Caitlin Coyle

Social Isolation, Loneliness and Health Among Older Adults

Objective: To examine the relationship of social isolation, loneliness and health outcomes among older adults. Methods: Using data from the Leave Behind Questionnaire of the Health and Retirement Study (2006 and 2008), (n = 11,825) several indicators of social isolation were scaled and the Hughes 3-Item Loneliness Scale was used. Two measures of health (self-rated health and mental health conditions) were examined using logistic regression. Results: Loneliness and social isolation were not highly correlated with one another (r = 0.201, p = 0.000). Loneliness was associated with higher odds of having a mental health problem (OR: 1.17; CI: [1.13, 1.21], p = 0.000); and isolation was associated with higher odds of reporting one’s health as being fair/poor (OR:1.39; CI: [1.21, 1.59], p = 0.000). Discussion: The results suggest that global measures of isolation, that fail to distinguish between social isolation and feelings of loneliness, may not detect the impact on physical and mental health in older adults.

U.S. policies to enhance older driver safety: A systematic review of the literature

The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the literature related to state policies concerning older drivers and to draw policy conclusions about which policies appear to work to reduce older driver crashes and to identify areas needed for further research. Specific policies examined in this paper concern medical reporting and medical review, license renewal processes, and driver testing. A study was included in the systematic review if it met the following criteria: published in English between 1991and January 2013; included data on human subjects aged 65 and older residing in the United States; included information on at least one policy related to older drivers; and had a transportation-related outcome variable (e.g., crash, fatality, renewal). A total of 29 studies met inclusion criteria. Twenty-two studies investigated license renewal and seven articles examined medical reporting. In-person license renewal requirements were associated with reduced risk for fatal crashes. Restricted licenses were associated with reduced number of miles driven per week. More intensive renewal requirements and being the subject of a medical report to the licensing authority was associated with delicensure. Given the importance of driving to mobility, quality of life, and public safety, more research is needed.

The living arrangements of older immigrants from the former Soviet Union: A comparison of Israel and the United States

With the unprecedented emigration from the former Soviet Union (FSU) during the 1990s as context, this study described the living arrangements of older FSU immigrants living in Israel and the US. Living arrangement choices represented an important strategy for coping with the migration process. Census data from Israel and the US were employed to examine the relationships among living arrangements (independent households, multigenerational households, and extended households) and personal characteristics, including duration of residence, Jewish identity, education, and home ownership. Results showed that the less time older immigrants lived in the host country, the more likely they lived in a multigenerational or extended household. The residency length and household relationship was stronger in Israel than in the US. Also, older FSU immigrants who owned their own home and who lived in a metropolitan area were more likely to live in a complex household than in an independent household. We discussed how the economic and social environments in each country contributed to the variability in living arrangement options among these older immigrants.

Maximizing Home Equity or Preventing Home Loss: Reverse Mortgage Decision Making and Racial Inequality

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Reverse mortgages are loans that allow older homeowners to borrow from their home equity with no repayment due until the borrower dies or moves out of the home. We currently know very little about how homeowners evaluate and experience reverse mortgages as solutions to their financial and housing needs in later life. Furthermore, despite an increasingly diverse population of reverse mortgage borrowers, we know little about how social inequalities may contribute to reverse mortgage decisions and their outcomes. In this paper, we examine reverse mortgage decision-making and experiences in a racially and economically diverse sample of older US homeowners. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We conducted 44 in-depth interviews with older homeowners who were considering or who had obtained a reverse mortgage loan. We inductively and iteratively developed a thematic coding scheme that was applied to all interview transcripts. RESULTS Our analysis produced a dichotomous schema of reverse mortgage decision making that was shaped by social and economic opportunities and constraints. For some participants, reverse mortgages represented strategic tools used to maximize home equity and its benefits. For others, it was an option of last resort to which participants turned when faced with the imminent loss of their home. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS Focusing on reverse mortgages, our analysis suggests way that social inequalities may be reproduced through financial decisions and the unequal landscapes of opportunity in which they are made.

Aging With Disability: Advancement of a Cross-Disciplinary Research Network

Increases in human longevity continue to change the experience of aging in our global society. One such change, often overlooked in the literature, is the growing population of adults aging with disabilities. People born with or acquiring disabilities as children are reaching ages that were never thought possible in previous cohorts (Bittles et al., 2002). As well, survivorship of people who acquire disabilities as young or middle-aged adults approach that of those who enter later life absent disability. As a result of these demographic shifts, persons with physical, developmental, or intellectual disability are reaching old age at higher rates than ever before. Accordingly, aging and disability researchers, policy makers, and practice professionals are not only beginning to recognize this emergent group of older adults as having diverse disability experiences and support needs, but they are also recognizing a lack of evidence upon which to develop policy and programs to address the needs of this growing group. Integrating evidence and theoretical frameworks from disciplines like gerontology, human development, and disability studies is one place to start, and outlining points of collaboration across disciplines provides a path forward.