How Do Social Relationships Affect Later Life Planning?

Relatively little is known about how social relationships affect later life planning. Our study focuses on an underexamined aspect of social relationships, frequency of contact - not only with family members but also with friends. Using data from a survey of Floridians aged 50 and older conducted between December 2020 and April 2021 (n = 3,832), we examine the association between frequency of contact and five planning types: finances, health care, living arrangements, driving retirement, and end-of-life. We found that more frequent contact was associated with greater likelihood of planning, and this result was largely consistent across types of relationships and types of planning. Our findings suggest that contact with family members and friends may encourage more planning, which could reduce the stress that can accompany later life transitions. Our study offers further evidence of social relationships' centrality to later life well-being and points to the many benefits of enhancing them.

Exploring facilitators and barriers associated with oral care for inpatients with dysphagia post-stroke.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the attitudes, facilitators and barriers in providing oral care for inpatients with dysphagia post-stroke as perceived by healthcare professionals. BACKGROUND: Dysphagia is a common complication of stroke and is associated with a higher incidence of aspiration pneumonia, malnutrition and dehydration. In the acute phase of stroke recovery, a dental professional is not usually part of the multidisciplinary team caring for the patient and oral care is the responsibility of the healthcare professionals in the stroke unit. There is a lack of high-quality evidence to demonstrate the most effective method of providing oral care for patients with dysphagia post-stroke. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a single-site study conducted with healthcare professionals working in the Stroke Unit of Cork University Hospital in Ireland, using focus groups and a qualitative thematic analysis approach. RESULTS: A total of three focus groups were conducted in the Stroke Unit with 17 healthcare professionals. The focus groups included representation from all healthcare professional groups providing direct clinical care to patients on the Stroke Unit including geriatric medicine, dietetics, speech and language therapy, healthcare assistance, nursing, occupational therapy and physiotherapy. A qualitative thematic analysis was carried out and seven overarching themes emerged from the data. Three themes related to facilitators to providing oral care for this patient group: (i) a focus on oral care in both policy and practice, (ii) expanding professional roles in the provision of oral care, (iii) perceived importance of oral care in recovery and rehabilitation. Four themes related to barriers to the provision of oral care for this patient group: (i) lack of confidence and concerns related to the perceived risk for patients with dysphagia, (ii) unique challenges of patient and stroke-related factors, (iii) lack of resources and time and (iv) perceived importance of oral care in recovery and its relative importance with competing demands. CONCLUSION: Members of the stroke multidisciplinary team believe that they all have a part to play in the delivery of oral care for patients with dysphagia post-stroke. Opportunities exist for the development of multidisciplinary interventions to improve the oral cavity assessment and oral care provided in the Stroke Unit.

Fluralaner (Bravecto®) treatment kills Aedes aegypti after feeding on Dirofilaria immitis-infected dogs.

BACKGROUND: Transmission of canine heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) from infected to naïve dogs is dependent on successful mosquito feeding and survival. METHODS: To determine whether treating heartworm-infected dogs with fluralaner (Bravecto®) limits the survival of infected mosquitoes, and potentially the transmission of D. immitis, we allowed female mosquitoes to feed on microfilaremic dogs and evaluated mosquito survival and infection with D. immitis. Eight dogs were experimentally infected with D. immitis. On day 0 (~ 11 months post-infection), four microfilaremic dogs were treated with fluralaner according to label directions while the other four were non-treated controls. Mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti Liverpool) were allowed to feed on each dog on days -7, 2, 30, 56, and 84. Fed mosquitoes were collected, and the number of live mosquitoes determined at 6 h, 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h post-feeding. Surviving mosquitoes held for 2 weeks were dissected to confirm third-stage D. immitis larvae; PCR (12S rRNA gene) was performed post-dissection to identify D. immitis in mosquitoes. RESULTS: Prior to treatment, 98.4%, 85.1%, 60.7%, and 40.3% of mosquitoes fed on microfilaremic dogs were alive at 6 h, 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h post-feeding, respectively. Similarly, mosquitoes fed on microfilaremic, non-treated dogs were alive 6 h post-feeding (98.5-100%) throughout the study. In contrast, mosquitoes fed on fluralaner-treated dogs 2 days after treatment were dead or severely moribund by 6 h post-feeding. At 30 and 56 days post-treatment, > 99% of mosquitoes fed on treated dogs were dead by 24 h. At 84 days post-treatment, 98.4% of mosquitoes fed on treated dogs were dead by 24 h. Before treatment, third-stage larvae of D. immitis were recovered from 15.5% of Ae. aegypti 2 weeks after feeding, and 72.4% were positive for D. immitis by PCR. Similarly, 17.7% of mosquitoes fed on non-treated dogs had D. immitis third-stage larvae 2 weeks after feeding, and 88.2% were positive by PCR. Five mosquitoes fed on fluralaner-treated dogs survived 2 weeks post-feeding, and 4/5 were from day 84. None had third-stage larvae at dissection, and all were PCR-negative. CONCLUSION: The data indicate that fluralaner treatment of dogs kills mosquitoes and thus would be expected to reduce transmission of heartworm in the surrounding community.

