CAREERS IN AGING - College of Public Health - University of Georgia

23rd Annual Southeastern 

Student Mentoring Conference in 

Gerontology and Geriatrics 

Conference Program 

CAREERS IN AGING 

Crowne Plaza Ravinia 

Atlanta, Georgia 

March 30-31, 2012

Contents 

CONFERENCE SPONSORS 

Welcome 

2 

Schedule of Events 

3-4 

About the Speakers & 

Roundtable Discussions 

5-6 

Abstracts 

7-31 

University of Georgia 

Institute of Gerontology 

College of Public Health 

Athens, Georgia 

http://www.publichealth.uga.edu/geron 

Armstrong Atlantic State University 

College of Health Professions 

Savannah, Georgia 

http://www.armstrong.edu/Health_Professions 

Georgia State University 

Gerontology Institute 

Atlanta, Georgia 

http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwger 

Mercer University 

Macon, Georgia 

http://www.mercer.edu 

University of Alabama 

Center for Mental Health & Aging 

Tuscaloosa, Alabama 

http://www.cmha.ua.edu/ 

University of Kentucky 

Graduate Center for Gerontology 

Lexington, Kentucky 

http://www.mc.uky.edu/gerontology 

University of South Florida 

School of Aging Studies 

Tampa, Florida 

http://agingstudies.cbcs.usf.edu 

This 23rd Student Mentoring Conference is hoted by the 

Georgia State University Gerontology Institute. 

http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwger/

Conference Welcome 

Welcome to the 23rd Annual Southeastern Student Mentoring Conference in 

Gerontology and Geriatrics! The Gerontology Institute at Georgia State University is 

proud to host this conference in our backyard. We have a great conference planned with 

one of the largest, most diverse group of student posters yet. In addition, Dr. Peggye 

Dilworth-Anderson will give the faculty keynote address on “Building a Career in Aging: 

The Importance of Mentoring & Collaboration,” and Saturday lunch roundtables will 

provide opportunities to learn about careers in aging ranging from advocacy to job searches. 

In addition, award-winning veterans of the mentoring conference, Brian Downer and 

Amanda A. Holup, will share their wisdom with a new generation of students through the 

student keynote lectures. I hope you will be able to take full advantage of the conference 

by presenting your work, participating in discussions, and meeting new faculty and student 

colleagues from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, and elsewhere. Once the conference is over, enjoy the Atlanta 

location by visiting attractions, shopping, or enjoying the amenities at Crown Plaza Ravinia. 

This conference is unlike any other conference you will attend. Students have the opportunity to present 

their work at a professional conference where they can refine their presentations skills and learn from the expertise 

of an interdisciplinary team of faculty mentors. All conference sessions take place in one space, allowing students 

the opportunity to learn from each other and from the insightful commentary of faculty mentors. This experience is 

unique because the faculty members participating at this conference are committed to nurturing emerging scholars 

and engaging in dialogue about the aging research. Moreover, the best posters and presentations receive monetary 

awards. As always, this conference is made possible by the financial contributions of the sponsoring universities. The 

vision and dedication of the sponsoring faculty mentors and their institutional administrators make these annual 

conferences possible. The conference sponsors are: Armstrong Atlantic State University, Mercer University, Georgia 

State University, and the Universities of Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, and South Florida. 

Over the years, this conference has developed its own rituals and norms which reinforce the good nature 

of those involved and the belief that the best mentoring can also occur in informal settings and non-traditional 

ways. Whether it is tossing out school logo items as part of drawings, leading stretching activities between sessions, 

or participating in friendly rivalries between sponsoring universities, mentoring conference faculty and veteran 

students will keep things going with enthusiasm and a passion for this event. Whether you are an undergraduate 

student contemplating graduate school or a doctoral student with years of experience, this conference can provide 

you constructive feedback to reach your goals and polish your skills. I know that you will find this a enriching 

experience. Finally, I want to extend a special thank you to the staff: GSU Gerontology staff, Quanda Miller and 

Christina Cummings, who managed local arrangements and UGA Gerontology staff, including Anita Holmes and 

Jayne Clamp, who do amazing things to keep this conference going year after year. 

I look forward to catching up with old friends, renewing ties, and sharing the experience of this conference 

with new members of the mentoring conference family. 

Elisabeth O. Burgess, Ph.D. 

Director, Gerontology Institute 

Georgia State University 

2 Conference Program

Conference Schedule of Events 

Friday, March 30, 2012 

7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Continental Buffet Breakfast 

Crowne Plaza Ravinia Bistro Restaurant (included in hotel room fee) 

10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Conference Registration Begins 

Crowne Plaza Ravinia Conference Center 

10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Student Poster Setup 

Crowne Plaza Ravinia Dekalb Room 

11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Monograph Buffet Lunch 

Crowne Plaza Ravinia Bistro Restaurant 

Those involved with the monograph, including keynote speakers, should attend. 

12:30 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Welcome & Opening Ceremonies 


Dr. Toni Miles, Director, University of Georgia Institute of Gerontology 

Dr. Elizabeth Burgess, Director, Georgia State University Gerontology Institute 

1:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Student Keynote Address I 


“Identity and Career Development in Gerontology: A Student’s Perspective” 

Brian Downer, University of Kentucky, Graduate Center for Gerontology 

1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Student Poster Presentation I 


3:00 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. Student Poster Viewing I 


3:45 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. Faculty Keynote Address 


“Building a Career In Aging: The Importance of Mentoring & Collaboration” 

Dr. Peggye Dilworth-Anderson, Past President, Gerontological Society of America 

Interim Co-Director, Institute on Aging, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 

Professor, Health Policy and Management, Gillings School of Global Public Health 

5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Pre-Dinner Meet & Mingle 

Crown Plaza Hospitality Room - Refreshments and Networking 

6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Buffet Dinner - “Getting to Know Each Other” 

Crowne Plaza Ravinia Dunwoody Ballrooms AB 

3

Conference Schedule of Events 

Saturday, March 31, 2012 

7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Continental Buffet Breakfast 

Crowne Plaza Ravinia Bistro Restaurant (included in hotel room fee) 

8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Day 2 Registration & Sign-in 


9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Student Poster Presentation II 


11:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Student Poster Viewing II 


11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Lunch - “Careers in Aging” Roundtables 

Crowne Plaza Ravinia Maplewood Room 

1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Student Poster Presentation III 


3:00 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. Student Poster Viewing III 


3:45 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. Student Keynote Address II 


“Predictors of Electronic Health Record Use In Residential Care Facilities: 

Evidence from the 2010 National Survey of Residential Care Facilities” 

Amanda A. Holup, University of South Florida, School of Aging Studies 

4:15 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Awards and Recognition Ceremony & Conference Conclusion 


5:15 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Sponsors’ Executive Committee Dinner 

Crowne Plaza Ravinia LaGrotta Italian Restaurant 

Conference review and planning by sponsors’ committee 


About the Conference Speakers 

Keynote Addresses 

Faculty Keynote Address 

Peggye Dilworth-Anderson, PhD, is Professor of Health Policy and Management at the 

Gillings School of Global Public Health and Interim Co-Director of the Institute on Aging at 

the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her areas of expertise include minority aging 

and health, family caregiving, health disparities, and long-term care. Her current research focuses 

on health disparities pertaining to Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. She serves on the 

editorial boards of two professional journals that address aging issues and is a member of National 

Advisory Board of the Health and Aging Policy Fellows Program. She directs a National Institute 

on Aging (NIA)-funded training program in healthcare and aging research, and through other 

NIA funding, the KO7 award, she is helping build an infrastructure at UNC on aging and health 

disparities that involves working with post-doctoral fellows and junior faculty. She is the 2010 

recipient of the prestigious Ronald and Nancy Reagan Award for her research in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. 

Dr. Dilworth-Anderson has served in a number of leadership roles in the field of aging. She is former President of the 

Gerontological Society of America (2010), was a member of the National Institute on Aging Advisory Council (2007- 

2011), served on the Medical and Scientific Advisory Council of the National Alzheimer’s Association (2008-2011), and 

served on the Advisory Committee for the 2006 White House Conference on Aging. 

Dr. Dilworth-Anderson completed her undergraduate training in sociology from Tuskegee Institute in 1970, and received 

her master’s and doctorate degrees in sociology from Northwestern University in 1972 and 1975, respectively. She received 

post-doctoral training from the Midwest Council on Social Research in aging research with additional training at Harvard 

Geriatric Education Center. She is a Fellow of the Gerontological Society and the National Council of Family Relations. 

Her current professional affiliations include the Gerontological Society of America, American Sociological Association, and 

the American Public Health Association. 

Student Keynote Addresses 

Brian Downer entered the Ph.D. program in Gerontology at the University of Kentucky 

in the fall of 2010 after receiving his B.S. in psychology and biology from Aquinas College 

in Grand Rapids, Michigan. His research interests involve studying the effect interactions 

between genes associated with dementia and midlife health behaviors and conditions have on 

cognitive functioning during late life. He is also interested in studying how health behaviors, 

such as smoking, alcohol consumption, diet, and exercise interact with genetic risk factors 

for dementia to affect cognitive outcomes in old age. Currently he is analyzing data from 

the Framingham Heart Study to examine the effect interactions between midlife vascular 

conditions (e.g. hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, and hypertension) and genetic risk factors for 

Alzheimer’s disease (e.g. APOE, CYP46A1 and ABCA7) have on cognitive outcomes in old 

age. In addition to being a student, Brian enjoys doing all forms of exercise and recreational 

activities including (but not limited to) biking, swimming, running and golfing. 

Amanda Holup earned a B.S. in Biochemistry from Eckerd College and a Master’s degree in 

Bioethics and Medical Humanities from the University of South Florida. Currently, she is a 

second year doctoral student in the Aging Studies program at the University of South Florida. 

Her research experience and interest include health information technology and electronic 

medical records, transitions across the long-term care continuum, and bioethics. 

5

Roundtable Discussions 

“Careers in Aging” 

About the Conference Speakers 

How do you plan to use your gerontology training? 

Whether you are looking for a career in academia or expect to work in an applied setting, our “Careers in Aging” roundtable 

discussions provide an opportunity to be mentored by experts from a large array of professional aging careers. Choose a 

career track from the list below and find out what it’s like to work in this field as well as what it takes to be successful in your 

career trajectory. Let us know which roundtable you are attending by the end of the day Friday via the sign-up sheet at the 

registration desk. 

