A case study of Missouri's deferred retirement incentive for state employees.

Delayed retirement incentives can promote employee retention. Survey data results (N = 261) were used to explore factors associated with retirement and participation in Missouri's Deferred Retirement Option Provision (BackDROP), using a social stratification framework. Logistic regression analyses found that older age for full-retirement benefit eligibility increased the odds of delayed retirement, as did working more years for the state of Missouri. Longer length of work for Missouri increased the likelihood of being aware of one's eligibility for BackDROP and of taking the BackDROP option, while working for pay in a non-state position decreased the odds of awareness and selection. Those who retired to do other things (rather than for health reasons or disliking the work) were also more likely to be knowledgeable of their BackDROP eligibility status. Race, sex, education, and marital status were not significant predictors. These findings inform design and implementation of delayed retirement policies in other states.

Marital Quality and Alcohol Use among Couples in Mid- and Later-Life.

Spouses influence one another's drinking behavior, but little research has explored how relationship quality may impact older couples' alcohol use. Using data from the 2014-2018 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and actor-partner interdependence models, we examined how marital quality is related to total alcohol consumption and risk of heavy drinking for married couples over age 50. Neither husbands' nor wives' perceptions of negative marital quality were related to changes in heavy drinking or number of drinks consumed over the observation period. However, wives' positive marital quality was associated with increased risk of heavy alcohol use for both wives and husbands, and with an increase in the number of drinks wives consume over time. Couples over age 50 do not appear to use alcohol as a way of coping with negative marital relationships, but rather may increase their drinking in the context of positive relationships.

Neighborhood Engagement, Dogs, and Life Satisfaction in Older Adulthood.

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the relationships between dog ownership, dog walking, and the emotional bond with a dog to neighborhood engagement and life satisfaction among those over age 50. METHOD: Using data from the Health and Retirement Study (N = 476), two path analysis models were conducted to test the research hypotheses. RESULTS: Findings indicated that dog ownership did not have a direct or indirect relationship on life satisfaction. However, time spent in dog walking was associated with frequency of social interactions, which itself had a positive association with life satisfaction. The bond with a dog was not directly associated with life satisfaction but was associated with dog walking. DISCUSSION: Dog walking is a promising strategy for simultaneously promoting better health and social engagement, and these factors in turn can promote greater life satisfaction of older adults.

A case study of professional change: the impact of the National Gerontological Social Work Competencies Survey.

Our society is aging, and this demographic change necessitates that all social workers have basic competency in gerontology. This article describes the results of a competency survey conducted in 2000, and how these results helped transform basic social work curricula and enhance gerontology-related resources. Results were used to encourage and assist social work faculty to infuse gerontological content into social work curriculum, which helped practitioners to gain the necessary knowledge and skills to meet the needs of a growing aging population. This social work education framework can be replicated in an effort to infuse gerontology content throughout other disciplines.

Transitioning From Successful Aging: A Life Course Approach.

Objective: The life course perspective and representative U.S. data are used to test Rowe and Kahn's Successful Aging (SA) conceptualization. Four sets of influences (childhood experiences, social structural factors, adult attainments, and later life behaviors) on SA transitions are examined to determine the relative role of structural factors and individual behaviors in SA. Method: Eight waves of Health and Retirement Study data for 12,108 respondents, 51 years and older, are used in logistic regression models predicting transitions out of SA status. Results: Social structural factors and childhood experiences had a persistent influence on transitions from SA, even after accounting for adult attainments and later life behaviors-both of which also impact SA outcomes. Discussion: The findings on sustained social structural influences call into question claims regarding the modifiability of SA outcomes originally made in presentation of the SA model. Implications for policy and the focus and timing of intervention are considered.

Longitudinal Associations Between Formal Volunteering and Cognitive Functioning.

Objectives: The present study examines the association between formal volunteering and cognitive functioning over time. We also examine the moderating roles of race, sex, education, and time. Method: Using 11,100 participants aged 51 years and older and nine waves of data from the Health and Retirement Survey, we simultaneously modeled the longitudinal associations between engaging in formal volunteering and changes in cognitive functioning using multilevel models. Results: Formal volunteering was associated with higher levels of cognitive functioning over time, especially with aspects of cognitive functioning related to working memory and processing. This association was stronger for women than it was for men, and for those with below average levels of education. The positive association between formal volunteering and cognitive functioning weakened over time when cognitive functioning was conceptualized as memory, but strengthened over time when conceptualized as working memory and processing. Discussion: Volunteering is a productive activity that is beneficial not just to society, but to volunteers' levels of cognitive functioning in older age. For women and those with lower levels of education, formal volunteering appears particularly beneficial to working memory and processing.

Dog Walking, the Human-Animal Bond and Older Adults' Physical Health.

