Background:Live-in migrant caregivers play a critical role in supporting older adults with dementia in Israel but often experience significant emotional strain. Interventions to support their mental health remain scarce. Objective:To pilot-test a brief virtual reality (VR)-based mindfulness intervention for live-in migrant dementia caregivers and to explore its impact on caregiver burden, state mindfulness, and subjective experience. Methods:In a mixed-methods pilot conducted at a dementia day center, six live-in migrant caregivers participated in four 10-min VR mindfulness sessions. Quantitative measures included pre-post caregiver burden and post-session state mindfulness. Semi-structured interviews explored perceived relevance and impact. Results:Caregiver burden decreased post-intervention and State mindfulness ratings indicated high present-moment awareness. Qualitative findings described VR as a source of brief relief, emotional recalibration, and as a bridge to identity and belonging, suggesting preliminary benefits for stress reduction and coping among live-in migrant dementia caregivers.

In later life, many individuals participate in both formal and informal volunteering. While the health benefits of volunteering are well-documented, little is known about the impact of patterns of formal and informal volunteering on health outcomes among older adults. Using five waves of data (2010–2018) from the Health and Retirement Study, multichannel sequence analysis and cluster analysis were applied to identify volunteering patterns among 3,579 individuals aged 65 and older in 2010 who remained alive throughout the study period (17,895 observations). Four distinct clusters (C1-C4) were identified: (C1) Decreasing Informal Volunteering (37%), (C2) Steady Non-Involvement (31%), (C3) Decreasing High-Intensity Dual Involvement (17%), and (C4) Decreasing Low-Intensity Dual Involvement (15%). Then, controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, three regression models were used to explore the relationships between these clusters and three health indicators: cognitive function, self-rated health (SRH), and depressive symptoms (CESD). Compared to Cluster 2 (consistently non-volunteering older adults), those who engaged in volunteering (either formal or informal) during the study period (Clusters 1, 3, and 4) exhibited better cognitive function and fewer depressive symptoms, even as their involvement declined over time. However, only those in Cluster 3 (decreasing high-intensity dual involvement) reported significantly better self-rated health than the non-volunteering group. These findings highlight the lasting health benefits of volunteering in later life. Future research should explore the mechanisms underlying these relationships and investigate their relevance across diverse populations to provide further insights into the long-term effects of volunteering patterns on health.

Abstract Volunteering is an important vehicle for the health promotion of older adults, yet research on its role during times of war remain limited. This research aimed to explore the representation and rhetoric of older adult volunteers in the Israeli media during Operation Swords of Iron. Using the LexisNexis database, four Israeli newspapers were searched for English-language articles published between October 7, 2023 and August 7, 2024: Haaretz, The Times of Israel, Yediot Achronot, and The Jerusalem Post. After removing duplicates and articles that were not relevant to older adult volunteering, a total of 23 articles were retained for thematic analysis. To probe the sentiments of these narratives, sentences containing keywords about older adult volunteers were compared against a preexisting lexicon of semantic orientations. Thematic analysis revealed three themes: (1) Older adult volunteers as heroic and self-sacrificial amid the risks of war, (2) the virtue of being productive versus unproductive, and (3) older adults as agile first responders in situations of distress. Sentiment analysis further uncovered both positive and negative feelings that were collocated with the rhetoric on volunteering, such as the juxtaposition of older volunteers with the lack of supervision or training. The rhetoric of heroism, sacrifice, and productivity suggest the need to attend to age-related stereotypes of older adults. This research not only has implications for the health of older adults, but also for supporting older adult volunteers contributing towards large-scale public health challenges.

This study investigated the benefits and challenges of intergenerational tutoring in a post-pandemic context. We explored how the benefits of intergenerational tutoring vary among subgroups of volunteers-first-time tutors, male tutors, tutors who are caregivers, and tutors with moderate or severe loneliness. Older adult tutors (N = 319) were surveyed before and after the 2021-2022 school year, and the data were analyzed with structural equation multivariate regression and thematic analysis. Results indicated that while public health measures like mask-wearing posed challenges for some tutors, there were positive outcomes for tutors, especially first-time tutors, who experienced more health and well-being benefits, and tutors who are caregivers, who experienced improved civic attitudes towards public education. These results can help programs attract subgroups of volunteers who are likely to benefit the most, as well as attend to the unique challenges of pandemic-related policies.