Advocacy 

• Ken Mitchell, professor of human service delivery and administration at Gainseville State University and former Senior State 

Director of the AARP 

Academia 

• Dr. John Watkins, professor in the Departments of Gerontology, Geography and Health Behavior at the University of 

Kentucky 

Government Services 

• Kim Grier, Livable Communities Specialist at the Georgia Division of Aging Services 

Health Professionals 

• Dr. Rebecca Allen, associate professor in the Department of Psychology and member of the executive committee of the 

Center for Mental Health and Aging at the University of Alabama 

• Dr. Lee Hyer, professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the Mercer University Medical School and the Georgia 

Neurosurgical Institute 

Internships & Volunteer Opportunities 

• Dr. Brianne Stanback, instructor and internship program director in the School of Aging Studies at the University of 

South Florida 

Job Search 

• Dr. Elisabeth Burgess, director of the Gerontology Institute and associate professor in the Departments of Gerontology 

and Sociology at Georgia State University 

• Dr. Pat Parmelee, director of the Center for Mental Health and Aging and professor in the Department of Psychology 

at The University of Alabama 

Policy & Legislation 

• Dr. Toni Miles, director of the Institute of Gerontology and professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics 

at The University of Georgia 

Research 

• Dr. William Haley, professor in the School of Aging Studies, College of Nursing, and Departments of Psychology and 

Geriatric Medicine at the University of South Florida, and director of the education core of the Florida Alzheimer’s 

Disease Research Center (NIH-NIA) 

• Dr. Leonard Poon, professor emeritus of Developmental Psychology and Aging, and Health Policy and Management, 

former director of Institute of Gerontology, and Distinguished Research Professor at the University of Georgia 


ABSTRACTS 

23rd Annual Southeastern Student Mentoring Conference 

in Gerontology and Geriatrics 

Photo courtsey of the U.S. Administration on Aging. 

7

Holly Aversano 

University of Georgia, Institute of Gerontology 

hollyave@uga.edu 

EXPLORING THE ROLE OF OCCUPATIONAL 

THERAPY IN PROMOTING PATIENT 

MEANING-MAKING 

Self-efficacy and mastery over environmental 

demands have been shown to predict positive mental 

health. Those who feel autonomous are less likely to 

experience depressive symptoms or feel as though 

their lives are meaningless. However, individuals with 

functional disabilities (e.g., physical, cognitive) are 

vulnerable to loss of self-efficacy and mastery, and 

are therefore at risk for poor mental health outcomes. 

Data suggest that impaired individuals may benefit 

from expressing meaning through occupation. By 

definition, occupational therapy promotes selfefficacy 

and environmental mastery for patients with 

functional loss. Yet, the role of occupational therapy 

in promoting meaning-making in impaired older 

patients’ lives is unknown. The objective of this study 

therefore is to report preliminary data from in-depth 

interviews with occupational therapists and older 

patients’ receiving therapy with the goal of exploring 

meaning-making through occupation and perceived 

environmental mastery. Both the role of occupational 

therapy in promoting meaning-making and barriers to 

achieving meaning-making through occupation will be 

described. 

Lauren Breland 

Elizabeth A. Di Napoli 

Rebecca S. Allen 

University of Alabama, Department of Psychology, 

Center for Mental Health and Aging 

glbreland@gmail.com 

STAFF KNOWLEDGE AND PERCEPTIONS OF 

SEXUALITY AND DEMENTIA AMONG OLDER 

ADULTS IN LONG-TERM CARE 

As the geriatric population grows larger in the US, 

long-term nursing care becomes an extremely 

important facet of our nation’s health care system. In 

order to ensure that these older adults are enabled 

to safely express their autonomy in such settings, we 

must take a closer look at long term care practices 

that facilitate or inhibit personal choice. Sexuality has 

been deemed by psychologists and physicians to be a 

healthy outlet for natural desires and intimacies in all 

mature age groups. Some researchers even found that 

expression of sexuality in older adults improved their 

mental and physical state, and thereby lengthened 

their lifespans. Since older adult sexuality is popularly 

rejected by mainstream society, LTC staff might object 

or limit sexual expression in their residents. Negative 

attitude can become exacerbated when the older 

adults expressing sexual desires suffer from dementia 

or other cognitive impairments; sexual confusion 

and capacity to consent become important factors 

for recognizing what sexual behavior is healthy and 

safe for dementia patients. In any case, incapacitated 

residents deserve a chance to balance their autonomy 

and sexual fulfillment with safety issues surrounding 

diminished consent capacity. We examined LTC staff 

(N=58) opinions and attitudes about sexuality and 

dementia in long-term care. The 63-item questionnaire 

measured staff knowledge of dementia and sexuality, 

levels of religiosity, frequency of sexual behavior in 

residents, and staff attitudes towards these behaviors. 

Although we are still collecting data, preliminary 

analyses reveal associations between religiosity, 

dementia and sexuality knowledge, and LTC staff 

attitudes toward residents’ sexual expression. 


Kristen Condeelis 

Elizabeth Hahn 

William Haley 

University of South Florida, School of Aging Studies 

kcondeelis@mail.usf.edu 

PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS AND COGNITIVE 

FUNCTIONING IN OLDER ADULTS WITH MILD 

COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT 

Older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) 

report depressive symptoms and other psychological 

distress, which may be associated with deficits in 

cognitive functioning. In addition, past research 

indicates that the level of depressive symptoms 

exhibited by older adults with MCI is positively 

correlated with the severity of their cognitive deficits, 

but it is unclear how this relationship in persons with 

MCI may differ from cognitively healthy older adults. 

This research project examined whether older adults 

with MCI reported poorer psychological well-being 

than cognitively healthy controls and whether poorer 

psychological well-being is correlated with level of 

global cognitive functioning. Psychological well-being 

was measured using the Perceived Stress Scale, Center 

for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), 

Life Satisfaction Scale, and average daily negative 

affect. Participants were on average 75 years old, and 

the sample consisted of 10 older adults with MCI (6 

females and 4 males) and 17 cognitively healthy older 

adult controls (14 females and 3 males). Approximately 

74% of participants were White. Results from this 

project indicate that having MCI was associated 

with greater depressive symptoms (p=.047) but did 

not differ on perceived stress or life satisfaction. 

The control participants had significantly higher 

global cognitive functioning. Higher global cognitive 

functioning was associated with lower life satisfaction 

but was not significantly associated with depressive 

symptoms or perceived stress. Persons with MCI 

experience depressive symptoms greater than that 

experienced in cognitively healthy older adults. Further 

research is needed to identify other potential areas of 

psychological distress in persons with MCI. 

Elizabeth Couser 

University of Kentucky, Graduate Center for 

Gerontology 

elizabeth.couser@uky.edu 

ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE AND THE VISUAL 

SYSTEM: SHIFTING THE FOCUS TO FUTURE 

RESEARCH 

Introduction: Alzheimer’s disease has many avenues 

through which to conduct research. Studies have 

shown a relationship between the visual system 

(including structural changes in the retina, pupil, optic 

nerve) and Alzheimer’s. Some research has provided a 

follow up on these changes that may be able to assist 

in a more rapid diagnosis and subsequent treatment 

of Alzheimer’s. The purpose of the current review is 

to provide a summary of research concerning the 

relationship between Alzheimer’s and the visual 

system and to discuss valuable studies that have 

proceeded in the direction of diagnosis and treatment 

of AD through the visual system. Methods: A literature 

search was conducted in Medline. Search terms used 

were “Alzheimer’s,” “vision,” and “ocular biomarkers” The 

only inclusion criterion was the study had to discuss a 

relationship between Alzheimer’s disease on changes 

of the eye and/or visual system that may be indicative 

of AD. >100 articles met this requirement. Results: 

Reports of the exact changes in the eye and visual 

system were varied with no standardized methods 

to assess such changes. Studies reported changes 

in visual acuity, visual field, depth perception, color 

discrimination, and structural changes in the optic 

nerve, retina and pupil. A few recent studies examined 

the presence of amyloid β in the lens, aqueous humor 

and vitreous humor of the eye. Conclusion: Further 

research is required to compose a definitive list of 

changes that occur in the eye/visual system & to assist 

in the development of earlier non-invasive diagnoses 

and better treatments of AD. 

Abstracts 

9

Brittany Taylor Cruce 

A. Lynn Snow 

Michelle Hilgeman 

Lindsey Jacobs 

Melissa Machac-Burleson 

Latrice Vinson 

Jenny Palmer 

Patricia Parmelee 

Rebecca Allen 

Dan Berlowitz 

Christine Hartmann 

University of Alabama, Center for Mental Health and 

Aging 

btcruce@crimson.ua.edu 

DEVELOPMENT OF THE RESIDENT-CENTERED 

ASSESSMENT OF INTERACTIONS WITH STAFF 

AND ENGAGEMENT (RAISE): A NURSING HOME 

QUALITY OF CARE OBSERVATIONAL TOOL 

Person-centered care has become a widespread nursing 

home (NH) care model, yet measuring successful 

implementation remains a challenge. We used an 

ethnographic approach to develop an assessment 

tool. We conducted over 60 hours of ethnographic 

observations on 4 NH units in one Veteran’s Affairs 

(VA) facility and 20 hours of interviews with staff and 

residents. Thematic analysis revealed quality and 

frequency of staff-resident interactions and resident 

engagement as aspects of person-centered care not 

captured by current quality assurance systems (e.g., 

MDS 3.0, annual inspections). We then developed the 

RAISE (Resident-centered Assessment of Interactions 

with Staff and Engagement), a structured observational 

tool, to capture these identified constructs. We 

conducted 100 hours of observation using the tool in 

8 NH units in 2 VA facilities. Using an iterative approach 

informed by ethnographic notes and coding meetings, 

we identified a set of coding rules and administration 

processes that were as simultaneously efficient, nonreactive, 

and representative of CLC life as possible. 

Inter-rater reliabilities among a group of psychologist 

raters have been adequate (Cohen’s kappa = .75; 

averaged across RAISE variables and protocol types, 

n = 47 observations). We are now conducting further 

modifications and inter-rater reliability analyses to 

achieve adequate inter-rater reliability in a group of 

raters with wider variety in experience and representing 

multiple disciplines. 

Jason Dhabliwala 1 

Lee Hyer 2 

Ciera V. Scott 3 

Catherine Yeager 4 

1 

Mercer University, School of Medicine & Family 

Health Center of Central Georgia 

2 

Georgia Neurosurgical Institute & Mercer University 

School of Medicine 

3 

Mercer University, Clinical Mental Health Counseling 

Program & Georgia Neurosurgical Institute 

4 

Eisenhower Army Medical Center, Department of 

Psychology 

dhabliwala.jason@mccg.org 

EFFECTS OF A HOLISTIC MEMORY CLINIC FOR 

OLDER ADULTS 

Studies have shown that cognitive training for older 

adults is an asset to improving attention and working 

memory. Recent studies show promise that a more 

“holistic” and integrated approach are beneficial to less 

cognitively fit older adults. This analysis will examine 

whether the implementation of a 6-session, manualized 

memory training program can assist with improving 

function and overall well-being. Consented participants 

(N = 112) from the Central Georgia community with Age 

Associated Memory Impairment (AAMI), Mild Cognitive 

Impairment (MCI), or mild dementia were asked to 

participate in memory training on cognitive habits, 

and attitudes, as well as function and adjustment. 

