What Did We Learn? Youth and Family Programs at Deschutes Public Library

A four-year-old in a sparkly dress and tiara. Patrons loudly hammering on leather strips. Sleepy faces peering up from sleeping bags. Teens geeking out over Sherlock and anime characters. Llamas peeing on the carpet. Wait. What? Llamas in the library? Surely not. Who would bring llamas in the library? That would be me. And it’s just one of the many things I’ve learned over the years about youth programs, good, bad, and ugly. Let’s start with the good. Probably number one on the adorable scale is our annual Royal Tea Party. We invite children to dress in their finest and have the chance to meet the “Queen.” The first year we did this, my mother played that part, and she relished every one of the curtsies and bows she received as the children walked down the royal red carpet. Now we have library staff who volunteer to play the part. After the greeting, everyone sits at linen-covered tables and is served juice, cheese cubes, and cookies. The cutlery is plastic, but the serving dishes are silver and china, donated by library staff for the event. There is brief entertainment: a story at the beginning and gentle recorded harp music in the background during tea. Patrons must pre-register, and we’re always full. What did we learn? Read on to find out

Engaging Canada’s Older adults in health TECHnology innovation ecosystems: The ECOTECH Project

Background: Technological innovation offers many opportunities and challenges to support the health and well-being of older adults. Increasingly, the value of developing regional infrastructure that supports and drives innovation in local clusters is recognized. This innovation typically arises from collaboration among researchers, government and industry (Etzkowitz & Leydesdorff, 2000). Application of this collaborative framework is emerging in the health sector in the context of innovation to support an aging population. Current trends towards transparency, citizen empowerment and the democratization of health support the need to understand the engagement of end users (specifically older adults and their caregivers) in the development of community infrastructure that supports innovation in health. The Engaging Canada’s Older adults in health TECHnology innovation ecosystems: ECOTECH Project aims to expand our understanding of how older adults and their caregivers might have greater involvement in the regional innovation ecosystems that may support development of new health and aging-related technologies and other innovations. Methods: This project consisted of a three phase integrated mixed methods study with a focus on knowledge exchange throughout. Phase I was a scoping review of the available literature on Regional Innovation Ecosystems (RIEs) to inform hypothesized modifications to current collaborative models of innovation and learn from initiatives outside of health that currently incorporate end user engagement. Phase II included interviews and focus groups with stakeholders including older adults and representatives from university, government, and industry to explore current practices in Canada for engaging end users in health innovation and explore opportunities for participation in Regional Health Innovation Ecosystems (RHIEs). Informed by these results, Phase III was a Concept Mapping exercise following the methodology of Kane and Trochim (2007). Data were collected through and analyzed using the Concept System software (2015). Multivariate statistical techniques (multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis) were applied to create a framework of priorities. Results: Although the literature revealed that there are a variety of roles that end users currently take on in RIEs, little discussion was available on the role that vulnerable populations play. These findings informed the interview phase which revealed an interest and readiness in some engagement of older adults and their caregivers in RHIEs. Enhancing their involvement will require a recognition of the need for diversity of older adult and caregiver representation, consideration of barriers such as system constraints and traditional partnerships, and recognition of multiple roles that older adults could play in health innovation. A seven cluster framework of priorities has emerged with specific actions to be taken to engage older adults and their caregivers in RHIEs. Conclusions and next steps: Greater involvement of older adults and caregivers in health and aging innovation can result in new technologies and processes that are more likely to meet their needs and preferences. This study identified directions and strategies for their enhanced involvement in regional ecosystems for innovation. Continued collaboration with stakeholders will allow the results of this study to be used in developing RHIEs in Canada. The next steps of this work will involve implementation of the framework of priorities in Canadian RHIEs. This evolution of current collaborations will support the development and appropriate adoption of health and aging technologies and innovations that have the potential to improve the health and well-being of older adults and their caregivers

