Older Adults

Although several studies suggest that religious involvement is associated with healthier biological functioning in later life, most of this work is cross-sectional. We extend previous research by employing a longitudinal design. Our analysis of Health and Retirement Study (2006/2010) data suggests that older adults who attended religious services weekly or more in 2006 tend to exhibit fewer high-risk biomarkers in 2010 and greater reductions in allostatic load over the 4-year study period than respondents who attended yearly or not at all. These patterns persisted with adjustments for baseline allostatic load and a range of background variables.

Many aspects of attention decline with aging. There is a current debate on how aging also affects sustained attention. In this study, we contribute to this debate by meta-analytically comparing performance on the go/no-go Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART) in younger and older adults. We included only studies in which the SART had a low proportion of no-go trials (5%–30%), there was a random or quasirandom stimulus presentation, and data on both healthy younger and older adults were available. A total of 12 studies were suitable with 832 younger adults and 690 older adults. Results showed that older adults were slower than younger adults on go trials (g = 1, 95% CI [.72, 1.27]) and more accurate than younger adults on no-go trials (g = .59, 95% CI [.32, .85]). Moreover, older adults were slower after a no-go error than younger adults (g = .79, 95% CI [.60, .99]). These results are compatible with an age-related processing speed deficit, mostly suggested by longer go RTs, bu...

INTRODUCTION Cognitive stimulation may be beneficial in slowing the progression of mild neurocognitive disorder (NCD), but the results of existing research are inconsistent. Furthermore, there are no long-term interventions nor individual (one-on-one) interventions applied by professionals. Objetive. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of a long-term individual cognitive stimulation intervention on people with mild NCD. PATIENTS AND METHODS A pre-post test design with a non-equivalent control group was conducted. A total of 82 participants with mild NCD were assigned to a cognitive stimulation intervention group or to a control group. The intervention consisted of 88 individual format sessions of approximately 45 minutes, twice per week. Independent evaluators assessed cognition, depressive symptomatology and autonomy level in activities of daily living at pre-intervention, intra-intervention (6 months) and post-intervention (12 months). RESULTS At intra- and post-inter...

Objectives The process of development of age-friendly environments is one of the key challenges of policy makers. The aim of present study was to compare the elderly people's and managers' views towards age-friendly city indexes. Methods & Materials In this descriptive-analytic study, the attitudes of 379 older adults and 57 managers were compared. Data collection tool was WHO age-friendly cities indicators (2013). Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, frequency percentage) and gamma test using SPSS software V. 21.0. Results Of the 379 older adults, 64.9% (246 persons) were female. The mean age of the elderly was 68.31±8.25 years (minimum 60 and maximum 89 years). There were significant differences between older adults' and managers' views in 13 indicators of 21 indicators. The major indicators were evaluated 'bad to very bad " from elderly people's views. The significant difference from the managers' views includes availability of source of information about health concerns and service needs of older persons (57% of elderly versus 14% of managers) (P=0.001). The policy-making status to guide the planning of new housing construction with regard to elderly person's needs (57% of elderly versus 31.6% of managers)(P=0.014). Conclusion Collaboration of organizations' custodian of elderly with older adults seems necessary in order to obtain the age-friendly city indexes.

Happiness is an important component of subjective well-being and people generally wish to be happy. There are various factors linked to happiness, e.g. health, family relationships, social support, financial situation, work, personal independence, generosity and so on. It is quite possible that old age is associated with many positive and negative factors in the way of experiencing happiness. As there are many benefits of happiness it is important that this area is explored and individuals are supported in their pursuit of finding and maintaining happiness.

Na esteira da alteração dos padrões demográficos, a velhice marca de modo sem precedentes a sociedade contemporânea. Ser idoso tem sido largamente descrito na literatura como uma experiência de solidão, sentimento de caráter multifacetado que se origina na insatisfação com as relações interpessoais. Este trabalho foca a associação entre tal estado psíquico e o envelhecimento, e mensura a incidência deste sentimento em uma amostra composta por 64 idosos que participaram do projeto Bem Envelhecer, da Rede Europeia Anti-Pobreza (EAPN/Portugal). Privilegia-se neste estudo a relação entre as variadas dimensões da solidão e o cruzamento da mesma com diversas variáveis. Para tanto, fora aplicado um inquérito com questões sociodemográficas e a escala SELSA-S (Short Version of the Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults). Os resultados apontam para a preponderância entre os participantes da pesquisa dos vínculos familiares, em detrimento dos sociais e românticos, e o período etário ...