Compliance was also measured. We also had a Control 

group (N=30) who received no training. Finally, we 

classified participants by Risk Status—Low, Medium 

and High. Results showed that on the pre-measures the 

Memory Clinic group did not differ from the Control 

group. This pattern was also true of the post measures 

for the two groups. When the groups were separated 

by risk, however, the Low Risk Group was superior to 

the other groups, including Control, and continued 

to be superior in post measures on most cognitive 

assessments. Compliance also made a difference as 

those who complied performed better than those 

who did not. These tended to be Low and Medium 

Risk subjects. There were differences too on memory 

complaints and adjustment, again for the Low and 

Medium Risk Groups. Identifying high and low risk 

subjects was most helpful, resulting in clear differences 

between memory complaining subjects. 


Kristy Douglas 

Christina S. McCrae 

Natalie D. Dautovich 

University of Alabama, Department of Psychology 

kdouglas@crimson.ua.edu 

AGE DIFFERENCES AND VARIABILITY IN PRE- 

SLEEP AROUSAL AND SLEEP OUTCOMES 

The purpose of this study was to examine age 

differences in mean values and variability in pre-sleep 

arousal and sleep outcomes. Research has found 

age differences in sleep outcomes but no study has 

examined age differences in pre-sleep arousal, or the 

variability of pre-sleep arousal. Understanding these 

processes could inform research investigating the 

sleep-arousal relationship. 50 younger and 50 older 

community-dwelling adults completed 14 consecutive 

daily diaries. Two arousal (Pre-Sleep Arousal Scale 

[PSAS] cognitive and somatic) and five sleep (sleep 

onset latency [SOL], wake after sleep onset [WASO], 

total sleep time [TST], sleep efficiency [SE], and sleep 

quality rating [SQR]) variables were analyzed using 

MANOVA’s. Intraindividual variability analyses were 

conducted to investigate age differences in variability. 

There was a significant difference between younger 

and older adults on sleep outcomes, F(4, 94)=7.88, 

p

Susannah L. Gordon 

Kathryn N. Porter 

Kristen Brown 

Joan G. Fischer 

Gordon Jensen 

Mary Ann Johnson 

University of Georgia, Department of Foods and 

Nutrition 

Penn State University, Department of Nutritional 

Sciences 

gordon21@uga.edu 

NON-DIETARY PREDICTORS AND 

CONSEQUENCES OF OBESITY IN OLDER ADULTS 

IN CONGREGATE MEAL PROGRAMS 

The purpose of this study is to explore non-dietary 

predictors and consequences of obesity in congregate 

meal participants in senior centers from Northeast 

Georgia’s Area Agency on Aging (AAA). Participants 

were recruited from the congregate meal program in 

senior centers of Northeast Georgia (n = 97, mean age 

= 75 years, 78% female, 54% Caucasian, 46% African 

American). Height and weight were measured and 

obesity was defined as body mass index (BMI, kg/m2) 

greater than 30 kg/m2 (44% were obese). All measures 

were assessed using a questionnaire from the Geisinger 

Rural Aging Study. Compared to non-obese, the obese 

participants were greater than 15-percentage points 

more likely to have an unhealthy personal and family 

history of weight gain and/or obesity, watch more 

than 4 hours of television per day, use an assistive 

device, and utilize a clinic or physician’s office more 

than 4 times in twelve months. Although not always 

statistically significant (p = .0005 to .18), these data 

suggest several non-dietary factors that should be 

considered when addressing the problem of obesity in 

senior center participants. 

Brian Hentz 

University of Connecticut, School of Business 

brian.hentz@business.uconn.edu 

CROSS-GENERATIONAL WORKPLACE 

COMMUNICATION: BRIDGING THE DIVIDE IN 

AGE-INTEGRATED CONTEXTS 

Numerous scholars have brought attention to the 

coming aging revolution’s substantive impact on 

workplace dynamics (Beatty & Visser, 2004; Moseley 

& Dessinger, 2006), as well as suggested issues that 

should be integrated into universities’ business 

programs to prepare practitioners for an increasingly 

aging society (Brucker, 2004). Responding to these 

suggestions, I integrated a broad-based aging 

literacy framework into my undergraduate and 

graduate professional communication courses to 

develop practitioners’ cultural competency. This 

framework allows learners not only to appreciate 

cross-generational dynamics more fully, but also to 

question their own assumptions about aging and 

critique the age-segregated life course in which 

they are embedded. My instructional framework for 

introducing topics on aging in these courses consists of 

3 interconnected literacies: a representational literacy 

that encourages learners to examine the language and 

images they use to represent older adults; a perceptual 

literacy that challenges learners to questions myths and 

assumptions about aging; and a conceptual literacy 

that promotes an age-integrated model of the life 

course. I surveyed students following the aging literacy 

modules in my courses, and survey results indicate that 

students found discussions of aging not only relevant 

and timely, but personally rewarding. Nonetheless, 

more substantive efforts will be required to promulgate 

aging literacy across the business curriculum. 

Specifically, business school faculty will require 

professional development to confidently integrate 

aging literacy into their courses. Also, stronger crossdisciplinary 

synergies between Schools of Business 

and Gerontology programs should be encouraged, for 

aging-specific materials, instructional cases, and other 

necessary resources will help facilitate robust learning. 


Aasha Hoogland 

Faika Zanjani 

University of Kentucky, Graduate Center for 

Gerontology 

aasha.anderson@uky.edu 

MUSICAL MEMORY IN INDIVIDUALS WITH 

ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE 

Introduction: Individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease 

(AD) face memory loss, personality changes, cognitive 

decline, and limited quality of life (QOL). Research on 

the role of music has indicated selective preservation 

of music memories in persons with AD, suggesting 

that music recognition might be present after other 

cognitive abilities have been lost. Music can induce an 

arousing response, and the therapeutic implications 

of retained musical memory in this population 

are immense as it could affect individuals’ QOL by 

providing enjoyment and relaxation, improving mood, 

and enhancing memory for novel experiences. The 

purpose of this review is to summarize the literature 

on musical memory in people with AD and examine 

implications for research. Methods: A literature review 

of articles addressing musical memory in people with 

AD was conducted through the PubMed (1989-2011) 

and PsycInfo databases (1991-2011). Results: Studies are 

conflicting with some showing evidence of preserved 

music memory in people with AD, and others indicating 

a complete loss of music memory. One explanation for 

the differences is that only certain types of memory 

are selectively preserved in individuals with AD. Some 

researchers have also indicated that an extensive 

musical background might facilitate preserved musical 

memory. Conclusion: Research is contradictory and 

suggests preservation of musical memory in select AD 

individuals, with a complete loss of musical memory 

in others. These findings indicate that further research 

is needed to elucidate the mixed pattern of results, 

and assess whether applied practices focusing on the 

utilization of musical memory can improve the QOL in 

individuals with AD. 

Francesca Iannaccone 

University of Georgia, Department of Health 

Promotion & Behavior 

frani@uga.edu 

PUBLIC HEALTH AND AGING IN TAIWAN 

Issue/Problem: The population of older adults in both 

the United States and Taiwan is increasing rapidly. 

Currently, people aged 65 and older in Taiwan and 

the United States make up 10.9% and 13.1% of the 

population respectively. The percentage of older 

adults in these countries is expected to continue 

to increase due to increased life expectancy and 

decreased birth rates. The aging experience in these 

countries is different in many ways. These countries 

have different health systems, attitudes towards 

aging, and programs offered to older adults. Taiwan 

currently has a compulsory, single-payer healthcare 

system, while healthcare in the United States is largely 

privatized and is undergoing major changes. Attitudes 

towards older adults in Taiwan are strongly related to 

the concept of filial piety, while in the United States 

aging is associated with illness and decline. Research: 

The information presented was gathered during the 

University of Georgia’s College of Public Health study 

abroad program, “Public Health and Aging,” during May 

of 2011 in Taiwan. This program consisted of field trips 

to facilities for older adults and lectures at Kaohsiung 

Medical University. Conclusions: Global population 

aging will have a great impact on all aspects of life. 

Taiwan addresses the needs of an aging population 

in unique ways. The study of older adults in Taiwan 

provides important information that can inform aging 

in the United States as this population continues to 

increase. 

Abstracts 

13

Ashlynn Jackson 


Promotion and Behavior, Institute of Gerontology 

ashlynnjackson@gmail.com 

ADVOCACY INTERNSHIP: GEORGIA COUNCIL ON 

AGING 

An aging public policy issue in the state of Georgia is 

the Personal Needs Allowance (PNA), which nursing 

home residents on Medicaid receive each month. 

For years, aging advocates in the state have lobbied 

to increase the PNA amount that nursing home 

residents receive. In 1974, the Federal government 

set a minimum PNA of $25 and increased it to $30 in 

1988. Although states have the option to increase this 

amount, Georgia remained at the $30 level for 18 years 

until the Georgia General Assembly raised the minimum 

to $50 in 2006. The current PNA amount has not been 

increased since 2006; therefore it does not keep up 

with the current costs of goods and services. While 

interning with the Georgia Council on Aging, I had 

the opportunity to gather research on PNA data in the 

state of Georgia and in other states. I developed a fact 

sheet to be used by advocates and volunteers to assist 

with presenting the issue to their local representatives 

and senators. The fact sheet is currently being used 

by Georgia Council on Aging lobbyists to educate 

General Assembly members about this policy issue 

and to recommend proposed legislation to increase 

the PNA in the state. My internship experience with 

the Georgia Council on Aging has given me insight 

into the public policy making process and the career 

of an aging advocate/lobbyist. I would like to share my 

experience with other gerontology students to raise 

their awareness of this career opportunity in aging. 

Meagan Jain 

Christina Sims Cummings 

Georgia State University, Gerontology Institute 

mjain1@student.gsu.edu 

ADDRESSING SOCIAL ISOLATION IN OLDER 

ADULTS: ADOPT-A-GRANDPARENT PROGRAM 

AT GSU 

Several studies have investigated the relationship 

between social isolation and health outcomes among 

older adults. Victor, Scambler, and Bond (2009) posit 

that existing literature on social isolation and loneliness 

has mistakenly associated the two conditions as a 

normal part of aging. This can prove to be detrimental 

for older adults because they need social relationships 

similarly to all other age categories and may be more 

at risk for losing access to personal social networks. 