Aches and Pains: How Do They Affect Transitions From Driving?

Background and Objectives: Chronic pain, which affects more than 1 in 4 middle-aged and older adults, can have profound implications for everyday behaviors like driving. The literature examining it, however, is relatively small and is limited by its reliance on patient populations and its lack of attention to some driving-related behaviors and self-assessments that may signal the start of a transition from driving. Research Design and Methods: We address these issues using data from an online survey of Floridians aged 50 and older that was conducted between December 2020 and April 2021 and funded by the Florida Department of Transportation (n = 3,832). We ran multivariate regression analyses to examine the association between pain's interference with driving and 5 driving-related outcomes: self-rated driving ability, driving frequency, self-regulated driving, perceived nearness of driving retirement, and planning for driving retirement. Results: Results indicate that experiencing more pain that interferes with driving is associated with worse self-rated driving ability, more frequent self-regulated driving, and greater planning for driving retirement. It is not associated with driving frequency or with anticipating that driving retirement will occur in the next 5 years. Discussion and Implications: These findings indicate that greater pain may hasten the transition from driving, along with planning for it. These patterns suggest that pain may increase people's risk of isolation and other negative outcomes that can follow driving retirement; however, pain's effect on planning may reduce these risks. By focusing on transitioning from driving, our study reveals a largely overlooked benefit of reducing pain-It could extend people's years behind the wheel.

Spotlight on Age: An Overlooked Construct in Medical Sociology.

Medical sociology gives limited attention to age-a surprising observation given the aging of the population and the fact that age is among the strongest determinants of health. We examine this issue through an analysis of articles published in Journal of Health and Social Behavior (JHSB) and Sociology of Health & Illness (SHI) between 2000 and 2019. One in 10 articles focused on age or aging, with attention increasing over the period. However, the journals differed. More JHSB than SHI articles addressed it, but fewer focused on the latest life stages when frailty often appears. We discuss three dimensions of age that would enrich medical sociology: as a dimension of inequality akin to race and gender with similar health effects, as an institution interacting with the medical one, and as an identity-again, akin to race and gender-through which people process their experiences in ways that affect health.

The subjective life course framework: Integrating life course sociology with gerontological perspectives on subjective aging.

The expansion of life expectancy has precipitated a cultural transformation of the life course - altering the perceived temporal contours of middle and later life. However, our understanding of these perceptions is limited by the absence of a framework within which to examine them. This paper builds on the life course perspective - which emphasizes the objective patterning of lives - by focusing on the subjective side of the life course. Drawing on theoretically, methodologically, and substantively diverse studies, this paper develops the concept of the subjective life course - a term we use to denote individuals' perceptions of the life course, including its structure and timing and their advancing location in it. We outline two dimensions of the subjective life course - the target of the perception (i.e., generalized other versus self) and the temporal frame of reference (i.e., past, present, or future). Using the resulting framework as an organizational tool, we then discuss key constructs located at each intersection along these dimensions, providing examples, where possible, of empirical studies examining them. We close with a discussion of two broad directions for research: leveraging the framework to yield insight on the subjective life course and exploring links between objective and subjective dimensions of the life course.