Background and Objectives: There is a lack of understanding of how older adults’ involvement and participation matters in actual design practice. This systematic literature review investigates existing empirical studies involving older users during the design of technologies and explores the nature and consequences of involving older people. Research Design and Methods: Our literature review is informed by the guidelines of the PRISMA statement. We examined the included studies by means of thematic content analysis to identify the nature of older users’ involvement and existing evidence on what consequences it has. Results: In total, 40 empirical studies published in the period 2014–2018 are included in the review. Most empirical studies involve older people from local networks, with underlying stereotypical images and at lower levels of participation. The results reveal three main consequences of involving older users: learning, adjusted design, and an increased sense of participat...

Technologische Entwicklungen, verschwimmende Grenzen zwischen digitalen und klassischen Informationsangeboten sowie das gleichzeitige Mobilwerden internetfähiger Endgeräte erzeugen vollkommen neue Nutzungssituationen und –erwartungen. Besonders deutlich wird dies im Informationsbereich. Die zunehmende Alltagsrelevanz neuer Medien – nicht zuletzt sozialer Online-Communities – verändert nicht nur Informationsumgebungen, sondern auch den Umgang mit diesen. Dies hat nicht nur Auswirkungen auf junge Generationen, sondern in zunehmendem Maße auch auf Ältere. Der Beitrag widmet sich vor diesem Hintergrund, mit Hilfe einer explorativen Befragung verschiedener Altersgruppen, den Fragen: Wie informieren sich jüngere und ältere Menschen heutzutage und welche Rolle spielen dabei Online-Communities?

Community-dwelling older adults have raised the scientific community's interest during the COVID-19 era as their chronic conditions might be aggravated by the consequences of confinement. Digital devices in this field to monitor cognitive impairment are an emerging reality of an innovative nature. However, some groups may not have benefited from these developments as much as, for example, younger people. The aim of this manuscript is to carry out a review on the development of digital devices, and specifically virtual assistants, for the detection of cognitive impairment in older adults. After a screening process, eight studies were found under the given criteria, and this number was even smaller for those using virtual assistants. Given the opportunities offered by virtual assistants through techniques such as natural language processing, it seems imperative to take advantage of this opportunity for groups such as older adults.

The purpose of this brief note is to present a discussion of the first two sessions of a poetry group conducted with moderately to severely cognitively impaired adults in a nursing home. Exercises and techniques used with this population are discussed. Poetry groups such as this may provide joy those who suffer, a chance to re-experience memories, to connect to others, and the creation of moments of increased value and meaning.

Japan is a super-aging society, one marked by a steadily silvering population and shrinking birthrates. Social effects range from a decline in intergenerational homes to new tensions between the generations as elders delay retirement or return to work. Towards improving relations between the generations, two versions of an inclusive, intergenerational game employing "shared action," or time-movement synchrony, were developed: a finger-based version inspired by medical exercise technology from gerontology and a smart shoe-based version as a familiar form factor. A series of three exploratory studies were conducted with young Japanese adults and elders. Findings suggest that the foot version was most suitable overall and reveal initial, complex effects of age and gender on empathy measures that can inform affective computing initiatives within and beyond the cultural milieu of modern Japan.

The number of dependent older adults in Thailand is increasing leading to the long term care system for dependent older adults by community caregivers. This descriptive research aimed to study the caring practices of caregivers for dependent older adults in the long term care system and its influencing factors in Roi Et province. One hundred eighty caregivers of dependent older adult were randomly selected from 23 pilot areas of Roi Et province. Demographic information and study variables were gathered by interview questionnaires developed by applying the McLeroy’s ecological framework. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, Eta, Pearson’s product-moment correlation coefficient, and Stepwise Multiple Regression.

            The results revealed that most of the caregivers for dependent older adults in Roi Et province performed caring practices at a good level (98.33%). Considering each dimension, it was revealed  that the highest performing  was accidental prevention practice (gif.latex?\tilde{x}= 9.03, S.D. = 0.85). The lowest performing was mental health caring practice (gif.latex?\tilde{x}= 7.97, S.D. = 1.37). Factors that significantly influenced the caring practice of caregivers for dependent older adults were support from family, occupation as agriculture, recognition from community, female, supervision from case manager, knowledge and attitude toward caring for dependent older adults. All these factors could explain the variation of caring practices for dependent older adults by 64.8% (R2 = .648, p <.001).

