Honouring identity through mealtimes in families living with dementia

This paper reports the findings from the first year of a longitudinal grounded theory study examining the experience and meaning of mealtimes for persons living with dementia and their family partners in care. Dyad and individual active interviews were conducted with 27 families in the early to mid stages of dementia. Mealtimes provided a window for us as researchers into the broader lives of families living with dementia, reflecting the essence of “who they are”. Families experiencing dementia used mealtimes as a way of honouring identity, being connected, and adapting to and accepting an evolving life. This paper focuses on the theme of honouring identity and the role that mealtimes play in that process. Our findings suggest that individual and family identity are honoured through protecting dignity while struggling for autonomy, having meaningful roles, and reaffirming a sense of self in the world. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.     

An empirical study of ordinal condom use measures

Accurate condom use assessment is critical in sexually transmitted infection‐prevention research. Ordinal condom use frequency measures may be problematic due to subjective interpretation by respondents. To assess this potential bias, we examined the ordinal condom use labels (e.g., “never,” “rarely,” etc.) assigned by college students to 17 scenarios that described how frequently a hypothetical couple used condoms. Scenarios varied by condom use frequency (0% to 100%) and by whether frequency was described by stating the number of protected acts out of 20 total acts of intercourse, out of 100 total acts, or as a proportion of acts that were protected. There was substantial interpersonal variability in the labels assigned by participants in all 17 scenarios and inconsistent use of the “never” and “always” labels to characterize 0% and 100% condom use, respectively. The assigned labels varied as a function of the number of total acts (20 vs. 100) and whether condom use was expressed as a count or a percentage, which suggests that participants did not convert the number of protected acts to an equivalent proportion. These results call into question both the reliability and validity of ordinal condom use measures.     

Social Categorization,Intergroup Behaviour and Self-Esteem: Two Experiments

Two experiments investigating the hypothesis that self-esteem is elevated through intergroup discrimination (the positive distinctiveness hypothesis) are reported. Oakes and Turner (1980) have shown experimentally that subjects who are given, and take, the opportunity to discriminate experience elevated self-estteem, while those given no such opportunity de not. This finding is open to an alternative explanation in terms of category salience alone. Experiment 1 disconfounds discrimination and salience and produces findings which support the positive distinctiveness rather than the salience hypothesis. Since there exists the possibility of a partial explanation of the data in terms of compliance, a second experiment (almost an exact replication of the first) is reported which examines this. The positive distinctiveness hypothesis is again upheld in contrast to the salience hypothesis, but the possibility of compliance as a partial explanation is not entirely ruled out.     

Environmental Evaluations and Modifications to Support Aging at Home With a Developmental Disability

ABSTRACT

Increasing numbers of people with developmental disabilities are living into old age and are now residing in community-based housing, largely due to the deinstitutionalization movement. The overlay of age-related impairments onto pre-existing, lifelong disabilities puts this population at a magnified risk for premature behavioral limitations and loss of independence. This article describes a demonstration project designed to enable people with developmental disabilities to age in place. Interviews and observational assessments with 45 older adults with developmental disabilities were conducted in their community-based homes to identify potential barriers to aging in place. An Individualized Environmental Intervention Plan was developed for each study participant, recommending ways to solve problems and eliminate potential barriers. Individualized Environmental Intervention Plans were implemented to the extent possible through home modifications and assistive technology. Pre- and post-modification task performance and self-report revealed the positive impact that home modifications and assistive technology can have. The study demonstrates the need for ongoing evaluation and assessment sensitive to the needs of people with developmental disabilities and the unique characteristics of supported living settings.     

A generational comparison of problem gambling and gambling attitudes among older adult gambling venue patrons

Gambling is a popular leisure activity for older adults (55+), and existing research suggests that overall older adults are less prone to problem gambling compared to younger cohorts. People born after World War II are now beginning to reach retirement age. The purpose of this article was to explore age-related cohort differences between people born from 1943 to 1960 compared to those born from 1925 to 1942 in their attitudes and behaviours related to gambling. This study employs a large sample (2103) of older adults collected at gambling locations across Southern Ontario, Canada in 2013. Comparisons were made using Pearson’s chi-squared tests for categorical variables and independent samples t-tests for continuous variables with logarithmic transformations for highly-skewed variables. Those of the 1943 to 1960 cohort showed significantly higher problem gambling scores and per visit spending, but lower numbers of visits per year. There was no discernible pattern between cohorts in terms of attitudes toward gambling. Assumptions of lower risk of problem gambling among older adults will have to be re-evaluated as the post-war generation becomes an ever greater proportion of older adults.     

Practice and Research in Career Counseling and Development—2012

This annual review of the 2012 career development/vocational psychology literature includes 191 empirical (69%) and conceptual (31%) articles from career, counseling, development, and international journals. The review is divided into 4 major areas: professional issues, work and well‐being, life‐span perspectives, and career theory and concepts. Subsumed within these clusters are foci on the status of career/vocational guidance around the globe, the career development experiences of immigrants, and the effects of economic stress. The authors offer three summarizing impressions. First, the 2012 collection is definitively global; this is a credit to the individual and institutional dimensions of the counseling profession. Second, the research articles represent a wide array of methodological approaches, and researchers have made wise research design choices for their areas of inquiry. Third, there is a true professional responsiveness to the needs of the world. It is suggested that the 2012 literature reflects Parsons's early vision of social justice and multiculturalism.     

Urging College Alcohol and Drug Policies That Target Adverse Behavior,Not Use

Abstract

Although “zero tolerance” policies are being enacted on campuses nationwide, these policies may not be the most effective means of creating safer and healthier environments for students. Many historical precedents illustrate the value of moderation over prohibition College drug and alcohol policies should focus primarily on dysfunctional and disruptive student behaviors, not on student drug and alcohol use only.     

Family Health History Tools as Communication Resources: Perspectives from Caucasian,Hispanic, and Pacific Islander Families

Many tools facilitate gathering family health history (FHH) information. Public health initiatives have focused on improving FHH communication. Research indicates that tools remain largely unused in non-clinical settings and people tend to refrain from engaging in FHH communication. Research also indicates that cultural and family relationship factors influence FHH communication and tool use. This study investigated FHH tools as resources for FHH communication within Caucasian, Hispanic, and Pacific Islander families. Interviews with 10 family dyads from each racial/ethnic group included opportunities for participants to evaluate two FHH tools. Using structurating activity theory, the qualitative analysis revealed that participants viewed the tools as a structure for FHH information, a guide for how to communicate about FHH, and a source for stories about family health. Results are discussed in terms of how family system elements and social structures shape perceptions and use of FHH tools. Conclusions include implications for research and practice.