Health and Wellness: A Focus on Aging
Aging in Place: Preference and the Voice of Care-giver Among Hong Kong Residents
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Hong Zhou Chen
The term Aging in Place (AIP) has gained its reputation in a majority of welfare realms to avoid the expensive cost of residential care and age-related loss. Senior residents in Hong Kong present a robust preference for aging in place, but the environmental barriers and individual ability hinder those endeavoring; the long-term caring plan for caregivers, simultaneously, were also constrained by care-giving pressure and empirical concern. This study explores factors related to AIP preference in Hong Kong, focusing especially on care-giver roles and their environmental concerns in a metropolitan city. We collected 248 survey data from an on-line self-assessment which was a long-term care decision making tool (“the Tool”) developed by a social enterprise named PaterMater, with academic support by Sau Po Centre on Ageing, The University of Hong Kong. Web users were required to complete a 5-minute self-assessment to understand family’s caring needs and restrictions, along with elderly’s health status. Half of the caregivers (45.6%) preferred their care-recipient to age in place whilst 40.7% of the participants were still hesitating. Cluster analysis suggests a positive correlation of elderly’s health status and caregiving concern, additionally, logistic regression suggested that a) primary caregiver (OR=1.67); b) finance and space sufficiency (OR= 0.32 and OR=0.59 separately); and c) lower education (OR=2.54) were more likely to support the elderly to age in place. Conclusion: Financial burden and space sufficiency were caregivers' main concerns when it comes to supporting the elderly to age in place.
A Model of the Relationship between Childhood Trauma and Adult Chronic Disease
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Kara Irwin, Jana Lait
Chronic disease is common in adults and has implications for general health, quality of life, and mortality. The literature posits a causal relationship between childhood psychological trauma and both the development and poor outcomes of chronic disease in adulthood. To optimize chronic disease management and work towards prevention, an understanding of the relational mechanisms is key. Two primary pathways of how childhood trauma leads to chronic disease in adulthood have been posited. In the first pathway, adverse childhood experiences lead to coping behaviors such as smoking, alcohol use, poor food choices, and sedentary lifestyle. These behaviours then become the mechanism of biomedical damage and the development of chronic disease. In the second pathway, experiencing trauma activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, sympathetic nervous system, and the inflammatory response. Having these systems hyper-activated early in life causes permanent changes and primes these systems to over-respond to stressors, leading to chronic disease. While these pathways are helpful, they are incomplete in that they overemphasize Cartesian dualism and the separation of physical, psychological, and social health. Using biopsychosocial and trauma-informed approaches as theoretical foundations, we will present a parsimonious model of the complex relationship between childhood trauma and chronic disease in adulthood. Adoption of this model into practice has implications for people with chronic disease, healthcare providers, and health care systems for managing and preventing chronic disease.
Nordic Walking for Active Agers: A Case Study of Training and Programming
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Leroy Hurt
Nordic walking enhances personal fitness programs for individuals and wellness coaching and programming for trainers, club owners, and corporate wellness managers. Nordic walking, invented by Finnish cross-country skiers, is a full-body activity using poles to involve the upper body in walking. Evidence-based research has shown that Nordic walking improves weight loss, glucose management, muscular strength, lung capacity, heart capability, and cholesterol levels among other benefits. Nordic walking is especially suitable for active agers because it is a low-impact activity that allows those with joint issues and chronic conditions to participate. Nordic walking also makes group walks enjoyable because the intensity level allows walkers to converse during exercise, providing a rich social benefit. The presentation of this case study includes an exploration of the adoption of Nordic walking using Rogers' diffusion of innovations theory and assesses training and programming possibilities for individuals, trainers and coaches, and corporate wellness managers.
Creative Aging through Multimedia Digital Art: A Unique Consideration for Enhancing the Well-being of Older Adults
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Katrina Pineda
This process evaluation was conducted on a multimedia digital art course for older adults at an independent living facility. Smartphones were used for photography, photo editing, digital scrapbooking, videography, and augmented reality (AR). This process evaluation aimed to identify the opportunities and challenges of this pilot course as an addition to existing programming. It aimed to determine if the pilot course was suitable and enjoyable for participants and volunteers, run efficiently, and capable of advancing the mission of the primary arts in health organizations involved. Additionally, it proposed best practices for multimedia digital art courses with older adults in the future. This process evaluation was conducted with a mixed methods approach, pragmatic worldview, convergent parallel mixed methods design, and inductive content analysis methodology. It was found that the course was practical and enjoyable for participants, accelerated the shifting of the digital divide, connected multiple generations, and enhanced the joy of lifelong learning. Opportunities for improvement were identified by both participants and facilitators, and best practices have begun to emerge for future multimedia digital art courses.