            The findings suggested that case managers or nurses responsible in the long term care system should consider and apply these influencing factors for building the capacity of caregivers to maintain care for dependent older adults effectively.

Fundamentación La población mayor conforma uno de los grupos etarios más vulnerables. El avance del envejecimiento, asociado a las enfermedades y factores como la obesidad, el consumo de tabaco y la falta de actividad física, limitan la capacidad de la PM de mantener su independencia (OMS, 2002). Evaluar la condición física de estas personas es fundamental antes de iniciar cualquier plan de acción que conduzca a su mejora o mantenimiento. A nivel internacional existen baterías de test que evalúan la condición física de las PM, en términos de capacidades físicas como la fuerza, la flexibilidad, el equilibrio y la resistencia. En proyectos como VACAFUN1, los investigadores tuvieron en cuenta factores como el bienestar subjetivo y el estilo de vida, aspectos que están estrechamente relacionados con poblaciones que viven en una situación en particular. Por ello con este estudio se pretendió sentar bases sobre la importancia de la evaluación de la condición física, investigar los métodos utilizados hasta el momento para su valoración y seleccionar los más adecuados para la evaluación de la población antes mencionada.

In the context of current and expected demographic changes, the issues of which services the welfare state should offer and, ultimately, the very function of the welfare state are currently debated in Norway. The political discourse on health and care services for older adults has morphed into an accepted reality in which the system must be altered, prompting policy makers and stakeholders to find new and novel solutions to problems associated with population ageing. In this paper, we discuss one such proposed solution: the transformation of health and care services for the older adult population through the increased involvement of volunteers. We ask how volunteer efforts are articulated and delineated through official accounts and discuss the implications of such an articulation and delineation. We seek answers to these questions through a critical discourse analysis of recent governmental white papers. We investigate, in other words, volunteer efforts as a political instrument. W...

Grandparents play a vital role in providing childcare to families. Qualitative research and evidence from parents raise concerns that it is grandparents who are socioeconomically disadvantaged who provide grandchild care more regularly, perform more intensive tasks, and care out of financial necessity. However, no European studies have investigated these issues at population level. This study is based on grandparents aged 50+ who looked after grandchildren. Data are from wave 8 of the nationally representative English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (2016/2017). We exploit newly collected information on frequency of grandchild care, activities, and reasons for care. Using multinomial regressions, we first examined the extent to which grandparents' socioeconomic characteristics (wealth and education) are associated with frequency of grandchild care. Second, using logistic regressions, we investigated whether wealth and education are associated with activities and reasons for grandchild care. Overall, grandparents from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds were more likely to provide more regular childcare. Similarly, grandparents in the lowest wealth quartile were more involved in hands-on activities (cooking, taking/collecting grandchildren to/from school), whereas highly educated grandparents were more likely to help grandchildren with homework. Finally, better-off grandparents were more likely to look after grandchildren to help parents and provide emotional support and less likely to report difficulty in refusing to provide care. Our findings show that grandparental childcare varies by socioeconomic status with more intensive childcare activities falling disproportionately on those with fewer resources, and this may act to exacerbate existing socioeconomic inequalities in later life.

Purpose-This paper analyses how neighbourhood governance of social care affects the scope for frontline workers to address health inequities of older ethnic minorities. We critically discuss how an area-based, generic approach to service provision limits and enables frontline workers' efforts to reach out to ethnic minority elders, using a relational approach to place. This approach emphasises social and cultural distances to social care and understands efforts to bridge these distances as "relational work". Design/methodology/approach-The authors conducted a two-year multiple case study of the cities of Nijmegen and The Hague, the Netherlands, following the development of policies and practices relevant to ethnic minority elders. They conducted 44 semi-structured interviews with managers, policy officers and frontline workers as well as 295 h of participant observation at network events and meeting activities. Findings-Relational work was open-ended and consisted of a continuous reorientation of goals and means. In some cases, frontline workers spanned neighbourhood boundaries to connect with professional networks, key figures and places meaningful to ethnic minority elders. While neighbourhood governance is attuned to equality, relational work practice fosters possibilities for achieving equity. Research limitations/implications-Further research on achieving equity in relational work practice and more explicit policy support of relational work is needed. Originality/value-The paper contributes empirical knowledge about how neighbourhood governance of social care affects ethnic minority elders. It translates a relational view of place into a "situational" social justice approach.

