COVID-19 fatalities exemplify "bad deaths" and are distinguished by physical discomfort, difficulty breathing, social isolation, psychological distress, care that may be discordant with the patient's preferences. Each of these death attributes is a well-documented correlate bereaved survivors' symptoms depression, anxiety, anger. Yet grief experienced survivors COVID-related deaths compounded erosion coping resources like support, contemporaneous stressors including financial precarity,...

Objectives: This research tests the influences of age, biological, and psychosocial factors on sexual expression in later life. Method: The American Association Retired Persons Modern Maturity Sexuality Survey collected data diagnosed illnesses, treated desire, attitudes, partner circumstances, behavior from 1,384 persons ages 45 older. Ordered logistic regression models estimate associations with frequency five behaviors. Results: Diagnosed illnesses treatments are generally unrelated to...

The effectiveness of advance care planning (ACP) may depend on family members' understanding patient preferences. However, we know no studies that explore the association between relationship dynamics and ACP. ACP includes a living will, durable power attorney for health (DPAHC) appointment, discussions. We evaluated effects three aspects relations--general functioning, support criticism from spouse, children--on both overall specific DPAHC designations.

Objectives:This study examined childhood socioeconomic status (SES) as a predictor of later life cognition and the extent to which midlife SES accounts for associations. Methods: Data came from 5,074 participants in Wisconsin Longitudinal Study. Measures adolescence included parents' educational attainment, father's occupational status, household income. Memory language/executive function were assessed at ages 65 72 years. Results: Global was stronger baseline levels than memory....

Objectives.Medical professionals typically approach advance care planning (ACP) as an individual-level activity, yet family members also may play integral role in making decisions about older adults' end-of-life care. We evaluate the effects of marital satisfaction and parent–child relationship quality on use directives (i.e., living will durable power attorney for health [DPAHC] appointments) discussions.

Grandparent–adult grandchild relationships are becoming longer and more common, therefore potentially influential in the lives of individuals. This study examined influence solidarity (i.e., affinity, contact, functional exchange) grandparent–adult relationship upon depressive symptoms both members dyad. The used data from Longitudinal Study Generations, a survey 3- 4-generation U.S. families that included 7 waves collection between 1985 2004. sample was comprised 374 grandparents 356 adult...

Abstract Background Anorexia Nervosa (AN) continues to capture the public’s imagination, centered around physical appearance, particularly weight. Clinical conceptions of AN also emphasize The objective this study was explore how individuals with lived experience thought about role weight in illness and recovery. Methods current employed a grounded theory approach through qualitative inductive inquiry analysis 150 anonymous narratives, exploring firsthand recovery adult individuals, based...

Purpose: We document the extent to which older adults accurately report their spouses' end-of-life treatment preferences, in hypothetical scenarios of terminal illness with severe physical pain and cognitive impairment. investigate accurate reports, inaccurate reports (i.e., errors undertreatment or overtreatment), uncertain (responses "do not know") are associated advance care planning surrogates' involvement planning. Design Methods: used data from married couples who participated...

Objectives.Guided by the transtheoretical model of health behavior change, this study sought to explain why (a) rates advance care planning remain low in general population and (b) surrogate decision makers are often inaccurate about patients' end-of-life preferences.Methods.The used quantitative data from a cross-sectional internet survey conducted between July October 2010.The 2,150 participants aged 18-64 belonged 1,075 married or cohabiting heterosexual couples.Participants included...

Abstract Objectives A growing body of research indicates that older adults are at greater risk for poorer cognition if they experienced low socioeconomic status (SES) as children. Guided by life course epidemiology, this study aimed to advance understanding processes through which childhood SES influences decades later, with attention the role scholastic performance in adolescence and midlife. Method We used data from Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS), has followed a cohort high school...

Objectives There is growing recognition that social participation may help attenuate cognitive decline in older ages. Unfortunately, previous research often relies on index measures, which obfuscate associations among cognition, specific activities, and the frequency of partaking those activities. Methods Data are from six waves Health Retirement Study ( N = 20,696). Regression models test how between cognition vary by activity multiple specifications frequency. Results Using a index, any...

