The research described here looked at the psychological effect on patients of being informed that they have dementia. [read more...]

Influenza is a contagious viral infection and is a significant cause of incapacity and death of older people in the winter months. It is therefore important for older people to get the recommended influenza vaccination. But do they actually take advantage of the vaccination? [read more...]

Two studies have looked at older adults’ life satisfaction and depressed mood as indicators of psychological well-being. [read more...]

One possible explanation for the observed association between risk of fracture and depressive symptoms is the finding in some studies that depression is associated with lower bone mineral density (BMD). However, there is limited prospective data (that is, data collected over time) regarding an association between depressive symptoms and rate of change in BMD. [read more...]

In a study by Chen et al., the researchers examined the influence of health behaviors on the quality of life of 200 elderly bereaved persons. [read more...]

In a recent study, Teno et al. examined the role of advance directives (ADs) on quality of end-of-life care. They found that advance directives improve the communication between the patient, family, and health professionals. [read more...]

The present study provides information whether older adults are obtaining disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. [read more...]

This study explores the variations in emotional closeness between adult grandchildren and grandparents in relation to the occurrence of potentially stressful life events in childhood. [read more...]

The following review article examines studies on genes that affect aging and discusses how genetic variation is associated with longevity. [read more...]

Providing care to a loved one with dementia and the death of that loved one are generally considered two of the most stressful human experiences. Each puts family caregivers at risk of psychological problems. Although research has suggested that religious beliefs and practices are associated with better mental health in older people, little is known about whether religion is associated with better mental health in family caregivers. [read more...]

Pillemer and Suitor examined whether mothers prefer some adult children over others, why they help some children and not others, and which child is most likely to become a caregiver. [read more...]

The degree to which the subject of suicide occupies the pages of aging research journals in this cycle reflects the reality that older adults are among those at highest risk of suicide. The five articles selected for this edition of the ART provide a picture of the current state of suicide among the aged, a description of the effect of suicide on the social workers who serve them, and an example of a promising intervention. [read more...]

In a similar vein as the Aging Research Translator, Sabir and colleagues describe another innovative new process for bridging the gap between research on aging and the practice community. Researchers have often come together in workshops to discuss research and to arrive at some shared statement of the direction of future research, however, these meetings have only included researchers. The workshop process described in this article includes researchers, a non-technical language version of the research, and members of the practice community. This mixed group of researchers, practitioners, and some policy analysts came together to discuss the issue of falls prevention among community-dwelling older adults in New York. [read more...]

Yoon & Lee cite previous research indicating that religion has demonstrated positive affects on the physical and emotional health of older adults, however, few studies have focused on older adults living in rural areas. They studied the impact of religion and spirituality on life satisfaction and depression by interviewing 215 older adults living in a rural community (85 white, 75 black, 55 Native Americans) who they located through senior centers. [read more...]

The Journal of Applied Gerontology has published articles recently that focus on the evaluation of programs for older adults. Bryant and colleagues’ article in the June 2006 issue introduces the series with a definition of program evaluation and a statement of the state of program evaluation in aging. [read more...]

Votova and Wister reported a steady increase in the use of alternative medicine, such as chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, homeopathy, and naturopathy in western societies, and described the characteristics of older people who use them. [read more...]

Both studies in this section examine whether or not marriage produces better outcomes for older adults. [read more...]

Langer and colleagues raise questions about older adults' expectations of help and care from their adult nieces and nephews when the older adults neither married nor had children of their own. [read more...]

Wellmon and colleagues examined whether using a cane or walker for walking makes walking a more complex and mentally challenging task. [read more...]

The research in this section highlights the many benefits of exercise; why many do or do not engage in exercise; and ways to increase and sustain participation in exercise programs. [read more...]

Keightley and colleagues compared 30 normally functioning younger adults with 30 normally functioning older adults on their ability to label facial expressions with specific emotions, such as fear. This study is important because it helps us to understand the extent to which adults around the age of 75 years maintain the ability to recognize intentions of other people and to anticipate the behavior of those around them and respond or interact appropriately. [read more...]

Lachs and colleagues examined police records to select a group of community-dwelling older adults who had been victimized by a crime, then estimated whether experiencing a crime increased their chances of being placed in a nursing home. [read more...]

Research in this section suggests that reducing disability may reduce depression, and that reducing depression is also a place to start in reducing older adults’ reports of poor health. Other research in this section suggests that counseling is often as effective as medication in reducing depression and that changing men’s and African-American’s attitudes about seeking mental health help is important. [read more...]

Severance and colleagues describe a course on ethnogeriatrics developed by faculty from 34 different Geriatric Education Centers. Ethnogeriatrics is a form of geriatric education that educates students about the specific health care needs of different ethnic groups. [read more...]

Cooperative health care allows different types of medical visits to occur in a single appointment and reduces both the time it takes to visit doctors and the costs of doing so. Supporters of this new practice hope that the ability to visit different types of doctors in a single visit might increase the likelihood that some adults will take advantage of otherwise unused kinds of care, such as mental health care. [read more...]

The articles in this section suggest that the best ways to assist caregivers may be to focus on the well-being of the older persons they care for; to focus their training on specific problems; to develop communication skills between the caregiver/care receiver pair; to offer telephone support, although this may be more beneficial to adult child caregivers than for spousal caregivers; and to better serve caregivers through adult day service programs. [read more...]

The three studies in this section examine the level of pain medication prescribed for older African American adults with dementia; racial differences in hospital admission, length of hospital stay, and discharge destinations; and the relationship between religious involvement and the level of connection to traditional culture. [read more...]

One of the articles in this section leaves the reader with an interesting new awareness if one has never considered that there is a consistent separation of age groups throughout American society. The remaining four articles examine 1) the ways in which previous contact between age groups influences the performance of older adults when the older adult is threatened; 2) the ways in which older adults are represented in TV advertisements; and 3) the ways in which children’s attitudes about older adults may be changed by contact and interaction with older adults. [read more...]

Cohen and colleagues are conducting an interesting body of research on the ways in which involvement in the arts, such as singing, painting, writing, and poetry, may influence the physical and mental health of older adults. Rather than casual involvement, however, the researchers focus on high level involvement in art that is directed by high level professionals who hold high level expectations. [read more...]