A Tablet-Based Application to Enhance Social Connectedness for Individuals With a Cognitive Impairment: Results From the PRISM-CI Pilot Study.

Social engagement is fundamental to successful aging and linked to better emotional, physical, and cognitive health. Maintaining social engagement is challenging for many older adults but especially for those with a cognitive impairment (CI). Information and communication technologies (ICT) can provide enhanced opportunities for social and cognitive engagement for older adults with a CI via increased information, education, and social connectivity access.

COVID-19 Pandemic-Related Stress and Subjective Well-Being Across Age: The Mediating Role of Social Resources.

Stress associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and the measures implemented to prevent its spread dramatically shifted our social networks, interactions, and contexts, all of which influence the assessment of one's subjective well-being (SWB). Drawing on data collected from 1,318 adults between April and May 2020, we used structural equation modeling to analyze the relationship between pandemic-related stress and SWB (life satisfaction, positive affect, negative affect), and examined how these relationships vary across age. Pandemic-related stress was associated with lower life satisfaction and higher negative affect.

Cross-National Analysis of the Associations Between Familism and Self-Efficacy in Family Caregivers of People With Dementia: Effects on Burden and Depression.

To examine the cross-national associations between familism and self-efficacy dimensions, and levels of burden and depression. Sociodemographic, familism, self-efficacy, depressive symptoms, and burden variables were measured in 349 dementia family caregivers from the US and Spain. US sample: greater support from family was positively related to self-efficacy for obtaining respite and self-efficacy for controlling upsetting thoughts and behaviors.

Organizational Factors Associated with Certified Nursing Assistants' Job Satisfaction during COVID-19.

Given the instability of the nursing home (NH) certified nursing assistant (CNA) workforce and the challenging demands during COVID-19, it is important to understand the organizational factors that are correlated with job satisfaction which is a major predictor of CNA turnover. The purpose of this study was to determine the associations between quality of supervisor relationships, organizational supports, COVID-19 work-related stressors, and job satisfaction among CNAs in NHs. The results indicate that CNAs who reported a more optimal relationship with their supervisors, felt appreciated for the job they do and worked in NHs with lower COVID-19 resident infection rates tended to report higher rates of job satisfaction.

Advance care planning (ACP) to promote receipt of value-concordant care: Results vary according to patient priorities.

Background: Benefits of advance care planning (ACP) have recently been questioned by experts, but ACP is comprised of discrete activities. Little is known about which, if any, ACP activities are associated with patients' greater likelihood of receiving value-concordant end-of-life (EoL) care.

Objectives: To determine which ACP activities [Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR) order completion, designation of a healthcare proxy (HCP), and/or EoL discussions with physicians], individually and in combination, are associated with the greatest likelihood of receiving value-concordant care, and how results may vary based on patient-reported EoL care priorities.

Does Neurocognition Predict Subjective Well-Being?

Greater subjective well-being (SWB) is associated with a myriad of positive outcomes across adulthood. While several studies have demonstrated a relationship between cognition and SWB, the current study extends previous work by examining the relationship between neurocognition and SWB across age and time. Data were drawn from 3,856 individuals between the ages of 18-99 years who participated in the Virginia Cognitive Aging Project, a prospective study of cognition in community dwelling adults.

Staying in the loop: Quality of family-paid caregiver communication and influences on resident mental health in long-term care.

Background: Considerable research has examined communication dynamics among family members and staff in nursing homes (NHs) and has demonstrated that better communication is associated with more optimal mental health outcomes in both family caregivers and paid caregivers. However, the literature on how communication dynamics influence mental health in long-term care residents is limited and it has yet to be determined how communication impacts residents across care contexts, such as assisted living facilities (ALFs). The purpose of this study is to examine family caregivers' perceptions of communication with paid caregivers and its influence on long-term care resident outcomes and to compare how results differ across care settings (NHs vs.

Grief and Bereavement in the Latino/a Community: A Literature Synthesis and Directions for Future Research.

Introduction: Bereavement and grief are social phenomena influenced by a multitude of cultural factors. Prior studies of bereavement adjustment have primarily focused on bereaved survivors who identify racially as white; knowledge of the experience of grief and bereavement among racial/ethnic and other minority groups, particularly among Latino/a groups, in the United States is limited.

Objective: The purpose of this review is to synthesize the literature documenting the bereavement experiences of the Latino/a community, evaluate the strength of the current evidence, and provide recommendations to guide future research.

Factors associated with nursing home direct care professionals' turnover intent during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective: To identify factors related to turnover intent among direct care professionals in nursing homes during the pandemic.

Methods: Cross-sectional study with surveys administered via an employee management system to 809 direct care professionals (aides working in nursing homes). Single items assessed COVID-19-related work stress, preparedness to care for residents during COVID-19, job satisfaction, and intent to remain in job.

Are deaths from COVID-19 associated with higher rates of prolonged grief disorder (PGD) than deaths from other causes?

With the COVID-19 pandemic prompting predictions of a "grief pandemic," rates and risks for Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) warrant further investigation. Data were collected online from 1470 respondents between October 2020 and July 2021. Shorter time since death, deaths of siblings and "others," and deaths from accidents and homicides were positively associated with potential risk of probable PGD; deaths of extended family and from dementia were negatively associated with probable PGD.

Family Matters: Cross-Cultural Differences in Familism and Caregiving Outcomes.

Objectives: The increasing number of minority older adults, and the subsequent increase in family members providing care to these individuals, highlights the need to understand how cultural values contribute to differential caregiving outcomes. Using the sociocultural stress and coping model as a guiding framework, the current study examined cross-cultural relationships among familism, social support, self-efficacy, and caregiving outcomes and examines how these relationships vary as a function of caregiver background characteristics.

