Assessing Needs for Gerontological Education in Urban and Rural Areas of Ohio

Purpose of the Study: This project surveyed health care professionals from both urban and rural care settings in Ohio and examined differences in professionals’ needs and interests in continuing gerontological education. Design and Methods: The survey data were analyzed for 766 health care professionals descriptively, using cross-tabulations and c2 tests. Results: The key findings were that professionals are willing to drive a maximum time of one-hour per week to travel one way to attend classes/workshops to earn gerontology certificate among both urban and rural drivers [(4,N=514)=11.65,p=.020]. Distance learning was the most preferred method for furthering gerontological education for both urban (39%) and rural (49%) participants. One quarter or fewer of the professionals were interested in obtaining a master’s degree. Of slightly greater interest was pursuit of a graduate gerontology certificate (25% urban and 28% rural). It is concluded that there is a need and desire for professionals working with aging populations in Ohio to pursue additional education. Preferences for obtaining education inform us of the ways in which education can best be delivered. Implications: Youngstown State University can apply to increase gerontological education access in both urban and rural areas. Such educational opportunities will be a great service to the urban and rural areas of the aging population in the state of Ohio

Multiorgan MRI findings after hospitalisation with COVID-19 in the UK (C-MORE): a prospective, multicentre, observational cohort study

Introduction: The multiorgan impact of moderate to severe coronavirus infections in the post-acute phase is still poorly understood. We aimed to evaluate the excess burden of multiorgan abnormalities after hospitalisation with COVID-19, evaluate their determinants, and explore associations with patient-related outcome measures. Methods: In a prospective, UK-wide, multicentre MRI follow-up study (C-MORE), adults (aged ≥18 years) discharged from hospital following COVID-19 who were included in Tier 2 of the Post-hospitalisation COVID-19 study (PHOSP-COVID) and contemporary controls with no evidence of previous COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid antibody negative) underwent multiorgan MRI (lungs, heart, brain, liver, and kidneys) with quantitative and qualitative assessment of images and clinical adjudication when relevant. Individuals with end-stage renal failure or contraindications to MRI were excluded. Participants also underwent detailed recording of symptoms, and physiological and biochemical tests. The primary outcome was the excess burden of multiorgan abnormalities (two or more organs) relative to controls, with further adjustments for potential confounders. The C-MORE study is ongoing and is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04510025. Findings: Of 2710 participants in Tier 2 of PHOSP-COVID, 531 were recruited across 13 UK-wide C-MORE sites. After exclusions, 259 C-MORE patients (mean age 57 years [SD 12]; 158 [61%] male and 101 [39%] female) who were discharged from hospital with PCR-confirmed or clinically diagnosed COVID-19 between March 1, 2020, and Nov 1, 2021, and 52 non-COVID-19 controls from the community (mean age 49 years [SD 14]; 30 [58%] male and 22 [42%] female) were included in the analysis. Patients were assessed at a median of 5·0 months (IQR 4·2–6·3) after hospital discharge. Compared with non-COVID-19 controls, patients were older, living with more obesity, and had more comorbidities. Multiorgan abnormalities on MRI were more frequent in patients than in controls (157 [61%] of 259 vs 14 [27%] of 52; p<0·0001) and independently associated with COVID-19 status (odds ratio [OR] 2·9 [95% CI 1·5–5·8]; padjusted=0·0023) after adjusting for relevant confounders. Compared with controls, patients were more likely to have MRI evidence of lung abnormalities (p=0·0001; parenchymal abnormalities), brain abnormalities (p<0·0001; more white matter hyperintensities and regional brain volume reduction), and kidney abnormalities (p=0·014; lower medullary T1 and loss of corticomedullary differentiation), whereas cardiac and liver MRI abnormalities were similar between patients and controls. Patients with multiorgan abnormalities were older (difference in mean age 7 years [95% CI 4–10]; mean age of 59·8 years [SD 11·7] with multiorgan abnormalities vs mean age of 52·8 years [11·9] without multiorgan abnormalities; p<0·0001), more likely to have three or more comorbidities (OR 2·47 [1·32–4·82]; padjusted=0·0059), and more likely to have a more severe acute infection (acute CRP >5mg/L, OR 3·55 [1·23–11·88]; padjusted=0·025) than those without multiorgan abnormalities. Presence of lung MRI abnormalities was associated with a two-fold higher risk of chest tightness, and multiorgan MRI abnormalities were associated with severe and very severe persistent physical and mental health impairment (PHOSP-COVID symptom clusters) after hospitalisation. Interpretation: After hospitalisation for COVID-19, people are at risk of multiorgan abnormalities in the medium term. Our findings emphasise the need for proactive multidisciplinary care pathways, with the potential for imaging to guide surveillance frequency and therapeutic stratification

