Mary A. Nies

Successful Aging among Assisted Living Community Older Adults

PURPOSE This study investigated the suitability of using the Successful Aging Inventory (SAI) in an effort to describe successful aging among older adults currently living in assisted living communities (ALCs) and to further assess some of the characteristics of successful aging in this group. DESIGN This study used a cross-sectional descriptive quantitative research design. Recruitment garnered 200 participants 65 years of age or older from eight ALCs in North Carolina. METHODS Screening was done using the Mini-Cog; instrumentation was composed of the SAI, Purpose in Life Test, Life Satisfaction Inventory-A, and Centers for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. FINDINGS Among the differences were those influenced by gender, with females tending to score higher on successful aging (p < .004). CONCLUSIONS This research demonstrated that successful aging does exist in ALC residents. CLINICAL RELEVANCE The size of the older adult population will proliferate dramatically during the next two decades. Many of these individuals will find themselves living in ALCs; therefore, it is important to continue to strive to understand what successful aging looks like in these individuals in order to adopt meaningful practices and interventions aimed at eliciting successful aging responses in those living in these communities.

A place at the table: Positioning nurses where healthcare decisions are made.

Recognized for their unique capacity to understand industry needs, nurse leaders can impact largescale change and improve a demanding healthcare system. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, emphasizes the significance of nursing leadership positions in providing safe, high-quality, and effective delivery of healthcare services. To transform the nursing profession, the IOM calls on nurses to:

Challenges and Strategies in Providing Home Based Primary Care for Refugees in the US

The recent crisis in the Middle East has prompted the exodus of millions of refugees from the region who are at present seeking shelter across Europe and in the United States. Among the most immediate needs of refugees upon arrival in a host country is health care, and it is one of the most sustained interactions they experience. Home visits are a common form of primary care for refugees. The authors review the literature to identify themes related to challenges and strategies for providing home based primary care to refugees. The literature review was performed by searching cross-disciplinary databases utilizing Onesearch, but focusing primarily on results produced through CINAHL, EBSCOHOST, and Pub Med databases. To maximize the number of studies included, there was no time frame placed upon publication dates of articles within the search. A total of 55 articles were included in this paper.

Reasons Why Older Americans Use Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Costly or Ineffective Conventional Medicine and Recommendations from Health Care Providers, Family, and Friends

We studied four reasons why older adults use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Data were from the 2007 U.S. National Health Interview Survey and its Complementary and Alternative Medicine supplement (n = 10,096, ages 50+, representing 89.5 million adults). Logistic analyses adjusted for the sampling design and were weighted for national representation. A sample representing 25 million older adults said they used CAM because a health care provider recommended it. Other reasons were recommendations by family, friends, or coworkers (20.2 million), ineffective conventional medicine (5.2 million), and costs of conventional medicine (4.0 million). In adjusted results, women were more likely than men to use CAM for all four reasons. African Americans and Hispanics were less likely than Whites to use CAM for most of these reasons. The uninsured were much more likely to use CAM because conventional medicine was too expensive. Those with higher incomes were less likely to do so. Older adults with chronic conditions, especially musculoskeletal conditions or depression, were more likely to use CAM for most of these reasons. Health providers may be particularly likely to recommend CAM for chronic conditions. These recommendations may be reinforced by limited efficacy of conventional medicine for these conditions and its cost. CAM and conventional medicines can interact, causing risks to health. It is, therefore, useful to help health care providers identify patients most likely to use CAM and their reasons for doing so. These are the patients most likely to benefit from conversations about CAM interactions with conventional medicine.

Transforming nursing education in a 140-character world: The efficacy of becoming social

A generational gap exists across educational settings today. The potential and actual mismatch of learning styles and curriculum delivery suggests that the current educational models are in need of change. The advent of social media has transformed students from passive recipients of information to co-creators and engaged members of a global and information rich community. Responding proactively with social media integration through a responsive curriculum delivery system would serve to enhance student engagement and improve collaborative learning opportunities. Future implications for social media use in research and education will allow for rapid and efficient research to practice dissemination.

A Conceptual Model for Home Based Primary Care of Older Refugees

The needs of refugees in the United States can often optimally be met through home based primary care (HBPC). Until recently, however, there has been little research into the methods of best practice and challenges of providing home based care to refugee groups. The model for the HBPC of refugees proposed here is the result of a comprehensive review of the literature combined with professional practice. Emphasis is placed on the elements of care identified as most affecting health and quality of life outcomes for refugees receiving HBPC. The key inputs for positive health and quality of life outcomes identified are: (1) Linguistic communication; (2) Cultural safety; and (3) Interprofessional team.

What Does it Mean to be Healthy? Hispanics in the Southeastern Idaho Agricultural Industry

In contrast to many studies of first generation Hispanics residing in the U.S., our study focused on participants of both genders who were formally employed outside the home. The purpose of this study was to explore the meaning of health among southeast Idaho Hispanics employed in the agro-industry. Using qualitative methodology, we interviewed twenty participants employed at a potato processing plant. We found that men and women had differing concepts of health based upon their gender roles and the value placed on work outside the home, which influenced their willingness to access formal health care. Based on our findings, there is a need for public health officials in Idaho to collaborate with employers to develop and implement workplace clinics.

Doctor of Nursing Practice Student Perceptions of Providing Care to Refugees: Implications for Doctoral Nursing Practice

Although there is no doubt that expanding scientific innovations provide timely information, in the case of refugees and their primary care providers, it is possible their voices have been partially obscured by this rapidly expanding technological and global society. The authors are currently involved in addressing health disparities by providing education and training for doctoral nursing students, in the delivery of home based primary care to culturally diverse and marginalized populations in a mountain west state. Doctor of nursing practice (DNP) student perspectives may provide essential information to improve patient-centered care for this very vulnerable population. The purpose of this article is to relay the perceptions of DNP nursing students providing care to refugees.

Physical activity in older adults: Planning, delivering, and evaluation plan for the Eat Better Move More Intervention

Abstract Among North Carolina adults, greater than 50% do not engage in the recommended amount of physical activity. More than 75% eat fewer than the recommended five or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily, and 60% are overweight or obese. An intervention was developed for older adults in North Carolina. The purpose of this article is to describe the process for establishing the Eat Better Move More intervention for older adults in North Carolina.

Physical activity in American schools and body mass index percentile

The international physical inactivity epidemic among children has contributed to child obesity. Schools can be an effective source of physical activity opportunity. A cross-sectional sample of 1306 American children was drawn from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics – Child Development Supplement, 2007. The aim of this study was to determine the role of in-school physical activity on body mass index (BMI) percentile among middle and high school-aged children. Multinomial logistic regression was used to assess the associations between the independent variable, physical activity, and the dependent variable, BMI percentile. After adjusting for covariates, children who had no physical activity during physical education (PE) were much more likely to be obese than normal weight in comparison with those who met the US national requirements (odds ratio = 1.58, confidence interval = 1.14, 2.20). This study suggests that meeting US national guidelines for PE-related physical activity may be effective in preventing obesity.