Aging Boomers Research Articles

ADRD as Additional Risk Factor for Adverse Events Among Opioid-Using Older Adults

<h3>Introduction</h3> The high prevalence of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) presents a challenge for patients, caregivers, and society in general. Nationally, there are about 6 million people with an ADRD diagnosis which is projected to triple to 13.8 million people by 2050.[1] The prevalence of opioid use has been growing throughout the opioid crisis, and will increase in geriatric populations as the aging boomers transition to older adulthood.[2] Both opioid use and ADRD are risk factors for adverse events such as falls, aspiration, and GI/GU complications. [3,4] They are also each significantly associated with an increase in morbidity and mortality. Understanding the combined risk of ADRD and opioids will be important to inform prescribing practices to minimize the risk of adverse events in this vulnerable population. Using the South Carolina Alzheimer's Disease Registry, this study compares rates of inpatient hospitalizations and ED visits by opioid-using ADRD and non-ADRD older adults. <h3>Methods</h3> This is a retrospective study conducted by chart review of adults aged 50 years and older in the South Carolina Alzheimer's Disease Registry between the years 2010-2017.Rates of inpatient hospitalizations and ED visits of ADRD and non-ADRD adults were compared. Both populations were documented to have been using an opioid that contributed to the hospitalization or ED visit. These records were obtained from hospital medical records, discharge records, and ICD codes recorded in the registry. Generalized linear models were used to determine if changes in presentation rates over the study period were significant. <h3>Results</h3> 175,402 adults aged 50 or older with dementia diagnosis between 2010-1017 were reviewed. Composition of cohort by age was as follows: 50 to 59 years of age (5%), 60 to 69 years of age (16%), 70 to 79 years of age (30%), 80 years of age or older (49%). 62% of Cohort was Female. Racial composition was as follows: White (65%), Black/AA (23%), Other/Unknown (12%) Breakdown of dementia type was as follows: Alzheimer's (71%), Vascular (9%), Mixed (3%), Other (17%). ADRD cohort members demonstrated a higher rate of opioid-related inpatient hospitalizations than similar-aged people in the general population (Table 1), with a relative risk ratio of 3.2. Similarly, ADRD cohort members demonstrated a higher rate of opioid-related ED visits than similar-aged people in the general population (Table 2), with a relative risk ratio of 2.1. Rate differences were observed by age group, with younger ADRD age groups having the highest opioid-related inpatient and ED visits rates compared to same age groups in the general population. As age increased, opioid-related inpatient and ED visit rates, although higher, were closer to rates observed for the same age groups in the general population. All 4 age cohorts within ADRD and non-ADRD populations were combined into one age cohort comprised of age >50, and examined for statistically significant differences in inpatient hospitalization and ED visit rates over time. The differences were significant in the Non-ADRD inpatient cohort (p=0.0001), as well as both the ADRD and non-ADRD cohort for ED visits (p=0.0001). Only the inpatient ADRD cohort did not exhibit statistically significant differences (p=0.4664) <h3>Conclusions</h3> The preliminary results of this investigation suggest that an ADRD diagnosis may increase the risk of adverse events among opioid-using older adults. Observed differences in outcomes among younger age cohorts may suggest differing severities due to varying type (eg early onset, substance related) as well as differences in care settings between older and younger cohorts. Hazard ratios are strongly suggestive of higher rates of inpatient hospitalization and ED visits in opioid-using ADRD patients. Further statistical analysis of each age cohort separately is necessary to further the strength and validity of this study. <h3>This research was funded by</h3> None reported. Chart: https://apps.aagponline.org/abstracts/uploads/2022/t11gi0i74fv6q8a.pdf

Marketing Preventive Health to Baby Boomers: What if Unhealthy Lifestyles are Attributable to the Counterculture?

The boom generation is aging. Research has found that aging boomers are more vulnerable to mental and physical health problems and that adoption of healthy lifestyles may be a game changer for preventive health marketing to deliver health and quality of life. While Rahtz and Szykman’s (2008) model focuses on educating aging boomers with preventive health knowledge to facilitate lifestyle change, unhealthy lifestyles entrenched in the culture of the Woodstock generation may be more resistant to change. Drawing on the metaphor of cultural capital, we theorize that Counterculture lifestyles in different fields are intricately intertwined symbolic elements organized by an anti-establishment habitus and, as such, should be naturally correlated and capable of predicting one another. Data analysis confirmed that withdrawal from institutional religion as a defiant lifestyle in the spiritual field four or five decades ago is associated with alcohol excess and cigarette smoking among aging boomers in 2016. Rahtz and Szykman’s (2008) model was modified to include withdrawal from institutional religion to better understand its impact on lifestyle change, health, and quality of life. Implications for marketing preventive health to aging boomers were also discussed.

