A Perspective of Aging from the Prose of Age Specific Birthday Cards

With a growing number of older people in the United States, it is important for social workers to acknowledge that ageism exists in our society and continue to research, study and understand the influences that contribute to it. Media outlets are one source that has been found to have an influence on people’s perceptions about older adults. A qualitative study was carried out to determine if the messages in age specific greeting cards that are produced specifically for individuals age 60 and older portray more positive or negative perceptions about aging or older individuals. The non-probability, convenience sample for this study included 83 greeting cards. Using Grounded Theory Method, the data from the prose of the cards was coded and major themes emerged. It was found that the messages presented in the greeting cards displayed many forms of ageism both positive and negative in nature. Future research on the messages presented in different forms of media and how it relates to ageism will be helpful in increasing social workers’ knowledge so that they will be prepared to assist older adults and their families with greater success through the end years of older adults’ lives

Survey of disease pressures in twenty-six niche herds in the midwestern United States

Objective: To provide diagnostic and veterinary support to niche producers in order to generate information on disease pressures in niche herds. Materials and methods: Twenty-six producers under contract with three niche-marketing companies were accepted into the program. A standardized diagnostic protocol, including serology and tissue diagnostics, was undertaken on suckling, nursery, finishing, and breeding animals. The diagnostic frequencies of diseases in niche-pork systems were compared to those in age-matched, diseased pigs submitted to the Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (ISU VDL) or in published reports. Results: Overall seroprevalence was lower (P P Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and porcine circovirus type 2 were detected in a higher percentage of niche pigs with respiratory disease (P Lawsonia intracellularis enteritis (P Implications: Niche producers typically raise pigs in continuous-flow systems, without antibiotics, and in different environments than larger commercial swine operations. Results of this study indicate that these production changes can contribute to differences in the diagnostic frequency of several diseases and the ages at which diseases are clinically manifest in niche herds.This article is published as Yaeger, Michael J., Locke A. Karriker, Lori Layman, Patrick G. Halbur, Gary H. Huber, and Kurt Van Hulzen. "Survey of disease pressures in twenty-six niche herds in the midwestern United States." Journal of Swine Health and Production 17, no. 5 (2009): 256-263. Posted with permission.</p