Methods: Baseline data were collected from 243 participants in the Caring for the Caregiver Network randomized controlled intervention trial.

Job Resignation in Nursing Homes During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Quality of Employer Communication.

Limited research has examined coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related work stressors experienced by nursing home (NH) employees and how these stressors may impact employees' decision to resign when taking organizational factors into account. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate whether quality of employer communication related to COVID-19 and staff preparedness to care for residents with COVID-19 can mediate the effects of COVID-19-related stressors on NH employees' ( = 1,730) decision to resign. Results from path analyses indicate that higher quality of communication and more optimal preparedness mediated the relationship between COVID-19-related stressors and likelihood of resignation.

A micro-sociological theory of adjustment to loss.

Although grief is a reaction to a social loss, it has been viewed almost exclusively through the lens of individual psychology and not sociology. In this article, we suggest that more attention to sociological aspects of grief is warranted. We propose a micro-sociological theory of bereavement and grief to complement, not replace, psychological perspectives.

Use of Home Care Services Reduces Care-Related Strain in Long-Distance Caregivers.

Background And Objectives: Prior work examining the role of older adult home care service use in alleviating strain in family caregivers has resulted in contradictory findings. However, prior research has been entirely limited to caregivers who live within close geographical proximity to their care recipients. Long-distance caregivers are a unique caregiving subgroup that has remained understudied.

The Role of Advance Care Planning in Cancer Patient and Caregiver Grief Resolution: Helpful or Harmful?

Cancer patients and their family caregivers experience various losses when patients become terminally ill, yet little is known about the grief experienced by patients and caregivers and factors that influence grief as patients approach death. Additionally, few, if any, studies have explored associations between advance care planning (ACP) and grief resolution among cancer patients and caregivers. To fill this knowledge gap, the current study examined changes in grief over time in patients and their family caregivers and whether changes in patient grief are associated with changes in caregiver grief.

The COVID-19 Pandemic and Psychosocial Outcomes Across Age Through the Stress and Coping Framework.

Background And Objectives: The emergence of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the measures implemented to curb its spread may have deleterious effects on mental health. Older adults may be at increased risk for adverse psychosocial outcomes because opportunities to remain socially connected have diminished. Research is needed to better understand the impact of pandemic-related stress on mental health.

A Substance Misuse Intervention Program in Postacute Care: Who Declines Participation?

Objectives: Alcohol and substance misuse has been under-acknowledged and underidentified in older adults. However, promising treatment approaches exist (e.g.

Getting Along in Assisted Living: Quality of Relationships Between Family Members and Staff.

Background And Objectives: Assisted living facilities (ALFs) have quickly expanded as an alternative to nursing homes. Research on nursing homes has revealed problems in relationships between family members and staff. However, little is known about these relationships within ALFs.

Long-Distance Caregivers: What are Their Experiences with Formal Care Providers?

Objectives: Extensive literature has documented the experiences of informal caregivers and their interactions with formal care providers, yet this research is almost entirely limited to caregivers who live near their care-recipients. This study aims to describe long-distance caregivers' (LDC) experiences (e.g.

Investigating the Relations Among Different Measures of False Memory.

Researchers have used the term false memory to describe various memory errors, including the incorporation of erroneous information into a memory, misremembering a word presented as a picture, and the construction of a detailed memory of an event that did not occur. Whether such diverse manifestations of false memory are assessing the same construct has not been evaluated. The purpose of this study is to examine the relations among a set of variables that have been used in the literature to measure false memory.

Differences in cognitive performance between informal caregivers and non-caregivers.

Extensive literature exists documenting the relationship between stress and cognition. Caregiving for an individual with Alzheimer's disease can be aunique and chronic stress experience due to the increasing dependency of the care-recipient as the disease progresses. The current study examines the relationship between stress and cognitive performance in 47 dementia caregivers compared to 47 noncaregiver control participants matched on age, gender, and education.

Predictors of Rehospitalization in Post-Acute Rehabilitation among Different Ethnic Groups.

Objectives: Previous research has shown that ethnicity may play a role in increased risk for hospital readmission during a post-acute rehabilitation care (PARC) stay. However, little is known about risk factors influencing discharge status from PARC settings among different ethnic groups. Hence, the aim of our study was to investigate the relationship of individual characteristics (eg, sex, neighborhood quality) and health behavior (use of rehabilitation services) with rehospitalization across ethnic groups of older adult patients who received post-acute rehabilitation for a cardiovascular disease at a skilled nursing facility (SNF).

Examining Gender Differences in Neurocognitive Functioning Across Adulthood.

Objective: Previous research has shown that women have an advantage on verbal episodic memory and processing speed tasks, while men show an advantage on spatial ability measures. Previous work has also found differences in cognition across age. The current study examines gender differences in neurocognitive functioning across adulthood, whether age moderates this effect, and whether these differences remain consistent with practice across multiple testing sessions.

Examining processing speed as a predictor of subjective well-being across age and time in the German Aging Survey.

The purpose of the current study was to examine the associations between cognition, measured via the Digit Symbol Substitution Task, and subjective well-being (measured using the Satisfaction with Life Scale and the Positive and Negative Affect scale) in a community-based sample of middle-aged and older adults. Specifically, we examined both the cross-sectional and the longitudinal relationships between processing speed and subjective well-being. Data are from participants between 40-85 years-old (at baseline) who participated in the German Aging Survey across four waves.