The literature on death expectation in ill old age is mostly medical. A social science standpoint (especially quantitative) is practically absent. However, whether families, social and healthcare services can anticipate, support and prepare for the deaths of ill old adults is not reducible to the biomedical paradigm. Yet it is critical for end of life care (EOLC) policy. This study's aim is to investigate relatives' perception of death as unexpected in relation to both disease-related and care-related factors. Using the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing End-of-life Interviews Wave 6 this paper draws on probit regression analysis of unexpected (vs. expected) death in ill adults aged 50+. Findings are interpreted considering the containment of sudden death and the trajectories of dying in ill old age. The latter display overall visible decline preceding death. On this basis, EOLC literature and policy evidence death's uncertain timing as much as death's certain emergence in the horizon of expectation. Therefore, unexpected death in ill old age was interpreted as a failure to acknowledge dying, rather than the impossibility of discerning its approach. Very old age, dementia diagnoses and supported care environments were found to shape unexpected death.

Abstract: The present study investigates the effect of chair Yoga versus walking and chair aerobics on psychological
health in older adult men and women. Participants (M age = 83; N = 42) were randomly assigned to one of four
activity groups: chair Yoga, chair aerobics, walking, and social games (non-activity control group). Classes met for 30
minutes, 3 days per week, for 6 weeks. ANCOVAs revealed significant time by group interaction for stress frequency; the
Yoga group showed the most stress reduction over time. Time by group interactions for the other variables (stress severity,
depression, and anxiety) were nonsignificant, although Yoga participants experienced the most benefits over the course of
the intervention. Replication with a larger sample size is warranted in order to better understand the impact of Yoga on
psychological health in older adults.

Multimorbidity is common in older persons. It is associated with higher disability, poor functional status, poor quality of life and higher mortality. This article highlights the extent of the problem and apparent inadequacy of comprehensive assessment and management strategies. Role of clinicians, patients and the systems to address multimorbidity is emphasized.

The present paper looks at some of the issues of the old women with a special focus on widows of Vrindavan. In 2009, there were 88 million elderly people in India. By 2050, this figure is expected to soar over 320 million. By 2050, women over 60 years would exceed the number of elderly men by 18.4 million, which would result in a unique characteristic of ‘feminisation’ of the elderly population in India. In India the joint family system has now been replaced by nuclear families and the old age home are still shunned for there is a strong bias against them. With increased life span of older women, their financial needs are emerging as major concerns in old age. The gendered nature of ageing is such that universally, women tend to live longer than men. In the advanced age of 80 years and above, widowhood dominates the status of women with 71 per cent of women and only 29 per cent of men having lost their spouse. In India, social mores inhibit women from re-marrying, resulting in an increased likelihood of women ending up alone. The life of a widow is riddled with stringent moral codes, with integral rights relinquished and liberties circumvented. In many conservative Indian Hindu families, widows are shunned because they’re seen as bringing bad luck. Often they’re cast out of the family home. Most of these widows find refuge in Vrindavan. Here they lead a very miserable life mostly begging and singing hymns in praise of God. However, this year saw a change in the condition of these women due to the initiative of Sulabh International, which takes care of two shelter homes where more than 800 widows have been registered and for the first time after they became widows many women played Holi ( a festival of colours)excising their agency in a small way. The paper concludes by stating that there  is very little information available on these widows. There is a need for better data collection and research on the social and economic status of widows, and on inheritance practices. There should be information on cruel mourning rites and reforming social customs that marginalize and torture widows. There is also a need to collect information on violence to widows, and sexual abuse in context of AIDS.  We need to bring these widows into main stream and direct policies for a change in their status rather than just leaving them to their fate and at the mercy of religious institutions. Last but not least let us treat the widows as human beings and bring them into the main stream of the Women’s Movement.
Key words:  Widow, feminization, empowerment, mourning, Vrindavan, development.

