undertake a range of studies relating to understanding poor sleep in later life. SomnIA is a four year NDA Collaborative Research Project which comprises eight workpackages aimed at (a) understanding poor sleep in later life in the community and in care homes, (b) devising interventions to help with poor sleep in the community and in care homes, and (c) dissemination through academic and practitioner conferences and workshops, briefing papers and journal articles, and through the creation of a module on ‘Sleep problems in Later Life’ for the Healthtalkonline website. Key findings are presented.
Does age at onset have clinical significance in older adults with bipolar disorder?
- Authors:
- CHU David, et al
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 25(12), December 2010, pp.1266-1271.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Using data from the Bipolar Disorder Center for Pennsylvanians Study, a randomised controlled study of people with bipolar disorder, this analysis looked at factors including demographics, psychopathology and treatment response to examine the effects of age at onset in bipolar disorder in older adults. The analysis covered 61 subjects aged 60 years and older, grouped by early (less than 40 years) or late (more than 40 years) age at onset. The groups were compared on psychiatric comorbidity, medical burden, and percentage of days well during study participation. The results showed that patients with early and late onset experienced similar percentages of days well, while those with early onset had a slightly higher percentage of days depressed than those with late onset. The researchers concluded that distinguishing older adults with bipolar disorder by early or late age at onset has limited clinical usefulness.
Generational conflict, consumption and the ageing welfare state in the United Kingdom
- Authors:
- HIGGS Paul, GILLEARD Chris
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 30(8), November 2010, pp.1439-1451.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
In the UK, the welfare state is now over 60 years old. Those born into, grown up with, and now growing old within its influence are a unique group. These people benefit from healthier childhoods and better education than previous generations. Whilst it is accepted that they have done well under the welfare state, some critics have argued that these advantages are at the expense of younger cohorts. The very success of this welfare generation is perceived as undermining the future viability of the welfare state, and some argue that the current levels of income and wealth enjoyed by older cohorts can only be sustained by cutbacks in entitlements for younger cohorts. This will lead to a growing ‘generational fracture’ over welfare policy. This article challenges this position, and argues that both younger and older groups find themselves working out their circumstances in conditions determined more by the contingencies of the market than by social policy.
Forgiveness in late life
- Authors:
- HANTMAN Shira, COHEN Orna
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 53(7), October 2010, pp.613-630.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Using a sample of 225 older adults in Israel, this study examined the association between stressful life events and perceived meaning in life and forgiveness in late life. Participants aged 60 years or older were individually interviewed, and information was gathered using the Enright Forgiveness Inventory, the Reker Meaning in Life Scale, and a questionnaire on demographic and other background information including traumatic life events. The results supported the researchers' assumption that meaning in life correlates with forgiveness on all its dimensions. The results also indicated that the older the respondents and the longer the time elapsed from the event, the less likely they are to forgive, that women tend to forgive more than men, and that there is a tendency to forgive family members more readily than non-family members and people who are still alive more readily than those who have died.
Dementia care for veterans: enhancing comprehensive, coordinated services
- Authors:
- COOLEY Susan G., ASTHANA Sanjay
- Journal article citation:
- Generations, 34(2), Summer 2010, pp.57-63. Published online.
- Publisher:
- American Society on Aging
There are significant numbers of veterans with dementia and the numbers are growing along with the aging veteran population. Care for veterans with dementia is decentralized throughout the network of US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare facilities. There are no separate VA eligibility criteria for dementia care; the standard criteria on eligibility for VA healthcare services apply. Some VA facilities have developed specialized dementia care programs, such as an outpatient dementia clinic or an inpatient dementia unit. In all areas of healthcare, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) emphasizes the principles and processes of continuous quality improvement. VA medical facilities are encouraged to consider employing an assigned dementia care coordinator. Programmes around challenging behaviour, multiple staff education modalities and research are described. Dementia care planning will remain a priority within the VHA in the coming decades
Social work and aging: the challenges for evidence-based practice
- Authors:
- MCCALLION Philip, FERRETTI Lisa A.
- Journal article citation:
- Generations, 34(1), Spring 2010, pp.66-71. Published online.
- Publisher:
- American Society on Aging
There has been growing interest among social workers in evidence that would support practices that address the emotional, psychological, and social aspects of aging, illness, and care giving. To move an evidence-based intervention from research to day-to-day social work practice is difficult. There have been achievements in using evidence-based, aging-focused social work practice. Three areas are highlighted: psychosocial; case/care management; and multi-modal interventions. Social work services addressing aging and care giving needs would benefit from greater access to evidence-based practices. While some of those evidence-based practices are already available, there are efforts to build such evidence, and there is a readiness to consider how practices shown to be effective in some situations may be applied to other problems and other populations. However, evidence-based practice in social work has tended to be narrowly focused on psychosocial issues when its interests are much broader and the changes needed in the lives of clients often involve environmental, public policy, and health system concerns. Engagement in the 'sciences' of local implementation and translation is needed to supplement more traditional research efforts.
Enhancing quality of life in functionally vulnerable older adults: from randomized trial to standard care
- Authors:
- GITLIN Laura N., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Generations, 34(1), Spring 2010, pp.84-87. Published online.
- Publisher:
- American Society on Aging
Individuals at any age can learn new strategies to engage in valued activities. Advancing Better Living for Elders or ABLE is a home-based intervention for functionally vulnerable older adults based on the Lifespan Theory of Control. An active phase of the intervention involves five occupational therapy sessions and one physical therapy home session (90 minutes) over six months. Use and challenges around the ABLE program are discussed.