Calculated Ageism: Generational Sacrifice as a Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVES: Popular responses to the pandemic illustrate ageism's pervasiveness and the extent of collective acquiescence to its newest expressions. We explore these themes by analyzing Twitter reactions to "calculated ageism"-a term we use to refer to a political figure's edict that older adults should sacrifice their lives if it will mitigate the pandemic's economic damage to younger people. METHOD: Using thematic analysis, we examine tweets (n = 188) responding to Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick's March 23, 2020, statement that encouraged generational self-sacrifice. Themes that emerged included positions of support or opposition and tweeters' critiques. RESULTS: The large majority of tweets-90%-opposed calculated ageism, while only 5% supported it and 5% conveyed no position. Opposition centered on moral critiques, political-economic critiques, assertions of older adults' worth, and public health arguments. Support centered on individual responsibility and patriotism. DISCUSSION: While prior research reveals ageism's entrenchment in popular culture, our study finds that it has limits and identifies the reasons underlying them. The most common reasons for opposing calculated ageism center on its immorality and on its privileging of the economic interests of the powerful few over the many, patterns suggesting that the boundaries of ageism are influenced by core beliefs about fairness. They also are shaped by a bedrock conviction that older lives have value. This intergenerational solidarity could be leveraged to reduce ageism during the pandemic and beyond.

Grandparent-Adult Grandchild Relationships: Development of a Typology Using Latent Class Analysis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Grandparent-adult grandchild relationships may not be captured in existing grandparenting typologies, which focus on early stages of these relationships. Our study develops a typology for later stages, estimates the prevalence of grandparents in each category, and examines associations between category membership and grandparent and grandchild characteristics. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Using a sample of 289 grandparents from the latest wave of the Longitudinal Study of Generations (2005), we employed latent class analysis to examine underlying categories of grandparent-adult grandchild relationships, based on four dimensions-frequency of contact, relationship quality, grandparents' receipt of support, and geographic distance. RESULTS: Three latent classes emerged: Geographically Distant/Low Contact (45%), Geographically Close/High Contact (42%), and Geographically Close/Low Contact (13%). While geographic distance and frequency of contact were dimensions distinguishing grandparent-adult grandchild relationships, receipt of support and relationship quality were not. Most grandparents reported close relationships but infrequent support. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: By identifying categories of grandparent-adult grandchild relationships and factors influencing membership in them, our study may aid in efforts to strengthen those characterized by weak bonds-namely, those with grandparents who are older, frailer, and poorer.

Footloose and fancy-free: Online travel advice to older and younger women.

Increasing numbers of women, of all ages, are choosing to travel alone - a trend accompanied by online articles providing advice to them. However, we are aware of only one study examining these articles, and it gave no attention to age. We conduct a content analysis of 75 online articles directed at solo women travelers, including 29 written for older women. Results revealed three themes - regulating risk, letting go, and discovering self. Their prevalence varied by articles' targeted age group, with those aimed at younger women focusing on solo travel's risks and those for older women highlighting its rewards.

Evaluation of oral fluralaner (Bravecto®) for efficacy against nymphs of Amblyomma americanum and Rhipicephalus sanguineus (sensu lato).

BACKGROUND: Amblyomma americanum and Rhipicephalus sanguineus (sensu lato) nymphs commonly feed on and transmit pathogens to dogs (Canis familiaris). Control of immature and adult tick life stages is necessary to fully protect animals. We evaluated efficacy of oral fluralaner (Bravecto®) against induced infestations with A. americanum and R. sanguineus (s.l.) nymphs on dogs in two experiments. METHODS: In each experiment, 10 dogs were administered oral fluralaner chewable tablets one time on Day 0 at a targeted minimum dose of 25 mg/kg body weight and 10 dogs remained non-treated controls. Dogs were infested with two groups of 50 A. americanum nymphs and two groups of 50 R. sanguineus (s.l.) nymphs on Days -1, 6, 28, 56 and 84. At 48 h and 72 h post-infestation, nymphs were collected from dogs, assessed as live or dead, and enumerated into categories defining attachment and engorgement status. Fluralaner efficacy was determined in separate analyses against all live nymphs and against live-fed nymphs, i.e. live nymphs that were attached to dogs at the time of collection and/or were engorged. Fluralaner was considered effective when mean numbers of live ticks were reduced in fluralaner-treated dogs by ≥ 90%. RESULTS: Fluralaner efficacy against all live and live-fed A. americanum nymphs in the first experiment was > 94% on all collection days. Efficacy against all live R. sanguineus (s.l.) nymphs in the first experiment was > 96% on all collection days  excluding the 48 h counts for infestations on Days 28 (83.7%), 56 (82.9%) and 84 (86.7%); efficacy against live-fed R. sanguineus (s.l.) nymphs was > 95% on all 48 h/72 h count days. Fluralaner efficacy against all live A. americanum nymphs in the second experiment was > 93% on all collection days for 8 weeks excluding the 48 h count for infestation on Day 56 (87.8%); efficacy against live-fed A. americanum nymphs was > 91% on all count days for 8 weeks. Efficacy against all live R. sanguineus (s.l.) nymphs in the  second experiment was > 91% on all 72 h collection days  except for infestations on Days 28 (76.8%) and 56 (86.3%); efficacy against live-fed R. sanguineus (s.l.) nymphs was 100% on all 72 h count days. CONCLUSIONS: A single administration of oral fluralaner to dogs is effective against A. americanum and R. sanguineus (s.l.) nymphs for up to 12 weeks.