Formålet med denne undersøgelse er at studere egenomsorg som styringsteknologi i et bestemt multifaktorielt faldforebyggelsesprogram for at få viden om, hvordan multifaktorielt faldforebyggelse (MF) administreres, praktiseres og forvaltes. Feltstudie med diskursanalyse er anvendt som metode og Michel Foucaults selvteknologibegreb er anvendt som analyseredskab. Tesen er, at egenomsorg som selvteknologi i MF etablerer nye roller for både patienter og sundhedspersonelle, der har konsekvenser for den måde MF administres, praktiseres og forvaltes på. Feltstudiet inkluderer deltagerobservation (220 timer), interviews (31) og dokumenter i perioden 2006-2008. Deltagerobservation foregik i en faldklinik og dens kontekst, hvor patienter og sundhedsprofessionelle blev fulgt gennem et MF- program. Semistrukturerede-interviews foregik med patienter (25) og administratorer (6). Tekst blev analyseret ud fra diskursanalytiske principper (artikel 4-5) og tematisk analyse (artikel 1-3). Resultater er sammenfattet i fem artikler, der finder, at egenomsorg i MF er magtudøvelse, der både er rettet mod patienter og sundhedsprofessionelle. Magtudøvelsen fungerer gennem selvteknikker som overvågnings-, askese- bekendelses- og overtalelsesmekanismer med den hensigt at hjælpe ældre borgere til et sundere og længere liv i uafhængighed. En ny motiveret patientrolle og en sundhedsprofessionel motivatorrolle blev fremanalyseret, og gennem fravalg, frafald og kamuflage satte disse roller grænser for, hvordan faldforebyggelse blev forvaltet og kunne forvaltes på. Lydighed og motivation blev fundet som grundlæggende værdier, der ikke kunne stilles spørgsmålstegn ved. Undersøgelsen kan anvendes som et bagtæppe til at få større indblik i konsekvenserne af egenomsorgsprincippet som styringsteknologi i klinisk praksis.

Intergenerational programs are reported as one type of social activity that may promote active aging among older adults. Survey methodology using open and closed-ended questions examined the extent to which participation in an intergenerational program enhanced the perceived health and well-being of older adults (N = 70). Older adults reported that their participation in the “Time after Time” intergenerational program enhanced their confidence, self-esteem, and social skills, contributed to their emotional and overall health and well-being, and enabled them to learn about others and feel connected to their community. The study supports the promotion of intergenerational programs as an option for older adults to actively age. Implications for practice are provided.

Context
Several intergovernmental organizations (Organisation for Economic Co‐operation and Development, World Health Organization, United Nations) are urging countries to use well‐being indicators (e.g., life satisfaction) in addition to traditional economic indicators when making important policy decisions. As the number of governments implementing this new approach grows, so does the need to continue evaluating the health and well‐being outcomes we might observe from policies aimed at improving life satisfaction.

Methods
We evaluated whether positive change in life satisfaction (between t0;2006/2008 and t1;2010/2012) was associated with better outcomes on 35 indicators of physical, behavioral, and psychosocial health and well‐being (in t2;2014/2016). Data were from 12,998 participants in the University of Michigan's Health and Retirement Study—a prospective and nationally representative cohort of US adults over age 50.

Findings
Participants with the highest (versus lowest) life satisfaction had better subsequent outcomes on some physical health indicators (lower risk of pain, physical functioning limitations, and mortality; lower number of chronic conditions; and higher self‐rated health) and health behaviors (lower risk of sleep problems and more frequent physical activity), and nearly all psychosocial indicators (higher positive affect, optimism, purpose in life, mastery, health mastery, financial mastery, and likelihood of living with spouse/partner; and lower depression, depressive symptoms, hopelessness, negative affect, perceived constraints, and loneliness) over the 4‐year follow‐up period. However, life satisfaction was not subsequently associated with many specific health conditions (i.e., diabetes, hypertension, stroke, cancer, heart disease, lung disease, arthritis, overweight/obesity, or cognitive impairment), other health behaviors (i.e., binge drinking or smoking), or frequency of contact with children, family, or friends.

Conclusions
These results suggest that life satisfaction is a valuable target for policies aiming to enhance several indicators of psychosocial well‐being, health behaviors, and physical health outcomes.

Psychodynamic psychotherapy for people in the second half of their lives. The article discusses the basic notions of psychodynamic psychotherapy for people in the second half of their lives, that is for people in their mid- and late adulthood. The topic is of current interest due to the rapid ageing of the society, but even so it remains neglected. The article presents the developmental perspective and discusses the reasons for which persons in the second half of their lives undergo treatment. It puts forward the conditions necessary for patients to qualify for therapy and analyses the issue of prognosis. It discusses the meaning of early childhood experiences for the psychopathology of middle and late adulthood and the related technical problems. It reflects on the problematic experience for the middle and, in particular, late adulthood. This experience is essential for the psychopathology of these periods of life and includes: death, loneliness and dependence. Finally, the article discusses the characteristics of several factors necessary for the process of psychotherapy which are also typical for people in the second half of their lives: specific regression and countertransference.

