SGS Press

SGS in the Press

Toward a Regional Gerontological Agenda: The Use of Empowerment Evaluation

October 26, 2020
Authors: Abby J. Schwartz, Kyle L. Bower, Graham D. Rowles, Karen M. Appert, Lee Ann S. Ferguson
Abstract

This article describes the application of an empowerment evaluation approach to nurturing the growth and priority setting of a regional organization. A model is provided of the processes whereby the Southern Gerontological Society (SGS) identified research and service priorities by conducting a survey of stakeholder perceptions of regional needs. The survey goal was to identify important issues faced by older adults in the South as a prelude to refining SGS research and service priorities and developing its contemporary regional gerontological agenda. We trace how the survey findings were translated into actions including shaping the annual meeting program, creating new standing committees, and developing service activities. Underlying the process of developing and refining this agenda are a set of key principles that have come to characterize the operation of SGS. These principles are discussed and provide a model for comparable organizations seeking to develop agendas consistent with their mission and identity.


Blacks Using Home Health Care Most Likely To Be Rehospitalized

May 8, 2018 - Contributed By: SGS Member Dr. Constance Coogle

The study, "Relationships between race/ethnicity and health care utilization among older post-acute home health care patients," was published in the Journal of Applied Gerontology.

Funding was provided in part by the National Institutes of Health (T32NR009356).

Other researchers involved in the study were Liming Huang, Alexandra Hanlon and Kathryn H. Bowles of the University of Pennsylvania; David Russell of Appalachian State University; and Melissa O’Connor of Villanova University." The lead author quoted is Jo-Ana Chase, Assistant Professor in MU’s Sinclair School of Nursing (U of Missouri).


SGS Member Dr. Sadak Honored

November 18, 2016 - Contributed By: SGS Member Dr. Constance Coogle

SGS Member Dr. T. Sadak and colleagues have received a SPRINGER PUBLISHING COMPANY Geriatric/Gerontological Nursing Award for a Distinguished Single research manuscript addressing Geriatric/Gerontological Nursing.

This award is made to a gerontological nurse researcher for a single published work which in the opinion of the reviewers reflects outstanding scholarship with the use of a comprehensive methodology to study a particular gerontological nursing problem, the results of which have the potential to improve the care of older adults.

The award was presented at the Nursing Care of Older Adults Interest Group Meeting at the Gerontological Society of America meeting in New Orleans on November 18th by Sheri Sussman Editorial at Springer Publishing Company.

J Appl Gerontol. 2016 Jul 5. pii: 0733464816657472. [Epub ahead of print]
Managing Your Loved One's Health: Development of a New Care Management Measure for Dementia Family Caregivers.
Sadak T, Wright J, Borson S.


US News & World Report

Rx for Seniors' Health: Upbeat View, Less Stress

August 3, 2016 - Contributed By: SGS Member Jennifer Bellingtier

A positive attitude about aging can help seniors cope with stress, a small study suggests.

"We found that people in the study who had more positive attitudes toward aging were more resilient in response to stress — meaning that there wasn't a significant increase in negative emotions," study author Jennifer Bellingtier, a Ph.D. student at North Carolina State University, said in a university news release.


Longwoods.com

Caregiving as a Public Health Issue: Framing Policy Discussions

April, 2015 - By Dr. Candace L. Kemp

Industrialized nations, Canada included, face potential care crises brought about by decreasing fertility rates, increasing longevity and changing patterns of work, family life and migration. Predicted shortages of caregivers alongside the challenges of caregiving…


Time.com

Major Stress Helps You Weather Smaller Stress

November 19, 2015 - Contributed By: SGS Member Jennifer Bellingtier

A new study from North Carolina State University has found that experiencing a major stressful event may actually make older adults more resilient to fluctuations of minor day-to-day stress. A team led by Jennifer Bellingtier, Ph.D. candidate at NC State, evaluated daily questionnaires filled out by 43 adults between the ages of 60 and 96…


AARP – Public Policy Institute

Major Stress Helps You Weather Smaller Stress

November 24, 2015 - Contributed By: SGS Member Dr. Turner Goins
Article by: R. Turner Goins, Western Carolina University; Marc B. Schure, Ph.D., Julie Crowder, RN, MSN, CCM, Dave Baldridge, and William Benson, International Association for Indigenous Aging; Nancy Aldrich, Health Benefits ABCs, LLC.

The rapidly growing number of older American Indians and Alaska Natives warrants the attention of researchers, policy makers, and service providers. This report uses American Community Survey data to provide a national overview of the sociodemographic characteristics of this growing population.


Richmond Times-Dispatch

Gendron, White and Welleford: Words Matter – Ageist Language is Harmful

October 24, 2015 - Contributed By: SGS Member Dr. Constance L. Coogle

Aging is not a disease. While we applaud efforts to raise awareness about the experience of aging, the inaccuracies and broad generalizations about aging and the process of aging that abound in much of the media are deeply troublesome and even worse, dangerous.


Hitachi Foundation Blog

Lasting Impact for Healthcare Workers: Reflections from Jennifer Craft Morgan

October 14, 2015 - Contributed By: SGS Member Dr. Jennifer Craft Morgan

We encounter many inspiring individuals through our work at The Hitachi Foundation. As part of our 30th year reflections, we are reconnecting with those from our network who continue to make a difference in their communities. This week, we share insights from Jennifer Craft Morgan, lead evaluator for the Jobs to Careers initiative – a collaboration between The Hitachi Foundation and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (with additional support from the U.S. Department of Labor).


Jefferson University Hospitals

Mindfulness Program Improves Mind-Body Health in Elders

January 7, 2015 - Contributed By: SGS Member Constance L. Coogle

The pilot study, published in the Journal of Applied Gerontology, used a randomized waitlist control design to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. MBSR participants completed both quantitative measures and qualitative interviews. Study results show significantly greater improvement in psychological flexibility (acceptance) and less limitations due to physical health conditions for those who were randomized to the MBSR group.


PHI Website

Researchers Identify Factors Associated with Longer Home Care Aide Retention

April 3, 2014 - By Deane Beebe
Contributed By: SGS Member Constance L. Coogle

The findings of a study that explores the determinants associated with longer job retention for home care aides were published in the March 2014 issue of the Journal of Applied Gerontology.

The study, entitled "Determinants of Longer Job Tenure among Home Care Aides: What Makes Some Stay on the Job While Others Leave?" followed 261 home care aides employed by 11 home care agencies in Maine for a period of 18 months.


USA Today

States Looking To Tighten Rules On Home Care Aides

December 8, 2013 - By Olga Hajishengallis
Contributed By: SGS Member Jennifer Craft Morgan

Concerns over the loose regulation of some home care workers is leading several states to consider bills aimed at increasing oversight and requirements for this workforce. Measures being considered include establishing mandatory training hours and requiring background checks for these workers, as well as the licensing of home-care agencies.


The New York Times

Work, Women and Caregiving

November 21, 2013 - By Paula Span
Contributed By: SGS Member LaVona Traywick

Trying to hold onto a job while caring for a family member is a tough juggling act. Caregivers sometimes have to arrive late or leave early, cut back to part-time work, and decline travel or promotions.

For women, these competing responsibilities may prove particularly perilous, a study recently published in the Journal of Applied Gerontology suggests. Women who are caregivers are also significantly less likely to be in the labor force, compared to women who are not caregivers. Yet for men, caregiving has no impact on employment status.