These companionate relationships indeed impact the 

well-being of the aging experience over the entire 

life course. In this paper, we explore the purpose and 

implementation of the Adopt-a-Grandparent Program 

(AGP) at Georgia State University. The GSU-AGP was 

created to address the social disconnect that exist 

between the young and old, particularly for college-age 

students. By increasing the interaction among younger 

and older adults, we hope to reduce social isolation 

and loneliness among vulnerable seniors in the metro 

Atlanta area. Recruitment for participation in AGP is 

two-pronged: 1) we secured a relationship with A.G. 

Rhodes-Wesley Woods for access to institutionalized 

seniors 2) we solicited student volunteers from 

Georgia State that will serve as companions to 

selective grandparents. The students will be required 

to visit residents at the A.G. Rhodes facility for one 

hour every week. This program provides students the 

unique opportunity to build personal and reciprocal 

relationships with older adults in Metro Atlanta. This 

program has great implications for policy and practice. 


Aleta Johannaber 

Ann Pearman 


ajohannaber1@student.gsu.edu 

PRIMARY CARE AND THE OLDER ADULT: A 

REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE 

In our society, a working relationship between patient 

and primary care physician (PCP) is not only highly 

valued by the patient but also appears to be an 

instrumental component of accurate diagnosis and 

successful treatment. When working with an older 

population, this relationship becomes even more 

valuable with the process of aging potentially bringing 

novel symptoms and disease such as cognitive 

decline, dementia, or stroke. While mild cognitive 

decline may present as expected primary aging, it is 

important for the PCP to maintain a cognizance of 

potential impairments in order to detect abnormal 

deterioration that can unnecessarily reduce quality 

of life. The PCP is responsible for not only initiating 

discussion surrounding aging but also creating an 

environment conducive for the patients to dialogue 

about concerns they have with their health. This is 

often challenging, both because of the brevity of 

time a PCP often spends with patients during office 

visits, and because of the cultural stigma towards 

older adults and aging in general. This presentation 

will discuss further the current research literature 

regarding patient care in the older population and 

the PCP’s impact on effective detection and treatment 

of cognitive decline. Preliminary results from a study 

about potential barriers to seeking help from one’s PCP 

will also be presented. Given that seeing one’s PCP is 

generally the first course of action for older adults with 

either mental or physical problems, understanding the 

potential barriers to quality care is an important step in 

improving service provision to older adults. 

Kristen Johnson 

Tom Price 

Pat King 

Sheryl Strasser 

Emory University, Division of Geriatrics 

kjohn44@emory.edu 

TASKFORCE AGAINST MISTREATMENT OF 

ELDERS (TAME) 

Literature has shown elder abuse is a prevalent and 

misunderstood phenomenon occurring throughout 

the United States. Many publications address the 

topic, but there have been no consistent findings that 

can provide first responders with useful intervention 

systems that help identify and prevent the issue. 

The study intends to create an intervention program 

with easy, effective scoring tools for elder abuse 

dependent upon the commonalities of both victims 

and perpetrators. We have collected 98 cases from 

the Dekalb County court system (years: 2009, 2010). 

To date, we have 41 cases have been reviewed 

through our carefully constructed case report form. 

We are using standardized methods of descriptive 

epidemiology to analyze our findings. Preliminary 

findings show victims were 48.8% female, averaged 

71 years old, predominantly Caucasian (African 

American, 34.1; Caucasian, 51.2; Other, 2.4), and 29.3% 

had a shared living situation. Perpetrators were 73.2% 

male, averaged 46 years old, predominantly African 

American (African American, 53.7; Caucasian, 29.3; 

Other, 2.4), and 43.9% were children of the victim. 

Abstracts 

15

Morgan Kiamy 

Grant Harris 

Patricia Parmelee 

Rebecca Allen 



mkkiamy@ua.edu 

WITH OR WITHOUT GOD: THE STABILIZING 

EFFECT OF RELIGIOUS COPING STYLE ON 

DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS IN CHRONICALLY ILL 

OLDER ADULTS 

Older adults are at an increased risk for illnesses and 

poor health. The presence of a chronic illness brings 

with it multiple onerous alterations that often result 

in stress and other negative emotions. Some changes 

in older adults may provide resources for coping with 

disease and functional impairments that may affect 

people at this stage of life. The use of religious coping 

methods increase as one transitions from midlife to 

older adulthood. Hill’s (2010) Biopsychosocial Model 

of Religious Involvement suggests that religious 

involvement (e.g., religious coping practices) moderates 

the association between stressful conditions (e.g., poor 

health) and mental health. The current study represents 

an examination of this aspect of the model. Participants 

included 45 non-demented older adults with advanced, 

chronic illness. This sample included approximately 

equal numbers of Caucasians and African Americans. 

Eight regression analyses were conducted to examine 

one’s religious coping style as a moderator of the 

effect of physical health on depression symptoms 

(i.e., CESD). The four religious coping styles used were 

differentiated by their level of involvement with God. 

Half of the models included an indicator of physical 

symptom number and half included physical symptom 

distress as an indicator of physical health. Race/ 

ethnicity was a covariate in each model. Seven of the 

eight models included a significant interaction. Results 

indicate that religious coping moderates the effect of 

physical symptom number and burden on depression 

symptoms. Specifically, greater engagement with 

religious coping styles that include involvement with 

God stabilizes the effect of physical health on one’s 

depression symptoms. 

Junghyun Kim 

University of Georgia, School of Social Work 

hpkjh@uga.edu 

INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL WORK FOR OLDER 

ASIAN IMMIGRANTS 

The proportion of Asian older adults in the older U.S. 

population is increasing and the rate of this increasing 

percentage will be much higher than that of non- 

Hispanic White older adults. There will be an increase in 

demands for social services to older Asian immigrants 

by social workers. The purpose of this study is to 

describe cultural issues of older Asian immigrants 

and existing programs related to international social 

work among the population through a literature 

review. A social worker’s awareness of cultural diversity 

is a key point for international professional action. 

Older immigrants face the complicated process 

of adjustment to aging at the same time that they 

may experience of acculturative stress. The norm of 

filial piety which is rooted in Asian culture is a factor 

causing the acculturative stress among older Asian 

immigrants. The culture of filial piety exists in the daily 

lives of Asian immigrants although it is not part of the 

American culture, causing gaps and conflicts. Although 

the form of filial duties has changed, filial piety from 

Confucianism is still an important value among Asians. 

Elderly Long Term Care Insurance (ELTCI) in Korea 

mirrors the current culture of filial piety in Asia. It is 

useful to identify the home-delivered programs in 

the United States focusing on ethnic minority users 

for finding the way to enhancing the well-being of 

older Asian immigrants. When practitioners and policy 

makers have sensitivity to cultural diversity and try to 

understand older Asian immigrants’ challenges, they 

can help immigrants adapt to current society and 

contribute to social integration. 


Cassandra Koehn 

University of South Florida, School of Aging Studies 

ckoehn@mail.usf.edu 

QUALITY OF LIFE VS. QUANTITY: CARE OF 

END-STAGE NURSING HOME RESIDENTS WITH 

DEMENTIA 

Recent research has called into question the necessity 

of curative medication, artificial hydration, and 

artificial nutrition as part of standard treatment for 

people with end-stage cognitive impairment. The 

difficulty of deciding on care is only amplified in 

nursing homes, where the fear of regulatory scrutiny 

does not always favor what makes the patient most 

comfortable. The aim of this literature review is to 

help determine the preferences and demographics 

of nursing home residents with end-stage dementia 

when it comes to the use of these life-sustaining 

methods. It also aims to review potential risks and 

benefits of these methods for these residents, as well 

as determine the level of discomfort that occurs when 

treatment is withdrawn. Information was gathered 

through literature search engines Academic Search 

Premier, AgeLine, LexisNexis Academic, Google 

Scholar, PsychINFO (Ovid), and MEDLINE (Ovid). 

Conclusions: Despite the extensive use of these lifeprolonging 

measures in nursing homes, there appears 

to be many risks and side effects that may outweigh 

the benefits of treatment. Gaps in the literature include 

demographics of those most likely to undergo artificial 

hydration and studies on whether patients experience 

discomfort when curative medication is withdrawn. 

It is hoped that researchers will use the information 

compiled in this literature review to examine gaps in 

current studies and ascertain how better to serve this 

vulnerable section of the population. 

Renu Kumar 


rkumar9@student.gsu.edu 

THE RELATIONSHIP OF MARITAL INTERACTION 

AND MEMORY IN OLDER ADULTS 

Some loss in memory is considered a part of 

normal aging; however, there is a considerable 

heterogeneity in cognitive aging among older 

adults. Studies show that living arrangements, 

social interaction, social relationships and size of 

social network are among the predictors of memory 

decline for older adults. Moreover, marriage has 

been associated with physiological health as well as 

psychological and social well-being. The purposed 

study will examine the relationship between the 

marital status and memory performance in older 

adults. I hypothesize that (1) being married will be 

positively related to memory of older adults; (2) 

participants with larger supportive social network 

will perform better on memory tests; and (3) that 

quality of married life will be positively related to 

memory for married older adults. The study will 

survey two groups of 50 older adults – married 

people and non-married people (single, divorced, 

and widowed). The Mental Mini State Examination 

and Word List Recall will be used to measure 

memory (dependent variable). Independent 

variables will be measured with Marital Adjustment 

Test, Satisfaction with Life Scale, and Lubean Social 

Network Scale - 6. The t-test will be performed to 

calculate variance between the memory of married 

and non-married older adults and correlation will be 

performed to calculate the relationship between the 

quality of married life and memory of married older 

adults. Results from this study will provide a better 

understanding of the relationship between marital 

status and memory performance. 

Abstracts 

17

Sung-Ae Kwon 

University of Georgia, School of Social Work 

sak398@uga.edu 

ATTITUDE OF ASIANS ABOUT HOSPICE CARE 

With growing minority populations, cultural awareness 

and sensitivity toward such populations has become 

important in practice for all health professionals. 

Particularly with respect to end-of-life care, hospice care 

plays an important role in improving the quality of life 

of terminally ill patients and their families. However, 

Asians, African-Americans, and Latinos significantly 

underutilize hospice care as compared to non-Hispanic 

Whites. Efforts to enhance the quality of end-of-life care 

for these minority groups would benefit from a culturespecific 

understanding of how these populations view 

and understand hospice care. This study explores 

the attitudes of Asians (N = 60) toward hospice care. 

Data were collected from Asian participants (Koreans, 

Japanese, Chinese, and Thais) by mail survey. Survey 

responses indicate that overall participants (83%) in 

this study show a neutral attitude toward hospice care; 

participants were more likely to have an agreement on 

hospice philosophy while disagreeing with the notion 

that hospice care is popular in their own cultures. Fifty 

participants answered that they know hospice care 

only “a little” or “not at all.” Participants who are young 

showed a lack of comfort with discussing the topic 

of death and dying, including the topic of hospice 

care. Overall, the findings highlight the importance of 

cultural considerations on the topic of death and dying 

and the need for more culture-specific approach. 

