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During the COVID-19 pandemic, technology became an essential tool to maintain connections to social support, health professionals, and services. However, many older adults do not have access to technology or do not feel comfortable using it. CATCH-ON Connect provides cellular-enabled tablets and individual, personalized technical assistance to older adults. Adults age 65+ in project partner primary care clinics who do not have an internet-ready device or who lack digital literacy are eligible to participate. Older adults learn how to access their electronic health record portal, use pre-installed apps (e.g., Lyft, Zoom), and receive education about COVID-19 and the 4Ms. Of the 40 participants enrolled to date, 46% have never accessed the internet with a tablet or smartphone. Initial qualitative outcomes indicate high satisfaction and increased electronic socialization. Quantitative results of participant technology challenges, loneliness, and utilization of telehealth services will be discussed.

Wellness coaching, a process in which a coach and client partner together to address the client’s wellness goals, can increase motivation and develop skills to enhance wellness and lifestyle balance among older adults. To understand wellness preferences among Life Plan Community residents, we surveyed a total of 447 residents from 10 Life Plan Communities. Participants were asked about perceptions of wellness, wellness activity preferences, motivators and barriers to participation in wellness activities, and wellness coaching program preferences. Twenty employees in wellness-related or leadership roles also completed a survey. To enhance our understanding of these perspectives on wellness coaching, nine residents and four employees participated in follow-up interviews. Among the study findings, the majority of resident respondents expressed an interest in improving almost all domains of wellness. Forty percent (40%) of participants said they were extremely or moderately likely to try wellness coaching, and about one-half (51%) said they believed they would benefit from wellness coaching. Staff indicated interest in implementing a wellness coaching program in their community, with 74% reporting at least a moderate likelihood of implementing a program if led by a staff member. Results indicated that emotional and vocational wellness programs were offered and attended less frequently than other types of wellness programs, which suggests that wellness coaching could help to address the need for more programming in these areas. In addition, findings suggested that implementation requires resident input to ensure buy-in. The survey results informed the development of recommendations for a resident wellness coaching program.

African Americans are burdened by high rates of obesity that contribute to chronic disease and early mortality. To tailor a weight loss intervention to meet the needs of African Americans with serious mental illness, a community-based participatory research (CBPR) team comprised primarily of African Americans with serious mental illness guided qualitative research to understand factors that affect weight and interventions that may diminish obesity. Data from five focus groups (n = 55) were analyzed to better understand this group's needs. Participants voiced individual, social, and structural barriers to maintaining and achieving a healthy weight and provided perspectives on potential solutions.

An overwhelming three-quarters of persons age 65 and over have multiple chronic health conditions (Gerteis et al., 2014). With a growing population of older adults, understanding the factors that predict health and reduce the risk of chronic disease is critical. Recent evidence finds that a high sense of purpose- “the belief that one’s life is purposeful and meaningful” (Ryff & Keyes, 1995, p. 720)- is associated with positive health outcomes among older adults. This study investigated the association between purpose and number of chronic conditions among older adults, and whether the relationship depended on age. The study included 6148 older adults (mean age=83.8) who participated in a larger study on wellness. Participants completed a survey that included a measure of sense of purpose and questions about chronic health conditions. Data were analyzed controlling for demographics, optimism, pessimism, social contact, BMI, physical activity, and smoking. Lower levels of purpose were significantly associated with higher numbers of chronic conditions. There was a significant interaction between purpose and age, such that relatively younger older adults with high levels of purpose had fewer chronic conditions. There was no relationship between purpose and number of chronic conditions for the oldest adult participants. The results add new findings to the body of research that demonstrates that sense of purpose is associated with chronic disease. As sense of purpose is modifiable, interventions that increase purpose among older adults, with an emphasis on the youngest-old, should be developed and implemented.