An ageing well collaboration: opportunity or wicked problem

PurposeWithin the “wicked” concept of ageing, this paper aims to primarily model an integrated approach to identifying and evaluating opportunities that deliver innovative outcomes in Ageing Well Practice, Health and Economic Policy and Research Actions using a collaborative and entrepreneurial mindset. The strategic focus is on a “Boomer” (user)-driven and facilitated Network – that brings together health professionals, research specialists, technologists, ageing well providers, “encore” career specialists, life-style providers, community groups, wealth creation specialists and industry innovators to streamline the progression of identified concepts to valued users and markets and enhance the economy.Design/methodology/approachUsing the unit of analysis for innovation, i.e. the “added-value” as perceived by the user and not simply a product or a technology, the identified “opportunity-outcome” will embed a new service concept or intervention, which embraces and promotes ageing well, independent living or resident-centred care in the community and delivers direct and indirect economic benefits.FindingsThe authors model a point of differentiation in facilitating existing ageing well policies in the community, through a focus on an integrated and multi-dimensional collaborative framework that can deliver user value and contributes to community and economic benefits.Research limitations/implicationsGeneralising results without a commercial business case from this single strategic viewpoint requires caution. The positive outcomes from this innovation collaborative concept can be used to guide further policy development and business investment in ageing well needs.Practical implicationsSuch an integrated innovation collaborative structure provides the capacity to identify ageing well opportunities, to contract enterprises, both SMEs’ and larger companies, for development of the opportunities into user-valued outcomes, to network venture resources and deliver these outcomes to a sustainable market of ageing well citizens.Social implicationsThe Ageing Well Innovation collaborative framework identifies practical ways to integrate new concepts of ageing participation to be realised by the increasing number of “Boomers”. It provides a self-managing process for linking individuals, public and private parties to maximise information and ideas flow, and engagement of the skilled resources in the Boomer group.Originality/valueThe innovation collaborative structure proposed is not simply novel but is a targeted focus on entrepreneurship and innovation applied strategically to the needs of ageing boomers and community needs. The added-value is in the demonstrated enhancement to effective innovation outcomes in community ageing and the economy.

Working toward a Multi-Program Strategy in Fall Prevention.

The exceptional compilation of healthy aging articles contained within this Research Topic are timely, and highlight many important ongoing health care reform initiatives to improve the healthy behaviors of older adults and aging boomers. The national discussion understandably focuses on chronic conditions including cost containment, improved patient outcomes, and quality of life measures. However, I would suggest that the prevention of older adult falls and related injuries should be an integral part of the discussion. By broadening the discussion of effective management of chronic diseases and focusing on how to help inform, educate, and support aging Americans, we could also reduce the growing number of falls and falls-related injuries and deaths in this vulnerable population (1). While the evidence is strong that a small number of targeted prevention programs have significantly reduced falls in older adults, few of these programs followed participants for longer than 12 months (2). However, in the absence of long-term outcome data tracking the maintenance of behavior changes, it is difficult to evaluate if we are promoting long-term healthy behaviors or just forestalling the onset of a fall. The evidence is equally strong for linking the growing number of chronic conditions in older adults to falls. Chronic disease can significantly increase the risk of a variety of factors associated with those diseases. This includes, but is not limited to functional limitations and disabilities; chronic pain; sensory deprivations; vision effects; and balance and gait disturbances. Chronic disease manifestations may also increase the risk of falls through indirect effects such as reduced physical activity level, reduced social activities, and potential depression or anxiety. Medications to treat chronic diseases can also lead to an increased risk of falls through both the absolute number taken and the potential interactions (3–6). Research strongly suggests that people who exercise regularly live longer and healthier lives. Being physically active and following an exercise program can reduce the risk of developing some diseases and disabilities that often occur with age. Strength exercises build muscles and reduce the risk of osteoporosis. Flexibility or stretching exercises help keep the body and joints flexible and often help to modulate pain (7). Not surprisingly, exercise – especially strength, balance, and flexibility – is a key strategy in reducing the risk of falls and serious injury. Seminal research by Tinetti and colleagues noted that the cumulative number of falls risks (including but not limited to declining strength; balance/gait issues; vision changes; postural blood pressure; depression; arthritis; foot problems; multiple medications; and environmental hazards) mattered (8). So, it seems that the questions worth exploring are: Can we make a strong case for the fall prevention contributions of community programs effective in helping older adults make behavior changes to enhance the management of their chronic conditions? Can we consider a multi-program, longer-term community strategy that helps to maintain behavior change, promotes physical activity, and helps to better manage medications and chronic conditions as a longer-term fall prevention strategy? How will seniors/caregivers view this change in strategy? More importantly how can we recruit growing numbers of senior participants, program leaders, and mentors? How can we capture outcomes to promote the reimbursement of programs that can reduce health care costs and promote quality of life?