Anna Lee 1 

Lee Hyer 2 


1 

Mercer University School of Medicine 

2 



3 



lee_a@med.mercer.edu 

COGMED: A COGNITIVE REHABILITATION 

INTERVENTION TO IMPROVE WORKING MEMORY 

IN OLDER ADULTS 

Deficits in working memory are associated with agerelated 

decline. We report on findings from a clinical 

trial that examined the effectiveness of Cogmed, a 

computerized program that trains working memory 

(WM). We assess this program against a sham control 

group in older adults. Older adults (N=68) living in 

the Central Georgia community who had memory 

impairment during initial screening (RBANS Delayed 

Memory Index), but had normal MMSEs, ADLs, and 

IADLs, were assessed. They met criteria for Mild 

Cognitive Impairment (MCI). Participants were 

randomized to either Cogmed or to the Sham cognitive 

program. A total of 25 sessions were completed 

over 5-7 weeks. Pre, post and post-post (12 weeks 

after intervention) measures were applied, involving 

cognitive, mood and function measures. Paired 

t-tests were conducted to find significant changes in 

outcomes between pre, post and post-post measures, 

as well as regression analyses on pre and post/postpost 

measures. In general, all subjects showed gains 

relative to the cognitive pre-measures. The Cogmed 

group showed statistically significant improvements 

in Digit Span Age, Span Board Age, Letter Number 

Sequencing Age, Story Memory, and Story Recall 

evaluations at post assessment. At post-post times, 

significant improvements were noted for Trails A, Trails 

B, Coding, Figure Memory, Figure Recall, Coding Age, 

and Matrix Reasoning Age. The Cogmed group also 

performed better on adjustment, satisfaction and affect 

relative to Sham. Results suggest that both the Cogmed 

group and Sham group enhance working memory in 

older adults with MCI. Cogmed especially appears to be 

effective for older adults. 


Yi-Yin Lin 

University of Georgia, Adult Education 

yiyin@uga.edu 

INTRINSIC MOTIVATIONS IN OLDER ADULT 

LEARNERS: TAIWAN CONTEXT 

Aging is expected to accelerate in Taiwan at a faster 

rate than any other country globally (Council for 

Economic Planning and Development, 2011). The 

Taiwan government in responding to this trend 

issued a white paper entitled, Toward an Aged Society: 

Policies on Education for Older Adults (Taiwan Ministry 

of Education, 2006) to widely promote learning 

activities for older adults. With the exploding grey 

population, there is a need to focus research on older 

adult learners. The purpose of this research was to 

investigate the motivations of older learners in Taiwan 

from the view point of intrinsic motivation with survey 

method. In total, 816 Taiwanese older adults were 

investigated. The findings of this study are: (1) The 

intrinsic motivations of older adult learners are high; 

the most salient motivations for older adult learners 

were the desire for stimulation and generativity. 

(2) Institutional predictor variables are the most 

important predictors of intrinsic motivation of older 

adult learners. (3) Teacher support and peer support 

significantly enhance the intrinsic motivations of older 

adult learners. 

Jessica Lyles 1 

Kevin Waits 2 


Lee Hyer 4 

1 

Mercer University, Departments of Psychology & 

Biology 

2 

Mercer University, School of Medicine 

3 

Mercer University, Clinical Mental Health 

Counseling Program & Georgia Neurosurgical 

Institute 

4 



jessica.l.lyles@live.mercer.edu 

VALUE OF SPINAL CORD STIMULATORS FOR 

OLDER ADULTS: A SUCCESS STORY 

The number of surgical interventions for chronic 

spinal pain is over 15 million. One procedure, spinal 

cord stimulation (SCS), is substantially less common 

than spinal surgery and is generally indicated after 

failed back surgery. Outcomes have generally failed 

to identify predictive variables of success in the 

SCS procedure, especially for older adults. We study 

core variables of back pain patients, separated by 

intervention success and by age. Subjects (n=97) 

who present for the SCS procedure were evaluated 

using medical, psychiatric, personality, adjustment, 

and general demographic variables. We identified 

those that received the procedure (N= 39), targeting 

success, as well as age (Older and Younger, age 60 

as our cut-off). Patients were assessed prior to the 

procedure with the MBMD and with self-report scales, 

including depression (GDS-SF), anxiety (PSWQ), pain 

(BPI), and sleep (ESS). No differences were found in 

the pre-measures. Using the MBMD symptom profile, 

results showed that the Helped Group has less anxiety 

and depression and were less emotionally labile. As for 

personality, the Helped Group showed a Cooperative 

and Self-Assured style relative to the Non-Helped 

Group. The Non-Helped group was found to be more 

Oppositional. Regarding treatment variables, the 

Non-Helped Group had more Interventional Fragility 

than the Helped Group. Separated by age, the Older 

Group had a higher success rate than the Younger 

Group (54% vs. 36%). The MBMD profile showed that 

the Older Group was more Self-Assured and had less 

Medication Abuse than the Younger Group. We discuss 

the importance of these personality and symptom 

variables. 

Abstracts 

19

Gina M. McCaskill 

Kathleen A. Bolland 

University of Alabama, School of Social Work 

gmmccaskill@crimson.ua.edu 

A REVIEW: SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION AND 

AGING CAREERS 

The growth of the older adult population in the United 

States means there is a concomitant growing need for 

geriatric social workers. Social work educators could 

play an important role in attracting undergraduate 

and graduate social work students into aging careers. 

The purpose of this study was to identify the degree to 

which social work educators are developing and using 

evidenced-based approaches to the recruitment and 

retention of social work students into aging careers. 

A systematic review of peer-reviewed articles in the 

electronic database of the Journal of Social Work 

Education was conducted. Articles published from 

1999 to 2011 were examined for topics related to the 

recruitment and retention of social work students into 

aging careers. Thirteen articles were found for the 

years under review. Nine of the thirteen articles met 

the review criteria. The majority of articles focused on 

developing aging-related social work graduate curricula 

and improving the field education experience in aging 

for graduate social work students. To a lesser degree, 

articles examined graduate and undergraduate social 

work students’ attitudes towards older adults and career 

interests in aging. The extant articles show promise for 

building knowledge in this area. The relatively small 

number of articles illustrate a need for further efforts to 

develop and disseminate evidenced-based approaches 

for recruiting social work students into careers in 

gerontology. A larger and more comprehensive 

review of the research literature for evidenced-based 

approaches is currently underway. 

Eve McClennen 

University of Georgia, School of Social Work & 


eveem@uga.edu 

SOCIAL WORK PERSPECTIVES ON THE EMORY 

ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE RESEARCH CENTER 

The goal of the Emory Alzheimer’s Disease Research 

Center (ADRC) – one of 32 active centers in the nation 

supported by the National Institutes of Health – is “to 

bring scientists together to facilitate their research and 

help learn more about Alzheimer’s and related diseases 

[and also] to commit to the education of health care 

professionals, persons with Alzheimer’s disease, their 

families, and our community to aid in understanding, 

diagnosis and treatment of these illnesses.” Perhaps 

almost as important as the psychoeducational groups 

and family sessions I undertook as a student intern – 

and not mentioned in the mission or ADRC website 

– was locating needed resources and forging key 

linkages to help people navigate the maze of dementia 

and learn how to best survive the present and plan for 

the future. By “shadowing” other social workers on the 

Wesley Woods campus, I gained a better understanding 

of social work roles and challenges. The social workers 

were interviewed about the need for geriatric social 

workers in settings similar to theirs; job satisfaction; 

and current and future challenges for social workers 

assisting geriatric patients and their families. The social 

workers interviewed are employed in the following 

areas: administration at Wesley Woods hospital, 

psychiatry (the Fuqua Center), the movement disorders 

unit, and the long-term acute care (LTAC). Conclusions: 

Social workers play an integral role in the work of 

interdisciplinary teams, bridging the gap between 

the overwhelming medical reality and tremendously 

difficult challenges involving quality of life, loss and 

death. 


1 

Kishauna McDonald 

2 

Lee Hyer 

1 

Miranda Pratt 

3 

Ciera V. Scott 

1 

Mercer University, Department of Psychology 

2 



3 



kishauna.alexandra.mcdonald@live.mercer.edu 

PILOT DATA: THE RELATIONSHIPS AMONG 

AFFECT, COPING BEHAVIORS, PERSONALITY, 

AND QUALITY OF LIFE OF PATIENTS WITH 

ANEURYSMS 

Cerebral aneurysms, balloon-like bulges of cerebral 

arteries, are devastating problems in a person’s life. 

They often come without warning and can cause death 

or severe disabilities from a stroke. This can occur 

at all ages. Given the severe nature of aneurysms, 

patients struggle to come to terms with this malady. 

Neurosurgeons are constantly debating which of three 

treatment options are best for brain aneurysm patients. 

Importantly, little is known about the psychological 

variables that may influence QoL in brain aneurysm 

patients. Along with treatment factors, this study 

explores what additional variables that can predict 

outcomes in QoL. Study variables included background 

and medical variables, affect, coping, and personality, 

specifically conscientiousness. Brain aneurysm 

patients from a southeastern neurosurgical institute 

complete a questionnaire soon after learning about 

the aneurysm, with a follow-up period of 60 days, 

assessing anxiety and depression, coping behaviors, 

personality and quality of life. We present pilot data 

on ~20 subjects. T-tests, a 2x2 mixed model ANOVA, 

and a step-wise regression were/are being used to 

analyze the results. Preliminary data show that task 

oriented coping is a predictor of QoL, followed by 

degree of conscientiousness, and lastly anxiety and 

depression. Preliminary results suggest that style 

of coping provided important information that will 

help the neurosurgery team better able to address 

factors that may be contributing to the variability in 

QoL. Also, strategies and interventions that will help 

patients cope with and overcome their health problems 

are suggested. It is believed that this also may help 

influence patient satisfaction. 