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted older adult volunteering. It is important to understand if prior relationships between volunteering and health remain consistent in a post-pandemic context. We surveyed Oasis tutors aged 51 and over before and after two years of volunteering and used three matching algorithms—nearest-neighbor matching, optimal full matching, and subclassification—to match them with a comparison group of non-volunteers in the 2016 and 2018 waves of the Health and Retirement Study. G-computation was then used on the merged sample (N = 518) to estimate the effect of volunteering on depression, functional limitations, and self-rated health. With all three matching algorithms, Oasis tutors experienced lower levels of depression and fewer functional limitations, compared to the HRS group of non-volunteers. When using nearest-neighbor matching, Oasis tutors had better self-rated health than the HRS comparison group. Volunteering in the Oasis Intergenerational Tutoring Program positively impacts older adults’ health, supporting the social model of health promotion.

Objectives: Home- and community-based services (HCBS) help older adults to remain active in community settings. However, it is not known if there is a causal relationship between HCBS and social engagement. Methods: We used data from the 2010 and 2012 Health and Retirement Study and measured the effect of HCBS on social engagement via nearest-neighbor Mahalanobis matching, optimal pair matching, genetic matching, and optimal full matching. Results: Genetic matching showed that the odds of social engagement for participants who received at least one HCBS (congregate meal, home-delivered meal, transportation service, case management, homemaker or housekeeping services, or caregiver services) in the prior two years was 1.07 times more likely than participants who have not received any HCBS (robust SE = .030, p = .040). Discussion: HCBS may remove barriers to social engagement through increasing older adults' personal resources and personal networks.

Abstract The Oasis Intergenerational Tutoring Program is a national program that connects older adult tutors with elementary children in Grades K-3. We are conducting an ongoing project to assess multiple health and well-being outcomes associated with this tutoring program, especially among four sub-groups: first-time tutors, male tutors, tutors who are caregivers, and tutors who report being lonely. In year one of our project, we have collected data from 329 older adults who tutored children in the 2021-2022 school year. We found that a larger proportion of tutors who felt lonely reported improvements to their health, compared to tutors who did not feel lonely. We also found that first-time tutors experienced larger increases in at least two areas of health (physical, emotional, and cognitive), compared to repeat tutors. When we asked tutors about their experience tutoring during the pandemic, major themes included a sense of purpose in life, increased social engagement, and the negotiation of risks and benefits (e.g., remote vs. in-person tutoring). An upcoming two-year follow-up study will enable us to compare our findings with the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative sample of older adults. Findings from this project will inform programs across the nation and policies that seek to harness the power of intergenerational bonds.

Recent declines in life expectancy in the US, especially for middle-aged White persons, have called attention to mortality from deaths of despair - deaths due to alcohol, drugs, and suicide. Using data from the Centers for Disease Control and the U.S. Census Bureau, this paper examined deaths of despair by race/ethnicity, age, cause of death, birth cohort, and sex in Missouri. We focused on Area Agencies on Aging as geographic units of interest to increase usefulness of our findings to public administrators. Deaths of despair began trending up for all age groups beginning in 2007-2009, with the sharpest increases occurring for Black or African American non-Hispanics beginning in 2013-2015. The most dramatic increases occurred for the population age 50-59 in St. Louis City and Area Agency on Aging regions in southern Missouri. For older adults, considerable variation in rates, trends, and cause of deaths of despair is evident across the state.

This study explored the experiences of older adult volunteers who pivoted from in-person tutoring to letter writing and online tutoring during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sixty-one older adult volunteers were surveyed in the beginning and end of the school year about their experiences, including their perceived benefits, challenges, and feedback on the pandemic transition. Eleven of the surveyed volunteers participated in focus groups at the end of the school year. Perceived benefits included having a positive impact on a child's life and meaningful engagement during the pandemic, and perceived challenges included difficulty engaging students and lack of control over learning environments. The participants also suggested increasing opportunities for informal interactions with staff and students, technology training, and peer support between volunteers. There was agreement that the remote volunteering experience was not a substitute for in-person tutoring, but it was better than no volunteering at all.

Villages are consumer-driven organizations that promote aging-in-place. This study documents the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Villages and explores variation in response by age of the organization, size of the membership, staffing model, and geographic location. In summer, 2020, we distributed an online survey to executive administrators of 286 Villages in the network. During the pandemic, over 75% of Villages were seen as more or equally valuable for members. Seventy-seven percent of Villages offered virtual socialization events. Most Villages reported a decrease in service requests, given reductions in need for transportation. New services of food and medication delivery were initiated. There is much variation between organizations, but findings suggest that Villages that are older, have more members, and bigger budgets had more capacity and cushion; and although they took a negative hit in income and participation, it was a smaller hit proportionately, compared to younger and smaller Villages. Villages have demonstrated adaptability and creativity. They kept their operations running, provided services, and offered social connection. Vulnerabilities have been exposed: memberships have dropped for many and some members have not been able to participate as before the pandemic. Many lessons learned can help future developments of the Village model.