Purpose of the Study: This study explored the associations between dog ownership and pet bonding with walking behavior and health outcomes in older adults. Design and Methods: We used data from the 12th wave (2012) of the Health and Retirement Study which included an experimental human-animal interaction module. Ordinary least squares regression and binary logistic regression models controlling for demographic variables were used to answer the research questions. Results: Dog walking was associated with lower body mass index, fewer activities of daily living limitations, fewer doctor visits, and more frequent moderate and vigorous exercise. People with higher degrees of pet bonding were more likely to walk their dog and to spend more time walking their dog each time, but they reported walking a shorter distance with their dog than those with weaker pet bonds. Dog ownership was not associated with better physical health or health behaviors. Implications: This study provides evidence for the association between dog walking and physical health using a large, nationally representative sample. The relationship with one's dog may be a positive influence on physical activity for older adults.

Human-Animal Interaction and Older Adults: An Overview.

Both pet ownership and animal-assisted therapy are becoming increasingly popular in the United States, and the science of human-animal interaction (HAI) seeks to explore how these relationships with animals can impact health and well-being. In particular, one burgeoning area of research is the role of HAI in healthy aging, given the potential for HAI as an important feature of health and well-being in older adults. The purpose of this review is to summarize and evaluate existing research in this innovative area of scholarship, identifying the potential benefits and risks of both pet ownership and animals in therapeutic settings for older adults. We will also identify recommendations for future research and applications in this developing area of scholarship.

Trends in Engagement in Advance Care Planning Behaviors and the Role of Socioeconomic Status.

We investigated the trends in advance care planning (ACP) between 2002 and 2010 and whether socioeconomic status explained such trends. We conducted a pooled regression analysis of Health and Retirement Study data from 6052 proxies of deceased individuals. We studied 3 ACP behaviors, discussing end-of-life (EOL) care preferences, providing written EOL care instructions, and appointing a durable power of attorney for health care (DPAHC). ACP increased by 12% to 23% every 2 years from 2002 to 2010. Higher household income increased the odds of having a DPAHC. Education was not associated with ACP. Socioeconomic status alone appears to play a very limited role in predicting ACP. Engagement in ACP likely depends on a constellation of many social and contextual factors.

Productive and social engagement following driving cessation: a couple-based analysis.

Drawing on interdependence theory, this study examined the cross-spouse impact of driving cessation on productive (work, formal volunteering, and informal volunteering) and social engagement of older couples aged 65+ using longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study (1998-2010; N = 1,457 couples). Multilevel modeling results indicate that driving cessation reduced husbands' productive and social engagement, and wives' productive engagement. Spousal driving cessation reduced husbands' likelihood of working or formal volunteering, and wives' likelihood of working or informal volunteering. The more time since spousal driving cessation, the less likely husbands were to work and the less likely wives were to formally volunteer. Results suggest the need for greater recognition of the impact of driving cessation on couples, rather than just individuals, as well as the need for enhanced services or rehabilitation efforts to maintain driving even among couples with one remaining driver.

A multilevel dyadic study of the impact of retirement on self-rated health: does retirement predict worse health in married couples?

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the effects of retirement on self-rated health for married couples, using interdependence and social stratification theoretical frameworks. METHOD: Dyadic multilevel modeling of data (N = 2,213 non-Hispanic couples) from 1992 to 2010 of the Health and Retirement Survey. RESULTS: Retirement was associated with worse self-ratings of health (SRH) short term (ST) for both husbands and wives during the first couple of years of retirement. In addition, the longer the husbands (but not wives) were retired, the worse was their SRH. Cross-spouse effects varied by gender: When wives retired, their husbands' SRH improved ST, but when husbands retired their wives' SRH improved long term. Spouse education moderated the relationship between years since spouse's retirement and SRH for wives. DISCUSSION: Practitioners can use this information to help married couples through retirement planning and transitions. Results suggest that models of retirement in couples should pay greater attention to gender and other social stratification factors, spousal interdependence, and length of time since retirement.

Giving up the keys: how driving cessation affects engagement in later life.

PURPOSE: Many older adults consider driving vital to maintaining their preferred lifestyle and engagement with society, yet it is normative for individuals to eventually stop driving. This study examined the impact of driving cessation on older adults' productive and social engagement and whether their mental and physical health mediated this relationship. DESIGN AND METHODS: Multilevel modeling was used to analyze longitudinal data (N = 4,788 adults age 65 and over) from the Health and Retirement Study (1998-2010). RESULTS: Productive engagement (paid work, formal volunteering, and informal volunteering) was negatively affected when older adults stopped driving, but social engagement was not immediately compromised by their transition to nondriver status. The role of physical health and mental health as mediators in explaining this relationship was negligible. IMPLICATIONS: The results suggest that interventions aimed at maintaining nondrivers' participation in productive roles should focus on factors other than enhancement of health and well-being to spur greater engagement (e.g., availability of and barriers to use of public transportation). Also important in the intervention process is planning for mobility transitions. Future research should test for geographic (e.g., urban vs. rural) differences in the impact of driving cessation on productive and social engagement.