Older Americans 2010: Key Indicators of Well-Being

[Excerpt] Older Americans 2010: Key Indicators of Well-Being (Older Americans 2010) is the fifth in a series of reports produced by the Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics (Forum) that describe the overall status of the U.S. population age 65 and over. Once again, this report uses data from over a dozen national data sources to construct broad indicators of well-being for the older population and to monitor changes in these indicators over time. By following these data trends, more accessible information will be available to target efforts to improve the lives of older Americans. With the exception of the indicator on nursing home utilization, for which new data are not available at this time, all indicators from the last edition reappear in Older Americans 2010. The Forum hopes that this report will stimulate discussions by policymakers and the public, encourage exchanges between the data and policy communities, and foster improvements in federal data collection on older Americans. By examining a broad range of indicators, researchers, policymakers, service providers, and the federal government can better understand the areas of well-being that are improving for older Americans and the areas of well-being that require more attention and effort

Selected Indicators of Retirement Resources Among People Aged 55-64: 1984, 1994, 2004

[Excerpt] As the leading edge of the baby boom approaches retirement age, policy makers and the public are asking, “How will people approaching age 65 fare in retirement, particularly compared to previous generations?” Although this is a difficult question to answer, some insight can be gained by comparing the retirement resources of people who are 55–-64 today to those of earlier generations. Selected Indicators of Retirement Resources Among People Aged 55–-64:1984, 1994, and 2004 (Retirement Resources), produced by the Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics (Forum), used national data to provide a comparison of select measures of retirement resources among people aged 55-–64 in 2004 to the resources of earlier cohorts in 1984 and 1994. Retirement Resources focuses primarily on two areas –– measures of economic resources that comprise retirement income (Social Security benefits, financial wealth and assets, and occupational pension income) and insurance against health care risk (the availability of employer-provided health insurance that continues after retirement; the purchase of long-term care insurance; and the availability of adult children for informal care). This report is not intended to be a comprehensive study of retirement resources among people nearing retirement; in particular, it does not include important areas such as health status, lifestyle behavior, health care utilization, and/or health care costs. Instead, the report highlights similarities and differences in retirement income and insurance against health care risks among three different cohorts. Retirement Resources differs from other Forum reports in that it focuses on the population nearing age 65, rather than those who are already age 65 and over. Recognizing that decisions people make before they retire can play a major role in how well prepared they are for retirement, the Forum has compared retirement resources across three cohorts of people aged 55–-64 to show how the needs of older people in the future may differ from the needs of older people today

Older Americans Update 2006: Key Indicators of Well-Being

[Exerpt] As the baby boom generation anticipates retirement, a growing proportion of older Americans are in fact remaining in the workforce. Labor force participation rates for older women have increased significantly since the mid-1980s, and for older men, since the mid-1990s, according to an updated report from the government\u27s Federal Forum on Aging-Related Statistics. The labor force statistics are among several updated facts and figures in the Forum\u27s databook series on aging

Key indicators of well-being

"This report provides the latest data on the 37 key indicators selected by the Forum to portray aspects of the lives of older Americans and their families. It is divided into five subject areas: population, economics, health status, health risks and behaviors, and health care." --Website."Americans age 65 and over are an important and growing segment of our population. Many federal agencies provide data on aspects of older Americans' lives, but it can be difficult to fit the pieces together. Thus, it has become increasingly important for policymakers and the general public to have an accessible, easy-to-understand portrait that shows how older Americans are faring. Older Americans 2010: Key Indicators of Well-Being (Older Americans 2010) provides a comprehensive picture of our older population's health and well-being. It is the fifth chartbook prepared by the Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics (Forum), which now has 15 participating federal agencies. As with the earlier volumes, readers will find here an accessible compendium of indicators drawn from the most reliable official statistics. The indicators are again categorized into five broad groups: population, economics, health status, health risks and behaviors, and health care. Many of the estimates reported in Older Americans 2010 were collected in 2007 and 2008, the years straddling the large-scale financial downturn that began in December 2007. Thus, although this was an economically challenging time, the data reported in Older Americans 2010 do not in all cases reflect this crisis. The Forum did produce a short report, Data Sources on the Impact of the 2008 Financial Crisis on the Economic Well-being of Older Americans at the end of 2009 that provides information about data sources that may shed light on the effects of the economic downturn on the well-being of older Americans." - p. iiForeword -- Acknowledgments -- About this report -- List of tables -- Highlights -- Population -- Indicator 1: Number of Older Americans -- Indicator 2: Racial and Ethnic Composition -- Indicator 3: Marital Status -- Indicator 4: Educational Attainment -- Indicator 5: Living Arrangements -- Indicator 6: Older Veterans -- -- Economics -- Indicator 7: Poverty -- Indicator 8: Income -- Indicator 9: Sources of Income -- Indicator 10: Net Worth -- Indicator 11: Participation in the Labor Force -- Indicator 12: Total Expenditures -- Indicator 13: Housing Problems -- -- Health Status -- Indicator 14: Life Expectancy -- Indicator 15: Mortality -- Indicator 16: Chronic Health Conditions -- Indicator 17: Sensory Impairments and Oral Health -- Indicator 18: Respondent- Assessed Health Status -- Indicator 19: Depressive Symptoms -- Indicator 20: Functional Limitations -- -- Health Risks and Behaviors -- Indicator 21: Vaccinations -- Indicator 22: Mammography -- Indicator 23: Diet Quality -- Indicator 24: Physical Activity -- Indicator 25: Obesity -- Indicator 26: Cigarette Smoking -- Indicator 27: Air Quality -- Indicator 28: Use of Time -- -- Health Care -- Indicator 29: Use of Health Care Services -- Indicator 30: Health Care Expenditures -- Indicator 31: Prescription Drugs -- Indicator 32: Sources of Health Insurance -- Indicator 33: Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenditures -- Indicator 34: Sources of Payment for Health Care Services -- Indicator 35: Veterans' Health Care -- Indicator 36: Residential Services -- Indicator 37: Personal Assistance and Equipment -- Data Needs -- References -- Appendix A: Detailed Tables -- Appendix B: Data Source Descriptions -- Appendix C: GlossaryFederal Interagency Forum on Aging Related Statistics.The Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics consists of the U.S. Census Bureau, the DHHS Administration on Aging, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Centers for Medicare and Medaid Services, the National Center for Health Statistics, the National Institute of Aging, and 9 other US Federal institutions.Also available via the World Wide Web as an Acrobat .pdf file (15.9 MB, 174 p.).Includes bibliographical references