The purpose of this research is to develop a classic grounded theory of the main concern of Filipino factory workers in Taiwan and the latent pattern of behavior that accounts for its continual resolution. Nine participants were interviewed and the data were analyzed using the constant comparative method of analysis. The theory that emerged from this study was transcending inequality, which explains how individuals resolve inequality via three overlapping patterns of behavior: coping, bonding, and serving. These behaviors represent a constellation of individual, cultural, social, and spiritual resources. The findings have implications for three areas of practice and policy: (a) local and transnational community life, (b) religious and spiritual practices, and (c) the strength-based approach.

This study explored older adults' technology use patterns and attitudes toward virtual volunteering during the COVID-19 pandemic. A 22-item survey was administered to 229 volunteers in the St. Louis region who tutor children through the Oasis Intergenerational Tutoring program. Although most respondents are familiar with technology and expressed that they are likely to volunteer virtually, their responses varied significantly by age, education, gender, income, and school districts. Some tutors expressed that virtual volunteering may eliminate barriers to in-person volunteering, while others were concerned with establishing a personal connection with students online. These findings suggest that tutors anticipate both benefits and challenges with virtual volunteering and that efforts to engage older adults during the pandemic should factor in prior use of technology and ensure that different subgroups are not marginalized.

Abstract A cognitive intervention study was conducted to explore methods to improve adherence to a technology-based cognitive intervention and uncover individual differences that predict adherence (N = 120). The study was divided into two phases: (1) in which participants were asked to follow a prescribed schedule of training that involved gamified neuropsychological tasks administered via a tablet, and (2), in which participants were asked to play as frequently as they wished. Positively and negatively framed messages about cognitive health were delivered via the software program, and measures of cognition, technology proficiency, self-efficacy, technology attitudes, and belief in the benefits of cognitive training were collected. We computed an aggregate measure of adherence during each of the two phases, as well as a measure of daily engagement. Across data modeling approaches, the finding was consistent: only during Phase 2, was there evidence that positively-framed messages encouraged greater adherence over negatively-framed messages. Measures of memory and self-efficacy demonstrated some, but limited, ability to predict individual differences in adherence.

Abstract This study, launched in June 2020, documents the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Villages nationally. Villages are non-profit, membership-based organizations that provide support from volunteers and social connections to enable aging in place. We distributed on-line surveys to the leaders of the 287 Villages in the national network to capture the effects of the pandemic on organizational operations, membership recruitment, service provision, and member well-being. A 40% response rate (n=116) was obtained. A majority of Villages reported that the pandemic greatly affected the organization, with the top concerns being: 1) membership recruitment, 2) the health and well-being of members and volunteers and 3) connecting with their members outside of normal in-person events. Over half of the respondents reported that the mental health of members had declined; and there were high levels of disruption to usual health care. New member recruitment efforts were thwarted and most Villages lost revenue. About 70% offered virtual programming but, in general, participation in these on-line events dropped. From the survey respondents’ perspective, the value of the Village to members and their family increased (48%) or remained the same (22%). New opportunities emerged that may be continued post-pandemic: new meal and medicine delivery volunteer services, more on-line communication and telephone reassurance, and new family and community connections. Findings indicate a wide range of experiences during the pandemic, with variation stemming from age of the Village and size of membership. The study informs the sustainability and growth efforts of Villages during and after the pandemic.

Abstract “Deaths of despair” (DOD) is a new phenomenon that includes deaths attributable to suicides, drug overdoses, and alcohol-related liver diseases. While many studies have focused on the rise of DOD in midlife, there is little research that focuses on the trends of DOD in later life. To address this gap, we used publicly available data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to carry out descriptive and spatial analyses of DOD among older adults (aged 65 and over) from 1999 to 2018. Nationwide, we found that DOD rates of older adults increased from 2009 (44.7 deaths per 100,000) to 2018 (57.4). This increase was notable among male older adults who were Black non-Hispanics and White non-Hispanics (WNH); however, Hispanic populations saw a 4.8% decrease in DOD between 1999 and 2018. Of the WNH decedents in 2018, alcohol-related liver diseases were the most common cause of death (55%), followed by suicides (36%) and drug overdoses (9%). Additionally, 55% had a high school degree or less, 22% had some college but no bachelor’s degree (BA), and 22% had a BA or more. Geographically, we found that DOD was concentrated in the West in 1999 but has since then spread nationwide. In 2018, the highest rates of DOD among WNH were in the western and southern states. These findings suggest that attention to deaths of despair cannot be limited to midlife; policies and program interventions aimed at slowing this epidemic must include people in later life as well.