Karen A. Roberto

Grandchildren and Grandparents: Roles, Influences, and Relationships:

This study explored the significance of grandparents in the lives of young adult grandchildren. A convenience sample of 142 college students completed a questionnaire that examined four areas: frequency of activities, value development, relationship solidarity, and role conception. While current interactions with grandparents were infrequent, grandchildren did perceive their grandparents, and grandmothers in particular, as influential in their value development. Grandchildren reported stronger relationships with grandmothers than with grandfathers. Differences in participation, value development, and relationships were also found according to the role in which grandchildren conceptualized grandparents. Discussion centers on the factors that may have influenced grandchildrens perceptions and interactions with grandparents.

Families of Alzheimer's victims. Family support to the caregivers.

This study examined the instrumental and social‐emotional support provided by families to the primary caregivers of Alzheimers patients. It was anticipated that the more adequate the support provided by the family, the less sense of burden and the better the coping effectiveness of the caregiver. Ratings of instrumental assistance, social‐emotional support, adequacy of support, and coping effectiveness were made by trained raters from transcribed interviews with 23 primary caregivers. Also, a second family member who was usually next closest of kin to the caregiver was interviewed in order to provide another perspective of the support the family provided.

Communicating with persons with Alzheimer's disease: experiences of family and formal caregivers

The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine and compare communication processes used by family members and formal caregivers to manage behavioral problems such as fearfulness, agitation, and wandering, that commonly occur when caring for persons with Alzheimers Disease (AD). Two groups of caregivers of persons with AD (formal and family) comprised the sample for the study. Two themes emerged from the focus group interviews: environmental adjustments and reassurance. Results suggest that interventions must be individualized. Enhancing the caregivers skills to manage disruptive behavior may prolong his or her ability to provide in-home care for the family member with AD.

Older Adults' Responses to Hurricane Katrina Daily Hassles and Coping Strategies

Using the stress and coping model, this article explores how older adults prepared for and coped with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Interviews with a sample of 122 displaced adults, 60 years of age or older, provided insights regarding the daily hassles they faced that included securing basic resources, facing communication difficulties, and finding transportation. Positive thinking, modified thinking, staying busy, and spirituality were categories that emerged from the qualitative analysis of 119 participants and explained coping by displaced older adults. Our findings reflect what and how older adults coped with a disaster and have implications for disaster preparedness.

Sexual Abuse of Older Adults: Preliminary Findings of Cases in Virginia

ABSTRACT Aggregated data from APS case files of sexually abused adults in Virginia aged 60 years and older were collected from July 1, 1996-June 30, 1999, yielding a total of 42 substantiated cases for the three years of collection. Data reveal demographic trends; ability to care for self; type, pattern, and place of abuse; information on witnesses and alleged offenders; and case resolution and outcomes. Results show that the majority of cases (n = 40) concerned women over 70 years of age residing in facilities; offenders were men (n = 40). Most cases were not prosecuted. Implications of these data are discussed.

Chapter 7 Sexual Abuse of Older Women Living in Nursing Homes

Abstract Aggregated data from APS case files of sexually abused older women between the agesof70 and 89living in nursing homes were collected over a five-year period, yielding a total of 50 substantiated cases. The most common types of sexual abuse involved instances of sexualized kissing and fondling and unwelcome sexual interest in the womens body. All alleged perpetrators were male; they typically were 70 years of age and older and residents in the nursing home. In only three cases was the alleged offender prosecuted in court and only one of these cases was the offender convicted. Implications of these data for future practice and research are discussed.

Sexual Abuse of Vulnerable Young and Old Women A Comparative Analysis of Circumstances and Outcomes

Aggregated data from 125 substantiated Adult Protective Services cases of sexually abused women were collected during a 5-year period. Women older than 59 years represented 63% of the cases. Regardless of age, the most common types of abuse involved sexualized kissing and fondling and unwelcome sexual interest in the women’s body. Most identified perpetrators were older males. Family members were most likely to abuse women living in the community, whereas women living in facilities usually experienced abuse by another resident. Perpetrators were prosecuted and convicted in six cases. About 12% of the women continued to be at risk of further sexual abuse.

Perspectives on Extended Family and Fictive Kin in the Later Years : Strategies and Meanings of Kin Reinterpretation

To identify perspectives on the roles of extended family and fictive kin, the authors conducted a qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with 45 older adults diverse in gender, race, and class. Five strategies of kin reinterpretation were found. Kin promotion defined a distant blood relative as a closer blood relative. Kin exchange reclassified a parent–child tie as a sibling tie or vice versa. Nonkin conversion created fictive kin by turning friends and colleagues into family-like members. Kin retention kept an ex-in-law in the extended family network following divorce. Kin loss identified the meaning of losing physical or psychological contact with a once-valued kin member. The findings reveal that older adults from both mainstream and marginalized families expanded kin reinterpretation practices as a means of adapting to impermanence in family ties. These alterations helped ensure closeness and mutual reliance, thus providing a bridge to connect the old and new social landscape.

Friendship patterns among older women

This study examined the friendship patterns of older women. The participants in the study were white, middle-class, urban women, sixty-five years of age or older. Results indicated the older widowed women received more help from their friends than did married older women. In addition, significant differences in the morale of the older women were found according to the equity of helping behaviors with friends. Specifically, those equitably benefited women had a higher mean morale score than over benefited women. The under benefited women also had a higher mean morale score than the over benefited women. Discussion centered on the importance of friends in the lives of older women as well as on implications for friendship support systems in late life.

Disparities in Underserved White Populations: The Case of Cancer-Related Disparities in Appalachia

There are meaningful cancer-related disparities in the Appalachian region of the U.S. To address these disparities, the Appalachia Community Cancer Network (ACCN), a collaboration of investigators and community partners in five states (Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia), is involved in increasing cancer education and awareness, conducting community-based participatory research (CBPR), and creating mentorship and training opportunities. The primary objective of this paper is to describe cancer-related disparities in the Appalachian region of the U.S. as an example of the disparities experienced by underserved, predominantly white, rural populations, and to describe ACCN activities designed to intervene regarding these disparities. An ACCN overview/history and the diverse activities of ACCN-participating states are presented in an effort to suggest potential useful strategies for working to reduce health-related disparities in underserved white populations. Strengths that have emerged from the ACCN approach (e.g., innovative collaborations, long-standing established networks) and remaining challenges (e.g., difficulties with continually changing communities, scarce resources) are described. Important recommendations that have emerged from the ACCN are also presented, including the value of allowing communities to lead CBPR efforts. Characteristics of the community-based work of the ACCN provide a framework for reducing health-related disparities in Appalachia and in other underserved white and rural populations.