Discharge disposition for home health care patients with Alzheimer's disease and related dementia: The role of living arrangements and rural living.

PURPOSE: To examine the relationship between living arrangements and discharge disposition, and how this relationship differs by the rural or urban characteristics of the patient's residence among home health care patients with Alzheimer's disease and related dementia (ADRD). METHODS: This retrospective study used the 2019 Outcome and Assessment Information Set and the Master Beneficiary Summary File. Our study was based on 531,269 Medicare fee-for-service patients with ADRD. We used linear probability regression models to examine the relationship between discharge disposition (to the community vs. an institution) and living arrangements, including an interaction term for rural-urban residence. FINDINGS: Patients in rural areas (19.8%) were more likely to live alone than those in urban areas (15.2%). Our main results show that patients living at home with others (coefficient: -0.02, p-value < 0.001) or alone (coefficient: -0.03, p-value < 0.001) were less likely to be discharged to the community compared to patients who lived in congregate settings. Also, for patients with ADRD who lived in rural areas, living at home with others (rural*home with others; coefficient: -0.02, p-value < 0.001) or living alone (rural*home alone; coefficient: -0.03, p-value<0.001) were associated with additional lower probabilities of being discharged to their communities. CONCLUSIONS: A multidimensional approach considering living arrangements to support home health care patients with ADRD could be critical to achieving better health outcomes. Furthermore, implementing area-specific target interventions could be important for improving the care and health of patients with ADRD as well as reducing rural-urban disparities in discharge disposition.

The Role of Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status in Institutionalization of Home Health Care Patients With and Without Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias.

OBJECTIVES: To assess whether neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) moderates the association between Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) and successful discharge to the community. In addition, to explore whether the role of neighborhood SES on successful discharge for patients with ADRD varies by the severity of ADRD. DESIGN: This is a retrospective cohort study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Medicare Fee-for-service beneficiaries, aged 65 or older, who received home health care in 2019. METHODS: We used linear probability regression models with successful discharge to the community as the main outcome, and neighborhood SES and ADRD as independent variables. Also, we modified the Functional Assessment Staging Tool (FAST) to measure ADRD severity. RESULTS: Our study results show ADRD and residing in neighborhoods with lower socioeconomic conditions were independently associated with lower probabilities of successful discharge to the community. We also found that the differences in probabilities of remaining at home between patients with and without ADRD were larger among those in neighborhoods with lower SES (ADRD∗less disadvantaged neighborhood, coeff: -0.01, P < .001; ADRD∗more disadvantaged neighborhood, coeff: -0.02, P < .001; ADRD∗most disadvantaged neighborhood, coeff: 0.032, P < .001). Among patients with ADRD, patients with the most advanced ADRD were less likely to remain in their homes and community when living in neighborhoods with lower SES. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Our study results show that when patients with ADRD receiving home health care live in neighborhoods with lower SES, they face further challenges to remaining in their homes and community. Public health officials and community planners should consider using area-level interventions to improve care and health outcomes for patients with ADRD. Also, further research aimed at identifying the specific factors and resources influencing lower care quality and poorer health outcomes in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods, particularly for patients with ADRD, can provide valuable insights for the development and implementation of targeted interventions.

Linguistic Isolation and Mortality in Older Mexican Americans: Findings from the Hispanic Established Populations Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly.

Purpose: Limited English proficiency and increased language isolation are known to be associated with adverse health outcomes. It is not clear how neighborhood-level linguistic isolation may impact individual health and risk of death among Hispanic older adults. We examined the link between living in a linguistically isolated neighborhood and all-cause mortality among an older Mexican American cohort. Methods: Using a longitudinal sample of older Mexican Americans from the Hispanic Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly, we calculated the days from the baseline interview (1993-1994) until observed death through five waves of follow-up (until 2004-2005) using Cox regression. A linguistically isolated neighborhood was defined as a census tract with more than 30% of linguistically isolated households. Results: Our results showed that living in a neighborhood with more than 30% of linguistically isolated households predicted higher mortality (hazard ratio: 1.25; 95% confidence interval: 1.04-1.50), after adjusting for age, sex, nativity, years of education, marital status, self-reported health status, number of chronic conditions, ever smoked, ever drank, and other neighborhood-level contextual factors. Conclusion: Living in a neighborhood with a high proportion of linguistically isolated households predicted higher mortality among older Mexican Americans. Addressing the social capital shortage in linguistically isolated neighborhoods is one way to address health disparities in the United States.