Feeling Old, Body and Soul: The Effect of Aging Body Reminders on Age Identity.

OBJECTIVES: Although changes in body functioning and appearance signal the aging process to ourselves and others, studies give limited attention to the effect of bodily experiences of aging on age identity. Our study examines the effect on age identity of 3 categories of aging body reminders: everyday body problems, body repairs, and body aids. METHODS: Hierarchical linear models are run using 5 waves of the National Health and Aging Trends Study (2011-2015). Models predict the effect on age identity of change in the count of everyday body problems (e.g., pain), body repairs (i.e., surgeries and medications), and body aids (e.g., hearing aids). RESULTS: Increases in everyday body problems and body repairs (in particular, medications) predict older identities, with the strongest average effect found for everyday body problems. These results are observed in models controlling on health, suggesting that body reminders exert independent effects. DISCUSSION: Our study reveals a realm of aging experiences-bodily experiences-that influence age identity. Avenues for further research include examinations of other aging body reminders, as well as variation across individuals.

Coproantigen Detection Augments Diagnosis of Common Nematode Infections in Dogs.

Microscopic methods which employ active or passive flotation have been used to detect parasite diagnostic stages in the feces of companion animals for many years. More recently, coproantigen ELISAs for the detection of excretory/secretory products from intestinal nematodes have been introduced. These assays can identify the presence of parasites when eggs are not recovered by flotation (e.g. prepatent infection or intermittent egg shedding). The study was designed to assess the added benefit of these coproantigen tests in canine fecal diagnostics. The work was performed at 3 separate sites where canine fecal samples were each independently evaluated by both centrifugal flotation with an expert examiner (CFE) and passive flotation with a less experienced examiner. All samples were also tested using coproantigen ELISA to detect ascarid, hookworm, or whipworm antigen (IDEXX Laboratories, Inc, Westbrook, Maine). A total of 1202 samples were collected; 626 were from shelter dogs and 576 were from pet dogs. CFE recovered ascarid eggs in 58 samples, hookworm eggs in 229 samples, and whipworm eggs in 95 samples. Of the positive samples identified by CFE, the PFE and ELISA identified 40 and 51 ascarid samples, 188 and 203 hookworm samples, and 65 and 67 whipworm positive samples, respectively. The coproantigen ELISA identified 8 ascarid, 82 hookworm, and 22 whipworm positive samples that were not detected by CFE. The combined results of passive flotation and the coproantigen ELISA improved the percent agreement with centrifugal flotation, suggesting that greater sensitivity of detection may be achieved through the use of complementary diagnostic methods. However, errors of misidentification and poor recovery apparently introduced by less experienced examiners using an inferior flotation method remained. A diagnostic approach that combines coproantigen assays with centrifugal flotation and examination by an expert allows detection of more ascarid, hookworm, and whipworm infections.

Equipping Nurses and Care Staff to Manage Mealtime Difficulties in People With Dementia: A Systematic Scoping Review of Training Needs and Interventions.

Purpose Mealtime difficulties are prevalent in dementia, posing major challenges to people with dementia (PWD), carers, and clinical services. Speech-language pathologists have a recognized role in providing training to carers of PWD who have mealtime difficulties. The aims of this study are (a) to identify the training needs of nurses and care staff with regard to managing mealtime difficulties in PWD, (b) to describe existing training interventions on this topic, and (c) to investigate the extent to which these interventions are relevant to the needs of nurses and care staff. Method A systematic search was carried out to identify studies relevant to the aims of the review. Data were extracted and then synthesized using thematic analysis and a synthesis matrix. Study quality was appraised using a validated appraisal tool. Results Various themes were identified in relation to the training needs of nurses and other care staff who manage mealtime difficulties in PWD. These were as follows: person-centered care; dealing with uncertainty; strategies, skills, and knowledge; and creating the right environment. Existing training interventions were described and compared against the training needs. The review found some correspondence between interventions and staff needs, but also some gaps. Conclusions Training interventions on this topic should be more systematically developed and better reported to facilitate effective implementation. Evidence to date indicates that training should do more to help staff deal with uncertainty. Further research assessing the benefits of speech-language pathologists' involvement in the development of training interventions is recommended because of this profession's specialist skills and knowledge with regard to both dysphagia and communication.

