Preliminary translation of 'Reducing Disability in Alzheimer's Disease' among individuals with intellectual disabilities and caregiver dyads.

BACKGROUND: The Reducing Disability in Alzheimer's Disease in Kansas City (RDAD-KC) intervention has been shown to improve the health of individuals with dementia and caregiver dyads. This manuscript reports the results of implementing the RDAD among individuals with intellectual disabilities and caregiver dyads. METHODS: Nine community agencies deployed the 12-week intervention. We assessed changes in individuals with intellectual disabilities' behavioural symptom related severity and physical activity, and caregivers' behavioural symptom-related distress, unmet needs, and caregiver strain. RESULTS: Forty-four dyads enrolled, and 23 (~60 years, 48% female) completed ≥75% of the intervention. We observed decreases in behavioural symptom related severity (p = .07) and increases in physical activity (p = .20) among individuals with intellectual disabilities. We also observed decreases in behavioural symptom related distress (p = .14), unmet needs (p = .50), and caregiver strain (p = .50) among caregivers. CONCLUSIONS: The RDAD-KC intervention showed promising, although statistically non-significant, benefits among individuals with intellectual disabilities and their caregivers.

Challenges and opportunities of age diverse universities: Perspectives from admissions and career services.

Universities are experiencing shifts in age distributions of students, with fewer younger students and an increase in the number of people mid-life and beyond seeking education and job training. Thus, there are strong arguments for universities to embrace opportunities to increase age-diversity on campus. This qualitative study explores the challenges, opportunities, and strategies related to university age-diversity from the perspective of Admissions and Career Services staff from one midwestern university. From focus group data, six subthemes were identified as challenges (fitting in; acclimating; stressors; career concerns; return on investment; and ageism/undervaluing age diversity), three subthemes were identified as assets (intentionality; experienced students; and age diverse educational settings) and eight strategies were recommended to better serve an age-diversity student body (support groups; familial supports; social opportunities; job placement; financial aid; targeted outreach; flexibility in learning; and staff support). This article discusses the benefits and challenges of serving older students from the perspective of staff and administrators and provides action steps for universities to promote age-diversity on campus.

Recovering from the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Focus on Older Adults.

As we look toward recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, we overview challenges to be minimized, including economic setbacks, health and well-being effects, and highlighted ageism, racism, and classism. We articulate opportunities to be seized, including increased comfort with technology and online platforms; stronger family and intergenerational connections, renewed energy to combat social isolation; more respect for self-care and time management; increased awareness about the importance of advance directives; and, potentially, increased interest across disciplines to work on issues of aging society. Ongoing efforts to improve policies and programs for longer, healthier lives might now be more productive, as we communicate to consumers, public officials, and everyday citizens who may be more aware of what isn't working, what is at stake, and what might be improved.

Applying Gerontological Social Work Perspectives to the Coronavirus Pandemic.

Social workers are familiar with the challenges brought on by the coronavirus pandemic; and we apply three gerontological social work perspectives that might increase our chances of minimizing negative outcomes and improving health and quality of life for everyone. First, the reality that the older population is very heterogeneous challenges ageism and age-stereotyping that has surfaced with COVID-19. Second, concepts of cumulative disadvantage and intersectionality offer clear explanations of the disparities that are being illuminated and lead us to advocate for fundamental changes to reduce disparities in later life and for people across the life course. Third, a strength-based perspective highlights the assets of the older population and the opportunities for positive developments coming out of the crisis. We can capitalize on momentum to increase advance care planning, to reduce social isolation, and expand the use of on-line technology for service provision. We can bolster our arguments to support older workers, volunteers, and caregivers. The fact that these social work perspectives are so applicable to the coronavirus situation reminds us of their fundamental relevance. Gerontological social work has much to offer in our roles as researchers, educators, practitioners, and advocates during this crisis, and our foundational principles serve us well.

A service-oriented approach to clinical trial recruitment for dementia and brain health: Methods and case examples of MyAlliance for Brain Health.

INTRODUCTION: Recruitment of sufficient and diverse participants into clinical research for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias remains a formidable challenge. The primary goal of this manuscript is to provide an overview of an approach to diversifying research recruitment and to provide case examples of several methods for achieving greater diversity in clinical research enrollment. METHODS: The University of Kansas Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (KU ADRC) developed MyAlliance for Brain Health (MyAlliance), a service-oriented recruitment model. MyAlliance comprises a Primary Care Provider Network, a Patient and Family Network, and a Community Organization Network, each delivering tailored value to relevant parties while facilitating research referrals. RESULTS: We review three methods for encouraging increased diversity in clinical research participation. Initial outcomes reveal an increase in underrepresented participants from 17% to 27% in a research registry. Enrollments into studies supported by the research registry experienced a 51% increase in proportion of participants from underrepresented communities. DISCUSSION: MyAlliance shifts power, resources, and knowledge to community advocates, promoting brain health awareness and research participation, and demands substantial financial investment and administrative commitment. MyAlliance offers valuable lessons for building sustainable, community-centered research recruitment infrastructure, emphasizing the importance of localized engagement and cultural understanding. Highlights: MyAlliance led to a significant increase in the representation of underrepresented racial and ethnic groups and individuals from rural areas.The service-oriented approach facilitated long-term community engagement and trust-building, extending partnerships between an academic medical center and community organizations.While effective, MyAlliance required substantial financial investment, with costs including infrastructure development, staff support, partner organization compensation, and promotional activities, underscoring the resource-intensive nature of inclusive research recruitment efforts.

Making the Case for Age-Diverse Universities.

Life expectancy has increased substantially; yet universities remain age-segregated and fail to educate people across the longer life course. Demographic shifts call for universities to change their orientation toward age and life course. Arguments as to why universities should serve students of all ages and operate as age-diverse communities include: ensuring the capacity of individual workers and the labor force; educating people to succeed in age-diverse settings; producing innovation in an aging society; supporting meaningful engagement, social connection, and cognitive health into later life; and ensuring the supply of students. Conceptual foundations for these arguments derive from ideas about age stratification, where chronological age is used as a criterion for inclusion or exclusion from social expectations, roles, and privileges and where age integration is viewed as a positive alternative. In response to population aging and the constraints associated with age segregation in higher education, the Age-Friendly University Global Network was formed to increase the inclusion of older learners in all aspects of university life. The challenge is to create conditions where nontraditionally aged students expect to engage fully in educational activities, where students of all ages are valued and supported, and where age diversity is a common feature of campus life. The transformation of our universities must be done for the sake of society, for younger and older people, and for the self-interest of institutions themselves.