Exploring Contextual Factors Associated with Suicide among Older Male Farmers: Results from the CDC NVDRS Dataset.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore how demographic, relationship, mental health, and life stressors are associated with suicide among older male farmers and to determine if these differ by age.Methods: We conducted exploratory analyses with Centers for Disease Control (CDC) National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) 2003-2017 dataset. We identified individuals who completed suicide while working in agriculture (N = 2,106). We explored descriptive statistics for farmers who completed suicide and compared these by age using chi-square tests.Results: The majority of the sample was male, non-Hispanic, and White. Marital status differed significantly by age, with older farmers more likely to be married or widowed. Having a mental health issue was not statistically significant by age; however, depression was most prevalent among those 65+. Older farmers who completed suicide were also significantly more likely to report physical health problems.Conclusions: Results illustrate the vulnerability of individuals contemplating suicide and emphasize the need to consider the phenomenon from a holistic perspective that accounts for individuals nested within community.Clinical implications: We recommend health providers consider a systems approach to suicide prevention as our results indicate individual, familial, and societal factors contributing to the incidence of suicide completion among older farmers.

Gender differential impact of bereavement on health outcomes: evidence from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, 2011-2015.

BACKGROUND: Bereavement is the experience of an individual following the death of a person of significance to the individual, most often referring to the spouse. Increased morbidity, health care utilization, and mortality are known to be associated with bereavement. Given China's growing population of older adults, there is a critical need to assess the health consequences of bereavement. METHOD: We use data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study to examine the impact of bereavement on mental health and quality of life among a sample of mid- and older-aged adults. We use propensity score matching to construct a matching sample and difference-in-differences method to estimate the impact of bereavement on mental health and self-assessed health. RESULTS: We find bereavement is associated with increased depression symptoms among women (1.542 point or 0.229 standard deviations of Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) 10 score) but not consistently for men over time. No statistically significant effect of bereavement on self-assessed health is found. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show a harmful impact of bereavement on mental health among older women in China and point to the need for a comprehensive policy on survivor benefits in China, particularly for rural older women.

Coping with being cooped up: Social distancing during COVID-19 among 60+ in the United States.

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the impact of sheltering in place and social distancing among adults aged 60 and older during the 2020 outbreak of COVID-19 in the United States. METHODS: Using convenience sampling respondents were asked to complete a web-administered survey to explore impact of social distancing on loneliness, stress, and behavioral changes. The analytic sample consisted of 833 responses of persons aged 60 and older. RESULTS: A large portion reported being stressed (36%), and/or being lonely (42.5%). Nearly 1/3 stated that their sense of loneliness increased during the time of social distancing. Respondents reported engaging in more solitary activity (and fewer in-person activities), using email and text messages more than usual, and spending more time on computers/tablet than usual. Approximately 2/3 reported using more social media than usual. These differed significantly by younger (age 60-70) and older (71+) respondents. Additionally, changes in physical activity, drinking, recreational drug use and sleeping pattern changes differed by age. CONCLUSIONS: Social distancing has significant consequences on loneliness and health behaviors among adults in the United States, many of which differ by age group. Results have implications for continued shelter in place practices, but also for any older adult that may be homebound for other reasons.

OBJETIVOS: Evaluar el impacto de la indicación de quedarse en casa y el distanciamiento social en los adultos de 60 años o más durante el brote de COVID-19 en los Estados Unidos en 2020. MÉTODOS: Utilizando un muestreo de conveniencia, se solicitó a los destinatarios que completaran una encuesta administrada por internet para explorar el impacto del distanciamiento social respecto de la soledad, el estrés y los cambios de comportamiento. La muestra analizada consistió en 833 respuestas de personas de 60 años o más. RESULTADOS: Una proporción importante de la muestra informó experimentar estrés (36%) o soledad (42,5%). En alrededor de un tercio de los casos se informó que la sensación de soledad aumentó durante el período de distanciamiento social. Los encuestados informaron que realizaban más actividades solitarias y menos actividades presenciales, utilizaban el correo electrónico y los mensajes de texto más de lo habitual y pasaban más tiempo que lo habitual con sus computadoras o tabletas. Aproximadamente dos tercios de las personas que respondieron informaron que utilizaban las redes sociales más que lo habitual. Se observaron diferencias significativa entre los encuestados más jóvenes (60-70 años) y los mayores (>71). Los cambios en la actividad física, el consumo de alcohol y de drogas recreativas y los cambios en los patrones de sueño también difirieron según la edad. CONCLUSIONES: El distanciamiento social tiene consecuencias significativas respecto de la soledad y los comportamientos que afectan a la salud en los adultos mayores de los Estados Unidos, muchas de los cuales varían según el grupo etario. Los resultados tienen implicaciones respecto de la indicación sostenida de quedarse en casa, así como para otros adultos mayores que deban estar confinados a su hogar por razones distintas a la pandemia.