Leadership in Senior Volunteer Community: The Transition of Social Capital of Female Elder in Taiwan

As the trend of the increasing aging boomers, more and more women are willing to be the volunteers after their retirement. This research is an investigation of two volunteer communities in Taipei City and County. All the data were obtained through 〞in‐person depth interview〞 and 〞focus groups〞, indicating: (1) What really encourages their participation is the well‐being in spirituality, self‐esteem, companionship from others and the obligation to help others, which shows the aspects of altruism. (2) The challenges to hold back the female elder from community affairs is agerelated. Younger women withdraw from the community because they are disappointed about the community affairs and training curricula; while elder members drop out because of physical frailty. (3) All the female elder regain the energy in the community and cherish the opportunity to share with friends. (4) Leadership has to show intensive relationship of inter‐person and intra‐person. And the leader or instructor of the senior aging community should be the 〞catalyst〞 or 〞facilitator〞 in the community.

More Wars for the Middle East?

More Wars for the Middle East?

This Chronic Patient Becomes a Humanistic Patient Who Helps Clinicians

A historian of aging, privileged to work with an interdisciplinary team of caregivers and researchers in a division of geriatric and palliative care of a major medical school and teaching hospital, discovers that his history of chronic illnesses secures him a useful role as a humanistic patient who helps clinicians to respond to the concerns, fears, and needs of aging Boomers.

Profile of the 'aging boomers' in Taiwan

It is generally agreed that the “post-World War II baby boom” began in 1946, and last for about two decades. Baby boomers born in 1946 turned 65 in 2011, which marked the first year of the 20-year “aging boom”. The profile of the aging boomers, so-called “the new generation of older adults (NG),” will surely be very different from that of the current generation of older adults (CG) who are 65 and older. This paper compiles related demographic data in Taiwan [1, 2] and compares the profiles of NG and CG.

The Importance of Social Connectedness in Building Age-Friendly Communities

The purpose of this paper is to further elucidate the importance of social relationships and social connectedness with aging in place and in developing elder-friendly communities. The process used in this study was inclusive of younger adults (age 40–65) as well as older adults (65+) in order to further understand how they envision a community that could support their own aging in place. A community forum, using the World Café format, was conducted in order to engage community members, 40 years and older, in conversation about the importance of social connectedness in elder-friendly communities. A second purpose of this forum was to obtain data on what would keep aging boomers in their community as they age. Three major themes emerged from qualitative analysis of the forum: social reciprocity, meaningful interactions, and structural needs/barriers. The results of this study reinforce the importance of social connectedness in creating and maintaining elder-friendly communities for older adults, as well as soon-to-be retired individuals, wishing to maintain life connectedness to their community. The study suggests the possibility of using more nontraditional research techniques (such as the World Café process) for gathering community level data.