Feeling Older and Driving Less: The Effect of Age Identity on Older Adults' Transition from Driving.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Prior research examining predictors of older adults' transition from driving has not considered age-related perceptions, such as age identity, that could shape decisions to limit, or self-regulate, one's driving. Our study examines this possibility, testing the hypothesis that older (or less youthful) identities predict greater self-regulated driving. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Using two waves of the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS, 2011 and 2015), we run negative binomial regression models predicting the number of self-regulated driving behaviors, as a function of baseline age identity and change in age identity between the waves. Models control for factors shown to predict self-regulated driving, namely sociodemographics, health, and transportation support. RESULTS: Supporting our hypothesis, we find that older (or less youthful) identities at baseline and greater increases in age identity between the waves predict more self-regulated driving behaviors 4 years later, controlling on these behaviors at baseline. The results held in models controlling for sociodemographics, health, and transportation alternatives, suggesting that age identity exerts an independent effect on self-regulated driving. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Our study reveals that age identity affects later life driving decisions, contributing to our understanding of the process of transitioning from driving. It also adds to the long list of consequences of age-related perceptions revealed in prior research, much of it focused on health but not behaviors. Directions for future research include examining other age-related perceptions, such as aging anxieties or attitudes, and exploring the likely bidirectional process linking age-related perceptions and driving transitions.

Evacuating People and Their Pets: Older Floridians' Need for and Proximity to Pet-Friendly Shelters.

OBJECTIVES: Pets influence evacuation decisions, but little is known about pet-friendly emergency shelters' availability or older adults' need for them. Our study addresses this issue, focusing on the most densely populated area of Florida (Miami-Dade)-the state with the oldest population and greatest hurricane susceptibility. METHOD: We use Geographic Information Systems (GIS)-based methodology to identify the shortest paths to pet-friendly shelters, based on distance and congested and uncongested travel times-taking into account the older population's spatial distribution. Logistic regression models using the 2013 American Housing Survey's Disaster Planning Module examine anticipated shelter use as a function of pet ownership and requiring pet evacuation assistance. RESULTS: Thirty-four percent of older adults in the Miami-Dade area have pets-35% of whom report needing pet evacuation assistance. However, GIS accessibility measures show that travel time factors are likely to impede older adults' use of the area's few pet-friendly shelters. Logistic regression results reveal that pet owners are less likely to report anticipating shelter use; however, the opposite holds for pet owners reporting they would need help evacuating their pets-they anticipate using shelters. DISCUSSION: High pet shelter need coupled with low availability exacerbates older adults' heightened vulnerability during Florida's hurricane season.

Ticks from cats in the United States: Patterns of infestation and infection with pathogens.

Ticks are an important but under recognized parasitic threat to cats in many areas of the United States. To characterize the species and stages of ticks most commonly recovered from cats and determine the prevalence of disease agents in the ticks, we conducted a survey of ticks removed from cats at veterinary practices in 18 states from April 2016-June 2017. A total of 796 ticks were submitted from 332 cats from 41 different veterinary practices. A single tick was submitted from the majority of cats, with a mean infestation intensity of 2.4 (range 1-46). The most common tick was Ixodes scapularis, accounting for 422/796 (53.0%) ticks submitted, followed by Amblyomma americanum (224/796; 28.1%) and Dermacentor variabilis (131/796; 16.5%); a few I. pacificus, I. banksi, D. occidentalis, A. maculatum, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, and Otobius megnini were also submitted. A majority of ticks were adults (593/796; 74.5%); females predominated in all adult tick submissions including I. scapularis (277/327; 84.7% female), A. americanum (66/128; 51.6% female), and D. variabilis (75/126; 59.5% female). Immature ticks included 186 nymphs and 17 larvae and were primarily I. scapularis and A. americanum. Adult I. scapularis were most reported to be attached to the dorsal head and neck; A. americanum to the abdomen and perianal region; and D. variabilis to the back and ear. Ticks were collected in every month; the largest number of submissions were in May and June (42.5% of ticks) and October and November (35.9% of ticks). Adults of I. scapularis were most commonly submitted October through December, A. americanum March through June, and D. variabilis May through July. Cats with ticks were predominantly male (58.8%) and altered (76.2%), and most reportedly spent >30% of time outdoors, although 64/294 (21.8%) for which lifestyle estimates were provided were reported to live primarily (≤30% of time outside; n = 54) or entirely (100%; n = 10) indoors. Assay of ticks removed from cats revealed I. scapularis were infected with Borrelia burgdorferi (25.7%) and Anaplasma phagocytophilum (4.4%); A. americanum were infected with Ehrlichia chaffeensis (1.3%); and D. variabilis were infected with spotted fever group Rickettsia spp. (3.1%). No ticks in this study tested positive for Cytauxzoon felis. Pet cats, including those that live primarily indoors, are at risk of tick infestation, potentially exposed to tick-borne disease agents, and would benefit from routine tick control.