Coping with being cooped up: social distancing during COVID-19 among 60+ in the United States / Afrontamiento de la cuarentena y el distanciamiento social durante la pandemia por COVID-19 en los mayores de 60 años en los Estados Unidos

ABSTRACT Objectives. This study examined the impact of sheltering in place and social distancing among adults aged 60 and older during the 2020 outbreak of COVID-19 in the United States. Methods. Using convenience sampling respondents were asked to complete a web-administered survey to explore impact of social distancing on loneliness, stress, and behavioral changes. The analytic sample consisted of 833 responses of persons aged 60 and older. Results. A large portion reported being stressed (36%), and/or being lonely (42.5%). Nearly 1/3 stated that their sense of loneliness increased during the time of social distancing. Respondents reported engaging in more solitary activity (and fewer in-person activities), using email and text messages more than usual, and spending more time on computers/tablet than usual. Approximately 2/3 reported using more social media than usual. These differed significantly by younger (age 60-70) and older (71+) respondents. Additionally, changes in physical activity, drinking, recreational drug use and sleeping pattern changes differed by age. Conclusions. Social distancing has significant consequences on loneliness and health behaviors among adults in the United States, many of which differ by age group. Results have implications for continued shelter in place practices, but also for any older adult that may be homebound for other reasons.(AU)

RESUMEN Objetivos. Evaluar el impacto de la indicación de quedarse en casa y el distanciamiento social en los adultos de 60 años o más durante el brote de COVID-19 en los Estados Unidos en 2020. Métodos. Utilizando un muestreo de conveniencia, se solicitó a los destinatarios que completaran una encuesta administrada por internet para explorar el impacto del distanciamiento social respecto de la soledad, el estrés y los cambios de comportamiento. La muestra analizada consistió en 833 respuestas de personas de 60 años o más. Resultados. Una proporción importante de la muestra informó experimentar estrés (36%) o soledad (42,5%). En alrededor de un tercio de los casos se informó que la sensación de soledad aumentó durante el período de distanciamiento social. Los encuestados informaron que realizaban más actividades solitarias y menos actividades presenciales, utilizaban el correo electrónico y los mensajes de texto más de lo habitual y pasaban más tiempo que lo habitual con sus computadoras o tabletas. Aproximadamente dos tercios de las personas que respondieron informaron que utilizaban las redes sociales más que lo habitual. Se observaron diferencias significativa entre los encuestados más jóvenes (60-70 años) y los mayores (>71). Los cambios en la actividad física, el consumo de alcohol y de drogas recreativas y los cambios en los patrones de sueño también difirieron según la edad. Conclusiones. El distanciamiento social tiene consecuencias significativas respecto de la soledad y los comportamientos que afectan a la salud en los adultos mayores de los Estados Unidos, muchas de los cuales varían según el grupo etario. Los resultados tienen implicaciones respecto de la indicación sostenida de quedarse en casa, así como para otros adultos mayores que deban estar confinados a su hogar por razones distintas a la pandemia.(AU)

Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Disease Among Older Adults: The Case of Race and Ethnicity.

The goals of this study were (1) to test the relative contribution of light intensity and moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) to cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in older adults, and (2) to examine the influence of ethnicity. We used pooled data from the 2003-2004 and 2005-2006 waves of the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES). The sample consisted of 1,171 non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, and Mexican American adults aged 65 and older. Using ordinary least squares regression, we showed no statistically significant relationship between lower CVD risk with light intensity activity. However, greater minutes of MVPA was associated with lower CVD risk. Mexican Americans had statistically significantly higher risk for CVD compared to non-Hispanic Whites after controlling for physical activity. Mexican Americans remain an at-risk group for CVD. Regardless of race or ethnicity, physical activity recommendations among elders should be for at least moderate intensity activity for a more favorable CVD outcome.