When terminally ill patients become mentally incapacitated, the patient's surrogate often makes treatment decisions in collaboration with health care providers. We examine how surrogates' errors reporting their spouse's preferences are affected by gender, status as durable power of attorney for (DPAHC), whether and spouse held discussions about end-of-life preferences, status. apply structural equation models to data from 2,750 married couples mid 60s who participated 2004 wave Wisconsin...

Purpose of the Study:This study examined depressive symptoms among adult survivors childhood maltreatment who provided care to their former abusive/neglectful parents. We also investigated extent which four coping styles—problem-focused coping, emotion-focused positive social support, and negative support—moderated association between caregivers.

In later life, adults' social networks grow smaller through a combination of intentional selection and involuntary loss. This study examined whether older adults who lack high-quality marriage compensate for this using support from other ties. We analyzed how relationships with family friends are associated depressive symptoms across multiple marital statuses. Data 3,371 participated in the most recent wave National Social Life, Health, Aging Project (NSHAP) were analysis variance (ANOVA)...

Loneliness and social isolation are significant public health problems. However, the community neighborhood factors that contribute to this pandemic less examined. Adopting a resource-based capital theory, we examined whether trust was associated with older Americans’ loneliness, number of friends, perceived support from friends. We analyzed two waves longitudinal data Health Retirement Study, sample 5,817 Americans aged 50 years older. used first difference models analyze controlled for...

This study examines decisions women make about their romantic lives after widowhood. Participants were from the Americans’ Changing Lives survey, a nationwide random sample of 3,617 Americans older than age 25 years who, in 1986, widowed ( n = 259) or had been and remarried 49). Widowed participants provided information male companions interest remarriage, as well social support, mental physical health, age, socioeconomic status. Logistic regressions revealed that younger greater unhappiness...

Objectives: This study assesses the proportions of participants who prefer independent or delegated medical decision making at end life and examines relationships personal beliefs, affiliative end-of-life planning behaviors to decision-making preference. Method: Data are drawn from Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, a sample nearly 4,500 healthy White Midwestern high school graduates in their mid-60s. Results: Four fifths wanted make decisions independently. Valuing independence, being less...

We explore the content and correlates of older adults’ end‐of‐life treatment preferences in two hypothetical terminal illness scenarios: severe physical pain with no cognitive impairment, impairment pain. For each scenario, we assess whether participants would reject life‐prolonging treatment, accept or do not know their preferences. Using data from 2004 wave Wisconsin Longitudinal Study ( N = 5,106), estimate multinomial logistic regression models to evaluate are associated direct...

To examine (a) whether the content of caregiving tasks (i.e., nursing vs. personal care) contributes to variation in caregivers' strain and (b) level complexity among caregivers providing help with such tasks.The data came from Cash Counseling Demonstration Evaluation study conducted Arkansas, Florida, New Jersey. The paper analyzes physical emotional 1,926 paid American who helped adult Medicaid recipients care home.Over 80% home were assistance care, over 50% those moderate or high tasks....

Previous research on married couples has indicated that loneliness, an unrealized desire for close relationships, can affect even partnered adults. In addition to individual perceptions of the marital relationship, partner relationship might also heighten adults’ experiences loneliness. I employed a dyadic approach derived from emotion-in-relationships model examine extent which and reports four dimensions quality are risk factors loneliness among older Using structural equation modeling...

Objective: Medicare reimbursement for physicians who discussed end-of-life care and planning with a patient during an office visit was cut from the 2010 Affordable Care Act. We assessed characteristics of patients reported having had such discussions, whether these discussions are associated trust in one’s rates family advance (FACP). Method: The sample consisted 5,199 beneficiaries ongoing relationship primary physician. estimated ordinal multinomial logistic regressions that controlled...

To advance understanding of how social inequalities from childhood might contribute to cognitive aging, we examined the extent which school context in adolescence was associated with individuals' performance more than 50 years later. Using data 3,012 participants Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS), created an aggregate measure school-level structural advantage, indicators such as proportion teachers who had at least five teaching experience and spending per pupil. Multilevel models indicated...

Childhood abuse has long-term negative effects on adult psychological well-being. This study examined whether and how adults with a history of childhood may experience poor functioning partly due to aspects current family relationships.We estimated multilevel mediation models using 3 waves longitudinal data from 3,487 participants in the Midlife Development United States. Outcomes measured included affect, life satisfaction, We relationships as mediators: perceived support, strain, frequency...