Artificial Emotional Intelligence in Socially Assistive Robots for Older Adults: A Pilot Study.

This paper presents our recent research on integrating artificial emotional intelligence in a social robot (Ryan) and studies the robot's effectiveness in engaging older adults. Ryan is a socially assistive robot designed to provide companionship for older adults with depression and dementia through conversation. We used two versions of Ryan for our study, empathic and non-empathic.

Programmed Activity Offerings and Attendance Patterns in Assisted Living.

The scope of programmed activity offerings and attendance rates for specific activities are not thoroughly captured in the assisted living (AL) literature. The purpose of this study is to report activity offerings and associated attendance rates, as well as relationships between individual factors and activity attendance patterns in a sample of 202 residents of 21 ALs. Sampled communities offered 50 different types of programmed activities.

Impact of COVID-19 on the Mental Health and Distress of Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

The purpose of this study was to examine the mental health of community-dwelling older adults as they adapted their everyday health behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to a telephone survey, 126 older adults described perceived changes in physical and mental health, and adaptations in their everyday health behaviors. Descriptive statistics, bivariate correlations, and multiple regressions revealed that participants experienced changes in mental and physical health, reduced health service access, lower social engagement, and increased coping behaviors.

Validation of a Comprehensive Measure of the Family Caregiver Experience: The Caregiver Reaction Scale.

Objectives: The Caregiver Reaction Scale (CRS) is a multi-dimensional measure of the family caregiving experience that assesses role conflict, challenges, and positive aspects of caregiving. The CRS has been validated in a sample of older adult caregivers who sought counseling, but its validity and reliability in a broader population of caregivers had not been established. This study aimed to explore how well the CRS assesses the multiple dimensions of the caregiving experience in a sample of family caregivers who match the national profile of caregivers and to confirm the validity and structure of the subscales.

Older Cannabis Users Are Not All Alike: Lifespan Cannabis Use Patterns.

Although several studies have examined individual-level correlates of cannabis use in later life, there is scant evidence identifying heterogeneity among older users. Using data from Colorado, this study examines variability in lifespan patterns of cannabis use among individuals aged 60 years and older. Sample respondents reported cannabis use in the past year and frequency of use in four periods of adulthood.

Application of treatment fidelity in tailored caregiver interventions.

Objectives: Demonstrations of the effectiveness of interventions requires evidence that the model can be implemented with fidelity. Caregiving interventions that are tailored to the individual or family require flexibility, which adds some challenges to the assessment of fidelity. This paper outlines the components necessary for examining treatment fidelity and common barriers to implementing fidelity studies, offers considerations for designing fidelity studies with tailored caregiver interventions, and aims to provide a set of procedures that can be used to guide future fidelity studies.

Sense of community and its relationship with psychological well-being in assisted living.

Sense of community (SOC) is a comprehensive psychological assessment of the relationship between person and place and relates to positive psychological outcomes in community-living adults, but has not been tested in assisted living (AL). This study describes SOC, identifies associated factors, and explores the relationship between SOC and psychological well-being with a sample of AL residents. Participants included 202 residents of 21 ALs.

Programmed Activity Attendance in Assisted Living: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior with Additional Health Factors.

: Programmed activities contribute to the quality of life of assisted living (AL) residents, but attendance rates are often quite low. Using the theory of planned behavior (TPB), this study explores relationships among social cognitive variables, multidimensional health factors, and programmed activity attendance in AL.: In a cross-sectional survey, 185 AL residents ( = 83.

Workforce Analysis of Psychological Practice With Older Adults: Growing Crisis Requires Urgent Action.

As the proportion and sheer number of older adults in the United States continues to increase, we need to plan for their behavioral health care. Access to accurate data about current workforce characteristics in psychology can provide essential information to inform workforce planning. In this paper, we present results of the American Psychological Association's Center for Workforce Studies survey of psychologists, with a focus on older adults.

Measuring Attitudes Toward Medical and Recreational Cannabis Among Older Adults in Colorado.

Background And Objectives: Cannabis use among older adults is on the rise. Despite growing interest in the topic, there exists a paucity of standardized measures capturing cannabis-specific attitudes among older adults. Using data from a survey of older Coloradans, we create two scales that separately measure medical and recreational cannabis attitudes.

Patterns of Marijuana Use and Health Impact: A Survey Among Older Coloradans.

Access to recreational and medical marijuana is common in the United States, particularly in states with legalized use. Here, we describe patterns of recreational and medical marijuana use and self-reported health among older persons using a geographically sampled survey in Colorado. The in-person or online survey was offered to community-dwelling older persons aged above 60 years.