Peer and Faculty Mentoring for Students Pursuing a PHD in Gerontology

The Graduate Center for Gerontology at the University of Kentucky incorporates three levels of mentoring in its PhD program. This project assessed satisfaction with peer and faculty mentoring and explored their perceived benefits and purposes. Core and affiliate faculty and current and graduated students were surveyed. Participants seemed satisfied with the mentoring they were giving and receiving, although all groups discussed limitations. Peer mentors were seen as social support and advice givers, while faculty mentors were viewed as responsible for direction and skill-building. These results can contribute to the development of new mentorship programs and the modification of existing ones. This article represents a portion of a larger study of a trio of mentoring components of a doctoral program in gerontology, conducted by the program's own mentoring committee. The mentoring committee was comprised of faculty and student representatives who sought to improve mentoring within the doctoral program. The current article focuses on the faculty and peer mentoring components of the program. Faculty mentors are generally mutually chosen by students and affected faculty members prior to mentees' arrivals to campus or during the first few weeks of the first semester. Generally, pairings are based on shared research interests. Faculty members assign faculty mentors to students who have not chosen specific research interests or who do not have interests directly comparable to any faculty mentor in the department. The faculty mentor is the student's primary instructor for determining classes to take and how to conduct research, teach, provide service to a department, write grants, and publish articles. Peer mentors are students who have been involved with the program for at least one year who are randomly paired with incoming students by a volunteering student or faculty member before the new students arrive on campus. Peer mentors are expected to help mentees with more informal concerns such as housing and dining options. Initially, they serve as campus and program navigators. Peer mentors also give advice on the program from the perspective of someone who has “been there.” Mentorship is a vital part of higher education. Mentoring is defined in many different ways and utilized for many different purposes, depending upon the type of program and the caliber of students. Both faculty members and peers may serve as effective mentors in different ways. Previous studies have focused on the purpose and benefits of various types of mentoring, the process that mentoring relationships go through over time, and the potential scope of mentoring benefits

Aging in Place or Relocation? Plans of Community-Dwelling Older Adults

This study examines the anticipated housing options of 416 community-dwelling older adults from a semi-rural upstate New York county using data from the first two data collections of the Pathways to Life Quality Study. Aging in place, either with or without home modifications to meet special needs as they arise, is seen as the most likely anticipated housing, followed by moving to a retirement community and living with others. Measures of psychosocial well-being, variables assessing resident satisfaction with current homes, health status, and moving intentions were entered into structural equation models in an effort to predict perceived likelihood of living in select housing arrangements. Our findings indicate that those who were considering a move were more likely to consider retirement communities rather than moving closer to relatives. Home satisfaction measures were related to the anticipation of remaining in one\u27s home with modifications. Factors that can be predictive of ability to successfully age in place, such as better health and social support networks, were not significant. Additional research on moving intentions in conjunction with housing options is needed. Although many new types of senior housing have emerged in recent years, marketing and educational materials may not be reaching the older adult populations

Mentoring in gerontology doctoral education: the role of elders in mentoring gerontologists

This study examined elder mentors' and students' roles, functions, and satisfaction with the Elder Mentorship program at the Graduate Center for Gerontology, University of Kentucky. The Elder Mentorship program matches gerontology doctoral students with older adults in the community. Parallel surveys were constructed to evaluate the program from the perspectives of elder mentors and student mentees. Data were analyzed using descriptive frequency analyses, with open-ended questions analyzed thematically. Results show that students and elder mentors were mostly satisfied with their experiences. Elder mentors perceived their participation more positively than did student mentees. Future programs utilizing the elder mentorship model may benefit from matching students and elder mentors in terms of shared interests

Variation in Older Adult Characteristics by Residence Type and Use of Home- and Community-Based Services

Background: The majority of older adults prefer to remain in their homes, or to “age-in-place.” To accomplish this goal, many older adults will rely upon home- and community-based services (HCBS) for support. However, the availability and accessibility of HCBS may differ based on whether the older adult lives in the community or in a senior housing apartment facility. Methods: This paper reports findings from the Pathways to Life Quality study of residential change and stability among seniors in upstate New York. Data were analyzed from 663 older adults living in one of three housing types: service-rich facilities, service-poor facilities, and community-dwelling in single-family homes. A multinomial logistic regression model was used to examine factors associated with residence type. A linear regression model was fitted to examine factors associated with HCBS utilization. Results: When compared to community-dwelling older adults, those residing in service-rich and service-poor facilities were more likely to be older, report more activity limitations, and provide less instrumental assistance to others. Those in service-poor facilities were more likely to have poorer mental health and lower perceived purpose in life. The three leading HCBS utilized were senior centers (20%), homemaker services (19%), and transportation services (18%). More HCBS utilization was associated with participants who resided in service-poor housing, were older, were female, and had more activity limitations. More HCBS utilization was also associated with those who received instrumental support, had higher perceived purpose in life, and poorer mental health. Conclusions: Findings suggest that older adults’ residential environment is associated with their health status and HCBS utilization. Building upon the Person–Environment Fit theories, dedicated efforts are needed to introduce and expand upon existing HCBS available to facility residents to address physical and mental health needs as well as facilitate aging-in-place