The use of whole-genome sequencing in cluster investigation of a multidrug-resistant tuberculosis outbreak.

We used whole-genome sequencing (WGS) to delineate transmission networks and investigate the benefits of WGS during cluster investigation.We included clustered cases of multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis (TB)/extensively drug-resistant (XDR) TB linked by mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit variable tandem repeat (MIRU-VNTR) strain typing or epidemiological information in the national cluster B1006, notified between 2007 and 2013 in the UK. We excluded from further investigation cases whose isolates differed by greater than 12 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Data relating to patients' social networks were collected.27 cases were investigated and 22 had WGS, eight of which (36%) were excluded as their isolates differed by more than 12 SNPs to other cases. 18 cases were ruled into the transmission network based on genomic and epidemiological information. Evidence of transmission was inconclusive in seven out of 18 cases (39%) in the transmission network following WGS and epidemiological investigation.This investigation of a drug-resistant TB cluster illustrates the opportunities and limitations of WGS in understanding transmission in a setting with a high proportion of migrant cases. The use of WGS should be combined with classical epidemiological methods. However, not every cluster will be solvable, regardless of the quality of genomic data.

Multiple "Old Ages": The Influence of Social Context on Women's Aging Anxiety.

Objectives: Dominant views of aging generate anxiety for many adults-especially women, who face greater disadvantages in later life compared with men. However, little is known about changes in these concerns over time and their variation across women. Employing a feminist perspective on age relations, our study examines three social contexts affecting women's aging anxiety-social location, health, and social relationships. Method: Using a sample of women (n = 905) from Midlife in the United States (1995-1996; 2004-2006), logistic regression models examine predictors of over-time patterns in three aging anxiety sources-declining attractiveness, declining health, and reproductive aging. Results: Women report more declining-health anxiety, and it remains more stable over time than do declining-attractiveness and reproductive aging anxiety-both of which tend to decrease with age. The effects of social context vary across anxiety sources; however, more favorable over-time patterns are often associated with more disadvantaged social locations (i.e., older ages, non-white, lower socioeconomic status)-but better health and social relationships. Discussion: Our study, the first to examine over-time patterns in aging anxiety, illustrates women's multiple "old ages"-a reality manifesting in not only objective conditions of later life but also perceptions of aging. It provides insight on social and cultural processes shaping aging perceptions.

"I Hope I Go Out of this World Still Wanting to Learn More": Identity Work in a Lifelong Learning Institute.

Objectives: Research on the health-enhancing effects of later life activities gives limited attention to the age-segregated nature of many organizations; such consideration draws into focus identity processes contributing to these benefits. Studies also focus more on social than on educational organizations. We address these limitations by examining older adults' identity work within the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), a not-for-credit later life educational organization. Method: We use qualitative data from three sources: interviews with OLLI participants and staff (n = 32); observations at OLLI courses, events, and two regional conferences (118 hours); and content analysis of program materials. Data analyses followed a grounded theory approach. Results: Analyses revealed identity work allowing members to view themselves as "lifelong learners." This work involved four processes: (a) framing as a college experience, (b) distancing from nonacademic pursuits, (c) embracing the mature love of learning, and (d) (re)casting themselves as lifelong students. Discussion: Our study contributes to research on the benefits of later life activity by illuminating identity work processes operating within an age-segregated educational organization. These processes allow members to positively frame themselves as older adults; however, they not only reinforce stereotypes of younger and older adults but also devalue older adults unable to participate or uninterested in lifelong learning programs.