Journal of Aging and Health

To investigate cognitive change in multiple cognitive domains in a population-based cohort of 713 Faroese older adults.

Participants were cognitively tested at baseline (70–74 years) and re-evaluated after 10 years. Changes in cognitive performance and the impact of sociodemographic factors, lifestyle, and health conditions were analysed using mixed-effect models. Participants free from dementia were studied in separate analyses.

A significant decline over 10 years was observed in most of the neuropsychological tests. People living in rural areas, married or cohabiting people, people without professional education, slightly older persons, smokers, teetotalers, and people with heart disease and abnormal electrocardiogram (ECG) had a steeper decline in cognitive ability. Conflicting results were found for sex and people with myocardial infarction (MI).

There are modifiable factors that contribute to cognitive decline which should be addressed in future public health efforts.

Relatively little attention has been paid to the underlying processes and conditions leading to loneliness among caregivers of older persons with cognitive impairment (PCI). Drawing upon the caregiver stress-process model and the social relationship expectations framework, this study examined the mediating role of social isolation and the moderating role of caregiver personal mastery in the association between PCI memory and behavioral problems and caregiver loneliness.

Structural equation modeling was applied to cross-sectional data from 266 caregivers in Singapore.

Caregiver-reported PCI memory and behavioral problems were associated with increased levels of caregiver loneliness. Caregiver social isolation partially mediated the association and caregiver personal mastery moderated the association.

Caregivers with low mastery were more likely to experience loneliness due in part to social isolation resulting from their PCI’s memory and behavioral problems. Tailored interventions should address caregiver social isolation and foster caregiver personal mastery.

To identify characteristics of older adult emergency department (ED) patients aged ≥65 with suicidal ideation and/or behavior.

A single center retrospective chart review analyzed 392 patients (≥65) with suicidal ideation and/or behavior (2013–2019). Comprehensive full-text searches were used. Subgroup analyses for age and gender were conducted.

Depressive disorder was documented in 50% of cases. Notably, 54% of all women were prescribed antidepressants, compared to only 31% of men. Most patients had general medical conditions (74.5%) and chronic multimorbidity (71.2%). Social stress affected 40.1%; 35.7% were intoxicated upon presentation. Alcohol abuse was more common in the 65–74 age group, while dementia impacted 20% of those ≥75. Men had a six-fold higher 30-day post-discharge mortality.

Older ED patients with suicidal ideation and/or behavior exhibit typical characteristics. The dementia prevalence suggests tailored care for those ≥75, and the heightened post-discharge mortality rate in older men requires further research.

We investigate global differences in psychosocial well-being between older adult age groups.

Using multinomial logistic regression, we analyzed 2018 data (n = 93,663) from 9 countries/regions in the Health and Retirement Study international family of studies to compare age group differences in depression, loneliness, and happiness.

Compared to the young old, the old-old reported more depression in Southern Europe, while the oldest old had higher risk in India and Southern Europe but lower risk in the United States. The old-old reported less loneliness in the United States but more in Southern Europe, while the oldest old had greater risk in Southern Europe. The old-old reported less happiness in Korea, while the oldest old had lower reports in Korea but higher reports in the United States.

The psychosocial well-being of the oldest old is exceptionally good in the United States but exceptionally poor in Southern Europe.

Despite an increased policy focused on home- and community-based services (HCBS), little is known about their quality of life (QoL)—a key measure of person-centered care. This paper addresses this gap by measuring consumers’ self-reported QoL and identifying factors associated with disparities in QoL.

We analyzed the 2015–2016 National Core Indicators–Aging and Disability survey for 3426 respondents in Minnesota, using factor analyses to identify latent QoL domains. Multivariable regression models identified predictors of QoL domains.

Factor analyses identified three valid and reliable latent QoL domains: security, self-determination, and care experiences. Younger consumers with disabilities (versus consumers ≥65 years of age), minoritized racial/ethnic groups, consumers with hearing loss, without a spouse/domestic partner, and not living in consumer’s own/family home reported significantly lower QoL in various domains (p < .001).

Disparities in HCBS consumer-reported QoL exist, necessitating equitable reforms to improve HCBS quality for its increasingly diversified consumer base.

This study aims to identify the relationship between psychosocial factors and unmet needs among community-dwelling older adults who have received or who expect to receive formal home-based aged care services.

A subsample of the national Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers was used to examine the prevalence of having any unmet needs among older adults navigating care. We also examined associations between older adults’ psychosocial factors and their unmet needs using logistic regression.

Regression analyses highlighted that perceived social isolation (OR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.30–2.01), high/very high psychological distress (OR = 2.11, 95% CI: 1.52–2.93), and occasional assistance from informal support (OR = 1.92, 95% CI: 1.22–3.05) were associated with increased odds of having unmet needs, after adjusting for other covariates.

Our study suggests that older adults facing psychosocial difficulties or lacking informal support are more likely to encounter barriers in accessing formal care. Future policy should address the psychosocial needs and support networks of older adults.