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The Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) is a U.S.-based job-training program that serves unemployed workers aged 55 and older with incomes at or below 125% of the federal poverty level. While federal funds are set aside to serve Asian workers in SCSEP, little is known about their characteristics and experiences. In response, this pilot study aimed to document the health, well-being, and experiences of older Asian SCSEP participants in Massachusetts through the completion of a survey. Respondents ( N  = 39) ranged in age from 58 to 73 and identified as either Chinese (72%) or Vietnamese (28%). All were immigrants, and almost all spoke a language other than English at home. Most reported "good" health as well as financial difficulties. They also stated that their supervisors in their placements were supportive. On average, respondents noted moderate interest in searching for a paid job after exiting SCSEP, although more reported interest in searching for a volunteer role. Key to the success of this study was a robust collaboration with a local human services organization with strong ties to the Chinese and Vietnamese communities. The findings highlight the importance of this growing group of older workers.

Generativity has been increasingly recognized as an important component of healthy aging. Although the desire to be generative is influenced by societal and cultural expectations, the relative influence of its driving factors by retirement status, a significant life-course transition, is underexplored. This study examined how later-life generativity is driven by the interplay between retirement status and financial, human and social capital. An online survey targeting Hong Kong adults aged 45+ was conducted. Linear regression models were stratified by retirement status (working and retired) to examine the effects of financial (income, assets, and financial satisfaction), human (education and health-related measures), and social capitals (productive and social engagement) on generativity. Among those working, higher generativity was associated with financial, human, and social capitals that facilitated material provision. Among those retired, human and social capitals that supported the transmission of knowledge and experience were more important for generativity. For both groups, support from close social networks was the strongest predictor. Different cultural demands, dictated by retirement status, play a crucial role in determining how older adults feel like they can contribute to subsequent generations. These findings can inform policies and programs that seek to support healthy transitions into retirement.

Background: Mental well-being is poor in long-term care facilities (LTCF) residents. Physical disabilities, impaired social engagement, and environmental stress are also common in LTCF which exacerbate the decline of the mental well-being of older people living in LTCF. Protective elements, including nature-based, reminiscence, outdoor, and group activities, are known to be effective to promote the mental well-being of older people living in LTCF. However, limited by their physical disabilities and poor social support, older people living in LTCF are not likely to benefit from these effective measures. Virtual reality has been proven to be feasible to be environmentally unrestricted to providing LTCF residents with all protective elements promoting mental well-being. However, its effects on the mental well-being of LTCF residents living with physical disabilities are unclear., Methods: This study employs a single-blinded, two-parallel-group (intervention-to-control group ratio = 1:1), non-inferiority, randomized controlled trial. Eligible participants are aged 60 years or above, LTCF residents, and living with physical disabilities. The study will be conducted in LTCF. In the intervention group, participants will receive a 6-week VR experience program. In the control group, participants will receive the usual care provided by the LTCF. The primary outcome is mental well-being, as measured by World Health Organization Five Well-being Index at the time point of baseline (i.e., week 0) and after completion of the intervention (i.e., week 7). This study aims to recruit a total of 216 participants. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) will be used to examine the effects of the intervention., Trial Registration: The trial has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier: NCT05818579 ), Registered on April 5, 2023. The latest version of the protocol was published online on 19 April 2023. All items come from the World Health Organization Trial Registration Data Set. This study has been approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Tung Wah College, Hong Kong (reference number: REC2023158). The findings will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals, presented at international and local conferences with related themes, and shared in local media., (© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

Purpose: Effective health care provider-patient discussions of cancer diagnoses and prognoses are essential to enhance health outcomes in oncology. Chinese Americans have been designated an underserved population in oncology by the National Institutes of Health. We explored the perspectives of Boston Chinese American community members and health care providers regarding communication preferences and decision making in oncology care., Methods: In this inductive, qualitative study, we conducted virtual, semi-structured interviews with 21 health care providers with experience in caring for Chinese American patients with cancer and 25 older Boston Chinatown community members who self-identify as Chinese or Chinese American. Thematic analysis was performed., Results: Two major themes were identified. First, provider communication should incorporate a gentle but truthful approach, careful word choice, authority-led style, and professionalism. Second, the family plays a large role in medical and nonmedical settings, and a family-centered approach to communication should be used., Conclusion: Our study builds on and challenges current knowledge regarding oncologic communication with Chinese American patients. A focus on the improvement of provider-patient cancer communication for Chinese Americans will improve care quality and satisfaction among patients and clinicians alike and serve to decrease disparities in care.

Generativity has recently received increasing attention as a key contributor to healthy aging. Personal resources and social expectations are shown to influence the desire to be generative and that generativity affects later-life health. However, whether generativity has a mediating role in linking its driving factors and health, and how gender may affect these pathways, is underexplored. Cross-sectional online data from 1085 Hong Kong residents aged 45+ were collected between November and December 2020. Latent variable path analysis was used to examine the mediating effect of generativity between human, social, and financial capital, and physical and mental well-being. Gendered pathways were investigated using multi-group analysis. Results showed that human, social, and financial capital contributed to better health through generativity, and gendered pathways were observed. Human capital had a stronger effect on generativity for men, but for women, social capital was vital for increased generativity and consequently improved health. Findings suggested that health benefits of generativity depend on different capital drivers and differ by gender. Implications for program development that aim to facilitate health should include generativity components that maximize physical and psychosocial engagement so that individuals can reap the health benefits through contributions to others.