Engaging older adults in healthcare research and planning: a realist synthesis

Background The importance of engaging the community in healthcare research and planning has been widely recognized. Currently however, there is a limited focus on older adults, Canada’s fastest growing segment of the population and biggest users of the healthcare system. Objective This project aimed to develop an understanding of engagement of older adults and their caregivers in healthcare research and planning. Method A realist synthesis was conducted of the available knowledge on engagement in healthcare research and planning. The search methodology was informed by a framework for realist syntheses following five phases, including consultations with older adults. The synthesis included theoretical frameworks, and both peer-reviewed and grey literature. Results The search generated 15,683 articles, with 562 focusing on healthcare research and planning. The review lead to the development of a framework to engage older adults and their caregivers in healthcare research and planning. The 5 stages environment, plan, establish, build, and transition are accompanied with example context, mechanism, and outcomes to guide the use of this framework. Conclusion We have identified a framework that promotes meaningful engagement of older adults and their caregivers. We are continuing to collaborate with our community partners to further develop and evaluate engagement strategies that align with the presented framework.This work was supported by a Knowledge Synthesis Grant from the Technology Evaluation for the Elderly Network (TVN), grant # KS2013-08, which is funded by the Government of Canada’s Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) Program

Socioeconomic, Behavioural, and Social Health Correlates of Optimism and Pessimism in Older Men and Women:A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Optimism is a disposition characterised by positive future expectancies, while pessimism is characterised by expecting the worst. High optimism and low pessimism promote the health of older adults and may potentiate full engagement in life. We identified socioeconomic, behavioural, and social factors associated with optimism and pessimism in older adults. Methods: Participants included 10,146 community-dwelling, apparently healthy Australian adults aged 70 years and over from the ASPREE Longitudinal Study of Older Persons (ALSOP). Optimism and pessimism were measured using the revised Life Orientation Test. Cross-sectional ordinal logistic regression was used to determine the socioeconomic, behavioural, and social health factors associated with optimism and pessimism. Results: Higher education, greater physical activity, lower loneliness, and volunteering were associated with higher optimism and lower pessimism. Low social support was associated with higher pessimism. Higher socioeconomic advantage, greater income, and living alone were associated with lower pessimism. Women were more optimistic and less pessimistic than men. The association of age, smoking status, and alcohol consumption with optimism and pessimism differed for men and women. Conclusions: Factors associated with higher optimism and lower pessimism were also those demonstrated to support healthy ageing. Health-promotion action at the individual level (e.g., smoking cessation or regular physical activity), health professional level (e.g., social prescribing or improving access and quality of care for all older adults), and community level (e.g., opportunities for volunteer work or low-cost social activities for older adults) may improve optimism and reduce pessimism, possibly also promoting healthy ageing

Dispositional Optimism and All-Cause Mortality in Older Adults: A Cohort Study

OBJECTIVE: Optimism is modifiable and may be associated with healthy ageing. We aim to investigate whether dispositional optimism is associated with all-cause mortality in adults aged 70 years and older. METHODS: Between 2010 and 2014, older adults free of serious cardiovascular disease and dementia were recruited through primary care physicians, and enrolled in the Aspirin Reducing Events in the Elderly (ASPREE) clinical trial. Australian ASPREE participants were invited to participate in the ASPREE Longitudinal Study of Older Persons (ALSOP) that was running in parallel to ASPREE. Optimism was assessed at baseline using the Life Orientation Test – Revised (LOT-R). The association between optimism, divided into quartiles, and all-cause mortality was assessed using Cox Proportional Hazard models. RESULTS: 11,701 participants (mean age: 75.1 years, SD 4.24; 46.6% men) returned the ALSOP Social questionnaire and completed the LOT-R. During the median 4.7 years follow-up, 469 deaths occurred. The fully adjusted model was not significant (HR 0.78, 95% CI 0.58-1.06). There was evidence that age was an effect modifier of the association between optimism and longevity. Higher optimism was associated with lower mortality risk in the oldest individuals only (77+ years) (HR 0.61, 95% CI 0.39-0.96). CONCLUSIONS: We observed no independent relationship between optimism and all-cause mortality in the total sample, although optimism appeared to be associated with lower risk among oldest old (adults aged 77 years and over)