The Pivotal Role of the Director of Nursing in Nursing Homes

The impending wave of aging boomers heightens long-standing concerns for the quality and cost of nursing home care. As industry and policy leaders continue efforts to remedy substandard nursing home care delivery practices, development of a well-prepared and adequately supported workforce of directors of nursing (DONs) is essential to ensuring the industry's readiness for the aging wave population. Directors of nursing are in pivotal positions to influence nursing home quality and costs; however, research demonstrating the extent of this influence-actual and potential-is lacking, and industry leaders have collectively failed to address the current or future capacity of this workforce. A long history of inattention to the DON position, coupled with low expectations for the competencies and requisite educational preparation, has potentially compromised the capacity of DONs to promote and sustain high-quality, cost-effective nursing home care. The purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive overview and discussion of the current and potential capacity of DONs to lead the delivery of high-quality, cost-effective nursing home care from industry, educational and professional development, healthcare policy, and organizational contexts. Proposed strategies and recommendations to enhance and promote the future capacity of DONs are also presented.

Impact of population ageing and baby boomers: Driving change in development control for retirement housing

Impact of population ageing and baby boomers: Driving change in development control for retirement housing

The 2005 White House Conference on Aging: Psychology and the aging boomers.

The 2005 White House Conference on Aging: Psychology and the aging boomers.

Webwatch: Ageing and sport

http://www.aarp.org/health/fitness AARP is a US non-profit membership organisation that addresses the needs and interests of individuals aged 50 years and older. This section of the organisation's site offers a range of resources for the general public on walking, various sports, office exercises, choosing a personal trainer, and more. Links from the lower left of the main page include an online fitness course and activities workbook. http://www.ahrq.gov/ppip/activity.htm This report from the US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality provides extensive data on the importance of physical activity in older adults, the prevalence and costs of inactivity, and the health benefits of regular activity. It also recommends specific levels of physical activity to attain benefits. http://www.icaa.cc The ICAA offers educational materials and other resources to professionals in the retirement, assisted living, recreation, fitness, rehabilitation, medical, and wellness fields whose aim it is to change society's perceptions of ageing and improving the quality of life for ageing boomers and older adults. Headline news, sample newsletters, links to various fitness and wellness-related studies, and some full-text reports are available online to non-members. http://www.nsga.com This is the home site for senior competitive sports and olympics. Highlights include a hall of fame, online newsletters, and links to games held at the (US) state level. http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/physical/growing_stronger/index.htm This site provides a comprehensive strength training programme, and a downloadable (pdf format) guide and weblinks, to encourage older adults to “feel stronger, healthier, and more vital.” http://nihseniorhealth.gov/exercise/toc.html Here is an informative and motivational multimedia presentation on exercise for older adults. The section includes suggested exercises, streaming video, quizzes, and safety advice.

Pinhead politics? Fox News versus the Canadian regulators

Typically, the New York Times isn’t strong on presenting Canadian news to its readers - unlike the Canadian counterpart, The Globe and Mail, which features a daily diet of American news - politics and entertainment. In the last year the New York Times’s Canadian-focused articles included topics such as antismoking legislation in Nunavut, potential terrorist ties to Canada, acrimonious debates over border safety, the travails of ageing boomers and seniors crossing the border to avail themselves of cheaper Canadian pharmaceuticals, legalized gay marriages, hockey, sordid politics (a patronage scandal in the Liberal party), softwood lumber disputes under NAFTA, the decriminalization of marijuana, and the synergy between Prime Minister Martin and rock star Bono.

Turning Numbers into Workers: Aging Boomers in the Internet Age

Turning Numbers into Workers: Aging Boomers in the Internet Age

Aging: Concepts and Controversies

Preface Prologue About the Authors Basic Concepts I. A Life Course Perspective on Aging Controversy 1. Does Old Age Have Meaning? Controversy 2. Why Do Our Bodies Grow Old? Controversy 3. Does Intellectual Functioning Decline With Age? Basic Concepts II. Aging, Health Care, and Society Controversy 4. Should We Ration Health Care for Older People? Controversy 5. Should Families Provide for Their Own? Controversy 6. Should Older People Be Protected From Bad Choices? Controversy 7. Should People Have the Choice to End Their Lives? Basic Concepts III. Social and Economic Outlook for an Aging Society Controversy 8. Should Age or Need Be the Basis for Entitlement? Controversy 9. What Is the Future for Social Security? Controversy 10. Is Retirement Obsolete? Controversy 11. Aging Boomers: Boom or Bust? Controversy 12. The New Aging Marketplace: Hope or Hype? Appendix. How to Research a Term Paper in Gerontology Bibliography Photo Credits Glossary/Index