Hyunjin Noh 

University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Social 

Work 

hyunjinnoh@wisc.edu 

TERMINALLY ILL BLACK ELDERS: MAKING THE 

CHOICE TO RECEIVE HOSPICE CARE 

The racial and ethnic inequality in receiving hospice 

care has been witnessed for decades in the United 

States. Researchers have explored the barriers to 

minorities’ accessing hospice care and their end-oflife 

healthcare preferences. Though knowledge from 

previous studies provides insight into why minority 

elders might not choose to use hospice care even 

when they have access to it, currently there appears to 

be no research that has explored why some minority 

elders do choose to receive such care. This study seeks 

to address this gap by interviewing terminally ill older 

minority hospice patients and gathering information 

regarding the following three research questions: why 

do terminally ill minority elders choose to use hospice 

care?; what structural barriers do they face when 

accessing hospice care, and how have they overcome 

them?; and what cultural preferences do they have in 

receiving hospice care and what is their experience 

in having their preferences respected? To gain such 

information, face-to-face interviews were conducted 

using a semi-structured survey with 31 older minority 

hospice patients in Georgia, the vast majority of whom 

were black. Participants’ responses were analyzed using 

the content analysis. Themes that emerged include 

the importance of open communication between 

healthcare providers and patients, the sources of 

correct/incorrect information, family support/nonsupport 

in choosing to use hospice care, the role 

of spirituality/religiosity in making the choice, and 

important values in receiving hospice care. The findings 

of this study will provide end-of-life care providers with 

insights for strategies to promote the hospice use by 

minority communities. 

Abstracts 

21

Jonathan W. Rich 

Rodney L. Parks 

University of Georgia, Office of the Registrar 

jonrich@uga.edu 

BACK TO SCHOOL: BABY BOOMERS IN THE 

CLASSROOM 

As members of the Baby Boom cohort begin to 

approach the age of retirement, they are increasingly 

returning to the classroom to pursue degrees for 

“encore careers.” Academic planners must pay careful 

attention to the specific concerns of Boomers to 

help ease their transition into a university setting 

after decades of absence. Following the tenets of 

qualitative phenomenology, this study aimed to 

understand the meaning of the experiences of seven 

students participating in a 62 and over reduced 

tuition program at a large, traditional Southeastern 

university. Two sets of semi-structured interviews 

were analyzed using open-coding and thick 

descriptions to identify major themes of participants’ 

experiences. Economic insecurity, preference for 

youthful college-town atmosphere, and commitment 

to lifelong learning were the principle motivations 

behind participants’ decision to return to school. 

Challenges relating to technology, generational 

differences, isolation from campus life, and interaction 

with traditional students were explored. A number of 

academic policy changes relating to admissions and 

registration are recommended to help institutions 

better serve the growing Baby Boomer population. 

Ruth Robbins 1 

Amy A. Overman 1, 2 

1 

Elon University, Psychology Department 

2 

Elon University, Neuroscience Program 

rrobbins2@elon.edu 

A MODEL COGNITIVE TRAINING INTERVENTION 

FOR MINORITY AND LOW SES OLDER ADULTS 

Integral to our culture is the belief that the mind and 

quality of life will deteriorate in adults as they age. 

However, recent research demonstrates that cognitive 

training and social interaction can help maintain or 

even improve older adults’ brain function and quality 

of life (Mahncke, et al., 2006; Carlson et al., 2009). 

This is particularly relevant to the growing elderly 

population in the United States and it is important to 

share this information about healthy aging with them. 

Unfortunately minority and lower socioeconomic status 

older adults are particularly under-reached with regard 

to this type of information and are at higher risk for 

health problems (Paasche-Orlow et al., 2005). Therefore, 

through partnerships with community organizations, 

we implemented an innovative pilot 10-week cognitive 

training interventions with minority and/or lower 

socioeconomic status elderly adults. The interventions 

consisted of social interaction and cognitive training 

exercises that challenged attentional and memory 

functions for one hour each week over the span of 10 

weeks. We measured participants’ (n=12) satisfaction 

with life and cognitive function with pre- and posttraining 

neuropsychological assessments. Results 

showed a significant improvement on the Satisfaction 

With Life Scale ratings over the 10 week training period. 

This health intervention has the potential to improve 

quality of life and reduce disparities in cognitive health 

in old age. 


Elisabeth Lilian Pia Sattler 

Matthew Perri, III 

Jung Sun Lee 


Nutrition 

lilian@uga.edu 

MEDICATION ADHERENCE MEASURES DERIVED 

FROM ADMINISTRATIVE PHARMACY CLAIMS 

DATA IN OLDER AMERICANS: A SYSTEMATIC 

REVIEW 

Appropriate medication adherence is critical for the 

management of chronic conditions highly prevalent 

among older Americans. Administrative pharmacy 

claims data has gained importance to objectively 

derive medication adherence measures. Numerous 

measures have been developed, however little is 

known about the types of such measures used in older 

Americans. The objective of this study was to identify 

types of administrative pharmacy claims-derived 

medication adherence measures (APCAM) used in 

older Americans. A systematic search of the PUBMED 

database was conducted to identify studies using 

APCAM exclusively in older adults aged 60+ years, and 

published in the U.S. between January 2000 and March 

2011. Key search terms included twenty-nine currently 

available medication adherence measure names 

combined with other search criteria terms. Studies 

identified from the key word search were manually 

reviewed to select relevant articles. Nineteen studies 

were identified. They used APCAM based on two major 

concepts: medication availability and medication 

consistency. All studies used one medication 

availability concept-based measure (e.g. medication 

possession ratio). The majority of studies used a single 

medication availability measure (57.9%), and almost 

one third of studies used multiple measures based 

on both concepts. Not all APCAM based on the same 

concept used consistent names and algorithms. 

Even APCAM with the same name differed by various 

factors, including observation periods and number 

of medications considered. Although one concept of 

medication adherence was predominantly used, there 

was no consistency among names and algorithms 

across different APCAM used in older Americans. 

Michael Schuier 1 

Lee Hyer 2 


1 

Mercer University School of Medicine, Marriage & 

Family Therapy Program 

2 



3 

Mercer University, Clinical Mental Health 

Counseling Program & Georgia Neurosurgical 

Institute 

mschuier@me.com 

MINI MENTAL STATUS EXAM (MMSE): 

DIFFERENCES DUE TO SCORING FOR OLDER 

ADULTS WITH MEMORY PROBLEMS 

The Mini Mental Status Exam (MMSE) is a universally 

used mental status exam that has set a standard for 

briefly assessing mental capacities, especially for older 

adults. Although the exam offers directions on the 

assessment, there are allowances for the examiner 

to offer alternatives. Indeed, extant norms are based 

on differing instructions for the test administration. 

This study aims to view and assess the differences in 

patients who are given both tasks. We endeavor to 

determine the effects of educational level, gender, 

depression, physical functioning, and amount of 

medication prescribed on differences in scores on the 

Attention and Concentration subtests on the MMSE. 

The two options at issue are “Serial 7s” versus spelling 

the word “World” backwards. We do this in a group 

of patients who present for psychiatric problems, 

most commonly dementia. The sample included 

older adults (N=35) who were patients at the Family 

Health Center of Central Georgia and the Georgia 

Neurosurgical Institute in Macon. A full cognitive 

assessment, including a MMSE, was given to all 

subjects. Preliminary results show that MMSE scores do 

differ in this age group with more patients successfully 

completing “World” than Serial 7s. Many subjects 

actually would be categorized as demented on Serial 

7’s and not so on “World.” Educational level was the 

highest predictor of variance, followed by living 

situation and level of mobility. Special consideration is 

given to the effect of depression on cognitive scores. 

We discuss the importance of consistency on the 

subtests on the MMSE. 

Abstracts 

23

Chris Scoggins 1 


Lee Hyer 3 

1 

Mercer University, Master of Public Health Program 

2 



3 



scoggins_chris@msn.com 

THE MILLON BEHAVIORAL MEDICINE 

DIAGNOSTIC: PROFILES OF DEMENTIA AND 

DEPRESSION 

Dementia (or cognitive decline) either results in or 

causes changes in personality and treatment patterns 

as the person declines. From a sample of older adults 

with memory complaints who have varying problems 

of dementia, depression or both, we address two 

issues: (1) we provide a personality, stress moderator 

and treatment prognostic profile of older adults 

with and without dementia; and (2) we consider the 

question of the added influence of depression related 

to these variables. For question 1, older subjects 

(N=112) were disaggregated by dementia and nondementia 

status; for question 2, the older adults 

(age>60; N=62) were further separated into those 

with a dementia, those who are depressed, and those 

with both dementia and depression. Patients were 

interviewed and self-report scales were given to all 

subjects. All patients had a caregiver. Cognitive and 

personality styles, treatment and stress markers, and 

Axis I variables, as well as background and adjustment, 

were measured. For dementia/non-dementia groups, 

results show that the dementia group was more 

detached, had more problems with depression and 

cognitive dysfunction, and showed less concerns 

about Informational Fragility. When the three groups 

were considered, the combined and dementia 

groups had the most problems, including more fixed 

personality features, more psychiatric problems, more 

stress moderators and more problematic treatment 

prognostics. We also show profiles of treatment 

prognostics and stress moderators of each personality 

type for a dementia, depression and dementia/ 

depression. We highlight the importance of depression 

at later life either with or without a dementia. 

Ciera V. Scott¹ 

Lee Hyer² 

¹Mercer University, Clinical Mental Health Counseling 

& Georgia Neurosurgical Institute 

²Georgia Neurosurgical Institute & Mercer University 


ciera.v.scott@gmail.com 

IMPACT OF DULOXETINE IN PERIOPERATIVE 

SPINE PATIENTS: PAIN, DEPRESSION, AND 

QUALITY OF LIFE OF INJURED OLDER ADULTS 

Since its inception in the early 2000s, Cymbalta 

(duloxetine Hcl) has been prescribed to treat Major 

Depressive Disorder (MDD), Generalized Anxiety 

Disorder (GAD), diabetic peripheral neuropathic 

pain, fibromalygia, and most recently, chronic lower 

back pain. We assessed the utility of duloxetine in 

improving pain in back surgery patients sans clinical 

depression. Our subjects consisted of patients 

undergoing the following back surgeries at the Georgia 

Neurosurgical Institute (GNI) in Macon, Georgia— 

lumbar microdiscectomy, lumbar decompression and 

fusion, or anterior cervical decompression and fusion. 

Over 50% of our subjects were over the age of 55. The 

study followed a controlled, double-blind model with 

subjects randomized to either a duloxetine or placebo 

group. All study participants (N=98) were assessed 

for pain, physical functioning, adjustment, and mood 

markers using the following—the BPI-SF, BDI-II, CIBIC- 

Plus, SF-36, ADCS-ADL, SCL-90-R., Trails A and B, and 

Semantic Fluency and Digit Span from the RBANS. 

Subjects were assessed a total of three times—a week 

prior to surgery, four weeks post-surgery, and 12 

weeks post-surgery. Presently, overall data supports 

Cymbalta as a pain management agent, especially 

in older adults (age>55). Patients in the drug group 

reported less pain and improved levels of functioning, 

emotional well-being, and quality of life in relation to 

their placebo counterparts. Older subjects reported 

significant levels of reduction in pain, opioid use, and 

depression/anxiety symptoms versus the younger 

group. Trends reinforce the positive effect of Cymbalta 

in postoperative spine patients. Further data (N=140) 

should allow for increased power for more refined 

results. 