Key indicators of well-being

Population -- Economics -- Health status -- Health risks and behaviors -- Health care."November 2004"--Cover [p. 2].The Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics consists of the U.S. Census Bureau, the DHHS Administration on Aging, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Centers for Medicare and Medaid Services, the National Center for Health Statistics, the National Institute of Aging, and 9 other US Federal institutions.Also available via the World Wide Web as an Acrobat .pdf file (7.5 MB, 160 p.).Includes bibliographical references (p. 62-65)

A comparison of benzodiazepine and related drug use in Nova Scotia and Australia

Objective: Benzodiazepines can be a problem if used for long periods, or in at-risk populations, such as the elderly. We compared the use of benzodiazepine and related prescription medicines in Nova Scotia and Australia

The Effect of an 8-Week Tai Chi Exercise Program on Physical Functional Performance in Middle-Aged Women

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of an 8-week Tai Chi Chih exercise program on physical functional performance (PFP) among women aged 45 to 65 years. A quasi-experimental design with a nonequivalent comparison group was used. Forty-one healthy inactive women were assigned to either an intervention group (n = 19) or a comparison group (n = 19). A 60-min Tai Chi Chih exercise class was conducted twice a week for 8 weeks. PFP was measured at baseline and postintervention using the Continuous Scale Physical Functional Performance–10 (CS-PFP 10). Between-group differences were analyzed using one-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). After participating in the 8-week program, intervention group participants showed greater improvement in the CS-PFP measures (p .06). However, the comparison group had little changes. The findings from this study suggest that participation in an 8-week Tai Chi Chih exercise program can improve PFP in healthy, community-dwelling middle-aged women.Yeshttps://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/manuscript-submission-guideline

Social Involvement in Religious Institutions and God-Mediated Control Beliefs: A Longitudinal Investigation

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/74707/1/j.1468-5906.2007.00375.x.pd

Translating research in elder care: an introduction to a study protocol series

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The knowledge translation field is undermined by two interrelated gaps – underdevelopment of the science and limited use of research in health services and health systems decision making. The importance of context in theory development and successful translation of knowledge has been identified in past research. Additionally, examination of knowledge translation in the long-term care (LTC) sector has been seriously neglected, despite the fact that aging is increasingly identified as a priority area in health and health services research.</p> <p>Aims</p> <p>The aims of this study are: to build knowledge translation theory about the role of organizational context in influencing knowledge use in LTC settings and among regulated and unregulated caregivers, to pilot knowledge translation interventions, and to contribute to enhanced use of new knowledge in LTC.</p> <p>Design</p> <p>This is a multi-level and longitudinal program of research comprising two main interrelated projects and a series of pilot studies. An integrated mixed method design will be used, including sequential and simultaneous phases to enable the projects to complement and inform one another. Inferences drawn from the quantitative and qualitative analyses will be merged to create meta-inferences.</p> <p>Outcomes</p> <p>Outcomes will include contributions to (knowledge translation) theory development, progress toward resolution of major conceptual issues in the field, progress toward resolution of methodological problems in the field, and advances in the design of effective knowledge translation strategies. Importantly, a better understanding of the contextual influences on knowledge use in LTC will contribute to improving outcomes for residents and providers in LTC settings.</p

Decision or No Decision: How Do Patient–Physician Interactions End and What Matters?

BACKGROUND: A clearly stated clinical decision can induce a cognitive closure in patients and is an important investment in the end of patient–physician communications. Little is known about how often explicit decisions are made in primary care visits. OBJECTIVE: To use an innovative videotape analysis approach to assess physicians’ propensity to state decisions explicitly, and to examine the factors influencing decision patterns. DESIGN: We coded topics discussed in 395 videotapes of primary care visits, noting the number of instances and the length of discussions on each topic, and how discussions ended. A regression analysis tested the relationship between explicit decisions and visit factors such as the nature of topics under discussion, instances of discussion, the amount of time the patient spoke, and competing demands from other topics. RESULTS: About 77% of topics ended with explicit decisions. Patients spoke for an average of 58 seconds total per topic. Patients spoke more during topics that ended with an explicit decision, (67 seconds), compared with 36 seconds otherwise. The number of instances of a topic was associated with higher odds of having an explicit decision (OR = 1.73, p < 0.01). Increases in the number of topics discussed in visits (OR = 0.95, p < .05), and topics on lifestyle and habits (OR = 0.60, p < .01) were associated with lower odds of explicit decisions. CONCLUSIONS: Although discussions often ended with explicit decisions, there were variations related to the content and dynamics of interactions. We recommend strengthening patients’ voice and developing clinical tools, e.g., an “exit prescription,” to improving decision making