Community-dwelling older adults have raised the scientific community’s interest during the COVID-19 era as their chronic conditions might be aggravated by the consequences of confinement. Digital devices in this field to monitor cognitive impairment are an emerging reality of an innovative nature. However, some groups may not have benefited from these developments as much as, for example, younger people. The aim of this manuscript is to carry out a review on the development of digital devices, and specifically virtual assistants, for the detection of cognitive impairment in older adults. After a screening process, eight studies were found under the given criteria, and this number was even smaller for those using virtual assistants. Given the opportunities offered by virtual assistants through techniques such as natural language processing, it seems imperative to take advantage of this opportunity for groups such as older adults.

World Health Organization. (‎2019)‎. Integrated care for older people (‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ICOPE)‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎: guidance for person-centred assessment and pathways in primary care. World Health Organization. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/326843. License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO

Introduction: The Activity Card Sort-United Kingdom version is a self-report interview assessment requiring older adults to sort activity photograph cards to evaluate their levels of participation. The face validity and clinical utility of the activity card sort-United Kingdom were explored. Method: The sample comprised 27 community dwelling older adults (>65 years) and eight assessors. The Activity Card Sort-United Kingdom was administered, followed by a semi-structured interview to explore participants' opinions and experiences of undertaking the assessment. Time taken to administer and score was measured. Results: Mean administration and scoring time was 14 minutes and 30 seconds, which was considered reasonable by older people and assessors. The majority of participants found the Activity Card Sort-United Kingdom straightforward, easy to do and considered activities and activity labels clear. All participants considered that photographs looked like the activities they were depicting. Participants made recommendations which have led to some improvements to the assessment. Conclusion: The Activity Card Sort-United Kingdom has good clinical utility in terms of ease of use and time required for administering and scoring the assessment. Face validity, in terms of acceptability, was good, but more detailed instructions in the manual will be required to guide therapists on how to explain the purpose of the assessment to clients.

Mounting evidence indicates that there are specific associations between higher levels of optimism and healthier behaviors , reduced risk of chronic diseases, and lower mortality. Yet, for public health purposes, it is critical to consider how optimism might be related to a full scope of health conditions in aging-from cognitive to physical health. Using prospective data from the Health and Retirement Study (n = 5,698), we examined whether higher baseline optimism was associated with subsequent increased likelihood of maintaining healthy aging over 6-8 years of follow-up. Optimism was assessed at study baseline (2006 or 2008), and components of healthy aging were assessed every 2 years, defined as: 1) remaining free of major chronic diseases; 2) having no cognitive impairment; and 3) good physical functioning. Hazard ratios were obtained using Cox proportional hazards models, and a range of relevant covariates were considered (sociodemographic factors, depressive symptoms, and health behaviors). After adjusting for sociodemo-graphic factors and depression, the most (top quartile) versus least (bottom quartile) optimistic participants had a 24% increased likelihood of maintaining healthy aging (95% CI: 1.11, 1.38). Further adjustment for health behaviors did not meaningfully change the findings. Optimism, a potentially modifiable health asset, merits further research for its potential to improve likelihood of health in aging. chronic disease; cognitive function; health psychology; healthy aging; optimism; physical function; psychological well-being; resilience Abbreviations: CI, confidence interval; HRS, Health and Retirement Study. As populations age, identifying factors that foster maintenance of healthy aging into late life is crucial for improving the health and well-being of older adults and containing health-care costs (1, 2). Although average life expectancy has increased, the number of years lost to disability has also increased (3, 4). Further, US health-care spending, which reached $3.2 trillion in 2015, is expected to increase at an average rate of 5.5% per year over the next decade, an increase that is attributable partly to the rising prevalence and burden of chronic diseases. Although most biomedical and public health efforts to foster health have focused on reducing risk factors, an emerging body of research suggests that there are modifiable health assets that might contribute to reduced risk of age-related chronic diseases (5, 6). Dispositional optimism-the generalized expectation that good things will happen-is one promising health asset. Importantly, it appears as if the potential health benefits of optimism are independent of psychological distress (e.g., depression) (7). Although optimism is approximately 23%-32% heritable (8, 9) and is shaped by social, structural (e.g., socioeconomic status), and life-course factors (10, 11), randomized controlled trials suggest that it might be modified using a variety of methods that range from writing exercises (e.g., writing a list of items for which one is grateful) to classroom-based modules that focus on cognitive-behavioral strategies (12-14). Further, optimism has been associated with healthier behaviors (e.g., physical activity, healthy diet, not smoking, medication adherence) (15-19) and healthier biologic functioning (e.g., lower inflammation and higher antioxidants levels) (20-22), which in turn reduce risk of chronic conditions (23, 24). Finally, a previous study among 33,326 women from the Nurses' Health Study found that the most (top quartile) versus least (bottom quartile) optimistic women had 23% greater odds of healthy aging 8 years later, after adjusting for sociodemographic factors and depression (25). However, at that time, the Nurses'