Qualitative Analysis of Cannabis Use Among Older Adults in Colorado.

Background: Although the rate of cannabis use by older adults is increasing more quickly than all other age groups, little is known about the reasons why older adults use cannabis and the outcomes they experience.

Objective: The objective of this study was to identify the most salient themes concerning the use of medical and recreational cannabis by older adults living in Colorado. Specifically, we sought to (1) characterize perceptions of cannabis use by users and non-users, (2) determine how older adults access cannabis, and (3) explicate both positive and negative outcomes associated with cannabis use.

Preliminary Evidence for the Validity and Reliability of the Caregiver Reaction Scale.

Objective: Reliable and valid measures of caregiver experience are critical components of researching the caregiver experience and providing effective care to family caregivers. Assessments should be comprehensive, including positive aspects of caregiving as well as multiple dimensions of stress and burden (Family Caregiver Alliance, 2006). One such measure is the Caregiver Reaction Scale (CRS), a clinical tool adapted from research protocols in 1990.

Caregiving families within the long-term services and support system for older adults.

Long-term care services and supports are primarily a family industry that warrants psychologists' involvement through practice, research, and policy advocacy. Families are poorly integrated into service systems despite the dominance of family caregiving work within health care and long-term care. This article positions family caregiving work within the context of family life across the life span, noting overlaps and distinctions between normal family life and caregiving work for older adults whose physical or cognitive challenges require assistance.

Motivational and cognitive pathways to medical help-seeking for Alzheimer's disease: a cognitive impairment response model.

Objectives: Relationships among cognitive and motivational factors in predicting medical help-seeking for Alzheimer's disease (AD) symptoms were tested.

Method: Community residents awaiting jury service (N = 280) completed questionnaires, including responses to a vignette depicting prototypical early symptoms of AD in a hypothetical mother. Cognitive responses to the vignette included AD symptom identification and AD attribution.

Competencies for psychology practice in primary care.

This article reports on the outcome of a presidential initiative of 2012 American Psychological Association President Suzanne Bennett Johnson to delineate competencies for primary care (PC) psychology in six broad domains: science, systems, professionalism, relationships, application, and education. Essential knowledge, skills, and attitudes are described for each PC psychology competency. Two behavioral examples are provided to illustrate each competency.

A preliminary typology of caregivers and effects on service utilization of caregiver counseling.

Objectives: Caregivers (CGs) of older adults have unique and diverse needs for intervention. The present studies describe the characteristics of CGs and caregiving situations and how these relate to CG therapy utilization patterns in a community mental health setting.

Method: Study 1: Through chart review, the researchers explored service utilization patterns and identified preliminary typologies of Caregiver Family Therapy (CFT) clients, N = 23.

Renovating Alzheimer's: "constructive" reflections on the new clinical and research diagnostic guidelines.

The development of disease concepts for conditions such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an ongoing social process that evolves over time. The biomedical paradigm about AD that has informed our culture's understanding of brain aging for the past several decades is currently undergoing a major and timely renovation in the early 21st century. This evolution is reflected in new guidelines issued by the National Institute on Aging and Alzheimer's Association (NIA/AA) for the diagnosis of AD and related conditions that aim at helping researchers identify and eventually treat AD in its presymptomatic stages.

The Palisades: an interdisciplinary wellness model in senior housing.

Purpose: The conceptual model and implementation strategies for a university-private housing collaboration in a multilevel housing campus for older adults are described. The faculty and private developers viewed senior housing as an opportunity for people to downsize their space in order to upsize their lives within a community rich with resources to support their developmental needs.

Methods: A wellness program that includes assessments developed and performed by a multidisciplinary team provides the basis for the development of resources and interventions aimed at upsizing residents' lives.

Pikes Peak model for training in professional geropsychology.

The aging of the population will increase demand for psychological services for older adults, which challenges the profession of psychology to provide those services. In response to that challenge, professional geropsychology has been developing over the past few decades to meet current and prepare for anticipated future demand. The development of a range of training opportunities is important to enable psychologists to work effectively with older adults.

Geropsychology training in a specialist geropsychology doctoral program.

The first PhD specialty program in Geropsychology that launched in fall, 2004 at CU-Colorado Springs is described. Consistent with a scientist-practitioner model, the curriculum sequence builds systematically from basic to complex knowledge and skills across the domains of scientific psychology, research methodology, general clinical, geropsychology science, and clinical geropsychology. Practicum experiences also build skills in core clinical competencies needed by geropsychologists, including assessment, psychotherapy, neuropsychological evaluations, caregiver consultation and counseling, health psychology, and outreach/prevention.