Jennifer Shelton 

Lauren Brown 

Avani Shah 

University of Alabama, School of Social Work 

shelt013@crimson.ua.edu 

USE OF SELF-HELP MATERIALS FOR MOOD IN 

OLDER ADULTS WITH DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS 

A large number of self-administered treatments and selfhelp 

materials are available for use and could serve as the 

first line of treatments in a stepped care treatment plan, 

particularly for the treatment of depressive symptoms. 

However, no recent studies have evaluated how common 

self-help use for depression is among older adults. This 

study evaluates the use of self-help materials for mood in 

community dwelling older adults and assesses if higher 

depression scores (Patient Health Questionnaire-9) are 

related to self-help usage. The sample consists of older 

adults (N = 100; M age = 73.23) who were recruited from 

senior nutrition centers and primary care clinics. Those 

age 55 or above with adequate self-reported reading 

ability were eligible to participate and were approached 

about participating in a 20 minute survey on depression 

screening. Participants completed counterbalanced 

self-administered survey packets, which included a 

depression screen, demographics form, and a yes/ 

no question about their use of self-help materials for 

mood. To compensate for their time, participants were 

either entered into a drawing for $100 or provided $5 for 

participating. Older adults who had endorsed self-help 

usage for mood evidenced significantly higher scores on 

the PHQ-9 than those who did not (t(82) =-2.23;M =5.9 vs. 

M = 2.73). A table will be provided on the demographics 

characteristics of older adults who use self-administered 

mood materials. Conclusion: Older adults with more 

depressive symptoms seem to be more likely to seek the 

assistance of self-help materials to improve mood. 

Josh Skelton 

Anne Glass 

University of Georgia, Department of Health Policy & 

Management 

jskelt@uga.edu 

EVALUATION OF THE “WE HONOR VETERANS” 

PROGRAM 

“We Honor Veterans” is a recent joint initiative by 

the National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization 

and Veterans Administration. The two organizations 

started this program in 2008 to improve hospice care 

provided to veterans. A large portion of the older adult 

population is comprised of veterans and many of them 

suffer from illnesses that are different from non-veteran 

hospice patients. After receiving approval from the UGA 

Institutional Review Board for research with human 

subjects, I will be surveying the staff at a local hospice 

provider, who joined the program in 2011, to assess the 

effectiveness of the program thus far. I plan to analyze 

and evaluate the results and provide recommendations 

to the company on how to improve the care they provide 

to veterans and provide additional education if needed. 

The agency is also providing access to data from a 

patient survey and “military checklist,” as well as a family 

caregiver survey, with the names removed, which will 

provide information about demographics, diagnoses, and 

satisfaction with care. I will also examine which health 

issues are most prevalent in this population, as well as 

the prevalence of health issues in veterans nationwide 

in comparison to non-veterans. This research will show 

the difference in prevalence rates and why additional 

training and education is needed when providing care 

to veteran hospice patients. Many veterans are unaware 

that the Veterans Administration covers hospice care, so 

it will also be important to inform veterans about their 

benefits. 

Abstracts 

25

Elizabeth Sleeman 

Renu Kumar 

Aleta Johannaber 

Erin Fisher 

Ann Pearman 


esleeman1@student.gsu.edu 

VERY LATE ONSET SCHIZOPHRENIA-LIKE 

PSYCHOSIS: A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE 

Schizophrenia has long been thought of as a disease 

that has its onset solely in younger adulthood. 

However, very late onset schizophrenia-like disorder 

(VLOSP) is now recognized by the International 

Consensus on Late-Onset and Very-Late-Onset 

Schizophrenia Group. For a person to receive a 

diagnosis of VLOSP, the first psychotic incident has to 

occur after the age of 60. This presentation will focus 

on identifying the critical features of VLOSP that are 

important for clinicians, gerontologists, and others 

working with the elderly to recognize. While the 

symptoms of early onset schizophrenia and VLOSP are 

fairly similar. Patients with VLOSP often present with 

more hallucinations and delusions. This particular set of 

symptoms has significant overlap with the symptoms 

of several of the dementias, including Alzheimer’s 

disease, which makes differential diagnosis particularly 

challenging. However, it is critical to understand 

the differences in these diseases as the treatment 

strategies for dementia and VLOSP are quite dissimilar. 

Risk factors for VLOSP include social isolation, cognitive 

dysfunction, and sex (female). Persons with VLOSP are 

at particularly high risk for job loss and subsequent 

institutionalization if not given the proper treatment. 

Suggested treatments include very low dose atypical 

antipsychotics, supported employment rehabilitation, 

social and functional skills training, and other 

psychosocial therapies. Understanding the symptoms, 

risk factors, and treatments for schizophrenia with 

an onset in older adulthood is important for anyone 

working with older adults, particularly given the 

projected increase in mental health problems in the 

elderly in the next 20 years. 

Chad R. Straight 

Christie L. Ward 

Bhibha M. Das 

Rudy J. Valentine 

John Georgiadis 

Ellen M. Evans 

University of Georgia, Department of Kinesiology 

chad1419@uga.edu 

ADIPOSITY IMPACTS PHYSICAL FUNCTION 

MORE THAN LEG LEAN MASS IN COMMUNITY- 

DWELLING OLDER MEN AND WOMEN 

The interaction of body composition measures, 

strength and physical activity and the most salient 

outcome for lower-extremity physical function (LEPF) 

in older adults is an active area of research due to 

the implications for physical disability. Therefore, 

to elucidate the relative importance of adiposity 

(%Fat), leg lean mass, muscle strength, muscle 

quality (MQ), and physical activity (PA) on LEPF, we 

assessed community-dwelling adults (n=231, 96 male; 

68.5±6.7 y) for body composition via dual energy 

X-ray absorptiometry, upper leg strength via isokinetic 

dynamometer (MVC), PA via pedometer, and LEPF via 

the timed up-and-go test (UPGO), 30-second chair 

stand test (CHR), and fast 7-m walk (WLK). MQ was 

calculated as MVC normalized for upper leg mineralfree 

lean mass (MFLM). No significant differences 

were observed between men and women in PA, MQ, 

or MFLM. As expected, men were 35% stronger than 

women (p

Karlyn E. Vatthauer 

Jason G. Craggs 

Michael Marsiske 

Joseph M. Dzierzewski 

Christina S. McCrae 

University of Florida, Clinical and Health Psychology 

Department 

kvatthauer@phhp.ufl.edu 

INCREASED NIGHTLY WAKE TIME PREDICTS 

INCREASED INCONSISTENCY IN EXECUTIVE 

FUNCTIONING PERFORMANCE IN OLDER ADULTS 

Complaints of reduced cognitive functioning are 

common among individuals with complaints of 

insomnia. Such complaints appear to increase with age. 

However, the majority of sleep and cognitive functioning 

research is within younger adults populations. Previous 

studies of sleep and cognitive functioning in older adults 

have focused on typical cognitive functioning (using 

averages) and have ignored the (often considerable) 

amount of intraindividual variability in the data. Such an 

approach makes sense when the fluctuations observed 

represent noise or error. However, recent reports 

indicate that for cognitive functioning, intraindividual 

variability represents meaningful data as it is related 

to other important late life health concerns, including 

increased blood pressure and decreased positive affect. 

In some cases, studying intraindividual variability 

revealed unique relationships that were missed when 

the cognitive functioning data were averaged. The 

present study examined total wake time (TWT) and 

executive functioning (Symbol Digit Modalities Test, 

SDMT) variability in older adults. Sixty-four older adults 

(M=70.02 years, SD=7.59 years) were selected from the 

baseline screening for a study of behavioral insomnia 

treatment. Participants completed sleep diaries and 

the SDMT for 14 consecutive days upon waking. 

Multilevel modeling revealed that increased mean TWT 

predicted increased variability in SDMT scores (β=.018, 

t(64.76)=2.83, p=.006). These results suggest nightly 

wake time may negatively impact older adults’ executive 

functioning as increased nightly wake time predicted 

more inconsistent executive functioning performance. 

Future research investigating whether treatments (i.e., 

cognitive-behavioral treatment for insomnia) that 

decrease nightly wake times can also stabilize older 

adults’ executive functioning appears warranted. 

NIH/NIA Award AG244591 (McCrae) 

Latrice D. Vinson 1, 2 

Chao-Hui Huang 1, 2 

Ernest Wayde 1, 2 

Audrey Austin 1, 2 

Adriana Hyams 1, 2 

Susan Guin 3 

Martha R. Crowther 1, 2 

ldvinson@crimson.ua.edu 

1 


2 

University of Alabama, Center for Mental Health & 

Aging 

3 

University of Alabama , Department of Community 

and Rural Medicine 

MOBILE HEALTH CARE: AN INTERDISCIPLINARY 

APPROACH TO PROVIDE BEHAVIORAL CARE TO 

RURAL ELDERS 

The elderly population is increasing in rural communities, 

yet many rural elders have fewer resources and 

poorer mental and physical health than their urban 

counterparts. Rural elders are also at a higher risk for 

developing metabolic syndrome (MSX), a cluster of risk 

factors for cardiovascular disease, stroke, and mortality, 

which has been linked to depression and cognitive 

impairment. An interdisciplinary healthcare team 

provided behavioral and physical health screens to adults 

in four rural communities on a mobile health unit. The 

goal of the project was to support: a) community-based 

approaches directed to both enhance the training of 

scholars and contribute to the well-being of older, rural 

residents; b) interdisciplinary collaboration between 

Psychology, Rural Medicine, and Social Work; and c) the 

dissemination of promising practices in rural education 

and mental health promotion. A secondary data analysis 

assessed the risk factors for MSX among rural elders. The 

predominately African American sample included 384 

health screens of adults age 55 and older conducted 

on the mobile unit. The results of a two-way repeated 

measures ANOVA revealed significant differences 

in the average number of risk factors per site (Wilks’ 

Lamda = .75, F(3, 30) = 3.35, p = .03), suggesting there 

is an increased risk for MSX within rural communities 

where lower educational attainment, income, and 

socioeconomic status are more prevalent. Additionally, 

rural elders are at increased risk of developing MSX. 

Using innovative methods such as mobile healthcare 

delivery is crucial to providing quality healthcare and 

health education to an underserved population. 