Na esteira da alteração dos padrões demográficos, a velhice marca de modo sem precedentes a sociedade contemporânea. Ser idoso tem sido largamente descrito na literatura como uma experiência de solidão, sentimento de caráter multifacetado que se origina na insatisfação com as relações interpessoais. Este trabalho foca a associação entre tal estado psíquico e o envelhecimento, e mensura a incidência deste sentimento em uma amostra composta por 64 idosos que participaram do projeto Bem Envelhecer, da Rede Europeia Anti-Pobreza (EAPN/Portugal). Privilegia-se neste estudo a relação entre as variadas dimensões da solidão e o cruzamento da mesma com diversas variáveis. Para tanto, fora aplicado um inquérito com questões sociodemográficas e a escala SELSA-S (Short Version of the Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults). Os resultados apontam para a preponderância entre os participantes da pesquisa dos vínculos familiares, em detrimento dos sociais e românticos, e o período etário de 60 a 70 anos como particularmente vulnerável à emergência da solidão. 

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In the wake of changes to demographic patterns, old age marks, in a manner without precedent, contemporary society. Being an older person has been broadly described in the literature as a solitary experience, a feeling with a multifaceted character that is determined by insatisfaction with interpersonal relationships. This study seeks to evaluate the scale of the different dimensions of this phenomenon (familial, social, romantic) in the group of older persons who participated in the project Successful Aging of the European Antipoverty Network - Portugal. We further seek to study the association between the socio-demographic characteristics of the target-population and the diverse dimensions of loneliness. To this end, a questionnaire containing socio-demographic questions and the SELSA-S scale (Short Version of the Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults) was applied on a group of 64 older persons. The results indicate a greater vulnerability of the 'younger' older persons to loneliness and the preponderance of the familial dimension of loneliness when compared with the social and romantic dimensions of this phenomenon.

s from the 13th Annual American Telehealth Association Meeting on April 7, 2008 in Seattle, WA. Retrieved from http://media.americantelemed.org/conf/2008/presentations.htm. Brookes, L. (2005). SPAN-CHF II: Specialised Primary and Networked Care in Heart Failure II. In A. Weintruab, C. Kimmelstiel, D. Levine, & e. al, A multicenter randomised controlled comparison of telephonic disease management vsautomated home monitoring in patients recently hospitalised with heart failure: SPAN-CHF II trial. Boca Raton, Florida: Program and abstracts from the 9th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Heart Failure Society of America. Callahan, C. e. (2005). Treatment of depression improved physical performance in older adults. Journal of American Geriatrics Society, 53, 367-73. Cardinaux, F. B. (2011). Video Based Technology for Ambient Assisted Living: A review of the literature. Journal of Ambient Intelligence and Smart Environments, 3(3), 253-269. Chan, M., Esteve, D., Escriba, C., & Campo, E. (200...

Living Lab (LL) research should follow clear ethical guidelines and principles. While these exist in specific disciplinary contexts, there is a lack of tailored and specific ethical guidelines for the design, development, and implementation of LL projects. As well as the complexity of these dynamic and multi-faceted contexts, the engagement of older adults, and adults with reducing cognitive and physical capacity in LL research, poses additional ethical challenges. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 26 participants to understand multistakeholder experiences related to user engagement and related ethical issues in emerging LL research. The participants’ experiences and concerns are reported and translated into an ethical framework to guide future LL research initiatives.