Capitalizing on Dementia Care Mapping in an Evaluation of a Montessori-Based Intervention for Individuals Living with Dementia.

Background And Objectives: Montessori-based interventions (MBIs) promote quality of life among older adults living with dementia. We used Dementia Care Mapping (DCM) to evaluate the impact of a small-scale MBI. DCM is a systematic observation tool that records the behavior and mood/engagement of individuals living with dementia and can be used to improve quality of care and well-being.

Sustainability of the Preferences for Everyday Living Inventory Use in Ohio Nursing Homes Over Time.

Objectives: In 2015, the Ohio Department of Medicaid incentivized use of the Preferences for Everyday Living Inventory (PELI) as a quality initiative. The pay-for-performance (P4P) program, however, was then deimplemented in 2019. This study investigated the sustainability of use of the PELI in Ohio nursing homes (NHs) from 2017 to 2021 and examined barriers to PELI implementation.

"I Could Do Stereotypical Old People Things … but I Feel Like I Would Get Bored With That Stuff": College Students' Proactive Steps to Avoid Negative Aspects of Aging.

The preventive and corrective proactivity model explores how internal and external resources mediate age-related stressors to counter negative outcomes of aging. Older adults' proactivity about their future is consistently associated with higher quality of life, but research has not explored younger adults' perceptions of their aging. We used interpretive phenomenology analysis to analyze 24 students' essays from the beginning and end of an introductory gerontology course to understand anticipated adaptation to their 75-year-old self.

Through the Montessori Looking-Glass: Barriers to Implementing a Montessori-Based Intervention.

Montessori methods are used with individuals with dementia to create meaningful, inclusive, failure-free activities that enhance quality of life. This research qualitatively explored the barriers to implementing a Montessori-based intervention for people living with dementia in a 24-hr memory care setting. A lens comprised of key Montessori values and principles guided a content analysis of field note data to create an overall framework for understanding implementation barriers, which are rarely addressed in the literature.

When I'm 75: College Students' Self Perceptions of the Challenges of Aging.

Despite robust literature on people's attitudes toward aging, far less is known about attitudes toward one's own aging, especially among college students. We examined college students' self-perceptions of the challenges of aging using essays from a "When I'm 75" assignment implemented at the beginning and end of the semester in an introductory gerontology course. Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis was used to analyze 24 students' perceptions of their own aging at age 75.

Hypertension in Children and Adolescents.

Hypertension is a growing problem in children and adolescents, with primary hypertension becoming the most common etiology. In addition to demonstrating that high blood pressure in children and young adults is likely to remain elevated into adulthood, this review (1) addresses important aspects of measuring blood pressure in children and adolescents, (2) defines elevated blood pressure and hypertension in this age group, (3) describes the initial evaluation and workup of abnormally high blood pressure, and (4) introduces treatment strategies for youth with sustained hypertension.

"So we basically let them struggle": Student perceptions of challenges in intergenerational Service-Learning.

Service-learning is a widely used pedagogical practice that integrates community involvement and civic engagement into the classroom. Benefits of service-learning in gerontology include an increased sense of personal growth, greater knowledge of aging, and enhanced interest in aging-related careers. However, relatively little research has specifically explored the challenges associated with intergenerational service-learning.

Impact of life stories on college students' positive and negative attitudes toward older adults.

Gerontological educators are increasingly interested in reducing college students' negative, and promoting their positive, attitudes toward older adults. Over the course of a semester, students from six 4-year institutions viewed three life story videos (documentaries) of older adults and completed pre- and posttest surveys that assessed their positive (Allophilia Scale) and negative (Fraboni Scale of Ageism) attitudes. The authors assessed changes in attitudinal scales between treatment (with videos, n = 80) and control (no video, n = 40) groups.

Measuring positive attitudes toward persons with dementia: A validation of the Allophilia scale.

Efforts to combat ageism typically focus on negative attitudes toward members of an out-group. Changing attitudes also requires assessment and enhancement of positive attitudes. This study examined the psychometric properties of Allophilia scale when used to measure college students' positive attitudes toward persons with dementia.

"It makes me feel like myself": Person-centered versus traditional visual arts activities for people with dementia.

During a 15-month period between February 2010 and April 2011, video data on (n = 38) people with dementia were collected during a person-centered and intergenerational arts activity program called Opening Minds through Art (OMA) at three different long-term care facilities in Ohio. A subsample of the OMA participants (n = 10) were also video recorded during traditional visual arts activities (e.g.

Identifying naturally occurring retirement communities: a spatial analysis.

Objectives: Guided by the concept of "aging in place" and potential policy implications, the study analyzed naturally occurring retirement communities (NORCs; 40% or greater house owners and renters aged 65 years and older) and whether there were spatiotemporal patterns in Ohio between 2000 and 2010.

Method: Data were derived from the 2000 and 2010 census tracts. Geovisualization was used to visually examine the distribution of NORCs in 2000 and 2010.

The impact of a gerontology course and a service-learning program on college students' attitudes toward people with dementia.

We examined the effects of a gerontology course and an intergenerational service-learning project for people with dementia (PWD) on three dimensions of students' attitudes including attitudes toward older people, community service for older people, and working with PWD. Data consisted of a combination of pretest/posttest survey and review of journals that students maintained during the service-learning project. Results indicated that students who completed the gerontology course, and those who completed both the course and the service-learning project, reported significantly more positive attitudes toward older adults, whereas students in the course only had significantly less positive attitudes about working with PWD, and those in the other courses (sociology) showed no change in their attitudes.

Programs to locate missing and critically wandering elders: a critical review and a call for multiphasic evaluation.

As America ages, greater numbers of older adults will be living with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia, leading to increased incidence of wandering. Currently there are several initiatives to assist older adults who go missing. We describe and critically examine three prominent and widespread programs: Safe Return, Project Lifesaver, and Silver Alert.

Promoting active engagement in health research: lessons from an undergraduate gerontology capstone course.

With National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Aging (NIH/NIA) (R15/AREA) funding, the authors offered a four-credit hour undergraduate research course that was cross-listed in gerontology and sociology. This capstone course was aimed at providing students with the opportunity to (1) gain knowledge about diabetes and racial/ethnic disparities in the management of the illness and (2) develop expertise in secondary data analysis, using the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data set. Each student designed and conducted her or his own research project and, working in teams, created a team poster and presentation.

Lay explanations and self-management of diabetes in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Objective: This research explores the lay explanations and self-management of diabetes among residents in greater Kathmandu, Nepal.

Methods: Interviews were done with 300 respondents drawn from diabetes patient listings and members of a national diabetes club. Sociodemographic and health-related data were collected with two standardized instruments: the Illness Perception Questionnaire and the Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities.

Observed well-being among individuals with dementia: Memories in the Making, an art program, versus other structured activity.

This manuscript analyzes the use of the Greater Cincinnati Chapter Well-Being Observation Tool in observing seven domains of well-being among individuals with dementia. We observed the well-being of 12 individuals while they engaged in Memories in the Making, an art program for persons in the early and middle stages of the disease that encourages self-expression through the visual arts. This was then compared to the observed well-being in the same individuals during participation in more traditional adult day center activities, such as current events and crafts.