The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences
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J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci · May 2005
Self-discipline and self-consciousness predict subjective memory in older adults.
Research has shown the personality variables of conscientiousness and neuroticism to be related to subjective memory in older adults. This study was designed to determine the specific facets of these traits involved in the relation between personality and memory complaints. Subjective memory evaluations were examined in 85 community-dwelling people aged 56 to 94 years. ⋯ Anxiety acted as a suppressor variable to enhance the contribution of self-consciousness. Objective measures of episodic and prospective memory were not related to subjective memory. Effective treatments of memory complaints in healthy older adults may have to focus on enhancing self-discipline and self-concept.
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J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci · Jan 2005
Falls self-efficacy as a mediator of fear of falling in an exercise intervention for older adults.
This study examined the role of falls self-efficacy as a potential mediator of the exercise and fear-of-falling relationship. The study sample involved 256 community-dwelling older adults aged 70-92 years (M = 77.48, SD = 4.95) who were recruited from a local health care system in Portland, Oregon, and participated in either a Tai Chi (n = 125) or a stretching control (n = 131) exercise intervention, three times per week, for 6 consecutive months. ⋯ Results supported the mediational hypothesis in that Tai Chi participants, who evidenced improvement in falls self-efficacy over the course of the intervention, reported greater reductions in fear of falling, compared with those in the stretching control condition. Results suggest that exercise interventions designed to improve falls self-efficacy are likely to reduce fear of falling in older adults.
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J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci · Nov 2004
Age differences in emotion-regulation strategies in handling everyday problems.
We examined age differences in problem-focused and emotion-regulatory problem-solving strategy use for self-generated family problems. Young, middle-aged, and older participants generated family problem situations that were high and low in emotional salience. ⋯ When regulating emotions, middle-aged adults used more proactive emotion-regulation strategies than older adults, and older adults used more passive emotion-regulation strategies than middle-aged adults. These effects were driven by the high emotional salience condition.
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This qualitative study examines the "final gift exchange" process by which older adults give cherished possessions in return for lasting appreciation. ⋯ By applying the heuristic, we observed that a lack of shared definitions of the meaning and value of objects created dilemmas in disposing of personal objects, particularly those connected to a person's material self. We also offer suggestions for making the process go more smoothly, such as inquiring about the preferences of others and telling stories associated with objects to create shared definitions of the objects' significance to the giver and/or to family history.
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J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci · Mar 2004
Review Comparative StudyDo impaired older persons with health care needs occupy U.S. assisted living facilities? An analysis of six national studies.
The assisted living facility (ALF) is the fastest-growing noninstitutional long-term care alternative for frail older persons in the United States. This analysis assesses the extent to which older persons with physical and cognitive disabilities and health care needs occupy ALFs in the United States. ⋯ ALFs are currently serving older residents who require less nursing care and who are less functionally and cognitively impaired than those found in nursing homes. The more restrictive admitting and discharge criteria of a substantial share of ALFs guarantee their less frail occupant profile. This is, however, an extraordinarily diverse shelter and care alternative, and very frail older persons with serious chronic health problems can be found in ALFs. Average duration of stays may be as long as 3 years. Researchers must conduct more carefully executed studies with replicable methodologies that produce unbiased and generalized findings.