Abstracts 

27

Temitope Y. Walker 

Kathryn N. Porter 

Kristen L. Brown 

Jung Sun Lee 

Mary Ann Johnson 


Nutrition 

taiyejorun@gmail.com 

BARRIERS TO FOOD STAMP PARTICIPATION 

AMONG OLDER ADULTS 

The goal of this study is to identify potential barriers 

to the process of applying for the food stamp 

program that may hinder older adult participation 

among congregate meal participants. Therefore, 

a questionnaire was administered that included 

quantitative and qualitative measures to assess the 

barriers to food stamp participation. The questionnaire 

consisted of about 40 questions administered in 

one session with older adults at senior centers in 

Northeast Georgia. The participants were categorized 

into 3 groups, those not interested in food stamps 

(n=58 people), those who were currently using or 

had ever used food stamps (n=38 people), and those 

who wanted food stamps (n=14 people). This report 

examines the distinguishing characteristics of only 

those who wanted food stamps. Most, but not all, 

indicated they needed food stamps (79%), supporting 

other results that some manage to “get by” without 

food stamps (57%). Regarding applying, most did 

not know how to use the internet (79%) and half of 

the respondents could not complete a food stamp 

application online. Most respondents were not 

familiar with how to take medical deductions (86%) or 

determine household size (64%). Participants reported 

not knowing how to apply (50%), that the process 

required too much paperwork (35%), having no one 

to assist in the completion of the application (35%), 

and difficulty getting to the food stamp office (35%) as 

barriers. The results indicate that there are modifiable 

barriers that must be addressed to increase food stamp 

participation among eligible older adults. 

Natalya Watson 

Toni Miles 

University of Georgia, Department of Biostatistics 

and Epidemiology, Institute of Gerontology 

nwatson@uga.edu 

LITERATURE REVIEW OF RESEARCH ON 

INTERDEPENDENT HEALTH AND COLLATERAL 

EFFECTS OF MORTALITY 

Issue: Individuals create social networks from the day 

they are born with those who surround them, and the 

interactions which happen within these networks affect 

the person’s wellbeing. For example, current research 

has demonstrated that when one loses a family 

member their health deteriorates, and these findings 

suggest that mortality is a risk. Therefore, we completed 

a literature search which investigated this concern. 

The results of the review suggest that death does 

influence the health of survivors. A study completed 

in Sweden demonstrated that following the death of 

a parent, adult children experience increasing risk of 

death during the ten years after the event. Furthermore, 

studies have shown that children who experience the 

death of a parent have a greater risk for disease and 

illness. In addition, other studies have found that the 

death of a spouse also increases the risk of mortality 

in the surviving partner. Conclusions: There is a small 

but compelling body of research that documents the 

collateral effects of parental and spouse mortality on 

the health and well being of surviving children and 

spouses. Next steps: In an aging society, many families 

experience the loss of an older relative each year. We 

are working to measure the public health impact of 

those deaths on the health of survivors. Our next steps 

are focused on measuring the extent of these collateral 

effects. 


Didier Wayoro 

Brandeis University, Heller School for Social Policy and 

Management 

dwayoro@brandeis.edu 

HOW HAPPY ARE YOU WHEN YOU GET OLDER? 

EVIDENCE FROM SOUTH AFRICA 

In this study, we examined the determinants of 

happiness as people age in South Africa. Using the 

second wave of WHO Sage Data set (2007-2010) and an 

ordered logistic model we found a positive association 

between happiness (Subjective Well -Being) and income, 

health status and marriage. Moreover, our study revealed 

a hyperbolic relationship between happiness and age 

whereby happiness declines until it reaches a minimum 

around 44 years of age and increases to a maximum 

at around 78 years of age before declining again. 

Such heterogeneous age effects on happiness have 

important policy implications in terms of inequalities, 

welfare programs such as social security, health care 

expenditures and tradeoff when it comes to the 

allocation of government resources among different age 

groups in South Africa. 

Elizabeth Wilson 


Promotion and Behavior, Institute of Gerontology 

lserieux@uga.edu 

ATTITUDES ABOUT AGING AMONG HEALTHCARE 

PROVIDERS IN SAINT LUCIA 

The issue addressed is that of aging in the developing 

country of Saint Lucia. According to the latest National 

Census figures, Saint Lucia’s population is approximately 

161,557. The breakdown according to age is: 0-14 years: 

22.8%, 15 – 64 years: 67.5%, 65 years and over: 9.7%. The 

average life expectancy is 76.84 years and the growth 

rate is 0.389%. These figures clearly indicate that Saint 

Lucia will confront an increasingly older population and 

so the island needs to prepare for this phenomenon. 

This study specifically investigates attitudes about 

aging among health care providers in the north of the 

island. The information was gathered using a survey 

questionnaire. The questionnaires were given to 

healthcare providers in the island’s main public hospital, 

the island’s only private hospital, and two larger private 

clinics in the north of the island. The questionnaires 

were completed anonymously and then returned to 

a collection box placed in each of the locations. The 

questionnaires were subsequently collected and the data 

therein reviewed. In addition to close ended questions, 

the questionnaires contained open ended questions to 

ascertain the level of training in the area of gerontology 

that exists among those health care providers. I also 

sought to ascertain the perceived need for training 

in this area. The response rate was 56% (n= 24). The 

findings were very consistent and indicated that the 

issue of aging has not been given sufficient importance. 

The majority of the respondents had not received any 

training in this area, and the perceived need for such 

training was high. The study and poster present the 

existing situation in Saint Lucia, regarding attitudes to 

aging among healthcare providers. The responses of the 

interviewees will be used to present ways in which the 

situation can be adequately addressed. 

Abstracts 

29

Jun Yin 

Alan Mobley 

Francesca Iannaccone 

Jamie Samuels 


Promotion and Behavior 

sly1314@uga.edu 

DENNY TOWER COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT AND 

REWARDS PROGRAM 

Applying the knowledge of the Community Based 

Participatory Research (CBPR) to conduct a needs 

assessment. We developed an incentive program for 

the residents of Denney Tower (DT) in Athens, Georgia. 

It is a home to low-income older adults, many of whom 

have chronic diseases. By speaking with the residents 

on a number of different occasions, we learned that 

lack of participation in events was a concern to the 

community. In order to work successfully with the 

community, a long-term partnership was built with the 

residents. We gained their trust by attending resident 

meetings and focus groups. We realized that material 

incentives might play an important role in getting 

residents involved in the project. Foods were served 

during each meeting. We expressed the necessity to 

have a collaborative project that would empower them 

to address the lack of participation in the community. 

In addition, we sought the residents’ feedback at all 

points during the process. Due to the fact that this 

is an ongoing project, no final conclusion has been 

made. However, we believe these activities provide 

instrumental and emotional types of social support. 

In addition, an increased participation will lead to a 

greater sense of community at DT. Resident leaders 

were involved in the development of the program and 

will be the ones to carry out and maintain the program. 

Karolina Zakoscielna 

Patricia A. Parmelee 



kzakoscielna@crimson.ua.edu 

PAIN VARIABILITY AND ITS PREDICTORS: 

DEPRESSION, AFFECT, COGNITION, 

FUNCTIONALITY, AND HEALTH 

A strong correlation has been found between pain 

and variables such as depression, affect, cognition, 

functionality, and health. Pain variability, however, has 

neither been concisely studied, nor has its relationship 

with the previously mentioned variables. The purpose 

of this secondary data analysis is to determine whether 

depression, affect, cognition, functional status, and 

health are predictors of day-to-day pain variability 

in older adults in long-term care settings. Drawn 

from the Philadelphia Geriatric Center database, 56 

adults aged 68 years and older were included in the 

multiple linear regression analyses. Pain variability was 

measured over 30 days of self-reported pain levels. The 

Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), Philadelphia Geriatric 

Center Positive and Negative Affect Rating Scale, 

Memory-Information-Concentration test, Physical 

Self-Maintenance Scale (PSMS), and perceived health 

were used as predictors. Results show a significantly 

positive association between total GDS score and 

pain variability (p

Roberto B. Zamora 1 

Kenneth L. Lichstein 1 

Daniel J. Taylor 2 

Brant W. Riedel 3 

Andrew J. Bush 4 

1 


2 

University of North Texas, Department of Psychology 

3 

University of Memphis, Department of Psychology 

4 

University of Tennessee, Memphis, Department of 

Psychology 

rbzamora@crimson.ua.edu 

CONSISTENCY OF OLDER ADULTS’ SLEEP DIARIES 

OVER TWO WEEKS 

Sleep diaries are used as an assessment procedure 

for insomnia research; however, sleep diaries may be 

used as a form of self-monitoring. The present study 

attempts to examine week differences in 2 weeks of 

sleep diaries in older adults (65+) with and without 

chronic insomnia to determine if the task of completing 

sleep diaries alters sleep efficiency (SE). 246 older 

adults, collected in a normative epidemiological study, 

were enrolled using random-digit dialing. Participant’s 

SE was collected for 14 days via 2 weeks of sleep 

diaries. A two–way mixed ANOVA was performed to 

analyze SE week differences between individuals 

with insomnia and normal sleepers. The mean SE 

for week 2 (M = 83.28) was significantly higher than 

week1 (M = 82.43), F (1, 244) = 4.32, p = .04, ƞ 2 = 

.02. The mean SE of those with insomnia (M = 77.38) 

was significantly lower than those without insomnia 

(M = 88.33), F (1, 244) = 99.58, p < .001, ƞ 2 = .29. 

A significant interaction between week difference 

and insomnia condition found that individuals with 

insomnia had an increase in mean SE from week 1 (M 

= 76.201) to week 2 (78.55), whereas those who did 

not have insomnia had a decrease from week1 (M = 

88.67) to week 2 (87.99), F (1, 244) = 13.96, p < .001, 

ƞ 2 = .05. The presence of sleep difference between 

the 2 weeks suggests that the task of completing 

sleep diaries can alter SE in older adults, especially 

for individuals with insomnia; however the effect is 

small. Future directions will examine the issue in a 

multi-level approach to optimally capture day to day 

variability. Research supported by National Institute 

on Aging grants AG12136 and AG14738. 

Abstracts 

31


The University of Georgia College of Public Health 

255 E. Hancock Ave. 

Athens, GA 30602-5775 

Phone: (706) 425-3222 

FAX: (706) 425-3221 

http://www.publichealth.uga.edu/geron 

Electronic PDF available 

Technical Report #UGAIG-12-002 

March 2012 

© Copyright 2012 by The University of Georgia Institute of Gerontology in the College of Public Health. No 

portion of this booklet may be reproduced without the written consent of qualified representatives of The 

University of Georgia Institute of Gerontology. The photos on the cover and page 7 were generiously provided 

by the U.S. Administration on Aging. 

The University of Georgia is a unit of the University System of Georgia. The University of Georgia is an Equal 

Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institute. The University does not discriminate with respect to 

employment or admission on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, handicap or veteran status.

CAREERS IN AGING - College of Public Health - University of Georgia

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